U.S. Department of the Interior Directions of Ground-Water Flow u U.S. Geological Survey in the Lost River Watershed Near Orleans, Indiana G
The Mysterious River
The Lost River is one of the most EXPLANATION fascinating hydrologic systems in Cave Indiana. Just as the imaginations of o Sinkhole the Indians and early settlers were f Spring captured by this scenic and mysterious river, naturalists, scientists, and adven turers today are attracted to the same waters. Mitchell © Hamer Cave Twin Caves Above the Orangeville Rise, the 3842-30" Spring Mill State Park Lost River drains 163 square miles of southern Indiana's hilly forests and _ _ _ _ _ Layvrence^County______farmlands. Appropriately named, the A, Orange County Lost River Basin is characterized by sinkholes and streambed swallow holes into which most of the headwaters "disappear" near the central part of Orangeville Rise the watershed. The water that leaves the surface by flowing into these 38°37'30" natural openings travels underground 10 MILES _i through fractures and joints in the lime 10 KILOMETERS stone. Most of the water returns to the surface at the Orangeville Rise; Location of study area water also resurfaces at Twin Caves, Drainage boundaries were delineated with the dye injections and to the people Hamer Cave, Rise of Lost River, and and the direction of underground flows of Orleans for providing access to histor other springs. was determined in the Lost River Water ical information and to their property. The people who live in and around shed by an analysis of water-level data the Orleans area enjoy the beauty of and by observation of the emergence Ground-Water Levels the Lost River landscape; however, of fluorescent dyes that were injected at sinkholes and swallow holes. In they also must face the possibility of A composite water-level map was addition, factors that contribute to local flooding of the Lost River and its used to identify subsurface drainage tributaries. An improved understanding flooding at Orleans were investigated. This information will be useful for divides and directions of ground-water of that hydrologic system is needed to flow. A drainage divide is a boundary make effective water-management future flood-control designs. between adjacent drainage basins. choices. This fact sheet presents a brief description of this 1993-94 study and Ground water flows from a subsurface a summary of the results. A more drainage divide, usually a topographi Lost River Investigation detailed presentation can be found in cally high region, to its discharge area USGS Water-Resources Investiga at a stream or spring, usually a topo The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) tions Report 94-4195, "Directions of graphically lower area. in cooperation with the U.S. Army ground-water flow and locations of A composite water-level map for Corps of Engineers, conducted a ground-water divides in the Lost River bedrock wells was constructed from scientific investigation on the Lost Watershed near Orleans, Indiana," by River in 1993 and 1994. The purpose E. Randall Bayless and others. 175 well-driller's records on file with of the study was to improve an under the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water. Field standing of the ground-water-drainage Acknowledgments boundaries of the Lost River Watershed measurements were made at 11 of the and the hydrogeology near the town The authors express their gratitude 175 wells to assure that the water-level of Orleans, a community subject to to members of the Orleans Rural Volun records provided an accurate representa frequent flooding. teer Fire Department for their assistance tion of actual ground-water levels. Dye-Tracing Tests when surface-water-drainage boundaries Previous Investigations for a river basin are delineated. For the Eight dye-tracing tests were done Lost River Watershed, however, it was This 1993-94 study was designed to from November 15,1993, through found that the paths of ground-water build upon work already done by other March 3,1994. Dye was injected at flow do not coincide everywhere with investigators. An extensive compilation seven swallow holes and one storm- the "downhill" path of surface water. of bibliographic references to previous runoff-infiltration well. Most of the tests Similarly, the low-lying hills that serve investigations is included in the USGS were done during periods following sub as a surface-water divide between Water-Resources Investigations Report stantial rainfall when the usually dry Orleans and Spring Mill State Park may 94-4195 by Bay less and others. Earlier reaches of the Lost River were inundated. not be the ground-water divide for the works particularly important to this study For most dye injections, water was Orangeville Rise and Twin Caves. Based are cited in the reference section below. hauled to the injection site in a 2,000- on the results of dye tests and ground- E. Randall Bayless, Charles J. Taylor, gallon tanker truck. About 200 to 500 water-level analysis, it appears that some MarkS. Hopkins, and Donald V:Arvin gallons of water were poured into the of the water that discharges from Twin swallow hole immediately before the Caves enters the ground-water system References planned dye injection. The water helped beyond this line of hills. to start the flow of dye into the aquifer. Bassett, J.L., 1974, Hydrology and After the dye was injected, an additional geochemistry ofkarst terrain, upper 200 to 500 gallons of water were used Flooding at Orleans Lost River drainage basin, Indiana: to push the dye farther into the under Bloomington, Ind., Indiana University, ground-flow system. One of the goals of this study was A.M. thesis, 102 p. To determine where the dye re to improve an understanding of the Bassett, J.L. and Ruhe, R.V., 1974, surfaced, dye detectors were placed Geomorphology, hydrology, and soils in at known or suspected ground-water- hydrology of the Orleans area, including karst, southern Indiana Field Confer discharge points. Dye detectors were gaining a better understanding of how ence, April 24-25, 1974: Bloomington, constructed of either undyed cotton or surface water drains towards the Ind., Indiana University, Water Resources activated coconut charcoal encased in community, and how the surface- and Research Center, 54 p. a fiberglass screen. The dye detectors subsurface-flow systems allow water were suspended in the main current, to drain from the community. Bayless, E.R.; Taylor, C.J.; and Hopkins, M.S., 1994, Directions of ground-water above bottom sediments, and were Flood Creek strongly affects the flow and locations of ground-water divides anchored down by weights. After the hydrology of Orleans. The Flood Creek dye was injected, the detectors were in the Lost River Watershed near Orleans, Watershed is a small watershed within Indiana: U.S. Geological Survey Water- collected and replaced at intervals of the Lost River Watershed and drains 2 to 4 days. Five dye clouds emerged Resources Investigations Report 94-4195, approximately 8.1 square miles. During 25 p. at Orangeville Rise, approximately heavy rains, Flood Creek flows into a 4.5 miles southwest of Orleans. Two Malott, C.A., 1952, The swallow-holes sinkhole in Orleans that is choked with dye clouds emerged at Hamer Cave of Lost River, Orange County, Indiana: the same fine-grained sediments that Spring, at Spring Mill State Park, Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of blanket most of the Flood Creek Water 4.5 miles northeast of Orleans. One dye Sciences, v. 61, p. 187-231. cloud emerged in seeps and springs shed. These sediments are relatively impermeable silt and clay and slow the Murdock, S.H., and Powell, R.L., 1968, that discharge to a tributary of the Lost Subterranean drainage of Lost River, storm runoff in entering the ground- River; the dye from this test was injected Orange County, Indiana: Proceedings of water-drainage system. into a shallow storm-infiltration well and the Indiana Academy of Sciences, v. 77, did not enter the fractures and joints of This study indicated that two engi p. 250-255. the underground limestone. neering alternatives might decrease Ruhe, R.V., 1975, Geohydrology of the magnitude of flooding in Orleans: karst terrain, Lost River Watershed Drainage Divides (1) construction of stormwater-detention southern Indiana: Bloomington, Ind., structures and (2) improvements to Indiana University Water Resources "Water flows downhill," is a state stream drainage in the Flood Creek Research Center, Report of Investigation ment one often hears. This truism applies Watershed. No. 7, 91 p. For more information contact any of the following: For water information For geologic information Additional earth science information District Chief, Water Resources Division Assistant Chief Geologist can be found by accessing the USGS U.S. Geological Survey 953 National Center "Home Page" on the World Wide Web at 5957 Lakeside Boulevard Reston, Virginia 22092 "http://www.usgs.gov". Indianapolis, IN 46278 (703) 648-6660 (317) 290-3333 National Earthquake Information Center For more information on all USGS reports For map information Denver Federal Center, Mail Stop 967 and products (including maps, images, and Chief, Mapping Applications Center Denver, Colorado 80225 computerized data), call 1-800-USA-MAPS. 567 National Center (303) 273-8494 Reston, Virginia 22092 (703) 648-6002
October 1995 Fact Sheet FS-211-95