CONTENTS

                                                                       Page
Preface  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ v

Abstract ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1

Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

T he hydrologic environm ent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4

     General statem ent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

     Physical m ake-up of the basin ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4

     W ater m ovem ent ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7

W ater availability ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

     R ainfall ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8

     W ater quality characteristics -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9

     Contam ination by saline water ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11

     Stream flow ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15

     Storage  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

         Lakes  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 18

         A quifers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 19

     A quifer characteristics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 20

     H ydraulics of aquifers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22

     A quifer tests ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 24

 W ater use -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

 W ater high lights of the basin -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29

     Decline of water levels in the Panama City area -------------------------------------- 29

         G eneral statem ent ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 29

         H istory of ground-w ater developm ent -------------------------------------------------- 31

 1                                    Vii