Ohio State University Extension Fact Sheet

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Wood County Water Resources

AEX-480.87

Dan Frobose
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 Wood County. The county's population of 113,269 (1990 census data) is predominantly rural, and about 57 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 Wood 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 33 inches of precipitation falls on Wood 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 2.7 inches per month, with February (1.5 inches) typically being the driest month, and July (4.0 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 Wood County, Ohio (1961-1990); Data collected at Bowling Green.

Surface-Water Resources

The two major drainage basins in Wood County are the Maumee River and the Portage River. The Maumee River basin covers approximately 6,608 square miles, of which 74 percent lies in Ohio. Located primarily in Wood and Ottawa counties, the Portage River basin drains about 602 square miles. Both river basins flow northeast and drain directly into Lake Erie.

Major streams that drain other parts of the county include: Grassy Creek, Tontogany Creek, Kettle Run and Beaver Creek, all of which drain into the Maumee River; Middle Branch, Bull Creek, Rocky Ford, Needles Creek, East Branch and North Branch, which drain into the Portage River. Intermittent streams include Little Cedar Creek, Henry Creek and Two Root Creek. These streams provide drainage access to almost 17 square miles of Wood County. All of these drainage basins are tributaries of Lake Erie, which is a major water resource for several midwestern states and southwestern Ontario. A generalized surface water map of Wood 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.

Wood County contains approximately 395,520 land acres, of which 85 percent is farmland. Five different soil types are present within the county, the majority of which are from the Hoytville association (80 percent) and the Wauseon-Ottokee-Spinks Association (12 percent). These soils are dark-colored, fine-grained and very poorly drained clays, silty clays and clay loams.

The county water acreage consists of about 483 water acres of lakes and approximately 434 linear miles of major streams and rivers (estimated from ODNR Div. of Water river basin maps). This availability lends itself to many uses by communities and individuals. Ponds, which are popular with homeowners, are numerous in the county. Filled by precipitation and surface runoff, ponds are sources of drinking water in certain areas of the county. Approximately 600 miles of county maintained drainage ditches and 1,900 miles of privately maintained ditches are used for land drainage.



Figure 2. Surface-water resources in Wood County, Ohio (adapted from ODNR Div. of Water river basin maps by R.A. Roberts).

Ground-Water Resources

The primary source of ground water is the carbonate aquifer of limestone and dolomite that serves as an adequate water supply for both individual wells and for several county villages, such as Luckey, Pemberville, Wayne and Bloomdale. Limestone mainly consists of calcium carbonate; dolomite is very similar but contains magnesium carbonate as well as calcium carbonate. Both are commonly referred to as limestone, which is familiar to most Ohioans as a construction material. Ground water underlying the county moves toward Lake Erie, its natural point of discharge.

Well yields of 100 to 500 gallons per minute (gpm) may be developed in the western third of the county. This potential decreases in a eastward direction, with almost the entire eastern two-thirds of the county providing yields usually limited to less than 100 gpm. Farm and domestic supplies are usually obtained at depths of less than 150 feet. The yield of a well will vary considerably depending on age and depth of the well and its construction, diameter of the casing, pump capacity and age, and more importantly, properties of the geologic formation.

An overview of the ground water resources in Wood County is given in the publication Wood County Ground-Water Resources, AEX-490.87. Specific information on ground water availability and wells in Wood County can be obtained by contacting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, 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 counties average annual precipitation provide a rough estimate of how many inches results in runoff and how many inches have the potential to reach aquifers. Based on statewide averages of runoff and ground water recharge, Wood County's 33 inches of average annual precipitation result in about 9 inches of runoff to streams and lakes, and about 5 inches have the potential to recharge aquifers annually. Values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions.

Water Use

The county has 25 community water systems, 12 systems associated with towns and villages, 12 mobile home parks and 1 retirement community. Table 1 lists the towns and villages providing public water service along with population served, primary water source, estimated daily water usage and treatment plant capacity. These public water systems provide water for domestic, commercial and industrial uses within village limits, which should be considered when using the information in Table 1.

The county's largest public water system is Bowling Green, which uses the surface waters of the Maumee River for its supply. Several small villages like Grand Rapids, Tontogany and Weston, purchase their water supply from the Bowling Green system. Pumping is halted each spring and during periods of low river flow when the nitrate-nitrogen level is greater than the 10 mg/L safe drinking water standard. Pumping is resumed when the nitrate-nitrogen level is again within acceptable standards.

Ground water is a major water source for rural households in Wood County. Approximately 50 percent of all households obtain their water from private wells. Based on an estimated water usage of 75 gallon per day (gpd) for each person, 4.2 million gpd from private wells is used. The remaining 50 percent of households use public water supplies with ground or surface water as a source, as identified in Table 1. Additional private water uses include industry (570,000 gpd), crop irrigation (50,000 gpd during irrigation periods) and livestock use (40,000 gpd), mostly from ground-water supplies. In addition, 1.18 million gpd are used in mining withdrawals. Many commercial and industrial establishments in the rural areas of Wood County meet their needs by using individual wells.

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.

Wood County has 20 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 Wood County, 4,340 people are served by non-transient non-community systems, and the total usage is 91,610 gpd.

Table 1. Water Use in Wood County, Ohio.1
Public Water System	Population Served	Primary Water Source	Water Usage(GPD)2	Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD)
Bairdstown3	145	Ground Water	6,666	0
Bloomdale	640	Ground Water	71,000	202,000
Bowling Green	30,000	Surface Water	3,389,000	5,400,000
Bradner	1,158	Ground Water	75,000	720,000
Cygnet	595	Ground Water	40,000	300,000
Grand Rapids4	1,150	Surface Water	115,000	432,000
North Baltimore	3,140	Surface Water	594,000	415,000
Pemberville	1,400	Ground Water	200,000	820,000
Perrysburg5	12,050	Surface Water	2,800,000	6,048,000
Tontogany4	400	Surface Water	59,000	0
Wayne	900	Ground Water	60,000	432,000
Weston	2,100	Surface Water	108,000	150,000
Woodlake Mobile Home Park5	350	Surface Water	32,400	0
Other6	2,779	Ground Water	306,100	75,360
1 Estimates from Ohio EPA using 1993 data, adjusted by Leonard Black, ODNR Div. of Water.
2 GPD = gallons per day.
3 Water supplied by Bloomdale.
4 Water supplied by Bowling Green.
5 Water supplied by Toledo.
6 Other includes mobile home parks and investors.

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 fractured limestone underlying Wood County, it dissolves and carries in solution minerals contained in the bedrock. Ground water in the southern three-quarters of the county generally has a high mineral content compared to the lower mineral contents of the northern portion of the county. Water from some wells in the middle and southern portion of the county contains more than three times the amount of total dissolved solids recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Secondary Water Quality Standard of 500 parts-per-million (ppm). Ground water in the southern three-quarters of the county tends to be hard with high sulfide and/or iron content. Sometimes it is undesirable for use. Ground water in the northern quarter of the county has a more appealing smell and taste due to lower dissolved solids. AEX-490.87 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, 81 wells in the county were sampled for nitrate content, of which 67 wells, (83 percent) contained nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in the range of 0 to 0.3 (ppm). This range is assumed to represent natural background levels. Eight wells (9 percent) tested in the range of 0.3 to 3.0 ppm; these values may or may not indicate human influence. The three wells (4 percent) that tested in the range of 3.0 to 10 ppm may indicate elevated concentrations resulting from human activities. Only 3 wells (4 percent) tested at over 10 ppm nitrate-nitrogen, which exceeds the safe drinking water standard. The average test value for the 81 wells tested was 0.99 ppm. 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. On the average Wood County looses 3.05 tons of soil per acre annually, which amounts to about 1.2 million tons per year. These sediments are detrimental because they fill in reservoirs and stream channels.

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. Wood 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 Northwest District Office (347 N. Dunbridge Rd., Bowling Green, OH 43402).

Overall, Wood 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 good for Wood 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 Wood County. For more information on water resources and drinking-water quality in the county, contact the Wood County office of Ohio State University Extension. In addition, the following agencies may be able to provide information on other water resources topics in the county: Wood Soil and Water Conservation District; Wood 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

Doane's Agricultural Report. 1992. Farm Water Systems.

Estimated Water Use in Ohio, 1990, Public Supply Data. 1993. USGS. Open-File Report 93-72.

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

Geohydrology and quality of water in Lucas, Sandusky, and Wood Counties, northwestern Ohio. 1991. USGS. WRI Report 91-4024.

Ground-Water Resources of Wood County. 1986. M. Hallfrisch. ODNR Div. of Water. (map).

Hydrogeology and water quality near a solid- and hazardous-waste landfill, Northwood, Ohio. 1989. USGS. WRI Report 88-4093.

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.

Northwest Ohio Water Plan. 1986. ODNR Div. of Water.

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.

Potentiometric-surface map of the carbonate aquifer in Silurian and Devonian rocks in Lucas, Sandusky, and Wood Counties, northwestern Ohio, July 1986. 1989. USGS. WRI Report 88-4144.

Private Water Systems Handbook. 1987. MWPS-14. Midwest Plan Service, Ames, IA.

Wood County Ground-Water Resources. 1993. D.L. Frobose, A.W. Jones, L.C. Brown and K.M. Boone. AEX-490.87. Ohio State University Extension.

Wood County, Ohio Soil Survey. 1980. USDA-SCS.

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

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.

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; Wood County office of OSU Extension; Wood County Commissioners; 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: Larry Sorrells and Kathleen McLaughlin (Wood County Health Department); Lori Shanks (USDA-SCS); James M. Raab, David Cashell and Leonard Black (ODNR Div. of Water); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Steve Hindall and Ron Veley (USGS, Ohio District); James Wade (USDA-SCS); Tim Fishbaugh (Ohio EPA, Northwest District); 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.