Kirkwood–Cohansey aquifer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer |
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| Location | South Jersey, New Jersey, United States |
| Geology | Sand, silt, clay |
| Website | New Jersey Pinelands Commission Website |
The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer is a huge underground water supply. It is found in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. An aquifer is like a giant sponge made of rock, sand, and gravel. It holds water underground.
This aquifer covers about 3,000 square miles (7,770 square kilometers). It gets about 44 inches of rain and snow each year. Half of this water goes back into the air. The rest soaks into the ground. Some of it reaches the water table, which is the top of the underground water.
The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer has two main layers. The top layer is called the Cohansey formation. It is mostly sand. The bottom layer is the Kirkwood formation. It has silt and clay. This structure helps keep the water in place. It also lets surface water connect to the underground water. This aquifer is about 360 feet deep. It has many wells and springs. These wells can pump out a lot of water.
How Much Water Does It Hold?
The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer holds a huge amount of water. It contains about 17.7 trillion gallons. That's enough water to cover all of New Jersey with 10 feet of water! This water is very important for the Pine Barrens ecosystem. It helps all the plants and animals there.
People also use this water. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) manages how much water is taken out. In 2009, there were almost 1,000 large water wells. These wells can pump about 400 gallons of water every minute. Some can even pump 4,500 gallons per minute!
People use this water for many things. During the 1990s, public water systems used billions of gallons each year. Farmers used billions of gallons for their crops. Mining companies also used a lot of water. They used it to clean sand pits.
The water from the aquifer is usually fresh. It can be a bit acidic. Sometimes, natural substances like Radium, iron, and manganese are found in certain areas. Very rarely, other natural elements can be present. Water from the aquifer is treated to make sure it is safe to drink.
Where is the Aquifer Located?
This aquifer covers a large part of the New Jersey coastal plain. It stretches about 3,000 square miles (7,770 square kilometers). It goes as far north as Monmouth County. It also extends south along the Atlantic coastline. To the west, it reaches the Delaware Bay.
How Was the Aquifer Formed?
The Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer formed millions of years ago. This was during a time called the Middle Miocene epoch. Back then, the Atlantic Ocean covered much of what is now New Jersey. The ocean moved back and forth over time. As it did, it left behind layers of minerals. These layers formed the Kirkwood Formation.
The Kirkwood Formation is mostly underground. It is about 780 feet (238 meters) thick. You can see small parts of it in pits or along roadcuts. The very bottom layer is a firm, brown clay. It is made of quartz and Glauconite sand. Above this clay, there are layers of sand and other materials. One part has a 20-foot (6-meter) layer of hard Iron oxide cemented sandstone. There are also layers of diatomaceous clay.
After the Kirkwood Formation, rivers carried more sediment. This sediment came from mountains to the north and west. This created the Cohansey Formation. It is mostly sand. It also has some gravel and clay. Because it's mostly sand, it can erode easily. So, it's not often seen on the surface. You might spot it in water channels.
