HYDROLOGIC STORM RESPONSE IN TWO ADIRONDACK WETLANDS

To examine the storm dynamics of surface water connections with groundwater in wetland systems and their changing dynamics with time, we are studying two wetlands in the Archer Creek Watershed, Huntington Wildlife Forest, Newcomb, New York. Previous studies indicate differences between the hydrologic response of the two sites. Transects of well and piezometer clusters are positioned across the creek above and below the confluences of the main stream and tributary and across the tributary. Head and water table data at each cluster and stream levels for each transect have been collected by dataloggers at one-hour intervals. The interval of data collection gives a real-time picture of stream channel height, water table elevation, and hydraulic head response. Two storms of approximately equivalent strength and duration with different antecedent soil moisture conditions were studied. Hydraulic conductivity determinations within the peat and alluvium ranged from 10-4 to 10-5cm/sec across the transects. Initial analyses indicate that there is little difference in wetting patterns between antecedent wet and antecedent dry conditions or between wetlands for these two storms. A more intensive study of near-stream response and wetland stratigraphy may reveal complexities in response depending on the history and makeup of the substratum.