Compilation of water-resources data and hydrogeologic setting for Brunswick County, North Carolina, 1933-2000

Water-resources data were compiled for Brunswick County, North Carolina, to describe the hydrologic conditions of the County. Hydrologic data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey as well as data collected by other governmental agencies and reviewed by the U.S. Geological Survey are presented. Data from four weather stations and two surface-water stations are summarized. Data also are presented for land use and land cover, soils, geology, hydrogeology, 12 continuously monitored ground-water wells, 73 periodically measured ground-water wells, and water-quality measurements from 39 ground-water wells.

Mean monthly precipitation at the Longwood, Shallotte, Southport, and Wilmington Airport weather stations ranged from 2.19 to 7.94 inches for the periods of record, and mean monthly temperatures at the Longwood, Southport, and Wilmington Airport weather stations ranged from 43.4 to 80.1 degrees Fahrenheit for the periods of record. An evaluation of land-use and land-cover data for Brunswick County indicated that most of the County is either forested land (about 57 percent) or wetlands (about 29 percent). Cross sections are presented to illustrate the general hydrogeology beneath Brunswick County. Water-level data for Brunswick County indicate that water levels ranged from about 110 feet above mean sea level to about 22 feet below mean sea level. Chloride concentrations measured in aquifers in Brunswick County ranged from near 0 to 15,000 milligrams per liter. Chloride levels in the Black Creek and Cape Fear aquifers were measured at well above the potable limit for ground water of 250 milligrams per liter set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for safe drinking water.