Optimization, Maintenance, Modification, and Scientific Visualization of the O-Field Transient Ground-Water-Flow Model, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

WRD PROJECT #: MD195
PROJECT CHIEF: Denver, Judith M.
BEGIN DATE: 1-April-1998
END DATE: 30-September-2003

Customers currently supporting the project:

U. S. Geological Survey

Problem

The major water-quality issues on the Delmarva Peninsula are contamination of shallow drinking-water sources and the quality of water in the rivers and estuaries surrounding the Peninsula. Agricultural practices have the most widespread effects on water quality because of the dominance of crop production and the poultry industry. There is also concern about ground-water contamination from domestic and community septic systems, as many of these systems are located in the surficial aquifer in areas where is used as a drinking-water source. Most of the contamination problems in the estuaries surrounding the Peninsula are attributed to chemical contamination from agricultural practices and disposal of sewage from small towns and industries, as well as private septic systems.

Objectives

Previous NAWQA study on the Delmarva Peninsula from 1987-1991 helped to answer many important questions about the effects of agricultural applications of fertilizers, manure, and pesticides on both ground-water and surface water quality. We have the opportunity to further develop our understanding of the effects of agriculture on water quality as the NAWQA Program returns to the Delmarva Peninsula to resume study unit activities. The major objectives of continuing work on the Delmarva Peninsula are:

1. Study of drinking-water issues, including trends in the quality of ground water with respect to nutrient and pesticide contamination, and exploration of the effects of emerging contaminant issues (including radium and poultry feed additives),
2. Integrated assessment of the effects of agriculture with intensive poultry production on ground-water and surface-water quality, and
3. Regional-scale seasonal synoptic sampling of surface-water base flow to relate surface-water quality to hydrogeologic and landscape gradients, and to relate shallow ground-water quality to surface-water quality over the study area.

Approach

Several major work elements that overlap in time will be preformed. Study of drinking-water issues will be incorporated into study of ground-water trends and emerging contaminant issues (including radium in ground water and poultry feed additives in ground water and surface water) at both local and regional scales. Well networks from the previous NAWQA pilot project will be re-sampled to explore changes in the transport of chemicals in ground water since the previous study. Wells from community water systems will also be sampled. Two watersheds representing different hydrogeologic conditions on the Peninsula will be studied in depth as part of the integrated assessment component using flow-path studies, surface-water sampling, geologic interpretation, and ground-water flow modeling. Regional synoptic surface-water base flow sampling will be done to relate the effects of agricultural practices and landscape patterns to surface-water quality.