Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2006DE77B

Measuring Groundwater Discharge to the Inland Bays

Institute: Delaware
Year Established: 2006 Start Date: 2006-06-01 End Date: 2007-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $1,750 Total Non-Federal Funds: $3,500

Principal Investigators: William Ullman

Project Summary: The ecological and environmental impacts of direct groundwater seepage into the coastal zone will be evaluated in the Inland Bays watershed, an area of rapid suburban and urban development. Effects of groundwater nutrients, and salinity on coastal ecology, such as the relationship between micro-algal growth and population diversity and size for red gilled mud worms and their predators (fish, shorebirds) are particular concerns. This project investigates new approaches to determine groundwater seepage patterns and rates, important to improving our understanding of land use effects on groundwater and coastal ecosystems.