Areal and local ground-water contamination sites at the Savannah River Site. Modified from Westinghouse Savannah River Company, 1994. The northern limit of the study area and boundary between the Coastal Plain and Piedmont is marked by the Fall Line. Coastal Plain sedimentary rocks consist of alternating layers of sand, clay, and lesser amounts of limestone that progressively thicken from the Fall Line to the southeast, reaching an estimated thickness of 2,700 ft in the southern part of the study area. Silvaculture and agriculture are the predominant land uses in the study area where pine timber, cotton, and soybeans are major crops.
Kaolin is mined in parts of the study area.
This sink is thought to have formed as the river eroded through the uppermost confining units and was subsequently filled with permeable alluvium. It is possible, however, that some ground water can flow beneath the river to the opposite side of the river from its point of origin in response to natural or human-induced hydraulic gradients. Possible ground-water flow conditions beneath Savannah River. Other participants in the 6-year study include the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Clemson University, and the University of Georgia. A committee consisting of representatives from SRS and Georgia and South Carolina State agencies provides technical oversite.