Thesis Defense Announcement

College of Arts and Sciences announces the Final Thesis Defense of

Spencer Smith

for the Degree of Master of Science

March 11, 2019 at 10:20 AM in Johnson Hall, Room 222

Advisor: Dan Larsen

Recharge of the Memphis Aquifer in an Incised Urban Watershed: Implications of Impervious Surfaces and Stream Incision

ABSTRACT: Recharge processes to the Memphis aquifer are poorly understood, but previous studies show that rural stream gullies with sand bottoms are more efficient for recharge than in the upland areas. The same is expected in urban streams where the Memphis Sand is exposed with surrounding upland areas that have substantial urban land use. Water balance research in Sandy Creek in Jackson, Tennessee, provides information regarding infiltration and potential recharge to the Memphis aquifer that may be typical of urban stream valleys where sandy Coastal Plain aquifers are exposed beneath fine-grained surficial deposits. Sixteen and one-half percent of the Sandy Creek Westwood (SC-WW) watershed is covered by impervious surfaces and 54.5% of the stream has incised down into the Memphis Sand and potentially will effect recharge to the Memphis Sand. Recharge results from this study show 0.12-0.92 m/m2 of recharge occurred through the study year September 2017 to 2018 and are similar to other recharge studies.