LINKING GEOCHEMICAL, MICROBIAL AND BIOLOGICAL SIGNALS TO THE SUSTAINABILITY OF KARST WATER RESOURCES: A PROJECT OVERVIEW

Karst water systems are an important source of drinking water, however, few techniques exist for evaluating the sustainability of these resources. This need is particularly critical in the structurally-complex Appalachian karst systems where recognized yield-estimation techniques are hampered by a combination of flashy-shallow flow, deep slow flow, and interference from urban signals. In this project we are investigating the use of an integrated chemical-microbial-biological signature of deep water sources. Three sets of springs are included in the study (1) Cold Spring and Warm Spring in Huntingdon County, PA, (2) Berkeley Spring and Cacapon State Park Spring in Morgan County, WV, and (3) a set of 7 springs in Tuscarora Creek Watershed, Berkeley County, WV. Both deep-fed and shallow-fed springs are included in each spring location set. Samples were collected and analyzed for chemical parameters (including rare earth element concentrations and anomalies), oxygen and deuterium isotopes, bacterial colony-forming units, microbial community profile via 16S rDNA obtained by terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFPL) analysis, ostracode species and isotopic signature, and macroinvertebrate assemblage in the spring orifice/run ecosystem. To tie the biogeochemical data to hydrology, continuous temperature logging devices were installed in the sampled springs to assess the degree of surface influence. This talk will present an overview of the project and geologic background of the springs.