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L. Niel Plummer U.S. Geological Survey 432 National Center MS 432 Reston, VA 20192

Current and Planned Research Investigations of the USGS National Research Program, Water Discipline, in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia. L. Niel Plummer U.S. Geological Survey 432 National Center MS 432 Reston, VA 20192 nplummer@usgs.gov 703-648-5841

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L. Niel Plummer U.S. Geological Survey 432 National Center MS 432 Reston, VA 20192

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  1. Current and Planned Research Investigations of the USGS National Research Program, Water Discipline, in the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and West Virginia. L. Niel Plummer U.S. Geological Survey 432 National Center MS 432 Reston, VA 20192 nplummer@usgs.gov 703-648-5841 [For further information, contact Pierre Glynn, Chief, Branch of Regional Research, ER, MS 432 National Center, Reston, VA 20192. pglynn@usgs.gov; 703-648-5832]

  2. The NRP web site http://water.usgs.gov/nrp/ • Project descriptions • Bibliographies • Modeling software • Links

  3. Allen Shapiro (Reston, VA)– Estimating Hydraulic and Chemical Transport Properties in the Carbonate and Siliciclastic Rocks of the Shenandoah Valley Over Dimensions from the Well Field to the Watershed

  4. Ward Sanford (Reston, VA)– 1. VA Water Availability Study. Development of water budgets for the State of Virginia, including the Shenandoah Valley on a watershed and county basis using chemical baseflow separation. In cooperation with the USGS VA Water Science Center and VA DEQ.

  5. 1. Estimation of Water Availability -Develop hydrologic budgets for the watersheds and counties of central and western Virginia Total Sites (n = 132) Probes installed (~ 80) 24 in Shen. Valley -Chemical Hydrograph separation -Long-term solute balance *Evaluation of Ground-Water/Surface-Water Interactions Sanford and others, USGS, Reston, VA wsanford@usgs.gov

  6. Water and Chloride Mass Balance P = mean annual precipitation rate [L/T] Qs = mean annual stream flow rate [L/T] ([L3/T]/ L2) Qr = mean annual runoff component of total stream flow [L/T] Qb = baseflow component of total stream flow [L/T] ETup = evapotranspiration in the upland recharge area [L/T] ETrp = evapotranspiration from the riparian zone in the discharge area [L/T] R = recharge rate at the water table, in inches per year [L/T] Cp = effective chloride concentration of precipitation (wet and dry) [M/L3] Cs = volume-weighted chloride concentration of mean annual stream flow [M/L3] Cgw = mean chloride concentration of ground water (wet and dry) [M/L3] Cb = mean annual chloride concentration of baseflow component [M/L3].

  7. Ward Sanford (Reston, VA)– 2. Efforts in the USGS Chesapeake Bay PES Program to Assess the movement of Nitrate to streams in the ground-water systems. Development of a Regional-Scale Ground-Water Models.

  8. Age-dating of Spring Discharge in the Great Valley of VA and WVA Niel Plummer, nplummer@usgs.gov see http://water.usgs.gov/lab • Ground-water ages • Water origins • Mixing • Vulnerability to • contamination • Calibration of gw • models Transient atmospheric signal of naturally-occurring environmental tacers like 3H, CFCs, SF6,14C, and others.

  9. Preliminary from Environmental Tracers • Most samples contain 3H and CFCs: Young fraction present; Most are susceptible to contamination. • Most of the young samples (<10 yrs) unmixed. 2-7 yrs in the northern Valley. Binary dilution with older water also seems to occur. • Old fraction by 4He accumulation could be on the order of 400-700 yrs in few samples. • Median age is around 5 yrs for all 50 samples by 3H/3He. • No obvious (to me) regional pattern in ages. • 14C data probably consistent with the young ages. • Work continues.

  10. Water Issues in the Valley • Water Quantity/Availability • Water Sustainability/Sustainable Yield • Susceptibility/Vulnerability contamination • Relation of the above to population growth/development in the region • Effect of climate change; droughts, etc. • Address at local and regional scales

  11. Approach: Items for Science Plan • Data Gathering (existing and new) -- Geologic -- Hydrologic -- Chemical (include contam. and gw. age) • Develop Conceptual Model of Flow at various scales (spatial and depth related) • Develop Ground-Water Flow Models at scales appropriate for resource management. Data gaps?– Back to 1.

  12. There is not a simple, short-term answer to the water issues/needs in the Shenandoah Valley. Ground-water models built on research in the valley can become management tools. Need coordinated, interdisciplinary, long-term effort with stable, long-term funding.

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