Statistical Analysis Relating Well Yield to Construction Practices and Siting of Wells in the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces of North Carolina

摘要

A statistical analysis was made of data from more than 6,200 water wells drilled into the fractured crystalline rocks of the Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and western edge of the Coastal Plain where crystalline rocks underlie sediments at shallow depths. The study area encompassed 65 counties in western North Carolina, an area of 30,544 square miles, which comprises nearly two-thirds of the State. Additional water supplies will be needed in western North Carolina as population and industrial development continue to increase. Ground water is an attractive alternative to surface-water sources for moderate to large supplies. The statistical analysis was made to identify geologic, topographic, and construction factors that are associated with high-yield wells.