Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2009AL77B

Assessment of Groundwater Flow Paths and Discharge to the Coastal Region of Baldwin County, Alabama to Understand Contaminant Transport Using a Cross-Sectional Groundwater Flow and Transport Model

Institute: Alabama
Year Established: 2009 Start Date: 2009-03-01 End Date: 2010-04-30
Total Federal Funds: $14,257 Total Non-Federal Funds: $28,999

Principal Investigators: Geoffrey Tick

Abstract: The proposed research herein is critical for evaluating regional and local transport pathways within the groundwater system, to coastal surface waters and to the Gulf of Mexico. Recent data published on groundwater nitrate levels and chloride concentrations for the region will be used to test the groundwater transport model to help predict and determine flow pathways, and potential discharge zones for the region. this research will help in the construction and development of a conceptual model for evolution and transport of contaminants within the aquifer system of Baldwin County, Alabama and other regions similar to this groundwater/coastal boundary system. In addition, the groundwater flow and transport model will help evaluate and characterize mass fluxes through the aquifer system allow for the testing of different scenarios (i.e. contaminant mass and distribution, recharge rates, etc.) and resulting impacts on the groundwater system. This tool will be critical for developing cost-effective aquifer management plans to ensure sustainable freshwater supplies and preserve the health of the regional ecosystem along the coast of Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico.