THE INFLUENCE OF GROUNDWATER ON SURFACE WATER IN MICHIGAN'S ROUGE RIVER WATERSHED

摘要

The Rouge River, located in southeastern lower Michigan, has been a major surface water pathway for transport of pollutants to the Great Lakes and is currently the focus of intensive scientific study and restoration. Using information obtained from investigations conducted at sites of environmental contamination, the relationship between groundwater and surface water in the Rouge River watershed was analyzed, revealing a complex relationship between geology, hydrology, contamination, and urban development. This study has identified two geologic units within the watershed that significantly influence surface water and surface water drainage patterns and most likely account for the majority of nonpoint source pollution discharge to the Rouge River from groundwater. The realization that certain geologic environments influence groundwater and surface water, and in turn, are especially susceptible to contamination, (1) will greatly assist watershed management and (2) offers great promise for limiting future environmental issues.