The
Brandywine Watershed
The Brandywine Watershed encompasses 330-square miles in Chester
County, Pennsylvania and northern New Castle County, Delaware and is home to
over 300,000 people.
The Brandywine Valley Association
The Brandywine Valley Association (BVA), the first small
watershed association in the country, was founded in 1945 and is committed
to promoting and protecting the natural resources of the Brandywine Valley
through technical assistance and research projects, as well as through
environmental education programs and demonstration projects for all ages.
Water: A Finite
Resource in Our Valley
Most of us take water for granted and want to believe that our
supply is boundless. The truth, however, is that the Brandywine Watershed’s
water supply is under constant pressure from the rapid growth that is taking
place now and will continue into the future.
About half of thepeople who live in the Brandywine Watershed depend on
ground water for their drinking water supply. Many of the new developments
will depend on ground water as well. As more water is taken from this finite
source, will the supply be adequate for the future?
Since 1995, BVA has been working to better understand the limits of our
ground water resources. That work has lead to the development of a computer
based model which can predict the effect of proposed development on ground
water systems and the streams which they support. |
Ground Water Model Uses
• Predict ground water level changes for proposed developments and
large-scale production wells
• Define wellhead protection areas for municipalities and water utilities
• Design effective stormwater infiltration systems
• Show the effect from different types of land application systems
• Predict the effect on streamflow of land use changes
• Help to create better development design for ground water protection
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What Can
The Model Do?
Simulation
The model is designed to simulate the effects of additional ground
water use. If a proposed development will remove water from the ground, it
will indicate what the future ground water levels will be.
Demonstration
The model can take into account the loss of recharge from impervious
surfaces (e.g. roofs, roads, driveways, and parking lots), and, as part of
the modeling process, will show the overall effect of development, including
both water withdrawal and reduced recharge.
Identification
It also is useful in identifying ground water sources that supply
larger production wells. This information is invaluable to municipalities
and water suppliers interested in protecting the wellhead area from uses
that would reduce recharge or cause contamination.
Prediction/Evaluation
The model can predict how much ground water will change with future
use. In addition, it can also show the effect on streams
in the area which may have reduced flow as
a result of lowered ground water levels.
Both of these conditions should be considered in evaluating proposed land
use changes. Reducing ground water levels and streamflows below acceptable
limits could require changes in proposed land use or other means of water
supply so that ground water is not as seriously affected.
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