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Alluvium (Qa)
Topography
The alluvium forms narrow floodplains and underlies terraces. At least
one well-developed
terrace is present along the principal streams of the region.
Hydrology
The alluvium yields less than 100 gallons per day to most wells. Where
sandy material is present and saturated thickness great enough, the
alluvium yields more than 500 gallons per day to screened drilled wells.
Breathitt Group (Pbl) ( Pikeville Formation)
Topography
The Breathitt Group underlies the valleys and forms the hills in the
eastern half of the county. Tops of hills and ridges are commonly capped
by sandstone. Shales form wide valleys and moderate or gentle slopes
on hills.
Hydrology
The Breathitt yields more than 500 gallons per day to almost half of the wells
drilled in valley bottoms
and more than 100 gallons per day to about half the wells drilled on hillsides
and on ridges. Sandstones
yield water to most wells. Shales also yield water to many wells, and
coal yields water to a few.
Near-vertical joints and openings along bedding plains yield most of
the water to wells. Waters
are highly variable in chemical character.
Grundy, Alvy Creek Formations (contains Lee-type quartzose sandstones
of the former Lee Formation, Rockcastle Sandstone Member) (Plr)
Topography
The Grundy forms dissected ridges and caps mountains in Wayne County.
Hydrology
In broad upland areas, deep wells that penetrate fractures produce enough
for a domestic supply
and sometimes yield as much as 5 gallons per minute. Generally, wells in small
upland areas are inadequate,
producting less than 100 gallons per day. Sandstone is the principal aquifer,
but shale yields water to
some wells and coal to a few. Joints and openings along bedding plains,
best developed in
sandstones, supply most of the water to wells. Waters are generally
soft or moderately hard and
contain noticeable amounts of iron.
Paragon Formation (Mpk)
Topography
The Paragon forms moderate slopes beneath outcrops of the massive sandstone
units of the
Grundy Formation.
Hydrology
The Paragon yields little or no water to wells.
Bangor Limestone, Hartselle Formation, Kidder Limestone (Chesterian
limestones) (Mpk)
Topography
These limestones forms steep hillsides or underlie broad rolling karst
areas and dissected
uplands.
Hydrology
These limestones yield more than 500 gallons per day from solution openings. Some wells produce
more than 5 gallons per minute from large solution openings. Near outcrops areas,
particularly near major
escarpments, yields generally are inadequate during dry periods.
Ste. Genevieve Limestone (Mgl)
Topography
The Ste. Genevieve forms steep bluffs along Lake Cumberland and underlies
dissected karst
areas in uplands.
Hydrology
The Ste. Genevieve yields more than 50 gallons per minute to wells from
large solution openings in karst areas of Wayne County. Springs having
low flows ranging from less than 10 gallons per minute to more than
200 gallons per minute occur at or near stream level or near the contact
with the underlying St. Louis Limestone.
St. Louis Limestone (Mgl)
Topography
The St. Louis forms steep bluffs along Lake Cumberland, and underlies
rolling karst areas in uplands. Resistant siltstone and nonresistant
shale layers form discontinuous minor benches on hillsides.
Hydrology
The St. Louis yields more than 50 gallons per minute to wells from large
openings in karst areas. Most wells penetrate some solution openings,
but where openings are small, yields are inadequate for a domestic supply.
A major spring horizon occurs near the top of the formation in the karst
areas. Many seepage springs occur throughout the formation; low flows
range from less than 10 gallons per minute to more than 500 gallons
per minute. The lower part of the formation is composed of siltstone
and argillaceous limestone. Yields from these sedimentary rocks are
low and generally are not adequate for a domestic supply with bailer
or bucket.
Salem and Warsaw Formations (Msh)
Topography
These formations underlie moderately to highly dissected rolling uplands.
They form steep bluffs along Lake Cumberland. In some areas, numerous
small sinkholes occur in the Warsaw.
Hydrology
The Salem and Warsaw may yield enough water for a domestic supply where
the formations are
dominantly limestone. Yields are low where siltstone or argillaceous
limestone is penetrated. A
minor spring horizon occurs at the contact of the limestone with the
underlying siltstone or
argillaceous limestone. Another spring horizon occurs near the contact
of the Warsaw and Fort
Payne. Low flows generally are less than 5 gallons per minute.
Fort Payne Formation (Mbf), limestone bodies within Fort Payne (ls),
Knifley Sandstone Member (Mfk)
Topography
The Fort Payne forms steep bluffs along rivers.
Hydrology
Wells in lowland areas close to streams produce enough water for a domestic
supply. Most wells
obtain water from perched or semiperched water bodies supported by discontinuous
shale layers,
and many are dry during late summer and fall. Minor spring horizons
occur throughout the
formation. Flows are as much as 30 gallons per minute, but most go dry in late
summer or fall. Where the
formation consists predominantly of siltstone, most wells are inadequate
for domestic use (less
than 100 gallons per day). Where the Fort Payne chert crops out in lowland areas
close to streams, the
limestone and chert facies supply enough water for a domestic supply.
The U.S. Geological Survey's Hydrologic
Atlas Series, published cooperatively with the Kentucky Geological
Survey, provides hydrologic information for the entire state.
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