Is Maryland's Groundwater in Jeopardy?
| expand all | collapse all |
Critical Questions
These are questions commonly asked about the groundwater resources in Maryland. The answers vary by aquifer and location across the State. Some aquifers and locations likely have a plentiful supply of groundwater of good quality to meet current demands as well as future growth, while groundwater supply in other aquifers and locations may be greatly limited and of poor quality. Answering these questions requires effective monitoring, critical scientific investigations, and a comprehensive regional groundwater-flow and management model.
Why is Groundwater So Important?
Groundwater is nearly the sole source of fresh drinking water in Maryland's Coastal Plain (the area east of I-95). Approximately 1.4 million people rely on groundwater in the Coastal Plain. While groundwater is not used as much as surface water as a water source, some towns and most domestic users in central and western Maryland also rely heavily on groundwater. A sustainable supply of clean drinking water is crucial to the health and well-being of the citizens of Maryland, in addition to a strong economic future for the State. Aside from being a crucial drinking water source, groundwater is also important for irrigation, commercial and industrial uses, and power plants. Because groundwater supplies water to streams and rivers, it is vitally important for sustaining healthy populations of fish and other aquatic organisms.
Problems Confronting Groundwater Management in Maryland
Groundwater supply in Maryland may be severely constrained in some areas in the future as a result of overuse of the aquifers and by poor water quality. Permitted withdrawals are assessed on an individual permit (well or well field) basis, while there is no systematic assessment of the effects from domestic withdrawals. For effective water-resources planning, it is critical that the cumulative impact of the many thousands of wells pumping from Maryland's aquifers, and the extent to which the aquifers are being recharged, be assessed. Additionally, water-level and water-quality monitoring are essential to evaluate the "health" of the aquifers.
Problems By Region
Problems confronting groundwater supply in the State varies geographically depending on the number, productivity, water quality and geometry of the aquifers present and the amount of stress the aquifers are under from withdrawals. Some of the major problems or potential problems facing groundwater supply in different regions (or portions of those regions) of the State can be explored on the interactive map below.
Central Eastern Shore
Water levels exceeding management levels, well interferences, salt-water intrusion, arsenic, nitrates, pesticides.
Lower Eastern Shore
Well interferences, fewer productive aquifers, salt-water intrusion, nitrates, pesticides.
Western Shore
Water levels exceeding management levels, deep pumping levels resulting in high energy costs, fewer productive aquifers, salt-water intrusion, arsenic and radionuclides.
Upper Chesapeake Bay
Well interferences, water levels exceeding management levels, fewer productive aquifers, salt-water intrusion.
Fractured Rock
Reduction in baseflow to streams threatening aquatic habitat, fewer productive aquifers, road salt, arsenic, radioanuclides, nitrates, and pesticides.