Using Domestic Well Records to Determine Fractured Bedrock Watersheds and Recharge Rates. Issue 5 (19th September 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Metcalf, Meredith J.; Robbins, Gary A.
• Is Part Of: Ground water. Volume 52:Issue 5(2014:Sep./Oct.)
• Page Start: 782
• Page End: 788
• Publication Date: 2013-09-19
• Subjects: Groundwater -- Periodicals; Wells -- Periodicals; Eau souterraine -- Périodiques; Puits -- Périodiques; Grondwater; Eau souterraine; Puits; Electronic journals; Périodique électronique (Descripteur de forme); Ressource Internet (Descripteur de forme); 551.49
• DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12115
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0017-467X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="gwat12115-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p id="gwat12115-para-0001">This study presents an approach for delineating groundwater basins and estimating rates of recharge to fractured crystalline bedrock. It entailed the use of completion report data (boring logs) from 2500 domestic wells in bedrock from the Coventry Quadrangle, which is located in northeastern Connecticut and characterized by metamorphic gneiss and schist. Completion report data were digitized and imported into ArcGIS^® for data analysis. The data were processed to delineate groundwater drainage basins for the fractured rock based on flow conditions and to estimate groundwater recharge to the bedrock. Results indicate that drainage basins derived from surface topography, in general, may not correspond with bedrock drainage basins due to scale. Estimates of recharge to the bedrock for the study area indicate that only a small fraction of the precipitation or the amount of water that enters the overburden recharges the rock. The approach presented here can be a useful method for water resource‐related assessments that involve fractured rock aquifers.</p> </abstract>