Title: Assessments of Well and Interstitial Water in Jobos Bay Natural Reserve and Agricultural Lands Close to Salinas Solid Waste Facility
Duration: April 1, 2004 - August 31, 2008
Critical Water Problems
Jobos Bay is located between Salinas and Guayama on the eastern south coast of Puerto Rico and comprises more than 2,500 acres, incluiding the Aguirre Forest and a mangrove reserve, Jobos Bay National Research Reserve (JBNRR). The Salinas Fan Delta is the major aquifer in the Guayama, Salinas and Santa Isabel zone and is recharging the water in the JBNRR estuary. The groundwater flow in the Salinas Quadrangle has been changing in the last twenty changes in flow directions of groundwater. In fact, an extreme situation has caused a flow reversal (a depression cone), and now groundwater flows inland and southwest in some areas, thus increasing the risk of contamination from the Salinas Regional Waster Disposal Facility (SRWDF) in the JBNRR estuary.
SWDF is a Regional Waste Disposal Facility in Salinas, very close to JBNRR. The site where SRWDF is located has five types of soils; thus layered/ multiple hydraulic agricultural and community lands; therefore it is necessary to assess the presence of toxic compounds. The surface water flow pattern on the west side of SRWDF is toward the southwest; from the east side, toward the southeast. Therefore, these waters may reach several estuarine zones in Salinas.
This project examined the soil and groundwater quality in the eastern part of JBNERR. The JBNERR is border by the east of Salinas Waste Disposal (SWD). Groundwater is the main source of fresh water in JBNERR. Some areas from JBNERR have been impacted by the mangrove dieback associated with groundwater impairing. Therefore, groundwater quality is an important issue that must be studied in order to have more knowledge of what is happening in JBNERR. Some JBNERR groundwater inflow lines appear passing very close to SWD and may impair JBNERR Ecosystem. This filed and laboratory research helped to provide a more comprehensive view of the effect of SWD on water quality in the sampling zone. Besides it was complementary to other research studies related to inorganic contaminants in the zone.
Project Reports
EVENTS
