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USGS2022

Areas contributing recharge to priority wells in valley-fill aquifers in the Neversink River and Rondout Creek drainage basins, New York

In southeastern New York, the villages of Ellenville, Wurtsboro, Woodridge, the hamlet of Mountain Dale, and surrounding communities in the Neversink River and Rondout Creek drainage basins rely on wells that pump groundwater from valley-fill glacial aquifers for public water supply. Glacial aquifers are vulnerable to contamination because they are highly permeable and have a shallow depth to water table. To protect the quality of these water resources, water managers need accurate information about the areas that contribute recharge to production wells that pump from these aquifers. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Health designated eight priority wells in this region for which water supply protection is of primary concern. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Health, began an investigation in 2019 with the general objectives of (1) improving understanding of regional groundwater-flow system, (2) delineating areas contributing recharge to eight priority production wells, and (3) quantifying the uncertainty of these contributing areas in a probabilistic way that can be used to inform decision-making related to priority well source-water protection. To complete these objectives, a MODFLOW 6 groundwater model was created encompassing the eight priority wells and the surrounding flow system, which includes parts of the Neversink River and Rondout Creek Basins in Sullivan County and Ulster County, New York. The model was built using Python tools (such as flopy , modflow-setup , and sfrmaker ) that facilitate transparent and repeatable model development using existing datasets. The model parameters were estimated with a stepwise approach using an iterative ensemble smoother implementation of the Parameter ESTimation software PEST++ (version 5.0.0). We evaluated initial “best guess” parameter bounds with a prior Monte Carlo analysis. Results of the first prior Monte Carlo analysis were used to make informed adjustments to model parameter bounds (typically resulting in expanded bounds), and a second prior Monte Carlo analysis was run to identify improved ranges for model parameters during history matching. The history matching effort produced an ensemble of parameter values for the groundwater-flow model that spans the range of values within prior uncertainty bounds. The ensemble is informed by the historical observation data, within a reasonable range of uncertainty on those observations. This history-matched ensemble was used in a particle tracking Monte Carlo analysis to delineate the areas contributing recharge to priority wells. The groundwater-flow and particle tracking (MODPATH7) models were run once for each ensemble member. Deterministic contributing areas computed for each ensemble member were aggregated to produce maps showing the probability that a location contributes recharge to priority wells. Finally, the particle tracking Monte Carlo analysis was repeated for six pumping scenarios, representing a wide range of possible pumping levels, to incorporate uncertainty in future pumping rates related to population growth or other management decisions. Increasing pumping rates generally led to larger contributing recharge areas and larger areas of high probability that a location contributes recharge to priority wells. These maps show the overall uncertainty of the areas contributing recharge to priority wells in the study area and provide a tool for risk-based decision making for protection of well source water.

New York↗

USGS2005

Simulation of ground-water flow and areas contributing ground water to production wells, Cadillac, Michigan

Ground water is the primary source of water for domestic, municipal, and industrial use within the northwest section of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Because of the importance of this resource, numerous communities including the city of Cadillac in Wexford County, Michigan, have begun local well-head protection programs. In these programs, communities protect their ground-water resources by identifying the areas that contribute water to production wells, identifying potential sources of contamination, and developing methods to cooperatively manage and minimize threats to the water supply. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Cadillac, simulated regional ground-water flow and estimated areas contributing recharge and zones of transport to the production well field. Ground-water flow models for the Clam River watershed, in Wexford and Missaukee Counties, were developed using the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water flow model (MODFLOW 2000). Ground-water flow models were calibrated using the observation, sensitivity, and parameter estimation packages of MODFLOW 2000. Ground-water-head solutions from calibrated flow models were used in conjunction with MODPATH, a particle-tracking program, to simulate regional ground-water flow and estimate areas contributing recharge and zones of transport to the Cadillac production-well field for a 10-year period. Model simulations match the conceptual model in that regional ground-water flow in the deep ground-water system is from southeast to northwest across the watershed. Areas contributing water were determined for the optimized parameter set and an alternate parameter set that included increased recharge and hydraulic conductivity values. Although substantially different hydrologic parameters (assumed to represent end-member ranges of realistic hydrologic parameters) were used in alternate numerical simulations, simulation results differ little in predictions of the size of the contributing area to the city well field. However, increasing recharge and hydraulic conductivity values appreciably affected the shape of the contributing area and zone of contribution of reacharge. Simulation results indicate that the region immediately to the south and southeast of the well field is contributing water to the production wells. Detailed aquifer characterization would be needed to describe and simulate

Michigan↗

USGS2005

Simulation of ground-water flow and areas contributing ground water to production wells, Cadillac, Michigan

Ground water is the primary source of water for domestic, municipal, and industrial use within the northwest section of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Because of the importance of this resource, numerous communities including the city of Cadillac in Wexford County, Michigan, have begun local wellhead protection programs. In these programs, communities protect their ground-water resources by identifying the areas that contribute water to production wells, identifying potential sources of contamination, and developing methods to cooperatively manage and minimize threats to the water supply. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Cadillac, simulated regional ground-water flow and estimated areas contributing recharge and zones of transport to the production well field. Ground-water flow models for the Clam River watershed, in Wexford and Missaukee Counties, were developed using the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional finite-difference ground-water flow model (MODFLOW 2000). Ground-water flow models were calibrated using the observation, sensitivity, and parameter estimation packages of MODFLOW 2000. Ground-water-head solutions from calibrated flow models were used in conjunction with MODPATH, a particle-tracking program, to simulate regional ground-water flow and estimate areas contributing recharge and zones of transport to the Cadillac production-well field for a 10-year period. Model simulations match the conceptual model in that regional ground-water flow in the deep ground-water system is from southeast to northwest across the watershed. Areas contributing water were determined for the optimized parameter set and an alternate parameter set that included increased recharge and hydraulic conductivity values. Although substantially different hydrologic parameters (assumed to represent end-member ranges of realistic hydrologic parameters) were used in alternate numerical simulations, simulation results differ little in predictions of the size of the contributing area to the city well field. However, increasing recharge and hydraulic conductivity values appreciably affected the shape of the contributing area and zone of contribution of reacharge. Simulation results indicate that the region immediately to the south and southeast of the well field is contributing water to the production wells. Detailed aquifer characterization would be needed to describe and simulate the heterogeneous glacial deposits in the watershed.

Michigan↗

USGS2011

Simulations of groundwater flow and particle-tracking analysis in the zone of contribution to a public-supply well in San Antonio, Texas

In 2006, a public-supply well in San Antonio, Texas, was selected for intensive study to assess the vulnerability of public-supply wells in the Edwards aquifer to contamination by a variety of compounds. A local-scale, steady-state, three-dimensional numerical groundwater-flow model was developed and used in this study to evaluate the movement of water and solutes from recharge areas to the selected public-supply well. Particle tracking was used to compute flow paths and advective traveltimes throughout the model area and to delineate the areas contributing recharge and zone of contribution for the selected public-supply well. The local-scale model grid has a finer vertical discretization than do previous regional Edwards aquifer models and incorporates refined parameter zones corresponding with multiple (10) hydrogeologic units representing the Edwards aquifer. In the Edwards aquifer, high matrix porosity and permeability likely are overshadowed by high permeability developed in structurally influenced karstic conduit systems that transmit water into, through, and out of the aquifer system. The complexity of the aquifer system in the local-scale study area is further increased by numerous faults with varying vertical displacements. The extensive faulting results in the juxtaposition of hydrogeologic units with differing hydraulic properties and has appreciable effects on groundwater flow in the Edwards aquifer. The local-scale model simulations use the MODFLOW Hydrogeologic-Unit Flow Package and include two hydrogeologic units with high hydraulic conductivities (one or more orders of magnitude higher than for the other simulated hydrogeologic units) that are intended to simulate fast flow paths attributable to karst features. The two “conduit” hydrogeologic units of the Edwards aquifer represent the lower 8 meters of the leached and collapsed members and the Kirschberg evaporite member of the Edwards Group. The MODFLOW Horizontal-Flow Barrier Package was used to simulate faults in the local-scale model. The assumption was made that the degree to which a fault acts as a barrier to groundwater flow is proportional to the fault displacement. The final calibrated hydraulic-conductance values ranged from 0.01 to 0.2 per day for fault displacements ranging from 0 to more than 100 percent of the total aquifer thickness. The calibrated steady-state simulation generally reproduces the spatial distribution of measured water-level altitudes. Simulated water-level altitudes were within 9.0 meters of measured water-level altitudes at 74 of the 84 wells used as targets for the local-scale model for the calibrated steady-state simulation. The overall mean absolute difference between simulated and measured water-level altitudes is 4.2 meters, and the mean algebraic difference is 1.9 meters. The simulated springflow for San Antonio Springs was 7.7 percent greater and for San Pedro Springs was 4.2 percent less than the median measured springflow. Simulated tritium concentrations were within 0.14 tritium units of measured tritium concentrations for 11 of the 13 local-scale study tritium observations from the 10 local-scale study wells used to calibrate the steady-state local-scale model, with a mean absolute difference between simulated and measured tritium concentrations of 0.11 tritium units and a mean algebraic difference of -0.04 tritium units. Simulated tritium concentrations in the selected public-supply well during November 2007 were within 0.09 tritium units of the measured concentrations, with the exception of the shallowest observation from the well. The steady-state simulation water budget indicates that recharge occurring in the local-scale study area accounts for 31.8 percent of the sources of water to the Edwards aquifer in the local-scale model area and that inflow through the model boundaries contributes 68.2 percent. Most of the flow into the local-scale model area through the model boundaries occurs through the western and southern boundaries, 58.2 and 39.6 percent, respectively. The largest discharges from the Edwards aquifer in the local-scale model area are boundary outflow (71.4 percent) and withdrawals by wells (24.9 percent). Most of the flow out of the local-scale model area through the model boundaries occurs through the southern and eastern boundaries, 54.2 and 39.6 percent, respectively. The simulated zones of contribution for the selected public-supply well, Timberhill well nest, and Zarzamora well nest extend to the north, northeast, and northwest from each site in the confined zone of the aquifer into the recharge zone, where all recharge to the aquifer occurs. The area contributing recharge for the selected public-supply well has the greatest extent. The area contributing recharge for the Timberhill well nest encompasses approximately the western one-half of the area contributing recharge for the selected public-supply well, and that for the Zarzamora well nest encompasses approximately the eastern two-thirds of the area contributing recharge for the selected public-supply well. Simulated particle ages ranged from less than 1 day to more than 1,900 years in the 10 local-scale study wells (13 local-scale study tritium observations) used to calibrate the local-scale model. The simulated mean particle ages for the tritium observations representing selected well depths (shallow, intermediate, and deep) ranged from 2.5 to 15 years. The minimum (youngest) mean particle ages for the selected public-supply well and the Timberhill monitoring wells were for the intermediate well depth, while the youngest mean particle age for the Zarzamora monitoring wells was for the intermediate and deep well depth. The maximum (oldest) mean particle ages for the selected public-supply well and the Zarzamora monitoring wells were for the shallow well depth. The mean of simulated particle ages for tritium observations representing well depths open to the simulated conduit hydrogeologic units was 3.8 years, whereas the mean of simulated particle ages for tritium observations representing well depths not open to the simulated conduit hydrogeologic units was 9.6 years. The effect of short-circuit pathways, for example karst conduits, in the flow system on the movement of young water to the selected public-supply well could greatly alter contaminant arrival times compared to what might be expected from advection in a system without short circuiting. In a forecasting exercise, the simulated concentrations showed rapid initial response at the beginning and end of chemical input, followed by more gradual response as older water moved through the system. The nature of karst groundwater flow, where flow predominantly occurs via conduit flow paths, could lead to relatively rapid water quality responses to land-use changes. Results from the forecasting exercise indicate that timescales for change in the quality of water from the selected public-supply well could be on the order of a few years to decades for land-use changes that occur over days to decades, which has implications for source-water protection strategies that rely on land-use change to achieve water-quality objectives.

Texas↗

USGS2023

Marmots do not drink coffee: Human urine contributions to the nitrogen budget of a popular national park destination

Reactive nitrogen (Nr) concentrations are higher than expected for mountain lakes in Rocky Mountain National Park, and for many years, high Nr concentrations have been attributed to atmospheric Nr deposition from regional and more distant emission sources, including combustion of fossil fuels and agricultural activities. Here, we estimated the contribution from a very local source, that of human urine, related to intensive use by visitors in Loch Vale Watershed (LVWS). Not only does urine convey hormones, pharmaceuticals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and antibiotic-resistant genes to the environment, but it also contributes Nr, which contributes to loss of biodiversity and eutrophication. Using caffeine as a specific marker for human urine, we compared the calculated maximum potential input of urine with that from wet atmospheric Nr deposition. The maximum potential input is a worst-case scenario. Nearly 30,000 and 45,000 people hiked the 4.0 km to the Loch, the lowest lake in LVWS, in June–September 2019 and 2020, respectively. Informal trails and informal latrine sites were mapped, and the contribution of human urine was calculated based on several assumptions, including that each visitor voided their bladder on the ground once per visit somewhere in Loch Vale. The resulting Nr input from urine in Loch Vale for the summer months of June through September was 0.02 kg Nr ha −1 , and prorated to a full year, the 2019 potential contribution of human waste was 0.06 kg ha −1 year −1 . These values are compared with June–September 1.2 kg Nr ha −1 from wet atmospheric deposition or annual measured 2019 deposition of 2.5 kg Nr ha −1 year −1 , to indicate a contribution of 2% Nr to the waters of Loch Vale from local human urine. Most Nr in this alpine and subalpine watershed is still attributable to emissions and subsequent wet atmospheric deposition, but a 2% contribution from human waste is not insignificant. In the very broadest sense, our results document an ecological disturbance from an unprecedented level of human activity in a protected and designated wilderness area. Local solutions to this local problem could include greater outreach to visitors of public lands about the consequences of their activities and installation of latrines.

Colorado↗

USGS2020

Quantifying the contribution of habitats and pathways to a spatially structured population facing environmental change

The consequences of environmental disturbance and management are difficult to quantify for spatially structured populations because changes in one location carry through to other areas as a result of species movement. We develop a metric, G , for measuring the contribution of a habitat or pathway to network-wide population growth rate in the face of environmental change. This metric is different from other contribution metrics, as it quantifies effects of modifying vital rates for habitats and pathways in perturbation experiments. Perturbation treatments may range from small degradation or enhancement to complete habitat or pathway removal. We demonstrate the metric using a simple metapopulation example and a case study of eastern monarch butterflies. For the monarch case study, the magnitude of environmental change influences the ordering of node contribution. We find that habitats within which all individuals reside during one season are the most important to short-term network growth under complete removal scenarios, whereas the central breeding region contributes most to population growth over all but the strongest disturbances. The metric G provides for more efficient management interventions that proactively mitigate impacts of expected disturbances to spatially structured populations. use changes in one location carry through to other areas due to species movement. We develop a metric, G, for measuring the contribution of a habitat or pathway to network-wide population growth rate in the face of environmental change. This metric is different than other contribution metrics as it quantifies effects of modifying vital rates for habitats and pathways in perturbation experiments. Perturbation treatments may range from small degradation or enhancement to complete habitat or pathway removal. We demonstrate the metric using a simple metapopulation example and a case study of eastern monarch butterflies. For the monarch case study, the magnitude of environmental change influences ordering of node contribution. We find that habitats through which all migrants flow are the most important to short-term network growth under complete-removal scenarios. The metric G provides for more efficient management interventions that proactively mitigate impacts of expected disturbances to spatially structured populations.

American Naturalist↗

USGS2018

Hatchery strain contributions to emerging wild lake trout populations in Lake Huron

Recent assessments indicate the emergence of naturally produced lake trout ( Salvelinus namaycush ) recruitment throughout Lake Huron in the North American Laurentian Great Lakes (>50% of fish <7 years). Because naturally produced fish derived from different stocked hatchery strains are unmarked, managers cannot distinguish strains contributing to natural recruitment. We used 15 microsatellite loci to identify strains of naturally produced lake trout ( N = 1567) collected in assessment fisheries during early (2002–2004) and late (2009–2012) sampling periods. Individuals from 13 American and Canadian hatchery strains ( N = 1143) were genotyped to develop standardized baseline information. Strain contributions were estimated using a Bayesian inferential approach. Deviance information criteria were used to compare models evaluating strain contributions at different spatial and temporal scales. The best performing models were the most complex models, suggesting that hatchery strain contributions to naturally produced lake trout varied spatially among management districts and temporally between time periods. Contributions of Seneca strain lake trout were consistently high across most management districts, with contributions increasing from early to late time periods (estimates ranged from 52% to 94% for the late period across 8 of 9 districts). Strain contributions deviated from expectations based on historical stocking levels, indicating strains differed with respect to survival, reproductive success, and/or dispersal. Knowledge of recruitment levels of strains stocked in different management districts, and how strain-specific recruitment varies temporally, spatially, and as a function of local or regional stocking is important to prioritize strains for future stocking and management of the transition process from primarily hatchery to naturally produced stocks.

Journal of Heredity↗

USGS2022

Relative contributions of suspended sediment between the upper Suiattle River Basin and a non-glacial tributary, Washington, May 2016–September 2017

Concentrations of suspended sediment were measured in discrete samples and turbidity was continuously monitored at four U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in western Washington State, including one gage on the Sauk River; two gages on the Suiattle River, a tributary to the Sauk River; and one gage on Downey Creek, a tributary to the Suiattle River. The Suiattle River is a sediment-rich stream with headwaters on Glacier Peak, a glaciated volcano in the northern Cascade Range. Contributions of suspended sediment to the Suiattle River from unglaciated tributaries, represented by Downey Creek, were compared to the contributions from Glacier Peak in the upper Suiattle River watershed. During summer 2017, a period for which complete records of discharge and sediment data were available for all three streamgages in the Suiattle River Basin, the suspended-sediment load from Downey Creek (drainage area [DA] 93 square kilometers [km 2 ]) was 1,400 metric tons, which is equivalent to a sediment yield of about 15 metric tons per km 2 . During the same period, the suspended-sediment load from the upper Suiattle River (DA 176 km 2 ) was 142,000 metric tons, or a sediment yield of about 800 metric tons per km 2 ; and the suspended-sediment load from the lower Suiattle River (DA 733 km 2 ) was 230,000 metric tons, or a sediment yield of about 300 metric tons per km 2 . The Downey Creek Basin accounts for 13 percent of the drainage area of the Suiattle River watershed but contributed only 0.6 percent of the suspended-sediment load over the summer of 2017 and water year 2017 (October 1, 2016–September 30, 2017). In contrast, the upper Suiattle River Basin, which accounts for 24 percent of the entire Suiattle River watershed, contributed 62 percent of the suspended-sediment load during the summer of 2017. Given the short period for which data were collected, it cannot be known with certainty whether the above values are representative of long-term means. The relatively minor contribution of suspended sediment from Downey Creek, however, is consistent with the expectation that the upper Suiattle River, which drains Glacier Peak, is the dominant contemporary source of suspended sediment to the Sauk River. During summer 2016, the suspended-sediment load in the upper Siuattle River (180,000 metric tons) was more than double the estimated load in the lower Sauk River (80,000 metric tons), even though the upper Suiattle River represents only 10 percent of the total contributing area to the lower Sauk River Basin. This ratio of relative contribution is interpreted as an indication of transient storage of sediment along the Suiattle and Sauk Rivers between the two streamgaging stations. In the glaciated upper Suiattle River Basin, sediment is transported by annual glacial-melt processes in spring and summer months, deposited during the summer base-flow period, and then remobilized by fall and winter floods for delivery to the lower Sauk River.

Washington↗

USGS1994

Evaluation of methods for delineating areas that contribute water to wells completed in valley-fill aquifers in Pennsylvania

Valley-fill aquifers in Pennsylvania are the source of drinking water for many wells in the glaciated parts of the State and along major river valleys. These aquifers area subject to contamination because of their shallow water-table depth and highly transmissive sediments. The possibility for contamination of water-supply wells in valley-fill aquifers can be minimized by excluding activities that could contaminate areas that contribute water to supply wells. An area that contributes water to a well is identified in this report as either an area of diversion, time-of-travel area, or contributing area. The area of diversion is a projection to land surface of the valley-fill aquifer volume through which water is diverted to a well and the time-of travel area is that fraction of the area of diversion through which water moves to the well in a specified time. The contributing area, the largest of three areas, includes the area of diversion but also incorporates bedrock uplands and other area that contribute water. Methods for delineating areas of diversion and contributing areas in valley-fill aquifers, described and compared in order of increasing complexity, include fixed radius, uniform flow, analytical, semianalytical, and numerical modeling. Delineated areas are considered approximations because the hydraulic properties and boundary conditions of the real ground-water system are simplified even in the most complex numerical methods. Successful application of any of these methods depends on the investigator's understanding of the hydrologic system in and near the well field, and the limitations of the method. The hydrologic system includes not only the valley-fill aquifer but also the regional surface-water and ground-water flow systems within which the valley is situated. As shown by numerical flow simulations of a well field in the valley-fill aquifer along Marsh Creek Valley near Asaph, Pa., water from upland bedrock sources can provide nearly all the water contributed to the well.

Open-File Report↗

USGS2000

Delineation and Analysis of Uncertainty of Contributing Areas to Wells at the Southbury Training School, Southbury, Connecticut

Contributing areas to public-supply wells at the Southbury Training School in Southbury, Connecticut, were mapped by simulating ground-water flow in stratified glacial deposits in the lower Transylvania Brook watershed. The simulation used nonlinear regression methods and informational statistics to estimate parameters of a ground-water flow model using drawdown data from an aquifer test. The goodness of fit of the model and the uncertainty associated with model predictions were statistically measured. A watershed-scale model, depicting large-scale ground-water flow in the Transylvania Brook watershed, was used to estimate the distribution of groundwater recharge. Estimates of recharge from 10 small basins in the watershed differed on the basis of the drainage characteristics of each basin. Small basins having well-defined stream channels contributed less ground-water recharge than basins having no defined channels because potential ground-water recharge was carried away in the stream channel. Estimates of ground-water recharge were used in an aquifer-scale parameter-estimation model. Seven variations of the ground-water-flow system were posed, each representing the ground-water-flow system in slightly different but realistic ways. The model that most closely reproduced measured hydraulic heads and flows with realistic parameter values was selected as the most representative of the ground-water-flow system and was used to delineate boundaries of the contributing areas. The model fit revealed no systematic model error, which indicates that the model is likely to represent the major characteristics of the actual system. Parameter values estimated during the simulation are as follows: horizontal hydraulic conductivity of coarse-grained deposits, 154 feet per day; vertical hydraulic conductivity of coarse-grained deposits, 0.83 feet per day; horizontal hydraulic conductivity of fine-grained deposits, 29 feet per day; specific yield, 0.007; specific storage, 1.6E-05. Average annual recharge was estimated using the watershed-scale model with no parameter estimation and was determined to be 24 inches per year in the valley areas and 9 inches per year in the upland areas. The parameter estimates produced in the model are similar to expected values, with two exceptions. The estimated specific yield of the stratified glacial deposits is lower than expected, which could be caused by the layered nature of the deposits. The recharge estimate produced by the model was also lower?about 32 percent of the average annual rate. This could be caused by the timing of the aquifer test with respect to the annual cycle of ground-water recharge, and by some of the expected recharge going to parts of the flow system that were not simulated. The data used in the calibration were collected during an aquifer test from October 30 to November 4, 1996. The model fit was very good, as indicated by the correlation coefficient (0.999) between the weighted simulated values and weighted observed values. The model also reproduced the general rise in ground-water levels caused by ground-water recharge and the cyclic fluctuations caused by pumping prior to the aquifer test. Contributing areas were delineated using a particle-tracking procedure. Hypothetical particles of water were introduced at each model cell in the top layer and were tracked to determine whether or not they reached the pumped well. A deterministic contributing area was calculated using the calibrated model, and a probabilistic contributing area was calculated using a Monte Carlo approach along with the calibrated model. The Monte Carlo simulation was done, using the parameter variance/covariance matrix generated by the regression model, to estimate probabilities associated with the contributing area to the wells. The probabilities arise from uncertainty in the estimated parameter values, which in turn arise from the adequacy of the data available to comprehensively describe the groundwater-flow sy

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1998

Areas contributing ground water to the Peconic Estuary, and ground-water budgets for the north and south forks and Shelter Island, eastern Suffolk County, New York

The Peconic Estuary, at the eastern end of Long Island, has been plagued by a recurrent algal bloom, locally referred to as ?Brown Tide,? that has caused the severe decline of local marine resources. Although the factors that trigger Brown Tide blooms remain uncertain, groundwater discharge has previously been shown to affect surface-water quality in the western part of the estuary. A U.S. Geological Survey groundwater- flow model of the main body of Long Island indicates that a total of about 7.5 x 106 ft3/d (cubic feet per day) of freshwater discharges to the western part of the estuary, but the model does not include the ground-water flow systems on the North and South Forks and Shelter Island, which contribute significant amounts of freshwater to the central and eastern parts of the estuary. The need for information on freshwater discharge to the entire estuary prompted the U.S. Geological Survey to evaluate ground-water discharge from the North and South Forks and Shelter Island. Source areas that contribute ground water to the Peconic Estuary were delineated, and groundwater budgets for these areas were developed, to evaluate the distribution and magnitude of ground-water discharge to the central and eastern parts of the estuary. Contributing-area boundaries that were delineated coincide with the hydraulic boundaries of the fresh ground-water-flow systems of the North and South Forks and Shelter Island; these boundaries are of two types? external (saltwater bodies) and internal (groundwater divides). Hydrologic components that were evaluated include recharge from precipitation, public-supply withdrawal and return flow, and agricultural withdrawal. Values for each of these components were calculated or estimated for the individual freshwater flow subsystems that form each ground-water-budget area, then summed to obtain the total discharge of fresh ground water to tidewater. Ground-water discharge to the Peconic Estuary is about 3.8 x 106 ft3/d from the North Fork, 11 x 106 ft3/d from the South Fork, and 1.7 x 106 ft3/d from Shelter Island. The total contribution to the estuary from these areas is about 16 x 106 ft3/d?roughly twice the total contribution from the main body of Long Island. In contrast to the freshwater contribution from the main body of Long Island, which is concentrated near the head of the estuary, the contributions from the North and South Forks and Shelter Island are distributed along the east-west length of the estuary. Changes in water-table altitude and the resulting changes in total discharge to the Peconic Estuary were estimated from the relative changes in annual mean water level at observation wells. The 1985-95 interval included 7 years (1985-88, 1991- 92, 1995) of generally below-average water-table altitudes that presumably caused similar decreases in ground-water discharge to the estuary; intense Brown Tide blooms coincided with six of these years (1985-88, 1991, 1995), and localized blooms coincided with the remaining year (1992). Watertable altitudes in the remaining 4 years of the 1985-95 interval (1989-90, 1993-94) were nearly average or above average, and presumably produced comparably near-average or increased amounts of ground-water discharge to the estuary; none of these years saw any widespread Brown Tide blooms. Fluctuations in the amounts of ground-water discharge to the estuary appear to affect the occurrence of Brown Tide blooms, although the factors that trigger the blooms have not been determined.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS2003

The contribution of particles washed from rooftops to contaminant loading to urban streams

Rooftops are both a source of and a pathway for contaminated runoff in urban environments. To investigate the importance of particle-associated contamination in rooftop runoff, particles washed from asphalt shingle and galvanized metal roofs at sites 12 and 102 m from a major expressway were analyzed for major and trace elements and PAHs. Concentrations and yields from rooftops were compared among locations and roofing material types and to loads monitored during runoff events in the receiving urban stream to evaluate rooftop sources and their potential contribution to stream loading. Concentrations of zinc, lead, pyrene, and chrysene on a mass per mass basis in a majority of rooftop samples exceeded established sediment quality guidelines for probable toxicity of bed sediments to benthic biota. Fallout near the expressway was greater than farther away, as indicated by larger yields of all contaminants investigated, although some concentrations were lower. Metal roofing was a source of cadmium and zinc and asphalt shingles a source of lead. The contribution of rooftop washoff to watershed loading was estimated to range from 6 percent for chromium and arsenic to 55 percent for zinc. Estimated contributions from roofing material to total watershed load were greatest for zinc and lead, contributing about 20 and 18 percent, respectively. The contribution from atmospheric deposition of particles onto rooftops to total watershed loads in stormwater was estimated to be greatest for mercury, contributing about 46 percent.

Chemosphere↗

USGS2010

Mapping watershed potential to contribute phosphorus from geologic materials to receiving streams, southeastern United States

As part of the southeastern United States SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) water-quality model implementation, the U.S. Geological Survey created a dataset to characterize the contribution of phosphorus to streams from weathering and erosion of surficial geologic materials. SPARROW provides estimates of total nitrogen and phosphorus loads in surface waters from point and nonpoint sources. The characterization of the contribution of phosphorus from geologic materials is important to help separate the effects of natural or background sources of phosphorus from anthropogenic sources of phosphorus, such as municipal wastewater or agricultural practices. The potential of a watershed to contribute phosphorus from naturally occurring geologic materials to streams was characterized by using geochemical data from bed-sediment samples collected from first-order streams in relatively undisturbed watersheds as part of the multiyear U.S. Geological Survey National Geochemical Survey. The spatial pattern of bed-sediment phosphorus concentration is offered as a tool to represent the best available information at the regional scale. One issue may weaken the use of bed-sediment phosphorus concentration as a surrogate for the potential for geologic materials in the watershed to contribute to instream levels of phosphorus-an unknown part of the variability in bed-sediment phosphorus concentration may be due to the rates of net deposition and processing of phosphorus in the streambed rather than to variability in the potential of the watershed's geologic materials to contribute phosphorus to the stream. Two additional datasets were created to represent the potential of a watershed to contribute phosphorus from geologic materials disturbed by mining activities from active mines and inactive mines.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, ↗

USGS2004

Simulation of ground-water flow, contributing recharge areas, and ground-water travel time in the Missouri River alluvial aquifer near Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas

The Missouri River alluvial aquifer near Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, supplies all or part of the drinking water for Ft. Leavenworth; Leavenworth, Kansas; Weston, Missouri; and cooling water for the Kansas City Power and Light, Iatan Power Plant. Ground water at three sites within the alluvial aquifer near the Ft. Leavenworth well field is contaminated with trace metals and organic compounds and concerns have been raised about the potential contamination of drinking-water supplies. In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the U.S. Army began a study of ground-water flow in the Missouri River alluvial aquifer near Ft. Leavenworth. Hydrogeologic data from 173 locations in the study area was used to construct a ground-water flow model (MODFLOW-2000) and particle-tracking program (MODPATH) to determine the direction and travel time of ground-water flow and contributing recharge areas for water-supply well fields within the alluvial aquifer. The modeled area is 28.6 kilometers by 32.6 kilometers and contains the entire study area. The model uses a uniform grid size of 100 meters by 100 meters and contains 372,944 cells in 4 layers, 286 columns, and 326 rows. The model represents the alluvial aquifer using four layers of variable thickness with no intervening confining layers. The model was calibrated to both quasi-steady-state and transient hydraulic head data collected during the study and ground-water flow was simulated for five well-pumping/river-stage scenarios. The model accuracy was calculated using the root mean square error between actual measurements of hydraulic head and model generated hydraulic head at the end of each model run. The accepted error for the model calibrations were below the maximum measurement errors. The error for the quasi-steady-state calibration was 0.82 meter; for the transient calibration it was 0.33 meter. The shape, size, and ground-water travel time within the contributing recharge area for each well or well field is affected by changes in river stage and pumping rates and by the location of the well or well field with respect to the major rivers, alluvial valley walls, and other pumping wells. The shapes of the simulated contributing recharge areas for the well fields in the study area are elongated in the upstream direction for all well-pumping/river-stage scenarios. The capture of ground water by the pumping wells as it moved downgradient toward the Missouri River caused the long up-valley extent of the contributing recharge areas. Recharge to the Iatan and Weston well fields primarily is from precipitation and surface runoff from the surrounding uplands because the contributing recharge area does not intersect the Missouri River for any well-pumping/river-stage scenarios. Recharge to the Leavenworth and Ft. Leavenworth well fields is from precipitation, surface runoff from the surrounding uplands, and the Missouri River because the contributing recharge area intersects these boundaries for all well-pumping/river-stage scenarios. Particle tracking analysis indicated ground water from the three contaminated sites was captured by the Ft. Leavenworth well field for all well-pumping/river-stage scenarios. Ground-water travel times to the Ft. Leavenworth well field for average well-pumping/river-stage scenario ranged from about 33 years for the closest contamination site to about 71 years for the farthest contamination site. Ground-water flow was induced below the Missouri River by the Ft. Leavenworth and Leavenworth well fields for all well-pumping/river-stage scenarios.

Scientific Investigations Report↗

USGS2004

Evaluation of ground-water contribution to streamflow in coastal Georgia and adjacent parts of Florida and South Carolina

Stream-aquifer relations in the coastal area of Georgia and adjacent parts of Florida and South Carolina were evaluated as part of the Coastal Georgia Sound Science Initiative, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division's strategy to protect the Upper Floridan aquifer from saltwater intrusion. Ground-water discharge to streams was estimated using three methods: hydrograph separation, drought-streamflow measurements, and linear-regression analysis of streamflow duration. Ground-water discharge during the drought years of 1954, 1981, and 2000 was analyzed for minimum ground-water contribution to streamflow. Hydrograph separation was used to estimate baseflow at eight streamflow gaging stations during the 31-year period 1971?2001. Six additional streamflow gaging stations were evaluated using linear-regression analysis of flow duration to determine mean annual baseflow. The study area centers on three major river systems ? the Salkehatchie?Savannah?Ogeechee, Altamaha?Satilla?St Marys, and Suwannee ? that interact with the underlying ground-water system to varying degrees, largely based on the degree of incision of the river into the aquifer and on the topography. Results presented in this report are being used to calibrate a regional ground-water flow model to evaluate ground-water flow and stream-aquifer relations of the Upper Floridan aquifer. Hydrograph separation indicated decreased baseflow to streams during drought periods as water levels declined in the aquifer. Average mean annual baseflow ranged from 39 to 74 percent of mean annual streamflow, with a mean contribution of 58 percent for the period 1971?2001. In a wet year (1997), baseflow composed from 33 to 70 percent of mean annual streamflow. Drought-streamflow analysis estimated baseflow contribution to streamflow ranged from 0 to 24 percent of mean annual streamflow. Linear-regression analysis of streamflow duration estimated the Q35 (flow that is equaled or exceeded 35 percent of the time) as the most reasonable estimate of baseflow. The Q35, when compared to mean annual streamflow, estimated a baseflow contribution ranging from 65 to 102 percent of streamflow. The Q35 estimate tends to overestimate baseflow as evidenced by the baseflow contribution greater than 100 percent. Ground-water contributions to streamflow are greatest during winter when evapotranspiration is low, and least during summer when evapotranspiration is high. Baseflow accounted for a larger percentage of streamflow at gaging stations in the Salkehatchie?Savannah?Ogeechee River Basin than in the other two basins. This difference is due largely to the availability of data, proximity to the Piedmont physiographic province where the major rivers originate and are by supplied ground water, and proximity to the upper Coastal Plain where there is greater topographic relief and interconnection between streams and aquifers.

Florida, Georgia, South Carolina↗

USGS2006

Simulation of ground-water flow and areas contributing recharge to extraction wells at the Drake Chemical Superfund Site, City of Lock Haven and Castanea Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania

Extensive remediation of the Drake Chemical Superfund Site has been ongoing since 1983. Contaminated soils were excavated and incinerated on site between 1996 and 1999. After 1999, remedial efforts focused on contaminated ground water. A ground-water remediation system was started in November 2000. The source area of the contaminated ground water was assumed to be the zone 1 area on the Drake Chemical site. The remedial system was designed to capture ground water migrating from zone 1. Also, the remediation system was designed to pump and treat the water in an anoxic environment and re-infiltrate the treated water underground through an infiltration gallery that is hydrologically downgradient of the extraction wells. A numerical ground-water flow model of the surrounding region was constructed to simulate the areas contributing recharge to remedial extraction wells installed on the Drake Chemical site. The three-dimensional numerical flow model was calibrated using the parameter-estimation process in MODFLOW-2000. The model included three layers that represented three poorly sorted alluvial sediment units that were characterized from geologic well and boring logs. Steady-state ground-water flow was simulated to estimate the areas contributing recharge to three extraction wells for three different pumping scenarios--all wells pumping at 2 gallons per minute, at approximately 5 gallons per minute, and at 8 gallons per minute. Simulation results showed the contributing areas to the three extraction wells encompassed 92 percent of zone 1 at a pumping rate of approximately 5 gallons per minute. The contributing areas did not include a very small area in the southwestern part of zone 1 when the three extraction wells were pumped at approximately 5 gallons per minute. Pumping from a fourth extraction well in that area was discontinued early in the operation of the remediation system because the ground water in that area met performance standards. The areas contributing recharge to the three extraction wells did encompass zone 1 at a pumping rate of 8 gallons per minute. At pumping rates of 2 gallons per minute, the contributing areas for the three extraction wells did not encompass zone 1.

Pennsylvania↗

USGS1995

Contributing areas of water-supply wells in Elkton and Pigeon, Huron County, Michigan

The villages of Elkton and Pigeon in Huron County, Michigan, depend on wells completed in the Marshall aquifer to provide a reliable source of potable water. In order to protect the quality of water pumped from these wells, these municipalities need to ensure that potentially harmful contaminants do not enter the Marshall aquifer within the contributing areas of these wells. The Well Head Protection Plan for the State of Michigan requires the delineation of a contributing area based on a 10year time-of-travel for public-supply wells. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends a 40-year time-of-travel as the basis for contributing areas of wells in confined aquifers. The Marshall aquifer, composed of permeable sandstone, is the principal bedrock aquifer in the Elkton-Pigeon area and in the Michigan Basin. In the Elkton-Pigeon area, the top of the Marshall aquifer is roughly 90 to 150 feet below land surface and the aquifer is about 80 feet thick. Transmissivity ranges from 40 to 1,300 feet squared per day, effective porosity is estimated to be about 10 percent, and the hydraulic gradient ranges from 0.0013 to 0.0025. The recharge area of the aquifer is several miles southeast of Elkton and Pigeon, where the aquifer is a subcrop beneath the permeable unconsolidated sediments of the Port Huron End Moraine. Water from wells at Elkton and Pigeon has tritium concentrations of less than 0.8 tritium unit, a concentration indicating that (1) the water in the Marshall aquifer at Elkton and Pigeon is more than 40 years old and (2) the aquifer is highly confined. On the basis of a semianalytical model, contributing areas for a the ,10-year time-of-travel for water-supply wells in Elkton and Pigeon are almost entirely within village boundaries. The contributing areas for a 40-year time-of-travel encompass areas within approximately 1 mile of each village and are several miles from the recharge area of the aquifer. Control of land-use activities within the contributing areas at Elkton and Pigeon will not ensure that water pumped from these supply wells will remain potable. The Marshall aquifer overlies the Coldwater Shale, which contains brine and brackish water that could migrate toward the pumped wells.

Michigan↗

USGS1999

Case study for delineating a contributing area to a water-supply well in a fractured crystalline-bedrock aquifer, Stewartstown, Pennsylvania

The Trouts Lane well field in Stewartstown, Pa., was selected as a case study for delineating a contributing area in a fractured crystalline-bedrock aquifer. The study emphasized the importance of refining the understanding of boundary conditions and major heterogeneities that affect ground-water movement to the supply well by conducting (1) fracture-trace mapping, (2) borehole logging and flow measurements, (3) ground-water level monitoring, (4) aquifer testing, and (5) geochemical sampling. Methods and approach used in this study could be applicable for other wells in crystalline-bedrock terranes in southeastern Pennsylvania. Methods of primary importance for refining the understanding of hydrology at the Trouts Lane well field were the aquifer tests, water-level measurements, and geophysical logging. Results from the constant-discharge aquifer test helped identify a major north-south trending hydraulic connection between supply well SW6 and a domestic-supply well. Aquifer-test results also indicated fractures that transmit most water to the supply well are hydraulically well-connected to the shallow regolith and highly weathered schist. Results from slug tests provided estimates of transmissivity and the nonuniform distribution of transmissivity throughout the well field, indicating the water-producing fractures are not evenly distributed and ground-water velocities must vary considerably throughout the well field. Water levels, which were easy to measure, provided additional evidence of hydraulic connections among wells. More importantly, they allowed the water-table configuration to be mapped. Borehole geophysics and flow measurements within the well were very useful because results indicated water entered supply well SW6 through bedrock fractures at very shallow depths—less than 60 ft below land surface; therefore, the area providing recharge to the well is probably in the immediate vicinity. Preliminary delineations of the contributing area and the 90-day time-of-travel area were computed from a steady-state water budget and a time-of-travel equation. This easy approach provides insight into the size (but not the shape) of contributing areas. Three other approaches were used to refine the contributing-area shape: (1) uniform-flow equation, (2) water-table mapping, and (3) numerical modeling. The contributing areas computed from each approach differed depending on the simplification of the hydrogeologic framework that was made in each method of analysis. Although the approaches vary in complexity, regardless of the approach used, an estimate of the water-table configuration in the vicinity of the well field was key for making the best possible delineation of the contributing area. A major limitation of this investigation was the inability to refine the delineation of the time-of-travel area. A time-of-travel area is based on the distance water travels in a given time. Because a few discrete fractures probably supply a significant amount of water to supply well SW6, the effective porosity (and hence, traveltime) of ground water is best estimated using tracers.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗