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Project Details

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Project Information Sheet 1999-03

Evaluation of ground-water age and chemistry relations in aquifer systems in Lake, Porter, and La Porte Counties

Funding Source:	Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Indiana Geological Survey
Period of Contract:	1 Jun 1997 to 30 Jun 2000
Status:	completed — Definition of status type
Project Director:	Nancy R. Hasenmueller

Issue

This project to evaluate the ground-water and chemistry relations in aquifer systems in Lake, Porter, and La Porte Counties is, in part, an extension of several earlier water-quality studies in northwestern Indiana. These projects included baseline surveys of the distribution of O18, deuterium and tritium, and major and trace elements in unconsolidated and bedrock aquifers. The projects also examined the relation of the water chemistry to the types/composition of the geologic materials incorporated in the glacial aquifers. Knowledge of relative ages of ground water can be basic to understanding ground-water flow and sensitivity. For instance, water derived from cold-climate-precipitation (glacial age more than 14,000 years before present) may help to define parts of the lake-plain aquifer in which the water is impeded by the position in the flow system. These areas of the aquifer may be less sensitive to contamination from nearby surface sources. At the opposite extreme, tritium-enriched water indicates a very recent age.

Objective

This project defined ground-water flow systems and their chemistry within Lake, Porter, and La Porte Counties.

Approach

Ground-water samples were collected from monitoring wells and drinking water wells in Lake, La Porte, and Porter Counties. The concentrations of major and trace elements and isotopes in the ground-water samples were determined. Water chemistry data was analyzed, the factor analyses were run, and the factor analyses data for selected elements and isotopes were plotted on maps.

Products

The report and data set from this study is available on CD-ROM. See N.R. Hasenmueller, T. Branam, and N. Bleuer, J. Olejnik, D. Cohen, and M. O'Neal, 2001, Evaluation of Ground-Water Age and Chemistry Relations in Aquifer Systems in Lake, Porter, and LaPorte Counties of Indiana, Indiana Geological Survey Open-File Study 01-21. The publication includes the hydrogeologic settings, isotopic analyses of the water samples, relation of water chemistry to hydrogeologic settings, and aquifer sensitivity in a geographic information system (GIS) format.

Benefits

The knowledge gained relating to ambient conditions will allow regulators to determine more easily the source of ground-water contaminants in this area. The information will also allow domestic and public water supply users to take the necessary steps to assure that their drinking water does not present an unnecessary health hazard.

Locations Affected:

Lake

LaPorte

Porter

Indiana House Districts Affected:

1 10 11

12 13 14

17 19 2

20 3 4

9

Indiana Senate Districts Affected:

1 2

3 4

5 6

8

Indiana Congressional Districts Affected:

Information Updated February 1, 2007

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