Measuring Groundwater Recharge and Phosphorus Influx in a North Carolina

StreamJohn Solder

proposed M.S. research topicUniv. of Utah

RechargeWater that percolates down to the water table.

Doesn’t include surface runoff or water used in biological activity

Fundamental property of any groundwater system.

Dictates – discharge, pore pressure, viable yield

Very Difficult to Directly MeasureSpatial and Temporal Variability of:

GeologyPrecipitation Evaporation and TranspirationAffects of human activity

Current Methods Intensive hydrologic study of a particular drainage.

Piezometers, tensiometers, rain gauges Montgomery et al., 1997

Tracers Use of historical or applied chemical tracers to measure

groundwater velocities. Solomon and Sudicky, 1991

Mass-Balance P + Qin = ET + Qout + ∆S Interpolation and Modeling of Available Data

WT from wells, ET from lysimeters, rain gauges, geologic investigations

Use of Geophysics (?) Ferre et al., 2007

No low cost, easily implemented, reasonably accurate method available.

Seepage Meters

Intrusive Tools:

Bucket Meters

Shelby Tubes

Seepage Mats

Collaborating with Dave Genereux and students from NC State

Study Site in North Carolina

Field Campaign in May 2012

Will also explore the Phosphorus Flux

Agricultural Applications

Eutrophication

Blue Baby

Additional Info