This document summarizes a study of groundwater flow and drainage at Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve. The preserve contains a seasonal wetland with different sub-ecotones like wet prairie and swamp forest. The objective was to measure water levels in piezometers and the wetland to determine surface-water and groundwater interactions and the groundwater flow direction. Weekly measurements were taken and a potentiometric map was plotted showing groundwater flows towards and discharges into the wetland, while the wetland recharges groundwater in September.

1. Jared RogersIRWIN PRAIRIE
GROUNDWATER FLOW
REGIME AND DRAINAGE

2.  World groundwater supply = .61% (Fetter 2001)
Groundwater accounts for >98% of available fresh
water globally
 Relationship to wetlands
Water filtration and storage
Nutrient cycling and transport retention
Flood attenuation
 Better knowledge = Better management
INTRODUCTION:
HYDROLOGY SIGNIFICANCE

3.  Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve
Seasonal wetland
Sub-ecotones
wet prairie
Sedge meadow
Swamp forest
Peat layer (confining unit)
Unconfined sand aquifer
Clay aquitard beneath
INTRODUCTION: SITE DESCRIPTION
Photo by: Dr. Todd Crail 12/1/2011
Wet Period
Standing Water

4.  Measure heads in piezometers and the wetland
 Determine Surface-water and groundwater
interactions
Recharge and discharge
 Plot potentiometric map to determine GW flow
directions
OBJECTIVE
Standing Water

5. METHODS
Bancroft Avenue
IrwinRoad
Dorr Street

6. Installation
by Kirk
Zmijewski
METHODS

7. ELECTRONIC SOUNDING TAPE

8. WeeklyPrecipitation(inches)
From wunderground.com (2013)-0.5
0.5
1.5
2.5
3.5
4.5
Date
Precipitation
Wetland
bottom
elevation
Pole-E

9. RESULTS

10. Sept. 15, 2013
ft. amsl

11. Weekly measurements
Drawdown rate
B-North and Pole W too far
DISCUSSION

12. GW flow direction
Divergent and convergent flow
GW and surface-water interaction
GW discharges to the wetland
Wetland recharges GW in Sept.
CONCLUSION

13.  Dr. James Martin-Hayden
 Dr. Todd Crail
 Mr. Kirk Zmijewski
 Mr. Ryan Schroeder
 Ohio Department of Natural Areas and Preserves
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

14.  Fetter, C.W. Applied Hydrogeology 4th Ed. New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall, Inc. 2001. Text.
REFERENCES