Geohydrologic Investigations and Landscape Characteristics of Areas Contributing Water to Springs, the Current River, and Jacks
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Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Geohydrologic Investigations and Landscape Characteristics of Areas Contributing Water to Springs, the Current River, and Jacks Fork, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5138 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover photograph. Big Spring branch looking downstream from spring orifice, September, 2001 (photograph courtesy of Jeffrey L. Imes, U.S. Geological Survey). Geohydrologic Investigations and Landscape Characteristics of Areas Contributing Water to Springs, the Current River, and Jacks Fork, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri By Douglas N. Mugel, Joseph M. Richards, and John G. Schumacher Prepared in cooperation with the National Park Service Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5138 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2009 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod To order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Mugel, D.N., Richards, J.M., Schumacher, J.G., 2009, Geohydrologic investigations and landscape characteristics of areas contributing water to springs, the Current River, and Jacks Fork, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5138, 80 p. iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Description of the Study Area ............................................................................................................2 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................7 Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................8 Methods................................................................................................................................................10 Potentiometric-Surface Map ...................................................................................................10 Low Base-Flow Discharge Measurements ...........................................................................17 Current River Temperature Profile ..........................................................................................17 Dye Tracing .................................................................................................................................21 Landscape Characteristics ......................................................................................................21 Geohydrologic Investigations ....................................................................................................................22 Potentiometric-Surface Map ............................................................................................................30 Low Base-Flow Discharge Measurements ....................................................................................33 Current River Temperature Profile ...................................................................................................34 Dye Tracing ..........................................................................................................................................37 Spring Discharge, Spring Recharge Areas, and Sources of Water to the Current River and Jacks Fork...............................................................................................................................38 Selected Springs and Other Locations Along the Current River and Jacks Fork ...........39 Montauk Springs ...............................................................................................................39 Welch Spring .....................................................................................................................39 Cave Spring ........................................................................................................................40 Pulltite Springs Complex ..................................................................................................40 Round Spring and the Current River Springs Complex ...............................................40 Current River at the Mouth of Jacks Fork .....................................................................43 Blue Spring (Jacks Fork) .................................................................................................43 Alley Spring ........................................................................................................................43 Jacks Fork at its Mouth at the Current River ...............................................................46 Current River near Eminence ..........................................................................................46 Cove Spring ........................................................................................................................46 Blue Spring (Current River) .............................................................................................46 Gravel Spring .....................................................................................................................53 Mill Creek Spring ..............................................................................................................53 Bass Rock Spring ..............................................................................................................53 Current River at Van Buren .............................................................................................56 Big Spring ...........................................................................................................................56 Current River at the Downstream End of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways ...56 Spring Recharge Area Per Unit Annual Mean Spring Discharge .....................................56 Landscape Characteristics ........................................................................................................................59 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................75 References Cited..........................................................................................................................................77 iv Figures 1. Map of study area showing locations of streams, selected springs, and public land ownership ..............................................................................................................................3 2. Hydrostratigaphic units in the study area ................................................................................4 3–5. Maps showing: 3. Bedrock geology of the study area and locations of faults and sinkholes ..................5 4. Locations of dye traces, spring recharge areas, sinkholes, springs, and losing- streams ...........................................................................................................................................6 5. Land use/land cover in the study area ...............................................................................8 6. General Land Office coordinate system .................................................................................10 7–10. Maps showing: 7. Potentiometric surface of the study area, 2000–07, and locations of measured wells and springs, sinkholes, losing streams, and springs .........................................16 8. Locations of discharge measurements made on the upper Current River and Sinking Creek for the August 2006 seepage run ...........................................................18 9. Locations of discharge measurements made on Jacks Fork for the August 2006 seepage run ........................................................................................................................19 10. Locations of discharge measurements made on the lower Current River for the August 2006 seepage run .................................................................................................20 11. Aerial photograph showing average water temperature at river botton during the temperature profile of the Current River from Akers Ferry to Cataract Landing, August 14 through August 24, 2006 ........................................................................................................31 12–15. Graphs and aerial photographs showing: 12. Average water temperature and specific conductance