Potentiometric surfaces of the coastal plain aquifers of South Carolina prior to development

Characteristics of the Coastal Plains aquifers of South Carolina are being studied as a part of the Regional Aquifer Systems Analysis program of the U.S. Geological Survey. A framework has been developed to best represent the hydrology of the Coastal Plain aquifers by dividing them into a system of five aquifers. This framework includes a surficial aquifer consisting of coastal terrace deposits, a limestone and stratigraphically equivalent sand aquifer of Eocene age, and three sand aquifers of Cretaceous age. This report presents a general description of the aquifer framework, potentiometric maps for the aquifers of Eocene and Cretaceous age prior to development, and a general description of the flow system prior to development. In the lower Coastal Plain, flow in the aquifer of Eocene age is generally perpendicular to the coast but is almost parallel to the coast in the aquifers of Cretaceous age. (USGS)