Groundwater contamination at the Kesterson Reservoir, California. 1. Hydrogeologic setting and conservative solute transport

Journal Article · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Water Resources Research; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/91WR00265· OSTI ID:5745963

Benson, S M; Halfman, S; Flexser, S; Alavi, M ^[1]; White, A F ^[2]

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1. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
2. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Shallow groundwater under Kesterson Reservoir, Merced County, California, was contaminated over a period of 6 years while the reservoir was used for disposal of brackish subsurface agricultural drainage water from farmlands in the San Joaquin Valley. Drainage water contained an average of 10,000 mg/L total dissolved solids (TDS), high concentrations of selenium (300 {mu}g/L), nitrate (37 mg/L as nitrogen), boron (15 mg/L), and lesser amounts of mercury, chromium, and molybdenum. Infiltration and lateral migration of this water created a 20-m-deep plume of high-TDS, boron-rich water covering an area of about 5 km{sup 2}. Transport of selenium and nitrate was inhibited by biogeochemical reactions in the pond bottom sediments, so that migration of these two constituents into the aquifer was limited. This paper focuses on physical parameters affecting seepage and lateral migration of nonreactive solutes and on hydrogeological factors associated with selenium breakthrough into the shallow aquifer.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5745963
• Journal Information: Water Resources Research; (United States), Journal Name: Water Resources Research; (United States) Vol. 27:6; ISSN 0043-1397; ISSN WRERA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540320* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
AGRICULTURAL WASTES
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
BORON
CALIFORNIA
CHEMISTRY
CHROMIUM
CONTAMINATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
MASS TRANSFER
MERCURY
METALS
MOLYBDENUM
NITRATES
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC WASTES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTANTS
SELENIUM
SEMIMETALS
SOLUTES
SURFACE WATERS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
USA
WASTES
WATER
WATER RESERVOIRS