The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has served as the Nation's principal collector, repository, and interpreter of natural-science data for more than a century. In this capacity, the USGS in Maryland and the District of Columbia works in partnership with municipal public-works departments, public-health agencies, water and sanitation districts, other Federal agencies, and State and county agencies. This Fact Sheet describes some of the current USGS activities in Maryland and the District of Columbia. | |||
Chesapeake Bay Resources and Restoration | |||
Poor water quality has increased concern about the commercial, economic,
and recreational values of Chesapeake Bay (fig. 1). Excess nutrients,
sediment and toxic substances carried by streams flowing into the Bay from
agricultural, urban, and forested areas have adversely affected its water
quality. The USGS has collected scientific data and provided technical
support needed for managing and restoring the natural environment and
resources of the Chesapeake Bay.
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In 1987, the States in the Chesapeake Bay watershed established an
agreement to restore the Bay. The USGS supports the Chesapeake Bay
Program through technical projects that provide information needed for
managing the Bay's resources. The USGS also participates in technical
committees formed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to guide
restoration of the Bay. Through these activities, the USGS provides
information about the quality of major tributaries that empty into the Bay
and associated resources. One project measures the quantity of chemicals
from fertilizers that enter the Bay in surface and ground waters. The
information from the study is used by State and Federal water managers to
assess the effectiveness of fertilizer-reduction measures and to develop
methods for reducing nutrients in the Bay's tributaries. The USGS multidivisional Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem Program was initiated in 1996 to collect and interpret data to help resource managers determine the effectiveness and response of the Bay ecosystem to nutrient additions and climatic variation during the last 15 to 400 years. This is being accomplished by determining the response of water quality and selected living resources of the Bay watershed and estuary as nutrient input is reduced; defining and evaluating the natural controls on the response in water quality and selected living resources to changes in nutrient loading; and providing data to resource managers to evaluate the effectiveness of components of the nutrient-reduction strategies. | ||
National Water-Quality Assessment | |||
The effect of human activity on water quality is a visible environmental
issue in the Nation. The USGS is conducting the National Water-Quality
Assessment (NAWQA) Program, a comprehensive assessment of water quality in
60 large regions across the Nation. Major parts of two of these regions, the
Potomac River Basin and the Delmarva Peninsula, are in Maryland (fig. 1).
A small part of the Lower Susquehanna River Basin study unit, which drains
into Chesapeake Bay, also lies within Maryland. The results from the NAWQA
Program are producing useful water-quality information for managers at the
national, State, and local levels. The Program is federally funded, but
the USGS is working in partnership with a large group of other agencies
that regulate water quality and manage resources. The Delmarva Peninsula (fig. 1) NAWQA study, which was one of 7 pilot studies, was active during the period 1986-1991 and it is scheduled to restart in 1997. The Delmarva study has given resource managers information about the extent of ground-water contamination caused by agricultural and residential land use. For example, the study has shown that high concentrations (greater than 10 milligrams per liter) of nitrate, which is a known hazard to human health, are commonly found in water samples from most parts of the surficial aquifer, including deep parts of the aquifer that are used for water supply. Pesticides generally are not found in deep parts of the surficial aquifer, but they could migrate to these zones during the next few decades. Data collected during the Delmarva study also showed that ground water with high concentrations of nitrate will continue to discharge to tributaries of Chesapeake Bay for at least the next few decades. Knowledge of ground- and surface-water quality is useful when policymakers and resource managers consider land-use changes and practices that are designed to improve water quality in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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To meet the goals of the NAWQA Program in the Maryland-District of Columbia
area of the Potomac River Basin (fig. 1), a wide variety of sampling
approaches is being used to evaluate water quality in streams and ground
water. Streams are being evaluated through either repetitive or "snapshot"
sampling or both of water quality; of biological communities of insects,
fish, and algae; of streambed sediment; and of clam and fish tissue.
Ground-water quality is being evaluated by large-scale snapshot sampling of
private wells in agricultural, urban, and suburban areas and repetitive
sampling of monitoring wells at a small research site in the Potomac River
Basin. The first phase of the water-quality assessment for the Potomac
study unit focuses on nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticides, which are three
of the most common contaminants in water. Excessive amounts of these
chemicals in streams and ground water in the Maryland-District of Columbia
part of the Potomac River Basin have been identified as a major factor in
the decline of water quality in Chesapeake Bay during the last several
decades. One form of nitrogen, nitrate, is a known human-health hazard if
it is in sufficiently high concentrations in drinking water. Pesticides,
including herbicides and insecticides, have been linked to aquatic-health
problems in Chesapeake Bay, and many pesticides are known or suspected to
be toxic when they enter the food chain. Sampling and analysis of water in the Potomac River Basin for nitrogen, phosphorus, and pesticides have begun to show which streams and ground-water reservoirs contain concentrations of these chemicals at levels harmful to humans and aquatic life; how concentrations of these chemicals vary seasonally; and the likely sources of these chemicals in streams and ground water. With this information, managers in Maryland and the District of Columbia and the general public will be able to make more informed decisions concerning water-supply protection and management and the restoration of Chesapeake Bay. The Potomac and Delmarva NAWQA studies operate under the guidance of liaison committees with representatives from many Federal, regional, and State agencies and universities. | ||
U.S. Department of Defense Installation Restoration | |||
Ground water supplies drinking water for many citizens of Maryland.
Understanding how ground water becomes contaminated and how it can be
cleaned up can improve protection of the State's drinking-water supplies.
Contamination of these supplies from leaking hazardous-waste sites can
seriously affect human health; also, contamination leakage from these sites
into Chesapeake Bay contributes to the overall decline of water quality of
the Bay.
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Since 1984, the USGS has assisted environmental managers at the Aberdeen
Proving Ground (APG), Maryland (fig. 1), to identify areas of contaminated
ground water. The USGS works with managers at the APG to locate areas of
contamination, to develop ground-water-flow models that can be used to
simulate the effects of various methods to reduce contamination at
hazardous-waste sites, and to develop ways to mitigate contamination of
wetland environments. These efforts have added to the ability of the
environmental managers at the APG to develop effective and economical plans
to reduce contamination and to address the concerns of local citizens.
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Hydrologic Hazards |
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Changes in climatic conditions can produce large variations in
surface-water discharge; this was the case with the 100-year flood of the
upper Potomac River in September 1996 that followed the drier-than-normal
year of 1995. Floods and droughts can adversely affect the agricultural
sector of the State economy as well as public safety. The USGS actively
works to improve estimates of the severity of floods and droughts. State,
county, and local planning officials use these estimates to improve
methods for water management and the design of infrastructure.
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The Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA) provides cooperative funds for USGS studies of streambed scour at highway bridges and flood magnitude and frequency. The results of these studies are used by the MDSHA to reduce maintenance, repair, and replacement costs for highway bridges and to improve the safety of travelers during floods. The Maryland Geological Survey (MGS) and the Maryland Water Resources Administration (WRA), which cooperated with the USGS in a study of drought frequency, also use the results of USGS studies. The WRA uses the results of drought studies to improve analyses of water appropriation and use during drought, thereby allowing appropriate water-supply decisions to ensure that the water needs of Maryland's citizens are met. | ||
Acid RainAcid rain, which results from burning oil and coal, affects the quality of streams, lakes, and ground water because of the inability of some areas of the Earth's surface to neutralize the acidity in rainfall. Ground and surface waters affected by acid rain become more acidic than normal. Water can become so acidic that aquatic life dies, thus affecting the viability of fisheries and recreation. The USGS monitored the severity of acid rain in Frederick County, Maryland (fig. 1), from 1982 to 1995, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of the Environment. | |||
Saltwater IntrusionAquifers along Maryland's coast can be contaminated by saltwater when too much water is pumped from them. The USGS, in cooperation with the MGS and other agencies, investigated the potential for saltwater intrusion in rapidly developing areas bordering the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay, including Ocean City and Annapolis (fig. 1). The studies provide a scientific basis for ground-water development by mapping the present distribution of saltwater, developing predictive models to forecast future conditions, and establishing a monitoring well network to monitor water-level and water-quality trends. | |||
Water-Data Network and Water Use |
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Most domestic and agricultural water is supplied by wells, whereas most
public water supplies come from streams and rivers; all water supplied to
the District of Columbia comes from the Potomac River. The USGS operates a
network of 90 streamflow-gaging stations and 330 water-level-gaging
stations at wells to collect the data necessary to evaluate the amount and
quality of the water resources in Maryland and the District of Columbia.
The locations of continuous streamflow-gaging stations that have been
operated since 1980 are shown in figure 2.
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The responsibilities of the USGS include monitoring ground-water levels, streamflow, and changes in water quality; supporting efforts to reduce contamination; detecting contamination and predicting contaminant movement in water; and supplying the data needed to maintain freshwater fisheries. The USGS systematic data-collection program receives cooperative support from the MDSHA, the MGS, the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other organizations. Current and easily available data on ground-water levels, streamflow, and water quality, make the USGS systematic data-collection program an integral part of water-resources management. | ||
Water-Monitoring PartnershipThe USGS is a partner with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Department of the Environment, local governments, other Federal agencies, volunteer groups, academia, consultants, and industry in the newly formed Maryland Water Monitoring Council (MWMC). The MWMC fosters communication, collaboration, and cooperation among groups involved in water monitoring. Its goals are to promote the development of collaborative watershed-based monitoring strategies, to document monitoring activities in Maryland, and to promote the use of quality-assured procedures for sample collection, analytical methods, assessment, and data management. | |||
Biological Resources | |||
The USGS, in cooperation with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources,
is collecting information about the location and status of reptiles and
amphibians. Study sites throughout Maryland are being used to test
data-collection and monitoring methods for declining reptile and amphibian
species. The canvasback duck is an important part of the waterfowl hunting tradition of the Chesapeake Bay. The USGS is studying the causes for declining populations of wintering canvasbacks in the Bay during the past two decades.
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The USGS participates as research and technical advisors in the Appalachian
Clean Streams Initiative (ACSI), which is a comprehensive effort to
implement acidic mine drainage prevention and watershed restoration.
Through the ACSI, Maryland has begun restoration work on the North Branch
Potomac River so that this water can again support productive fisheries and
recreational areas. Assateague Island National Seashore (fig. 1) is a research site for National Park Service and the USGS for testing vegetation mapping methods, which were developed in cooperation with private industry. Vegetation maps of National Parks in Maryland can be used for management and planning. | ||
Geologic Mapping | |||
County and quadrangle geologic maps contain information that can be used
for a wide range of public and private applications such as land-use
planning; ground-water availability and quality studies; finding and making
the best use of earth resources such as natural aggregate for construction;
hazard assessment; and engineering and environmental studies for waste
disposal sites and construction projects. Map information is used in
hydrologic and geologic studies by the USGS, the MGS, and the U.S.
Department of AgricultureÕs Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Geologic maps, particularly those at 1:24,000 scale, are used by
engineering companies for geotechnical studies for highways and other
construction projects and by environmental firms for studies of pollution
and remediation of individual sites throughout the State. Other companies
use geologic maps and cross sections for siting industrial water wells. The USGS, in cooperation with the MGS, produces technical papers and maps about the geology of Maryland as the data become available. |
Since 1968, the USGS, in cooperation with MGS, has mapped bedrock and
surficial geology throughout Maryland at scales of 1:62,500 and 1:24,000.
This includes 1:24,000 scale mapping of the Maryland Piedmont region since
1991. Currently, the USGS, in cooperation with MGS, is producing a geologic map of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park for the National Park Service (C & O Canal, fig. 1). The Geology of the Mid-Atlantic Corridor Project, which is being conducted in cooperation with the MGS, maps geology in the urban, suburban, and outlying rural areas of the Baltimore, MarylandÐWashington D.C. region. The results of the project will be in the form of 1:100,000 scale geologic maps in standard paper and digital formats to help meet information needs for environmental, resource, land-use, hazard, and engineering applications in the mid-Atlantic urban corridor. | ||
Metallic Mineral Resource AssessmentEconomic growth and development in Maryland depend in part on the availability of local mineral sources for use in industry, manufacturing, and the maintenance and upgrading of the region's infrastructure. The USGS, in cooperation with State Geological Surveys and resource agencies, including the MGS, is inventorying known mineral resources and assessing the potential for as-yet-undiscovered mineral resources, based on geological, geophysical, and geochemical studies. Information in digital and paper form will assist Federal and State land-management agencies, regional planners, industry, and local governments to ensure adequate supplies of minerals at the lowest possible cost and promoting sound management of the region's very substantial mineral resources. | |||
Topographic Mapping | |||
The demand for maps and digital cartographic data is widespread and it continues to grow. The USGS strives to ensure availability of map data in graphic and digital form through timely data collection and revision procedures. The USGS fosters partnerships with State and Federal agencies to improve data-collection activities and to maximize resource sharing. The USGS, in cooperation with the Federal Geographic Data Committee's Wetlands Subcommittee, assisted the WRA and several Federal agencies to assess the causes of reporting discrepancies for wetlands in Wicomico County, Maryland by producing 1,200 digital plots that compared wetland interpretations from the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, and from the Maryland WRA. | Among the most popular and versatile products of the USGS are its 1:24,000-scale topographic maps (1 inch on the map represents 2,000 feet on the ground). These maps depict basic natural and cultural features of the landscape, such as lakes and streams, highways and railroads, boundaries, and geographic names. Maryland and the District of Columbia are covered by 264 maps at this scale. | ||
Earth Science Information CenterThe Earth Science Information Center (ESIC) in Baltimore, Maryland, was established under a cooperative agreement between the USGS and the Maryland Geological Survey. The ESIC provides information on topics such as cartography, geography, digital data, remote sensing, geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, geohydrology, aerial photography, and land use. It is supported by the USGS with reference materials, technical assistance, training, outreach activities, and access to USGS data bases. | |||
Cooperative ProgramsThe USGS cooperates with about 30 local, State, and Federal agencies in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Cooperative activities include water-resources-data collection, studies of water availability and quality, mineral-resource assessments, and mapping. For information on geologic and topographic reports published by the State of Maryland (including maps, images and computerized data), contact the Maryland Geological Survey, 2300 St. Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, (410) 554-5500.
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from U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet FS-020-96
For more information contact any of the following: | |
USGS State representative 8987 Yellow Brick Road Baltimore, MD 21237 (410) 238-4200 Fax: (410) 238-4210 Email: dc_md@usgs.gov Additional earth science information can be found by accessing the USGS Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usgs.gov/ For more information on all USGS reports and products (including maps, images, and computerized data), call 1-888-ASK-USGS
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The USGS provides maps, reports, and information to help others meet their needs to manage, develop, and protect America's water, energy, mineral, biological, and land resources. We help find the natural resources needed to build tomorrow and supply the scientific understanding needed to help minimize or mitigate the effects of natural hazards and environmental damage caused by natural and human activities. The results of our efforts touch the daily life of almost every American. |
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Last modified: 10:19 26 SEPT 97 pac