Brunswick Area Saltwater Intrusion Monitoring

THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND IS BEING ARCHIVED IN ITS FINAL CONFIGURATION

The Upper Floridan aquifer is contaminated with saltwater in a 2-square-mile area of downtown Brunswick, Georgia. The presence of this saltwater has limited the development of the groundwater supply in the Glynn County area. Hydrologic, geologic, and water-quality data are needed to effectively manage water resources.

Specific conductance is a surrogate for chloride concentration, and is used to monitor the potential movement of saltwater into the freshwater zones of the Upper Floridan aquifer. To monitor the extent of chloride contamination in the Brunswick area, five real-time monitoring sites have been established around the chloride plume. Each site includes one or more wells completed in the upper or lower water-bearing zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer. The real time network includes sites at:

• Perry Park, with well 34H514 completed in the upper water-bearing zone (water levels and specific conductance);
• Southside Baptist Church, with well 34H505 completed in the lower water-bearing zone (water levels and specific conductance), and well 34H504 completed in upper water-bearing zone (water levels only);
• Georgia-Pacific Cellulose, with well 33H325 completed in the lower water-bearing zone (water levels and specific conductance), and well 33H324 completed in the upper water-bearing zone (water levels only);
• Brunswick Villa, with well 34H134 completed in the upper water-bearing zone and lower water-bearing zone (specific conductance only).
• Well 34H552 completed in the upper water-bearing zone (specific conductance only).