Hydrogeologic investigation and establishment of a permanent multi-observational well network in Aiken, Allendale, and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina. Eight-year interim report (1986-1994). Volume 1 cluster-site description

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Water Resources Division (SCWRD), in collaboration with the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) is conducting a hydrogeologic investigation of the ground-water system(s) peripheral to the Savannah River Site. The study area is located in the Southeastern Coastal Plain hydrogeologic province in Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell Counties, South Carolina. Ground-water movement, quality, and availability are being evaluated in order to better protect and manage this valuable regional resource. The investigation involves a well-cluster system comparable to the one constructed on the SRS. Cluster sites are situated outside the SRS on the basis of study objectives, proximity to the plant`s borders, land availability, and for the optimization of hydrogeologic control. One to three wells are completed into each major aquifer, and at each cluster site, at least one borehole is continuously cored and geophysically logged from land surface to at least 10 feet into unweathered bedrock. Data collected from the ongoing study include 146 paleontologic and palynologic age dates, 100 x-ray diffraction analyses of clay and bulk mineralogy, 442 sieve analyses, 6,040 feet of detailed core description, mineral composition and porosity determined from thin-section analyses, and continuous water-level data. This report is a compilation and interpretation of the {open_quotes}C-well{close_quotes} data that have been generated from the project and that will be used to model and characterize the aquifers and confining units in the region