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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2005

  • Title: Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions in Bigelow Brook: Initial Results
  • Author: Matthew H Kaufman (Keene State College)
  • Abstract:

    This project comprises the first stages of an investigation of the groundwater and surface water interactions in Bigelow Brook, on the western side of Prospect Hill in Harvard Forest. The stream catchment, and particularly the riparian zone, is dominated by Eastern Hemlocks. The adjacent areas are the focus of other hydrologic studies. Groundwater and surface water interactions are being examined by monitoring a set of groundwater wells and piezometer nests installed immediately upstream of a recently constructed weir. The wells are arranged along 3 transects, at 20m, 45m, and 80m upstream of the weir. Each transect includes 6 wells ranging from 2m to 10m away from the stream, and one nest of 3 piezometers in the center of the stream channel. The wells are ~1m deep, and are used to determine the elevation of the water table (fig. 1). The piezometers range from 20cm to 80cm deep, and are used to measure the strength of upwelling or downwelling of water in the stream channel. Water temperature can also be measured from each well, as well as conductivity, pH, and other water characteristics. These measurements can be used to help identify separate masses of water within the system. The initial results show the water table responding to rain events, as well as separate temperature signatures in the ground and surface water. So far, the piezometer data is inconclusive, as the water levels in the piezometers have not deviated from the surface of the stream.

  • Research Category: