Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID IN_2024_Frisbee

Quantifying sources and rates of aquifer recharge and aquifer-river exchange rates in Tippecanoe County, IN

Institute: Indiana
Year Established: 2024 Start Date: 2024-09-01 End Date: 2025-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $30,000 Total Non-Federal Funds: $30,357

Principal Investigators: Marty Frisbee

Project Summary: Aquifers store groundwater. The aquifers in Tippecanoe County, IN remain poorly studied despite growing pressure on these resources. The major aquifers in Tippecanoe County include sand and gravel units in the stratified glacial sediment on the Tipton Till Plain and alluvial outwash aquifers along the Wabash River corridor (sometimes extending into the Till Plain). As a consequence, we do not know how these aquifers are naturally replenished (recharged), how or if sand and gravel aquifers in the Till Plain discharge groundwater to alluvial aquifers along the river corridor, or the exchange rates between the Wabash River and alluvial aquifers. The proposed research will address these questions using a combination of specific solutes used as environmental tracers and natural isotopes found in water coupled with measurements of temperature in the air and in the aquifers. This research will provide vital data to inform both local and state groundwater management strategies.