Faculty Publications

Comprehensive Approach Of Groundwater Resource Evaluation: A Case Study In The Chippewa Creek Watershed In Ohio

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Ohio Journal of Science

Volume

103

Issue

5

First Page

134

Last Page

142

Abstract

A groundwater resource evaluation of Chippewa Creek watershed in Wayne and Medina counties, OH, shows continued availability of groundwater for agriculture and domestic uses. Two major hydrogeologic units in this watershed supply groundwater. A 100 to 150 ft (30 to 46 m) thick outwash deposit of sand and gravel, occupying a buried valley underlying Chippewa Creek, forms a highly permeable aquifer for agricultural, municipal, and domestic purposes. In some areas bedrock aquifers, mostly composed of sandstone of Pennsylvanian and Mississippian age, are used for industrial and domestic purposes. Mean transmissivity of the outwash aquifer is 25,000 gpd/ft (310 m2/day). The hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer has a mean value of 250 gpd/ft2 (10 m/day). The total calculated volume of annual net recharge is 4.2 × 108 ft3 (1.2 107 M3) and the mean specific capacity of the wells completed in aquifer is 5.0 gpm/ft (1.03 1/sec/m). The groundwater quality is suitable for drinking and agricultural use and contains mostly Ca++, Na+, K+ and HCO3- ions. Groundwater pollution potential of the study area was evaluated using DRASTIC. Chippewa Creek watershed lies within the Glaciated Central Ground Water Region. Seven mappable units from DRASTIC were defined in the study area based on seven hydrogeologic settings. The units are: 1) 7Aa, glacial till over bedded sedimentary rocks (DRASTIC designation); 2) 7Ad, glacial till over sandstone; 3) 7Af, sand and gravel interbedded in glacial till; 4) 7Ba, outwash; 5) 7D, buried valley; 6) 7Eb, alluvium without overbank deposits; 7) 7Ec, alluvium over bedded sedimentary rocks. The outwash aquifer has a moderate to high pollution potential and the underlying sandstone and shale deposits show relatively low pollution potentials. The alluvium in valleys exhibits moderately high susceptibility to contamination.

Department

Department of Earth Science

Original Publication Date

12-1-2003

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