Brandon Fleming is the Groundwater Specialist for the Pennsylvania Water Science Center.
Education and Certifications
M.S. Geosciences (Hydrogeology), University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2009
B.S. Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2002
Science and Products
Contaminants in Groundwater near Superfund sites in Pennsylvania
Groundwater Monitoring in Pennsylvania
Paired Air and Water Temperature Monitoring for Next Generation Water Observing System
Delaware River Basin IWAAs Pilot
Groundwater Recharge - Pennsylvania
Groundwater Availability and Use in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Drought Condition Monitoring
Groundwater level trends for 110 U.S. Geological Survey observation wells in the Delaware River Basin
Estimates of Baseflow, Runoff, and Groundwater Recharge Based on Streamflow-Hydrograph Methods: Pennsylvania
MODFLOW-NWT model with SWI2 used to evaluate the water-table response of sea-level rise and change in recharge, Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia:
Low-streamflow and precipitation trends for 183 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Thirty years of regional groundwater-quality trend studies in the United States: Major findings and lessons learned
Hydrogeologic characterization of Area B, Fort Detrick, Maryland
Simulated effects of sea-level rise on the shallow, fresh groundwater system of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia
Evaluating low flow patterns, drivers and trends in the Delaware River Basin
Spatial and temporal patterns of low streamflow and precipitation changes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Groundwater-quality data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, January through December 2014 and select quality-control data from May 2012 through December 2014
Water quality in the surficial aquifer near agricultural areas in the Delaware Coastal Plain, 2014
Statistical classification of hydrogeologic regions in the fractured rock area of Maryland and parts of the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
A science plan for a comprehensive assessment of water supply in the region underlain by fractured rock in Maryland
Geology, Hydrology, and Water Quality of the Little Blackwater River Watershed, Dorchester County, Maryland, 2006-09
Simulation of groundwater flow to assess future withdrawals associated with Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland
Implications of anthropogenic river stage fluctuations on mass transport in a valley fill aquifer
Pennsylvania Drought Condition Monitoring
The Pennsylvania Drought Condition Monitoring Application shows the current drought status for each county and hydrologic conditions for precipitation, streamflow, groundwater levels, and Palmer Drought-Severity Index used by PaDEP for drought monitoring.
Groundwater Recharge in Pennsylvania
A map app to get recharge values from streamgage locations in Pennsylvania. Development of this app is described at the Related Science page.
Science and Products
- Science
Contaminants in Groundwater near Superfund sites in Pennsylvania
USGS has investigated groundwater flow and contaminant transport in the vicinity of Superfund and other hazardous-waste sites in Pennsylvania, in cooperation with EPA. Additional cooperative support has been provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, National Park Service, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, and Montgomery, and local government...Groundwater Monitoring in Pennsylvania
Groundwater Monitoring and Tools for PennsylvaniaPaired Air and Water Temperature Monitoring for Next Generation Water Observing System
USGS characterizes the relationship between a stream's water temperature and the surrounding air temperature to understand the influence groundwater flow into and out of the stream has on that relationship.Delaware River Basin IWAAs Pilot
The USGS is conducting a pilot study in the Delaware River Basin to support development of National and Regional Integrated Water Availability Assessments (IWAAs). The Delaware River Basin Pilot will be conducted with state and local partners with the support of USGS Cooperative Program Matching Funds and will focus on improving the data, tools, and information stakeholders need to make water...Groundwater Recharge - Pennsylvania
Recharge is the process of adding water to the saturated zone. Because it is almost impossible to measure directly, recharge is usually estimated by indirect means. Completed USGS studies provide estimates of groundwater recharge in Pennsylvania and methods for estimating recharge in humid regions.Groundwater Availability and Use in Pennsylvania
The USGS Pennsylvania Water Science Center helps water providers assess the availability of groundwater for use in homes, on farms, and in industrial activities.Pennsylvania Drought Condition Monitoring
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection relies upon a number of parameters to monitor water-supply-drought conditions, including precipitation, streamflow, groundwater levels, and Palmer Drought Index, an indicator of soil dryness. - Data
Groundwater level trends for 110 U.S. Geological Survey observation wells in the Delaware River Basin
This data release contains groundwater level trend results from 110 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) observation wells in and near the Delaware River Basin. Mean annual groundwater level elevations from water years 2000-2020 were computed from mean daily recorded groundwater levels and discretely measured groundwater levels. Both time series were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test for monotonic treEstimates of Baseflow, Runoff, and Groundwater Recharge Based on Streamflow-Hydrograph Methods: Pennsylvania
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Geological Survey, estimated groundwater recharge by automated streamflow-hydrograph methods for watersheds throughout Pennsylvania. These data serve as an update to previous estimates of groundwater recharge described in Risser and others (2005). The current analysisMODFLOW-NWT model with SWI2 used to evaluate the water-table response of sea-level rise and change in recharge, Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia:
A three-dimensional groundwater flow model, MODFLOW-NWT with the SWI2 module, was developed to provide a better understanding of the fresh groundwater system of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia. Groundwater flow on Assateague Island was simulated to evaluate the effects of sea-level rise and changes in recharge on the depth to freshwater below the land surface, changes in freshwater diLow-streamflow and precipitation trends for 183 U.S. Geological Survey streamgages in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
This data release contains low-streamflow trend results from 183 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamgages and precipitation trend results from gaged watersheds within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Data include streamgage identification number, trend slopes and significance for several low-streamflow and precipitation metrics. - Multimedia
- Publications
Thirty years of regional groundwater-quality trend studies in the United States: Major findings and lessons learned
Changes in groundwater quality have been evaluated for more than 2,200 wells in 25 Principal Aquifers in the United States based on repeated decadal sampling (once every 10 years) from 1988 to 2021. The purpose of this study is to identify contaminants with changing concentrations, the locations and magnitude of those changes, the factors driving those changes, the obstacles to interpreting the chAuthorsBruce D. Lindsey, Brandon J. Fleming, Phillip J. Goodling, Amanda Nicole MayHydrogeologic characterization of Area B, Fort Detrick, Maryland
Groundwater in the karst groundwater system at Area B of Fort Detrick in Frederick County, Maryland, is contaminated with chlorinated solvents from the past disposal of laboratory wastes. In cooperation with U.S. Army Environmental Command and U.S. Army Garrison Fort Detrick, the U.S. Geological Survey performed a 3-year study to refine the conceptual model of groundwater flow in and around Area BAuthorsPhillip J. Goodling, Brandon J. Fleming, John Solder, Alex Soroka, Jeff P. RaffenspergerSimulated effects of sea-level rise on the shallow, fresh groundwater system of Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, developed a three-dimensional groundwater-flow model for Assateague Island in eastern Maryland and Virginia to assess the effects of sea-level rise on the groundwater system. Sea-level rise is expected to increase the altitude of the water table in barrier island aquifer systems, possibly leading to adverse effects to ecosyAuthorsBrandon J. Fleming, Jeff P. Raffensperger, Phillip J. Goodling, John P. MastersonEvaluating low flow patterns, drivers and trends in the Delaware River Basin
In the humid, temperate Delaware River Basin (DRB) where water availability is generally reliable, summer low flows can cause competition between various human and ecological water uses. As temperatures continue to rise, population increases and development expands, it is critical to understand historical low flow variability to anticipate and plan for future flows. Using a sample of 325 U.S. GeolAuthorsJohn C. Hammond, Brandon J. FlemingSpatial and temporal patterns of low streamflow and precipitation changes in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Spatial and temporal patterns in low streamflows were investigated for 183 streamgages located in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed for the period 1939–2013. Metrics that represent different aspects of the frequency and magnitude of low streamflows were examined for trends: (1) the annual time series of seven‐day average minimum streamflow, (2) the scaled average deficit at or below the 2% mean daily sAuthorsBrandon J. Fleming, Stacey A. Archfield, Robert M. Hirsch, Julie E. Kiang, David M. WolockGroundwater-quality data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, January through December 2014 and select quality-control data from May 2012 through December 2014
Groundwater-quality data were collected from 559 wells as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Program from January through December 2014. The data were collected from four types of well networks: principal aquifer study networks, which are used to assess the quality of groundwater used for public water supply; land-use study neAuthorsTerri Arnold, Laura M. Bexfield, MaryLynn Musgrove, Bruce D. Lindsey, Paul E. Stackelberg, Jeannie R. B. Barlow, Leslie A. DeSimone, Justin T. Kulongoski, James A. Kingsbury, Joseph D. Ayotte, Brandon J. Fleming, Kenneth BelitzWater quality in the surficial aquifer near agricultural areas in the Delaware Coastal Plain, 2014
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Delaware Department of Agriculture, developed a network of wells to monitor groundwater quality in the surficial aquifer of the Delaware Coastal Plain. Well-drained soils, a flat landscape, and accessible water in the Delaware Coastal Plain make for a productive agricultural setting. As such, agriculture is one of the largest industries in the StAuthorsBrandon J. Fleming, Laura L. Mensch, Judith M. Denver, Roberto M. Cruz, Mark R. NardiStatistical classification of hydrogeologic regions in the fractured rock area of Maryland and parts of the District of Columbia, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
Hydrogeologic regions in the fractured rock area of Maryland were classified using geographic information system tools with principal components and cluster analyses. A study area consisting of the 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) watersheds with rivers that flow through the fractured rock area of Maryland and bounded by the Fall Line was further subdivided into 21,431 catchments from the NationAuthorsBrandon J. Fleming, Andrew E. LaMotte, Andrew J. SekellickA science plan for a comprehensive assessment of water supply in the region underlain by fractured rock in Maryland
The fractured rock region of Maryland, which includes land areas north and west of the Interstate 95 corridor, is the source of water supply for approximately 4.4 million Marylanders, or approximately 76 percent of the State's population. Whereas hundreds of thousands of residents rely on wells (both domestic and community), millions rely on surface-water sources. In this region, land use, geologyAuthorsBrandon J. Fleming, Patrick A. Hammond, Scott A. Stranko, Mark T. Duigon, Saeid KasraeiGeology, Hydrology, and Water Quality of the Little Blackwater River Watershed, Dorchester County, Maryland, 2006-09
The Little Blackwater River watershed is a low-lying tidal watershed in Dorchester County, Maryland. The potential exists for increased residential development in a mostly agricultural watershed that drains into the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Groundwater and surface-water levels were collected along with water-quality samples to document hydrologic and geochemical conditions within the wAuthorsBrandon J. Fleming, Benjamin D. DeJong, Daniel J. PhelanSimulation of groundwater flow to assess future withdrawals associated with Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) at Fort George G. Meade, Maryland
Increased groundwater withdrawals from confined aquifers in the Maryland Coastal Plain to supply anticipated growth at Fort George G. Meade (Fort Meade) and surrounding areas resulting from the Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure Program may have adverse effects in the outcrop or near-outcrop areas. Specifically, increased pumping from the Potomac Group aquifers (principally the PatAuthorsJeff P. Raffensperger, Brandon J. Fleming, William S.L. Banks, Marilee A. Horn, Mark R. Nardi, David C. AndreasenImplications of anthropogenic river stage fluctuations on mass transport in a valley fill aquifer
In humid regions a strong coupling between surface water features and groundwater systems may exist. In these environments the exchange of water and solute depends primarily on the hydraulic gradient between the reservoirs. We hypothesize that daily changes in river stage associated with anthropogenic water releases (such as those from a hydroelectric dam) cause anomalous mixing in the near‐streamAuthorsDavid F. Boutt, Brandon J. Fleming - Web Tools
Pennsylvania Drought Condition Monitoring
The Pennsylvania Drought Condition Monitoring Application shows the current drought status for each county and hydrologic conditions for precipitation, streamflow, groundwater levels, and Palmer Drought-Severity Index used by PaDEP for drought monitoring.
Groundwater Recharge in Pennsylvania
A map app to get recharge values from streamgage locations in Pennsylvania. Development of this app is described at the Related Science page.
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