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S <br /> A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES IN THE NEW HOPE AND <br /> SOUTHERN TRIANGLE SECTIONS OF THE RURAL BUFFER. <br /> The purpose of this document is to provide a brief overview <br /> of groundwater supply in the portions of the Rural Buffer <br /> where open space development options have been proposed. <br /> This overview draws on three sources, shown on page 3 . <br /> Groundwater is critical to the availability of potable <br /> drinking water for many citizens - in the form of individual <br /> well water, and as a partial or complete supply for many <br /> small towns. Almost 1/2 of the state's population and 102 of <br /> the state's municipalities rely in total or in part on <br /> groundwater supplies (Milton Heath, 1980) . <br /> Groundwater is found in the form of aquifers, which may best <br /> be visualized as an underground grid of regolith (soils) or <br /> rock stratum (bedrock formations) that contain and transmit. <br /> water. An important consideration is the interconnectedness <br /> of the aquifer. <br /> In our region, the overall aquifer is fairly well connected <br /> in the Piedmont formation known as the Carolina Slate Belt. <br /> This geologic formation has a low-moderate average yield of <br /> water compared to other formations, but adequate potential as <br /> a groundwater source. This particular type of formation is <br /> found in most of the Rural Buffer with the exception of the <br /> eastern fringe along the Durham County line. <br /> This eastern fringe of the buffer has very different <br /> characteristics. This area, known as the Triassic Basin, has <br /> more restricted groundwater availability. The Triassic basin <br /> soils are found in southern Durham County and eastern Chapel <br /> Hill Township. Therefore, in terms of the Rural Buffer, this <br /> would include the "Southern Triangle" and the portion of the <br /> buffer along Erwin Road and easternmost Whitfield Road. <br /> Therefore, the two subareas of the Rural Buffer under <br /> consideration for open-space development options (the New <br /> Hope basin and the "Southern Triangle" ) have different <br /> groundwater potentials. <br /> The remainder of the New Hope basin does have a hydrogeologic <br /> unit that likely will transmit water adequately for a <br /> development pattern such as that found (or proposed) in the <br /> Rural Buffer. In contrast, the "Southern Triangle" has <br /> the considerably-poorer Triassic basin aquifer. The locations <br /> of these hydrogeologic areas can be seen on the attached map. <br /> 1 <br />