Reports
The Maryland observation-well network in Coastal Plain aquifers: 2012 status, assessment and recommendations
2016, Quinn, H.A.
Open-File Report 12-02-19
Executive Summary
This report summarizes the status of the groundwater-level monitoring networks in the Maryland Coastal Plain physiographic province as of 2012, with an emphasis on the wells in the Maryland Observation-Well Network in this area. Recent additions and improvements have been made to the Maryland Observation-Well Network. Some remaining data gaps are identified and discussed, and recommendations for solutions are provided.
The Maryland Observation-Well Network began in 1943 as a cooperative effort between the Maryland Geological Survey and the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor groundwater levels throughout the State. In this report the Maryland Observation-Well Network is hereafter referred to as the State network. The State network has been modified through time based on needs and funding. In addition to the State network, regional, county and local observation-well networks have been established to address specific concerns. These networks (State and others) are not limited to monitoring wells as defined per the Code of Maryland Regulations; they include some water-supply wells that are measured when off-line or not actively pumping.
Location of Study Area and Hydrogeologic Setting
The study area encompasses the Maryland portion of the Atlantic Coastal Plain physiographic province. Figures in the report are largely derived from the GIS-based Maryland Coastal Plain Aquifer Information System (MCPAIS), which included some hydrogeologic information from adjacent areas of the Coastal Plain in Virginia, Delaware and Washington D.C. (Andreasen and others, 2013). This network study, however, is focused on the observation-well networks within the Maryland Coastal Plain.
Related Studies
This work on State network enhancement benefited directly from recent and on-going, related initiatives to refine the Coastal Plain hydrogeologic framework and develop a multi-aquifer model (see MGS Open-File Report 12-02-20). These initiatives were undertaken cooperatively by the Maryland Geological Survey, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Maryland Department of the Environment. Between 2004 and 2012, a number of new wells and hydrostratigraphic borings were completed to better define several aquifers on the Eastern Shore (see MGS Basic Data Report 23 and Fact Sheets 18a-h). The development of a GIS-based MCPAIS facilitated the review of the well networks and helped identify some possible data gaps and issues as well as potential for network streamlining.
