|
Alluvium (Qa)
Topography
Alluvium forms terraces and floodplains along the Green and Barren
Rivers and tributaries.
Hydrology
Yield as much as 100 gallons per minute may be obtained from sands and gravel along
the Green River. Most wells in thin alluvium furnish less than 100 gallons per day
(gallons per day), inadequate for a domestic supply. Course sand and
gravel may occur in the alluvium where rocks of Pennsylvanian are close
to streams. Water is hard.
Carbondale Formation (Pc)
Topography
The Carbondale forms dissected uplands and ridgetops. Resistant sandstone
beds form cliffs as much as 50 feet high.
Hydrology
This formation yields enough water for a modern domestic supply to wells
penetrating sandstone; practically no water to wells penetrating only
shale. Water is hard or very hard.
Tradewater Formation (Pt)
Topography
The Tradewater underlies dissected uplands and ridgetops. Resistant
sandstone beds form cliffs.
Hydrology
This formation generally yields only small quantities of water to wells.
It may yield enough water for a modern domestic supply to wells penetrating
a sufficient thickness of sandstone. Water is fresh near outcrops areas
but becomes increasingly mineralized with depth. Some wells in the Aberdeen
Sandstone produce over 20 gallons per minute.
Caseyville Formation (Pca)
Topography
The Caseyville underlies rolling uplands. It forms dissected uplands
and ridgetops near Green River.
Hydrology
Yields of 60 gallons per minute have been obtained from thick sandstone beds. The
formation will yield enough water for a modern domestic supply to most
wells penetrating sandstone. At depth, the water becomes salty or may
have a high sodium bicarbonate content. Electric logs indicate that
moderately mineralized water may be obtained locally from this formation
at depths of 1,200 feet.
Buffalo Wallow Formation, Leitchfield Formation, Tar Springs Sandstone
(Mcu)
Topography
Forms gently rolling uplands and fairly steep slopes adjacent to stream
valleys. Sandstone lenses, some massive, form small benches.
Hydrology
These formations yield little or no water.
Glen Dean Limestone, Hardinsburg Sandstone (Mcl)
Topography
These rock bodies underly gently rolling to level uplands. Uplands are
dissected along perimeter of Dripping Springs escarpment. Limestone
forms steep slopes above benches of the underlying sandstone. Sandstone
forms small discontinuous benches on hillsides.
Hydrology
Most wells in upland areas are inadequate for domestic supply, yielding
little or no water.
Golconda Formation (Haney Limestone, Big Clifty Sandstone, Beech
Creek Limestone
Members) (Mcl)
Topography
Limestone underlies gently rolling to flat uplands, and forms bluffs
near heads of valleys. Big Clifty sandstone caps major escarpment (Dripping
Springs Escarpment) several hundred feet high, and underlies gently
rolling uplands.
Hydrology
Deep wells that penetrate the sandstone formations near perennial stream
level may produce enough for a domestic supply (more than 500 gallons per day).
Close to outcrop areas, particularly near major escarpments, yields
from perched water bodies generally are low and not dependable. Minor
spring horizons occur on discontinuous layers of shale near the base
of the sandstones. The most conspicuous springs are those that discharge
from the base of the Big Clifty sandstone. These are the “dripping
springs” of the Dripping Springs escarpment. Many of these springs
go dry during the late fall and summer, and very few are adequate for
a domestic supply. Limestone formations yield small to adequate supplies
from solution openings. In lowland areas bordering streams, some wells
produce enough for a domestic supply. Many springs occur at the base
of the limestones where they crop out on escarpments and hillsides.
Girkin Formation (Reelsville Limestone, Sample Sandstone, Beaver
Bend and Paoli Limestone) (Mcl)
Topography
The Girkin forms the lower part of the Dripping Springs Escarpment.
The lower part of formation underlies rolling karst areas near base
of escarpment. The formation contains numerous large sinks into which
the overlying sandstone has collapsed.
Hydrology
Most wells in upland areas are inadequate for domestic use, however
some wells yield enough water for a domestic supply (more than 500 gallons per day)
from solution openings. Some wells produce more than 5 gallons per minute from
large solution openings. Near outcrop areas, particularly near major
escarpments, yields generally are inadequate during dry periods.
The U.S. Geological Survey's Hydrologic
Atlas Series, published cooperatively with the Kentucky Geological
Survey, provides hydrologic information for the entire state.
Previous--Next--Back
to "Groundwater Resources in Kentucky"
|