Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (inches) in Shelby County, Ohio (1951-1980).
Roger F. Bender
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 Shelby County. The county's population of 44,915 (1990 census data) is predominantly rural, and about 62 percent of all households 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 Shelby 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. OSU Extension publications are available through all county Extension offices.
An average of approximately 36 inches of precipitation falls on Shelby 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 3.0 inches per month, with February (2.0 inches) typically being the driest month, and July (3.8 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, often are not apparent from the long-term precipitation information.
Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (inches) in Shelby County,
Ohio (1951-1980).
Approximately 95 percent of the county lies in the Upper Great Miami River basin, which flows south to the Ohio River. A small area in northwest Shelby County drains into tributaries of the St. Mary's River and ultimately Lake Erie. A generalized surface-water map of Shelby County is given in Figure 2.
The county contains approximately 261,056 land acres, of which 87 percent is farmland. Seven different soil types are present within the county, the majority of which are poorly drained clays and loams derived from glacial till deposits. The county water acreage, as of 1980, consisted of about 1,823 acres of lakes, including 1,655-acre Lake Loramie, at least 18 private lakes and ponds of 5 to 18 acres in size, and numerous smaller ponds. Lake Loramie and several small lakes were originally developed as feeders for the old Miami-Erie Canal System and now are used primarily for recreation. Approximately 245 linear miles of streams and rivers (estimated from river basin maps, ODNR Division of Water), 120 miles of county maintained ditches and nearly 400 miles of private maintained ditches are used for land drainage. This availability lends itself to many uses by both communities and individuals.
Figure 2. Surface-water resources in Shelby County, Ohio (modified
from ODNR Division of Water river basin maps).
Shelby County's primary ground-water source is the carbonate aquifer composed of limestone and 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 northern half of the county, yields of greater than 150 gallons per minute (gpm) have been developed from wells penetrating fractured zones in the carbonate bedrock. Farm and domestic supplies of greater than 10 gpm may be developed from shallow wells. Wells finished in the sand and gravel deposits in the northern part of the county also yield ample water supplies.
The limestone aquifer in the southern portion of the county generally yields 25 to 100 gpm. This water-bearing bedrock is thinner than formations to the north. Sand and gravel deposits may also yield 25 to 100 gpm within 75 feet of the surface from properly screened wells. Valley fill areas can provide up to 10 gpm, but deeper drilling into the shale bedrock below may produce dry holes.
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 Shelby County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.75.
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 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, Shelby County's 36 inches of average annual precipitation results in slightly more than 9 inches of runoff to streams and lakes, and almost 6 inches have the potential to recharge aquifers, annually. Values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions.
Public water use for each of Shelby County's public water supply systems is given in Table 1. For each water system, this table provides 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 Sidney, which utilizes the Miami River, Tawawa Creek and five ground-water wells for its supply. The incorporated villages of Anna, Botkins, Fort Loramie and Jackson Center, and the Kettlersville and McCartyville Well Associations, as well as numerous other public systems, use ground water.
Ground water is a major water source for rural households in Shelby County. Approximately 41 percent of all households obtain their water from private wells. An estimated usage of 75 gallons per person per day equates to a withdrawal of 1.38 million gallons per day (gpd) from wells. Additional private water uses include industry (2.93 million gpd), golf course and crop irrigation (190,000 gpd each in season) and livestock use (646,000 gpd), mostly from ground-water supplies. Withdrawals for geothermal usage have not been recorded. The remaining 59 percent use public water supplies with ground or surface water as the source, as identified in Table 1.
| Table 1. Water Use in Shelby County, Ohio.1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Water System | Population Served | Primary Water Source | Water Usage (GPD)2 | Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD) |
| Anna | 1,200 | Ground Water | 110,000 | 350,000 |
| Botkins | 1,532 | Ground Water | 139,000 | 500,000 |
| Fort Loramie | 1,108 | Ground Water | 95,600 | 576,000 |
| Jackson Center | 1,310 | Ground Water | 162,000 | 500,000 |
| Sidney | 18,710 | Surface Water3 | 3,197,000 | 10,000,000 |
| Other4 | 2,460 | Ground Water | 839,130 | 950,4005 |
| 1 Estimates from the Model State Information System, Public Water System Inventory Subsystem using 1991 data provided by Raymond Shesky, Ohio EPA, Division of Drinking and Ground Water, Columbus, OH. | ||||
| 2 GPD = gallons per day. | ||||
| 3 Secondary source is ground water. | ||||
| 4 Other - includes Kettlersville and McCartyville Well Associations, two retirement homes, mobile home parks, etc. | ||||
| 5 Insufficient information; totals are probably higher. | ||||
As water moves through the fractured limestone underlying Shelby County, it dissolves and carries in solution minerals contained in the bedrock. Overall, the county has a plentiful and safe supply of water.
Human activities, such as agricultural production, domestic waste disposal, and lawn and turf care, may have some influence on ground-water quality in Shelby County. In 1988, 279 county wells were sampled for nitrate content, of which 259 (93 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. Thirteen wells (5 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 (2 percent) that tested in the range of 3.0 to 10 ppm may indicate elevated concentrations resulting from human activities. Only 1 well (<1 percent) tested at over 10 ppm nitrate-nitrogen, which exceeds the safe drinking-water standard. The average test value for the 279 wells tested was 0.2 ppm.
Another aspect of water quality in Shelby County is sediment loading of surface waters. The U.S. Geological Survey utilized a test station on the Great Miami River just south of Tawawa Creek for 12 years to determine that approximately 500 pounds of soil per acre in the Miami River watershed was entering surface waters through erosion. 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. Shelby 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 Shelby 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 is intended to provide information for the public on water facts for Shelby County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality in the county, contact the Shelby County Extension Office, 810 Fair Road, Sidney, OH 45365. In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county: Shelby Soil and Water Conservation District; USDA Soil and Water Conservation Service; Shelby 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 Shelby County Extension office.
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 Shelby County. 1983. R.J. Kostelnick. 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. Climatology of the United States, No. 81 (by state). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Monthly Precipitation Totals, 1883-1991. 1991. Miami Conservancy District.
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.
Private Water Systems Handbook. 1987. MWPS-14. Midwest Plan Service, Ames, IA. (Available through your county Extension office).
Shelby County Ground-Water Resources. 1992. R.F. Bender, A.W. Jones, K.M. Boone and L.C. Brown. AEX-490.75. Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
Shelby County, Ohio Soil Survey, 1980. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.
Soil and Water Conservation District Resource Inventory. 1985. USDA-Soil Conservation Service. Southwest Ohio Water Plan. 1976. 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.
Withdrawal and Distribution of Water By Public Water Supplies in Ohio, 1985. US Geological Survey, Open-File Report 89-423.
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; Shelby County Extension Office; Shelby County Commissioners; USDA Water Quality Initiative Funds; Lake Loramie Joint Water Quality Task Force; 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: Deba Mohler (USDA-Soil Conservation Service); Roger Lentz (USDA-Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service); A. Wayne Jones, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Division of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Jim Papritan (Agricultural Engineering, OSU); Rich Bendula (Ohio EPA Division of Drinking and Ground Water); and Larry Antosch (Ohio EPA Division of Quality Planning and Assessment Water).
A special thanks to Anita Barker and Karen Cole (Shelby County Extension office), and 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