Hydrogeology and ground-water quality at Naval Support Activity Memphis, Millington, Tennessee
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Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Geology topics
J. K. Carmichael
Publications and source records attributed to J. K. Carmichael.
Water-quality and well-construction data for selected farmstead wells in Tennessee
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Open-File Report↗
Construction, lithologic, and hydrologic data for test wells in the Cedar Grove area, Carroll County, Tennessee
Four test wells were drilled near Cedar Grove in Carroll County, Tennessee, in 1991 to obtain geologic and hydrologic information about the post-Cretaceous strata in the study area. Samples of cuttings and geophysical logs were used to determine the lithology and stratigraphy at the drilling sites. Specific-capacity tests and water-quality analyses were conducted at two test wells completed in the Memphis Sand. Yields of the two test wells were 275 gallons per minute and greater than 350 gallons per minute. The specific capacities for the two wells equalled 17.8 and 10.0 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown, respectively.
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Ground-water hydrology of the lower Wolftever Creek basin, with emphasis on the Carson Spring area, Hamilton County, Tennessee
An investigation of the ground-water-flow system that supplies Carson Spring and the surrounding lower Wolftever Creek basin northeast of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was conducted from September 1986 through December 1989. About two-thirds of the lower basin is underlain by the Chepultepec Dolomite of Ordovician age. Test drilling within a few miles of the spring showed that numerous solution cavities have developed in this formation; many are partly or completely plugged with cherty gravels and mud. In the recharge area to the spring, the formation can provide yields of 100 to perhaps 600 gallons of water per minute to bedrock wells. A well that penetrated a well-integrated cavity system underlying Carson Spring was tested at 2,000 gallons per minute. From May 1987 through December 1989, mean daily withdrawals from four wells at Carson Spring ranged from 4.78 to 5.83 cubic feet per second; mean daily spring discharge, which includes withdrawals, ranged from 5.53 to 5.79 cubic feet per second. For a 16-month drought period during 1987 and 1988, withdrawals from these wells exceeded natural spring discharge, and demonstrates that for a period of many consecutive months, the aquifer supplying the spring is capable of yielding more water than the spring would have discharged under natural conditions. Although the lower basin encompasses 17 square miles, the Carson Spring recharge area probably is not greater than 9 square miles. Most water not captured by cavities supplying the spring is discharged to Wolftever Creek. In the lower basin, the rate of ground-water discharge to the creek is about twice the average rate of discharge (0.25 cubic foot per second per square mile of drainage area) to area streams. Principal constituents in ground water in the lower basin are calcium and bicarbonate, or calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate. Specific conductance commonly ranges from 100 to 700 microsiemens per centimeter, and pH usually ranges from about 7 to 8. Overall, the ground water is of good quality and suitable for most uses. Several potential sources of degradation are present and arise from industrial, municipal, and domestic activities.
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Reconnaissance of quality of water from farmstead wells in Tennessee, 1989-90
Data for fecal bacteria, nitrate, organic compounds, iron, manganese, and pH were collected during 1989-90 as part of a statewide reconnaissance of ground-water quality in 150 domestic farm wells in Tennessee. The biological and chemical data for each well were grouped according to eight of the nine principal aquifers in the State and analyzed for local and regional variation within and among these aquifers. Water samples from 45 percent of the wells statewide tested positive for fecal cot[form or streptococci bacteria. Regionally, samples from 20 percent of the wells in the primarily unconsoli- dated sedimentary aquifers in western Tennessee tested positive for either or both bacteria, compared with samples from 54 percent of the wells in the consolidated bedrock aquifers in the central and eastern parts of the State. Although nitrate nitrogen equaled or exceeded the 10.0 milligrams per liter primary drinking-water standard in only 3 percent of the wells sampled statewide, samples from 20 percent of the wells had nitrate nitrogen concentrations that exceeded 3.00 milligrams per liter possibly indicating human influence on ground-water quality. Estimated total concentrations of organic compounds were less than 5 micrograms per liter in samples from 92 percent of the wells statewide. Concentrations of iron and manganese equaled or exceeded their secondary standards of 300 and 50 micrograms per liter in samples from 35 and 25 percent of the wells, respectively, with the largest concentrations identified in samples from the alluvial and Pennsylvanian sandstone aquifers. Samples from 25 percent of the wells, had a pH below the lower secondary standard of 6.5 units, with most of these samples from the unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers in western Tennessee.
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Evaluation of subsurface exploration, sampling, and water-quality-analysis methods at an abandoned wood-preserving plant site at Jackson, Tennessee
Direct Push Technology (DPT) and a modified-auger method of sampling were used at an abandoned wood-preserving plant site at Jackson, Tennessee, to collect lithologic data and ground-water samples in an area known to be affected by a subsurface creosote plume. The groundwater samples were analyzed using (1) gas chromatography with photo-ionization detection (GS/PID), (2) high- performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), (3) colonmetric phenol analysis, and (4) toxicity bioassay. DPT piezocone and cone-penetrometer-type tools provided lithologic data and ground-water samples at two onsite stations to a depth of refusal of about 35 feet below land surface. With the assistance of an auger rig, this depth was extended to about 65 feet by pushing the tools in advance of the augers. Following the DPT work, a modified-auger method was tested by the USGS. This method left doubt as to the integrity of the samples collected once zones of contamination were penetrated. GC/PID and HPLC methods of water-quality analysis provided the most data concerning contaminants in the ground-water and proved to be the most effective in creosote plume detection. Analyses from these methods showed that the highest concentrations of contaminants were detected at depths less than about 35 feet below land surface. Phenol analyses provided data supplemental to the HPLC analyses. Bioassay data indicated that toxicity associated with the plume extended to depths of about 55 feet below land surface.
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Element concentrations in growth rings of trees near an abandoned wood-preserving plant site at Jackson, Tennessee
Multielement analysis was performed on individual annual rings of trees growing at and near an abandoned wood-preserving plant site in Jackson, Tennessee, that operated from the early 1930's until 1981. Numerous organic compounds associated with the wood-preserving process have been detected in soils, ground water, and surface water within much of the site. Tree-ring investigations were conducted prior to investigations of ground water downgradient from the site to determine if trees preserved an areal and temporal record of contaminant movement into offsite areas. Increment cores were collected from trees on the abandoned plant site, in downgradient areas west and south of the site, and at two locations presumably unaffected by contamination from the site. Multielement analysis by proton-induced X-ray emission was performed on 5 to 15 individual growth rings from each of 34 trees that ranged in age from about 5 to 50 years. Concentrations of 16 elements were evaluated by analyzing average concentrations within the 1987, 1989, and 1990 rings of all trees; analyzing element-concentration trends along entire core radii; and analyzing element correlations between and among trees. Concentrations of some nutrients and trace metals were elevated in the outermost sapwood rings of some trees that grow south and southwest of the most contaminated part of the site; small trees on the main part of the site and larger trees to the west generally contained fewer rings with elevated concentrations, particularly of trace metals. Concentrations of several elements elevated in tree rings also were elevated in water samples collected from the reach of a stream that flows near the southwestern part of the site. Multielement analysis of each ring of a willow growing along the southern boundary of the site detected extremely large concentrations of chromium, nickel, and iron in rings that formed in 1986 and thereafter. Relative increases in the concentrations of these elements also were detected in a silver maple growing next to the willow, but not in another silver maple growing 150 meters farther to the west. An oak growing in the southwestern part of the study area contained large concentrations of calcium and several trace elements, and some trees south of the abandoned site contained large concentrations of phosphorus or potassium. Concentrations of trace metals and nutrients in some trees may be related to wood-preserving activities at the site and possibly to remedial efforts conducted during the early to mid 1980's.However, the possibility cannot be discounted that large concentrations of some elements are from sources other than the wood-preserving facility, or in part from flooding of the South Fork Forked Deer River.
Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
Altitude of potentiometric surface, fall 1985, and historic water-level changes in the Memphis aquifer in western Tennessee
Recharge to the Memphis aquifer of Tertiary age is from precipitation on the outcrop, which forms a broad belt across western Tennessee, or by downward infiltration of water from the overlying fluvial deposits of Tertiary(?) and Quaternary age and alluvium of Quaternary age. In the outcrop-recharge belt, where the Memphis aquifer is under water-table conditions, the potentiometic surface is complex and generally conforms to the topography. To the west of the outcrop-recharge belt where the Memphis aquifer is confined, the potentiometric surface gently slopes westward, and water moves slowly in that direction. A major cone of depression in the potentiometric surface in the Memphis area is the result of long-term (1886-present) pumping at municipal and industrial well fields. Data from five observation wells in the Memphis aquifer indicate that water levels have declined at average rates ranging from less than 0.1 to 1.3 feet per year during the period 1928-85. The largest declines have been in the Memphis area, where withdrawals averaged about 191 million gallons per day in 1985. The record from an observation well located near the center of the major cone of depression in the Memphis area indicates that water levels ceased to decline in about 1975 and that the center of the cone essentially has stabilized. The record from another well away from the center of the cone indicates that water levels are still declining at a low rate, and that the cone is still expanding as a result of the effects of pumping. Water levels in large areas of western Tennessee, away from the effects of pumping, have fluctuated only in response to long-term variations in precipitation on the outcrop-recharge belt. Long-term changes in water levels in these areas have been small.
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Geology and ground-water resources of the Cockfield Formation in western Tennessee
The Cockfield Formation of the Claiborne Group of Tertiary age underlies approximately 4,000 sq mi in western Tennessee. The formation consists primarily of lenticular beds of very fine to coarse sand, silt, clay, and lignite. The Cockfield Formation has been extensively eroded, and the original thickness is preserved only in a few areas where the formation ranges from 235 to 270 ft in thickness. Recharge to the Cockfield aquifer is from precipitation on sparse outcrops or by downward infiltration of water from the overlying fluvial deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age and alluvium of Quaternary age or, where present, the overlying Jackson Formation of Tertiary age. Data from two observation wells indicate that water levels have risen at average rates of about 0.5 and 0.7 ft/year during the period 1980-85. Water from the Cockfield aquifer is a calcium bicarbonate type that contains low concentrations of most major constituents, and generally is suitable for most uses. Dissolved-solids concentrations range from 44 to 218 mg/L. Data from two aquifer tests indicate transmissivities of 2,500 and 6 ,000 sq ft/day and storage coefficients of 0.0003 and 0.0007, respectively. The Cockfield aquifer presently provides small to moderate quantities of water for several public and industrial water supplies and small quantities to numerous domestic and farm wells. Withdrawals for public and industrial supplies in 1983 averaged about 3.3 million gal/day. (USGS)
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Geology and ground-water resources of the Memphis Sand in western Tennessee
The Memphis Sand of the Claiborne Group of Tertiary age underlies approximately 7,400 square miles in western Tennessee. The formation primarily consists of a thick body of very fine to very coarse sand that includes subordinate lenses or beds of clay and silt at various horizons. The Memphis Sand ranges from 0 to about 900 feet in thickness, but where the original thickness is preserved, it is about 400 to 900 feet thick. The Memphis Sand yields water to wells in most of the area of occurrence in western Tennessee and, where saturated, makes up the Memphis aquifer. Recharge to the Memphis aquifer is from precipitation on the outcrop, which is a broad belt across western Tennessee, or by downward infiltration of water from the overlying fluvial deposits of Tertiary(?) and Quatemary age and alluvium of Quatemary age. Long-term data from five observation wells indicate that water levels have declined at average rates ranging from less than 0.1 to 1.3 feet per year during the period 1928-83. The largest declines have been in the Memphis area. Water from the Memphis aquifer generally is a calcium bicarbonate type, but locally is a sodium bicarbonate or mixed type. The water contains low concentrations of most major constituents and generally is suitable for most uses. Dissolved-solids concentrations range from 19 to 333 milligrams per liter. The results from 76 aquifer tests made in the Memphis area and western Tennessee during the period 1949-62 indicate that transmissivities range from 2,700 to 53,500 feet squared per day, and storage coefficients range from 0.0001 to 0.003. The Memphis aquifer provides moderate to large quantities of water for many public and industrial water supplies in western Tennessee and small quantities to numerous domestic and farm wells. Withdrawals for public and industrial supplies in 1983 averaged about 227 million gallons per day, of which 183 million gallons per day were in the Memphis area. The Memphis aquifer has much potential for future use, particularly at places outside the Memphis area.
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Altitude of potentiometric surface, fall 1985, and historic water-level changes in the Fort Pillow aquifer in western Tennessee
Recharge to the Fort Pillow aquifer of Tertiary age is from precipitation on the outcrop, which forms a narrow belt across western Tennessee, and by downward infiltration of water from the overlying fluvial deposits of Tertiary(?) and Quaternary age and alluvium of Quaternary age or, where the upper confining unit is absent, from the overlying Memphis aquifer of Tertiary age. The potentiometric surface in the Fort Pillow aquifer slopes gently westward from the outcrop-recharge area, and the water moves slowly in that direction. A depression in the potentiometric surface in the Memphis area is the result of past pumping at Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division well fields (1924-74), past and present pumping at an industrial well field at Memphis, and the municipal well field at West Memphis, Ark. Withdrawals from the Fort Pillow aquifer in western Tennessee in 1985 averaged about 12 million gallons per day. Water-level data from four observation wells, all in areas affected by pumping, indicate that water levels have declined at average rates ranging from about 0.4 to 0.9footperyearduring the past 40years (1945-85). The greatest rate of decline was as much as 4.0 feet per year between 1945 and 1954 in an observation well in a well field of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division at Memphis. In 1971, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division ceased pumping from the Fort Pillow aquifer at this well field, and between 1971 and 1976, water levels rose about 28 feet in this well. Water levels in the Fort Pillow aquifer in large areas of western Tennessee away from the effects of pumping have fluctuated only in response to long-term variations in precipitation on the outcrop-recharge belt. Long-term changes in water levels in these areas have been small.
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An investigation of shallow ground-water quality near East Fork Poplar Creek, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
Alluvial soils and fill materials in and near the floodplain of East Fork Poplar Creek in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, are contaminated with various trace metals (primarily mercury), organic compounds, and radionuclides that were lost to the stream as a result of past operations at the Y-12 Plant, a nuclear-processing facility located within the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Reservation. Observation wells were installed in the shallow (above bedrock) aquifer in and near the floodplain of East Fork Poplar Creek and water-quality samples were collected to determine if contaminants found in the soils and fill are also present in the shallow ground water. The shallow aquifer in the East Fork Poplar Creek flood plain consists primarily of alluvial silt and clay with lesser amounts of sand and gravel. Thickness of the shallow aquifer ranges from essentially zero to as much as 20 feet. A silty-clay glei horizon is present between the base of the alluvium and the top of bedrock at most flood-plain locations and, where present, likely impedes downward ground-water movement. Water in the shallow aquifer near East Fork Poplar Creek occurs under water-table conditions. Recharge to the shallow aquifer is principally from precipitation, and discharge is through springs and seeps to East Fork Poplar Creek and its tributaries. During spring, summer; and fall, evapotranspiration also accounts for the removal of water in storage in the shallow aquifer. Water levels in the shallow aquifer fluctuate seasonally in response to variations in recharge and evapotranspiration. Generally, the depth to water in the observation wells ranged from about 1 to 4 feet below land surface in late winter, and from about 2 to 7 feet below land surface in late fall. During extremely dry periods, the water table recedes below the top of bedrock in some flood-plain areas, possibly causing East Fork Poplar Creek to lose water to the shallow aquifer along some reaches. Contaminants found in water samples collected from several of the observation wells in concentrations (total and (or) total-recoverable) which equaled or exceeded drinking-water standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are antimony, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, total phenols, and strontium-90. Total and dissolved uranium concentrations exceeded 1.0 microgram per liter in samples from nearly 70 percent of the wells in the East Fork Poplar Creek flood plain. Organic compounds that were identified in low concentrations in samples from a few wells in the flood plain are: Arochlor 1260, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, chrysene, 3,3-dichlorobenzidine, di-n-butylphthalate, N-nitrosodiphenylamine, and pyrene. Water from one well in the East Fork Poplar Creek flood plain at a contaminated fill site contained 37and 8 micrograms per liter of trichloroethene and trans-1,2-dichloroethene, respectively. Comparison of the results of total and (or) total-recoverable trace-metal determinations with those from dissolved determinations demonstrates that elevated concentrations of these substances in water collected from several of the wells in the East Fork Poplar Creek flood plain resulted from sorption of trace metals (and possibly organic compounds and radionuclides) by fine sediment suspended in the samples. The occurrence of contaminated sediment in these samples is suspected to be the result of borehole contamination during well installation.
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Geology and ground-water resources of the Fort Pillow Sand in western Tennessee
This report was prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the Gulf Coast Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (GC RASA) program. The GC RASA study area covers about 230,000 mi 2 onshore in Louisiana and parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, and Texas. About 60,000 mi 2 offshore on the continental shelf also are included because the aquifers extend beyond the coast line beneath the Gulf of Mexico. The study is limited to the Coastal Plain sediments of Tertiary and younger age, except for an area in the Mississippi embayment where Upper Cretaceous sediments supply ground water in parts of several States. The objectives of the GC RASA study are to define the geohydrologic framework, to describe the chemistry of the ground water, and to analyze the regional ground-water flow system (Grubb, 1984).
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Preliminary assessment of ground-water resources of Lauderdale County, Tennessee
The ground-water resource in Lauderdale County is in a rudimentary stage of development. The principal shallow aquifers are the Mississippi alluvial deposits of Quaternary age and the Cockfield Formation, Memphis Sand, and Fort Pillow Sand of Tertiary age. Water levels fluctuate seasonally. High water levels generally occur in the winter, spring, or early summer, and low water levels occur in the fall or early winter. Water from the Mississippi alluvial deposits, Cockfield Formation, and Memphis Sand is a calcium bicarbonate type and is generally of good quality. Undesirable parameters from the standpoint of use are hardness and concentrations of dissolved iron and dissolved solids. The Fort Pillow Sand, as yet untapped, has potential to yield a sodium bicarbonate type of water of somewhat better quality than is available from the shallow aquifers. Estimated values of transmissivity from single-well pumping tests are highest for the Mississippi alluvial deposits and lowest for the Cockfield. Several north-northeast and west-northwest trending faults cross the country.
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