U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Aquifer-Characteristics Data for West Virginia By Mark D. Kozar and Melvin V. Mathes Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4036 Prepared in cooperation with the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, Office of Environmental Health Services Charleston, West Virginia 2001 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GALE A. NORTON, SECRETARY U.S. Geological Survey Charles G. Groat, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: District Chief U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services 11 Dunbar Street Box 25286 Charleston, WV 25301 Denver, CO 80225-0286 CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgments........................................................................................................................................................ 3 Description of Study Area............................................................................................................................................ 3 Data Sources, Compilations, and Limitations ....................................................................................................................... 3 Data Sources ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Data Compilations........................................................................................................................................................ 7 Data Limitations........................................................................................................................................................... 8 Aquifer Characteristics Estimated from Well Data ............................................................................................................... 11 Specific Capacity.......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Estimates of Transmissivity ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Saturated Thickness of Aquifers .................................................................................................................................. 17 Hydraulic Conductivity................................................................................................................................................ 18 Storage Coefficient and Specific Yield......................................................................................................................... 18 Recharge ................................................................................................................................................................................ 19 Future Data Needs ................................................................................................................................................................. 22 Summary and Conclusions .................................................................................................................................................... 22 References Cited ................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Appendix ............................................................................................................................................................................... 26 FIGURES 1-3. Maps showing: Figure 1. Physiographic provinces, counties, and selected towns in West Virginia ............................................................. 4 2. Major hydrogeologic units in West Virginia.......................................................................................................... 5 3. Location of gaging stations and basins for which ground-water recharge was estimated using the streamflow recession-curve displacement method .......................................................................................... 6 TABLES Table 1. Storage-coefficient and (or) specific-yield data for hydrogeologic units in West Virginia and published reports from which data were obtained.................................................................................................. 9 2. Statistical summary of specific capacity and transmissivity data for hydrogeologic units in West Virginia .......................................................................................................................................................... 12 3. Hydrogeologic units in West Virginia for which estimates of transmissivity were made including the geologic system and lithology of respective formations or groups .................................................................. 16 4. Mean ground-water recharge rates estimated from streamflow data obtained from 41 gaging stations in West Virginia ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Contents III CONVERSION FACTORS AND VERTICAL DATUM Multiply By To obtain inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter foot (ft) 0.3048 meter foot squared per day (ft2/d) 0.09290 meter squared per day gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.00006309 cubic meter per second gallons (gal) 0.2642 liters mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer square foot (ft2) 0.09290 square meter square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer gallons per minute per foot (gal/min/ft) 12.418 liters per minute per meter gallons per day per foot (gpd/ft) 0.0124 square meters per day foot per day (ft/d) 0.3048 meters per day inches per year (in./yr) 2.540 centimeters per year Sea level: In this report, “sea level” refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929)—a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929. IV Contents Aquifer-Characteristics Data for West Virginia by Mark D. Kozar and Melvin V. Mathes Abstract State had intermediate values of transmissivity (130-920 ft2/d). The highest median transmis- Specific-capacity, storage-coefficient, and spe- sivities among bedrock aquifers were those for cific-yield data for wells in West Virginia were aquifers within the Pennsylvanian age Poca- compiled to provide a data set from which trans- hontas Formation (1,200 ft2/d) and Pottsville missivity could be estimated. This data can be Group (1,300 ft2/d), and the Mississippian age used for analytical and mathematical ground- Mauch Chunk Group (1,300 ft2/d). These rocks water flow modeling. Analysis of available stor- crop out primarily in the southern part of the State age-coefficient and (or) specific-yield data indi- and to a lesser extent within the Valley and Ridge cates that the Ohio River alluvial aquifer has a Physiographic Province in West Virginia’s East- median specific yield of 0.20, which is character- ern Panhandle. istic of an unconfined aquifer. The Kanawha River alluvial aquifer has a median specific yield The highest mean annual ground-water of 0.003, which is characteristic of a semi-con- recharge rates within West Virginia (24.6 in.) fined aquifer. The median storage coefficient of occur within a band that extends through the cen- fractured-bedrock aquifers is only 0.007, which is tral part of the State within the eastern part of the characteristic of confined aquifers. Kanawha River Basin. This area of relatively high The highest median transmissivity of a spe- relief has peaks higher than 4,000 ft and precipita- cific aquifer in West Virginia occurs in Ohio River tion greater than 50 in./yr. The band of high re- alluvium (4,800 ft2/d); the second highest occurs charge rates extends northward towards Pennsyl- in Kanawha River alluvium (1,600 ft2/d). The vania and includes the Monongahela River Basin, lowest median transmissivity (23 ft2/d) is for the which has a mean annual recharge of 21.4 inches. McKenzie-Rose Hill-Tuscarora aquifer. Rocks To the west of this central band lies a region of Cambrian age within the Waynesboro-Tom- of lower relief with much lower mean annual pre- stown-Harpers-Weverton-Loudon aquifer had a cipitation (approximately 40 in.). Consequently, low median transmissivity of only 67 ft2/d. Other this area has much lower ground-water recharge aquifers with low transmissivities include the rates. Mean annual recharge for the Tug Fork, Hampshire Formation, Brallier-Harrell Forma- Twelvepole Creek, and Guyandotte River Basins tions, Mahantango Formations, Oriskany Sand- is only 12.6 inches. For the western part of the stone, and the Conococheague Formation with Kanawha River Basin, mean recharge is 11.9 median transmissivities of 74, 72, 92, 82, and 92 inches. The