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a legend for the map below
Source
of Map: Water Resources Inventory of CT, Part 6, Upper Housatonic
River Basin, by the
U. S. Geological Survey and the CT Department of Environmental
Protection, 1972.
THIS IS AN EARLY (1972) GENERALIZED MAP OF ESTIMATED AQUIFER
BOUNDARIES ONLY:
COMPARE
IT TO LATER DATE USGS SURFICIAL MATERIALS MAP
TWO AQUIFERS ARE SHOWN BELOW: THE TITICUS VALLEY
AQUIFER IS IN
THE UPPER LEFT AND THE UPPER TITICUS AQUIFER IS
AT LOWER RIGHT

HISTORIC
BASE LINE DATA: 1980 HVCEO
REPORT ON UPPER TITICUS AQUIFER
Near the headwaters of the Titicus River, this small aquifer
(0.6 square mile) between North Salem Road and North Street
in central Ridgefield has an estimated secondary recharge
area of 2.3 square miles and a coarsely granular structure
favorable for high volume wells.
Undeveloped wetland lies along the entire stream (Titicus
River), but much of the surrounding area is fully developed
for residential use (1 and 2 acre lots, although zoned RAA
- for 2-acre lots). While the area lies just beyond the extent
of the Town sewer system, there are no known water quality
problems at present.
A producing well of the Ridgefield Water Co., at the south
end of the aquifer, drilled in 1967 through 78 ft. of drift
to limestone base, yields 160 gallons per minute This aquifer,
because of its central location and granular composition,
offers a possible source of additional water to the village
area of Ridgefield if sufficient controls can be exerted to
control the one potential problem: on site domestic sewage
disposal in and around a highly permeable soil.
EXCERPT
ON THE UPPER AND LOWER TITICUS
AQUIFERS (SAME TEXT FOR BOTH) FROM A
1995 RIDGEFIELD PZC CONSULTANT’S STUDY
These aquifers are beneath the Titicus River, a westward flowing
river that is a tributary to the Croton River, which in turn
is a tributary to the Hudson River. The hydrogeology of the
Upper and Lower Titicus aquifers was adequately characterized
by the USGS investigation.
Twenty-two
well completion reports on file at the Ridgefield Health Department
supplement the USGS data. The aquifer is up to 80 feet thick
and is composed of fine-grained sediments (silt and clay)
in many areas. Interbedded within the aquifer are zones of
coarse sand and gravel. The total areal extent of the combined
aquifers is about 1.2 square miles. Generally, the sand directly
overlies bedrock, but occasionally is separated from bedrock
by a layer of till.
The potential
capacity of wells is unclear, because although the aquifer
is relatively thick, its fine-grained nature would limit the
yields. Portions of the aquifer are mapped with coarser-grained
material, which should yield usable quantities of water to
a well.
Analyses
of water samples include organic compounds, and indicate the
water is suitable for consumption; however, manganese has
been detected above recommended limits. LBG's search of the
CT DEP's records did not reveal any significant threat to
water quality.
The USGS
estimated that 0.4 to 0.6 million gallons per day are available
from recharge to the aquifers from a total watershed area
of about 9.8 square miles. This is consistent with our low-flow
calculations of 0.3 to 0.6 million gallons per day, depending
on the method utilized.
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