Western Michigan University ScholarWorks at WMU Master's Theses Graduate College 4-1991 A Regional Study of Ground-Water Quality in Barry County, Michigan Margene K. Brewer Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geology Commons, and the Hydrology Commons Recommended Citation Brewer, Margene K., "A Regional Study of Ground-Water Quality in Barry County, Michigan" (1991). Master's Theses. 940. https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/940 This Masters Thesis-Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate College at ScholarWorks at WMU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at WMU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A REGIONAL STUDY OF GROUND-WATER QUALITY IN BARRY COUNTY, MICHIGAN by Margene K . Brewer A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science Department of Geology Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan April 1991 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. A REGIONAL STUDY OF GROUND-WATER QUALITY IN BARRY COUNTY, MICHIGAN Margene K. Brewer, M.S. Western Michigan University, 1991 A regional study of ground-water quality in Barry County, Michigan was conducted using a computerized database from the Science for Citizens Center at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The database, initiated by the Michigan Groundwater Survey, consists of residential well logs and chemical analyses of samples collected from residential wells by the Barry County Health Department. Qualitative and statistical analyses of the data indicate that the glacial drift aquifer is recharging the bedrock aquifer throughout most of the county. Ground­ water quality appears to be controlled mainly by the open- system dissolution of carbonate minerals. The water chemistry is also influenced by physical factors such as flow path and landform. Elevated levels of chloride and nitrate in samples collected from approximately 25% of the glacial drift wells suggest that the drift aquifer is being degraded, possibly as a result of land use and waste management practices. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to my advisor, Dr. Alan Kehew, and my thesis committee, Dr. W. Thomas Straw and Dr. Richard Passero, for their guidance and insight. I would also like to thank Dr. David Deheer, professor of biology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for his review of the manuscript, his helpful comments and his support; and Ms. Sara Hession, Environmental Risk statistician at WW Engineering & Science in Grand Rapids, Michigan, for her review of the statistical procedures. Finally, I would like to thank my family and friends for their love and support through my three years of graduate study; and especially my husband Lance 0. Brewer for his endless patience, constant encouragement, love, and assistance during all stages of research and writing of this thesis. Margene K . Brewer ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. 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Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Order Number 1345229 A regional study of ground-water quality in Barry County, Michigan Brewer, Margene Kay, M.S. Western Michigan University, 1991 UMI 300 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................ ii LIST OF TABLES........................................... V LIST OF FIGURES......................................... vi INTRODUCTION............................................. 1 Phys iography........................................2 Surficial Geology................................... 5 Bedrock Geology..................................... 8 METHODOLOGY............................................. 15 Hydrogeology....................................... 15 Ground-water Quality............................... 15 Chemical Changes Along Flow Paths...................21 Influence of Landforms....... ..................... 24 HYDROGEOLOGY............................................25 Glacial Drift Aquifers........... .. .... ..........25 Bedrock Aquifer.................................... 27 Discussion......................................... 29 GROUND-WATER QUALITY.................................... 30 Background Drift Wells............................. 30 Degraded Drift Wells............................... 52 Background/Degraded Well Comparison................61 Bedrock Wells...................................... 71 Background Drift/Bedrock Well Comparison............74 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Table of Contents— Continued Discussion.........................................84 CHEMICAL CHANGES ALONG FLOW PATHS....................... 88 Recharge/Transition/Discharge Comparison.......... 88 Discussion.........................................92 INFLUENCE OF LANDFORMS.................................. 96 Moraine/Outwash Comparison......................... 96 Discussion........................................100 CONCLUSIONS............................................102 APPENDICES A. Normal Probability Plots....................... 105 B. EPA National Drinking Water Standards......... 121 BIBLIOGRAPHY...........................................124 iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES 1. Summary Statistics for Background Drift Wells...... 31 2. Summary Statistics for Chloride-degraded Wells.............................................. 53 3. Summary Statistics for Nitrate-degraded Wells.............................................. 55 4. Summary Statistics for Ammonium-degraded Wells............... 57 5. Two-sample Test Results from Comparison of Background and Chloride-degraded Wells..............62 6. Two-sample Test Results from Comparison of Background and Nitrate-degraded Well................64 7. Two-sample Test Results from Comparison of Background and Ammonium-degraded Wells..............66 8. Summary Statistics for Bedrock Wells............... 72 9. Two-sample Test Results from Comparison of Background Drift and Bedrock Wells..................75 10. Two-sample Test results from Comparison of Background Recharge and Discharge Wells.............89 11. Two-sample Test Results from Comparison of Background Moraine and Outwash Wells................98 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES 1. Location of Barry County in Michigan................ 3 2. Drainage Features in Barry County, Michigan............................................ 4 3. Surficial Geologic Landforms of Barry County, Michigan............................................ 6 4. Location of Barry County in the Michigan Bedrock Basin.............................................. 10 5. Bedrock Formations underlying the Glacial Drift in Barry County, Michigan........................ 11 6. Michigan Stratigraphic Column... .:................. 14 7. A Box-and-Whisker Representaion of Summary Statistics......................................... 18 8. Statistical Procedures Used on Barry County Data.... 20 9. The Influence of Topography on Regional Ground­ water Systems................ 23 10. Potentiometric Surface for the Glacial Drift Aquifer in Barry County, Michigan.................