MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - Berkeley County leaders have gained another tool in their ongoing effort to implement zoning or land-use regulations, even as developers continue to seek approvals for projects that will override any new planning rules.
A report by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) based on the agency's study of groundwater flow in Berkeley County reaffirms the split character of the county's "plumbing," said Hugh Bevans, the federal agency's Water Science Center director for West Virginia.
"Rainfall across the (325-square mile) area is about the same," Bevans said. "It's the geology that makes the difference."
The geological character of the county largely is split between the eastern part's karst limestone and the western part's more stable and predictable shale formations, Bevans said.
The characteristics of each part are more readily apparent on a map generated by the USGS study, which shows color-shaded craggily shaped areas side by side in the karst region with extremely different levels of groundwater flow.