PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF GROUNDWATER-SURFACE WATER INTERACTIONS OF AN INTERMITTENT CREEK

The interactions between groundwater and surfacewater are complex, especially in karst environments, such as those found on the campus of Berry College, Rome, GA. The contribution of intermittent streams to the water budget of Rome area watersheds is unclear.

To measure the seasonal contribution of groundwater flow in an intermittent stream, we installed shallow monitoring wells at the right and left tributaries and at the confluence where the two arms meet to form Little Dry Creek. The water-level in these monitoring wells are measured weekly, along with local precipitation and surface water flow rates. During periods of prolonged precipitation (e.g. fall and winter months) the groundwater table rises to an elevation that allows it to become a major factor contributing to Little Dry Creeks water budget. As area precipitation decreases, flow rates also decrease, but the groundwater level remains stable.

Knowledge about the groundwater and surfacewater interactions of Little Dry Creek is important for other analysis on campus including the ecologic role of intermittent streams.