Recharge to Shale Bedrock at Averill Park, an Upland Hamlet in Eastern New York—An Estimate Based on Pumpage Within a Defined Cone of Depression
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Recharge to Shale Bedrock at Averill Park, an Upland Hamlet in Eastern New York—An Estimate Based on Pumpage within a Defined Cone of Depression Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5087 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. 1. 2. 3. 1. Shale bedrock, exposed in excavation near Well 270. Shovel handle is 1.6 feet long. 2. Shale bedrock, exposed in drainage ditch along New York Route 43 near Well 137. Salt-laden winter highway runoff can readily infiltrate into bedrock here. 3. Dug well, excavated in shale bedrock in basement of house near Well 177. Arch is part of laid-stone basement wall. Water was seeping from fractures above the water surface in the well July 16, 2008. Recharge to Shale Bedrock at Averill Park, an Upland Hamlet in Eastern New York— An Estimate Based on Pumpage within a Defined Cone of Depression By Allan D. Randall and Anne J. Finch Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5087 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior DIRK KEMPTHORNE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Mark D. Myers, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2008 For more information on the USGS--the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment: World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Randall, A.D., and Finch, A.J., 2008, Recharge to shale bedrock at Averill Park, an upland hamlet in eastern New York—An estimate based on pumpage within a defined cone of depression: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5087, 78 p., 3 pls., scale 1:24,000, online only. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Geohydrologic Setting...................................................................................................................................3 Bedrock ..................................................................................................................................................3 Unconsolidated Deposits ...................................................................................................................3 Data Collection ...............................................................................................................................................5 Well Inventory .......................................................................................................................................5 Water-Level Measurements ..............................................................................................................5 Measurements in 1988 ...............................................................................................................5 Measurements in 2002 ...............................................................................................................6 Adjustments of Water-Level Measurements ...............................................................6 Measurements in 2005 ................................................................................................................7 Water-Quality Data ..............................................................................................................................7 Field Measurements ....................................................................................................................7 Chemical Analyses ......................................................................................................................7 Reported Experience of Residents ...........................................................................................8 Ground-Water Levels and Flow Directions ..............................................................................................8 Patterns of Ground-Water Flow in 2002 ...........................................................................................8 History of Ground-Water Development at Averill Park Since 1930 ...........................................10 Changes in Water Levels, 1988–2002 and 2002–2005 ....................................................................10 Effect of Fluctuations in Precipitation and Recharge ..........................................................14 Water-Level Changes as a Function of Resident Population or Business Activity .......17 Water-Level Declines as a Function of Withdrawals and Natural Discharge ................18 Water-Level Declines as Cause and Result of Well Deepening .......................................19 Quality of Water in Bedrock .......................................................................................................................21 Patterns of Chemical-Quality Distribution .....................................................................................21 Moderately Hard Water in Shallow Bedrock Beneath Thick Till .......................................23 Soft Water in Deep Bedrock ....................................................................................................23 Very Hard, Mineralized Water near Highways Where Depth to Bedrock is Slight ........26 Localized Nuisance Conditions ........................................................................................................30 Hydrogen Sulfide (“Sulfur Water”) .........................................................................................30 Suspended Clay or Silt ..............................................................................................................32 Iron and Manganese .................................................................................................................32 Quantity of Water Obtainable from Bedrock ...........................................................................................32 Well Yields ...........................................................................................................................................34 Possible Effect of Bedrock Lithology on Well Yield .............................................................34 Possible Effect of Water-Level Declines on Well Yield .......................................................34 Potential for Augmenting Well Yield by Deepening the Well .............................................35 Recharge Rate as a Limit on Ground-Water Withdrawals from Bedrock .................................38 Delineation of Capture Area ....................................................................................................39 Estimation of Ground-Water Withdrawals ............................................................................39 iv Computations of Recharge to Bedrock and Population Density Supported by that Recharge ......................................................................................................................40 Uncertainty in Estimate of Recharge .............................................................................40 Recharge Rate as a Function of Till Thickness ............................................................41 Contrast with Recharge in Other Upland Areas as Estimated from Streamflow Records .........................................................................................................................41 Probable Effect of Increased Withdrawals at Averill Park .................................................42 The Wynants Kill as a Possible Source of Recharge...........................................................42 Need for Additional Studies of Rates of Recharge to Bedrock .........................................43 Summary and Conclusions ........................................................................................................................45 Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................45 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................46 Appendix A. Records of Wells at Averill Park .....................................................................................48 Appendix B. Measured Water Levels in Wells, 1987–2005 ...............................................................66 Appendix C. Procedures by which Measured Water Levels in Wells Were Converted to a Common Datum...............................................................................................................................74 Appendix D. Calibration of conductivity meter. ...................................................................................75 Appendix E. Estimation of Annual Average Per-Capita Water Use ...............................................76 Appendix F. Effect of a Decline in Water Levels Below the Bedrock Surface on Well Yield .....78 Plates (In pocket) 1. Bedrock-surface topography 2. Locations of wells 3. Water