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Abstract
In recent years, interest in Georgia’s groundwater resources has risen due to their importance for agriculture and coastal communities. In this study, regional and local groundwater models were developed using Visual MODFLOW Flex to examine the interactions between heavy mineral mining at two mining sites and the surrounding hydrology with a focus on the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (ONWR). The regional groundwater model includes the surficial, Brunswick, and Upper Floridan aquifer systems as well as the intervening upper and middle confining units. The local model highlights the watershed around the primary mining site with both steady-state and transient conditions. The local models show that flows in the surficial aquifer beneath the main site flow outwards from the site. Meanwhile, the regional model shows that groundwater flows in the region generally move towards the coastline and that pumping wells across the state are likely an important factor contributing to groundwater levels.
