Thesis Defense Announcement

The College of Arts and Sciences announces the Final Thesis Defense of

William Simco

for the Degree of Master of Science

on June 29, 2018 at 10:30 AM in Johnson Hall, Room 216

Advisor: Daniel Larsen

Recharge of the Memphis Aquifer in an Incised Urban Watershed

ABSTRACT: The Memphis aquifer is the principle source for groundwater in western Tennessee. Recharge processes to the aquifer are poorly understood, but previous studies show that recharge to the aquifer occurs more efficiently in stream gullies with sand bottoms than in upland terraces within rural areas of the recharge belt: the same is expected in urban areas. Water balance measurements in the Sandy Creek watershed in Jackson, Tennessee, provide 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. Monthly water balance estimates in the watershed indicate peak groundwater recharge during winter and early spring months with lesser contributions during the summer and fall when soil moisture retention is at its lowest. The majority of the recharge is attributed to discharge losses in the streambed with little recharge passing through the silt-rich soils of the upland surfaces.