thumbnail

Hydrologic conditions in Connors Bog Area, Anchorage, Alaska

Water-Resources Investigations Report 86-4044
By:
https://doi.org/10.3133/wri864044

Links

Abstract

Connors Bog is a wetland in Anchorage, Alaska, which provides a habitat for many wildlife species and is a popular area for driving off-road vehicles. A landfill, and residential and commercial developments are present in areas which were once wetland. The main source of water is precipitation, which averages about 15 in/yr. Estimates of evapotranspiration, which is the main component of water outflow, range from 10 to 20 in/yr. Minor amounts of groundwater and surface runoff flow into the area from the northeast and southwest and flow out of the area to the northwest and south. Within the wetland, water in peat and sand is unconfined and becomes more mineralized with depth. A leachate beneath and near an abandoned landfill is characterized by concentrations of dissolved solids, dissolved chloride, and total organics that are higher than those of the area 's natural water. The maximum lateral extent of detectable contamination in 1984 was < 500 ft from the landfill 's edge. Water in glacial deposits that underlie a poorly permeable layer of silt and clay is confined. A well completed in this confined aquifer yielded water that had a low concentration of dissolved solids, 150 mg/L. The potentiometric surface of this aquifer was about 20 ft lower than the water table during 1984. Connors Lake occupies a depression that extends below adjacent groundwater levels. The 40-acre lake has a maximum depth of about 9 ft and a low rate of biological production. The quality of water in the lake has not been adversely impacted by nearby residential development or landfill operations. Lake levels appear to be influenced by precipitation and adjacent groundwater levels. (Author 's abstract)
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Hydrologic conditions in Connors Bog Area, Anchorage, Alaska
Series title Water-Resources Investigations Report
Series number 86-4044
DOI 10.3133/wri864044
Edition -
Year Published 1986
Language ENGLISH
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey,
Description iii, 23 p. :ill., maps ;28 cm.
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details