Gregory Cherry is a Hydrologist with the South Atlantic Water Science Center in Norcross, Ga., with more than 30 years experience in groundwater related issues.
Greg grew up on the west coast in the Bay Area and became hooked on geology after the eruption of Mount St. Helens in May, 1980. A sailboat adventure with family in the U.S. Virgin Islands sparked interest in island hydrology and craving life in the tropics. After graduating with a BS in geology in 1986, an early assignment with Bechtel Corporation on a Superfund site in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico, eventually led him to begin his career with the U.S. Geological Survey in the Caribbean District (before offices were called Water Science Centers). Thus a twelve-year tenure began in Puerto Rico that led to a search for fresh groundwater resources in the outlying islands. During that period, Greg served as the chief of the St. Croix Field Office in the U.S. Virgin Islands, which focused on numerous monitoring projects. Fresh groundwater resources on the main island of Puerto Rico are critically important and led to groundwater modeling opportunities along the North Coast Province near the municipios of Manatí and Vega Baja. In 2002, Greg moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to gain an understanding of groundwater-flow patterns near the Savannah River Site and track potential contamination. I always feel fortunate that the majority of my work has remained focused on issues relating to groundwater and groundwater management.
Currently serving as Project Chief for the Brunswick/Glynn County Cooperative Water Program, which monitors saltwater contamination in the Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA). This ongoing work combines groundwater modeling with annual water-quality sampling to assess saltwater movement near the City of Brunswick. Utilized regional groundwater-flow model of coastal Georgia and parts of South Carolina and Florida to determine changes in the UFA caused by increased pumping at U.S. Army Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, and for the cities of Pooler, Rincon, and Berwick located in Chatham County, Georgia. Part of a team of agencies led by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources using groundwater-modeling techniques to forecast future groundwater availability in the Edisto River basin.
Science and Products
Groundwater Modelling of the Edisto River Basin, South Carolina
Groundwater Monitoring Program for the Brunswick-Glynn County Area, Georgia
Science and Products
- Publications
- Science
Groundwater Modelling of the Edisto River Basin, South Carolina
The USGS SAWSC in cooperation with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) will use an existing, published groundwater-flow model of the South Carolina Coastal Plain aquifers and confining units to simulate current groundwater conditions and future water-use scenarios developed by SCDNR. The published groundwater-flow model was constructed using existing hydrogeologic and...Groundwater Monitoring Program for the Brunswick-Glynn County Area, Georgia
In the Brunswick, Georgia area, saltwater has contaminated the Upper Floridan aquifer for nearly 50 years. Saltwater contamination has constrained further development of the Upper Floridan aquifer in the Brunswick area, which has stimulated interest in the development of alternative sources of water supply, primarily from the shallower surficial and Brunswick aquifer systems. USGS is working... - Data