Low-Flow Characteristics of Streams in the Mississippi Embayment in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois By PAUL R. SPEER, W. J. PERRY, JOHN A. McCABE, O. G. LARA, and others With a section on QUALITY OF THE WATER By H. G. JEFFERY WATER RESOURCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 448-H The magnitude^ duration^ frequency of recurrence^ and chemical composition of low flows 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, D.C. 20402 CONTENTS Page Page Abstract _______________________ HI Manmade changes Continued Introduction __ __________________________ 1 Farm-pond program ___ ____ __ H9 Purpose and scope_____________________________ 2 Low-flow characteristics-__ __ _ 9 Definition of terms ________________________ 3 Low-flow frequency. ___ 11 Description of the area__________________________ 3 Flow duration ________ __ 12 Climate _____________ _ ________________________ 3 Factors affecting low flow _____ 18 Physiography. ______ ____________________ 3 Ohio River basin except Cumberland and Tennessee Geology _ ____ 5 River basins.__________________ _ _________ 19 Manmade changes.________________________________ 6 Tennessee River basin. _ ____ _______ ___ 19 Ohio River basin except Cumberland and Tennessee Lower Mississippi River basin ______ ________ 20 River basins-____________________________ 7 Cache River basin ___________ 7 Major floods and ground-water recharge.---- ______ 21 Tennessee River basin___________________________ 7 Low flows and ground-water fluctuations.--. 22 Beech River basin______________________ 7 Method of study _______ _ 24 Big Sandy River basin______________________ 7 Basic data for the analysis ____ 24 Lower Mississippi River basin ____________ _ Draft-storage relations._____ __________ __________ 24 Obion River basin__ ___ ______ Quality of the water, by H. G. Jeffery _______ 30 Hatchie River basin ____________________ Loosahatchie River basin__________________ Conclusions and recommendations____________________ 33 Wolf River basin_____________________ Selected references-_______ _ ________ ________ 34 ILLUSTRATIONS [Plates are in pocket) PLATE 1. Generalized geologic map of the Mississippi embayment in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois, showing low flows and channel and drainage improvements. 2. Map showing patterns for chemical analyses of low-flow surface waters in the Mississippi embayment in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. Page FIGURE 1. Map of the Mississippi embayment showing areas covered by four chapters on low-flow characteristics of streams__________________________________________________________ _______________ ________ H4 2. Map showing physiography of the study area______ _______________ _______ __ 5 3. Graphs showing magnitude and frequency of annual low flow, and duration of daily flow for Hatchie River at Bolivar, Tenn., 1929-57________________________________ 12 4. Graph showing relation between water-surface elevation and inundated area, Obion River in the vicinity of Lane, Tenn________________________________ 21 5. Graph showing water levels in the Cairo, 111., area during the 1943 flood 22 6. Map of the Mississippi embayment showing numbered parts for which streamflow records are published in reports on surface-water supply______. ___ __ _ _ _._ - 25 7-8. Graphs showing areal draft-storage relations in the study area: 7. Ten-year recurrence interval._______________________ ___ _______ ___ __ 25 8. Twenty-year recurrence interval...__________ ___ ___ -- 26 TABLES Page TABLE 1. Geologic units cropping out in the study area________________-_____-_--_-__------- .____ _._ _____ H6 2. Low-flow characteristics of streams in the study area________________ _______ _ 9 3. Magnitude and frequency of annual low flow at daily-record gaging stations in the study area. ---- 12 4. Duration of daily flow at daily-record gaging stations in the study area__ __._. ____ -_ ________ ____ 16 5. Gains and losses of water in Crooked Creek, Carroll County, Tenn _________ __ __. ---- _- 23 6. Chemical analyses of low-flow surface waters in the study area__ __ _______ _ _. 27 7. Source and significance of dissolved mineral constituents and properties of water ________________ ____ 30 in WATER RESOURCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT LOW-FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF STREAMS IN THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT IN TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY, AND ILLINOIS By PAUL K. SPEER, W. J. PERRY, JOHN A. McCABE, 0. G, LARA, and others ABSTRACT of intersection the streams are perennial. In some places, The low-flow characteristics of a stream largely govern the however, the amount of surface flow is lessened because of the type and economics of its utilization. The magnitude, dura­ amount of water moving out of the valley as underflow. tion, and frequency of low flows are used to determine if a Streams north of the Ohio River in Illinois, and those in the water-utilization project can be operated without storage or to embayment where the interstream areas are mantled by the compute the amount of storage required for its operation. The relatively impervious loess, have fairly low indices of base flow. frequency of low flows affects the economics of both construc­ Streams receiving their base flow from the "500-foot" sand tion and operation of a water-utilization project. member of the Claiborne Group or from the McNairy Sand The character and distribution of geologic formations within Member of the Ripley Formation have the highest low-flow stream basins influence the quality and quantity of the low indices of streams in the study area. In the southeast corner flows of streams. When direct runoff from precipitation of the area, the Paleozoic rocks, the Coffee Sand, and the ceases, the flow of streams is governed by the volume of water Eutaw and Tuscaloosa Formations are good contributors to in ground storage and by the rate at which the ground water the base flow of the streams. Elsewhere, streams in the Paleo­ discharges into the stream. zoic rocks and in the upper sands of the Claiborne Group have Manmade changes to the land and to the stream systems good low-flow indices. The Porters Creek Clay, the Coon probably have altered the regimen of flow of many streams. Creek Tongue of the Ripley Formation, and the clays in the Limited low-flow data, in cubic feet per second per square upper part of the Claiborne Group are poor contributors to the mile, for 32 daily-record gaging stations and 57 partial-record base flow of the streams. stations, are summarized for ready comparison. The summary Drafts that may be made from specified amounts of storage gives the minimum average 7-day and 30-day discharges that with a chance of deficiency once in 10 and 20 years on a long- may be expected to recur at 2-year arid 10-year intervals and term average are related to the median annual 7-day low flow gives the flow at the 95- and 90-percent duration points. More to permit preliminary estimates to be made of the storage re­ detailed data on the magnitude and frequency of low flows and quired to supplement natural low flows. flow duration, in cubic feet per second, are given for the 32 Chemical composition of the surface water, as determined from daily-record gaging stations. samples collected at 30 sites during low-flow periods, shows the The 7-day low flow at the 2-year recurrence interval ex­ dissolved solids to range from 13 to 288 ppm (parts per mil­ pressed on a per-square-mile basis is used to demonstrate areal lion), hardness to range from 6 to 236 ppm, and the iron variations of low flow in the study area. These indices range content to range from 0.00 to 0.51 ppm. The surface waters from 0 to 0.61 cubic foot per second per square mile. in the study area generally would be excellent sources for Streams north of a low ridge that extends across the area municipal and industrial supplies. The low-flow waters de­ north of the North Fork Obion River near the Tennessee-Ken­ rived from the unconsolidated deposits above the Paleozoic tucky line generally have relatively low indices of base flow, rocks are soft (0-60 ppm hardness) and for most uses would whereas streams immediately south of the ridge generally have require treatment for color, for iron removal, and for pH higher indices of base flow. The reason for these marked dif­ control. Waters from the Paleozoic rocks and terrace deposits ferences in low-flow indices is not known, but displacements are very hard (more than 180 ppm hardness), and softening resulting from recent crustal movements in the area may affect would be desirable for many uses. the movement of ground water toward the streams. Ground The results of the study suggest fields for further investiga­ water from the higher tract in Kentucky may drain toward tion to define additional phases of the hydrologic systems and the streams in Tennessee as underground flow. to determine the effect that manmade changes to the stream Streams along the eastern margin of the embayment in Ken­ systems may have upon the low flows of the streams and the tucky receive their base flow from the Cretaceous formations ground-water systems. and Pliocene (?) deposits, and streams in the remainder of the State receive their base flow from the Eocene formations. INTRODUCTION Most headwater streams in Kentucky are above the ground- In the Mississippi embayment in Tennessee, Ken­ water table and are intermittent. At some downstream point the channels intersect the water table in the Paleozoic, Cre­ tucky, and Illinois, large supplies of fresh water are taceous, and Eocene deposits, and downstream from the point available from both surface and underground sources. Hi H2 WATER RESOURCES OF THE MISSISSIPPI EMBAYMENT The area has a high average annual precipitation. In Mitchell, district engineer. Technical supervision of addition, four large rivers that originate outside the quality-of-water analyses and preparation of the sec­ area pass immediately adjacent to or through it; they tion of the report on "Quality of the water" was under are the Mississippi River on the west side, the Tennes­ the direction of M.