Groundwater Monitoring

This ongoing USGS study for Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina aims to (1) compute low-flow statistics at selected continuous-record streamgages in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina and to (2) develop regional regression equations for a subset of those low-flow characteristics for streams that are not substantially affected by tides, regulation, diversions, or other...

The objective of this study is to develop a county-wide assessment of groundwater availability within the fractured-rock aquifer system in Wake County that will prepare the County for planning into the future. The goal is to develop a comprehensive groundwater budget for the county, including sources and distribution of water into the system and out of the system. Since fractured rock aquifers...

The multiyear drought in North and South Carolina (summer 1998-fall 2002) brought wide recognition of the vulnerability of the water resources in these two States to climatic conditions. To prepare for drought conditions in the future, water managers and State and Federal water-resource agencies sought to develop tools to assess hydrologic conditions in both a predictive and responsive manner...

“USGS long-term streamgages and groundwater wells are like a fine wine…they get better with age!” The accurate, long-term monitoring networks of SAWSC provide valuable data in real-time and historical perspective to compare that data to. The longer a monitoring location is in operation, the more valuable it becomes, since more statistical comparisons can be performed. Our field technicians...

An increasing demand for drinking water is one of the major issues facing the Moore County area. Managers need accurate information on surface and groundwater conditions to plan and balance maintaining an adequate water-supply and meeting in-stream flow requirements. The principal study objective is to collect water-level data at existing monitoring wells to establish a long-term data set that can...

Groundwater use from the Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifers in South Carolina has increased during the past 70 years as the population has increased along with demands for municipal, industrial, and agricultural water needs. While South Carolina works to increase development of water supplies in response to the rapid population growth, the State is facing a number of unanswered questions regarding...

Water supply in the Augusta–Richmond County, GA area is provided in part by three well fields that withdraw water from the Dublin–Midville aquifer system. The U.S. Geological Survey operates a groundwater-level and water-quality monitoring program to support water-management decisions and provide a basis for future groundwater modeling efforts while adding to regional characterization of...

New Hanover County is one of the most populated areas along the North Carolina coastline and the population is projected to expand by 25 percent over the next 20 years. County managers and town planners are concerned about escalating demand for groundwater within the county and recognize the importance of high-quality drinking water to meet the demands of a growing population. This study will...

Since 2000, the population of Brunswick County has grown by more than 50%. A growth of this magnitude places significant stress on Brunswick County’s natural resources. County planners have recognized the potential consequences of land use changes associated with growth and the resulting increased demand on water resources by consolidating the many public utility providers into one organization...

Episodic droughts and increased pumpage since the mid-1970s have caused unprecedented ground-water level decline in the Upper Floridan aquifer in much of the roughly 8,000 square-mile Aucilla-Suwannee-Ochlockonee (ASO) River Basin. To address concerns about water availability, USGS worked with Georgia Environmental Protection Division to improve understanding of the hydrogeologic framework and...

The objective of the investigation is to use an existing, updated groundwater-flow model of the South Carolina Coastal Plain aquifers and confining units in the Mount Pleasant area created by Petkewich and Campbell to simulate current groundwater conditions and to include current planning goals developed by the Mount Pleasant Waterworks. The scope of the groundwater simulations will include the...

Groundwater Monitoring Program for the Albany-Dougherty County Area, Georgia South Atlantic Water Science Center Long-term heavy pumping from the Claiborne, Clayton, and Upper Cretaceous aquifers, which underlie the Upper Floridan aquifer, has resulted in significant water-level declines in these deep aquifers in the Albany, Georgia area. These declines have raised concern over the ability of the...