TECHNICAL REPORT NO. 37 GROUNDWATER RESOURCES OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN S O U T H E A S T E R N W I S C O N S I N R E G I O N A L P L A N N I N G C O M M I S S I O N W I S C O N S I N G E O L O G I C A L A N D N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y S U R V E Y SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION KENOSHA COUNTY RACINE COUNTY Leon T. Dreger Richard A. Hansen Thomas J. Gorlinski Jean M. Jacobson, Sheila M. Siegler Secretary James E. Moyer MILWAUKEE COUNTY WALWORTH COUNTY Daniel J. Diliberti Anthony F. Balestrieri William R. Drew, Allen L. Morrison, Vice-Chairman Treasurer David A. Novak Robert J. Voss OZAUKEE COUNTY WASHINGTON COUNTY Leroy A. Bley Kenneth F. Miller Thomas H. Buestrin, Daniel S. Schmidt Chairman Peter D. Ziegler Gus W. Wirth, Jr. WAUKESHA COUNTY Duane H. Bluemke Kenneth C. Herro Paul G. Vrakas INTERAGENCY STAFF GROUNDWATER RESOURCES STUDY SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION Philip C. Evenson ..................................Executive Director, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission Kurt W. Bauer ........................Executive Director Emeritus, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission Robert P. Biebel..........................................Chief Environmental Engineer John G. McDougall .............. Geographic Information Systems Manager Bradley T. Subotnik.............................Senior GIS Applications Specialist Michael G. Gosetti.............Geographic Information Systems Supervisor WISCONSIN GEOLOGICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY James M. Robertson.........................Director, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey; State Geologist Ronald G. Hennings ......... Assistant Director, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey; Hydrogeologist Bruce A. Brown ............................................................................ Geologist Kim J. Cates...........................................................................Soil Specialist Michael L. Czechanski...................................................Geospatial Analyst Timothy T. Eaton.................................................................Hydrogeologist Marcia J. Jesperson...........................................................Word Processor Irene D. Lippelt ................................................Water Resources Specialist Fred W. Madison .....................................................................Soil Scientist Kathleen Massie-Ferch .............................. Geologic Data Base Specialist Alexander Zaporozec ............................Hydrogeologist; Project Manager TECHNICAL REPORT NUMBER 37 GROUNDWATER RESOURCES OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN Prepared by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission W239 N1812 Rockwood Drive P.O. Box 1607 Waukesha, Wisconsin 53187-1607 and the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey 3817 Mineral Point Road Madison, Wisconsin 53705-5100 In Cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources June 2002 Inside Region $15.00 Outside Region $30.00 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Chapter I—INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 Background ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 Previous Studies ............................................................................................................................................... 3 Purpose and Objectives .................................................................................................................................... 4 Scope of Work.................................................................................................................................................. 5 Chapter II—REGIONAL SETTING ........................................................................................................... 7 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................... 7 Population, Household, and Economic Activity .............................................................................................. 7 Population Levels.......................................................................................................................................... 9 Household Levels.......................................................................................................................................... 9 Employment Levels...................................................................................................................................... 10 Land Use........................................................................................................................................................... 10 Land Use Patterns ......................................................................................................................................... 14 Public Utility Service Areas.......................................................................................................................... 14 Environmental Corridors and Vegetation......................................................................................................... 17 Primary Environmental Corridors................................................................................................................. 19 Secondary Environmental Corridors............................................................................................................. 19 Isolated Natural Resource Areas................................................................................................................... 21 Vegetation ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 Presettlement Vegetation ........................................................................................................................... 21 Prairies ....................................................................................................................................................... 21 Woodlands ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Wetlands .................................................................................................................................................... 22 Physical Setting ................................................................................................................................................ 22 Physiographic and Topographic Features ..................................................................................................... 22 Surface Drainage........................................................................................................................................... 27 Hydrologic Data Points ................................................................................................................................. 29 Climate ............................................................................................................................................................. 29 Temperature .................................................................................................................................................. 31 Precipitation .................................................................................................................................................. 31 Snow Cover................................................................................................................................................... 33 iii Page Chapter III—THE SOILS OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN AND THEIR ABILITY TO ATTENUATE CONTAMINANTS....................................................................... 39 F. Madison and K. Cates General Characteristics of Soils ....................................................................................................................... 39 Evaluation of the Capacity of Soils to Attenuate Contaminants ...................................................................... 40 Physical and Chemical Characteristics to Establish Soil Attenuation Ratings................................................. 41 Soil Contaminant Attenuation Potential........................................................................................................... 44 Summary .......................................................................................................................................................... 46 Chapter IV—GLACIAL GEOLOGY OF SOUTHEASTERN WISCONSIN AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR HYDROGEOLOGY........................................................................... 47 T. Eaton Regional Description........................................................................................................................................ 47 Lithology .......................................................................................................................................................... 48 Major Lithostratigraphic Units......................................................................................................................... 48 Methods of Study ............................................................................................................................................