The DENR first began investigating the site two years ago at the request of nearby residents whose wells were going dry. Janet Aardema, a biology major in Davidson's Class of 1999, did some preliminary research last year. As the project developed, DENR received funding from the USGS for four new research positions to study groundwater quality in western North Carolina, and selected the Davidson Lake Campus on Langtree Road as one of eight proposed research stations in the project. The sites were selected to be representative of the region's geology, hydrology and land use, and to provide the most transferable information. Other sites include a state research area in Bent Creek, a Piedmont agricultural research station in Reedsville, N.C., and a research station on the N.C. State University campus.
Drilling machines pulverize the rock and pull it up to clear the way for the new well.
Research results will be used for land use planning, to determine better placement of water supply wells, and in efforts to clean up contaminated water. The research team from DENR has been on site at the lake campus since the end of August, and drilling will continue until January. Geophysical and hydrological studies of those wells will continue for the next several years. USGS is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior and a world leader in the natural sciences. It provides reliable scientific information to describe and understand the earth, minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters, manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources, and enhance and protect our quality of life.