The Massachusetts Geological Survey provides water resource research and support to the Commonwealth in a few different ways. First, the Survey has been a leader in describing fractured bedrock aquifers, upon which many Massachusetts residents and municipalities rely for clean drinking water. Most aquifers in New England are made up groundwater flowing through thick sand deposits (up to 100-200 feet thick) that were laid down during deglaciation some 15-20,000 years ago. In contrast, fractured bedrock aquifers refer to the water that flows through cracks in our crystalline (igneous and metamorphic) bedrock. These bedrock aquifers are much more complicated in many ways, making it difficult to predict how much water can be sustainably used from these settings, and which way the groundwater is flowing.
Learn more about some active MGS projects focused on water resources: