Ground-Water Hydrology and Glacial Geology of the Kalamazoo Area
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STATE OF MICHIGAN Station 9 (October 14, 1949) ................................. 19 DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Co. (June 26, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DIVISION 1950)...................................................................... 20 Cahill Farms, Inc. (October 21, 1957) ................... 20 PROGRESS REPORT NUMBER 23 CHEMICAL QUALITY OF THE WATER.........................20 Ground-Water Hydrology and Glacial Geology of the Kalamazoo Area, Michigan. CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE STUDIES .........................................................................21 by REFERENCES CITED ....................................................22 Morris Deutsch, K. E. Vanlier, and P. R. Giroux Prepared cooperatively by the United States Department of the Interior Geological Survey Figures 1960 Figure 1. Index map showing location of the Kalamazoo area, Michigan...........................................................................4 Figure 2. Location map of the Kalamazoo area. .....................5 Contents Figure 3. Precipitation and temperature records at Kalamazoo. ......................................................................6 ABSTRACT....................................................................... 1 Figure 4. Map showing generalized contours on the surface of INTRODUCTION............................................................... 2 the Coldwater shale in part of the Kalamazoo area..........6 Historical Sketch of Municipal Ground-Water Figure 5. Surface geology of the Kalamazoo area. .................9 Developments................................................................ 3 Previous Investigations.................................................. 3 Figure 6. Generalized isopach map showing thickness of the glacial drift in part of the Kalamazoo area. .......................9 Well-Numbering System................................................ 3 Acknowledgments ......................................................... 3 Figure 7. Schematic fence diagram sections through the glacial drift along lines shown on figure 5.........................9 GEOGRAPHY................................................................... 4 Figure 8. Graphs showing the relation between the mean gage Location and Extent of the Kalamazoo Area................. 4 height of the Kalamazoo River and water levels in wells Population and Economic Development ....................... 4 2S 11W 10-11 and 26-3 during 1947. ............................11 Physiography and Relief................................................ 4 Figure 9. Schematic block diagram showing direction of Drainage and Streamflow ........................................5 movement of water from creek and recharge channel Climate........................................................................... 5 induced by pumping of Kalamazoo station 9..................12 GEOLOGY ........................................................................ 6 Figure 10. Generalized hydrologic map of the Kalamazoo area showing direction of ground-water movement................13 Summary of Geologic History........................................ 6 Bedrock Structure.......................................................... 7 Figure 11. Profiles of the piezometric surface, Portage Creek, and the surface of the Coldwater shale along lines shown Bedrock Topography ..................................................... 7 on figure 10. ...................................................................13 GROUND WATER ............................................................ 7 Figure 12. Annual pumpage by city of Kalamazoo, Ground Water in Consolidated Rocks ........................... 8 1880-1957......................................................................14 Ground Water in Glacial Drift......................................... 8 Figure 13. Annual municipal pumpage by stations, Morainal Deposits ....................................................9 1946-57..........................................................................14 Outwash Deposits..................................................10 Figure 14. Distribution and magnitude of municipal ground- Channel Deposits...................................................10 water pumpage by the city of Kalamazoo, 1957.............15 Recharge ..................................................................... 10 Figure 15. Distribution and magnitude of municipal ground- Movement and Discharge............................................ 12 water pumpage in the Axtell Creek area, 1957. .............15 Pumpage ..................................................................... 13 Figure 16. Chart showing length of water-level records for Municipal................................................................13 observation wells in the Kalamazoo area published in Industrial ................................................................14 U.S. Geological Survey water-supply papers, 1939-57..16 Water Levels................................................................ 15 Figure 17. Hydrographs of observation wells, monthly totals of Natural Influences..................................................15 precipitation, and monthly mean temperatures at Pumping Influences ...............................................16 Kalamazoo, 1946-57. .....................................................16 Aquifer Tests ............................................................... 18 Sutherland Paper Co. (July 16, 1944) ...................19 Figure 18. Cumulative municipal pumpage, hydrographs of wells 2S 11W 22-6 and 22-102, and cumulative departure Station C-1 (February 12, 1947) ............................19 of precipitation, 1946-57.................................................17 Station 3 (February 28, 1947)................................19 Upjohn Co. (June 24, 1947)...................................19 Figure 19. Hydrographs of observation wells in the Kalamazoo Station 8 (July 23, 1948)........................................19 business district, 1946-57...............................................17 Progress Report Number 23 – Page 1 of 22 Figure 20. Hydrographs of observation wells in industrial well discharge from the fields is approximately compensated fields adjacent to the Kalamazoo River or Portage Creek, by recharge from precipitation and surface water. 1946-1957. .....................................................................18 Pumpage of ground water by industry in 1948 was Figure 21. Diagrams showing the relation in chemical estimated at about 14 billion gallons, but the use of composition of ground water and surface water from ground water for industrial purposes has since declined. nearby sources...............................................................21 Aquifer tests indicate that the coefficient of transmissibility of aquifers in the area ranges from as little as 18,000 to as high as 300,000 gpd (gallons per ABSTRACT day) per foot, and that ground water occurs under water- The Kalamazoo report area includes about 150 square table and artesian conditions. miles of Kalamazoo County, Mich. The area is The ground water is of the calcium magnesium principally one of industry and commerce, although bicarbonate type. It is generally hard to very hard and agriculture also is of considerable importance. It has a commonly contains objectionable amounts of iron. moderate and humid climate and lies within the Lake Locally, the water contains appreciable amounts of Michigan “snow belt”. Precipitation averages about 35 sulfate. Study of the chemical analyses of waters from inches per year. Snowfall averages about 55 inches. the area show that all of the tributaries to the Kalamazoo The surface features of the area were formed during and River are fed primarily by ground-water discharge. since the glacial epoch and are classified as outwash plain, morainal highlands, and glaciated channels or drainageways. The area is formed largely on the INTRODUCTION remnants of an extensive outwash plain, which is breached by the Kalamazoo River in the northeastern The investigation upon which this report is based was part and is dissected elsewhere by several small started in 1946 by the U. S. Geological Survey in tributaries to the river. Most of the land drained by these cooperation with the Geological Survey Division of the tributaries lies within the report area. A small portion of Michigan Department of Conservation and the city of the southern part drains to the St. Joseph River. Kalamazoo. It forms a part of the statewide cooperative investigation of the availability and quality of ground- The Coldwater shale, which underlies the glacial water resources to meet municipal, domestic, deposits throughout the area, and the deeper bedrock agricultural, and industrial needs. The work in the formations are not tapped for water by wells and they Kalamazoo area, in addition to the usual collection and have little or no potential for future development. compilation of data pertaining to the source, occurrence, availability, chemical quality, and use of ground water, Deposits of glacial drift, which are the source of water to included a series of aquifer tests, and also a program of all the wells in the area, have considerable potential for test drilling, financed by the city of Kalamazoo, to future development. These deposits range in thickness determine the thickness and extent of the fresh-water from about 40 feet along the Kalamazoo River to 350 aquifers underlying the city and