Ground water and surface water: A single resource

Abstract

water resources has focused on surface water or ground water as if they were separate entities. As development of land and water resources increases, it is apparent that development of either of these resources affects the quantity and quality of the other. Nearly all surface-water features (streams, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and estuaries) interact with ground water. These interactions take many forms. In many situations, surface-water bodies gain water and solutes from groundwater systems and in others the surface-water body is a source of groundwater recharge and causes changes in groundwater quality. As a result, withdrawal of water from streams can deplete ground water or conversely, pumpage of ground water can deplete water in streams, lakes, or wetlands. Pollution of surface water can cause degradation of groundwater quality and conversely pollution of ground water can degrade surface water. Thus, effective land and water management requires a clear understanding of the linkages between ground water and surface water as it applies to any given hydrologic setting. This Circular presents an overview of current understanding of the interaction of ground water and surface water, in terms of both quantity and quality, as applied to a variety of landscapes across the Nation. This Circular is a product of the GroundWater Resources Program of the U.S. Geological Survey. It serves as a general educational document rather than a report of new scientific findings. Its intent is to help other Federal, State, and local agencies build a firm scientific foundation for policies governing the management and protection of aquifers and watersheds. Effective policies and management practices must be built on a foundation that recognizes that surface water and ground water are simply two manifestations of a single integrated resource. It is our hope that this Circular will contribute to the use of such effective policies and management practices.

Salt marsh ecohydrological zonation due to heterogeneous vegetation–groundwater–surface water interactions

“…[3] Wetland surface water and groundwater dynamics are inextricably linked, although often studied separately [Winter et al, 1998]. Intertidal marsh surface water hydrology is characterized by tidal flood and ebb in the channel network [Fagherazzi et al, 1999;Marani et al, 2002Marani et al, , 2003.…”

Occurrence of Cyanazine Compounds in Groundwater: Degradates More Prevalent Than the Parent Compound

“…Because of the strong interaction between groundwater and surface water within alluvial systems (27), the prevalence of CYTOT in alluvial aquifers has potential long-term implications for the occurrence of CYTOT in streams. Cyanazine compounds can be transported to alluvial aquifers through a variety of processes such as infiltration through the unsaturated zone following application to soils being farmed in the flood plain (28,29), episodic stream flooding (30), bank storage of streamwater (31), and contaminated streams losing water to the groundwater system (32).…”

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“…O "losing stream" e o "gaining stream" citado por Tood (1987), Feitosa (1997, Winter et al (1998), Leap (1999), Fitts (2002), Pinder e Celia (2006), Brodie et al (2007b) mostram as relações que abrangem os períodos de estiagens aos períodos de cheias, mediante armazenamento e descarga nas margens ripárias. A carência de banco de dados (Smakhtin, 2001), as lacunas na compreensão dos processos que envolvem a referida interconexão, bem como a retirada de água sem gestão para as diversas demandas, pode comprometer de maneira irreversível o equilíbrio ambiental tendo em vista o importante papel hidrogeológico no sistema (Harvey et al, 2007).…”