CaliforniaState Division of Mines RECEIVED MAY G 1957 / LIBRARY San Francisco, California STATE OF MARYLAND BOARD OF NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY, MINES AND WATER RESOURCES Joseph T. Singewald, Jr., Director BULLETIN 18 THE WATER RESOURCES OF CAROLINE, DORCHESTER, AND TALBOT COUNTIES THE GROUND-WATER RESOURCES By William C. Rasmussen and Turbit H. Slaughter THE SURFACE-WATER RESOURCES By Arthur E. Hulme SALINITY STUDIES IN ESTUARIES OF THE EASTERN SHORE By J. J. Murphy PREPARED IN COOPERATION WITH THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 1957 COMPOSED AND PRINTED AT THE WAVERLY PRESS, INC. Baltimore, Md., U. S. A. COMMISSION OF GEOLOGY, MINES, AND WATER RESOURCES Arthur B.Stewart, Chairman Baltimore Richard W. Cooper Salisbury G. Victor Cushwa Williamsport John C. Geyer Baltimore Harry R. Hall Hyattsville CONTENTS The Ground-Water Resources. By William C. Rasmussen and Turbil U. Slaughter Abstract 1 Introduction 5 Location and purpose of investigation 5 Extent of area and scope of investigation 5 Acknowledgments 8 Well-numbering system 8 Geography 9 Physical features 9 Climate 12 Precipitation 12 Temperature 13 Population 14 Agriculture, industry, and transportation 14 Previous Investigations 16 Regional geology 17 Stratigraphy 18 Structure 19 Geomorphology 21 Terraces 21 Maryland "basins" 22 Stream channels and drowned valleys 24 Dunes 25 General principles of ground-water occurrence 26 Origin and recharge of ground water 26 Storage of ground water 27 Water-table aquifers 28 Artesian aquifers 28 Aquicludes 29 Movement and discharge of ground water 29 Hydraulics of wells and concept of "safe" yield 31 Geologic formations and their water-bearing properties 33 Precambrian and Paleozoic crystalline complex 33 Cretaceous system 33 Lower Cretaceous series 47 Patuxent formation 47 Upper Cretaceous series 48 Arundel, Patapsco, and Raritan formations, undifferentiated 49 Magothy formation 50 Matawan(?) formation 52 Monmouth formation 53 Tertiary system 54 Paleocene series 55 Eocene series 56 Aquia greensand 56 v vi Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties Nanjemoy formation 60 Piney Point formation 61 Oligocene series 67 Miocene series 69 Caivert formation 69 Choptank formation 73 St. Marys formation 74 Yorktown and Cohansey formations(?) 75 Pliocene(?) series 78 Brandywine formation and Bryn Mawr gravel 78 Quaternary system 80 Pleistocene series 81 Beaverdam sand 82 Walston silt 83 Talbot and Pamlico formations 83 Parsonsburg sand 84 Recent series 84 Quantity of ground water 85 Well inventory 85 Water-level fluctuations 88 Water utilization 91 Drainage of soils 93 Aquifer tests 94 Magothy formation at Easton 96 Matawan(?) formation at Easton 97 Piney Point formation at Cambridge 98 Caivert formation at Cordova 100 Easton 101 Choptank formation at West Den ton 102 Pleistocene and Pliocene(?) series at Cordova 102 Federalsburg 103 Hurlock 104 Quality of ground water 105 General principles 105 Silica 106 Cations or basic constituents 107 Iron 107 Manganese 107 Calcium and magnesium 107 Sodium and potassium 108 Minor cations—aluminum, zinc, lithium, and copper 108 Anions or acidic constituents 108 Carbonate and bicarbonate 108 Sulfate 108 Chloride 108 Fluoride 109 Nitrate 109 Dissolved solids 109 Contents vii Turbidity, or suspended solids 110 Hardness 110 pH Ill Temperature Ill Comparison of water quality in water-bearing formations Ill Pleistocene and Pliocene(?) series Ill Miocene series Ill St. Marys formation Ill Choptank formation 113 Calvert formation 113 Eocene series 114 Piney Point formation 114 Aquia greensand 114 Upper Cretaceous series IIS Matawan(?) formation 115 Magothy formation 115 Raritan formation 115 Summary 115 Iron 116 Bicarbonate 116 Chloride and dissolved solids 116 Hardness 116 pH 116 Special problems of water quality 116 Salt-water contamination 116 Aquia greensand 117 Calvert formation 118 Methods of water treatment 118 Municipal and industrial supplies 118 Aeration 118 Sedimentation 119 Filtration 119 Water softening 119 Iron removal 119 Private water supplies 120 Waste disposal 120 Well cleaning 121 Future of ground-water development 122 Caroline County 123 Dorchester County 123 Talbot County 124 Chemical analyses of water 126 Records of wells 134 Logs of wells 246 The Surface-water Resources. By Arthur E. Hulme 372 Introduction 372 Streamflow measurement stations 372 Definition of terms 379 Gaging stations in the tricounty area 379 Complete record gaging stations 379 viii Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties Partial record gaging stations 380 Computations for partial records 381 Runoff in the tricounty area 381 Maximum flood runoff 381 Minimum drought runoff 383 Average runoff 383 Discharge records 384 Nanticoke River basin 384 1. Gravelly Fork near Bridgeville, Delaware 384 2. Trap Pond outlet near Laurel, Delaware 390 3. Holly Branch near Laurel, Delaware 392 4. Marshyhope Creek near Adamsville, Delaware 395 5. Faulkner Branch at Federalsburg, Caroline County 401 6. Chicone Creek near Reids Grove, Dorchester County 404 Transquaking River basin 405 7. Chicamacomico River near Salem, Dorchester County 405 Choptank River basin 407 8. Shades Branch near Chapeltown, Delaware 407 9. Choptank River near Greensboro, Caroline County 409 10. Forge Branch at Greensboro, Caroline County 413 11. Watts Creek near Hobbs, Caroline County 414 12. Tuckahoe Creek near Ruthsburg, Queen Annes County 415 13. Knott Pond near Hillsboro, Caroline County 417 14. Hog Creek near Bethlehem, Caroline County 418 15. Kings Creek near Easton, Talbot County 419 16. Beaverdam Branch at Matthews, Talbot County 420 17. Miles Creek near Trappe, Talbot County 423 18. Cabin Creek at Cabin Creek, Dorchester County 424 Wye River basin 425 19. Mill Creek near Wye Mills, Talbot County 425 Salinity Studies in Estuaries or the Eastern Shore, By J. J. Murphy Abstract 426 Introduction 426 Stream discharge 427 Tides 427 Sampling procedure 429 Sample collection 429 Expression of results 429 Quality of surface water of the Eastern Shore 430 Non-tidal reaches of streams 430 Tidal reaches of the streams 430 Pocomoke River 430 Wicomico River 431 Nanticoke River 431 Choptank River 438 Chester River 439 Wye, Chicamacomico, and Manokin Rivers 440 Profile samples 440 Use of water for irrigation 443 Contents IX Summary 445 References 447 Index 453 TABLES 1. Elevations in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 10 2. Precipitation at Cambridge, Denton, and Easton 13 3. Average Temperatures at Cambridge, Denton, and Easton 13 4. Population of Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, 1900 to 1950 14 5. Population of the Principal Communities in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Coun- ties in 1950 14 6. Farm Acreage and Income in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, 1950. ... 15 7. Commercial Forests in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties, 1950 15 8. Rates of Dip, Coastal Plain Series of Maryland 19 9. Terraces Below the 100-Foot Contour in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 22 10. Geologic Formations and their Water-bearing Properties in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 34 11. Paleontology of Samples from Wells and Outcrops in Caroline, Dorchester, and Tal- bot Counties 40 12. Water Level, Yield, Capacity, and Completion of Wells in the Aquia Greensand . 57 13. Water Level, Yield, Capacity, and Completion of Wells in the Piney Point Formation 63 14. Water Level, Yield, Capacity, and Completion of Wells in the Calvert Formation 71 15. Water Level, Yield, Capacity, and Completion of Wells in the Choptank Formation 76 16. Water Level, Yield, Capacity, and Completion of Wells in the Pleistocene and Plio- cene(?) Series 80 17. Types of Wells Scheduled in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 85 18. Age of Scheduled Wells by Period and Type in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 86 19. Classification of Scheduled Wells and Test Holes by Geologic Series or Formation. 87 20. Average Depth of Scheduled Wells by Type 87 21. Utilization of Water in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 94 22. Monthly Pumpage of the Dorchester Water Company, Cambridge, 1932 to 1953 95 23. Monthly Pumpage at Easton, 1950 to 1953 96 24. Average Daily Municipal Pumpage in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 97 25. Water Levels in the Aquifer Test of the Piney Point Formation at Cambridge 99 26. Fluoride Content of Water in Aquifers of Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 109 27. Classification of Hard and Soft Waters 110 28. Chloride Content of Ground Water from Wells Tapping the Aquia Greensand in Western Talbot County 118 29. Estimates of Sustained Yields of Aquifers in Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Coun- ties 122 30. Chemical Analyses of Water from Wells in Caroline County 126 31. Chemical Analyses of Water from Wells in Dorchester County 128 32. Chemical Analyses of Water from Wells in Talbot County 131 33. Records of Wells in Caroline County 134 34. Records of Wells in Dorchester County 168 35. Records of Wells in Talbot County 203 36. Logs of wells in Caroline County 246 37. Logs of wells in Dorchester County 261 38. Logs of wells in Talbot County 297 X Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot Counties 39. Drainage Areas of Streams in the Tricounty Area 373 40. Stream-gaging Stations in the Tricounty Area 380 41. Average Discharge from Streams in the Tricounty Area 382 42. Range of Chemical Constituents in Non-tidal Reaches of Streams of the Eastern Shore 430 43. Chemical Constituents and Related Physical Measurements in Non-tidal Reaches of Major River Basins on the Eastern Shore 432 44. Chemical and Physical Data for Pocomoke River at Pocomoke 436 45. Chemical and Physical Data for Wicomico River 436 46. Chemical and Physical Data for Tributaries of Wicomico River at High Tide 436 47. Chemical and Physical Data for Nanticoke River 437 48. Chemical and Physical Data for Tributaries of Nanticoke River at High Tide 437 49. Chloride, Conductivity, and Discharge Measurements for Nanticoke River at Vienna 437 50. Chemical and Physical Data for Choptank River at Denton 438 51. Chemical and Physical Data for Choptank River and Tributaries at High Tide. 439 52. Chemical and Physical Data for Chester River 439 53.