Groundwater Age Estimates, Groundwater Quality, and Hydrogeologic Characteristics of Chase Street Flowing Well and Similar Confined Wells, Little Calumet River Basin, Indiana
In cooperation with The Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission and the Urban Waters Federal Partnership
The Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission (LCRBDC) is developing a park around a local cultural landmark, known locally as the Chase Street flowing well, in Gary, Indiana, a community in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership--Northwest Indiana Area. Groundwater from the well flows naturally due to an artesian condition and is collected by residents for their use. Although the well is suspected to produce from a confined glacial or shallow bedrock source, other information about the well, characteristics of its water source, water quality, and its vulnerability to human-impaired water quality are needed.
The primary objective of this project is to collect hydrologic data, both physical and chemical, from the Chase Street flowing well and nearby monitoring wells in the USGS monitoring network to help characterize the source of the water being produced from the well. This will be accomplished by completing the following sequence of tasks:
- Collection of borehole geophysical data to indirectly understand subsurface hydrogeologic characteristics through indications of differences in fine- and coarse-grained deposits around these wells.
- Measurement of groundwater discharge variations at the Chase Street well as well as water level fluctuations at other wells and surface water sites in the area over a one- to two-year period. These measurements will be compared to understand their possible relation and to evaluate the variability of flow from the Chase Street well to the more transient surface-water conditions and to evaluate seasonal impacts to the aquifer that affect flow and/or groundwater levels.
- Estimate ages of groundwater since it recharged the aquifer from water samples collected at the Chase Street well and other nearby, similarly constructed wells using innovative techniques to interpret naturally occurring isotopes in groundwater.
- Sample groundwater quality including Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Nutrients, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Trace Elements and Dissolved Gas from the Chase Street well and other similarly constructed wells in the region to characterize conditions relative to common drinking water standards.
The results of the above work will be published in a USGS Series report following the conclusion of the three-year study.
Relevance and Benefits:
This effort will collect data needed to better understand the source of water from a local cultural landmark that nearby residents collect for their use. The effort enhances public access to local water resources and meets USGS Next-Generation Water Observation System (NGWOS) goals to develop and apply innovative tools and methods to characterize water sources.
Table of Sites and Links to Data
| Site Number | Site Name | Water Quality Data | Access Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 413617087225201 | B-8 | Trace Elements, Nutrients, PFAS, Dissolved Gas, Tritium, Noble Gases | USGS 413617087225201 USGS WELL B8 DEEP @ CHASE ST. @ GARY,IN. |
| 413312087223101 | CS-1 | Trace Elements, Nutrients, PFAS, Dissolved Gas, Tritium, Noble Gases | USGS 413312087223101 WELL CS-1 AT SPRING PARK AT GARY, IN |
| 413328087202301 | BR-1 | Trace Elements, Nutrients, PFAS, Dissolved Gas, Tritium, Noble Gases | USGS 413328087202301 USGS WELL BR-1, AT IU-NW CAMPUS, GARY, IN |
In cooperation with The Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission and the Urban Waters Federal Partnership
The Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission (LCRBDC) is developing a park around a local cultural landmark, known locally as the Chase Street flowing well, in Gary, Indiana, a community in the Urban Waters Federal Partnership--Northwest Indiana Area. Groundwater from the well flows naturally due to an artesian condition and is collected by residents for their use. Although the well is suspected to produce from a confined glacial or shallow bedrock source, other information about the well, characteristics of its water source, water quality, and its vulnerability to human-impaired water quality are needed.
The primary objective of this project is to collect hydrologic data, both physical and chemical, from the Chase Street flowing well and nearby monitoring wells in the USGS monitoring network to help characterize the source of the water being produced from the well. This will be accomplished by completing the following sequence of tasks:
- Collection of borehole geophysical data to indirectly understand subsurface hydrogeologic characteristics through indications of differences in fine- and coarse-grained deposits around these wells.
- Measurement of groundwater discharge variations at the Chase Street well as well as water level fluctuations at other wells and surface water sites in the area over a one- to two-year period. These measurements will be compared to understand their possible relation and to evaluate the variability of flow from the Chase Street well to the more transient surface-water conditions and to evaluate seasonal impacts to the aquifer that affect flow and/or groundwater levels.
- Estimate ages of groundwater since it recharged the aquifer from water samples collected at the Chase Street well and other nearby, similarly constructed wells using innovative techniques to interpret naturally occurring isotopes in groundwater.
- Sample groundwater quality including Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), Nutrients, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Trace Elements and Dissolved Gas from the Chase Street well and other similarly constructed wells in the region to characterize conditions relative to common drinking water standards.
The results of the above work will be published in a USGS Series report following the conclusion of the three-year study.
Relevance and Benefits:
This effort will collect data needed to better understand the source of water from a local cultural landmark that nearby residents collect for their use. The effort enhances public access to local water resources and meets USGS Next-Generation Water Observation System (NGWOS) goals to develop and apply innovative tools and methods to characterize water sources.
Table of Sites and Links to Data
| Site Number | Site Name | Water Quality Data | Access Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| 413617087225201 | B-8 | Trace Elements, Nutrients, PFAS, Dissolved Gas, Tritium, Noble Gases | USGS 413617087225201 USGS WELL B8 DEEP @ CHASE ST. @ GARY,IN. |
| 413312087223101 | CS-1 | Trace Elements, Nutrients, PFAS, Dissolved Gas, Tritium, Noble Gases | USGS 413312087223101 WELL CS-1 AT SPRING PARK AT GARY, IN |
| 413328087202301 | BR-1 | Trace Elements, Nutrients, PFAS, Dissolved Gas, Tritium, Noble Gases | USGS 413328087202301 USGS WELL BR-1, AT IU-NW CAMPUS, GARY, IN |