Foreword

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Overview

Water Use

Topography of the County

Geology of the County

Groundwater Availability

Exploration for Groundwater

Karst

Water Quality

Maps and Data

Additional Reading

References Cited

Definitions of Geologic Terms

Rock Descriptions

Discussion from McGrain and Currens (1978)

Caldwell County, located in western Kentucky, has a diverse topography. Portions of southern and western Caldwell County lie on a well-developed sinkhole plain that extends eastward to the Bowling Green area of south-central Kentucky. Sinkholes, sinking creeks, springs, and other features associated with underground drainage in a limestone terrane are found here.

Northeast of the sinkhole plain is a line of sandstone-capped hills and broken ridges which mark the Dripping Springs escarpment, an upland area which rises 150 to 200 feet above the karst plain. It is particularly conspicuous in the vicinity of Fredonia but can be traced southeast across the county. The drainage divide between the Cumberland and Tradewater watersheds follows along or close to this escarpment.

Portions of eastern and northern Caldwell County touch the fringes of the Western Kentucky Coal field. The most rugged topography, highest elevations, and greatest local relief in the county are found here. Locally, there are precipitous bluffs, such as Barnes Bluff and Hunters Bluff adjacent to U. S. Highway 62 in the eastern portion of the county; waterfalls; and high knobs and ridges.

The highest elevation in the county appears to be 767 feet, on a ridge just east of Kentucky Highway 139 about 6 miles north of Farmersville. A comparable elevation of 766 feet is found on top of Bald Knob about 5 miles east of Princeton.

The lowest elevations are found along Tradewater River (which marks the northeastern boundary of the county) and its tributaries, and Livingston Creek, a tributary of Cumberland River, (Livingston Creek joins Cumberland River about 10 miles below Barkley Dam.) The lowest elevation of 339 feet is found both where Tradewater River and where Livingston Creek leave the county. The gradient of Tradewater River is low; drainage is slow and marshes are common.

Part of the county is in the mineral region known as the Illinois-Kentucky fluorspar district, which is characterized by a large number of fractures in the rocks. Effects of the faulting are reflected in the topography of the area as straight ridges and linear arrangement of sinkholes.

The elevation of Cobb is 460 feet; Crider, 459 feet; Farmersville, 472 feet; Fredonia, 420 feet; and Princeton, at the courthouse, 495 feet. Cedar Bluff, a conspicuous landmark on the Dripping Springs escarpment 2 miles southeast of Princeton, is 680 feet. Normal pool elevation of Lake Beshear is 410 feet. During periods of storage of flood waters in Lake Barkley, the reservoir may back up Eddy Creek into Caldwell County to an elevation of 375 feet. (The normal pool level of Lake Barkley is 359 feet.)

The 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps that cover the county are shown, by name and by index code (Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet) on the index map.

Previous--Next--Back to "Groundwater Resources in Kentucky"