Salt Water Intrusion and its Threat to North Carolina

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Salt Water Intrusion and its Threat to North
Carolina

• By Drew Thorndyke

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Salt Water Intrusion

• Displacement of
• freshwater by
• salt water as a
• result of excess
• pumping in
• coastal areas.

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Saltwater intrudes in two main ways

• Lateral Encroachment
• Vertical Upconing

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Lateral Encroachment
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Vertical Upconing
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Why does saltwater intrusion occur?

• Drop in groundwater level
• Development, population growth
• Ghyben Herzburg
• Sea level rise
• Thermal expansion

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Where in North Carolina has saltwater intrusion
occurred

• Cape Hatteras Island
• Pitt County
• Pender County
• New Hanover County
• Brunswick County

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What can we do to prevent saltwater intrusion

• Conservation of ground water
• Other sources
• Personal effort
• Reusing water
• Groundwater recharge
• Monitoring

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The Key to Controlling Saltwater Intrusion

• Maintaining a healthy aquifer by balancing
  the amount of water being pumped out with the
  amount put back in