Kirkwood–Cohansey aquifer
Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer | |
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Location | South Jersey, New Jersey, United States |
Geology | Sand, silt, clay |
Website | New Jersey Pinelands Commission Website |
The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer is an aquifer system in the
As its name implies, the Kirkwood–Cohansey aquifer consists of two geologic units. The Cohansey formation, above, consists mostly of sand, while the Kirkwood formation, below contains both silt and clay. This structure creates a water-confining layer below the aquifer while allowing the top layer of water-bearing sands to remain hydrologically connected to surface water. At 360 feet deep, the aquifer is prolific in wells and springs, with almost 1,000 high-capacity wells that yield on average 400 gallons per minute of groundwater.[1]
Water balance
The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer contains 17.7 trillion gallons of water, enough to cover New Jersey in 10 ft (3.0 m) of water, and enough to cover half of the United States water supply in a year. The waters support the
Withdrawing water from the aquifer is managed by the Bureau of Water Allocation within the
The water from the aquifer is generally fresh, acidic, corrosive, and low in dissolved solids. Radium, iron, and manganese occur in localized areas. Human consumption of water from the aquifer produced unhealthy levels of Mercury in some wells. It is believed that the mercury detected in certain wells in the aquifer is due to human activity, and is not thought to occur naturally.[1][4]
Geography
The aquifer covers about 3,000 sq mi (7,800 km2) of the
Geology
During the
Over the next few million years, rivers carried sediment from mountains to the north and west of New Jersey. This layer of minerals became known as the Cohansey Formation. It consists largely of sand, with localized areas of gravel and clay, making it prone to erosion. As a result, the formation is scarcely visible at the surface, mostly in water channels.[5][7]
References
- ^ a b c d e Robert J. Canace; Peter J. Sugarman (2009). "Kirkwood - Cohansey Water-table Aquifer" (PDF). New Jersey Geological Survey. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ "Kirkwood–Cohansey Aquifer". Pinelands Preservation Alliance. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
- ^ "Pinelands Facts" (PDF). New Jersey Pinelands Commission. October 26, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ Canace, Robert J; Sugarman, Peter J (2009). "Kirkwood-Cohanesy Water-Table Aquifer" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ a b Carol S. Lucey (1976). Geology of Cape May County in Brief (PDF) (Report). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ "Lower Member of the Kirkwood Formation". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ "Cohansey Formation". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 18, 2018.