The Geological causes and effects of the elizabeth city

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The Geological causes and effects of the
elizabeth citys area water quality
Created by Anthony Carver Jameel Joyner
Terence Baker Travis Harvey
2007 Burroughs Wellcome Fund
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Problem Statement
Our group is researching the geology of this area
as it relates to water quality.
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What is sediment?
Sediment is the loose sand, clay, silt and other
soil particles that settle at the bottom of a
body of water.
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How do sediments get deposited?

• Sediment can come from soil erosion or from the
  decomposition of plants and animals.
• Wind, water and ice help carry these particles to
  rivers, lakes and streams.

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How is sediment deposited into the area's water

• Sediment is deposited into our areas water
  quality in a number of different ways.
• It can be deposited by hurricanes and storms.
• Also, excessive flooding can cause sediment to be
  deposited into an areas water supply.
• This is especially true in areas with low
  elevation, such as Elizabeth City.

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How does sediment effect the water quality of an
area?

• Sediment can cause a drop in dissolved oxygen
• It can also kill some aquatic animals
• It could contaminate an areas water supply and
  cause sickness in the community

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• It could cause foreign plants to populate an
  area, thus throwing off the native ecosystem
• It could kill some helpful algae and bacteria
  that help clean and filter our water systems
• Sediment can also buries aquatic habitat, clogs
  fish gills, and carries excess nutrients into
  streams.

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How can we help lessen the amount sediment
pollution in our water?

• The government can help by being more assertive
  with their water quality laws and regulations
• We can build well-designed sedimentation basins.
• Also, we can properly install silt fences

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• Citizens in our community can make a huge
  difference by reporting sedimentation problems if
  they see them.
• Some natural sub-aquatic vegetation helps filter
  some loose sediments near the bottom of a body of
  water.

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What is an Aquifer
An underground geological formation, or group of
formations, containing water. Sources of
groundwater for wells and springs.
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North Carolina Aquifers

• The Surficial Aquifer
• Is widely used throughout the State for
  individual home wells.
• It is the shallowest and most susceptible to
  contamination from septic tank systems and other
  pollution sources.
• On the Outer Banks shallow wells are subject to
  rainfall amounts, saltwater intrusion, poor
  quality ground water, and ocean overwash.
• Wells typically yield 25-200 gallons per minute.

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How do Aquifers effect the water quality of our
area?
Since our areas water table is mostly dirt, it
can filter out some large dust and sediment
particles. However, pesticides that come from
farms do not get diluted.