Baltimore Ecosystem Study

2000 Annual Report (October 1, 1999 - September 30, 2000)

1. PARTICIPANTS

Senior Personnel

Name: Gary T. Fisher

Worked for more than 160 hours: Yes

Contribution to project: Co-Principal Investigator (Hydrology)

Source of NSF funding: USGS funding

Name: Edward J. Doheny

Worked for more than 160 hours: Yes

Contribution to project: Collaborator, USGS Hydrologist & Project Chief, BES-LTER Hydrologic Field Operations

Source of NSF funding: This award and USGS funding

Name: C. Erin Feehley

Worked for more than 160 hours: Yes

Contribution to project: Collaborator: USGS Hydrologist, Urban ground-water investigations

Source of NSF funding: USGS funding

Name: Earl A. Greene

Worked for more than 160 hours: No

Contribution to project: Collaborator: USGS Supervisory Hydrologist & Leader, Urban ground-water investigations

Source of NSF funding: USGS funding

Undergraduate Student

Name: Jonathan P. Fisher (IES employee, office space and computer support provided by USGS)

Worked for more than 160 hours: Yes

Contribution to project: REU student, Architectural data base design and development

Source of NSF funding: REU, 1999

University of Maryland, Baltimore County - Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences

Baltimore City - Department of Public Works

Baltimore County - Department of Environmental Protection and Resource Management

Maryland Department of the Environment

USGS, Geologic Division

Glenn Page, Director of Conservation, National Aquarium in Baltimore

Owen Bricker, USGS, National Research Program

Emery Cleaves, Director, Maryland Geological Survey

Barbara Watson, National Water Service, Washington-Baltimore Office

ACTIVITIES & FINDINGS

USGS operates five stream-gaging stations using NSF funding that provide part of the base infrastructure for physical investigations by BES. In addition, USGS operates 2 additional stations in the Gwynns Falls watershed and 41 other stations in the Baltimore region using USGS and cooperator funding.

USGS provided funding in Federal Fiscal Year 2000 to investigate alternative, cost-effective approaches to high-flow measurements at urban storm-sewer outfalls. This work is storm dependent and is ongoing. USGS also began investigations of urban ground-water hydrology in the Gwynns Falls. An understanding of the urban subsurface environment is essential to determining an accurate urban water balance and to investigating urban water-quality processes. The presence of water-supply and sewerage infrastructure in urban ecosystems provides for unique and relatively unstudied problems, particularly in older urban settings such as BES.

The USGS Geologic Division conducted detailed geologic remapping of the Baltimore urban area in 2000.

What were major findings from these activities?

Primary product is a continuous data stream, published annually, with some station data available in near real time.

Other work mentioned is ongoing.

What opportunities for training and development has the project helped provide?

No specific opportunities, but USGS participation in BES has provided a regular opportunity for technical exchange among Principal Investigators and project technical staff.

What outreach activities have you undertaken?

USGS investigators have provided a continuing liaison to USGS researchers in several discipline divisions and to the Maryland Water Monitoring Council.

PRODUCTS

Doheny, E.J., 1999

Index of hydrologic characteristics and data resources for the Gwynns Falls watershed, Baltimore County and Baltimore City, Maryland: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 99-213, 17 p.

James, R.W., Jr., Saffer, R.W., and Tallman, A.J., 2000

Water resources data, Maryland and Delaware, water year 1999: Volume 1, Surface-water data: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Data Report MD-DE-99-1, 408 p.

Home page for USGS activities in BES: http://md.water.usgs.gov/BES/

Architectural data base for BES: http://md.water.usgs.gov/BES/architecture/

Inventory of 121 ground-water wells within the Gwynns Falls watershed; in Microsoft Access data base.

Search of current literature in urban ground-water hydrology; in Microsoft Access data base.

Architectural data-base design: Poster at 1999 BES Annual Meeting

4. CONTRIBUTIONS

Streamflow data provided on regular basis and on special request to individual investigators. USGS scientists have participated on a continuing basis in all appropriate BES planning and scientific meetings, including the BES Steering Committee. USGS is providing leadership in general hydrologic investigations in cooperation with other Principal Investigators and Collaborators and is providing particular leadership in ground-water and subsurface geophysical investigations.

Other disciplines of science and engineering:

USGS data and products are widely used in the geosciences and natural-resources management communities.

Development of human resources:

USGS provides regular development opportunities to its scientists and technicians through its National Training Center, other training, and conference attendance. Cooperators, including BES investigators, are eligible to participate in USGS training programs on a space-available basis.

Physical, institutional, and informational resources that form the infrastructure for research and education:

Stream measurements and sampling are being conducted in September 2000 to provide preliminary information on the urban ground-water flow system.

Architectural data base designed by REU student will provide important data for human ecology and urban infrastructure investigations.

Public welfare beyond science and engineering:

USGS is striving to add real-time capabilities to all stream-gaging stations to provide flood warning and a regular data stream for recreation, education, and water-resources management applications.