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Geohydrology and Water Quality of Stratified-Drift Aquifers in the Lower Merrimack and Coastal River Basins, Southeastern New Hampshire

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Geohydrology and Water Quality of Stratified-Drift Aquifers in the Lower Merrimack and Coastal River Basins, Southeastern New Hampshire Click here to return to USGS publications Geohydrology and Water Quality of Stratified-Drift Aquifers in the Lower Merrimack and Coastal River Basins, Southeastern New Hampshire U.S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Water-Resources Investigations Report 91-4025 Prepared in cooperation with the NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WATER RESOURCES DIVISION 'iEOHYDROLOGY AND WATER QUALITY OF STRATIFIED-DRIFT AQUIFERS '-N THE LOWER MERRIMACK AND COASTAL RIVER BASINS, :SOUTHEASTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE ,~y Peter J . Stekl and Sarah M. Flanagan T.J.S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY "Vater-Resources Investigations Report 91-4025 Prepared in cooperation with the NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WATER RESOURCES DIVISION Bow, New Hampshire 1992 U.S . DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR MANUEL LUJAN, JR., Secretary U .S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Dallas L. Peck, Director For additional information, write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: Chief, NH-VT Office U.S . Geological Survey U .S . Geological Survey Books and Open-File Reports Section 525 Clinton Street Box 25425 Bow, New Hampshire 03304 Federal Center, Bldg. 810 Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Page Abstract ... ............... ..... ............... ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ..... ........................................ ..... ..... ..... .......... 1 Introduction . ..... .................... ..... .......... ....................... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... .......... ....... ... 2 Purpose and scope ................................................. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ...................... ... 2 Description of the study area ....... ..... ..... ..... ................................. ..... ............ .......... ..... ... 2 Previous investigations ... ..... ..... ................ ..... ..... ........................................ ..... ..... ..... ........ 5 Approach and methods ....... ............................... ..... ............... ..... ............... ..... ..... ..... ........ 5 Numbering system for wells, test holes, and springs . .......... .......... ........................ .... 7 Acknowledgments ................................ ..................... ..... ..... .......... .... ..... .............. ..... ..... .... 7 Geologic setting ......................... ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ............... ..................... .............. ..... ..... ..... .... 7 Bedrock ........................................................................... ..... ..... ..... ............... ..... .......... ....... .. 7 Surficial deposits .. ............... ............. ..... .................. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... ............... .. 8 Geohydrologic setting ........... ..... ............. ..... ..... ..... ..... ............................ ..... ............ ..... ..... ..... .. 11 Occurrence of ground water .. ..... ............. ..... ..... ........................................ ..... ..... ..... ....... 11 General description and water-yielding characteristics of the lithologic units ............................ ....................... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............ ..... ..... ..... 12 Stratified drift ......... ..... ..... ............. ..... ..... ..... ............................ ..... ............ ..... ..... ..... ..... 12 Till .... ......................... ..... ..... ..... .................. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .. ... 16 Bedrock ....... ........................................................ ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ................. ... 16 Geohydrology of stratified-drift aquifers ... ..... .................. .......... ..... ..... ..... ............ ..... ..... ... 17 Description of aquifer boundaries ... ..... ..... ..... ......................... ... ..... ....... ..... ..... ..... ..... ... 22 Recharge, discharge, and direction of ground-water flow . ............... ..... .. ... ..... ........ 22 Flow ........ ..... ..... ............................... ..... .................. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... ... ..... .. ..... 22 Recharge .... ..... .......... ..... ................ ..... ..... .................. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............ .......... ..... 25 Discharge ............. ..... ..... ..... ..... ........... ..... ..... ................................. ..... ....... ..... ..... ..... ..... 26 Water table and direction of ground-water flow .... ..... .................... ..... ..... ..... .... .. 26 Aquifer characteristics .. .................. ..... ..................... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... ......... .. 30 Saturated thickness .. ..... ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ..... ........... ..... .......... ..... ..... ........................ .. 30 Storage coefficient .................. ............. ..... ..... ............................... ......... ..... ..... ..... ..... .. 33 Transmissivity and hydraulic conductivity ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............ 33 Evaluation of water availability and simulation of ground-water flow ..... ............ 34 Description and conceptualization of model ........... ........ ..... ..... ............ .......... ..... 35 Description of analytical method ............ ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ... ............ ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... 37 Windham-Cobbetts Pond aquifer ................. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... 38 Boundary conditions . ..... ........ ..... ..... ..... ............. ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... ....... ... 38 Aquifer parameters ............................... ............................ ..... ............ ..... ..... ..... ... 38 Application of numerical model ........ ..... ............... .................... ..... ..... ..... ..... ... 41 Sensitivity analysis ....... ........ ..... ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... ..... 41 Application of analytical method .... ................................. ..... ...................... ..... 46 Well-capture area ................................ .................... ............. ....... .......... ..... ..... ..... 46 Kingston-Powwow River aquifer .... ............. ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... ..... ..... ........... 46 Boundary conditions ........ ..... ..... ..... ..... ............. ..... .......... ..... ..... ............... ....... .... 49 Aquifer parameters .... ................ ..... ..... ............................ ..... ..... ...................... .... 49 Application of numerical model ....... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ... ............ ..... ..... ..... ..... .... 49 Sensitivity analysis ................ ..... ................ ..... ..... ..... ..... ............... ..... ..... ..... .. ....... 49 Application of analytical method ........... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............... ..... ..... ..... ......... 52 Well-capture area ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ..................... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... ......... ............... 52 Locations and descriptions of selected stratified-drift aquifers . ..... ..... ......... ..... ..... ..... 53 Derry-Island Pond aquifer .............................. .......... ............... ........... ......... ..... ..... .......... 53 Windham-Cobbetts Pond aquifer ....................... ..... .......... ..... .................... .......... .......... 54 Kingston-Powwow River aquifer . ..... ..... ..... ..... ........ ..... ..... ..... ..... .......... ..... .......... ....... ... 54 North Hampton-Knowles Pond aquifer ......... ............. ............... ..... ...................... ..... ... 55 CONTENTS (continued) Page Greenland aquifer .................. .......... ..... ..... ..... ............. ..... ............... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............ .. 55 Ground-water quality .. ................................. ..... ..... ....................... .......... ..... ............... ............ .. 56 Physical and chemical properties . ............................ ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... .......... ............ .. 58 Total dissolved solids .. ........................................... ..... ..... .......... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............ .. 58 Specific conductance ............ ..... ..... ................................................ ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... .. 58 pH ....................... ............. .......... ............................ ..... ..... ..... ............... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... .. 58 Alkalinity .................. ..... ..... ..... ............................ ..... ..... ..... ............... ..... ..... ..... ..... ....... .. 58 Calcium, magnesium, and hardness .............. .......... ..... .................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... 59 Sodium .................. ..... ..... ..... ..... ............................ .......... ..... .................... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... 59 Chloride ............... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............. .......... ..... ..... .......... ........ ....... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... 59 Sulfate ................... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............................ ..... ..... .................... ..... ..... ..... ..... ..... .... 60 Iron and manganese .... ..... ..... ....................... ..... ................................... ..... .......... ..... .... 60 Trace elements .... ..... ..... ..... ..... ............. .......... ...........................
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