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)

Lyon County is in the Mississippian Plateaus area of western Kentucky. Kentucky Lake marks the southwestern boundary of the county, and the Cumberland River marks most of the northwestern boundary. Lake Barkley, a multipurpose reservoir on the Cumberland River, crosses the center of the county. The two lakes are connected by Barkley Canal on the western edge of the county, which permits the two impoundments to have a common normal pool elevation of 359 feet. The lowest elevation in the county, approximately 305 feet, is on the Cumberland River at the mouth of Livingston Creek.

Away from the valleys, the topography is rolling to hilly. A well-developed karst plain on which hundreds of sinkholes have formed is found in the eastern edge and northeastern corner of the county. Elevations in Fredonia Valley, which is part of this area, range between 410 and 460 feet.

The highest elevations are in the southeastern part of the county. The highest point, 670 feet, is on a ridge on the Lyon-Trigg County line, approximately 2 miles northeast of Lake Barkley.

The area known as the Land Between the Lakes is a hilly area with many ridgetop elevations exceeding 500 feet. The highest elevations in this part of the county are found on the drainage divide between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley. Probably the highest natural point here is at the base of the lookout tower (Hematite triangulation station) in the southern part of the county, where an elevation of 590 feet is recorded. Iron Hill, south of Suwanee, is 520 feet.

The elevation of Eddyville, the county seat, is 470 feet. Other elevations are Kuttawa (new), 450 feet; Kuttawa (old), 390 feet; and Lamasco, 560 feet. The highest elevation in Vista Ridge Park, located on a conspicuous northeast-trending ridge at old Kuttawa, is 580 feet.

The 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle maps that cover Lyon 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"