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Ground Water Pollution Potential of Erie County, Ohio

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Ground Water Pollution Potential of Erie County, Ohio GROUND WATER POLLUTION POTENTIAL OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO BY KELLY C. SMITH ERM-MIDWEST, INC GROUND WATER POLLUTION POTENTIAL REPORT NO. 16 OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF WATER GROUND WATER RESOURCES SECTION JUNE, 1994 ABSTRACT A ground water pollution potential mapping program for Ohio has been developed under the direction of the Division of Water, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, using the DRASTIC mapping process. The DRASTIC system consists of two major elements: the designation of mappable units termed hydrogeologic settings, and the superposition of a relative rating system for pollution potential. Hydrogeologic settings form the basis of the system and incorporate the major hydrogeologic factors that affect and control ground water movement and occurrence including: depth to water, net recharge, aquifer media, soil media, topography, impact of the vadose zone media, and hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer. These factors, which form the acronym DRASTIC, are incorporated into a relative ranking scheme that uses a combination of weights and ratings to produce a numerical value called the ground water pollution potential index. Hydrogeologic settings are combined with the pollution potential indexes to create units that can be graphically displayed on a map. Erie County lies within the central lowlands physiographic province and consists of two physiographic sections: the Eastern Lake Plains section and the Till Plains section (Fenneman, 1938). The county is covered by a variable thickness of glacial till, lacustrine deposits, and outwash. These unconsolidated glacial deposits are underlain by Bedford shale, Berea sandstone, and limestone. Ground water yields are dependant on the type of aquifer and vary greatly throughout the county. Pollution potential indexes are relatively low to moderate in areas of till or lacustrine cover over bedrock. Buried valleys containing sand and gravel aquifers and areas covered by outwash have moderate to high vulnerabilities. Ground water pollution potential analysis in Erie County resulted in a map with symbols and colors which illustrate areas of varying ground water contamination vulnerability. Eleven hydrogeologic settings were identified in Erie County with computed ground water pollution potential indexes ranging from 79 to 211. The ground water pollution potential mapping program optimizes the use of existing data to rank areas with respect to relative vulnerability to contamination. The ground water pollution potential map of Erie County has been prepared to assist planners, managers, and local officials in evaluating the potential for contamination from various sources of pollution. This information can be used to help direct resources and land use activities to appropriate areas, or to assist in protection, monitoring, and clean-up efforts. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Number Page Abstract...........................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents..........................................................................................................iii List of Figures ................................................................................................................iv List of Tables ..................................................................................................................v Introduction ...................................................................................................................1 Applications of Pollution Potential Maps...................................................................2 Summary of the DRASTIC Mapping Process...........................................................3 Hydrogeologic Settings and Factors..............................................................3 Weighting and Rating System.........................................................................6 Pesticide DRASTIC............................................................................................7 Integration of Hydrogeologic Settings and DRASTIC Factors..................11 Interpretation and Use of a Ground Water Pollution Potential Map....................13 General Information About Erie County..................................................................14 Physiography.....................................................................................................14 Drainage and Climate.......................................................................................14 Glacial Geology..................................................................................................16 Bedrock Geology...............................................................................................17 Kelleys Island.....................................................................................................22 Hydrogeology...................................................................................................23 References ......................................................................................................................25 Unpublished Data..........................................................................................................27 Appendix A Description of Logic in Factor Selection ..............................................28 Appendix B Description of Hydrogeologic Settings and Charts ...........................33 iii LIST OF FIGURES Number Page 1. Format and description of the hydrogeologic setting - 7Ac Glacial Till Over Solution Limestone...............................................................5 2. Description of the hydrogeologic setting - 7Ac Glacial Till Over Solution Limestone. ..............................................................................12 3. Location of Erie County...................................................................................15 4. General Glacial Geology of Erie County, Ohio.............................................18 5. General Bedrock Geology of Erie County, Ohio..........................................20 iv LIST OF TABLES Number Page 1. Assigned weights for DRASTIC features ......................................................7 2. Ranges and ratings for depth to water..........................................................8 3. Ranges and ratings for net recharge..............................................................8 4. Ranges and ratings for aquifer media............................................................9 5. Ranges and ratings for soil media ..................................................................9 6. Ranges and ratings for topography...............................................................10 7. Ranges and ratings for impact of the vadose zone media..........................10 8. Ranges and ratings for hydraulic conductivity.............................................11 9. Generalized Bedrock Statigraphy of Erie County, Ohio.............................21 10. Hydrogeologic Settings Mapped in Erie County, Ohio ..............................33 v INTRODUCTION The need for protection and management of ground water resources in Ohio has been clearly recognized. Approximately 42 per cent of Ohio citizens rely on ground water as a source for their drinking water and household use from both municipal and private wells. Industry and agriculture also utilize significant quantities of ground water for processing and crop irrigation. In Ohio, approximately 700,000 rural households depend on private wells; 2,600 of these wells exist in Erie County. The characteristics of the many aquifer systems in the state make ground water highly vulnerable to contamination. Measures to protect ground water from contamination usually cost less and create less impact on ground water users than clean up of a polluted aquifer does. Based on these concerns for protection of the resource, the Division of Water conducted a review of various mapping strategies useful for identifying vulnerable aquifer areas. They placed particular emphasis on reviewing mapping systems that would assist in state and local protection and management programs. Based on these factors and the quantity and quality of available data on ground water resources, the DRASTIC mapping process (Aller et al., 1987) was selected. Considerable interest in the mapping program followed successful production of a demonstration county map and led to the inclusion of the program as a recommended initiative in the Ohio Ground Water Protection and Management Strategy (Ohio EPA, 1986). Based on this recommendation, the Ohio General Assembly funded the mapping program. A dedicated mapping unit has been established in the ODNR, Division of Water, Ground Water Resources Section to implement the ground water pollution potential mapping program on a county-wide basis in Ohio. ERM-Midwest, Inc. was selected by the Division of Water to assist in the timely production of these maps. Under the direct supervision of the Division of Water, ERM-Midwest, Inc. completed the pollution potential map for Erie County. All work has been extensively reviewed and field checked by both ERM-Midwest, Inc. and the Division of Water. The purpose of this report and map is to aid in the protection of our ground water resources in Erie County. This protection can be enhanced by understanding and implementing the results of this study which utilizes the DRASTIC system of evaluating an area's potential for groundwater pollution. The mapping program identifies areas that are
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