LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF WATER QUALITY ON KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT STARK CAMPUS

As part of an ongoing baseline monitoring project, ground water quality and hydraulic head have been measured monthly over a three-year period in seven shallow monitoring wells on the campus of Kent State University at Stark in northeast Ohio. These measurements have established baseline data for the region to determine the impact of meteorological events on groundwater quality and levels. In addition to the wells, we also measured water quality parameters in the adjacent pond often used as an outdoor laboratory for student and community science. Both the pond and the wells are recharged by rainfall and snowmelt events. Measurements of hydraulic head and water quality parameters suggest that the wells and the pond are part of the same system and fluctuate minimally over time. We hypothesize that the high porosity and permeability of the glacial till comprising the sediment on campus allow for relatively fast infiltration and conductivity of recharge water to yield temporally static levels of hydraulic head. Upon testing the water in both the wells and the pond, we found the levels of pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen were ample for supporting a healthy aquatic and forest ecosystem. Water quality of the tested parameters suggests that the pond and water wells are similar, supporting the hypothesis that they are part of the same system.