Environmental Geology of Lake and Porter Counties, Indiana an Aid to Planning
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Environmental Geology of Lake and Porter Counties, Indiana An Aid to Planning By EDWIN J. HARTKE, JOHN R. HILL, and MARK RESHKIN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY 8 DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SPECIAL REPORT 11 PRINTED BY AUTHORITY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA: 1975 STATE OF INDIANA Otis R. Bowen, Governor DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES Joseph D. Cloud, Director GEOLOGICAL SURVEY John B. Patton, State Geologist For sale by Geological Survey, Bloomington, Ind. 47401 Price $2.00 Contents Page Page Abstract .................................................................. 1 Water Resources— Continued Introduction ............................................................ 1 Groundwater— Continued Natural character of the landscape ..................... 2 Contamination ........................................... 23 Calumet Lacustrine Plain ............................. 2 Water usage ............................................... 23 Valparaiso Morainal Area ............................ 3 Aquifer systems ......................................... 25 Kankakee Outwash and Lacustrine Plain ...... 3 Unconsolidated system........................ 25 Land use ........................................................... 3 Shallow bedrock system ...................... 30 Geologic history ................................................... 4 Deep bedrock system .......................... 34 Bedrock geology ............................................... 4 Summary of groundwater potential ............ 34 Geology of the unconsolidated deposits ............ 7 Industrial minerals................................................ 35 Calumet Lacustrine Plain ............................. 7 Sand and gravel............................................... 36 Valparaiso Morainal Area ............................ 7 Clays............................................................... 36 Kankakee Outwash and Lacustrine Plain ...... 8 Peat................................................................. 36 Engineering geology .............................................. 9 Slag................................................................. 36 Terminology...................................................... 9 Dolomite ......................................................... 37 Data and Interpretations................................... 10 Waste disposal ..................................................... 37 Calumet Lacustrine Plain ........................... 10 Subsurface liquid waste injection .................... 37 Valparaiso Morainal Area .......................... 12 Geologic andhydrologic aspects ................. 37 Kankakee Outwash and Lacustrine Plain .... 15 Environmental hazards............................... 39 Lake Michigan shoreline in Indiana...................... 15 Potential injection horizons........................ 39 Water Resources................................................... 16 Protective standards and criteria................. 39 Surface hydrology ........................................... 16 Sanitary landfills ............................................. 40 Calumet Lacustrine Plain ........................... 17 Liquid waste storage lagoons........................... 44 Valparaiso Morainal Area .......................... 17 Septic systems................................................. 46 Kankakee Outwash and Lacustrine Plain .... 19 Acknowledgements .............................................. 49 Environmental management ....................... 19 Literature cited..................................................... 49 Groundwater ................................................... 20 Glossary ............................................................... 50 System development .................................. 23 Appendix.............................................................. 51 Illustrations Page Plate 1 Summary of geologic properties and land use potential..............................................................In pocket Figure 1 Map of Indiana showing location of study area and major bedrock structural features............................ 2 2 Map showing physiographic units ......................................................................................................... 3 3 Generalized column showing lithologies and ......................................................................................... 5 4 Map showing bedrock topography6........................................................................................................ 6 5 Generalized southwest-northeast cross section showing physiography and interrelationships of unconsolidated deposits................................................................................................................. 8 6 Map showing numbered auger hole locations....................................................................................... 11 7 Map showing drift thickness at well locations in Lake and Porter Counties .......................................... 14 8 Map showing surface and subsurface hydrologic features in Lake and Porter Counties ......................... 18 Illustrations Page Figure 9 Geologic column from surface of Valparaiso Moraine to Precambrian basement showing locations of aquifer systems, hydrologic properties, and material descriptions ................................................... 21 10 Map showing potentiometric surface of unconsolidated aquifer ............................................................. 22 11 Map showing groundwater contamination potential ................................................................................ 24 12 Map showing water quality in ppm sulfate in unconsolidated aquifer system and approximate areal extent of each aquifer.......................................................................................................................... 26 13 Map showing water quality in ppm hardness as CaC03 in unconsolidated aquifer system and approximate areal extent of each aquifer ............................................................................................ 27 14 Map showing water quality in ppm iron in unconsolidated aquifer system and approximate areal extent of each aquifer.......................................................................................................................... 28 15 Idealized north-south cross section through Lake County showing positions of unconsolidated aquifers .............................................................................................................................................. 29 16 Map showing water quality in ppm sulfate in shallow bedrock aquifer ................................................... 31 17 Map showing water quality in ppm hardness as CaC03 in shallow bedrock aquifer ............................... 32 18 Map showing water quality in ppm iron in shallow bedrock aquifer ...................................................... 33 19 Northwest-southeast cross section showing structure, approximate permeability, and water quality in deep bedrock aquifer ....................................................................................................................... 35 20 Generalized column of rock formations showing waste injection suitability ........................................... 38 21 Map showing locations of injection wells ............................................................................................... 40 22 Cross section showing stratigraphic relationships of injection zones for active injection wells................ 41 23 Schematic diagram showing recommended development of a typical waste injection well using the Mount Simon Sandstone below the “B” cap .................................................................................... 42 24 Map showing areas of relative potential suitability for sanitary landfills ................................................ 43 25 Map showing areas of relative potential suitability for settling ponds .................................................... 45 26 Map showing areas of relative failure potential of septic systems and causes of failure .......................... 48 Table Page Table 1 Modified Wentworth scale of particle sizes............................................................................................... 9 Environmental Geology of Lake and Porter Counties, Indiana- An Aid to Planning By EDWIN J. HARTKE, JOHN R. HILL, and MARK RESHKIN1 Abstract in areas where little is known about the engineering Lake and Porter Counties are subdivided into three and hydrologic properties of the materials, (6) physiographically and geologically distinct regions: disposal of industrial wastes by deep well injection (1) the Calumet Lacustrine Plain, (2) the Valparaiso methods, and (7) development of groundwater Morainal Area, and (3) the Kankakee Outwash and supplies without sufficient hydrologic and geologic Lacustrine Plain. The surficial deposits of these data. regions, which range in thickness from 40 feet near The environmental problems of Lake and the Kankakee River to more than 250 feet near Porter Counties, are related to geology, are as varied Valparaiso, Ind,. Are the products, either directly or and complex as the materials themselves. Specific indirectly, of the Wisconsinan Age of glaciation. The questions related to a given problem are best answered Calumet lake plain is characterized by low-lying by the competent consultant equipped to do so. This complexly