Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 195 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR UNDERGROUND WATERS OF MISSOURI THEIR GEOLOGY AND UTILIZATION BY EDWARD M. SHEPARD WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1907 CONTENTS. Page Introduction............................................................. L Historical facts........................................................... 2 Requisite conditions for flowing artesian wells.............................. 3 Variation in the flow of artesian wells..................................... 5 Topography ............................................................. 7 Northwest plateau district ............................................ 7 North-central prairie district.......................................... 8 Ozark-St. Francis dome district. ..i.................................... 8 Ozark border district ................................................. 9 Southeastern lowlands district...........................'.............. 9 Lincoln Ridge district................................................ 10 Geology ................................................................. 11 Rock formations. ................^.... ................................ 11 General statement............. .................................. 11 Archean...................................... ..............^... 12 Knob Lick granite.................................... 13 Iron Mountain porphyry.............................. 13 Other igneous rocks .................................. 13 Cambrian........................................................ 13 La Motte sandstone...--..-..-..-..-..--...-...-...... 13 Boniieterre limestone................................. 14 Cambro-Ordovician.............................................. 14 Elvins formation..................................... 14 Gasconade limestone ................................. 14 Roubidoux sandstone................................. 15 Jefferson City limestone .............................. 15 St. Peter sandstone................................... 16 Joachim limestone ................................... 17 Ordovician........................................ .............. 17 Silurian ......................................................... 17 Devonian ....._.....*.................. .._...................... 18 Carboniferous.................................................... 18 Mississippian ................................................ 18 Louisiana limestone .........................--.-----. 18 Hannibal formation .................................. 19 Chouteau formation .................................. 20 Burlington limestone ................................. 20 Keokuk limestone.................................... 21 Warsaw formation.................................... 21 Spergen limestone.................................... 21 St. Louis limestone.-..-..........-...-.--...-...----. 22. Chester group........................................ 22 IH IV CONTENTS. Geology Continued. Page. Rock formations Continued. Carboniferous Continued. Pennsylvanian .............................. r .^.. ........... 22 Des Moines group ........................................ 22 Graydon formation.................................... 22 Cherokee shale....................................... 23 Henrietta, limestone -.-......-...............-...-..-- 23 Pleasanton shale -..............--.-....-....-...-.--- 23 Missouri group........................................... 24 Cretaceous....................................................... 24 Tertiary......................................................... 24 Porters Creek formation .............................. 24 Lagrange formation .................................. 25 Lafayette gravel...--.-..-..-...--......--..-.--.---.. 25 Quaternary ................. .................................... 25 Columbia clay ....................................... 25 Alluvium, etc........................................ 25 Geologic history......__............--..._......-...._............_... 26 Archean......................................................... 26 Cambrian and Carnbro-Ordovician ................................ 26 Ordovician....................................................... 27 Silurian and Devonian............................................ 27 Carboniferous.................................................... 27 Mesozoic ........................................................ 28 Tertiary ......................................................... 29 Quaternary ...................................................... 29 Descriptions of geologic sections....................................... 29 Section from Glenwood, Iowa, to Brunswick, Mo....... ........... 29 Section from Kansas City to Lebanon.............................. 31 Section from St. Joseph to Versailles .............................. 32 Section from Forest City to St. Louis .............. ............... 33 Section from Arcadia, Kans., to Memphis, Term...... ............. 34 Section from Doniphan, Mo., to Hickman, Ky ..................... 35 Section from Doniphan, Mo., to Cairo, 111.......................... 35 Section from Pleasant Hill to- Louisiana............................ 36 Section from Higginsville to Hannibal............................. 37 Section from Moberly southwest to Nevada, thence south to Carthage and east to Springfield.......................................... 38 Section from Pacific, Mo., to Greenville, 111 ........................ 41 Section from Keokuk, Iowa, to St. Louis, Mo....................... 41 Underground waters..... ................................................ 43 Artesian districts..................................................... 43 Northeastern district ....................1............................ 43 General artesian conditions ........................................ 43 Clark County .................................................... 44 Kahoka ..................................................... 44 Lewis County.................................................... 45 Canton ...................................................... 45 Lagrange .................................................... 46 Lincoln County .................................................. 48 Troy ........................................................ 48 Marion County .................................................... 48 Hannibal.................................................... 48 CONTENTS. V Underground waters Continued. Page. Northeastern district Coutiuued. Marion County Continued. Nelson ville .................................................. 50 Palmyra............. ....................................... 51 Oakwood.................................................... 51 Pike County..................................................... 52 Louisiana.................................................... 52 Balls County..................................................... 53 Renssdlaer.................................................... 53 Spalding..................................................... 54 North-central district................................................. 55 General artesian conditions ....................................... 55 Adair County.................................................... 55 Kirksviite ..................................'................. 55 Caldwell County ................................................. 56 Braymer .................................................... 56 Carroll County................................................... 57 Carrollton ................................................... 57 Tina ........................................................ 58 Clay County ..................................................... 58 Excelsior Springs............................................ 58 Kearney..--......-...........-...-.-.-.- .--.--..-..--...-.. 60 Daviess County .................................................. 60 Gallatin ..................................................... 60 Harrison County................................................. 61 Bethany..................................................... 61 Holt County..................................................... 62 Forest City .................................................. 62 Linn County..... ............................................... 66 Brookfield................... ............................... 66 St. Catherine................. .............................. 66 Livingston County................................................ 67 Chillicothe................................................... 67 Utica ;....................................................... 67 Mercer County................................................... 68 Wasson Creek....................................... ........ 68 Princeton ............ ^..............................,......... 70 Nodaway County -. ................................................ 70 Burlington Junction....................... .................. 70 Maryville.................................................... 70 South-central district............. ................................... 71 General artesian conditions.................-----.----..-.-.-.-.... 71 Audrain County.................................................. 72 Mexico...................................................... 72 Vandalia .................................................... 73 Boone County.................................................... 73 Columbia...................................................