Project Highlights

The Brunswick Annual Report was prepared and presented to the Cooperating agencies at the annual program renewal meeting. The report summarized accomplishments of the past year and included plans for fiscal year 2004. Additionally, the annual chloride sampling and water-level meausurements events are occurring this month.

A special meeting of the Glynn County Water Resources Management Advisory Committee (WRMAC) was held with USGS to discuss Coastal Sound Science Initiative (CSSI) modeling scenarios for the Brunswick solute transport model, which is currently under development. The Committee provided USGS with feedback regarding modeling scenarios of interest to local water managers and users.

The USGS is pleased to announce the release of Water-Resources Investigations Report 02-4020, "Hydrogeology and water quality (1978) of the Floridan aquifer system at U. S. Geological Survey TW-26, on Colonels Island, near Brunswick, Georgia", by L. Elliott Jones, David C. Prowell, and Morris L. Maslia (Read the abstract).The report, prepared in cooperation with the City of Brunswick and Glynn County, describes the hydrogeology and geochemistry of the Upper and Lower Floridan aquifers, including the Fernandina permeable zone.

USGS is conducting its annual chloride sampling and water level meausurements this month, and an aquifer test was conducted on the Lower Floridan exploratory/supply well on St Simons island by Glynn County and its subcontractor. USGS was on-site to assist with data collection. The County is currently analyzing the test results to determine the transmissivity of the Lower Floridan aquifer at this site, as well as to assess impacts on Upper Floridan aquifer water levels during the test.

A test/supply well on St Simons Island is being installed to assess potential of Lower Floridan aquifer as source of water supply. The well extends through the carbonate section of the Lower Floridan aquifer and has reached the total depth of 2,200 ft (in the confining unit underlying the Floridan aquifer system). The well will now be back-grouted to the high quality freshwater zone of the Lower Floridan to serve as a source of supply.

An observation well completed in the Upper Floridan well has been drilled by the Georgia Geologic Survey, and penetrates the thickness of the upper water-bearing zone (total depth: 780 ft).

An aquifer test was conducted at a Fernandina permeable zone well on Colonels Island. Drilling began on a Lower Floridan well on St Simons Island.

Aquifer tests were conducted at Lower Floridan and Fernandina permeable zone wells at the Mayor's Point, Georgia Ports Authority site.