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HYDROGIOLOGIC FRAMEWORK, GROUND-WATER GEOCHEMISTRY, AND ASSESSMENT OF NITROGEN YIELD FROM BASE FLOW IN TWO AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS, KENT COUNTY, MARYLAND
Citation:
Bachman, L. J., D. E. Krantz, AND J. Bohlke. HYDROGIOLOGIC FRAMEWORK, GROUND-WATER GEOCHEMISTRY, AND ASSESSMENT OF NITROGEN YIELD FROM BASE FLOW IN TWO AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS, KENT COUNTY, MARYLAND. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-02/008 (NTIS PB2003-103046), 2002.
Impact/Purpose:
Information
Description:
Hydrostratigraphic and geochemical data collected in two adjacent watersheds on the Delmarva Peninsula, in Kent County, Maryland, indicate that shallow subsurface stratigraphy is an important factor that affects the concentrations of nitrogen in ground water discharging as stream base flow. The flux of nitrogen from shallow aquifers can contribute substantially to the eutrophication of streams and estuaries, degrading water quality and aquatic habitats. The information presented in this report includes a hydrostratigraphic framework for the Locust Grove study area, analyses and interpretation of ground-water chemistry, and an analysis of nutrient yields from stream base flow. An understanding of the processes by which ground-water nitrogen discharges to streams is important for optimal management of nutrients in watersheds in which ground-water discharge is an appreciable percentage of total streamflow. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), collected and analyzed hydrostratigraphic and geochemical data in support of ground-water flow modeling by the USEPA.