Geology topics
Research about Louisville, Kentucky
Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Louisville, Kentucky.
Chloroform contamination in part of the alluvial aquifer, Southwest Louisville, Kentucky
A well in the Ohio River alluvium at Louisville, Ky., has been yielding water with chloroform concentrations as high as 34.80 milligrams per liter since July 1975. A spill of 5,000 gallons of chloroform in 1970, 120 feet from the well, is probably the source of the contamination. The chloroform is adsorbed in the unsaturated zone in the alluvium; the greatest concentrations are presently at and slightly above the water table. Lesser amounts of carbon tetrachloride are found with the chloroform. Its source is unknown. The two contaminants were above the water table in the alluvium until a long-term trend of rising ground-water levels caused water to reach the contaminants and the water-chloroform mixture began moving downgradient to the well. High river stages cause a seasonal cycle of water-level rise, generally in late spring and midsummer; the ground water comes in contact with more chloroform and the chloroform concentration of the well water increases. No carbon tetrachloride has been observed in the well water.
Rising ground-water level in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, 1972-1977
Ground-water levels in the alluvial aquifer in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky, are rising at a rate which could cause wet basements and possible structural damage tc buildings in the downtown area by 1982. The predicted water level for 1982 is based on the nearly linear increase which has been observed from 1972 to 1977, during which period a rise of as much as 32 feet was recorded in water-level observation wells. Foremost among the possible causes of the rise is a decrease in withdrawal of ground water.
Summary of hydrologic conditions of the Louisville area, Kentucky
Water problems and their solutions have been associated with the growth and development of the Louisville area for more than a century. Many hydrologic data that aided water users in the past can be applied to present water problems and will be helpful for solving many similar problems in the future. Most of the water problems of Louisville, a water-rich area, concern management and are associated with the distribution of supplies, the quality of water, drainage, and waste disposal. The local hydrologic system at Louisville is dominated by the Ohio River and the glacial-outwash deposits beneath its flood plain. The water-bearing limestones in the uplands are ,secondary sources of water. The average flow of the Ohio River at Louisville, 73 billion gallons per day, and the potential availability of 370 million gallons per day of ground water suitable for industrial cooling purposes minimize the chance of acute water shortage in the area. Under current development, use of water averages about 211 million gallons per day, excluding about 392 million gallons of Ohio River water circulated daily through steampower plants and returned directly to the river. Optimum use and control of the water resources will be dependent on solving several water problems. The principal sources of water are in the Ohio River bottom land, whereas the new and potential centers of use are in the uplands. Either water must be piped to these new centers from the present sources or new supplies must be developed. Available data on streamflow and ground water are adequate to plan for the development of small local supplies. Since the completion of floodwalls and levees in 1953, widespread damage from flooding is a thing of the past in the Louisville area. Some local flooding of unprotected areas and of lowlands along tributary streams still takes place. The analyses of streamflow data are useful in planning for protection of these areas, but additional streamflow records and flood-area mapping are needed to best solve the problem. Droughts are a problem only to users of small water supplies in the uplands, where additional water either can be imported or developed locally. Pollution and undesirable chemical quality of water for some uses are the most serious drawbacks to the optimum development of the water resources in Louisville and Jefferson County. Available chemical analyses of ground water are useful for determining its suitability for various uses, but additional data are needed to guide management decisions. Sources of contamination should be inventoried and water samples analyzed periodically to monitor changes in quality.
An aquifer test in the southwestern part of the Louisville area, Kentucky
The unconsolidated sand and gravel deposits along the Ohio River at Louisville, Ky. contain a large quantity of ground water. Parts of the aquifer have been overdeveloped in recent years, however, and at the present time great emphasis is being placed on proper location, development, and use of ground-water supplies. The present trend of industrial growth is to the southwest of the city in the undeveloped area along the Ohio River, where the yields to individual wells are higher and relatively large supplies can be developed. The average coefficient of permeability and storage coefficient of the aquifer here are 1,500 gallons per day per square foot and 0.2, respectively.
Ground water in northeastern Louisville, Kentucky with reference to induced infiltration
In cooperation with the city of Louisville, Ky., the U. S. Geological Survey made a detailed investigation during the period February 1945 to March 1947 of the ground-water resources of a 3-square-mile area along the Ohio River north-east of Louisville. Test drilling shows that the principal aquifer consists of about 80 feet of glacial-outwash sands and gravels lying in an old river channel which was cut into rocks of Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian age. The total ground-water storage in the area is estimated as 7 billion gallons. The ground-water levels are affected by changes in river elevation, by rainfall, and by the effects of pumping in the downtown part of Louisville 3 miles to the southwest. In the northeastern part of the area the flow of ground water, as defined by contour maps, is toward the river, and in the southwestern part of the area it is from the river toward the downtown area of overpumping. Ground water in the area has an average temperature of 56° F. The water, which is moderately hard, is suitable for domestic and industrial uses. Analysis of a pumping test made during the investigation proves that infiltration supplies can be developed. Studies to determine the degree of connection between the river and aquifer were made on the basis of chemical analyses, sections showing temperature distribution in the aquifer during the pumping test, shapes of water-level profiles in the test area, and shapes of time-drawdown curves for a number of observation wells. Quantitative studies to evaluate the hydrologic constants of the aquifer were made by both graphical and mathematical methods. The transmissibility was determined as 121,000 gpd/ft in the test area; the distance to the line source, 400 feet; and the coefficient of storage, 0.0003. A comparison of river-level fluctuations and water-level fluctuations in observation wells shows that conditions along the 6.4-mile reach of river are not greatly different from those at the site of the pumping test. It is estimated that under adverse temperature and river-stage conditions infiltration supplies could be developed to the extent of 280 million gpd in the entire 6.4-mile reach investigated; at average river-water temperature (59° F) about 400 million gpd could be developed. Diagrams were drawn showing the estimated yield of wells of different radii, at various distances from the river, and at various spacings. In making the computations allowance was made for screen losses, dewatering of the aquifer, partial penetration of wells, location wells, eccentricity of large wells, and interference among wells.
Ground-water resources of the southwestern part of the Louisville area, Kentucky
No abstract available.
Chemical analyses of water from wells in the Louisville area, Kentucky
No abstract available.