Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Scioto County Water Resources

AEX-480.73

Jeff C. Fisher
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 Scioto County. The county's population of 80,327 (1990 census data) is a mixture of rural and urban, and about 53 percent of all households rely on surface 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 Scioto County's water resources, such as rivers, streams, ponds, reservoirs 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. Ohio State University Extension publications are available through all Ohio county Extension offices.

Precipitation

An average of approximately 41 inches of precipitation fall on Scioto County annually. Figure 1 illustrates the average monthly precipitation for the county from 1961 to 1990. Based on this 30-year record, the average precipitation is 3.4 inches per month, with October (2.5 inches) typically being the driest month, and August and May (both at 4.2 inches) typically being the wettest months. 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 Scioto County, Ohio (1961-1990).

Surface-Water Resources

All surface water in Scioto County eventually drains into the Ohio River. Most streams in the western portion of the county drain first into Scioto Brush Creek, which flows into the Scioto River. Most streams in the central portion of the county drain into the Little Scioto River and the Scioto River. Streams in the eastern part of the county drain into Pine Creek, and then into the Ohio River. A generalized surface-water map of the county is given in Figure 2.

The county contains approximately 389,184 land acres, of which 30 percent is farmland. Fifty-eight different soil types are present within the county, the majority of which are well-drained or moderately well-drained loams and silt loams. Specific information about soil types, locations and limitations is available from the Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District Office. The county water acreage consists of about 145 acres of lakes, including Turkey Creek Lake (51 acres), Roosevelt Lake (16 acres) and Pond Lick Lake (5.4 acres), all of which are publicly owned, and Lake Frasure (36 acres) and Lake Margaret (6 acres), both of which are privately owned. The county has approximately 700 miles of streams and rivers (estimated from river basin maps, ODNR Division of Water). This availability lends itself to many uses by individuals, communities and industries.

Figure 2. Surface-water resources of Sciotp County, Ohio (adapted from ODNR Division of Water river basin maps).

Ground-Water Resources

Most of Scioto County is underlain by shaley sandstone and shale bedrock, which provide only meager water supplies to individual wells, located predominantly in the rural areas of the county. Recharge is limited in upland areas of the county, and vertical movement of water is greatly restricted because of the bedrock. Water wells completed in the bedrock typically yield less than 3 gallons per minute (gpm).

Along the Scioto River however, well yields of as much as 1,000 gpm may be developed in the coarse-grained buried valley aquifer. These glacial outwash deposits are comprised of coarse sands and gravel with thin mixtures of clay and silt. Wells developed beyond the recharge influence of the Scioto River range from 100 to 500 gpm. Yields of 100 to 500 gpm also are possible along the Ohio River. Wells developed along parts of the Ohio River, yet beyond its recharge influence, yield 25 to 100 gpm. These ground-water sources adequately supply individual and commercial wells, and several villages. A drainage channel, partially filled with clay, silt and fine sand interbedded with sand and gravel, provides well yields of 5 to 25 gpm in areas near where Pine Creek meets the Ohio River and where Scioto Brush Creek meets the Scioto River. Other stream valleys within the county are filled with clay, silt and sand and can yield 3 to 10 gpm to wells. Local variations in the direction of ground-water flow exist within the county. However, ground water underlying the entire county ultimately moves toward its natural point of discharge: the Ohio River. An overview of the ground-water resources of the county is given in Scioto County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.73.

The yield of a well varies considerably depending on the age and depth of the well, its 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.

Where Does the Water Go?

Based on long-term weather records, Ohio receives an average of 38 inches of precipitation per year. This precipitation is one part of 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 period of time. Twenty-six 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 (16 percent of the total precipitation) 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. Applying statewide averages of runoff and ground-water recharge to Scioto County's 41 inches of average annual precipitation, about 11 inches results in runoff to streams and lakes in the county, and about 7 inches have the potential to recharge aquifers. Values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions.

Water Use

Water use for each of Scioto County's public water-supply systems is given in Table 1. For each water system, the table presents estimates of the population served, water source, estimated daily usage and treatment plant capacity. In some cases, the figures for population served are not based on actual counts, but on estimates of the number of people using each connection. Most often, this information is provided by the water system. Also, some systems serve people living outside of Scioto County. Because of the estimate on techniques and water service to persons outside of Scioto County, the total population of Scioto County (80,327) is less than the total population served in Table 1.

The City of Portsmouth owns the county's largest public water system and uses the Ohio River for its supply. Carey's Run, Moores Lane, Franklin Furnace, S.R. 125, Pond Run, Slab Run, Stoney Run, Sugar Camp, Wheelersburg and Zeigler Lane, all of which are separate service areas of Scioto Water Inc., purchase water from Portsmouth. The Scioto Regional Water Authority, the second largest water-supply system, uses ground water for its supply, and sells water to the Northwest Water System and Scioto Water-Rose Hill.

Approximately 10 percent of all households in the county obtain their water from private wells, withdrawing more than 700,000 gallons per day (gpd). Additional private water users include industry, golf course and crop irrigation, and livestock use, mostly from ground-water sources. The remaining 90 percent of households use public-water supplies with ground or surface water as the source, as identified in Table 1. Forty-seven percent of the population in Scioto County use ground water as their water source either from private wells or public water supply. Scioto County also has four non-transient, non-community public water supplies. Non-transient, non-community systems are small public supplies that serve at least 25 of the same people during six months of the year. In Scioto County, about 728 people are served by non-transient, non-community systems, and the total usage is about 13,680 gpd.

Table 1. Water Use in Scioto County, Ohio.1
Public Water System	Population Served2	Primary Water Source	Water Usage (GPD)3	Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD)
Portsmouth	44,000	Surface Water4	7,000,000	16,000,000
SW-Careys Run5	300	Surface Water	25,000	0
SW-Moores Lane	30	Surface Water	800	0
SW-Franklin Furnace	1,400	Surface Water	86,000	0
SW-S.R. 125	550	Surface Water	63,000	0
SW-Pond Run	900	Surface Water	51,000	0
SW-Slab Run	130	Surface Water	4,600	0
SW-Stoney Run	150	Surface Water	6,500	0
SW-Sugar Camp	2,450	Surface Water	244,000	0
SW-Wheelersburg	1,600	Surface Water	69,000	0
SW-Zeigler Lane	75	Surface Water	2,300	0
Scioto County Regional Water Authority	19,000	Ground Water	3,120,000	4,000,000
Northwest Water Sys.6	9,000	Ground Water	684,000	0
SW-Rose Hill6	7,100	Ground Water	533,000	0
Riffe Civilian Conservation Corps Camp	50	Ground Water	4,600	40,000
Riverview Mobile Home Park	65	Ground Water	5,000	NA7
1 Estimates from the Model State Information System, Public Water System Inventory Subsystem using 1991 data provided by Jay Fleming, Ohio EPA, Division of Drinking and Ground Water, Columbus, OH.
2 Total population served is greater than the population of Scioto County because water systems include people they serve who live outside the county and some systems estimate their population served based on the number of connections for which the system provides water, instead of using an actual count of the persons.
3 GPD = gallons per day.
4 Secondary source is ground water.
5 SW = Scioto Water Inc. All systems, except Rose Hill, purchase water from Portsmouth.
6 Water purchased from Scioto County Regional Water Authority.
7 NA = Data not available.

Water Quality

As water moves through the geologic formationsn underlying Scioto County, it dissolves and carries in solution minerals contained in these formations. Ground water in the central region of the county generally has a relatively high content of total dissolved solids. Water in this region also tends to be higher in iron and chloride content.

Human activities, such as agricultural production, domestic waste disposal, and lawn and turf care, may have some influence on ground-water quality in Scioto County. Another aspect of water quality in the county is sediment loading in streams and rivers. Soil erosion, which produces sediment, is a continuously occurring, natural process that erodes or detaches and transports soil particles. Runoff and sediment from residential development, construction sites, and agricultural lands, enters streams and rivers and fills stream channels, and may carry other pollutants, such as lawn and agricultural chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers), effluent from septic tanks, oil and gasoline from spills, and industrial wastes. Scioto 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.

Summary

Water availability and quality are important public concerns. Water problems can be both costly and inconvenient. While the availability of water is good for Scioto 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 provided information on water facts for Scioto County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality in the county, contact Ohio State University Extension, Scioto County office. In addition, several other agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county. Local sources are the Scioto Soil and Water Conservation District and the Scioto County Health Department. At the state level, sources include 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 Scioto County office of Ohio State University Extension.

Bibliography

Doane's Agricultural Report. 1992. Farm Water Systems.

Gazetteer of Ohio Streams. 1960. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 12. ODNR Division of Water.

Ground-Water Resources of Scioto County. 1989. J.M. Raab. 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 Station Normals of Temperature, Precipitation, and Heating and Cooling Degree Days, 1961-90, Ohio. 1992. Climatology of the United States, No. 81 (by state). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Nitrate In Drinking Water. 1987. K.M. Mancl. Bulletin No. 744. Ohio State University Extension.

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 State University Extension.

Private Water Systems Handbook. 1987. MWPS-14. Midwest Plan Service, Ames, IA. (Available through your county Extension office).

Scioto County Ground-Water Resources. 1993. J.C. Fisher, J.M. Raab, K.M. Boone and L.C. Brown. AEX-490.73. Ohio State University Extension.

Scioto County, Ohio Soil Survey, 1980. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.

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 State University Extension.

Water - Ohio's Remarkable Resource. 1982. ODNR Division of Water.

Withdrawal and Distribution of Water By Public Water Supplies in Ohio, 1985. US Geological Survey, Open-File Report 89-423.

Acknowledgments

This publication was produced through the Ohio Water Resources Education Project, in cooperation with: ODNR Division of Water; Ohio EPA; U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Ohio District; and Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Project leaders are Larry C. Brown and Kristina M. Boone. Support was provided, in part by: the cooperating agencies; Scioto County Extension office; USDA Water Quality Initiative Funds; 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: James M. Raab, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Division of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Michael Preston and Jay Fleming (Ohio EPA Division of Drinking and Ground Water); Steve Hindall (USGS, Ohio District); and Larry Antosch (Ohio EPA Division of Quality Planning and Assessment Water).

A special thanks to Michelle Roby, John A. Humphreys and Ross A. Roberts (Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Assistants) for help in manuscript and graphics preparation, and Judy Kauffeld, Publications Editor (Section of Communications and Technology, OSU), for editorial and graphic production.