Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Warren County Water Resources

AEX-480.83

Ed Winkle
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 Warren County. Among the county's population of 113,800 (1990 census data), almost 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 as the important resource it is. Providing a brief overview of Warren 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.

Precipitation

An average of approximately 40 inches of precipitation falls on Warren County annually. However, this amount varies considerably across the county. For instance, the average annual precipitation for Franklin is 38 inches, based on precipitation records for the period 1951 to 1980. In Kings Mills, for the same period, the 30-year average is nearly 42 inches. Figure 1 illustrates the average monthly precipitation for the county for the Kings Mills location. Based on this 30-year record, the average precipitation is about 3.5 inches per month, with February (2.6) typically being the driest month, and July (4.3 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 Warren County, Ohio (1951-1980).

Surface-Water Resources

Warren County has two major drainage basins: the Great Miami River and Little Miami River. Streams that drain other parts of the county include: Caesar Creek, Todd's Fork, Second Creek, Little Muddy Creek and Clear Creek. All of these drainage basins are important because they are tributaries of the Ohio River, which is a major water resource for southeastern and southern Ohio, and other states. The Ohio River basin has an area of approximately 203,940 square miles, and stretches from New York to Cairo, Illinois. A generalized surface-water map of Warren County is given in Figure 2.

Warren County contains approximately 261,120 land acres, of which approximately 60 percent is rural. Fifty different soil types are present. The county contains approximately 62,800 water acres, which provide for a bountiful supply of surface water. The water acreage consists of about 3,450 acres of lakes, and approximately 320 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. Currently, about 3 million people visit King's Island and 5 million visit Caesar Creek Lake each year.

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

Ground-Water Resources

The primary ground-water source in Warren County is a buried valley aquifer composed of sand and gravel. This aquifer serves as an adequate water supply for both individual and public wells for several large water users in the county, such as the cities of Lebanon, Mason and Franklin, and the Western Water and Warren County Water Companies. Buried valley aquifers may contain outwash sediments deposited by glacial activity. Outwash deposition occurs throughout the Great Miami River basin where sand and gravel have been deposited in deep valleys cut into the bedrock surface. Glacial meltwater has filled up or buried these valleys with sand and gravel deposits to average depths of about 200 feet. These types of deposits help make buried valley aquifers the most productive in the basin and the state.

Well yields of 500 to 1,000 gallons per minute (gpm) may be developed in the extreme western and northwestern ends of the county. The yield potential decreases in the eastward direction, with most of the county showing yields usually limited to less than 3 gpm. An overview of the county's ground-water resources is given in Warren County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.83.

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, Warren County's 40 inches of average 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.

Water Consumption

Warren County has 11 public-water systems, listed in Table 1. The information in Table 1 includes the population served, primary water source, estimated daily water usage and treatment plant capacity for each of these water-supply systems. These systems provide water for domestic, commercial and industrial uses, which should be considered when using the data in the table.

All of these public water systems are supplied by ground-water sources. Ground water is the major water source in Warren County, serving virtually all households. Nearly 32 percent of all households have a private well. The remaining 68 percent use public water supplies with ground water as the source.

Table 1. Water Use in Warren County, Ohio.1
Public Water Source	Population Served	Primary Water Source	Water Usage (GPD)2	Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD)
Corwin	260	Purchase from Waynesville	60,000	-3
Franklin	10,500	Ground Water	2,400,000	4,700,000
Harveysburg	425	Purchase from Waynesville	20,000	-
Lebanon	10,000	Ground Water	1,200,000	2,660,000
Mason	10,500	Ground Water	1,220,000	2,200,000
Morrow	2,000	Ground Water	260,000	500,000
South Lebanon	3,500	Ground Water	340,000	1,000,000
Springboro/Chautauqua	5,400	Ground Water	700,000	1,440,000
Warren County-Deerfield/Hamilton	12,350	Ground Water	1,690,000	1,550,000
Warren County-Franklin	2,000	Purchase from Franklin	200,000	-
Warren County-Franklin/Lebanon	8,100	Ground Water	950,000	1,440,000
Warren County-Pemayroyal	1,036	Purchase from Springboro	50,000	-
Warren County-Socialville	1,000	Purchase from Cincinnati	60,000	-
Waynesville	1,800	Ground Water	-	950,000
Western Water Company	8,1004	Ground Water	570,000	2,160,000
1 Estimates were abstracted from Southwest Ohio Water Plan -- Public Water Supply (1976), and adjusted using data provided by Leonard Black, ODNR Division of Water, and Ohio EPA Division of Drinking Water and Ground Water, Columbus, OH.
2 GPD = gallons per day.
3 Not available.
4 Population served in Warren County.

Water Quality

Most public water supplies in the county come from the buried valley aquifer, which produces high-quality and quantity water. Most private wells are not located in this aquifer and must be drilled into the underlying interbedded limestones and shales. Ground-water quality tends to degrade with increased well depths because of the water's longer contact time with mineralized bedrock. Ground water in the western half of the county generally has a low mineral content, while water in eastern Warren County tends to be hard with high sulfide, chloride and/or iron content. Sometimes this water must receive treatment before use.

Human activities, such as agricultural production, domestic waste disposal and lawn and turf care, may have some influence on ground-water quality in Warren County. In 1988, 168 county wells were sampled for nitrate content, of which 64 (38 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. Fifty-nine wells (35 percent) were tested in the range of 0.3 to 3.0 ppm; these values may or may not indicate human influence. The 26 wells (15 percent) that tested in the range of 3.0 to 10 ppm may indicate elevated concentrations resulting from human activities. Nineteen wells (11 percent) tested at over 10 ppm nitrate-nitrogen, which exceeds the safe drinking-water standard. The average test value for the 168 wells tested was 2.8 ppm. The presence of nitrate in ground water can be attributed to several possible source, including faulty septic systems, animal feedlots, agricultural application of nitrogen and other human-related sources.

Another aspect of water quality in Warren County is sediment loading in the streams and rivers. About 2,050 tons per day are carried by county streams, amounting to about 750,000 tons per year. These sediments are detrimental because they clog drainage ways, destroy aquatic habitat and deplete valuable soil particles and nutrients from cropland. 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. Warren 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 and future availability of water is excellent for Warren 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 to the public on water facts for Warren County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality in the county, contact the Warren County Extension office. In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county: Warren Soil and Water Conservation District; USDA Soil Conservation Service; Warren 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 Warren County Extension office.

Bibliography

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

Ground-Water Resources of Warren County. 1986. 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.

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 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).

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

Southwest Ohio Water Plan - Public Water Supply. 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.

Warren County Ground-Water Resources. 1992. E. Winkle, A.W. Jones, K.M. Boone and L.C. Brown. AEX-490.83. Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.

Warren County, Ohio Soil Survey. 1973. USDA-Soil Conservation Service.

Water Inventory of the Ohio River Basin, Ohio. 1969. Ohio Water Inventory Report. ODNR Division of Water.

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; Warren County Extension Office; Warren 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: John Tkatschenko (USDA-Soil Conservation Service); A. Wayne Jones, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Division of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Rich Bendula (Ohio EPA Division of Drinking and Ground Water); and Larry Antosch (Ohio EPA Division of Water Quality Planning and Assessment).

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 Information and Applied Communications, OSU Extension) for editorial and graphic production.