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Cretaceous Aquifers in the Mississippi Embayment

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Cretaceous Aquifers in the Mississippi Embayment Cretaceous Aquifers in the Mississippi Embayment By E. H. BOSWELL, G. K. MOORE, L. M. MAcCARY, and others With discussions of QUALITY OF THE WATER By H. G. JEFFERY WATER RESOURCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 448-C UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1965 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Thomas B. Nolan, Director For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, B.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract __ __---------_____-___-___-______________ Cl Cretaceous aquifers Continued Introduction. ______________________________________ 1 Tokio Formation, by R. L. Hosman __-__-__--_- C23 Pre-Cretaceous aquifers___________________________ 5 Coffee Sand, by G. K. Moore and E. H. Boswell__ 24 Cretaceous aquifers.________________________________ Ozan Formation, by R. L. Hosman______-___-_-__ 26 Lower Cretaceous Series of Alabama and Mississippi, Ripley Formation, by L. M. MacCary, G. K. Moore, by J. G. Newton and E. H. Boswell___________ and E. H. Boswell_----_----_----------------- 27 Trinity Group of Arkansas, by R. L. Hosman. _____ 10 Nacatoch Sand, by R. L. Hosman and A. T. Long.. 31 Coker Formation, by E. H. Boswell and J. G. Significance of results, by E. M. Gushing and E. H. Newton.____________________________________ 12 Boswell- _-______-----_---_-_--------------------- 32 Gordo Formation, by E. H. Boswell and J. G. Application of results, by E. M. Gushing and E. H. Newton.____________________________________ 16 Boswell------------------------------------------ 33 Woodbine Formation, by R. L. Hosman.._________ 18 Selected bibliography.-..-______-________---_-------- 36 Eutaw Formation, by J. G. Newton and E. H. Boswell __ -_---___-_-_____________.________ 20 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are In pocket] PLATE 1. Geologic sections A-A', B-B', C-C', D-D', and E-E' in Mississippi embayment. 2-8. Map showing areal variations in the chemical characteristics of water in the Mississippi embayment: 2. Tuscaloosa Group. 3. Lower part of the Eutaw Formation. 4. Upper part of the Eutaw Formation. 5. Tokio Formation. 6. Coffee Sand. 7. Ripley Formation. 8. Nacatoch Sand. FIGURE 1. Map showing area of embayment study._._-._______._____._.______.._--__-_-.__----------------------- C2 2. Generalized geologic map of the Mississippi embayment-._________._________--__------------------------- 3 3. Map showing areas of outcrop, use, and potential use of Cretaceous aquifers.____________--_--_------------- 4 4. Map showing areas of outcrop and configuration of the top of the Cretaceous System...--------------------- 5 5. Map showing area of outcrop and thickness of the Cretaceous System.____-_----------__------------------- 6 6. Graph showing average temperature gradients of water from Cretaceous aquifers_ ___________--____-------- 6 7. Map showing areas where wells tap pre-Cretaceous rocks _._____.___.__-__----_-_-_----------------------- 9 8. Map showing areas of outcrop, configuration of the top, and areas of use and of potential use of the Lower Cretaceous Series and Trinity Group_-___-_________._____________.__--_-___--__--------------------- H 9. Graph showing relation between specific conductance and dissolved-solids content of water from Cretaceous aquifers. 13 10-24. Maps showing 10. Areas of outcrop, configuration of the top, and areas of use and of potential use of the Coker and Wood­ bine Formations.______________-______________________--_--_-_____------------------------- 14 11. Area of outcrop, thickness, and percentage of sand of the Coker Formation.______.____-------------- 15 12. Area of outcrop, piezometric surface of the water, and area of artesian flow in the Coker Formation. _ _ _ 16 13. Area of outcrop, configuration of the top, and areas of use and of potential use of the Gordo Formation. 17 14. Area of outcrop, thickness, and percentage of sand of the Gordo Formation _____________---_------ 18 15. Area of outcrop, piezometric surface of the water, and areas of artesian flow in the Gordo Formation. __ 19 16. Areas of outcrop, configuration of the top, and areas of use and of potential use of the Eutaw and Tokio Formations. -___-___________________._____...__________-___-_______-----__---_------------- 20 17. Area of outcrop, thickness, and percentage of sand of the Eutaw Formation---.-----.--------------- 21 18. Area of outcrop, piezometric surface of the water, and areas of artesian flow in the lower part of the Eutaw Formation and in the Tokio Formation._-__-_______-__-___--__--__---_----------------------- 23 19. Areas of outcrop, configuration of the top, and areas of use and of potential use of the Coffee Sand and Ozan Formation-__..._._..______________.___.______________________----_-_---------------- 25 m IV CONTENTS Page FIGURE 20. Area of outcrop, thickness, and percentage of sand of the Coffee Sand______________________________ C26 21. Area of outcrop, piezometric surface of the water, and area of artesian flow in the Coffee Sand _______ 27 22. Areas of outcrop, configuration of the top, and areas of use and of potential use of the Ripley Formation and Nacatoch Sand________________________________________________________________________ 28 23. Areas of outcrop, thickness, and percentage of sand of the Ripley Formation and Nacatoch Sand ______ 29 24. Areas of outcrop, piezometric surface of the water, and areas of artesian flow in the Ripley Formation and Nacatoch Sand________________________________-_____-_-_____---______---__-----_-____ 30 25-27. Graph showing hypothetical relation between time, distance, and drawdown for a discharge of 300 gallons per minute from the 25. Eutaw Formation in southeastern Oktibbeha County, Miss______________________________________ 34 26. Gordo Formation in southeastern Oktibbeha County, Miss_ _ _________-__________----__----------- 35 27. Coker Formation in southeastern Oktibbeha County, Miss_ ___________________-________-__-------- 36 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Oil tests and wells shown on geologic sections_______________________________________-_-_______-______-_-_ C7 2. Stratigraphic columns________________________________________________________________________________ 8 3. Source and significance of dissolved mineral constituents and physical properties of natural waters______________ 10 4-14. Maximum, minimum, and median concentrations of constituents determined in water from the 4. Paleozoic rocks________________________________________________________________________________ 12 5. Trinity Group_______________________________________________________________________________ 12 6. Tuscaloosa Group_____________________________________________________________________________ 15 7. Woodbine Formation_________________________________________________________________________ 20 8. Lower part of the Eutaw Formation._______--_____-__-_-_____-_-__________-___-_------__-------- 22 9. Upper part of the Eutaw Formation. _________-_______________-_-_______-__-__--_----_____---_-_- 22 10. Tokio Formation.____________________________________________________________________..___ 24 11. Coffee Sand___________________________________________________________ 25 12. Ozan Formation__________________________________________________________________________.____ 27 13. Ripley Formation________________________________________________________________________ 30 14. Nacatoch Sand________________________________________________________ 32 WATER RESOURCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT CRETACEOUS AQUIFERS IN THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT By E. H. BOSWELL, G. K. MOORE, L. M. MAOCARY, and others ABSTRACT and the Ozan Formation yield moderately hard water. Water To define and describe the many water-bearing units in the from the Ozan Formation generally has a dissolved-solids con­ Mississippi embayment, these units have been grouped by geo­ tent of more than 1,000 ppm and is used mostly in areas where logic age into pre-Cretaceous, Cretaceous, Tertiary, and no other water is available. Quaternary aquifers. Most of the general water-level declines in the Cretaceous The pre-Cretaceous aquifers are in Paleozoic rocks and pri­ aquifers are the result of unrestricted flow from wells and of marily supply ground water near the periphery of the embay­ municipal and industrial withdrawals and are not indicative ment where the Cretaceous aquifers are thin. The area of use of overdevelopment of the aquifers. As additional supplies are of these aquifers is about 6,500 square miles. Defining the area developed, the water levels will continue to decline, and many of potential use and delineating the individual aquifers of pre- of the wells which now flow will then have to be pumped. Cretaceous age are beyond the scope of the present study. The aquifers of Cretaceous age supply water in an area of INTRODUCTION about 30,000 square miles and are potential sources of supply The future economy of the Mississippi embayment in an additional 15,000 square miles where many of the units (fig. 1) is largely dependent upon wise utilization and contain water having less than 1,000 parts per million dissolved solids. The more extensive aquifers occur in the eastern and management of the region's water resources. Proper northern parts of the embayment and are in the Ripley, Eutaw, development, use, and conservation of these water re­ and Gordo Formations. sources can be achieved only after the hydrologic sys­ Generally the aquifers are not intensively developed; the total tem has been defined and the manner
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