Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in Coshocton County, Ohio (1961-1990); data collected at Agriculture Research Station, Coshocton County.
Paul D. Golden
Karen T. Ricker
Larry C. Brown
Water is a resource often taken for granted. In recent years, water availability and quality have become important public concerns in Coshocton County. The county's population of 35,427 (1990 census data) is predominantly rural, and 99 percent of households rely on ground water for their water supply. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of Coshocton County's water resources, and is intended to help increase public awareness and understanding about this vital resource. By understanding where water is obtained and how it is used in the county, residents can gain a better appreciation for their water supply. The water resources terminology used in this publication is included in Surface and Ground Water Terminology, Fact Sheet AEX 460, which provides a listing of generally accepted water resource definitions. Ohio State University Extension publications are available through all Ohio county Extension offices.
An average of approximately 38 inches of precipitation falls on Coshocton County annually. Figure 1 illustrates the average monthly precipitation for the county for the period 1937 to 1993. Based on this 57-year record, the average precipitation is 3.1 inches per month, with February (2.2 inches) typically being the driest month, and July (4.5 inches) the wettest. However, there can be extreme variations in some years and in certain months within a year. Such seasonal and yearly extremes may have serious consequences, and are not always apparent from the long-term precipitation information.
Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in Coshocton
County, Ohio (1961-1990); data collected at Agriculture Research
Station, Coshocton County.
Coshocton County lies in the Muskingum River Basin. The basin is the largest watershed in Ohio draining 8,051 square miles in a 24-county region. The Muskingum River proper, formed by the Tuscarawas and Walhonding rivers at Coshocton, flows 112 miles to Marietta where it joins the Ohio River. Another principal feeder stream in Coshocton County is Wills Creek. Wills Creek Lake is one of the 10 permanent lakes in the original Muskingum system. Mohawk Dam, a dry dam located near Warsaw in western Coshocton County, is used to impound runoff only when downstream flooding conditions are anticipated. A generalized surface-water map of Coshocton County is given in Figure 2.
Surface waters are affected by the soil type and topography of the land adjacent to them, and the way humans use the land. Land use, such as residential development, construction, and agricultural production, can increase the amount of sediment entering a body of water. The type of soils in an area also influences water runoff because of the soil's infiltration and water holding characteristics. With some soils, rainfall is more likely to run off, while other soils allow water to infiltrate more readily.
The county contains approximately 359,616 land acres (567 square miles) of which approximately 50 percent is farmland. Forty-four soil types have been identified in the county and vary in drainage ability from poorly drained to well drained. A large portion of the soils are considered well drained. The county water acreage consists of about 1,212 acres of lakes, including the 900-acre Wills Creek Lake, as well as 28 private lakes and ponds ranging in size from 5 to 45 acres. The county contains approximately 513 linear miles of major streams and rivers [estimated from river basin maps, Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Water]. In addition, there are numerous miles of privately maintained ditches used for land drainage. This availability lends itself to many uses by both communities and individuals.
Figure 2. Surface-water resources in Coshocton County, Ohio
(adapted from ODNR Division of Water river basin maps;
illustration prepared by 4-H Landfried).
Three main aquifers provide ground water for Coshocton County. The unconsolidated coarse grained sand and gravel aquifer is the most productive, and is located in the river valleys that cut through the center of the county from east to west and from northwest to southeast. Yields of 100 to 1000 gallons per minute (gpm) or more are obtainable from the thick permeable deposits of sand and gravel beneath the flood plains adjacent to the Muskingum River, and are also located in a portion of Wakatomika Creek. The ancient drainage channel beneath the Muskingum River from Coshocton to Dresden is filled with as much as 135 feet of coarse deposits of sand, gravel, boulders, and thin layers of clay. Proven yields of as much as 1500 gpm have been developed in the vicinity of Conesville. In the southeastern portion of the county, including the Plainfield area, yields up to 100 gpm are possible from valley fill material containing sand and gravel deposits. Scattered throughout the county, the sandstone, shale, and limestone aquifers offer limited yields that range from 25 gpm to less than 3 gpm. An overview of the ground-water resources in the county is given in Coshocton County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.16.
The yield of a well will vary considerably depending on the age and depth of the well, well construction, the diameter of the casing, pump capacity and age, and more importantly, properties of the geologic formation. Specific information on ground-water availability and wells can be obtained by contacting ODNR Division of Water.
Based on long-term weather records, Ohio receives an average of 38 inches of precipitation per year. These 38 inches move through a complex path called the hydrologic cycle. Of these 38 inches, about 10 inches (26 percent) become runoff, which moves immediately to surface-water bodies such as streams and lakes. Two inches are retained at the ground surface and evaporate back into the atmosphere in a relatively short period of time. Twenty-six of the 38 total inches enter the soil surface through infiltration. Twenty of these 26 inches go into soil storage and later are returned to the atmosphere by the combination of evaporation and transpiration (evapotranspiration). The remaining 6 inches of precipitation (16 percent of the total) have the potential to recharge the ground-water supply. Two of these 6 inches eventually move to springs, lakes, or streams as ground-water discharge. The remaining 4 inches either return to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration or are withdrawn to supply water needs. For further reading, refer to Ohio's Hydrologic Cycle, AEX 461.
Statewide averages applied to the county's average annual precipitation, provide a rough estimate of how many inches will result in runoff and how many inches have the potential to reach aquifers. Based on statewide averages of runoff and ground-water recharge, Coshocton County's 38 inches of average annual precipitation result in about 10 inches of runoff to streams and lakes, and about 6.1 inches have the potential to recharge aquifers annually. Values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions.
Water use for each of Coshocton County's public water-supply systems is given in Table 1. For each water system, this table presents an estimate of the population served, water source, estimated daily usage and treatment plant capacity. The county's largest public-water system is the Coshocton system, which uses seven wells for its supply. Echoing Hills, a small system that uses a pond as its source, is the only reported system in Coshocton County using surface water. This facility has 16 connections using 10,300 gallons per day (gpd).
Ground water is a major water source for rural households in Coshocton County. Approximately 47 percent of all households obtain their water from private wells and developed springs. Based on an estimated usage of 75 gallons per person per day, 1,260,525 gpd from private wells and developed springs are used. Other private water uses include industry (95 million gpd) and livestock use (0.39 million gpd) which are mostly from ground-water supplies. In addition, the Muskingum River provides approximately 260 million gpd of surface water for thermoelectric-power cooling purposes at the Columbus Southern Power Generating Plant in Conesville. The remaining 53 percent of households use public-water supplies that use ground water as the source, as identified in Table 1.
Some water users in Ohio must register their withdrawals with the ODNR Division of Water. Through the Water Withdrawal Facility Registration Program, owners of facilities capable of withdrawing 100,000 gpd (70 gpm) or more must register those facilities. Information collected through this program includes withdrawal capacity, ground- or surface-water sources, location and type of water use, and location of discharge points. The program is for registration only, and not for allocation or permission. Registered withdrawers file annual reports of their water use. This information helps planners at ODNR to determine the availability of water for projected needs, and to better manage and protect Ohio's water resources. Documenting water use also provides official records for individual uses. For more information, contact ODNR Division of Water.
| Table 1. Water Use in Coshocton County, Ohio.1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Water System | Population Served | Primary Water Source | Water Usage (GPD)2 | Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD) |
| Coshocton | 14,538 | Ground Water | 6,810,000 | 8,100,000 |
| Echoing Hills | 86 | Surface Water | 10,3000 | 23,000 |
| Millers HOA3 | 100 | Ground Water | 5,000 | 60,000 |
| Warsaw | 713 | Ground Water | 80,000 | 218,000 |
| West Lafayette | 2,613 | Ground Water | 225,000 | 1,080,000 |
| Other 4 | 570 | Ground Water | 39,600 | N/A |
| 1 Estimates from Ohio EPA using adjusted 1993 data; information is based on data available at time of publication. | ||||
| 2 GPD = gallons per day. | ||||
| 3 Millers Home Owners Association. | ||||
| 4 Includes mobile home parks, nursing homes, housing developments, and religious institutions; total treatment plant capacity figure not available. | ||||
Natural processes and human activities affect the quality of our water supplies. Throughout Ohio, human activities contribute to both point and nonpoint source pollution. Point source pollution is the introduction of impurities into a water supply source (ground water or surface water) from an identifiable, known location. Examples of point sources can include industrial plants, power plants, commercial businesses, and wastewater treatment facilities.
Nonpoint source pollution also involves the introduction of impurities into a surface-water body or an aquifer, except the route is usually non-direct and the sources are "diffuse" in nature. A major portion of the sediment, nutrients, acids and salts, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and pathogens enter the state's water resources through nonpoint source pollution, affecting both ground and surface water. Examples include automobile emissions, runoff from parking lots, and runoff and drainage from agricultural fields, feedlots, home lawns and gardens, residential development, construction, mining, and logging activities.
As water moves through the aquifers underlying Coshocton County, it dissolves the minerals contained in these formations and carries them in solution. Publication AEX-490.16 summarizes some of the county's natural ground-water quality aspects.
Human activities, such as agricultural production, domestic waste disposal, and lawn and turf care, may have some influence on the county's ground-water quality. In a 1987 study by Heidelberg College, 189 wells in the county were sampled for nitrate-nitrogen content, of which 87 (46 percent of total) contained nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in the range of 0 to 0.3 parts-per-million (ppm). This range is assumed to represent natural background levels. Fifty-six wells (30 percent) tested in the 0.3 to 3.0 ppm range; these values may or may not indicate human influence. The 38 wells (20 percent) that tested in the range of 3 to 10 ppm, may indicate elevated concentrations resulting from human activities. Only 8 wells (4 percent) tested at over 10 ppm for nitrate-nitrogen, which exceeds the safe drinking-water standard; this was attributed to on-site septic tank problems. The average test value for the 189 wells sampled was 2.42 ppm. Design, location, and condition of a well, combined with the characteristics of the soils and geologic formations in which the well is constructed, influence the potential for pollutants to enter the well. Bacterial counts are another indicator of ground-water quality. The Coshocton County Department of Health tests water samples for concerned citizens, and results of these tests generally indicate safe drinking water in the county.
Runoff and sediment from residential development, construction sites, and agricultural lands may enter the county's streams and lakes. Also, runoff may carry other pollutants, such as lawn and agricultural chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers), effluent from septic systems, oil and gas from spills, and industrial wastes.
Through the Ohio Nonpoint Source Assessment and Water Resources Inventory, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and ODNR have identified 13,000 stream miles in Ohio that have been affected by nonpoint source pollution. Coshocton County contains portions of several streams and their tributaries that have been classified by the Assessment as being affected by nonpoint source pollution. Based on the findings of the Assessment and Inventory, the Ohio Nonpoint Source Management Plan has been implemented to help improve the quality of the state's waters. For specific information about the streams and tributaries listed in the Assessment and details of the Management Plan for the county, contact the Ohio EPA Southeast District Office (2195 Front St., Logan, OH 43138).
Overall, Coshocton County has a safe supply of water. County citizens have a major challenge to protect water resources from pollutants that could affect the quality of the water supply. For more information about nonpoint source pollution, refer to Nonpoint Source Pollution: Water Primer, AEX 465, available from your county Extension office.
Water availability and quality are important public concerns. Water problems can be both costly and inconvenient. While the present and future availability of water is good for Coshocton County, water is a precious resource that must be conserved and protected. We must all work together to maintain an adequate supply of good quality water.
This fact sheet provides information about the water resources in Coshocton County. For more information concerning water resources or drinking-water quality in the county, contact the Coshocton County office of Ohio State University Extension (724 South Seventh St., Rm 110, Coshocton, OH 43812). In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county: Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District; Coshocton County Health Department; ODNR Division of Water (Fountain Square, Columbus, OH 43224); US Geological Survey (USGS), Ohio District (975 W. Third Ave., Columbus, OH 43212); Ohio EPA (1800 WaterMark Dr., Columbus, OH 43215-1099); and Ohio Department of Health (ODH; P.O. Box 118, Columbus, OH 43226).
Coshocton County, Ohio Soil Survey. 1979. USDA-SCS.
Coshocton County Ground-Water Resources. 1994 . P. D. Golden, A. W. Jones, L. C. Brown, and K. T. Ricker. AEX-490.16. Ohio State University Extension.
Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District Resources Inventory. 1986. USDA-SCS.
Doane's Agricultural Report. 1992. Farm Water Systems.
Effects of Surface Coal Mining and Reclamation on Ground Water in Small Watersheds in the Allegheny Plateau, Ohio. 1985. M. Eberle and A. C. Razem. WRI Report 85-4205.
Estimated Water Use in Ohio, 1990, Public Supply Data. 1993. USGS Open-File Report 93-72.
Gazetteer of Ohio Streams. 1960. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 12. ODNR Div. of Water.
Ground-Water Hydrology Before, During, and After Coal Strip Mining of a Small Watershed in Coshocton County, Ohio. 1983. A. C. Razem. WRI Report 83-4155.
Ground-Water Hydrology of Strip-Mine Areas in Eastern Ohio (Conditions During Mining of Two Watersheds in Coshocton and Muskingum Counties). 1981. J. O. Helgeson and A. C. Razem. USGS Open-File Report 81-913.
Ground-Water Resources of Coshocton County. 1988. D. J. Sugar. ODNR Div. of Water. (map).
Hydrologic Atlas for Ohio: Average Annual Precipitation, Temperature, Streamflow, and Water Loss for the 50-Year Period 1931-1980. 1991. L. J. Hartstine. Water Inventory Report No. 28. ODNR Div. of Water.
Inventory of Municipal Water-Supply Systems by County, Ohio. 1977. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 24. ODNR Div. of Water.
Inventory of Ohio's Lakes. 1980. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 26. ODNR Div. of Water.
Monthly Station Normals of Temperature, Precipitation, and Heating and Cooling Degree Days, 1961-90, Ohio. 1992. Climatology of the United States, No. 81 (by state). NOAA.
Nitrate and Pesticides in Private Wells of Ohio: A State Atlas. 1989. Water Quality Laboratory, Heidelberg College.
Nitrate In Drinking Water. 1987. K. M. Mancl. Bulletin No. 744. Ohio State University Extension.
Nonpoint Source Pollution: Water Primer. 1993. R. Leeds and L. C. Brown. AEX 465. Ohio State University Extension.
Ohio Ground-Water Quality. USGS National Water Summary-Ohio. 1986. USGS Water-Supply Paper 2325.
Ohio Ground-Water Resources. USGS National Water Summary-Ohio. 1984. USGS Water-Supply Paper 2275.
Ohio Nonpoint Source Management Program. 1993. ODNR.
Ohio Population by Governmental Unit. 1991. Ohio Data Users Center, Ohio Department of Development.
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Ohio Water Withdrawals. 1992. ODNR Div. of Water.
Ohio's Hydrologic Cycle. 1990. L. C. Brown and K. M. Coltman. AEX 461. Ohio State University Extension.
Private Water Systems Handbook. 1987. MWPS-14. Midwest Plan Service, Ames, IA.
Southwest Ohio Water Plan. 1976. ODNR Div. of Water.
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Withdrawal and Distribution of Water By Public Water Supplies in Ohio, 1985. 1989. USGS Open-File Report 89-423.
This publication was produced through the Ohio Water Resources Education Project, in cooperation with: ODNR Division of Water; Ohio EPA; USGS, Ohio District; and ODH. Project leaders are Larry C. Brown and Karen T. Ricker. Partial financial support for this publication was provided by these cooperating agencies: Coshocton County office of OSU Extension; Coshocton County Commissioners; Coshocton Soil and Water Conservation District; Overholt Drainage Education and Research Program; and the Ohio Management Systems Evaluation Area Project (USDA Extension Service Grant No. 90-EWQI-1-9018).
The project leaders express appreciation to the following reviewers: William M. Edwards and Lloyd B. Owens (USDA Agricultural Research Service, North Appalachian Experimental Watershed, Coshocton) Tim Halt (USDA Soil Conservation Service, Coshocton County); James M. Raab, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Division of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Steve Hindall (USGS, Ohio District); Robert Burris (USDA Soil Conservation Service, State Office, Columbus); Jay Fleming (Ohio EPA Division of Drinking and Ground Waters); and Larry Antosch (Ohio EPA Division of Surface Water).
A special thanks to Ruth Eikenberry (Agricultural Program Assistant, OSU Extension, Coshocton County) for assistance in research and fact sheet preparation; Michelle Roby (Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Assistant) for help in manuscript and illustration preparation; and Ted Hattemer and Kim Wintringham, Associate Editors (Section of Communications and Technology, Ohio State University Extension), for editorial and graphic production.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868