USGS

Water Quality in the Potomac River Basin, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, 1992-96

Table of contents || Previous section || Next section || Glossary


ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING IN THE POTOMAC RIVER BASIN

Map: Land use (52,599 bytes)

Figure 1. Generalized land use in the Potomac River Basin (modified from Vogelmann and others, 1997; and Hitt, 1994). The basin is predominantly forested, with smaller areas of agriculture and urban development.
 

Bar chart: Land use as a percentage of basin area (3,906 bytes)

Figure 2. Major land use in the Potomac River Basin, 1990-94 (modified from Vogelmann and others, 1997; and Hitt, 1994)
 

Map: Geology and physiography (33,922 bytes)

Figure 3. Generalized geology and physiography in the Potomac River Basin (modified from Fenneman and Johnson, 1946; Milici and others, 1963; Cardwell and others, 1968; Cleaves and others, 1968; King and Beikman, 1974; and Berg, 1980). Unconsolidated deposits occur mainly in the Coastal Plain and in isolated areas of alluvial deposits along stream channels in the Valley and Ridge. Crystalline rocks underlie only the Piedmont and Blue Ridge in the central and eastern parts of the basin. The entire basin west of the Blue Ridge is underlain by sedimentary rocks; these rocks are mainly siliciclastic, with areas of extensive carbonate rocks, particularly in the Great Valley.
 

Bar chart: Water withdrawals, estimated for 1990 (14,796 bytes)

Figure 4. Freshwater withdrawals in the Potomac River Basin (data from H.A. Perlman, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1993). Most of the surface water withdrawn from the Potomac River Basin is used for the generation of electricity and for public supply. Ground water in the basin is used mainly for domestic and public supply. Water is also withdrawn from the basin for various commercial, industrial, and agricultural purposes.
 


U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1166

Table of contents || Previous section || Next section || Glossary

Suggested citation:
Ator, S.W., Blomquist, J.D., Brakebill, J.W., Denis, J.M., Ferrari, M.J., Miller, C.V., and Zappia, H., 1998, Water Quality in the Potomac River Basin, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, 1992-96: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1166, on line at <URL: https://water.usgs.gov/pubs/circ1166>, updated June 10, 1998 .

This page is a subpage of <URL:http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/circ1166>
Email questions and comments to GS-W_NAWQA_Outreach@usgs.gov
Last modified: Tue Jun 30 12:33:57 1998