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Durward Hoye Boggess

Publications and source records attributed to Durward Hoye Boggess.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS1977

Saline-water intrusion related to well construction in Lee County, Florida

Ground water is the principle source of water supply in Lee County, Florida where an estimated 30,000 wells have been drilled since 1990. These wells ranges in depth from about 10 to 1,240 feet and tap the water table aquifer or one or more of the artesian water-bearing units or zones in the Tamiami Formation, the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation, the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation and the Tampa Limestone and the Suwannee Limestone. Before 1968, nearly all wells were constructed with galvanized or black iron pipe. Many of these wells are sources of saline-water intrusion into freshwater-bearing zones. The water-bearing zones in the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation, Tampa Limestone, and Suwannee Limestone are artesian-they have higher water levels and usually contain water with a higher concentration of dissolved solids than do the aquifers occurring at shallower depths. The water from these deeper aquifers generally range in dissolved solids concentration from about 1,500 to 2,400 mg/L, and in chloride from about 500 to 1,00 mg/L. A maximum chloride concentration of 15,200 mg/L has been determined. Few of the 3,00 wells estimated to have been drilled to these zones contain sufficient casing to prevent upward flow into overlaying water-bearing zones. Because of water-level differentials, upward movement and lateral intrusion of saline water occurs principally into the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation where the chloride concentrations in water unaffected by saline-water intrusion ranges from about 80 to 150 mg/L. Where intrusion from deep artesian zones has occurred, the chloride concentration in water from the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation ranges from about 300 to more than 2,100 mg/L. Surface discharges of the saline water from wells tapping the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation and the Suwannee Limestone also had affected the water-table aquifer which normally contains water with 10 to 50 mg/L of chloride. In one area, the chloride concentration in water from the water table aquifer ranged from 200 to 590 mg/L as a result of intrusion. In areas adjacent to tidal-water bodies, the water table aquifer contains water that is very saline, Where the wells in such areas have been constructed with metal casings, the metal corrodes when exposed to the saline water, and many ultimately develop holes. This permits saline water to leak into the well where the water level in the well is lower than the water table. The intrusion of saline water from the water-table aquifer into the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation is a major problem in parts of Cape Coral. Withdrawal of water from the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation has caused water levels to decline below the lowest annual position of the water table, so that downward leakage is perennial. In some coastal areas, wells that tap the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation contain water whose chloride concentration is as much as 9,500 mg/L. Upward leakage of saline water from the deep artesian aquifers and downward leakage of saline water from the water-table aquifer can be prevented by proper well construction.

Florida↗
USGS1975

A reconnaissance of hydrogeologic conditions in Lehigh Acres and adjacent areas of Lee County, Florida

Lehigh Acres, a residential community with a population of about 13,500 and comprising an area of about 94 square miles (243 square kilometres) in the eastern part of Lee County, has been under development since 1954. Prior to development the area was poorly drained. By 1974, more than 150 miles (241 kilometres) of drainageways had been constructed to drain the area. The water-bearing formations underlying Lehigh Acres include the water-table, sandstone, lower Hawthorn, and Suwannee aquifers. The water-table aquifer is usually not more than 30 feet (9 metres) thick; it contains water of relatively good quality, except for iron and color. Water levels in this aquifer probably have been affected by construction of drainage canals. The sandstone aquifer, used extensively throughout the area as a source of water supply usually contains water of good quality although the water is hard and in places may contain concentrations of dissolved solids and iron which exceed the recommended limits of the U.S. Public Health Service and the State of Florida for drinking water. The lower Hawthorn and Suwannee aquifers, usually encountered at depths between 440 and 850 feet (135 and 262 metres), contains water with relatively high concentrations of sodium, sulfate, chloride, and dissolved solids. Three streams, the Orange River, Hickey Creek, and Bedman Creek and the canals connected to them, provide drainage of the area. Except for the Orange River, where the water is of good chemical quality, little is known of the water quality. Similarly, little information is available on stream discharge except for the Orange River where the average annual discharge was 41.1 cubic feet per second (11.6 cubic metres per second) between 1935-46. Most lakes and ponds in Lehigh Acres are hydraulically connected to the water-table aquifer such that factors which affect one also affect the other. Theoretical drawdown curves indicate that the drainage canals may affect ground-water levels to a distance of 6,000 feet (1,800 metres) under certain conditions. Leeland Lake, the only known sinkhole lake in Lee County, is about 208 feet (64 metres) deep and contains water more nearly similar to the sandstone aquifer, although the lake may by hydraulically connected to both the water-table and sandstone aquifers.

Florida↗
USGS1974

Saline ground-water resources of Lee County, Florida

Lee County, an area of 786 square miles (1260 square kilometres) on the southwest coast of Florida, is underlain at depths greater than 400 feet (120 metres) by formations containing saline water. Two saline water-bearing zones occur within the depth interval 400 to 1,200 feet (120 to 370 metres); the upper zone is termed the lower Hawthorn aquifer and the lower zone is termed the Suwannee aquifer. Fresh water infiltrates into the aquifers in the central highlands region of Florida where water levels are as much as 130 feet (40 metres) above sea level. The water subsequently moves southwestward into the report area becoming progressively more saline toward the coast. Both aquifers are under sufficient artesian pressure to cause wells tapping them to flow at land surface. Water levels range from more than 50 feet (15 metres) above sea level in the northeastern part of the county to about 30 feet (9 metres) or less along the coast. Artesian pressure in the aquifers has been reduced along the Caloosahatchee River by heavy withdrawal and this reduction in pressure is a major factor in deterioration of water quality in the McGregor Isles area, south of Fort Myers. The average depth of wells tapping the lower Hawthorn aquifer is 572 feet (174 metres); the average depth of wells tapping both the lower Hawthorn and Suwannee aquifers is 858 feet (262 metres). Few wells tap only the Suwannee aquifer. The average length of casing in wells tapping the lower Hawthorn aquifer is 170 feet (52 metres), whereas the average length in wells tapping both aquifers is only 179 feet (55 metres). Flow rates range from 20 to 750 gallons per minute (1 to 47 litres per second) and average 233 gallons per minute (15 litres per second). The saline water from the lower Hawthorn and Suwannee aquifers is hard and sulfurous. The dissolved solids, as determined from analyses of 31 samples,ranged from 700 to 3,300 mg/1 (milligrams per litre) and averaged 1,936 mg/1. The chloride concentrations ranged from 160 to 1,600 mg/1 and averaged 869 mg/l. The calcium magnesium hardness ranged from 110 to 1,000 mg/1 and averaged 625 mg/l. Sulfate concentrations ranged from 92 to 800 mg/1 and averaged 289 mg/l. Although the mineral content is high, water from the lower Hawthorn and Suwannee aquifers has been used in the past for many purposes, particularly for irrigation. Currently, water from these aquifers may be used to supplement the dwindling supplies of better quality from aquifers at shallow depths.

Florida↗