James Landmeyer
Jim Landmeyer is a Research Hydrologist with the South Atlantic Water Science Center.
Jim Landmeyer has been a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, South Atlantic Water Science Center, since 1990. Landmeyer received his B.S. from Allegheny College in 1989, and his M.S. and PhD. from the University of South Carolina in 1991 and 1995, respectively. He has been the author or co-author of more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, and in 2011 authored the textbook "Introduction to Phytoremediation of Contaminated Groundwater". His research interests include the interaction between plants, microbes, and pristine and contaminated groundwater and surface-water systems in the United States and other countries.
Professional Experience
1990 - present - Research Hydrologist, Columbia, SC
Education and Certifications
PhD. University of South Carolina - 1995
M.S. University of South Carolina - 1991
B.S. Allegheny College - 1989
Science and Products
Pilot-scale phytoremediation of pesticide-contaminated groundwater near Columbia, SC airport (CAE)
EPA Superfund Site, Fort Valley, Georgia
EPA Superfund Site, Columbus, Mississippi
Assessment of Groundwater Availability in Aiken County, South Carolina
Phytoremediation of PAH-Contaminated Groundwater: Contaminant Remediation and Hydrologic Control
Collection and Interpretation of Near Real-Time Surface-Water Quality and Flow Data at Selected Sites in the Waccamaw and Pee Dee River Basins Horry County, South Carolina
Development and Application of a Groundwater Flow and Management Model and Assessment of Groundwater Contamination, Chesterfield County Region, South Carolina
Application of Phreatophytes to Remediate Contaminated Groundwater Before Discharge to Protected Surface-Water Systems
MODFLOW-NWT and MODPATH5 used to evaluate groundwater availability, geochemistry, and flow pathways to public-supply wells in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and bedrock aquifers, Aiken County and part of Lexington County, South Carolina, 2015-2019
Introduction to phytoremediation of contaminated groundwater
This book provides the reader with the comprehensive view necessary to understand and critically evaluate the design, implementation, and monitoring of phytoremediation at sites characterized by contaminated groundwater. Part I presents the historical foundation of the interaction between plants and groundwater, introduces fundamental groundwater concepts for plant physiologists, and introduces ba
Insight into sources of benzene, TCE, and PFOA/PFAS in groundwater at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida, through numerical particle-tracking simulations
Groundwater availability, geochemistry, and flow pathways to public-supply wells in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and bedrock aquifers, Aiken County and part of Lexington County, South Carolina, 2015–2019
Precipitation, submarine groundwater discharge of nitrogen, and red tides along the southwest Florida Gulf coast
Documenting the multiple facets of a subsiding landscape from coastal cities and wetlands to the continental shelf
Determination of recharge areas that supply decades old groundwater to creeks inhabited by the threatened Okaloosa darter
Groundwater chemistry, hydrogeologic properties, bioremediation potential, and three-dimensional numerical simulation of the sand and gravel aquifer at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, near Milton, Florida, 2015–20
Phytoremediation of slightly brackish, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon‐contaminated groundwater from 250 ft below land surface: A pilot‐scale study using salt‐tolerant, endophyte‐enhanced hybrid poplar trees at a Superfund site in the Central Valley of Ca
Fossil tabulate corals reveal outcrops of Paleozoic sandstones in the Atlantic Coastal Plain Province, Southeastern USA
South Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Plan: 2019–23
Implications of refining vertical resolution of hydraulic conductivity in the numerical modeling of groundwater flow to surface water, NAS Whiting Field, Florida
Relation between Enterococcus concentrations and turbidity in fresh and saline recreational waters, coastal Horry County, South Carolina, 2003–04
Effect of phytoremediation on concentrations of benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and dissolved oxygen in groundwater at a former manufactured gas plant site, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, 1998–2014
Science and Products
- Science
Pilot-scale phytoremediation of pesticide-contaminated groundwater near Columbia, SC airport (CAE)
A pilot-scale phytoremediation system is being implemented to address shallow groundwater contaminated by residual pesticides from a landfill near West Columbia, South Carolina. The pilot-scale phytoremediation system will test the idea that fast growing hybrid poplar trees will take up shallow groundwater that contains organochlorine pesticides, such as β-BHC compounds and toxaphene, at higher...EPA Superfund Site, Fort Valley, Georgia
USGS Technical Assistance to Support U.S. EPA Feasibility Studies, Remedial Designs, and Remedial Actions at Woolfolk Chemical Works Superfund Site, Fort Valley, GAEPA Superfund Site, Columbus, Mississippi
USGS Technical Assistance to Support U.S. EPA Feasibility Studies, Remedial Designs, and Remedial Actions at Kerr-McGee Chemical Corporation Superfund Site, Columbus, MSAssessment of Groundwater Availability in Aiken County, South Carolina
The objective of this project is to develop a groundwater-flow model that can be used by Aiken County water managers to manage current and projected reported and unreported demands on groundwater resource and to ensure the highest quality of groundwater. Project Chief: Bruce Campbell Cooperator: Aiken County, Gilbert-Summit Rural Water District, City of Aiken, Breezy Hill Water and Sewer and...Phytoremediation of PAH-Contaminated Groundwater: Contaminant Remediation and Hydrologic Control
A priority issue for the USGS is to contribute to understanding the processes associated with waste isolation and remediation of contaminated environments. This research involves developing new methods for acquiring water resources information, including methods of data collection and analysis, and producing new understanding that describes or explains processes important to water-related issues.Collection and Interpretation of Near Real-Time Surface-Water Quality and Flow Data at Selected Sites in the Waccamaw and Pee Dee River Basins Horry County, South Carolina
This proposed investigation aims to increase the frequency of surface-water quality data collection and initiate stream-flow data collection near existing DHEC ambient sites in Horry County. State-of-the-art water-quality and flow sensors that can collect and report water quality and stream-flow data in near real-time will be installed at 3 sites that are currently on the 303(d) list for SC in the...Development and Application of a Groundwater Flow and Management Model and Assessment of Groundwater Contamination, Chesterfield County Region, South Carolina
The objective of the investigation was to develop and apply a groundwater flow and groundwater management model that can be used to better manage the groundwater resources in the Chesterfield County, S.C. area. Objectives of these better management practices would be to help assure sustainability of the groundwater resources in the area. A groundwater-flow model was developed for the Coastal Plain...Application of Phreatophytes to Remediate Contaminated Groundwater Before Discharge to Protected Surface-Water Systems
State environmental agencies are charged with the protection of groundwater and surface-water systems from water-quality degradation. Although the point-source discharge of wastes to surface waters is allowed up to permitted levels, contaminant releases from non-point sources, such as the discharge of contaminated groundwater, is not regulated. A common cause of groundwater contamination is the... - Data
MODFLOW-NWT and MODPATH5 used to evaluate groundwater availability, geochemistry, and flow pathways to public-supply wells in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and bedrock aquifers, Aiken County and part of Lexington County, South Carolina, 2015-2019
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Aiken County; City of Aiken; Breezy Hill Water and Sewer Company, Inc.; Montmorenci-Couchton Water and Sewer District, Inc.; and Gilbert-Summit Rural Water District developed a model for use with MODFLOW-NWT and MODPATH5 to evaluate groundwater flow and advective transport under pre- and post-development conditions in the Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP) - Multimedia
- Publications
Introduction to phytoremediation of contaminated groundwater
This book provides the reader with the comprehensive view necessary to understand and critically evaluate the design, implementation, and monitoring of phytoremediation at sites characterized by contaminated groundwater. Part I presents the historical foundation of the interaction between plants and groundwater, introduces fundamental groundwater concepts for plant physiologists, and introduces ba
AuthorsJames E. LandmeyerFilter Total Items: 56Insight into sources of benzene, TCE, and PFOA/PFAS in groundwater at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida, through numerical particle-tracking simulations
Past waste-disposal activities at Naval Air Station Whiting Field (NASWF) have led to elevated concentrations of contaminants in the underlying sand and gravel aquifer. Contaminants include two of the most commonly detected chemicals in groundwater in many countries (benzene and trichloroethylene (TCE)) and the “forever chemicals” per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) such as perfluorooctanoAuthorsEric Swain, James E. Landmeyer, Michael A. Singletary, Shannon E. ProvenzanoGroundwater availability, geochemistry, and flow pathways to public-supply wells in the Atlantic Coastal Plain and bedrock aquifers, Aiken County and part of Lexington County, South Carolina, 2015–2019
Between 2015 and 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) studied concerns related to projected increases in demand for groundwater, in collaboration with municipal water providers and county managers within the study area, Aiken County and part of Lexington County, South Carolina. A three-dimensional (3D), numerical groundwater-flow model of the Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP) aquifers, confining uniAuthorsBruce G. Campbell, James E. LandmeyerPrecipitation, submarine groundwater discharge of nitrogen, and red tides along the southwest Florida Gulf coast
Blooms of the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis occur almost every year along the southwest Florida Gulf coast. Long-duration blooms with especially high concentrations of K. brevis, known as red tides, destroy marine life through production of neurotoxins. Current hypotheses are that red tides originate in oligotrophic waters far offshore using nitrogen (N) from upwelling bottom water or, alternativeAuthorsBruce E. Kurtz, James E. Landmeyer, James K. CulterDocumenting the multiple facets of a subsiding landscape from coastal cities and wetlands to the continental shelf
Land subsidence is a settling, sinking, or collapse of the land surface. In the southeastern United States, subsidence is frequently observed as sinkhole collapse in karst environments, wetland degradation and loss in coastal and other low-lying areas, and inundation of coastal urban communities. Human activities such as fluid extraction, mining, and overburden alteration can cause or exacerbate sAuthorsJames G. Flocks, Eileen McGraw, John Barras, Julie Bernier, Mike Bradley, Devin L. Galloway, James Landmeyer, W. Scott McBride, Christopher Smith, Kathryn Smith, Christopher Swarzenski, Lauren TothByNatural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center (CFWSC), Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Water Science Center, South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC), St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, Gulf of MexicoDetermination of recharge areas that supply decades old groundwater to creeks inhabited by the threatened Okaloosa darter
The Okaloosa darter (Etheostoma okaloosae) is a diminutive, perch-like, benthic fish that inhabits only six small, clear, and shallow creek systems that flow almost entirely within Eglin Air Force Base in the panhandle of northwest Florida. Listed as Endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1973, improvements in erosion control and habitat restoration led to the Okaloosa darterAuthorsJames E. Landmeyer, W. Scott McBride, William B. TateGroundwater chemistry, hydrogeologic properties, bioremediation potential, and three-dimensional numerical simulation of the sand and gravel aquifer at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, near Milton, Florida, 2015–20
The U.S. Geological Survey completed a study between 2015 and 2020 of groundwater contamination in the sand and gravel aquifer at a Superfund site in northwestern Florida. Groundwater-quality samples were collected from representative monitoring wells located along a groundwater-flow pathway and analyzed in the field and laboratory. In general, ambient groundwater in the sand and gravel aquifer isAuthorsJames Landmeyer, Eric D. Swain, Carole D. Johnson, John T. Lisle, W. Scott McBride, David H. Chung, Michael A. SingletaryPhytoremediation of slightly brackish, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon‐contaminated groundwater from 250 ft below land surface: A pilot‐scale study using salt‐tolerant, endophyte‐enhanced hybrid poplar trees at a Superfund site in the Central Valley of Ca
Slightly brackish groundwater contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at a Superfund site in the Central Valley of California was pumped from 250 feet below land surface to a water storage tank using solar power and then gravity‐fed into 18, 330‐gallon intermediate bulk containers (totes) as follows:(1)Five totes contained planting medium with three salt‐tolerant hybrid poplar treeAuthorsJames E. Landmeyer, Steven Rock, John Freeman, Greg Nagle, Mark Samolis, Herb Levine, Anna-Marie Cook, Harry O'NeillFossil tabulate corals reveal outcrops of Paleozoic sandstones in the Atlantic Coastal Plain Province, Southeastern USA
The geologic history of the Southeastern United States of America is missing nearly 350-million-years of rocks, sediments, and fossils. This gap defines the Fall Line nonconformity where Upper Ordovician consolidated rocks are directly overlain by Upper Cretaceous unconsolidated sediments of the Atlantic Coastal Plain Province. Here we begin to fill in the missing geologic record by reporting theAuthorsJames E. Landmeyer, Francis Tourneur, Julien Denayer, Mikolaj K ZapalskiSouth Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Plan: 2019–23
Executive SummaryThe South Atlantic Water Science Center Strategic Science Planning Team has developed a unified strategic science plan to guide the science vision of the South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) in response to the merging of the Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina Water Science Centers. This plan proposes a path forward to keep SAWSC science activities relevant to the mAuthorsThomas F. Cuffney, Ana M. Garcia, Arthur J. Horowitz, Jacob H. LaFontaine, James E. Landmeyer, Anna M. McKee, Kristen Bukowski McSwain, Jaime A. Painter, John M. Shelton, Christopher A. SmithImplications of refining vertical resolution of hydraulic conductivity in the numerical modeling of groundwater flow to surface water, NAS Whiting Field, Florida
Naval Air Station Whiting Field is located near Milton, Florida and is one of the Navy's two primary pilot training bases. Commissioned in 1943, historic operations at Whiting Field generated industrial wastes that contaminated soil and the water-table aquifer. The Environmental Protection Agency placed Whiting Field on the Superfund program’s National Priorities List of contaminated sites in 1994AuthorsEric D. Swain, Bruce G. Campbell, James LandmeyerRelation between Enterococcus concentrations and turbidity in fresh and saline recreational waters, coastal Horry County, South Carolina, 2003–04
Bacteria related to the intestinal tract of humans and other warm-blooded animals have been detected in fresh and saline surface waters used for recreational purposes in coastal areas of Horry County, South Carolina, since the early 2000s. Specifically, concentrations of the facultative anaerobic organism, Enterococcus, have been observed to exceed the single-sample regulatory limit of 104 colonyAuthorsJames Landmeyer, Thomas J. GarigenEffect of phytoremediation on concentrations of benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and dissolved oxygen in groundwater at a former manufactured gas plant site, Charleston, South Carolina, USA, 1998–2014
Concentrations of benzene, toluene, naphthalene, and dissolved oxygen in groundwater at a former manufactured gas plant site near Charleston, South Carolina, USA, have been monitored since the installation of a phytoremediation system of hybrid poplar trees in 1998. Between 2000 and 2014, the concentrations of benzene, toluene, and naphthalene (BT&N) in groundwater in the planted area have decreasAuthorsJames Landmeyer, Thomas N. Effinger - News