Coastal Groundwater of Southern Rhode Island

Leaders: Chris Russoniello (URI) and James Heiss (UMass Lowell)

Overview: 

We will characterise the coastal groundwater system of the Ninigret barrier at East Beach and Blue Shutters in Charlestown, Rhode Island. Here a thin lens of fresh groundwater lies within barrier sand and discharges to the Atlantic Ocean and Ninigret Pond. We will use a variety of hydrogeological measurements to build a picture of how fresh and saline waters interact in a typical coastal aquifer. We will connect these field measurements to the questions facing Rhode Island's salt ponds—coastal water supply, septic-derived nitrogen and eutrophication, and how the fresh/salt boundary responds to sea-level rise. Be prepared to get a bit wet and a bit sandy!