PUB00070

• Year: 1998
• Title: Ground Water and Surface Water A Single Resource U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1139
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Author: T.C. Winter, J.W. Harvey, O.L. Franke, W.M. Alley
• Description: Overview of current understandimg of interaction of ground water and surface water in terms of quality and quantity
• Publications - Doc Type: Historical

GLACIAL AND DUNE TERRAIN

Glacial and dune terrain (area G of the
conceptual landscape, Figure 2) is characterized
by a landscape of hills and depressions. Although
stream networks drain parts of these landscapes,
many areas of glacial and dune terrain do not
contribute runoff to an integrated surface drainage
network. Instead, surface runoff from precipita-
tion falling on the landscape accumulates in the
depressions, commonly resulting in the presence
of lakes and wetlands. Because of the lack of
stream outlets, the water balance of these "closed"
types of lakes and wetlands is controlled largely
by exchange of water with the atmosphere (precip-
itation and evapotranspiration) and with ground
water (see Box K).

Figure 24. In glacial and dune terrain,
local, intermediale, al1d regiOlwl groul1d-
water flow systems il1teract with lakes
and wetlands. It is 110t uncommon for
wetlands that recharge local grolmd-
water flow systems to be present in
10wlal1ds and for wetlal1ds Ihat receive
discharge from local ground water to be
present il1 uplands.

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Glacial terrain in Minnesota. (Photograph by
Robert Karls.)

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.',
'-

,--
-

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--
----~--;., ...,
--Direction of local flow

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--

'--Direction of regional flow

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Lakes and wetlands in glacial and dune
terrain can have inflow from ground water,
outflow to ground water, or both (Figure 16).
The interaction between lakes and wetlands and
ground water is determined to a large extent by
their position with respect to local and regional
ground-water flow systems. A common concep-
tion is that lakes and wetlands that are present in
fopographically high areas recharge ground water,
and that lakes and wetlands that are present in
low areas receive discharge from ground water.
However, lakes and wetlands underlain by
deposits having low permeability can receive
discharge from local ground-wafer flow systems
even if they are located in a regional ground-water
recharge area. Conversely; they can lose water to
local ground-water flow systems even if they are
located in a regional ground-water discharge area
(Figure 24).

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