THE EFFECT OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON GROUND‐WATER QUALITY NEAR DETROIT,MICHIGAN1

ABSTRACT: Two water‐quality studies were done on the outskirts of the Detroit metropolitan area to determine how recent residential development has affected ground‐water quality. Pairs of monitor and domestic wells were sampled in areas where residential land use overlies glacial outwash deposits. Young, shallow waters had significantly higher median concentrations of nitrate, chloride, and dissolved solids than older, deeper waters. Analysis of chloride/bromide ratios indicates that elevated salinities are due to human activities rather than natural factors, such as upward migration of brine. Trace concentrations of volatile organic compounds were detected in samples from 97 percent of the monitor wells. Pesticides were detected infrequently even though they are routinely applied to lawns and roadways in the study area. The greatest influence on ground‐water quality appears to be from septic‐system effluent (domestic sewage, household solvents, water‐softener backwash) and infiltration of storm‐water runoff from paved surfaces (road salt, fuel residue). No health‐related drinking‐water standards were exceeded in samples from domestic wells. However, the effects of human activities are apparent in 76 percent of young waters, and at depths far below 25 feet, which is the current minimum well‐depth requirement.     

RECIRCULATING WELLS: GROUND WATER REMEDIATION AND PROTECTION OF SURFACE WATER RESOURCES1

ABSTRACT: Several chlorinated solvent plumes threaten the sole‐source aquifer underlying the Massachusetts Military Reservation at the western end of Cape Cod. Sensitive surface water features including ponds, cranberry bogs, and coastal wetlands are hydraulically connected to the aquifer. For one of the plumes (CS‐10 the original remedy of 120 extraction and reinjection wells has the potential for significant disruption of surface water hydrology, through the localized drawdown and mounding of the water table. Recirculating wells with in‐well air stripping offer a cost‐effective alternative to conventional pump‐and‐treat technology that does not adversely affect the configuration of the water table. Pilot testing of a two well system, pumping 300 gpm, showed a capture radius of > 200 feet per well, in‐well trichloroethylene (TCE) removal efficiencies of 92 to 98 percent per recirculation cycle, an average of three recirculation cycles within the capture zone, and no measurable effect on water table elevations at any point within the recirculation/treatment zone. During 120 days of operation, the mean concentration of TCE in the treatment zone was reduced by 83 percent, from 1,111 μg/l to 184 μg/l. Full‐scale design projections indicate that 60 wells at an average spacing of 160 feet, having an aggregate recirculation 11 MGD, can contain the CS‐b plume without ground water extraction or adverse hydraulic effects on surface water resources. The estimated capital costs for such a system are about $7 million, and annual operations‐and‐maintenance costs should be about $1.4 million, 40 percent of those associated with a pump and treat system over a 20‐year period.     

HYDROLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AN UNCONTROLLED FLOWING WELL,RED RIVER VALLEY,NORTH DAKOTA,USA1

ABSTRACT: In areas of the Red River Valley that overlie permeable Paleozoic sediments, wetlands and salinization have developed where unregulated flowing wells discharge brackish water. Field data were collected to assess the fate of water and salt from a well 25 km northwest of Grand Forks. Drilled during the drought of the 1930s, discharge was used to replenish water in a small oxbow pond used by livestock. The unregulated well discharges about 56 m³/day, measured since 1993. This discharge exceeds ground water flow from the site, thereby forming a ground water mound with a maximum height of 1 m and a diameter of about 300 m. Most soil and underlying sediments near the well have a hydraulic conductivity of 0.3 m³/day. Flow net analysis suggests that less than 25 percent infiltrates, with the remaining water lost to surface flow and evapotranspiration (ET). Evapotranspiration and slow infiltration has led to increased salinization, with shallow soils exhibiting EC to 500 milliSiemens/m. The most pronounced soil salinization occurs along the margins of the oxbow pond and meander scars. Wetland vegetation with low diversity comprises three zones, with species associations similar to those of closed basin prairie potholes to the west.     

A METHOD FOR DETERMINING SALT SOURCES IN SURFACE WATERS'

ABSTRACT: This paper presents a method for determining the causes of salinization of surface waters, in this case the upper Colorado River and its tributaries in Texas. The analysis, which includes a combination of statistical analysis and graphical methods, indicates that among the sources of salt (e.g., saline ground water discharge into surface waters and storm runoff, both surface and shallow subsurface, and washing minerals into surface waters) the major contributor is saline ground water, which discharges into the river and streams. Data also points to salt plume intrusion into the river and streams from sources of salt in the aquifers.     

WATER QUALITY AND POLLUTION — SOUTH FORK OF LONG ISLAND,NEW YORK1

ABSTRACT: The South Fork of Long Island, New York is an area which relies entirely on ground water for water supply. Most of the water which is pumped is artifically recharged, without treatment, via cesspools. The natural quality of the ground water is very high. Some areas show increasing nitrate in the ground water. This comes from both cesspools and agricultural fertilizer. Saline water intrusion is a potential problem in coastal areas. High ammonia in surface ponds may result in eutrophication.     

The utilization of brackish water, protecting the quality of the upper fresh water layer in coastal aquifers

Increasing salinity is one of the most significant and widespread forms of groundwater pollution in coastal areas. This paper presents the causes and impacts of saline water intrusion in coastal areas. Various causes of salt water intrusion, and approaches for the determination of its extent and various measures to control the salt water intrusion are described. An aquifer performance test (APT) approach is presented to identify the extent of existing salt water intrusion in the study area located in the southwest coastal region of Gujarat State (India). A resistivity based experimental technique is used to identify the quality of the groundwater available at different depths. A methodology is presented to assess the extent of available fresh and saline groundwater and to find out the limit up to which lower saline groundwater can be withdrawn for industrial purposes without affecting the upper fresh water layer which can be made available for domestic purposes.     

A Retrospective Look at the Water Resource Management Policies in Nassau County,Long Island,New York1

Abstract: The residents of Nassau County Long Island, New York receive all of their potable drinking water from the Upper Glacial, Jameco/Magothy (Magothy), North Shore, and Lloyd aquifers. As the population of Nassau County grew from 1930 to 1970, the demand on the ground‐water resources also grew. However, no one was looking at the potential impact of withdrawing up to 180 mgd (7.9 m³/s) by over 50 independent water purveyors. Some coastal community wells on the north and south shores of Nassau County were being impacted by saltwater intrusion. The New York State Legislature formed a commission to look into the water resources in 1972. The commission projected extensive population growth and a corresponding increase in pumping resulting in a projected 93.5 to 123 mgd (4.1 to 5.5 m³/s) deficit by 2000. In 1986, the New York Legislature passed legislation to strengthen the well permit program and also establish a moratorium on new withdrawals from the Lloyd aquifer to protect the coastal community’s only remaining supply of drinking water. Over 30 years has passed since the New York Legislature made these population and pumping projections and it is time to take a look at the accuracy of the projections that led to the moratorium. United States Census data shows that the population of Nassau County did not increase but decreased from 1970 to 2000. Records show that pumping in Nassau County was relatively stable fluctuating between 170 and 200 mgd (7.5 to 8.8 m³/s) from 1970 to 2004, well below the projection of 242 to 321 mgd (10.6 to 14.1 m³/s). Therefore, the population and water demand never grew to projected values and the projected threat to the coastal communities has diminished. With a stable population and water demand, its time to take a fresh look at proactive ground‐water resource management in Nassau County. One example of proactive ground‐water management that is being considered in New Jersey where conditions are similar uses a ground‐water flow model to balance ground water withdrawals, an interconnection model to match supply with demand using available interconnections, and a hydraulic model to balance flow in water mains. New Jersey also conducted an interconnection study to look into how systems with excess capacity could be used to balance withdrawals in stressed aquifer areas with withdrawals in unstressed areas. Using these proactive ground‐water management tools, ground‐water extraction could be balanced across Nassau County to mitigate potential impacts from saltwater intrusion and provide most water purveyors with a redundant supply that could be used during water emergencies.     

GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SHALLOW GROUND WATER IN THE EUTAW AQUIFER,MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA1

ABSTRACT: Ground water samples were collected from 30 wells located in, or directly down gradient from, recharge areas of the Eutaw aquifer in Montgomery, Alabama. The major ion content of the water evolves from calcium‐sodium‐chloride‐dominated type in the recharge area to calcium‐bicarbonate‐dominated type in the confined portion of the aquifer. Ground water in the recharge area was under saturated with respect to aluminosilicate and carbonate minerals. Ground water in the confined portion of the aquifer was at equilibrium levels for calcite and potassium feldspar. Dissolved oxygen and nitrite‐plus‐nitrate concentrations decreased as ground water age increased; pH, iron, and sulfate concentrations increased as ground water age increased. Aluminum, copper, and zinc concentrations decreased as ground water age and pH increased. These relations indicate that nitrate, aluminum, copper, and zinc are removed from solution as water moves from recharge areas to the confined areas of the Eutaw aquifer. The natural evolution of ground water quality, which typically increases the pH and decreases the dissolved oxygen content, may be an important limiting factor to the migration of nitrogen based compounds and metals.     

Using a Mass Balance Model to Evaluate Groundwater Budget of Seawater‐Intruded Island Aquifers1

Jang, Cheng‐Shin, Chen‐Wuing Liu, Shih‐Kai Chen, and Wen‐Sheng Lin, 2011. Using a Mass Balance Model to Evaluate Groundwater Budget of Seawater‐Intruded Island Aquifers. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(1): 61‐73. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2011.00593.x Abstract: The study developed a mass balance model to evaluate the groundwater budget of seawater‐intruded island aquifers using limited available data. The Penghu islands were selected as a study area. As sparse observed data were available in the islands, methods of combining water and chloride balances were used to determine the amounts of groundwater pumping, seawater intrusion, aquifer storages, and safe yields in the shallow and deep aquifers. The groundwater budget shows that seawater intrusion to freshwater aquifers was 1.38 × 10⁶ and 0.29 × 10⁶ m³/year in the shallow and deep aquifers, respectively, indicating that the seawater intrusion is severe in the both aquifers. The safe yield of the shallow aquifer was 14.56 × 10⁶ m³/year in 2005 which was four times higher than that of the deep aquifer (3.70 × 10⁶ m³/year). However, the annual pumping amounts in the shallow and deep aquifers were 4.77 × 10⁶ and 3.63 × 10⁶ m³/year, respectively. Although the safe yield of the shallow aquifer is enough for all water resources demands, only 55% of exploitation amount was extracted from the shallow aquifer due to its poor water quality. Groundwater exploitation in the deep aquifer should be significantly reduced and regulated by a dynamic management of pumping scheme because the annual pumping amounts are close to the safe yield and seawater intrusion occurs continually. Additionally, to alleviate further aquifer salination, at least half of the current annual groundwater abstraction should be reduced.     

WATER QUALITY IN SHALLOW ALLUVIAL AQUIFERS,UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN,COLORADO, 19971

ABSTRACT: Shallow ground water in areas of increasing urban development within the Upper Colorado River Basin was sampled for inorganic and organic constituents to characterize water‐quality conditions and to identify potential anthropogenic effects resulting from development. In 1997, 25 shallow monitoring wells were installed and sampled in five areas of urban development in Eagle, Grand, Gunnison, and Summit Counties, Colorado. The results of this study indicate that the shallow ground water in the study area is suitable for most uses. Nonparametric statistical methods showed that constituents and parameters measured in the shallow wells were often significantly different between the five developing urban areas. Radon concentrations exceeded the proposed USEPA maximum contaminant level at all sites. The presence of nutrients, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds indicate anthropogenic activities are affecting the shallow ground‐water quality in the study area. Nitrate as N concentrations greater than 2.0 mg/L were observed in ground water recharged between the 1980s and 1990s. Low concentrations of methylene blue active substances were detected at a few sites. Total coliform bacteria were detected at ten sites; however, E. coli was not detected. Continued monitoring is needed to assess the effects of increasing urban development on the shallow ground‐water quality in the study area.     

IRRIGATION METHODS AND TRANSPORT OF IMAZAMETHABENZ‐METHYL TO GROUND WATER: GREENFIELDS BENCH,MONTANA1

ABSTRACT: A series of gravel terraces support a shallow aquifer that is the sole source of drinking water for three public water supplies and more than 400 private wells on the Greenfields Bench in west‐central Montana. Farming practices on the Greenfields Bench include irrigation of malting barley and the yearly application of herbicides for the control of weeds. The most commonly used herbicide (imazamethabenz‐methyl, U.S. trade name Assert®) has been found in the ground water on the Greenfields Bench. An experiment was conducted in 2000 and 2001 to characterize the transport of Assert and its acid metabolite to ground water under three irrigation methods: flood, wheel line sprinkler, and center pivot sprinkler. Results show that Assert concentrations in ground water are controlled by hydraulic loading rates of each irrigation method, Assert persistence in soil, hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer, and adsorption/desorption of Assert onto clay particles and organic matter.     

ENHANCEMENTS OF NONPOINT SOURCE MONITORING OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN GROUND WATER1

ABSTRACT: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled a national retrospective data set of analyses of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground water of the United States. The data are from Federal, State, and local nonpoint‐source monitoring programs, collected between 1985–95. This data set is being used to augment data collected by the USGS National Water‐Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to ascertain the occurrence of VOCs in ground water nationwide. Eleven attributes of the retrospective data set were evaluated to determine the suitability of the data to augment NAWQA data in answering occurrence questions of varying complexity. These 11 attributes are the VOC analyte list and the associated reporting levels for each VOC, well type, well‐casing material, type of openings in the interval (screened interval or open hole), well depth, depth to the top and bottom of the open interval(s), depth to water level in the well, aquifer type (confined or unconfined), and aquifer lithology. VOCs frequently analyzed included solvents, industrial reagents, and refrigerants, but other VOCs of current interest were not frequently analyzed. About 70 percent of the sampled wells have the type of well documented in the data set, and about 74 percent have well depth documented. However, the data set generally lacks documentation of other characteristics, such as well‐casing material, information about the screened or open interval(s), depth to water level in the well, and aquifer type and lithology. For example, only about 20 percent of the wells include information on depth to water level in the well and only about 14 percent of the wells include information about aquifer type. The three most important enhancements to VOC data collected in nonpoint‐source monitoring programs for use in a national assessment of VOC occurrence in ground water would be an expanded VOC analyte list, recording the reporting level for each analyte for every analysis, and recording key ancillary information about each well. These enhancements would greatly increase the usefulness of VOC data in addressing complex occurrence questions, such as those that seek to explain the reasons for VOC occurrence and nonoccurrence in ground water of the United States.     

GROUND WATER REPLENISHMENT FROM RIVERFLOW1

ABSTRACT: Ground water contours and gradients were determined within and adjacent to a gravelly riverbed with about 100 m active channel width and about 800 m flood plain width during low flow, making use of about 60 shallow dug wells and one deeper cased well Ground water slopes away from the riverbed to the south and slopes to the riverbed from the north. Replenishment of ground water to the south is past a “shell,” a zone of low permeability at the margin of and below the riverbed, (1) into a shallow aquifer from “sideway-spill-over” and (2) into an underlying aquifer that is seemingly confined by the “shell.” Seepage from river channels to underflow takes place all along channel lengths except below riffles where the flow direction is reversed. Half the seepage to underflow was lost to ground water replenishment Underflow seems to constitute merely a few percent of total riverflow but makes a disproportionate contribution to ground water replenishment.     

Seawater Intrusion and Sustainable Yield of Basal Aquifers1

Liu, Clark C.K. and John J. Dai, 2012. Seawater Intrusion and Sustainable Yield of Basal Aquifers. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 48(5): 861‐870. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752‐1688.2012.00659.x Abstract: Basal aquifers, in which freshwater floats on top of saltwater, are the major freshwater supply for the Hawaiian Islands, as well as many other coastal regions around the world. Under unexploited or natural conditions, freshwater and the underlying seawater are separated by a relatively sharp interface located below mean sea level at a depth of about 40 times the hydraulic head. With forced draft, the hydraulic head of a basal aquifer would decline and the sharp interface would move up. It is a serious problem of seawater intrusion as huge amounts of freshwater storage is replaced by saltwater. Also, with forced draft, the sharp interface is replaced by a transition zone in which the salinity increases downward from freshwater to saltwater. As pumping continues, the transition zone expands. The desirable source‐water salinity in Hawaii is about 2% of the seawater salinity. Therefore, the transition zone expansion is another serious problem of seawater intrusion. In this study, a robust analytical groundwater flow and salinity transport model (RAM2) was developed. RAM2 has a simple mathematical structure and its model parameters can be determined satisfactorily with the available field monitoring data. The usefulness of RAM2 as a viable management tool for coastal ground water management is demonstrated by applying it to determine the sustainable yield of the Pearl Harbor aquifer, a principal water supply source in Hawaii.     

The history and evaluation of saltwater intrusion into a coastal aquifer in Mersin, Turkey

The Mersin-Kazanli region is a densely industrialized region. The factories and towns cover their water demand from groundwater. With the increased water demand, saltwater intrusion has occurred. The chloride concentration of the water samples from some wells has been analysed periodically since these wells were drilled. The results of these analyses and electrical conductivity measurements were used to show the history and development of saltwater intrusion up to the year 2000. The Cl(-) concentration of the water within the alluvial aquifer increased to over 3000 mg/l in 1999 and the wells were closed completely. In 2001 new wells were drilled more than 1 km away from the sea and old well field. With the results of the analyses conducted in 2001, the current groundwater quality was determined. The ground water is of the magnesium-calcium-bicarbonate type and this composition is controlled by the interaction of the water with the sediments of alluvial deposits.     

SUBSURFACE RETURN FLOW AND GROUND WATER RECHARGE OF TERRACE FIELDS IN NORTHERN TAIWAN1

ABSTRACT: This study estimates subsurface return flow and effective ground water recharge in terraced fields in northern Taiwan. Specifically, a three dimensional model, FEMWATER, was applied to simulate percolation and lateral seepage in the terraced fields under various conditions. In the terraced paddy fields, percolation mainly moves vertically downward in the central area, while lateral seepage is mainly focused around the bund. Although the simulated lateral seepage rate through the bund exceeded the percolation rate in the central area of the paddy field, annual subsurface return flow at Pei‐Chi and Shin‐Men was 0.17 × 10⁶ m³ and 0.37 × 10⁶ m³, representing only 0.17 percent and 0.21 percent of the total irrigation water required for rice growth at Pei‐Chi and Shin‐Men, respectively. For upland fields, the effective ground water recharge rate during the second crop period (July to November) exceeded that during the first crop period (January to May) because of the wet season in the second crop period. Terraced paddy fields have the most efficient ground water recharge, with 21.2 to 23.4 percent of irrigation water recharging to ground water, whereas upland fields with a plow layer have the least efficient ground water recharge, with only 4.8 to 6.6 percent of irrigation water recharging to ground water. The simulation results clearly revealed that a substantial amount of irrigation water recharges to ground water in the terraced paddy, while only a small amount of subsurface return flow seeps from the upstream to the downstream terraced paddy. The amounts of subsurface flow and ground water recharge determined in the study are useful for the irrigation water planning and management and provide a scientific basis to reevaluate water resources management in the terrace region under irrigated rice.     

EFFECT OF SEMI‐PERCHED GROUND WATER ON MONITORING OF GROUND WATER LEVELS IN A DEVELOPED AQUIFER1

ABSTRACT: Interpretation of ground water level changes in a developed aquifer usually relies on reference to some benchmark such as “predevelopment” ground water levels, changes from fall to fall and/or spring to spring, or to determination of maximum stress during the pumping season. The assumption is that ground water levels measured in the monitoring well accurately reflect the state of the ground water resource in terms of quantity in storage and the effects of local pumping. This assumption is questionable based on the patterns shown in continuous hydrographs of water levels in monitoring wells in Nebraska, and wells installed to determine vertical gradients. These hydrographs show clear evidence for vertical ground water gradients and recharge from overlying parts of the aquifer system to deeper zones in which production wells are screened. The classical concept of semi‐perched ground water, as described by Meinzer, is demonstrated by these hydrographs. The presence of semi‐perched ground water (Meinzer definition, there is no intervening unsaturated zone) invalidates the use of measured ground water levels in regional observation programs for detailed numerical management of the resource. Failure to recognize the Meinzer effect has led to faulty management. The best use of data from the observation well network would be for detection of trends and education unless it is clearly understood what is being measured.     

LEAD AND CADMIUM ASSOCIATED WITH SALTWATER INTRUSION IN A NEW JERSEY AQUIFER SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT: The U.S. Geological Survey collected ground-water samples from the upper and middle aquifers of the Potomac-Raritan-Magothy aquifer system in a 400-square-mile area of New Jersey from 1984 through 1986. Concentrations of lead were greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 50 micrograms per liter in water from 16 of 239 wells. The cencentrations of cadmium were greater than the MCL of 10 micrograms per liter in water from 10 to 241 wells. One-half of the wells that exceeded the lead MCL were in known areas of saltwater intrusion, as were all 10 wells that exceeded the cadmium MCL. The association of elevated concentrations of these metals with elevated concentrations of chloride indicates a mochanism related to saltwater intrusion.     

The Importance of Supratidal Habitats for Wintering Shorebirds and the Potential Impacts of Shrimp Aquaculture

Intensive black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) aquaculture ponds have replaced significant areas of coastal wetlands throughout tropical Asia. Few studies have assessed potential impacts on avian foraging habitats. At Khao Sam Roi Yod National Park, Thailand, seminatural wetlands have been converted to either shrimp ponds or to salinization ponds that provide saline water for shrimp aquaculture. Although shorebirds cannot feed in aquaculture ponds, hypersaline ponds can provide productive foraging areas. Thus, the overall impact of the shrimp industry on shorebirds depends partly on the relative quality of the salt ponds compared to seminatural wetlands. In this study, we examined wintering shorebird use of tidal (N = 5 sites) and supratidal areas (four wetland sites, four salt pond sites) and compared the shorebird community (14 species), prey availability, profitability, and disturbance rates between wetlands and salt ponds. Two shorebird species fed in higher densities in wetlands, whereas seven species were more abundant in salt ponds. Large juvenile fish and dragonfly larvae were more abundant in wetlands, whereas there were more small Chironomid midge and fly larvae in salt ponds. We conclude that salt ponds might provide higher-quality foraging habitats compared to wetlands for small shorebirds species because of the abundance of small larvae. However, the shrimp aquaculture industry reduces habitat availability for shorebirds feeding on larger prey. This study demonstrates a comprehensive, multispecies approach to assess the impacts of a large-scale change in coastal habitats for wintering shorebirds.     

GROUND WATER/SURFACE WATER RESPONSES TO GLOBAL CLIMATE SIMULATIONS,SANTA CLARA‐CALLEGUAS BASIN,VENTURA, CALIFORNIA1

ABSTRACT: Climate variations can play an important, if not always crucial, role in successful conjunctive management of ground water and surface water resources. This will require accurate accounting of the links between variations in climate, recharge, and withdrawal from the resource systems, accurate projection or predictions of the climate variations, and accurate simulation of the responses of the resource systems. To assess linkages and predictability of climate influences on conjunctive management, global climate model (GCM) simulated precipitation rates were used to estimate inflows and outflows from a regional ground water model (RGWM) of the coastal aquifers of the Santa Clara‐Calleguas Basin at Ventura, California, for 1950 to 1993. Interannual to interdecadal time scales of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) climate variations are imparted to simulated precipitation variations in the Southern California area and are realistically imparted to the simulated ground water level variations through the climate‐driven recharge (and discharge) variations. For example, the simulated average ground water level response at a key observation well in the basin to ENSO variations of tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures is 1.2 m/°C, compared to 0.9 m/°C in observations. This close agreement shows that the GCM‐RGWM combination can translate global scale climate variations into realistic local ground water responses. Probability distributions of simulated ground water level excursions above a local water level threshold for potential seawater intrusion compare well to the corresponding distributions from observations and historical RGWM simulations, demonstrating the combination's potential usefulness for water management and planning. Thus the GCM‐RGWM combination could be used for planning purposes and — when the GCM forecast skills are adequate — for near term predictions.