Hydrogeology, Ground-Water Use, and Ground-Water Levels in the Mill Creek Valley Near Evendale, Ohio
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In cooperation with the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center Hydrogeology, Ground-Water Use, and Ground-Water Levels in the Mill Creek Valley Near Evendale, Ohio Water-Resources Investigations Report 02 4167 Study Area ek Cre M i ill ll 2 M 1 rk Fo 4 3 t s Cr a e E 5 ek OHIO 6 7 8 9 10 11 13 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 67 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 P1 29 30 31 Sharonville 36 39 40 35 32 33 38 37 42 41 43 45 34 47 Lockland 48 49 ek 50 46 e well field 52 r 51 C 54 53 55 56 57 58 Glendale P2 69 59 60 61 62 64 63 n Glendale o r a well field h 65 S 66 68 W 70 e 71 st 72 73 74 76 75 77 79 80 78 83 81 84 85 82 89 86 For 88 87 k 91 90 93 94 92 96 98 Evendale k 95 97 e 100 99 e 103 101 109 112 111 102 Cr 104 114 106 110 108 116 105 107 115 118 117 120 M 123 122 119 121 113 i 124 125 127 126 l 128 l 132 129 130 136 151 166 137138 131 134 150 165 133 140 146 142141163 139 135 152 167145 162 149 147 143 148 155 161 144 158 164 153 204 160 157 169 P3 171 156 175 176 159 154170 178 203 179 181 188 168 172 174 177 173 189 202 180 201 182 187 183 199 195 211 200 191 205 185 Cre 192 216 194 213 196 184 190 215 206 198 186 239 ek 221 220 193 231 207 197 210 235 217 209 P4 243 214 244 232 242 218 247 234 223 229 241 222 212 245 233 225 219 230 236 240 228 249 246 208 224 253 237 238 227 248 251 226 250 252 255 256 257 260 259 254 ll 263 261 266 Lockland i 258 262 265 267 M270 273 264 275 277 276 274 271 282 278 280 268 Reading 281 Wyoming 285 284 279 283 272 Wyoming 286 291 269 287 well field 289 288 292 294 290 296 293 295 297 301 298 300 319 299 304 305 302 303 306 307 308 309 311 310 312 313 314 316 315 318 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Hydrogeology, Ground-Water Use, and Ground-Water Levels in the Mill Creek Valley Near Evendale, Ohio By Charles Schalk and Thomas Schumann Water-Resources Investigations Report 02–4167 In cooperation with the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GALE A. NORTON, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Charles G. Groat, Director The use of industry or firm names in this report is for locational purposes only and does not impute responsiblity for any present or potential effects on the natural resources. For additional information write to: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey 6480 Doubletree Avenue Columbus, OH 43229-1111 Copies of this report can be purchased from: U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services Box 25286 Denver, CO 80225-0286 Columbus, Ohio 2002 Hydrogeology, Ground-Water Use, and Ground-Water Levels in the Mill Creek Valley Near Evendale, Ohio By Charles W. Schalk and Thomas L. Schumann ABSTRACT purveyor. The cities of Reading and Lockland, both producers of municipal ground-water sup- Withdrawals of ground water in the central Mill plies in the area, shut down their well fields within Creek Valley near Evendale, Ohio, caused water- their city limits. Because the demand for ground- level declines of more than 100 feet by the 1950s. water supplies in the valley has lessened greatly Since the 1950s, management practices have since the 1950s, withdrawals have decreased, and, changed to reduce the withdrawals of ground consequently, water levels in the lower aquifer are water, and recovery of water levels in long-term 65 to 105 feet higher than they were in 1955. monitoring wells in the valley has been docu- During the time of the water-level survey mented. Changing conditions such as these (November 2000), ground water was being prompted a survey of water use, streamflow con- pumped from four locations in the lower aquifer, ditions, and water levels in several aquifers in the including three municipalities and one remedia- central Mill Creek Valley, Hamilton and Butler tion site. Effects of pumping in those four areas Counties, Ohio. Geohydrologic information, were evident from the regional water-level data. water use, and water levels were compiled from Overall, the direction of ground-water flow in the historical records and collected during the lower aquifer is from northeast to southwest along regional survey. Data collected during the survey the primary orientation of the Mill Creek Valley in are presented in terms of updated geohydrologic the study area. information, water use in the study area, water Water levels in shallower surficial aquifers levels in the aquifers, and interactions between were mapped at local scales centered on GEAE. ground water and surface water. Some of the data Examination of well logs indicated that these aqui- are concentrated at former Air Force Plant 36 fers (called shallow and water-table) are discontin- (AFP36), which is collocated with the General uous and, on a regional scale, few wells were Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE) plant, and these completed in these aquifers. Water levels in the data are used to describe geohydrology and water shallow aquifer indicated that flow was from levels on a more local scale at and near the plant. northeast to southwest except in areas where A comparison of past and current ground- pumping in the lower aquifer or the proximity of water use and levels indicates that the demand for Mill Creek may have been affecting water levels in ground water is decreasing and water levels are the shallow aquifer. Water levels in the water-table rising. Before 1955, most of the major industrial aquifer indicated flow toward Mill Creek from ground-water users had their own wells, ground GEAE. water was mined from a confined surficial (lower) aquifer, and water levels were more than 100 feet below their predevelopment level. Since 1955, however, these users have been purchasing their water from the city of Cincinnati or a private water Abstract 1 INTRODUCTION well logs and boring logs (Appendix 1). Historical ground- water-level and -use data collected by the USGS, Ohio Availability of ground water in the Mill Creek Valley near Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Ohio Environ- Cincinnati, Ohio, has been a significant issue in that region mental Protection Agency (EPA), and other organizations for more than 75 years. In the early 1900s, Fuller and Clapp were examined. Water levels in 182 wells completed at (1912) documented ground-water use for industry, including depths as great as 201 ft were measured and interpreted for whiskey distilleries, laundries, slaughterhouses, and manu- this report. Pump-discharge records from production wells in facturers of asbestos products. Declines in water levels have the area were obtained and used to aid the interpretation of been documented as a result of industrial and municipal use. the ground-water-level data. Streamflow and stream-aquifer Maximum water-level declines in the valley, more than data were collected to aid interpretation of surface- 100 ft (Fidler, 1970), were reached in the 1950s. Because of water/ground-water interactions. changes in management practices, however, recovery of water levels, by as much as 105 ft, has been steady since then. Geography Changing conditions in the valley were important to The Mill Creek drainage basin, as much as10 mi wide and 21 the U.S. Air Force (USAF) because of current and planned mi long, encompasses about 164 mi2 in southwestern Ohio water-management programs at former Air Force Plant 36 (fig. 1). Mill Creek flows about 28 mi through a 2-mi-wide (AFP36). Although AFP36 was sold to General Electric Air- valley from southern Butler County to its confluence with craft Engines (GEAE) in 1989, the Air Force retains respon- Ohio River. The valley is generally broad and flat, bounded sibility for all environmental liability resulting from by glacial and alluvial terraces and relatively steep bedrock activities on AFP36 before the date of the sale (U.S. Air walls. The creek and its tributaries flow from the upland Force, 1994). General Electric, as current owner of the prop- areas along the valley walls at altitudes of about 780 ft to the erty, is operating under a Resource Recovery and Conserva- confluence with Ohio River, which is at an altitude of 444 ft. tion Act (RCRA) Corrective Action permit (O’Brien and Average gradient of the valley along the course of Mill Creek Gere Engineers, Inc., 1993). Part of the planned water-man- is 12 ft/mi. agement program of GEAE and USAF is a ground-water- flow model intended to focus the characterization and sam- pling of possible offsite contamination (John Doepker, U.S. Land Use Air Force, written commun., 2001); necessary components of such a model are current water-level, water-use, and Land use in the Mill Creek Valley is about 63 percent urban, hydrogeologic information. 22 percent agricultural, and 12 percent forested. Cincinnati, Ohio, is the major city in the valley. Cities in the valley of The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation population greater than 10,000 include Forest Park, North with U.S.