Hydrogeology of sand and gravel deposits near the Nepaug Reservoir, New Hartford and Burlington, Connecticut

Water-Resources Investigations Report 2001-4059
Prepared in cooperation with the Metropolitan District Commission
By: , and 

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Abstract

Sand and gravel deposits near the Nepaug Reservoir in New Hartford and Burlington, Connecticut, were studied to provide a basis for ongoing investigations that will evaluate water-quality conditions in the watershed and the effects of sand and gravel mining on the quality of water in the reservoir. In the Nepaug area, surficial glacial materials overlie crystalline bedrock that is predominantly schist and gneiss. Along the western side of Nepaug Reservoir, glacial stratified deposits were laid down as ice-marginal deltas in a series of small glacial lakes that formed sequentially as the ice margin retreated northeastward through the area. These deposits are as much as 250 feet thick and are subdivided into coarse-grained units (gravel, sand and gravel, and sand deposits) and fine-grained units (very fine sand, silt, and clay deposits). Approximately 954 million cubic feet of sand and gravel is contained in four delineated deposits in two areas near the reservoir.


The sand and gravel deposits adjacent to the Nepaug Reservoir can affect the physical and chemical responses of the watershed. Removal of the sand and gravel would likely result in increased streamflow peaks associated with storms and decreased streamflow during low-flow periods. Streamflow during floods and droughts at Burlington Brook and Clear Brook, a tributary to the Nepaug Reservoir, were compared to determine how the volume of sand and gravel in a watershed affects ground-water storage and the way water is released from storage. Removal of unsaturated deposits also may affect chemical interactions between water and sediment and cause changes in the amount of dissolved constituents in the water.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Hydrogeology of sand and gravel deposits near the Nepaug Reservoir, New Hartford and Burlington, Connecticut
Series title Water-Resources Investigations Report
Series number 2001-4059
DOI 10.3133/wri014059
Year Published 2001
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location East Hartford, CT
Contributing office(s) Connecticut Water Science Center
Description iv, 38 p.
Country United States
State Connecticut
City Burlington, New Hartford
Other Geospatial Nepaug Reservoir
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