Groundwater Resources of Laurel County, Kentucky

Topography

Discussion from McGrain and Currens (1978)

Laurel County is located in the coal field area of southeastern Kentucky. The terrain in this part of the Eastern Kentucky coal field looks more like a dissected plateau than a mountain range. Ridgetop elevations of 1,200 feet are common in the western and central parts of the county and range up to 1,700 feet in the east. Resistant sandstones have caused a number of ridges to be flat topped and also have been the base upon which expanses of nearly flat land have developed in the London and Lily areas.

Rockcastle River forms the western boundary and part of the northern boundary of the county. The lowest elevation is where Rockcastle River joins Cumberland River (Lake Cumberland) at the southwest corner of the county. (The normal pool level of Lake Cumberland is 723 feet.) Laurel River, which forms part of the southern boundary of the county, joins Cumberland River (Lake Cumberland) just 3 1/2 miles east of the mouth of Rockcastle River. Those streams have cut their valleys 400 feet or more below the general plateau level. Locally, precipitous sandstone cliffs line these valleys and adjacent tributaries. The valley of Laurel River is not as deeply incised in the eastern part of the county as in the west.

The highest elevations in the county are in the southeast. The Laurel-Knox County line approximates
a portion of the watershed boundary between Cumberland and Laurel Rivers. Here elevations in excess of 1,700 feet may be found on individual peaks. The highest is 1,760, a peak on the Laurel-Knox County line approximately 1 mile southeast of Blackwater.

Elevations of general interest include Bernstadt at 1,260 feet; East Bernstadt, 1,182 feet; Levi Jackson State Park, approximately 1,200 feet; Lily, 1131 feet; London, the county seat, 1,255 feet; London-Corbin Airport, 1,180 feet; North Corbin, 1,127 feet; Pittsburg, 1,153 feet; and normal pool level of Wood Creek Lake, 1020 feet. Laurel River Lake impounds waters of Laurel River 2.3 miles above its confluence with Cumberland River. The conservation pool has an elevation of 982 feet, and the elevation of the power pool is 1,018.5 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.

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