USGS - science for a changing world

USGS Groundwater Information

*  Home *  Monthly Highlights *  Data & Information *  Publications *  Methods & Modeling *  Selected Topics *  Programs *  About *  Contact Us

USGS Groundwater Information > August 1, 2019


USGS Monthly Groundwater News and Highlights: August 1, 2019

Subscribe to get the latest USGS groundwater news and science sent to your inbox every month!


 [ Generalized conceptual diagram presenting different hydrogeologic zones for study area lake. Refer to caption for complete description. ]

Diagrammatic interpretation of a groundwater contaminant plume discharging into a freshwater lake. Source: Figure 9, Smith and others, 2019.

Feature: Seasonal and Spatial Variation in the Location and Reactivity of a Nitrate-Contaminated Groundwater Discharge Zone in a Lakebed

A recent USGS study examined what happens to nitrate, a primary wastewater contaminant in groundwater, as contaminated groundwater flows upward into the bottom of a freshwater lake. The Ashumet Pond study area on western Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has been a focal point of more than three decades of study by the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program of contaminant fate and transport in shallow groundwater in granular aquifers. Nitrate can serve as a fertilizer within Ashumet Pond, causing a decrease in the quality of the lake water and potentially contributing to the growth of harmful algae. Groundwater nitrate discharged into the lake primarily near the lake shore, but the location of the discharge moved as the lake level rose and fell. The study showed that rapid flow through the lake-bottom sediments limited the time for biogeochemical nitrate removal to occur.



Animation of Groundwater Watch Active Water Level Network
legend

The USGS Active Groundwater Level Network includes about 20,000 wells that have been measured by the USGS or USGS cooperators at least once within the past 13 months. The animation shows a daily snapshot of water-level statistics in the network for July 2019. Credit: USGS. The image is in the public domain.

USGS Groundwater-Related Publications

Hydrogeologic framework and delineation of transient areas contributing recharge and zones of contribution to selected wells in the upper Santa Fe Group aquifer, southeastern Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1900-2050 (07/31/19)

Baseline groundwater hydrology and water quality in and around Bluff, Utah (07/31/19)

Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2018 (07/25/19)

Water-budget analysis of the Upper Big Sandy Designated Ground-water Basin alluvial aquifer, Elbert, El Paso, and Lincoln Counties, Colorado, 2016 (07/22/19)

Hydrologic study at Farm Creek Marsh, Dorchester County, Maryland, from April 2015 to April 2016 (07/09/19)

Hydrologic site assessment for passive treatment of groundwater nitrogen with permeable reactive barriers, Cape Cod, Massachusetts (07/03/19)

Differentiating anthropogenic and natural sources of uranium by geochemical fingerprinting of groundwater at the Homestake Uranium Mill, Milan, New Mexico, USA (07/22/19)

Groundwater quality and hydrology with emphasis on selenium mobilization and transport in the Lower Gunnison River Basin, Colorado, 2012-16 (07/01/19)

Hydrocarbons in upland groundwater, Marcellus Shale Region, Northeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New York, USA (07/17/19)

Water resources of East Carroll Parish, Louisiana (07/16/19)

Hydraulic, geochemical, and thermal monitoring of an aquifer system in the vicinity of Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California, 2015-17 (07/01/19)

 

USGS Groundwater Flow and Transport Model Data Releases

MODFLOW2000 model and ZONEBUDGET computer program used to simulate the Upper Big Sandy Designated Groundwater Basin alluvial aquifer, Elbert, El Paso, and Lincoln Counties, Colorado, 2016

MODFLOW-LGR2 groundwater-flow model used to delineate transient areas contributing recharge and zones of contribution to selected wells in southeastern Albuquerque, New Mexico

iTOUGH2-EOS7C model used to analyze multiphase flow and hydromechanical coupling in underpressured shale at the Bruce Nuclear Site, Ontario, Canada


Field Photo

USGS is evaluating the current and long-term availability of groundwater resources at the U.S. Army Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC) in California. Results of USGS studies can be used by the Army to inform NTC resource planning, including management of drinking water supplies and wastewater. In this photo, USGS Hydrologist Krishangi Groover lays a cable as part of geophysical surveys at Fort Irwin in July 2019. The geophysical data will be used to improve understanding of current groundwater conditions and to assess groundwater recharge rates. Learn more about USGS California Water Science Center groundwater studies at Fort Irwin.


 [ Photo of scientist deploying yellow cable in the field ]

Credit: USGS/Jill Densmore-Judy. Photo is in the public domain. Click on photo for larger version.


Archive of Past Highlights:

Past monthly summaries are available online.


USGS Home Water Climate and Land Use Change Core Science Systems Ecosystems Energy and Minerals Environmental Health Natural Hazards

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/highlights/2019-08-01.html
Page Contact Information: Contact the USGS Office of Groundwater
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 31-Jul-2019 15:08:01 EDT