Figure 1. Ground-water resources of Champaign County, Ohio (adapted from Ground-Water Resources of Champaign County map, J.J. Schmidt, ODNR Division of Water, illustration prepared by Carlos Lopez).
Water stored under the earth's surface is a plentiful, yet precious, resource in most areas of Ohio. Many human activities may affect the quality and quantity of this resource. However, the availability and quality of this resource are influenced directly by the properties of the geologic formations that hold water. The chemical and physical nature of these formations varies from area to area, creating a wide range of water yields and quality at different depths and formations. This publication contains information about the ground-water resources underlying Champaign County. Its purpose is to help the reader better understand the factors that influence the quantity and quality of ground water. An overview of the county's water resources is provided in the publication Water Resources of Champaign County, AEX-480.11.
Much of the water-resource and water-quality terminology used in this publication is described in Extension Facts Sheets AEX 460 and 465. Ohio Extension publications are available through the Champaign County office of Ohio State University Extension.
Geologic formations (e.g., sand, gravel, limestone, sandstone) have the ability to receive, store, and transmit water. In general, if a formation is capable of yielding enough water to support a well or spring, it is called an aquifer. The material from which the formation was originally made influences its ability to store and transmit water. For example, sand and gravel allow water to flow through easily. By comparison, shale, which originated from compacted layers of mud and clay, generally allows very little water to flow through it unless the shale is highly fractured.
Champaign County is largely underlain by an extensive sand and gravel aquifer. Huge deposits of outwash sand and gravel were left behind by the receding glaciers of the ice age. The outwash and glacial till deposits filled an ancient waterway of the Teays River system. Teays River drainage is underlain by shale bedrock at a depth of up to 500 feet below the land surface. Elsewhere in Champaign County, sand and gravel deposits and limestone bedrock serve as the primary aquifers.
The area immediately adjacent to the Mad River has extensive water supply available from the outwash sand and gravel. The sand and gravel deposits are thick and serve as a storage reservoir of easily accessible ground water. Wells in the aquifer can produce in excess of 1000 gallons per minute (gpm) to properly constructed, large-diameter wells at depths of 60 to 95 feet. Conversely, the limestone bedrock areas of Champaign County may produce yields as great as 300 gpm at depths exceeding 250 feet. The number of fractures and other openings in the bedrock are greatly variable making it virtually impossible to determine from the land surface the potential water production at a given well site. Water at greater depths in the bedrock areas is likely to contain undesirable levels of hydrogen sulfide and iron compounds.
Ground water also occurs in lenses (or pockets) of sand and gravel found in the glacial till. Glacial till without the sand and gravel deposits generally does not provide enough water to support a well.
The yield of a well, in gallons per minute (gpm), will vary considerably depending on the age and depth of the well, the diameter of the casing, well construction, pump capacity and age, and most importantly, properties of the geologic formation. The exact yield and depth of each well will depend on the properties of the geologic formation at the specific location of the well.
To support the development of ground-water availability assessments in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Water, maintains a statewide database of more than 700,000 well logs. The Water Resources Section of the Division manages this valuable database, which includes some information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). Since 1948, well-log information has been collected to increase the understanding of the ground-water resources in Ohio (since the early 1950's, well drillers have been required by State law to file a construction log of each new well). Geologists and hydrogeologists continue to study the state's ground-water resources. As a result, Ohio is one of only a few states that has been completely mapped for ground-water availability (each county has a published, county-specific, ground-water map).
Estimates of the size, shape, geologic make-up, and yields of aquifers have been mapped for Champaign County. The map presented in Figure 1 is a generalized representation of the water-bearing formations underlying Champaign County (adapted from map by J. J. Schmidt 1985). This illustration is based on a hydrogeologic interpretation of the well-log data from Champaign County and surrounding areas. It should be used only as a guide to understanding the ground-water resources in the county. The section below provides a brief description of the types of aquifers illustrated on the map in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Ground-water resources of
Champaign County, Ohio (adapted from Ground-Water Resources of Champaign County
map, J.J. Schmidt, ODNR Division of Water, illustration prepared by Carlos
Lopez).
Area A in Figure 1, which roughly follows the Mad River channel, contains highly productive sand and gravel deposits. This area is capable of producing yields in excess of 1000 gpm from properly constructed, large diameter wells developed in the sand and gravel deposits at depths of 60 to 95 feet.
Figure 2 is a generalized cross section (referenced in Figure 1 as the line X-X') of the upper Mad River basin in Champaign County. This cross section illustrates the extent and depth of the sand and gravel deposits and glacial till across Harrison, Salem, and Wayne townships just south of the Logan County line.
Figure 2. Genrealized cross section of the Mad River basin in Champaign County,
Ohio (adapted from Underground Water Resources map H-3, ODNR Division of Water;
illustration prepared by Kim Wintringham).
Area B illustrates a limestone aquifer capable of producing yields of up to 300 gpm at depths greater than 225 feet. Yields adequate for farm and domestic supplies are available from the shallow sand and gravel deposits in the glacial till above the limestone.
Outwash sand and gravel deposits beyond the recharge influence of the Mad River are found in Area C. Well yields of up to 300 gpm can be obtained from these regionally extensive deposits. These outwash deposits are generally found between 45 and 155 feet. If permeable deposits are not located in the outwash, wells may be deepened and developed in the underlying limestone.
Area D denotes areas where buried valleys are partially filled with lenses of sand and gravel interbedded with thick deposits of fine sand, silt, and clay. Properly screened wells developed up to 300 feet deep can yield up to 250 gpm.
Glacial drift of up to 225 feet thick that can generate yields of up to 35 gpm can be found in Area E. Wells developed in the underlying limestone aquifer may yield up to 100 gpm.
Area F denotes areas of thick deposits of fine sand, clay, and gravel interbedded with thin lenses of sand and gravel. Yields of up to 100 gpm may be obtained from depths of less that 200 feet.
Wells can be developed in Area G from the glacial drift and in the limestone at depths usually less than 150 feet. Domestic supplies are often developed in the surficial glacial deposits at depths of less than 90 feet. Yields generally range from 10 to 20 gpm.
Thin layers of sand and gravel interbedded in clayey till and overlie the non-water bearing shale in Area H. Yields adequate for farm and domestic supplies of 3 to 8 gpm can be obtained from these thin layers. Wells at depths of greater than 200 feet encounter water bearing limestone bedrock, but the water may contain undesirable hydrogen sulfide.
Area F in southwestern Champaign County may produce yields of 3 to 8 gpm from thin layers of sand and gravel at depths of less than 175 feet. Meager ground water supplies may be found at greater depths in the non-water bearing bedrock.
The water level in any well does not remain constant, but changes in response to several factors. Rainfall distribution and amount may affect the ground-water recharge and discharge, and subsequently may affect the water level in area wells. Also, wells that are hydraulically connected to a stream may show fluctuations in the water level as the stream level changes. In some cases, depending upon the hydraulic properties of the geologic formation, the intense pumping of a well or number of wells, may cause the water level in some nearby wells to be lowered.
The ODNR Division of Water, in cooperation with the USGS, manages a statewide network of water-level observation wells. The network currently consists of 102 State-operated sites equipped with continuous water-level recorders. Water-level data are collected to provide a database for scientists and water resources managers to learn about short- and long-term water-level fluctuations in various aquifers.
The ODNR Division of Water monitors one well in Champaign County, denoted as Observation Well CH-3 in Figure 1. Observation Well CH-3, located in Urbana, is 40 feet deep and the depth to sand and gravel is approximately 32 feet. Continuous water-level measurements have been recorded since May 1957. The lowest level recorded on CH-3 was 24.8 below land surface in February and March 1964; the highest level recorded was 12.4 feet below land surface in March 1975.
Various state and federal agencies have participated in programs to determine the ground-water quality in Ohio. For 18 wells in Champaign County, water-quality data were available from the ODNR Division of Water. In Figure 1, seven of these 18 wells are noted as Chemical Analysis Sites 1 through 7.
The results from some of the chemical tests performed on these Champaign County wells are given in Table 1. The chemical constituents listed are total dissolved solids, hardness (as CaCO3), iron, and sulfate. For comparison purposes, secondary drinking water-quality standards for these chemical constituents also are shown. These standards are established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for public water systems for aesthetic reasons (taste, odor, appearance, etc.), and are not enforceable. These chemical constituents do not pose a risk to human health (see notes in Table 1). For private wells, there are no legally enforceable drinking water-quality standards other than total coliform, which is an indicator of bacteriological quality.
| Table 1. Chemical constituents of selected Champaign County, Ohio, wells.1 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Well No. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | WQ Std2 |
| Well Depth (feet) | 31 | 420 | 92 | 45 | 250 | 271 | 198 | |
| Capacity (gpm) | 20 | 215 | na3 | 20 | 200 | na | na | |
| Depth to Bedrock (feet) | ne4 | 85 | ne | ne | ne | 246 | ne | |
| Water-Bearing Formation5 | SG | LS | G | SG | SG | LS | SG | |
| Chemical Constituents6 | ||||||||
| Total Dissolved Solids | 477 | 398 | 382 | 393 | 390 | 427 | 394 | 500 |
| Hardness (as CaCO3) | 443 | 380 | 368 | 374 | 332 | 372 | 391 | none7 |
| Iron | 0.04 | 0.33 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 0.83 | 0.92 | 1.1 | 0.03 |
| Sulfate | 51 | 22 | 35 | 59 | 15 | 50 | 24 | 250 |
| 1. Data on these wells taken from map by J. J. Schmidt, 1985; General location of each well is shown on Figure 1. | ||||||||
| 2. USEPA Secondary Water Quality Standard. | ||||||||
| 3. Data not available, or constituent not tested. | ||||||||
| 4. Well constructed in this formation did not encounter bedrock. | ||||||||
| 5. SG--Sand and Gravel; LS--Limestone; G--Gravel. | ||||||||
| 6. Units are parts-per-million (ppm); comments as per Interpreting Your Water Test Report (1988); Total Dissolved Solids: Concentrations above 500 ppm may cause adverse taste and deteriorate domestic plumbing and appliances. Use of water containing 500 ppm is common. Hardness: Primary concerns are that more soap is required for effective cleaning, a film may form on fixtures, fabrics may yellow, and scales may form in boilers, water heaters, and cooking utensils. Iron: Iron concentrations greater than 0.3 ppm may cause brown or black stains on laundry, plumbing fixtures, and sinks. Metallic taste may be present which may affect the taste of beverages made from the water. Sulfate: Concentrations in excess of 250 ppm may have laxative effect on persons unaccustomed to the water. Also affects the taste of water and will form a hard scale in boilers and heat exchangers. | ||||||||
| 7. No USEPA Secondary Standard. | ||||||||
Ground water, whether obtained from bedrock or glacial deposits, may require some treatment. In some areas, water containing calcium carbonate (CaCO3, i.e., hard water), and iron concentrations greater than 0.3 ppm may require treatment for some uses (see notes in Table 1). Wells drilled into shale or limestone may produce water that contains objectionable quantities of hydrogen sulfide gas (rotten egg odor). Hydrogen sulfide concentrations as small as 1 ppm can result in an offensive, rotten egg odor and taste. In general, the probability of obtaining sulfur in objectionable amounts increases with the depth drilled.
The information in Table 1 can be used as a guide to what one might expect from an existing or new well developed in similar geologic material in the county. This information provides a general representation of the quality of water at the time of sampling. The data provided in Table 1 were taken from a water sample obtained just after the well was put into operation. Even though 2 of these 7 wells were developed in the limestone underlying Champaign County, and these wells are in the range of 31 to 420 feet deep, some variation exists in the concentrations of these chemical constituents. Just as well yields differ, water quality will vary depending on aquifer properties at the specific location of each well. One should not forget that many human activities also affect the quality of ground water (see AEX 465).
Champaign County's ground-water resources are valuable assets to the county's citizens and industry. The availability and quality of these resources are directly influenced by the properties of the geologic formations underlying the county. The productive sand and gravel formations that underlie much of Champaign County have the potential to provide excellent water adequate for domestic, agricultural, industrial, and many municipal uses. By understanding the physical and chemical nature of these resources, better decisions can be made about ground-water protection, management, and use. This publication provides an overview of the county's ground-water resources. It should be used as a guide, and not as a substitute for detailed information and professional advice when drilling a well.
The Champaign County office of Ohio State University Extension can provide other publications about the county's water resources. Your Extension agent, the Champaign County Health Department, and Ohio EPA (Southwest District Office, 40 South Main, Dayton, OH 45402) can provide information on well-water testing and drinking-water quality. Your local health department and county Extension office also will be able to provide information about proper well construction and requirements for private water systems. For example, State law requires that each new well constructed must be cased to a minimum depth of 25 feet. The health department issues permits and inspects new well construction.
The ODNR Division of Water--Water Resources Section (Fountain Square, Columbus, OH 43224) is an excellent source of information on ground water. Some of the information in this publication was summarized from the map, Ground-Water Resources of Champaign County, and other information available through the Division. This map is much more detailed than that given in Figure 1, and the Water Resources Section can provide detailed information on ground-water availability and wells. The Water Resources Section also has conducted a ground-water pollution potential study for the county. This information was published in 1995 (see Bibliography). In regard to constructing a new well, the Division maintains a list of the State's registered and bonded well drillers. Hydrogeologists in the Division may be able to provide you with a list of well drillers who are familiar with geological conditions in your area, and provide technical assistance on proper well construction.
An additional excellent source of Ohio ground-water information is the USGS, Ohio District (975 W. Third Ave., Columbus, OH 43212). The USGS has conducted and published a number of ground- and surface-water investigations in Ohio. Additional information on Ohio's geological formations can also be obtained through the USGS, and through ODNR's Division of Geological Survey.
Cyclic-fluctuation Methods for determining Permeability as applied to Valley Train in the Mad River Valley in Champaign County, Ohio. 1961. A. J. Feulner. Ohio Journal of Science 61(2):99-106.
Ground- and Surface-Water Terminology. 1994. L. C. Brown and L. P. Black. AEX 460. Ohio State University Extension.
Ground Water Pollution Potential of Champaign County Ohio. 1995. Report No. 39. ODNR Division of Water.
Ground-Water Resources of Champaign County. 1985. J. J. Schmidt, ODNR Division of Water. (map).
Interpreting Your Water Test Report. 1988. D. Lundstrom and S. Fundingsland. AE-937, No. 13-AENG-10. North Dakota State University Extension Service.
Nonpoint Source Pollution: Water Primer. 1996. R. Leeds, L. C. Brown, and N. L. Watermeier. AEX 465. Ohio State University Extension.
Occurrence of Strontium in the Surface and Ground Water of Champaign County, Ohio. 1960. A. J. Feulner and J. H. Hubble. Economic Geology 55(1):176-186.
Ohio Ground-Water Quality. USGS National Water Summary--Ohio. 1986. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2325.
Ohio Ground-Water Resources. USGS National Water Summary--Ohio. 1984. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2275.
The Ground-Water Resources of Champaign County, Ohio. 1960. A. L. Feulner. U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report (unnumbered).
Underground Water Resources (maps of various river basins). 1958Ð1962. ODNR Division of Water.
Water Resources Data, Ohio, Water Year 1995. Volume 1. Ohio River Basin Excluding Project Data. 1996. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data Report OH-95-1.
Water Resources of Champaign County. 1995. T. L. Dobbels, J. T. Sommers, K. T. Ricker and L. C. Brown. AEX-480.11. Ohio State University Extension.
Water Testing. 1988. K. Mancl. AEX 314. Ohio State University Extension.
This publication was produced through the Ohio Water Resources Education Project, in cooperation with: ODNR Division of Water; Ohio EPA; USGS, Ohio District; and Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Project leaders are Larry C. Brown and Karen T. Ricker. Partial support for this publication was provided by these cooperating agencies and programs: Ohio State University Extension, Champaign County; Champaign Soil and Water Conservation District; Overholt Drainage Education and Research Program; and the Ohio Management Systems Evaluation Area project (USDA CSREES Grant No. 94-EWQI-1-9057).
The project leaders acknowledge the following reviewers: Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Steve Hindall (USGS, Ohio District); and Dave Cashell (ODNR Division of Water).
A special thanks to Carlos Lopez and Kate Weber (Undergraduate Engineering Assistants) for help in illustration preparation, and Kim Wintringham (Associate Editor, Section of Communications and Technology, Ohio State University Extension) for editorial and graphic production.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868