BIG STORM EVENTS AND EXTENT OF WATER LEVEL CHANGES IN MONITORING WELLS, ROBESON COUNTY, NC

Coastal regions of the southeastern Carolinas rely on the Cretaceous aquifers for municipalities, industries, and agricultural water usage. This groundwater is deemed safe and a reliable source of water in this region given the fact that these aquifers are confined. However, it is not necessary that the aquifers have the same level of confinement everywhere, especially under the streams that have vertical incised the confining layer or where the confining layer is thin/missing. It is also noteworthy that this region is experiencing higher frequency and larger magnitude of storm events recently causing more frequent floods for extended periods that could exacerbate groundwater, if not confined. I have been monitoring groundwater levels and barometric pressure in Robeson County since December 2017 using a network of 13 monitoring wells (county wells) that are tapped into the Black Creek Aquifer, one of the Cretaceous aquifer systems. The data from at least one of the wells had similar signals to the Lumber River following Hurricane Florence for days. These findings raise the question of whether the Black Creek Aquifer has a significant level of confinement. I have analyzed groundwater level and barometric pressure data from the county wells and state wells, a network of wells operated and managed by NC state, to study the characteristics of the aquifer. It is interesting to see the influence of big storms on the groundwater levels in the Black Creek Aquifer. The objective of this study is to find out the degree of confinement to the Black Creek Aquifer. There are implications for the public health, the environment, and the economy of the region upon the aquifer having a lesser degree of confinement.