Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in Defiance County, Ohio (1961-1990).
James J. Hoorman
Kristina M. Boone
Larry C. Brown
Water is a resource often taken for granted. In recent years, water availability and quality have become important public concerns in Defiance County, where the county's 39,987 residents live in rural areas (1990 census data). About 40 percent of all households in the county rely on ground water for their water supply. By understanding where water is obtained and how it is used in the county, residents can gain a better appreciation for their water. Providing a brief overview of Defiance County's water resources, such as rivers, streams, ponds and ground water, this fact sheet is intended to help increase public awareness and understanding of water resources. 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. OSU Extension publications are available through all county Extension offices.
An average of approximately 33 inches of precipitation falls on Defiance County annually. Figure 1 illustrates the average monthly precipitation for the county for the period 1951 to 1980. Based on this 30-year record, the average precipitation is about 2.8 inches per month, with February (1.7 inches) typically being the driest month and July (3.6 inches) the wettest. There can be, however, extreme variations in some years and in certain months within a year. Such seasonal and yearly extremes, which may have serious consequences, often are not apparent from the long-term precipitation information.
Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in
Defiance County, Ohio (1961-1990).
Defiance County has three major drainage basins: the Maumee River, Auglaize River and Tiffin River. In addition, the St. Joseph River drains the extreme northwest corner of the county; it enters the Maumee River at Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Maumee River basin is approximately 6,608 square miles in size, and 74 percent lies in Ohio. Ninety-six percent of the 2,448-square-mile Auglaize River basin lies in Ohio. Beginning in Auglaize County, it flows northeast to Defiance to join the Maumee River. The Tiffin River basin is approximately 805 square miles in area (69 percent in Ohio); it begins in Michigan and flows south to Defiance County where it enters the Maumee River.
Major streams that drain other parts of the county include: Lost Creek, Mud Creek, Lick Creek and Buckskin Creek, all of which drain into the Tiffin River; Powell Creek, which drains into the Auglaize River; and Platter and Gordon Creeks, which drain into the Maumee River. All of these drainage basins are important because they are tributaries of Lake Erie, which is a major water resource for several midwestern states and southwestern Ontario. A generalized surface-water map of Defiance County is given in Figure 2.
Defiance County contains approximately 263,680 land acres. Eleven different soil types are present within the county, the majority of which are very poorly-drained and somewhat poorly-drained clays, silty clays, and clay loams. The county's supply of surface water includes about 230 water acres of lakes and approximately 370 linear miles of streams (estimated from river basin maps, ODNR Division of Water). This availability lends itself to many uses by both communities and individuals. Ponds, which are popular with homeowners, are numerous in the county. Most are filled by precipitation and surface runoff, and are major sources of drinking water in certain areas of the county.
Figure 2. Surface-water resources in Defiance County, Ohio (adapted
from ODNR Division of Water river basin maps).
Three principal aquifer systems underlie Defiance County: unconsolidated coarse-grain aquifers, unconsolidated fine-grained aquifers and the sedimentary carbonate aquifer. These aquifers provide adequate water supplies for both individual wells and several county villages. An unconsolidated coarse-grain aquifer, located in west and central Defiance County, consists of highly permeable sand and gravel deposited by glaciers. This aquifer is very productive and locally is under artesian pressure. A fine-grained unconsolidated aquifer, located in the central and eastern part of the county, is similar in form and origin to coarse-grained aquifers, but less permeable because of its higher percentage of mixed-fine sands, silt and clay. A carbonate aquifer of limestone and dolomite bedrock is located in the southeastern corner of Defiance County. Limestone mainly consists of calcium carbonate; dolomite is very similar but contains magnesium carbonate, as well as calcium carbonate. Both are commonly referred to as limestone, which is familiar to most Ohioans as construction material. An overview of the county's ground-water resources is given Defiance County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.20.
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 the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (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 like streams and lakes. Two inches are retained at the ground surface and evaporate back into the atmosphere in a relatively short time period. 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 more information, 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 may result in runoff and how many inches have the potential to reach aquifers. Based on statewide averages of runoff and ground-water recharge, Defiance County's 33 inches of annual precipitation result in about 9 inches of runoff to streams and lakes, and about 5 inches have the potential to recharge the aquifers annually. Values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions.
In Defiance County, approximately 44 percent of all households use ground water as a primary source of water: about 31 percent have a private well and 13 percent use public supplies from municipal wells. The remaining 56 percent use surface water; about 10 percent from ponds and 46 percent from public water supplies that use a surface-water source.
The county has nine public water systems: Defiance, Ayersville, Hicksville, Sherwood, Ney, Brunersburg, Christi-Meadows subdivision and Rolling Hills and County Pines mobile home courts. Table 1 lists these systems, along with the population served, primary water source, estimated daily water usage and treatment plant capacity. These systems provide water for domestic, commercial and industrial uses, which should be considered when using the data in Table 1. Five of the nine public water systems are supplied solely by ground water: Hicksville with three wells; and Sherwood, Ney, and Rolling Hills and County Pines mobile home courts, with two wells each. Defiance serves its population, as well as Ayersville, Brunersburg, and the Christi-Meadows subdivision, from the Maumee River.
| Table 1. Water Use in Defiance County, Ohio.1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Water System | Population Served | Primary Water Source | Water Usage (GPD)2 | Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD) |
| Ayersville3 | 925 | Surface Water | 67,000 | 252,000 |
| Brunersburg3 | 354 | Surface Water | 374 | NA4 |
| Christi-Meadows3 | 265 | Surface Water | 42,400 | NA |
| Country Pines | 64 | Ground Water | 6,000 | NA |
| Defiance | 17,000 | Surface Water | 3,925,000 | 7,500,000 |
| Hicksville | 3,659 | Ground Water | 420,000 | 360,000 |
| Ney | 400 | Ground Water | 35,000 | 144,000 |
| Rolling Hills | 75 | Ground Water | 7,000 | NA |
| Sherwood | 900 | Ground Water | 70,000 | 302,000 |
| 1 Abstracted from Inventory of Municipal Water-Supply Systems by County, Ohio (1977), and updated with data provided by Jill Scheifer, Ohio EPA, Northwest District Office, Bowling Green, OH. | ||||
| 2 GPD = gallons per day. | ||||
| 3 Defiance supplies these villages and subdivisions. | ||||
| 4 Not available. | ||||
The unconsolidated aquifers in the county sometimes contain excessive concentrations of iron, which may exceed 2 parts-per-million (ppm), hydrogen sulfide and high levels of calcium carbonate (hard water). As water moves through the fractured limestone underlying the county, it dissolves and carries in solution minerals contained in the bedrock. Ground water in the southeastern portion of the county tends to be hard with high sulfide, chloride and/or iron content, and sometimes needs treatment before use.
Human activities, such as agricultural production, domestic waste disposal and lawn and turf care may have some influence on ground-water quality in Defiance County. In 1987, 237 county wells were sampled for nitrate content, of which 218 (92 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. Fourteen wells (6 percent) were tested in the range of 0.3 to 3.0 ppm; these values may or may not indicate human influence. The 2 wells (<1 percent) that tested in the range of 3.0 to 10 ppm may indicate elevated concentrations resulting from human activities. Only 3 wells (1 percent) tested at over 10 ppm nitrate-nitrogen, which exceeds the safe drinking-water standard. The average test value over the 237 wells tested was 0.3 ppm.
Another aspect of water quality in Defiance County is sediment loading in the streams and rivers. About 3,620 tons per day of sediment (1.32 million tons per year) is carried by the Maumee River. Based on county cropland percentages, approximately 100 tons per day enter the Maumee in Defiance County. Sedimentation impacts river channels and Lake Erie. Runoff and sediment from residential development, construction sites and agricultural lands, which may enter streams and rivers, also may carry other pollutants, such as lawn and agricultural chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers), septage, oil and gas from spills, and industrial wastes.
In 1982, total phosphorus loading into Lake Erie was 13,665 tons, prompting many northwest Ohio counties to participate in the International Joint Commission to reduce phosphorus loading to the lake. Defiance County's share of the goal of 2,200 tons is 41 tons per year. Defiance County citizens have a major challenge to reduce soil erosion, and to protect water resources from pollutants that could affect the quality of the water supply.
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 excellent for Defiance County, water is a precious resource that must be conserved and protected by all of us.
This fact sheet is intended to provided information to the public on water facts for Defiance County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality, contact the Defiance County Extension office. In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in Defiance County: Defiance Soil and Water Conservation District; USDA Soil Conservation Service; Defiance County Health Department; ODNR Division of Water (Fountain Square, Columbus, OH 43224); U.S. Geological Survey, Ohio District (975 W. Third Ave., Columbus, OH 43212); Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (1800 WaterMark Drive, Columbus, OH 43266); and Ohio Department of Health (PO Box 118, Columbus, OH 43226).
If you have other factual county water-resources information that might be of interest to the public, please send copies to the author of this publication at the Defiance County Extension office.
Defiance County Ground-Water Resources. 1992. J.J. Hoorman, J.M. Raab, K.M. Boone and L.C.Brown. AEX-490.20. Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
Defiance County, Ohio Soil Survey. 1984. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.
Gazetteer of Ohio Streams. 1960. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 12. ODNR Division of Water.
Ground-Water Resources of Defiance County. 1982. J.J. Schmidt. ODNR Division 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 Division of Water.
Inventory of Municipal Water-Supply Systems by County, Ohio. 1977. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 24. ODNR Division of Water.
Inventory of Ohio's Lakes. 1980. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 26. ODNR Division of Water.
Monthly Normals of Temperature, Precipitation, and Heating and Cooling Degree Days, 1951-80, Ohio. 1982. Climatography of the United States, No. 81 (by state). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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 Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
Northwest Ohio Water Plan - Public Water Supply. 1986. ODNR Division of Water.
Ohio Ground-Water Quality. USGS National Water Summary - Ohio. 1986. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2325.
Ohio Ground-Water Resources. USGS National Water Summary - Ohio. 1984. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2275.
Ohio Surface-Water Resources. USGS National Water Summary - Ohio. 1985. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2300.
Ohio's Hydrologic Cycle. 1990. L.C. Brown and K.M. Coltman. AEX-461. Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
Private Water Systems Handbook. 1987. MWPS-14. Midwest Plan Service, Ames, IA. (Available through your county Extension office).
Soil and Water Conservation District Resource Inventory. 1985. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.
Surface and Ground Water Terminology. 1990. L.C. Brown and L.P. Black. AEX 460. Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
Water Inventory of the Maumee River Basin, Ohio. 1960. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 11. ODNR Division of Water.
Water - Ohio's Remarkable Resource. 1982. ODNR Division of Water.
This publication was produced through the Ohio Water Resources Education Project, in cooperation with: ODNR Division of Water; Ohio EPA; U.S. Geological Survey, Ohio District; and Ohio Department of Health. Project leaders are Larry C. Brown and Kristina M. Boone. Support was provided, in part, by: the cooperating agencies; Defiance County Extension Office; Defiance Soil and Water Conservation District; Defiance County Pork Producers Association; Overholt Drainage Education and Research Program; and USDA Extension Service Grant No. 90-EWQI-1-9018.
The project leaders express appreciation to the following reviewers: Denise Lange and George Derringer (USDA-Soil Conservation Service); Bernie Czartoski (Maumee Valley RC&D); James M. Raab, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Division of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Tim Lawrence (Agricultural Engineering, OSU); Steve Hindall (USGS, Ohio District); Larry Antosch (Ohio EPA Division of Water Quality Planning and Assessment); and Tim Fishbaugh (Ohio EPA Division of Drinking and Ground Water).
A special thanks to Michelle Roby and Ross A. Roberts (Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Assistants) for help in manuscript and graphics preparation, and Judy Kauffeld and Tonya Ewing (Section of Communications & Technology, OSU 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