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Research about Berkeley County, West Virginia

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Berkeley County, West Virginia.

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Base-flow yields of watersheds in the Berkeley County area, West Virginia

Base-flow yields at approximately 50 percent of the annual mean ground-water recharge rate were estimated for watersheds in the Berkeley County area, W.Va. These base-flow yields were determined from two sets of discharge measurements made July 25-28, 2005, and May 4, 2006. Two sections of channel along Opequon Creek had net flow losses that are expressed as negative base-flow watershed yields; these and other base-flow watershed yields in the eastern half of the study area ranged from -940 to 2,280 gallons per day per acre ((gal/d)/acre) and averaged 395 (gal/d)/acre. The base-flow yields for watersheds in the western half of the study area ranged from 275 to 482 (gal/d)/acre and averaged 376 (gal/d)/acre.

West Virginia

Relation of bacteria in limestone aquifers to septic systems in Berkeley County, West Virginia

Water samples collected from 50 wells in Berkeley County, West Virginia, during June 2000 were analyzed for indicator bacteria. Of the 50 wells sampled, 62 percent (31 wells) contained total coliform bacteria , 32 percent (16 wells) contained Escherichia coli, and 30 percent (15 wells) contained fecal coliform bacteria. Although bacteria were present in many wells regardless of the number of septic systems in a 5-acre circular area around each well, no apparent correlation was detected between septic-system density and concentrations of bacteria colonies. There was also little difference in the frequency of total coliform bacteria detection between shallow and deep wells; however, the highest concentrations of E. coli and fecal coliform bacteria were found in the shallowest wells. At least one of the three bacteria types was found in samples of untreated water in 32 of the 50 wells. At 21 of the 32 wells with bacteria present, there was no treatment of the ground water to remove bacteria.

West Virginia