Piezometric Levels and Shallow Aquifers, Dillon and Meramec Spring Quadrangles, Missouri
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Scholars' Mine Masters Theses Student Theses and Dissertations 1965 Piezometric levels and shallow aquifers, Dillon and Meramec Spring quadrangles, Missouri James Hugh Crouch Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geological Engineering Commons Department: Recommended Citation Crouch, James Hugh, "Piezometric levels and shallow aquifers, Dillon and Meramec Spring quadrangles, Missouri" (1965). Masters Theses. 7008. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/7008 This thesis is brought to you by Scholars' Mine, a service of the Missouri S&T Library and Learning Resources. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ../ ::;:, / . c\- PIEZOMETRIC LEVELS AND SHALLOW AUUIFEKS, DILlON AND MERAMEC SPRING QUADRANGLES, MISSOURI BY JAMES HUGH CROUCH! tt{3f A THESIS submitted to the faculty of the UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT ROLLA in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING Rolla, Missouri 1965 Approved by Fe~~advisorl C740 ii ABSTl~CT Little is known al:::out groundwater in carbonate rock~ quantitative data about limestone and dolomite aquifers are almost non-existe.nt. Objectives of this study are: identi- fication of shallow aquifers, and yield, occurrence, and piezometric level of groundwater in cherty dolomitic rocks in eastern Phelps County, Missouri. Area studied comprises the 7.5-minute Dillon and Meramec Spring Quadrangles. The .... data used were derived from water well logs, interviews with well drillers and owners, and a previously available geo- logic map. The Jefferson City, Roubidoux, and Gasconade formations are aquifers. Groundwater in the Jefferson City formation is perched. West and north of Dry Fork creek, groundwater occurs throughout the Roubidoux formation~ yields average 17.6 gallons per minute. The Gasconade formation yields groundwater throughout the area. Two units comprise this formationr yield in the upper averages 25.7 gpm. Lower unit yields average 19.5 gpm. Groundwater occurs in joints, bedding planes, and solu- tion cavities and channels. Groundwater in drilled wells in the Roubidoux and Gasconade formations rises above the level at which it is encountered, indicating confinement. Open joints and bedding planes in these formations indicate· they are only semiconfined. iii The Roubidoux-Gasconade surface, and piezometric levels, were contoured from available well data. Because data were not adjusted for changes in water levels since date of mea surement, or for depth of casing and depth of well, the piezometric map is preliminary, subject to revision. An east-west piezometric trough coincides with a long, broad, structural ridge. Crestal fracturing along the structural ridge can explain the groundwater trough. The piezometric map shows the Dry Fork and Little :Cry Fork to be influent streams along their upper reaches, and effluent along their lower reaches. Major streams in the area are believed to contain underflow in the thick alluvium in their channels. The drainage basin of ~vleramec Spring was not determinable from the piezometric map. According to this map, groundwater flows toward the Spring from the north west and west, and toward the eastern border of the map. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENT The author is indebted to Dr. J'ames c. Maxwell, Associ ate Professor of Geology, University of Missouri at i<olla, for his suggestions and guidance during the course of this investigation and for choosing this author as his research assistant under the Water Resources Research Grant received by the University of Missouri System. Dr. Haxwell was the advisor in charge of the work involved in this dissertation investigation. He constructively criticized the text and figures contained in this dissertation. The author expresses his thanks to the staff of the 1'1issouri Division of Geological Survey and Water Resources, Rolla, for their extensive public file of water well data, essential to this study. 1'~1ister Ken Anderson and Mister Charles Robertson, Geologists of the Missouri Geological Survey, aided this writer in interpretation of the water well logs in the file. Geology of the study area was dis cussed in the field with Mister James Williams, Geologist of the Missouri Geological Survey. The author expresses his appreciation to the Missouri Water Well Drillers Association, to the well drillers who provided the material for the Missouri Survey's file, and especially to drillers Roy Wallace, Charles Stack, and Ben Piazza who discussed with this author the groundwater con ditions in the study area and provided water well logs from v their private files. The author is also grateful to the residents of the area who provided additional well informa tion and permit~ed access to their wells. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT •••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ii ACKOO 'itlLEDGI'1ENTS • • • • • • • • • • • . iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • vii LIST OF TABLES • • . • • • • • • • • viii I. INTRODUCTION. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 II. GEOG.RAPHY . 4 III. GIDLOGY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 8 A. Ordovician System . • . • • • • • • • • • • • 10 B. Pennsylvanian System. • . • • • • . • • • • • 13 c. Quaternary System • • • • • • . • . • • • . 14 D. Physiography and Structure. • • . • • • • 14 IV. HYDROlOGY • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17 A. Streams • • • • • • . • • • • . 17 B. Springs • . • • • . 20 v. HETHODS USED IN INVESTIGATION • • • . • • • • 28 VI. RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION •••• • • • • • • • • • 34 A. Aquifers and Groundwater Yields • • • • • • • 34 B. Structure Contour Map • • • • • • • • • • • • 39 c. Occurrence of Groundwater • • • • • • . 41 D. Preliminary Piezometric Contour Map • • • • • 46 VII. CONCLUSIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • . • • • . 52 BIBLIOGRAPh"'Y. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 55 APPENDICES. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • . 60 VITA. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 77 vii LIST OF ILLUST:~TIONS Figures Page 1. location of Study Area. • • • • • • . • . • . 5 2. Generalized Geologic Columnar Section • . • . 9 3. Sample Well Driller's log • • . • • • • . 31 Plates I. Well Location Map • • • • • • . 57 II. Structural Contour Hap of the Top of the Gasconade Formation • • • • • • • • • • . 58 III. Preliminary ?iezometric Contour Map • • • • • 59 viii LIST OF TABLES Tables !?age 1. Discharge of Green Acre Branch • . • . • • • 19 2. Discharge of Brook Spring. • • • • • • • . 23 3. Discharge of Meramec Spring. • • • . • . • • • 23 1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Most of the present knowledge of groundwater in the United States is derived from studies made in unconsoli- dated rocks. Very little has been written about the occurrence and movement of groundwater in consolidated rock. There are several reasons that may explain this fact. Todd (1963, p. 26) states that probably ninety per cent of all developed aquifers consist of unconsolidated rock, chiefly sand and gravel. Another reason may be that equa- tions developed for groundwater movement are derived from experiments in homogeneous granular material. The basic reason is very likely that the nation's demands for water have been met adequately in the past by using surface waters and groundwater from unconsolidated aquifers. As the demand increases, other sources of water will have to be used. One of these sources in an extensive area of consoli- dated carbonate rock. Underlying much of the Midwest and Plains states, from Ohio to Oklahoma, are thick deposits of ' Paleozoic' limestone and dolomite. These dense rocks contain many fractures and solution openings in which groundwater accumulates and migrates. Very few studies have been made of the quantity of water available from these rocks. General quantitative expressions for the flow of water in these rocks do not exist. This lack of quantitative knowledge about one of the nation's major sources of groundwater attracted this 2 writer to the subject. In November, 1964, Dr. James c. Maxwell suggested as a possible dissertation subject, a study of the occurrence of giOundwater between the city of Rolla, and Meramec Spring 1 in south central Missouri. This is an area of dolomite rock which contains many karst features such as caves, sinkholes, sink structures, entrenched streams, and large springs. Rainfall in this area is abundant. All of these factors make this an ideal location for a study of groundwater in consolidated carbonate rock. The main objectives of this thesis are to identify the shallow aquifers and determine the yield, nature of occur~ renee, and piezometric levels of groundwater in them. These objectives are accomplished by review of previous literature, an·alysis of well data, and interviews with well drillers and owners. Many of the well data were obtained from the geo logic well logs on file with the Missouri Division of Geo logical Survey and Water Resources. Water well drillers in the area provided additional well logs from their private files, and discussed their knowledge of the groundwater and subsurface geology with this writer. Personal contact was made with almost every well owner in the area. Also, many of the outcrops in the area were visited to become familiar with the geology. The University of Missouri at Rolla received a Water 3 Resources Research Grant in February, 1965. This grant was made to initiate a study of the