z@z DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
USGS U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Prepared in cooperation with the
CHESTER COUNTY WATER RESOURCES AUTHORITY

SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS MAP 2876

INTRODUCTION

Since 1984, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been mapping the altitude and config-
uration of the potentiometric surface in Chester County as part of an ongoing cooperative program
to measure and describe the water resources of the county. Areas where the potentiometric surface
has been mapped are shown on figure 1. These maps can be used to determine the general direc-
tion of ground-water flow and contaminant movement and are frequently referenced by munici-
palities and developers to evaluate ground-water conditions for water supply and resource-pro-
tection requirements (Wood, 1998).

The map shows the potentiometric surface for an area along the western boundary of Chester
County that includes parts of Lower Oxford, East Nottingham, and West Nottingham Town-
ships, and part of the Borough of Oxford. The study area is mostly underlain by metamorphic
rocks of the Peters Creek Schist and Wissahickon Formation (Sloto, 1994). Ground water is
obtained from these bedrock formations by wells that intercept fractures.

The altitude and configuration of the potentiometric surface was contoured from water levels
measured in available wells and from the altitude of perennial streams. Topography
was used as a guide for contouring so that the altitude of the potentiometric surface was inferred
everywhere to be lower than land surface. The potentiometric surface shown on this map is an
approximation. The altitude of the actual potentiometric surface may vary, especially in areas
where wells are completed in a semiconfined zone or have long open intervals that reflect the
composite hydraulic head of multiple water-yielding fractures. A composite head may differ
from the potentiometric-surface altitude, particularly beneath hilltops and valleys where vertical

hydraulic gradients are significant.
REFERENCES CITED

Sloto, R.A., 1994, Geology, hydrology, and ground-water quality of Chester County,
Pennsylvania: Chester County Water Resources Authority Water-Resource Report 2, 127 p.
Wood, C.R., 1998, U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Water-Resources Programs in

Chester County, Pennsylvania: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 067-98, 6 p.

EXPLANATION
wee ee STUDY AREA BOUNDARY

—— 520 - — - POTENTIOMETRIC SURFACE CONTOUR—Shows altitude of the
potentiometric surface as defined by measured water
levels, altitudes of streams, springs, and topography.
Dashed where approximately located. Intermittent
streams are discharge areas during periods of high
ground-water levels. Contour interval is 20 feet. Altitude
in feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

4 428 WATER-LEVEL MEASUREMENT SITE—Symbol gives
location of well. Number is altitude of water level in
drilled or dug well in feet above National Geodetic Vertical
Datum of 1929. Wells outside the study area are
shown if they were used to contour the potentiometric
surface.

PENNSYLVANIA

LOCATION OF MAPPED AREA’

39° 48' 45"

39° 45'

76° 03' 45"

76° 00'

Base from U.S. Geological Survey
Oxford 1:24,000, 1992 Contour interval 10 feet and
Kirkwood 1:24,000, 1990 Contour interval 20 feet
Universal Transverse Mercator, Zone 18, NAD 27

Aichele, S.S., and Wood, 1996, Altitude and con-
figuration of the potentiometric surface in the
crystalline and metasedimentary rocks in East
Brandywine, Upper Uwchlan, and Uwchlan
Townships and parts of Caln, East Caln, and West
Whiteland Townships, Chester County, Pennsyl-
vania, April 1993 through June 1994: U.S. Geo-
logical Survey Open-File Report 96-338, 1 plate,
scale 1:24,000.

Eden, K.S., 1998, Altitude and configuration of the
potentiometric surface in Honey Brook and West
Nantmeal Townships, and Honey Brook and Elv-
erson Boroughs, Chester County, Pennsylvania,
April through September 1997: U.S. Geological
Survey Open-File Report 98-93, 1 plate, scale
1:24,000.

Eden, K.S., and Schneider, FM., 1998, Altitude and con-
figuration of the potentiometric surface in Wal-
lace Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania,
February 1996 through June 1997: U.S. Geologi-
cal Survey Open-File Report 98-187, 1 plate,
scale 1:24,000.

Garges, J.A., 1986, Ground-water levels in lower Paleo-
Zoic and Precambrian crystalline rocks, southeast-
ern Chester County, Pennsylvania, July and
August 1986: U.S. Geological Survey Water-
Resources Investigations Report 86-4352, 1 plate,
scale 1:24,000.

Garges, J.A., 1988, Ground-water levels in lower Paleo-
zoic and Precambrian crystalline rocks of East
Bradford and West Bradford Townships, Chester
County, Pennsylvania, July and August 1987:
U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investi-
gations Report 88-4052, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

McGovern, J.E., Bossert, April, and Wettstein, W.C.,
1996, Altitude and configuration of the potentio-

metric surface in the crystalline and metasedimen-

tary rocks in Valley and West Brandywine
Townships, Chester County, Pennsylvania, May
1992 through August 1993: U.S. Geological Sur-
vey Open-File Report 96-339, 1 plate, scale
1:24,000.

McManus, B.C., 1990, Altitude and configuration of the
potentiometric surface in the Triassic sandstones
and shales, northern Chester County, Pennsylva-
nia, October 1989 through March 1990: U.S. Geo-
logical Survey Water-Resources Investigations
Report 90-4114, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

McManus, B.C., 1992, Altitude and configuration of the
potentiometric surface in the crystalline and
metasedimentary rocks, northern Chester County,

Pennsylvania, May through October 1990: U:S.
Geological Survey Water-Resources Investiga-
tions Report 91-4182, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

McManus, C.B., and Sloto, R.A., 1994, Altitude and
configuration of the potentiometric surface, May
and June 1993, and change in water level 1983-
93, in the carbonate rocks in part of East White-
land and Charlestown Townships, Chester
County, Pennsylvania: U.S. Geological Survey
Open-File Report 93-659, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

McManus, C.B., and Sloto, R.A., 1996, Altitude and
configuration of the potentiometric surface,
December 6, 1994, in the carbonate rocks in part
of East Whiteland and Charlestown Townships,
Chester County, Pennsylvania: U.S. Geological
Survey Open-File Report 96-367, 1 plate, scale
1:24.00.

Mohammad, Abdul, 2000, Altitude and configuration
of the potentiometric surface in lower Elk Creek
watershed, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Janu-
ary through June 1999: U.S. Geological Survey
Open-File Report 99-475, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

Mohammad, Abdul, 2001, Altitude and configuration
of the potentiometric surface in the upper Elk
Creek watershed, Chester County, Pennsylvania,
March through September 2000: U.S. Geological
Survey Open-File Report 01-329, 1 plate, scale
1:24,000.

15
£ “y Eden, 1998),
\

McGovern,
Bossert,
and
Wettstein,

Wettstein and Wood,

&

Eden and Schneider)

Mohammad, Abdul, 2002, Altitude and configuration
of the potentiometric surface in Highland and
West Fallowfield Townships, Chester County,
Pennsylvania, March through July 2001: U.S.
Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-167, 1
plate, scale 1:24,000.

Mohammad, Abdul, 2004, Altitude and configuration
of the potentiometric surface in West Fallowfield,
Upper Oxford, and Lower Oxford Townships,
Chester County, Pennsylvania, March through
July 2002: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File
Report 03-262, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

Mohammad, Abdul, 2005, Altitude and configuration
of the potentiometric surface in part of Lower
Oxford, East Nottingham, and West Nottingham
Townships, and in part of the Borough of Oxford,
Chester County, Pennsylvania, April through
June, 2003: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific
Investigations Map 2876, 1 plate, scale
1:24,000

Rowland, C.J., 2000, Altitude and configuration of the
potentiometric surface in Warwick and East Nant-
meal Townships, Chester County, Pennsylvania,
July through December 1998: U.S. Geological

Survey Open-File Report 99-458, 1 plate, scale
1:24,000.

Senior, L.A., and Garges, J.A., 1989, Altitude and con-
figuration of the potentiometric surface in the Tri-
assic sandstones and shales, northeastern Chester
County, Pennsylvania, September 1987 through
January 1988: U.S. Geological Survey Water-
Resources Investigations Report 89-4043, 1
plate, scale 1:24,000.

Sloto, R.A., 1984, Water-table contour map of the car-
bonate rocks of eastern Chester County, Pennsyl-
vania: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report
84-235, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

Vogel, K.L., Miller, W.E., and McManus, B.C., 1991,
Altitude and configuration of the water-level sur-
face in the lower Paleozoic and Precambrian
crystalline rocks of the Red Clay Creek basin,
Chester County, Pennsylvania, and New Castle
County, Delaware, June through October 1989
and March 1990: U.S. Geological Survey Water-
Resources Investigations Report 91-4004, 1 plate,
scale 1:24,000.

Wettstein, W.C., and Wood, C.R., 1996, Altitude and
configuration of the potentiometric surface in the
crystalline and metasedimentary rocks in Sads-
bury, West Caln, and West Sadsbury Townships,
Chester County, Pennsylvania, April 1993
through August 1994: U.S. Geological Survey
Open-File Report 96-340, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

Wood, C.R., 1984, Ground-water levels in the carbonate
rocks of central Chester County, Pennsylvania,
May 18 to June 15, 1984: U.S. Geological Survey
Open-File Report 84-715, 1 plate, scale 1:24,000.

Wood, C.R., 1985, Ground-water levels in the lower
Paleozoic carbonate rocks of western Chester
Valley, Chester County, Pennsylvania, Novem-
ber, 1984: U.S. Geological Survey Water-
Resources Investigations Report 85-4224, 1 plate,
scale 1:24,000.

Wood. C.R., Wettstein, W.C., Aichele, S.S., Joyce,
James, and Schneider, FM., 1996, Altitude and
configuration of the potentiometric surface in the
crystalline and metasedimentary rocks in Bir-
mingham, Newlin, Pennsbury, and Pocopson
Townships and parts of East Marlborough and
Kennett Townships, Chester County, Pennsylva-
nia, June 1994 through November 1995: U.S.
Geological Survey Open-File Report 96-336, 1
plate, scale 1:24,000.

MeManus, 1990. //

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———

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Rowland, 2000 _y
ee Senior and Garg, 1989
Le Z y,

Vix A /
ooX yy
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7” Menus, 1992.
1998 ye

Wood, Wettstein, AlcheleJoyee,
996;

Vogel, Miller, and
‘McManus, 1991

Figure 1. Areas in Chester County where potentiometric-
surface mapping has been completed.

ALTITUDE AND CONFIGURATION OF THE POTENTIOMETRIC SURFACE IN PART OF LOWER OXFORD, EAST
NOTTINGHAM, AND WEST NOTTINGHAM TOWNSHIPS, AND IN PART OF THE BOROUGH OF OXFORD, CHESTER COUNTY,

SCALE 1:24,000
0 1 MILE

1,000,

i} 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 7,000 FEET
:: =f 1

[=s=8=! i= i

1 1/2 i} 1 KILOMETER
a

PENNSYLVANIA, APRIL THROUGH JUNE 2003

By
ABDUL MOHAMMAD
2005