GEORGIA STATE DIVISION OF CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT OF MINES, MINING AND GEOLOGY GARLAND PEYTON, Director THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Bulletin Number 52 GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF EAST-CENTRAL GEORGIA By PHILIP E. LAMOREAUX United States Geological Survey Published in cooperation with the Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior, Washington, D. C. ATLANTA 1946 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL Department of Mines, Mining and Geology Atlanta, May 7, 1946 To His Excellency, Ellis Arnall, Governor Commissioner Ex-Officio of State Division of Conservation Through The Hon. Nelson M. Shipp, Assistant Commissioner Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith Georgia Geological Sur­ vey Bulletin No. 52, "The Geology and Ground Water Resources of the Coastal Plain of East-Central Georgia," by Philip E. La­ Moreaux, Geologist, U. S. Geological Survey. It was the experience of the Georgia Geological Survey during the war years to receive many requests for strategic ground water information for a number of localities in the State. It has become evident to us of the growing importance of grouiid water supplies for private, municipal, and industrial demands. A water supply is necessary to even the smallest development. The information in this report should serve to answer the problems concerning ground water in the Coastal Plain area of east-central Georgia. The report covers the major portion of the hard and soft kaolin mining district of the State. This industry, and many new future industries, will demand large quantities of ground water. Therefore, a knowledge of the ground water resources of this area is of importance for future development in the region. Included with the ground water data is supplemental economic information on fuller's earth, kaolin, and limestone. It is especially desired to invite your attention to the geologic map of the area covered by this report. This map is considered an outstanding feature of the report, since it portrays the dif­ ferent formations in color and, in addition, designates the loca­ tion of the producing mines and other economic features. Very respectfully yours, GARLAND PEYTON Director III CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" 1 INTRODUCTION Purpose and scope of investigation --------------------------------------- 3 Location and extent of the area ---------------------------------------------- 3 Field work ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------- 3 Previous inv estigati on s ___________ ·-· ------------------------------------------------ 5 BibIi o gra p hy ---------------------------------------------------------------------c---------- 6 Acknowledgments --------------------------------~------------------------------- 8 .GEOGRAPHY Physiographic divisions -------------------------------------------·--------------- 9 Sand Hills ------------------------------------------·------------------------------------ 10 Red Hills -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Tifton Uplands______________________________________________________________________ 12 Drainage --~------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 12 · Transportation -------------------------·---------------------------~------------------- 13 Popula ti on ----------·------------------- ·--· ----------------------2------------------------- 14 Agriculture ---·------------------·-------------------------------------------------------- . 15 Natural resources and industries ------------------------------------------- 15 Climate ------~-----: _______________________________ "___________________ ,.. _________ (____________ 17 Temperature --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18 Precipita ti on -------------------------·------------------------------------------------- 18 OUTLINE OF GEOLOGY--------------------------------------------------------------·------- 22 GENERAL GROUND WATER CONDITIONS-----------------------.--------------- 23 Source of ground water------------------------------------------------------------ 23 Storage and movement of the ground water ________________________ 25 v C ONT.E NTS Page WATER TABLE---------------~--------------------------------------------~--~---- 27 ARTESIAN Co ND ITI0 NS ---------------,---------,-------"----------------------------- 27 RECOVERY---------------------------------------------------------------------~------------- 29 General features-----------------------~-------------------------------------------- 29 Dug wells --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 0 Bored wells --------------------------------------------------------------------" 3 0 Drilled wells -------------------------------------------"---------------------------"- 31 Rotary well rigs --------------------------------------------------------------- 31 Cable-tool rigs --------------------------------------~---------------------------- 32 Jetted wells -------~-------------------------------"-----------------------~"---- 32 Driven wells --------------------------------------------------"----------""------- 3 4 Springs -----------------------------------------------------"~-------------'~-~~-- 34 QuALITY oF GROUND WATER Introd ucti on -------------------------------~----------------"----------------""-~~"-"- 3 5 Chemical constituents in relation to use---------------------------- 35 Silica·---------------------------------------------------------------"----------------- 3 5 Iron_______________________ +-------~-----~c""-------"~------------------------~------- 3 6 Cal ci urn and magnesi urn_________________________________________________ 3 6 So di urn and po tassiurn _____________________ ""--------------------------~--- 3 6 Carbonate and bicarbonate______________________________________________ 37 Sulfate ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 7 Chi oride -----------------------------------------------------------------"------------ 3 7 Fluo ride -----------------------------------------~------------------------------------ 3 7 Nitrate -----------------------~---------------------------"-------------------------- 3 8 Total hardness ------------------------------------------------------------------- 38 VI CONTENTS Page GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS AND THEIR WATER-BEARING PROPERTIES ________________________________________________ 38 Pre-Cretaceous rocks ---------------------------------------------------------------- 38 Water supply ------------------------------------------------------------------ 40 Quality of water influenced by crystalline rocks________ 41 Cretaceous system (Upper Cretaceous)-----"-------------------------- 42 Tuscaloosa formation ___ c __ ~----------------------------------------------------- 42 Kaolin and bauxite________________________________________________________ 44 Water supply ------------------------------------------------------------------ 45 Quality of the water----------------------------------------------------- 4 7 Eocene Series (Upper Eocene)------------------------------------------------ 48 Channel sands__________________________________________________________________________ 48 Water supply ------------------------------------------------------------------ 51 Barnwell formation ---------------------------------------------------------------- 51 Twiggs clay member__________________________________________________________ 53 Fuller's earth --------------------------------------·---------------------------- 56 Limestone ------------------------~--------------------------------------------- 56 Ground water ------------------------------------------------------------------ 56 Quality of water______________ ------------------------------------------------ 57 Irwinton sand member----------------------------------------------------- 57 Limestone _________________________________ j____________________________________ 60 Water supply ------------------------------------------------------------------ 69 Quality of water-------------------------------------------------------------- 62 Upper sand member--------------------------------------------------------- 63 Water ·supply----------------------------------------------------------------- 65 Oligocene and Miocene series __________________________________________________ 65 VIr Page Residu um ____________________________________ "---------L-~-------~----"-"---c-ccc ____ "_ ·. 6 5 Water· supply ----------------------------~----------------------------------- 66 Quaternary ------------------------------------------------------------------~--------~---- 6 7 Alluvium and undifferentiated terrace deposits---------~- 67 Water supply ------------------------------------------------------------------ 67 COUNTY DESCRIPTIONS ---------------------·---------------------------·---------------- 67 Baldwin County ---------------------------------------------------------~--------- 68 Geography --------------C-----------------------------~------------------C----------- 68 Geology ------------------------+----------------------------------------~--------~-- 69 Ground water ________________ ------------------------------------------------------ 71 Quality of ground water------------------------------------------------- 71 Local supplies---------------------------------------------------~------~---------