GEORGIA STATE DIVISION OF CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINING AND GEOLOGY GARLAND PEYTON, Director THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Bulletin No. 64 GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF CENTRAL-EAST GEORGIA By H. E. LeGrand, Geologist United States Geological Survey And A. S. Furcron, Chief Geologist Georgia Department o.f Mines, Mining and Geology With a Chapter on the Surface-Water Resources By R. F. Carter and A. C. Lendo United States Geological Survey Prepared in cooperation with the Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. ATLANTA 1956 Plant and Quarry of Weston and Brooker Company, Camak, Warren County, Georgia. I \ LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Department of Mines, Mining and Geology Atlanta, December 31, 1956 To His Excellency, Marvin Griffin, Governor Commissioner Ex-Officio of State Division of Conservation Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith Georgia Geological Survey Bulletin No. 64, "Geology and Ground-Water Resources of Central-East Georgia," by H. E. LeGrand of the Ground Water Division, United States Geological Survey and A. S. Furcron, Chief Geologist of the Georgia Department of Mines, Mining and Geology. The report also includes a chapter on· surface water resources by R. F. Carter and A. C. Len do of the Surface Water Division, United States Geological Survey. This is a comprehensive report covering Richmond, Colum­ bia, McDuffie, Warren, Glascock, Jefferson and Burke coun­ ties, which district includes the geology of both the crystalline rocks and rocks of the upper Coastal Plain. A colored geologic map accompanies the report as well as a map which gives ground water conditions over the area investigated. The geo­ logy and distribution of the important minerals and rocks are discussed; they are, granites, granite gneisses, serpentine and phyllite in the Crystalline area, and kaolin and fullers earth in the Coastal Plain. Much of the report is devoted to ground and surface water which have become of vital importance with the increase in population and expansion of industry. Very respectfully yours, Director IV CONTENTS CHAPTER I Page Abstract -------------------------------- --- ----------------- ------------------------------- 1 Introd ucti on _ -------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------- 4 Scope of the investigation ----------------------------------------------------- ---------------- 4 Location of the area ---------------- --------------- ----------------------------------------- 4 Field work ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4 Previous investigations ------------ ---------------------------------- ---------------- 6 Ackn ow1 edgn1en ts ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 Geography ___ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------·------------------------- 7 Piedmont province ----------- --------------------------------------------------- 7 Coastal Plain -------------------------------------------------------------------------·------------------------ 8 Sand Hills _______ ______ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Red Hills --------------------------------------------------------------------------·------------------------ 8 Tifton Upland ______________________ ------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 Drainage -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------·---------------------- _ 9 Climate ------------------- ------------------------------------- ----------------- -------·-------------------------- 10 CHAPTER II Geology of the Coastal Plain and Ground-Water Resources By H. E. LEGRAND Geology of the Crystalline Rocks and Mineral Resources By A. K FURCRON Geology -------------------- --------------- _____________ ---------------- ------------------------------------------- 11 General features ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 11 Structure of the Coastal Plain sediments ----------------------------- -------------------- 12 Ground water ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 Ground water in rocks of the Piedmont --------------------------·--- ----------------- 14 Ground water in the Coastal Plain deposits --------------------------------------- 16 The water table and its fluctuations ----------------------------------------------------------- 17 Drilled wells ------------------- ________________________ -----------------------·---------------- _____ 18 Driven wells --------------------------------------------------------------------· ------------------------------ 18 Dug wells ------------------------ __________________ ------------------------------------- 19 Springs ------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- ·------------------------- 19 v Page Quality of ground water ----------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- 20 General conditions ------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------ 20 Chemical constituents ____ ------------------------------------------------------------- 20 Geology of the crystalline rocks ------------------------------------------------------------------ 23 Gneiss-granite complex --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23 HoTnblende gneiss and ultramafics ------------------------------------------------------- 24 Metavolcanic sel'ies _ -------------------------------------------------------------- 25 Porphyritic g-ranite gneiss ------------------------- ---------------------------------- 26 "Porphyritic" gTani tes ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------ 28 Muscovite-biotite granite ----------------------------------------------- ----------------------- 28 Geologic foTmations of the Coastal Plain and their water- bearing propeTties -------------- -------------------------------------------------------- 29 CTetaceous system ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Tuscaloosa formation ---------------------------------- ____________ ----------------------------- 29 Geology -------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------- 29 Ground water ---------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------- 31 TeTtiary system --------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------- 32 McBean fo1·mation ---------------------------------------------- ----------------------- 32 Geology -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32 Ground wateT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 Barnwell formation -------o------------------------------------------ ------------------------ 34 Geology ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 Ground water --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37 High-level gravels -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 39 Suwannee limestone ----------------------------------------------------- --------------- ___________ 39 Hawthorn formation -----------------~---------------------------------------------------------- 40 QuaternaTy system ______ --------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- 40 \ MineTal Resources --------------------------------------------------------------- ___ J __ -------------------- 42 Granite ------------- _________________________ ---------------------------------------- ------------------------- 42 Gold ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43 Serpentine --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------- 44 Phy!lite -------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45 Kaolin ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ 46 County descriptions --------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------- .48 Burke County ------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48 Columbia County ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59 Glascock County -------------------------------- _________________ --------------------------------------- 66 Jefferson County --------------------- -------------------~-------------------------------------------------- 73 McDuffie County ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 86 Richmond County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 94 Warren County ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 04 Selected bibliography -------------------------------------------------------·--·------··-------------112 VI CHAPTER III Surface Water Resources By R. F. CARTER and A. C. LENDO Page Introd ucti on ---------- ------------ ------------------------------------------------- -------------------------114· Purpose