HydroQuest has assisted land trusts and others in their work to preserve, protect, and better understand historic cultural and archaeological resources. In Rhode Island, this work included documentation of household water supply distribution prior to the advent of well drilling equipment. In Tennessee, a cave water source was determined to be the "foundation" of an early homestead.
Historic Kilns
Questions We Can Answer
Can you construct graphics and Fact Sheets designed to help the public understand the importance of cultural resources?
Can you help with field work designed to place cultural resources within a broad physical context?
Services Include
Analysis of Historic Documents and Imagery
Fact Sheet and Map Production
Field Evaluations
Technical Assessment of the Geologic and Hydrologic Setting Around Cultural Resources
Example Work Project
While investigating potential water quality impacts stemming from proposed wastewater discharge into Fourth Lake in Rosendale, NY, HydroQuest identified a fascinating hydrogeologic link between lake outflow and historic mills. Except in extreme floodwater conditions, all drainage from Fourth Lake discharges through limestone conduits. Hydrologic monitoring and analysis revealed a minimum water loss of 2 million gallons per day through the bottom of this lake which then surfaces as the headwaters of the Greenkill. It was the continuous lake outflow to this small stream that provided the year-round water power needed to run historic mills that formed the early foundation of our country. This accents the importance of historic context.
