Hydrogeology and Groundwater Resources of the Coastal Aquifers of Southeastern Massachusetts

Abstract

For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. AbstractThe glacially derived aquifer systems of southeastern Massachusetts compose the largest groundwater reservoir in the State. Population increases, land-use changes, and climate change in this area could lead to three primary environmental effects that relate directly to groundwater resources-(1) increases in pumping that could adversely affect environmentally sensitive groundwater-fed surface waters, such as ponds, streams, and wetlands; (2) changes in land use that could affect the quality of water in the aquifer; and (3) changes in precipitation and mean sea level that can affect water levels, streamflow, and the position of the freshwater/saltwater boundary. Therefore, understanding groundwater flow and the factors that can affect it is critical to managing and protecting this vital resource.

Trends in the Massachusetts cranberry industry create opportunities for the restoration of cultivated riparian wetlands

“…The American cranberry is found naturally in cool, moist, and organic‐rich peat soils across southern Canada from Newfoundland to Ontario, and in the United States from New England to the Upper Midwest (Eck ; Sandler ). In Massachusetts, cranberries often grow in peat deposits located in postglacial depressions (Johnson ; DeMoranville ), such as in fluviogenous (or riparian) fens adjacent to coastal rivers, soligenous (or non‐riparian) fens fed primarily by groundwater, and ombrotrophic bogs fed primarily by precipitation (Wassen et al ; Mitsch et al ; Rochefort et al ; Masterson & Walter ). The majority of Massachusetts cranberry farms are located in peatlands (Kennedy et al ), in part because the autochthonous peat contributes to acidic and moist soil conditions under which the American cranberry grows favorably (Sandler ).…”

Science for the stewardship of the groundwater resources of Cape Cod, Massachusetts

“…On the inner part of Cape Cod, closer to the mainland, fresh groundwater extends to the bedrock surface, and the interface between freshwater and saltwater is confined to areas near the coast. Modified from Masterson and Walter (2009). 19751980198519901995 compounds.…”

“…1 and 2). Of the approximately 450 million gallons per day of water that enters these lenses as recharge from precipitation, about 69 percent discharges directly to the coast, about 24 percent discharges to streams, and almost 7 percent is withdrawn by public-supply wells (Masterson and Walter, 2009). In most areas, groundwater in the sand and gravel aquifers is shallow and susceptible to contamination from anthropogenic sources and saltwater intrusion.…”

Simulation of Water‐Table Aquifers Using Specified Saturated Thickness

“…The specified‐thickness approximation can be adapted and evaluated in a number of ways. Thickness can be manually updated as the model evolves during a series of calibration runs (e.g., Tiedeman et al ; Masterson et al ), or linearized specified‐thickness simulations can be checked occasionally against simulations using the original, nonlinear model, as demonstrated in model calibration examples conducted by Masterson et al (), Mack (), and Mack et al (). Finally, specified‐thickness simulations can serve as a starting point for nonlinear water‐table simulations (Hill , ; Reilly and Harbaugh ).…”