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)

Livingston County is in the Big Rivers area of western Kentucky. The Ohio River marks the northern and western boundaries, and the Tennessee River and Kentucky Lake mark the southern boundary. The Cumberland River and Lake Barkley mark part of the southeastern boundary, and the Cumberland River flows across the middle of the county, joining the Ohio River at Smithland. The lowest elevation in the county, 302 feet, is at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers at Livingston Point. Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley are connected by a navigation canal and maintain the same normal pool elevation of 359 feet.

Outside the floodplain areas of the Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland Rivers, the terrain is hilly. In general, the area south of the Cumberland River consists of irregular, low, rolling hills. Local relief is commonly about 100 feet in this area. North of the Cumberland River the terrain is more rugged; hills are higher and local reliefs are greater. Long northeast-southwest- and north-south-trending bluffs are conspicuous features of the landscape. Examples include Goodhope Bluff south of joy with elevations of 600 to 650 feet, Newmans Bluff southwest of joy with elevations of 550 to 680 feet, and Wilson Bluff northwest of Salem with elevations of 600 to 727 feet. The highest elevation in the county, 754 feet, is on Lockhart Bluff about 4 miles east of Burna. Local relief along these bluffs and the bluffs adjacent to the Cumberland and Ohio Rivers may be in excess of 200 feet.

Smithland is the county seat, and the elevation at the courthouse is 344 feet. Elevations at other communities are Bayou, 345 feet; Birdsville, 340 feet; Burna, 554 feet; Grand Rivers, 400 feet; Lake City, 419 feet; Lola, 399 feet; Salem, 448 feet; and Tiline, 345 feet.

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

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