Preliminary Evaluation of the Hydrogeology and Groundwater
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Prepared for the Tennessee Valley Authority in cooperation with the University of Memphis, Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research Preliminary Evaluation of the Hydrogeology and Groundwater Quality of the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer and Memphis Aquifer at the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Power Plants, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee Open-File Report 2018–1097 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover. Groundwater discharge from an aquifer test at the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle Plant in Memphis, Tennessee, October 3–4, 2017. Preliminary Evaluation of the Hydrogeology and Groundwater Quality of the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer and Memphis Aquifer at the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Power Plants, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee By John K. Carmichael, James A. Kingsbury, Daniel Larsen, and Scott Schoefernacker Prepared for the Tennessee Valley Authority in cooperation with the University of Memphis, Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research Open-File Report 2018–1097 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior RYAN K. ZINKE, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey James F. Reilly II, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2018 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 https://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://store.usgs.gov. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Carmichael, J.K., Kingsbury, J.A., Larsen, Daniel, and Schoefernacker, Scott, 2018, Preliminary evaluation of the hydrogeology and groundwater quality of the Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer and Memphis aquifer at the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Power Plants, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2018–1097, 66 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20181097. ISSN 2331-1258 (online) iii Contents Abstract ..........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................3 Background............................................................................................................................................3 Geology and Hydrogeology of the Study Area ..........................................................................................6 Methods...........................................................................................................................................................8 Subsurface Hydrogeologic Data Collection .....................................................................................8 Water-Quality Sample Collection .......................................................................................................8 Aquifer Test ............................................................................................................................................9 Water-Level Monitoring ..............................................................................................................9 Data Analysis ..............................................................................................................................11 Results ...........................................................................................................................................................11 Subsurface Hydrogeologic Interpretations ....................................................................................11 Anthropogenic Fill ......................................................................................................................11 Mississippi River Valley Alluvium ............................................................................................11 Upper Alluvium ..................................................................................................................11 Blue Clay Interval ..............................................................................................................12 Channel Unit III ..................................................................................................................12 Channel Unit II ...................................................................................................................13 Channel Unit I ....................................................................................................................13 Cook Mountain Formation ........................................................................................................13 Transition of Cook Mountain Formation to Memphis Sand .................................................14 Memphis Sand............................................................................................................................14 Geologic Structure..............................................................................................................................14 Water Quality ......................................................................................................................................20 Aquifer Test ..........................................................................................................................................28 Memphis Aquifer........................................................................................................................28 MRVA Aquifer .............................................................................................................................33 Summary and Conclusions .........................................................................................................................43 References ....................................................................................................................................................45 Appendix 1. SeriesSEE Water-Level Model Hydrographs—Allen Combined Cycle Plant Monitoring Wells ..................................................................................................................48 Appendix 2. SeriesSEE Water-Level Model Hydrographs—Allen Fossil Plant Monitoring Wells ............................................................................................................................51 Appendix 3. SeriesSEE Water-Level Model Hydrographs—Memphis Aquifer Observation Wells ..........................................................................................................................65 iv Figures 1. Maps showing locations of the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle and Allen Fossil Plants in southwestern Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee ................2 2. Map showing locations of production wells, Memphis aquifer observation wells, and Mississippi River Valley alluvial aquifer monitoring wells used in the preliminary evaluation of the hydrogeology and groundwater conditions at the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle and Allen Fossil Plants, southwest Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee ........................................................................................................................4 3. Schematic cross section showing the hydrostratigraphy of the northern Mississippi embayment east and west of Memphis, Tennessee ..............................................................5 4. Lithologic chart showing geologic units underlying Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee, and surrounding area .............................................................................................7 5. Graph and table showing pumping rates, durations, and volume of water pumped for the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle Plant aquifer test, October 3–4, 2017 ........................................................................................................................10 6. Map showing locations of cross sections and inferred faults, Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle and Allen Fossil Plants area ............................................16 7. Geologic section A–A’, Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle and Allen Fossil Plants area .............................................................................................................17 8. Geologic section B–B’, Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle and Allen Fossil Plants area .............................................................................................................18 9. Geologic section C–C’, Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle and Allen Fossil Plants area .............................................................................................................19 10. Piper diagram showing chemical characteristics of groundwater