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Alluvium (Qa)
Topography
Alluvium underlies floodplains and terraces of all streams.
Hydrology
The alluvium may yield as much as 100 gallons per minute from sands and gravel
along the Green and Pond Rivers. The alluvium yields enough water for
a modern domestic supply (more than 500 gallons per day) to wells in valleys
of the Green and Pond Rivers and their larger tributaries. It yields
practically no water to wells in small valleys where it is thin and
fine-grained. Water is hard or very hard and may contain objectionable
amounts of iron.
Terrace Gravel Deposits (Qt)
Topography
These deposits underlies tops and flanks of hills between elevations
of 420 to 500 feet along the Pond and Green Rivers.
Hydrology
In places, the deposits yield enough water for a domestic supply to
dug wells. Water generally is soft and low in dissolved solids but may
contain objectionable amounts of iron.
McLeansboro Group (Mattoon, Bond, Patoka and Shelburn Formations),
formerly the Sturgis Formation (Ps)
Topography
These rocks forms dissected uplands and ridgetops in isolated areas.
Hydrology
This Group yields practically no water except to wells penetrating sandstone.
Water from shallow wells near outcrop areas is hard, and water from
deep wells further from the outcrop areas is generally soft and contains
sodium bicarbonate (in some places in objectionable amounts). Iron may
be present in objectionable amounts. The Anvil Rock Sandstone sometimes
found at base of unit may yield up to 125 gallons per minute as in the city well
in Drakesboro. In areas where the Kentucky No. 11 coal has been mined,
the sandstone may be dry, or it may yield water
containing iron sulfate.
Carbondale Formation (Pc)
Topography
The Carbondale underlies much of the county and forms dissected uplands
and ridgetops.
Hydrology
The Carbondale yields enough water for a modern domestic supply to wells
penetrating sandstone. It yields practically no water to wells penetrating
only shale. Wells are known to produce as much as 30 gallons per minute. Water
is hard or very hard but otherwise of good quality. Yields either no
water or water containing iron sulfate in areas where the Kentucky No.
9 coal has been mined.
Tradewater Formation (Pt)
Topography
The Tradewater underlies most of the county. Resistant sandstone beds
in the Tradewater form cliffs.
Hydrology
The Tradewater generally yields only small quantities of water to wells.
It may yield enough water for a modern domestic supply to wells penetrating
a sufficient thickness of sandstone. Many wells yield more than 10 gallons per minute
from the Curlew Sandstone which is fresh east of Greenville and contains
common salt along the Muhlenberg-McLean county line. Water is fresh
near outcrops areas but becomes increasingly mineralized with depth.
Some wells in the Aberdeen Sandstone around Greenville produce enough
water for domestic supply.
Caseyville Formation (Pca)
Topography
The Caseyville underlies dissected and rolling uplands. Thick sandstone
beds in the Caseyville form cliffs and major escarpment.
Hydrology
The Caseyville will yield enough water for a modern domestic supply
to most wells penetrating sandstone. Yields of 100 gallons per minute have been
obtained from wells penetrating thick sections of sandstone. At depth,
the water becomes salty or may have a high sodium bicarbonate content.
Water is hard to very hard and low in dissolved solids. Wells in small
upland areas generally are inadequate.
Chesterian Formations (Kinkaid Limestone, Degonia Sandstone, Clore
Limestone, Palestine
Sandstone, Menard Limestone, Waltersburg Sandstone, Vienna Limestone,
Tar Springs
Sandstone, Glen Dean Limestone, Golconda Formation, Cypress Sandstone,
Paint Creek
Shale, Bethel Sandstone)
Hydrology
These formations yield small amounts to wells and springs in outcrop
areas. Water from Mississippian rocks underlying younger rocks contains
salt in objectionable amounts, if any water is found. Flows of as much
as 20 gallons per minute are obtained from fractures along fault zones and adjacent
beds. Most flowing wells are in sandstone. Water is usually obtained
from the hanging walls or gouge zones of faults. Most shallow wells
in broad uplands are dug and usually yield more than 100 gallons per day, but
yields are not dependable in dry years. Most drilled wells produce enough
water for residential use. Minor spring horizons occur near the base
of the sandstone on discontinuous shale beds. Very few of the springs
are adequate for a domestic supply, and many go dry in late fall or
winter.
Limestone formations yield small to adequate supplies from solution
openings. In lowland areas bordering streams, some wells furnish enough
for a domestic supply. Most wells in upland areas
are inadequate for a domestic supply. On uplands, deep wells that penetrate
solution openings in limestone may produce more than 5 gallons per minute, but
most deep wells on uplands are inadequate for a domestic supply. Close
to outcrop areas, particularly near major escarpments, yields from perched
water bodies generally are inadequate during dry periods. Springs occur
at the base of many limestone formations where they crop out on escarpments
and hillsides. Adjacent to large upland areas, springs yield as much
as 100 gallons per minute and low flows are more than 5 gallons per minute from some springs.
Kinkaid Limestone, Degonia Sandstone, Clore Limestone (Mcu)
Topography
These formations underlie most of county and crop out in a few fault
blocks along the southern edge of the county.
Palestine Sandstone (Mcu)
Topography
The Palestine forms minor bench on hillsides and underlies gently rolling
uplands.
Menard Limestone, Waltersburg Sandstone, Vienna Limestone (Mcu)
Topography
These formations underlie flat uplands and form gentle slopes on hillsides.
Generalized areas of underground mining have been compiled for several
important coal beds as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National
Coal Assessment Program. Using this data, a map
was created showing mined-out
areas of selected seams in the county.
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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