Agenda - 12-07-2009 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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3.10 Water Resources 3.10.1 Groundwater Resources According to the Water Resources Investigation Report 00- 42862, the primary source of groundwater in Orange County is from the fracture zones of the felsic metavolcanic rock that underlies most of the County. These rocks are typically overlain by varying thicknesses of regolith soils derived from the in -place weathering of parent bedrock. The regolith soils are found to be less weathered with depth and transition to weathered rock then to bedrock. Although water is often found in the lower portions of the regolith soils, reliable water sources require a well cased into the fracture zones of the bedrock. Well yields are typically less than 25 gallons per minute with an average of approximately 16 gpm. The average groundwater recharge in the New Hope Creek Basin is about 150 gallons per day per acre. There is an existing potable well on the Paydarfar property that was associated with the former Chan residence that burned. Records obtained from the Orange County Planning Department indicate that the well is 165 feet deep and produces about 20 gallons of water per minute. The well is reported to still be functional and the ERCD has plans to use the well for area groundwater monitoring. Neighboring residences and farms in the area located in the Rural Buffer generally rely on groundwater for their water source while area residents within the Town of Chapel Hill typically use municipal water supplies. 3.10.2 Surface Water Resources The project area is located in the Cape Fear River Basin. As determined by the Erosion Control Division of the Orange County ERCD, there are no streams located on the property. Surface water drainage from the site area flows through Old Field Creek and New Hope Creek to Jordan Lake. As previously noted, the Orange County ERCD staff reviewed available information on the project site in the Orange County GIS mapping and found that the parcel did not contain previously mapped streams or water features. One drainage feature was indentified on the site based on the site topography. During a follow -up field reconnaissance, the staff determined that the drainage feature was not a stream and found no ephemeral channels or other evidence of water features on the site. The staff 2 Cunningham, W.L. and C.C. Daniel, 2001. `Investigation of Groundwater Availability and Quality in Orange County, North Carolina." United States Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation Report 00 -4286. Environmental Assessment — Paydarfar Site 12 September 30, 2009