UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR J. A. Krug, Secretary GEOLOGICAL SURVEY W. E. Wrather, Director Water-Supply Paper 999 GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF THE CINCINNATI AREA BUTLER AND HAMILTON COUNTIES OHIO BY FRED H. KLAER, JR., AND DAVID G. THOMPSON Prepared in cooperation with the Boards of Commissioners of Butler and Hamilton Counties, Ohio UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON : 1948 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing | Office, Washington 25, D. C. 2-9-48 i CONTENTS Page Abstract.. ..___________'____ 1 Introduction __ .__ -- ' 2 Purpose and scope of the investigation_____ __________ .-- 2 Location of the area__________ ._ _ 4 Previous investigations.. __ _________ ___ . _ 5 Well records.-________________________~___:__. _ 6 Acknowledgments__________________________________ -- 6 Geography. ________________________._ _ . 7 Surface features and drainage.._________________ ______ __ __ 7 Climate.. ... _________________ ___ ___ ___.. 9 Agricultural and industrial development_______________________._ 9 Geology ______... '__ 10 Summary of stratigraphy and structure.---.--._____.___________.-__-- 10 Glacial history......__________________________________________.-_-- 10 Water-bearing formations___._______......___________________ 16 General characteristics______________________._______-._ 16 Hydrologic properties_._.________-_.____________________________ 18 Test drilling......____________________________________........ .. 19 Precipitation. _______________________________________________________.. 21 Pumpage.. _________________________________.-__..__..__....__-.. 27 Water table and artesian conditions...__.____-._.__________________._-_-_ 29 Fluctuation of water levels.-_______.._._________._____.____-____.._.-_-_ 31 Artificial recharge_.._______.____..._.____.....__..__._______.-_._ 35 Quality of water.__________________________________________________________ 38 Ground water in specific localities_____._._.___._____._._....-_...._ 40 Miami Valley.______________. ___________________. _ 40 Middletown. ______.__._____...._.____.___.____.__-__________.-._ 41 Miami Valley between Middletown and New Miami____ ______ 51 New Miami_______________________________________________________ 52 Hamilton.--_.__________________________________________________ 54 Miami Valley south of Hamilton_____---_.__.__.._.._...__._...___--- 58 Divide area between Miami Valley and Mill Creek Valley________________ 61 Mill Creek Valley..._____.___.__..__._..__...___.______.___________..._ 64 Upper Mill Creek Valley____________-..______________________. _._ 64 Wyoming-Lockland-Reading_______________________________________ 73 Hartwell-Carthage-Elmwood Place._---_--_--_--._-.-..--__---___--.- 79 Ivorydale-St. Bernard___.___._._______.._________ 83 Lower Mill Creek Valley___._.___.___.__._._____._'....__....... .- 87 Cincinnati Basin______________________________________________._ 88 Norwood Trough and Little Miami Valley -_---_---_--_________-__-___- 90 Possible additional sources of water supply in Mill Creek Valley and the Norwood Trough____.__.__________ '... ________________________________ 97 Records of wells in Butler and Hamilton Counties, Ohio. __.__._--__________..-- 108 Index......__-___.-______.._______.__.__.._._.......___________........___ 167 ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE 1. Map of Butler and Hamilton Counties, Ohio, showing approximate limits of buried valleys, location of subareas, and locations of wells. _ _ _ In pocket 2. Ay Coarse gravel outcropping in the Moorman gravel pit, Middle- town, Butler County; B, Fine sand, overlain by silt and boulder- clay, in sand pit of National Distillers Corporation, Carthage, Hamilton County--------_--- -_---_______--_______________ 16 3. A, Cross^bedded sands and gravels in gravel pit of Tennessee Corpora­ tion, Glendale-Milford Road, Hamilton County; B, Portable tripod used for boring shallow test wells in Butler and Hamilton Counties, and weight used for driving wells-----------_--____-_ 17 4. At Automatic water-stage recorder used to record fluctuations of water level in wells; B, Wooden recorder shelter on well 212-1, Hamilton County._-----___________________________ 31 5. Graphs showing relation of water levels in observation wells, supply wells, and Miami River----_-_-_--__-__-__-_-_-_---_--___ In pocket 6. Map of Middletown, Butler County, showing location of wells and ap­ proximate limits of buried valleys. _-_-____-_--___________ In pocket 7. Map of Hamilton, Butler County, showing location of wells and ap­ proximate limits of buried valleys--..--_.___________---__ In pocket 8. Graphs of water level in wells 151-1, 151-2, and 160-2, Divide area, Butler County, January 17 to December 31, 1940._________ In pocket 9. Map of Mill Creek Valley from Flockton to Crescentville, Butler County, Ohio, showing location of wells and approximate limits of buried valley----..---------____-_-______-___---_---_ In pocket 10. Profile of land surface, water table, and piezometric surface in the Miami and Mill Creek Valleys, from Miami River south of Hamilton to Ivorydale, November 7-9, 1940-._______________ In pocket 11. Map of Mill Creek Valley from Crescentville to Jackson Road, showing location of wells and approximate limits of buried valley.-.. In pocket 12. Map of Wyoming-Lockland-Reading area, Mill Creek Valley, Hamilton County, showing location of wells and approximate limits of buried valley__---__---_-__-___---_____----_--_--_-_--------- In pocket 13. Graphs showing lowest water level reached in four wells in Hamilton County, as determined from recorder charts, July 1, 1938, to De­ cember 31, 1940.________________________ _ In pocket 14. Map of Ivorydale-St. Bernard area and Norwood Trough, showing location of wells and approximate limits of buried valleys.--. In pocket 15. Map of Cincinnati Basin area, Hamilton County, showing location of wells and approximate limits of buried valley --------------- In pocket FIGURE 1. Index map showing location and extent of the area_____-__-_____- 4 2. Pre-Illinoian drainage in the Cincinnati area, Ohio (after Fenneman)__ 12 3. Cumulative departure from normal precipitation, by years, at the Federal Building, 1871-1936, and at Abbe Observatory, 1916-40, inclusive, Cincinnati, Ohio____________________._-_--___--_ 22 4. Cumulative departure from normal precipitation, by months, at Abbe Observatory, January 1,1930, to December 31,1940----.____ 25 5. Precipitation, by months, at Abbe Observatory, near Mount Healthy, and at Hamilton and Middletown, January 1, 1938, to December 31, 1940 ._--_.__-_.____._________ __ ____.__-___-___ 27 IV ILLUSTRATIONS v Page 6. Monthly pumpage from wells of the eight largest users of ground water in the Wyoming-Lockland-Reading area, Hamilton County, Jan­ uary 1, 1939, to December 31, 1940...________________________ 28 7. Monthly pumpage from wells of the 14 largest users of ground water in the Ivorydale-St. Bernard area, Hamilton County, January 1, 1939, to December 31, 1940...._._......_..._.___.._........_ 29 8. Chart from automatic water-stage recorder on deep well at Glendale waterworks, Hamilton County, showing fluctuations of water level caused by pumping from a nearby well_..______._._ 33 9. Chart from automatic water-stage recorder in an observation well at Hamilton waterworks, Butler County, showing fluctuations of water level caused by pumping from a particular well or group of wells___-._._-_________-_-____..___________________--__ 33 10. Rise in water level in well 151-1, Flock ton, Butler County, Ohio, caused by heavy precipitation in April 1940. Well is 227 feet deep. Precipitation recorded at U. S. Weather Bureau Station, Hamil­ ton, Ohio ._-___-_._.___.___-_--__-____._-_____._-._.__-__ 34 11. Graphs of water level in the Moorman (J) and Smith (L) gravel pits, wells 29-1 and 33-1, and the Miami River at Central Avenue Bridge, Middletown, Butler County, October 1, 1938, to Decem­ ber 31, 1940...___..______..._._._____.-_-____-..._ 43 12. Graph of water level in well 85-7, Hamilton waterworks, New Miami, Butler County, March 7,1939, to December 31,1940_______ 53 13. Graph of water level in well 104-1, McGreevy Dairy Co., Hamilton, Butler County, November 30, 1938, to December 31, 1940. _ . _ 57 14. Graphs of water level in well 117 and gravel pit E, Miami Valley, Butler County, March 10, 1938, to December 31,1940___.... 60 15. Graphs of water level in wells 165-2, 173, 175, 180, and 204-3, Upper Mill Creek Valley, Butler and Hamilton Counties, July 14, 1938, to December 31, 1940.___....____.___________-.-. 66 16. Graphs of water level in wells 207-3, 207-5, and 212-1, Mill Creek Valley, Hamilton County, August 1,1938, to December 31,1940_ . 68 17. Graph of water level in well 218-3, Mill Creek Valley, Hamilton County, March 3 to December 31, 1940____________-... 72 18. Graphs of water level in wells 226, T-55, and T-80, Mill Creek Valley, Hamilton County, June 6, 1939, to December 31, 1940______ 78 19. Graph of water level in well 252, Carthage, Hamilton County, Novem­ ber 7, 1938, to December 31, 1940......_____._____._ 83 20. Graphs of water level in wells 265, 270-25, 270-a5, and 270-a4, Mill Creek Valley, Hamilton County, July 7, 1938, to December 31, 1940___.__........._.._...___..__......__.____...._.__.... 86 21. Graphs of water level in wells 315-3 and 317-14, Norwood Trough, Hamilton County, July 1, 1938, to December 31, 1940.......--. 92 22. Profile of land surface and water table in the Norwood Trough, Hamil­ ton County, from Ivorydale to Little Miami River..._.._._...__ 94 GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF THE CINCINNATI AREA BUTLER AND HAMILTON COUNTIES, OHIO By FRED H. KLAER, JR., and DAVID G. THOMPSON ABSTRACT The Cincinnati area, Butler and Hamilton Counties, Ohio, is in the southwest corner of the State and is bounded on the south by the Ohio River and on the west by the Indiana State line. The investigations covered ground-water conditions in the outwash-filled valleys of the Little Miami River, Norwood Trough, Mill Creek, and Miami River. Glaciation of the Cincinnati area Is responsible in large part for the large supplies of water obtained from underground sources.