Jeff 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 Pike County. The county is predominantly rural with a population of 24,249 (1990 census data), and about 89 percent of all households rely on ground water for their water supply. By understanding where water is obtained and how it is utilized in the county, residents can gain a better appreciation for their water as the important resource it is. Providing a brief overview of Pike 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 from all county Extension offices.
An average of approximately 40 inches of precipitation falls on Pike 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 3.4 inches per month, with October (2.4 inches) typically being the driest month, and July (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 long-term precipitation information.
Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in Pike County, Ohio
(1951-1980).
Pike County is part of the Scioto River drainage basin, which has an area of approximately 6,510 square miles, and stretches from the Ohio River at Portsmouth, in Scioto County, to northern reaches in central Hardin County. Major streams that drain other parts of the county include Beaver Creek, Camp Creek, PeePee Creek and Sunfish Creek. 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 the county is given in Figure 2.
The county contains approximately 283,640 land acres, of which approximately 95 percent is rural. Present in the county are 45 different soil types, the majority of which are well drained silt loams. A small percentage of the soils are poorly-drained clays, loams and glacial till deposits. Specific information about soil types, locations and limitations is available from the Pike Soil and Water Conservation District Office near Waverly. The county water acreage consists of about 534 acres of lakes, and approximately 385 linear miles of streams and rivers (estimated from river basin maps, ODNR Division of Water). This availability lends itself to many uses by both communities and individuals.
Figure 2. Surface-water resources in Pike County, Ohio (modified from
ODNR Division of Water river basin maps).
Most of Pike County is underlain by shaly sandstone, shale and carbonate aquifers, which provide only a meager water supply to individual wells in the predominant rural areas of the county. The bedrock is overlain by thin layers of sand, clay and silt. These deposits are low-yielding (less than 4 gpm). Recharge is limited in upland areas, and vertical movement of water is greatly restricted.
However, well yields of as much as 1,000 gpm may be developed in the coarse-grained buried valley aquifer along the Scioto River. These glacier outwash deposits are comprised of coarse sands and gravel with thin mixtures of clay and silt. Wells developed beyond the recharge influence of the river range from 100 to 500 gpm. This ground-water source serves as an adequate supply for individual and commercial wells, and also several villages, such as Piketon and Waverly. Ground water underlying the county ultimately moves toward its natural point of discharge, the Ohio River. Local variations in the direction of ground-water flow exist within the county.
A valley created in pre-glacial times by the Teays River, and then filled with glacial outwash, provides well yields of 5 to 25 gpm for the area between Waverly and Beaver. Deposits of fine-to-medium sand, along with thick deposits of clay and silt, may be as much as 65 feet thick. Farm and domestic supplies are usually obtained at a depth of approximately 20 feet. Well yields of 5 to 10 gpm may be obtained from the carbonate formations in the flood plains of Sunfish, Dry Bone and Kincaid creeks. These are the only water-yielding limestone or dolomite formations in Pike County. The depths of wells in this area may be more than 250 feet. An overview of the ground-water resources the county is given in Pike County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.66.
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.
| Table 1. Water Use in Pike County, Ohio.1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Water System | Population Served | Primary Water Source | Water Usage (GPD)2 | Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD) |
| Beaver | 400 | Ground Water | 45,000 | 860,000 |
| Lake White Water Company | 1,125 | Ground Water | 84,439 | 446,000 |
| Pike Water Inc.3 | 3,970 | Ground Water | 286,665 | NA4 |
| Pike Water Inc.3 | 350 | Ground Water | 39,051 | NA |
| Piketon | 1,650 | Ground Water | 438,270 | 850,000 |
| Waverly | 4,994 | Ground Water | 593,000 | 100,000 |
| 1 Estimates were abstracted from the Inventory of Municipal Water Supply Systems (1977), and adjusted using 1992 data provided by Randy R. Smith, Ohio EPA Southeast District Office, Division of Drinking and Ground Water, Logan, OH. | ||||
| 2 GPD = gallons per day. | ||||
| 3 Serves rural areas outside of villages. | ||||
| 4 Not available. | ||||
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, the county's 39 inches of annual precipitation results in about 10 inches of runoff to streams and lakes, and about 6 inches have the potential to recharge aquifers, annually. Values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions.
Ground water is a major water source in Pike County, where approximately 89 percent of all households rely on ground water for their supply. Nearly 35 percent of all households have a private well, and more than half (53 percent) of these private wells are dug wells. Fifty-four percent of households use public water supplies with ground water as the source. The remaining households (11 percent) use water supplies derived from other sources.
The county has a number of villages, but only Beaver, Piketon and Waverly have public water systems. Table 1 lists these villages and other entities providing public water service, 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. All of the public water systems in the county are supplied solely by ground-water sources: Beaver with two wells; Piketon with three wells; Pike Water Inc. with two wells; and Waverly with three wells.
As water moves through the glacial formations underlying Pike County, it dissolves and carries in solution minerals contained in these formations. Ground water in the central region of the county generally has a high content of total dissolved solids compared to the other portions of the county. Water in this region tends to be high in iron and manganese content. Ground water in the eastern portion of the county tends to have high chloride, and/or iron content, and may need treatment before use.
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 loosens and transports soil particles. Runoff and sediment from residential development, construction sites and agricultural lands, which may enter streams and rivers and fill stream channels, also may carry other pollutants, such as lawn and agricultural chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers), septage, oil and gas from spills, and industrial wastes. Pike 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 Pike 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 Pike County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality in the county, contact the Pike County Extension Office. In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county: Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District; USDA Soil Conservation Service; Pike 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 Pike County Extension office.
Detailed Housing Characteristics. 1980. State of Ohio.
Gazetteer of Ohio Streams. 1960. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 12. ODNR Division of Water.
Ground-Water Resources of Pike 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 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 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.
Pike County Ground-Water Resources. 1992. J.C. Fisher, J.M. Raab, K.M. Boone and L.C. Brown. AEX-490.66. 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.
Soil Survey of Pike County, Ohio. 1990. 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.
The Water Resources of Pike County, Ohio. 1953. R.C. Smith and J.J. Schmidt. Water Information Circular No. 1. 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 (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; Pike County Extension Office; Pike Soil and Water Conservation District; 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: Bob Hendershot and Jim Borchelt (USDA-Soil Conservation Service); James M. Raab, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Division of Water; Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Jim Papritan (Agricultural Engineering, OSU); 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.
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