Lithologic and ground-water-quality data collected using Hoverprobe drilling techniques at the West Branch Canal Creek wetland, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, April-May 2000

This report presents lithologic and groundwater-
quality data collected during April and
May 2000 in the remote areas of the tidal
wetland of West Branch Canal Creek, Aberdeen
Proving Ground, Maryland. Contamination of
the Canal Creek aquifer with volatile organic
compounds has been documented in previous
investigations of the area. This study was
conducted to investigate areas that were
previously inaccessible because of deep mud
and shallow water, and to support ongoing
investigations of the fate and transport of
volatile organic compounds in the Canal Creek
aquifer. A unique vibracore drill rig mounted on
a hovercraft was used for drilling and groundwater
sampling. Continuous cores of the
wetland sediment and of the Canal Creek aquifer
were collected at five sites. Attempts to sample
ground water were made by use of a continuous
profiler at 12 sites, without well installation, at a
total of 81 depths within the aquifer. Of those
81 attempts, only 34 sampling depths produced
enough water to collect samples.
Ground-water samples from two sites had the
highest concentrations of volatile organic
compounds?with total volatile organic
compound concentrations in the upper part of
the aquifer ranging from about 15,000 to 50,000
micrograms per liter. Ground-water samples
from five sites had much lower total volatile
organic compound concentrations (95 to 2,100
micrograms per liter), whereas two sites were
essentially not contaminated, with total volatile
organic compound concentrations less than or
equal to 5 micrograms per liter.