Preliminary appraisal of ground water in the Franconia area, Virginia

A brief study of ground-water conditions in the Franconia, Virginia area was made using available data and rapid reconnaissance techniques: (1) to select optimum sites for water wells (2) to identify regionally favorable sites for recharge pits or surface-retention ponds for the disposal of excess storm-water runoff. 

The principal sources of ground water in the Franconia area are narrow elongate sand lenses within the Coastal Plain. The subsurface distribution of these sand lenses is unknown due to the lack of deep test drilling. However, a previous study of surface exposures suggests that the lenses are elongate in an east-west direction. Measurements of base flow and specific conductance of water in the small streams in the area were used to delineate sites most likely to be underlain by the sand lenses.

A water-table contour map and shallow sub-surface geologic map can be used for preliminary selection of sites for recharge pits and retention ponds.