Ohio State University Extension

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Clinton County Water Resources

AEX-480.14

L. Tony Nye
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 Clinton County. The county's population of 35,415 (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 Clinton County's water resources, 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 42 inches of precipitation falls on Clinton County annually. Figure 1 illustrates the average monthly precipitation for the county for the period 1961 to 1990. Based on this 30-year record, the average precipitation is 3.5 inches per month, with January and February (2.6 inches) typically being the driest months, and May (4.7 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 Clinton County, Ohio (1961-1990).

Surface-Water Resources

Clinton County has four drainage basins: Upper Paint Creek, East Fork, Todd Fork and Caesar Creek. All but the Upper Paint Creek watersheds drain into the Little Miami River basin. The Upper Paint Creek watershed feeds into the Scioto River. The Caesar Creek watershed feeds into Caesar Creek Lake prior to flowing into the Little Miami basin, which drains all or portions of 21 counties extending from Clark County to the Ohio River. The Little Miami basin drains an area of approximately 1,755 square miles. As the second largest drainage basin in Ohio next to the Muskingum River basin, the Scioto River basin drains approximately 6,510 square miles and parts or all of 22 counties in central Ohio. A generalized surface-water map of Clinton 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 surface water because of the soil's infiltration capacity. With some soils, rainfall is more likely to run off, while other soils allow water to infiltrate more readily.

Clinton County contains approximately 264,000 land acres, of which 75 percent is cropland, 11 percent is forestland and 6 percent is pastureland. More than 43 soil series have been identified in the county. Most of the soils in the county were formed from glacial till, and are generally unstratified, silt loams to silty clay loams. The subsoil is fine to medium textured, slowly or moderately slowly permeable. The highest elevation in the county is approximately 1,180 feet above sea level in Greene Township; the lowest is 780 feet in Vernon Township. Drainage is a major management concern for cropland and homesites in the county.

Clinton County has about 244 linear miles of major streams and rivers (estimated from ODNR Div. of Water river basin maps). The county water acreage consists of about 871 acres of lakes, including Cowan Lake (almost 700 acres), and at least 11 private lakes and ponds of 5 to 54 acres in size.

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

Ground-Water Resources

Clinton County's primary ground-water source is the carbonate aquifer composed of limestone and dolomite (carbonate) bedrock. Limestone is composed of calcium carbonate, while dolomite is composed of calcium and magnesium carbonates. Together they form a popular construction material that most Ohioans refer to as limestone.

In the northeastern portion of the county, yields of as much as 75 gallons per minute (gpm) have been developed from wells penetrating fractured zones in the carbonate bedrock. Farm and domestic supplies generally can yield 10 to 25 gpm through developed wells at depths to 100 feet.

Wells finished in the sand and gravel deposits in the northern part of the county also yield ample water supplies. The other unconsolidated aquifer areas of sand and gravel in the county generally yield 3 to 10 gpm, and deeper drilling into the shale bedrock below may produce dry holes.

In the southwestern portion of the county (Blanchester area), ground-water supplies are difficult to develop in the shaly carbonate aquifer due to the fine-grained nature of the shale and limestone bedrock. Yields are less than 3 gpm generally.

Ground-water supplies, whether they are developed from bedrock or glacial deposits, have a high natural mineral content resulting in hard water. This water usually requires treatment for domestic use. Varying amounts of iron are found, and objectionable amounts of hydrogen sulfide generally increase with the depth drilled. An overview of the ground-water resources in the county is given in Clinton County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.14.

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), Div. of Water.

Where Does the Water Go?

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 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, Clinton County's 42 inches of average annual precipitation result in about 11 inches (26 percent) of runoff to streams and lakes, and about 7 inches have the potential to recharge aquifers, annually. Values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions.

Water Use

Water use for each of Clinton 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 City of Wilmington, which uses surface water from Cowan Creek and reservoirs for its supply. The incorporated villages of Blanchester and Clarksville also use surface water. The villages of Martinsville, Sabina and New Vienna use ground water. Some Clinton County residents are served by water companies that are located outside of the county and are not listed in Table 1. Highland County Rural Water serves about 800 households in southwestern Clinton County, including the 130 households in Midland, and uses surface water from Paint Creek. Western Water Company in Warren County serves approximately 1,300 rural households throughout western Clinton County utilizing ground water as the source. However, Western Water has an agreement with the City of Wilmington, which uses surface water, to purchase water when demand is greater than Western Water's supply. The residents of Port William rely on individually-owned drilled and dug wells for their water supply.

Ground water is a major water source for rural households in Clinton County. Approximately 26 percent of all households obtain their water from private wells. Based on an estimated usage of 75 gallons per person per day, about 700,000 gallons per day (gpd) from private wells is used. Additional private water uses include industry (140,000 gpd) and livestock use (30,000 gpd), primarily from ground-water supplies. Two percent of the households rely on water supplied by some other source such as springs or cisterns. The remaining 72 percent of households use public-water supplies with ground or surface water as the source, as identified in Table 1.

Some water users in Ohio must register their withdrawals with the ODNR Div. of Water. Through the Water Withdrawal Facility Registration Program, owners of facilities that could withdraw 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 determine the availability of water for projected needs and better manage and protect Ohio's water resources. Documenting water use also provides official records for individual uses. For more information, contact ODNR, Div. of Water.

Clinton County has four non-transient non-community public water supplies. Non-transient non-community systems are small public supplies, such as some schools and businesses, that serve more than 25 of the same people for six months of the year. In Clinton County, 548 people are served by the four non-transient non-community systems, and the total estimated usage is 12,000 gpd.

Table 1. Water Use in Clinton County, Ohio.1
Public Water System	Population Served2	Primary Water Source	Water Usage (GPD)3	Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD)
Blanchester	4,400	Surface Water	360,000	1,000,000
Clarksville4	505	Surface Water	62,000	0
Martinsville	476	Ground Water	40,000	100,000
New Vienna	1,075	Ground Water	76,000	200,000
Sabina	2,800	Ground Water	249,000	432,000
Wilmington	11,121	Surface Water	1,670,000	2,000,000
1 Estimates provided by Ohio EPA using 1993 data, adjusted by Leonard Black, ODNR Div. of Water.
2 In Clinton County, 2,750 people are served by Western Water Company and 2,443 by Highland County Water Company; both companies are located outside of Clinton County.
3 GPD = gallons per day.
4 Water supplied by Western Water Company in Warren County.

Water Quality

Natural processes and human activities affect the quality of our water supplies. Throughout Ohio, human activities contribute to nonpoint source pollution, through which a major portion of the sediment, nutrients, acids and salts, heavy metals, toxic chemicals, and pathogens enter the state's water resources. Nonpoint source pollution is the introduction of impurities into a surface-water body or an aquifer, usually through a non-direct route and from sources that are "diffuse" in nature. This type of pollution affects both ground and surface water. Examples include automobile emissions, runoff from parking lots, runoff and drainage from agricultural fields, feedlots and home gardens, and runoff and drainage from construction, mining and logging.

Ground Water

As water moves through the unconsolidated sediment and the fractured limestone underlying Clinton County, it dissolves and carries in solution minerals contained in these materials. AEX-490.14 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 1988 study by Heidelberg College, 189 wells in the county were sampled for nitrate content, of which 122 (65 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. Thirty-nine wells (21 percent) were tested in the range of 0.3 to 3.0 ppm; these values may or may not indicate human influence. The 23 wells (12 percent) that tested in the range of 3.0 to 10 ppm may indicate elevated concentrations resulting from human activities. Only 5 wells (3 percent) tested at over 10 ppm nitrate-nitrogen, which exceeds the safe drinking-water standard. The average test value for the 189 wells tested was 1.6 ppm. Bacterial counts are another indicator of ground-water quality and citizens should check water sources periodically through the county health department. Design, location and condition of a well, as well as the characteristics of the soils and geologic formations in which the well is constructed, influence the potential for pollutants to enter the well.

Surface Water

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, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) and ODNR have found that 13,000 stream miles in Ohio have been affected by nonpoint source pollution. Clinton 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 on results of the Assessment and details of the Management Plan for the county, contact the Ohio EPA Southwest District Office (40 S. Main St., Dayton, OH 45402).

Overall, Clinton 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.

Summary

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 adequate for Clinton 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 Clinton County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality in the county, contact the Ohio State University Extension, Clinton County. In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county: Clinton County Soil and Water Conservation District; Clinton County Health Department; ODNR Div. of Water (Fountain Square, Col., OH 43224); U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Ohio District (975 W. Third Ave., Col., OH 43212); Ohio EPA (1800 WaterMark Dr., Col., OH 43266); and Ohio Department of Health (PO Box 118, Col., OH 43226).

Bibliography

Clinton County Ground-Water Resources. 1993. L.T. Nye, A.W. Jones, L.C. Brown and K.M. Boone. AEX-490.14. Ohio State University Extension.

Clinton County, Ohio Soil Survey. 1962. USDA-SCS.

Estimated Water Use in Ohio, 1190, Public Water 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 Resources of Clinton County. (In press). J.J. Schmidt. 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. Fountain Square, Col., OH 43224-1387.

Ohio Surface-Water Resources. USGS National Water Summary - Ohio. 1985. USGS. Water-Supply Paper 2300.

Ohio Water Resource Inventory: Executive Summary and Volumes 1-4. 1992. Ohio EPA. Col., OH 43266-0149.

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.

State of Ohio Nonpoint Source Assessment: Volumes 1-6. 1990. Ohio EPA. Col., OH 43266-0149.

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 Div. of Water.

Water-quality assessment of Rattlesnake Creek Watershed, Ohio. 1979. USGS. WRI Report 79-17. 1979.

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

Acknowledgments

This publication was produced through the Ohio Water Resources Education Project, in cooperation with: ODNR Div. of Water; Ohio EPA; 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; Clinton County office of OSU Extension; Clinton County Commissioners; Clinton County Health Department; Clinton Soil and Water Conservation District; Clinton County Farm Bureau; 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: Kenneth Schaublin (Clinton County Regional Planning Commission); Lizbeth White (Clinton County Health Department); Robert Coblenz (USDA-SCS); James M. Raab, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Div. of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Ron Veley and Steve Hindall (USGS, Ohio District); Rich Bendula (Ohio EPA, Southwest District); James Wade (USDA-SCS); Jay Fleming (Ohio EPA Div. of Drinking and Ground Water); and Larry Antosch (Ohio EPA Div. of Surface 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, Publications Editor (Section of Communications and Technology, Ohio State University), for editorial and graphic production.