Ohio State University Extension

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Monroe County Water Resources

AEX-480.56

Mike Lloyd
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 Monroe County. The county is predominantly rural with a population of 15,497 (1990 census data), of which about 45 percent 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 Monroe 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. All OSU Extension publications are available from your county Extension office.

Precipitation

An estimated annual average precipitation of approximately 42 inches falls on Monroe County annually. Figure 1 illustrates the estimated monthly precipitation for the county for a 21-year period (data from U.S. Army Corps of Engineer's records at Hannibal Locks and Dam). Based on this short period of record, the average precipitation is about 3.7 inches per month, with October (2.6 inches) typically being the driest month, and July (4.8 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, are not apparent from long-term precipitation information. Note: This precipitation record may not be indicative of conditions over the entire county. It does provide a reasonable estimate of seasonal precipitation distribution.

Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in Monroe County, Ohio; 1970-1990 (U.S. Army COE)

Surface-Water Resources

Monroe County has two major drainage basins: Little Muskingum River and Sunfish Creek. Minor streams that drain other parts of the county include: Opossum Creek, Bares Run, Stillhouse Run, Wills Creek and Narrows Run. All of these drainage basins are important because they are tributaries to the Ohio River, which is a major water resource for southeastern and southern Ohio, and other states. A generalized surface-water map of Monroe County is given in Figure 2.

The Little Muskingum River basin, with an area of approximately 314 square miles, drains most of southern Monroe County, a small part of eastern Noble County, and much of eastern Washington County. The Sunfish Creek basin is approximately 114 square miles in area and drains most of northern Monroe County. The county contains approximately 291,200 land acres, of which approximately 99 percent is rural. Ten different soil associations are present, the majority of which are moderately deep to deep, well-drained loams, often with clayey subsoils. The county contains approximately 65 water acres in lakes and ponds, which provide for limited supply of surface water, and almost 600 linear miles of streams and rivers (estimated from river basins maps, ODNR Division of Water).

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

Ground-Water Resources

The primary ground-water sources are sand and gravel deposits found in the flood plains along the Ohio River on the eastern side of Monroe County. Substantial quantities of water can be obtained in these aquifer materials, which supply four of the six public-water systems in the county. The yield potential decreases drastically to the west as the majority of the county is underlain by interbedded sandstone, shale and limestone formations. Most of the wells found in the interior of the county produce less than 2 gpm. An overview of the ground-water resources in the county is given in Monroe County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.56.

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.

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 may result in runoff and how many inches have the potential to reach aquifers. Based on statewide averages of runoff and ground-water recharge, Monroe County's 42 inches of annual precipitation results in about 11 inches 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 Consumption

Ground water is a major water source for households in Monroe County. Approximately 53 percent of all households in the county use ground water; about 20 percent have a private well; and 33 percent use public-water supplies with ground water as the source. All other households in Monroe County use public-water supplies derived from surface-water sources.

Monroe County has 10 villages, all served by public water systems. Antioch, Graysville, Lewisville and Stafford are served by the Monroe Water System. Beallsville, Jerusalem, Miltonsburg and Wilson are served by the Switzerland of Ohio Water District. Woodsfield and Clarington provide their own supplies. Extensive unincorporated areas also are served by public water systems. Table 1 lists the public water systems providing service, along with the population served, primary water source, estimated average 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.

Four of the six public water systems are supplied solely by ground-water sources: Clarington with two wells; Ohio and Lee township with two wells; Monroe Water System with four wells; and Switzer Water Association, which purchases its water from Clarington. The village of Woodsfield has two on-stream reservoirs on tributaries of Sunfish Creek. The Switzerland of Ohio Water District purchases its water from the village of Barnesville in Belmont County, which uses Slope Creek Reservoir as its raw water source.

Table 1. Water Use in Monroe County, Ohio.1
Public Water System	Population Served	Primary Water Source	Water Usage (GPD)2	Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD)
Clarington	1,450	Ground Water	160,000	320,0003
Monroe Water System5	1,800	Ground Water/Surface Water	140,000	2,160,0004
Ohio & Lee Township	1,857	Ground Water	150,000	260,0004
Switzer Water Assoc.	900	Ground Water	60,000	190,0006
Switzerland of Ohio	2,300	Surface Water	100,000	300,0007
Woodsfield	4,890	Surface Water	350,000	350,0008
1 Data from Public Water Supply Needs and Alternative Analysis for Monroe County, Ohio (1991). Current construction plans may alter figures for the Monroe Water System and Woodsfield.
2 GPD = gallons per day.
3 Includes water purchased from the village of Clarington by the Switzer Water Association.
4 Safe pumping capacity.
5 Monroe Water System also purchases 70,000 to 90,000 GPD from the village of Woodsfield; figures based on information currently available.
6 Transmission capacity.
7 Maximum gallons available for purchase from village of Barnesville.
8 Safe yield; Treatment capacity is 500,000 GPD.

Water Quality

Water quality in Monroe County is good, and the results of chemical analysis of water obtained from wells along the Ohio River are available. Data from four wells in eastern Monroe County show: all four wells contain acceptable levels of fluoride, based on USEPA drinking water-quality standards; three of the four wells contain acceptable amounts of chloride and sulfates; and two of the four wells contain acceptable amounts of manganese.

Human activities, such as agricultural production, domestic waste disposal and lawn and turf care, may have some influence on ground-water quality in Monroe County. In 1988, 39 county wells were sampled for nitrate content, of which 11 (28 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. Eighteen wells (46 percent) were tested in the range of 0.3 to 3.0 ppm; these values may or may not indicate human influence. The 6 wells (15 percent) that tested in the range of 3.0 to 10 ppm, may indicate elevated concentrations resulting from human activities. Only 4 wells (10 percent) tested at greater than 10 ppm nitrate-nitrogen, which exceeds the safe drinking-water standard. The average test value of the 39 wells tested was 2.8 ppm.

Another aspect of water quality in Monroe County is soil erosion attributable to grazing. About 510 tons per day of sediment is carried by the Little Muskingum River; this amounts to almost 187,000 tons per year. An additional 51,100 tons per year are lost from the Sunfish-Captina Creek basin. These sediments are detrimental because they fill in stream channels. 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. Monroe 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 present availability of water is relatively good for Monroe 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 was intended to provide information to the public on water facts for Monroe County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality in the county, contact the Monroe County Extension office. In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county: Monroe Soil and Water Conservation District; USDA Soil Conservation Service; Monroe 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 Monroe County Extension office.

Bibliography

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

Ground-Water Resources of Monroe County. 1991. A.C. Walker. 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.

Impact of Erosion and Conservation In Ohio. 1989. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.

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.

Little Muskingum River and Duck Creek Basins. 1959. Underground Water Resources. ODNR Division of Water.

McMahon Creek, Captina Creek and Sunfish Creek Basins. 1959. Underground Water Resources. ODNR Division of Water.

Monroe County Ground-Water Resources. 1992. M. Lloyd, A.W. Jones, K.M. Boone and Larry C. Brown. AEX-490.56. Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.

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.

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.

Ohio's Natural Heritage. 1979. M.B. Lafferty (Ed.). Ohio Academy of Science, Columbus, OH.

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

Public Water Supply Needs and Alternative Analysis for Monroe County, Ohio. 1991. L.P. Black. ODNR Division of Water.

Soil and Water Conservation District Resource Inventory. 1985. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.

Soil Survey of Monroe County, Ohio. 1974. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.

Southeast Ohio Water Plan. 1987. ODNR Division of Water.

Surface and Ground Water Terminology. 1990. L.C. Brown and L.P. Black. AEX -460. Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.

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

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; Monroe County Extension Office; 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: Barney Dillon (Switzerland of Ohio); Woodsfield Village and Clarington Village water systems; Switzer Water Association; Ohio and Lee Township Water and Sewer Authority; Monroe Water System; A. Wayne Jones, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Division of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Jim Papritan (Agricultural Engineering, OSU); Steve Hindall (USGS, Ohio District); Larry Antosch (Ohio EPA Division of Water Quality Planning and Assessment); and Michael Preston (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.