Ohio State University Extension

Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering

590 Woody Hayes Dr., Columbus, Ohio 43210

Morrow County Ground-Water Resources

AEX-490.59

Steve D. Ruhl
Chad D. Ruhl
Wayne A. Jones
Larry C. Brown
Karen T. Ricker

Water stored under the earth's surface is a plentiful, yet precious, resource in most areas of Ohio. Many human activities may affect the quality and quantity of this resource. However, the availability and quality of this resource are influenced directly by the properties of the geologic formations that hold water. The chemical and physical nature of these formations varies from area to area, creating a wide range of water yields and quality at different depths. This publication contains information about the ground-water resources underlying Morrow County. Its purpose is to help the reader better understand the factors that influence the quantity and quality of ground water. An overview of the county's water resources is provided in the publication Water Resources of Morrow County, AEX-480.59.

Much of the water resource and water quality terminology used in this publication is described in Extension Fact Sheets AEX 460 and 465. Extension publications are available through the Morrow County office of Ohio State University Extension.

Aquifers

Geologic formations (e.g., sand, gravel, limestone, sandstone) have the ability to receive, store and transmit water. In general, if a formation is capable of yielding enough water to support a well or spring, it is called an aquifer. The material from which the formation originally was made influences its ability to store and transmit water. For example, sand and gravel allow water to flow through easily. By comparison, shale, which originated from compacted layers of mud and clay, generally allows very little water to flow through it unless the shale is highly fractured.

There are three major aquifers underlying Morrow County. The western one-third of the county is located over a poorly yielding shale aquifer. The shale bedrock is composed of condensed layers of clay, silt or mud which has a finely stratified or laminated structure. A sandstone aquifer, located 15 to 136 feet below the surface, lies under north-central and eastern Morrow County. The sandstone aquifer is composed of layers of fine-grained to conglomerate sandstone, and is the principal source of ground water in east-central and northeast Ohio. The central and southeastern portion of Morrow County is located over a buried valley, where sand and gravel deposits, at depths of between 61 and 352 feet, make up the aquifer system. The unconsolidated sand and gravel is composed mainly of materials of glacial origin. Ground water also occurs in lenses (or pockets) of sand and gravel interbedded in glacial till deposits. Where present, these deposits are located above the shale and sandstone aquifers. Glacial till generally does not provide enough water to support a well. Contact the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Geological Survey, for information on Ohio's geologic formations (Fountain Square, Columbus, OH 43224-1362).

Well Yield

The actual yield of a well, in gallons per minute (gpm), will vary considerably depending on the age and depth of the well, the diameter of the casing, well construction, pump capacity and age, and most importantly, properties of the geologic formation. The exact yield and depth of each well will depend on the properties of the geologic formation at the specific location of the well.

Ground-Water Availability

To support the development of ground-water availability assessments in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Water, maintains a statewide database of more than 700,000 well logs. The Ground-Water Resources Section of the Division manages this valuable database, which includes some information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA). Since 1948, well-log information has been collected to increase the understanding of the ground-water resources in Ohio. Geologists and hydrogeologists continue to study the state's ground-water resources. As a result, Ohio is one of only a few states that has been completely mapped for ground-water availability (mapped by river basin, from 1959 to 1962).

Estimates of the size, shape, geologic make-up and yields of aquifers are being mapped county by county. Most of Ohio's counties have a completed map. The map presented in Figure 1 is a generalized representation of the water-bearing formations underlying Morrow County (adapted from map by R. J. Kostelnick, 1981). This illustration is based on a hydrogeologic interpretation of the well-log data from Morrow County and surrounding areas. It should be used only as a guide to understanding the ground-water resources in the county. The section below provides a brief description of the types of aquifers illustrated on the map in Figure 1.

Ground-water resources of Morrow County, Ohio (adapted from Ground-Water Resources of Morrow County map, R. J. Kostelnick, 1981, ODNR Division of Water; illustration prepared bu J. Humphreys).

AREA A: Limestone Overlain by Shale

Area A in Figure 1 delineates an area in the southwestern part of Morrow County where a productive limestone formation lies below a non-productive shale formation. Wells drilled over 200 feet deep through the impervious shale can yield in excess of 300 gpm.

AREA B: Coarse Sand and Gravel

The coarse sand and gravel deposits, denoted as Area B, are located within buried valleys in ancestral drainage channels. These eroded drainage channels are remnants of an ancient drainage system that cut a valley into the underlying bedrock before the area was glaciated. Later, with the coming of the glaciers, the valleys were filled with glacial deposits, composed mainly of sand and gravel. These deposits make up the most productive aquifer in Morrow County. Yields of 300 gpm may be obtained at depths of less than 150 feet. This aquifer usually yields supplies adequate for municipal and industrial use. To produce higher yields, test drilling is recommended to locate the more permeable materials.

AREA C: Sand and Gravel

Deposits of sand and gravel, shown as Area C, are buried in deep valleys in the bedrock at depths of up to 210 feet. Wells developed in this area generally yield over 25 gpm, but yields of up to 100 gpm are possible.

AREA D: Sandstone and Shale

Ground water in Area D is obtained from sandstone and shale formations. The principal water producing formations are the Berea sandstone, as well as certain members of the Cuyahoga group. Water obtained from the Berea sandstone may contain objectionable levels of hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg or sulfur odor). This bedrock may be covered with more than 100 feet of glacial drift, and yields may reach as high as 25 gpm.

Figure 2 is a generalized cross section (referenced in Figure 1 as the line X-X') of the northern portion of the Big Walnut Creek basin. This cross section illustrates the composition of the geologic formations in the basin, as well as the variation in the depth of the glacial till (shown as clay in Figure 2) that overlies the bedrock in the area.

Generalized cross section of Morrow County, Ohio (adapted from Underground Water Resources map M-4, ODNR Division of Water; illustration by R. Roberts).

AREA E: Sand and Gravel in Glacial Till

Area E delineates areas where lenses of sand and gravel are located between thick layers of clay within buried valleys and glacial moraines. Wells developed in these deposits usually yield between 10 and 25 gpm.

AREA F: Thin Sand and Gravel Lenses

The thin lenses of sand and gravel, in Area F, are interbedded in less than 40 feet of clayey till. The till is underlain by the non-water-bearing shale bedrock. In this area of Morrow County, the average yield is less than 10 gpm.

AREA G: Clay over Impermeable Shale

Area G denotes a poor ground-water area, with thin clay deposits occurring over non-water-bearing shale bedrock. Cisterns and dug wells are often the only source of water. Wells developed in this area tend to yield less than 2 gpm. Dry holes are common.

Ground-Water Levels

The water level in any well does not remain constant, but changes in response to several factors. Rainfall distribution and amount may affect ground-water recharge and discharge, and subsequently may affect the water level in area wells. Also, wells that are hydraulically connected to a stream may show fluctuations in the water level as the stream level changes. In some cases, depending upon the hydraulic properties of the geologic formation, the intense pumping of a well, or number of wells, may cause the water level in some nearby wells to be lowered. In the past, the ODNR Division of Water monitored one well in Morrow County, located near the Village of Cardington. This well, along with other wells throughout north-central Ohio, was used to monitor the natural seasonal fluctuation of water levels in various aquifers. The Morrow County well was 20.5 feet deep. Continuous water-level measurements were recorded at the well from 1950 to 1977. During that period, the lowest level recorded on the well occurred in 1977, when the well actually dried up; the highest level recorded was in April 1967 when the water reached a depth of 1.6 feet below ground surface.

Ground-Water Quality

Various state and federal agencies have participated in programs to determine the ground-water quality in Ohio. For five wells in Morrow County, water-quality data was available from the ODNR Division of Water and the Ohio EPA Central District Office. In Figure 1, these wells are noted as Chemical Analysis Sites 1 through 5. These sites are municipal or commercial wells.

The results from some of the chemical tests performed on these Morrow County wells are given in Table 1. The chemical constituents listed are total dissolved solids, hardness (as CaCO₃), and iron. For comparison purposes, secondary drinking water-quality standards for these chemical constituents also are shown. These standards are established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for public water systems for aesthetic reasons (taste, odor, appearance, etc.), and are not enforceable. These chemical constituents do not pose a risk to human health (see notes in Table 1). For private wells, there are no legally enforceable drinking water-quality standards other than total coliform, which is an indicator of bacteriological quality.

Ground water, whether obtained from bedrock or glacial deposits, may require some treatment. In some areas, water containing calcium carbonate (CaCO₃, i.e. hard water) in concentrations greater than 180 ppm, and iron concentrations greater than 0.3 ppm may require treatment for some uses (see notes in Table 1). Wells drilled into shale or limestone may produce water that contains objectionable quantities of hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg or sulfur odor). In general, the probability of obtaining sulfur in objectionable amounts increases with the depth drilled. In the western one-half of the county, there are several areas where salt contamination occurs from old oil field brine pits. Some wells drilled in these areas may encounter water containing over 250 ppm of sodium chloride.

The information in Table 1 can be used as a guide to what one might expect from an existing or new well developed in similar geologic material in the county. This information provides a general representation of the quality of the water at the time of sampling. The data provided in Table 1 was taken from a water sample obtained just after the well was put into operation. Just as well yields differ, water quality will vary depending on aquifer properties at the specific location of each well. One should not forget that many human activities also affect the quality of ground water (see AEX 465).

Table 1. Chemical constituents of selected Morrow County wells1.
Well No.	1	2	3	4	5	WQ Std2
Well Depth (feet)	150	115	60	75	126
Capacity (gpm)	300	15	25	80	850
Depth to Bedrock (feet)	ne3	22	37	42	ne
Water-Bearing Formation4	SG	SS	SS	SS/SH	SG
Chemical Constituents5
Total Dissolved Solids	411	nt6	nt	nt	nt	500
Hardness (as CaCO3)	298	nt	nt	nt	nt	none7
Iron	2.5	0.25	2.3	9.5	3.1	0.3
Manganese	nt	0.04	0.02	0.09	0.04	0.05
Chloride	nt	30	8	7	14	250
Sulfate	nt	40	322	344	170	250
Sodium	nt	26	50	47	21	none
Calcium	nt	92	161	160	123	none
Magnesium	nt	30	65	70	46	none
1 Data on well number 1 was taken from Underground Water Resources map M-3; wells 2 through 5 from Ohio EPA CDO; general location of each well is shown on Figure 1.
2 USEPA Secondary Water Quality Standard.
3 ne = well constructed in this formation did not encounter bedrock.
4 SS-Sandstone; SH-Shale; SG-Sand and Gravel.
5 Units are parts-per-million, ppm; Comments as per Interpreting Your Water Test Report (1988); Total Dissolved Solids: Concentrations above 500 ppm may cause adverse taste and deteriorate domestic plumbing and appliances. Use of water containing 500 ppm is common Hardness: Primary concerns are that more soap is required for effective cleaning, a film may form on fixtures, fabrics may yellow, and scales may form in boilers, water heaters, and cooking utensils. Iron and Manganese: Iron concentrations greater than 0.3 ppm and manganese concentrations greater than 0.03 may cause brown or black stains on laundry, plumbing fixtures and sinks. Metallic taste may be present which may affect the taste of beverages made from the water. Chloride: High concentrations may result in an objectionable, salty taste to water and the corrosion of plumbing in the hot water system. Sulfate: Concentrations in excess of 250 ppm may have laxative effect on persons unaccustomed to the water. Also affects the taste of water and will form a hard scale in boilers and heat exchangers. Sodium: Major component of brine. May impart a soda taste and be a dietary concern. Calcium and Magnesium: Main constituents of hardness. Primary concerns with hardness are that more soap is required for effective cleaning, a film may form on fixtures, fabrics may yellow, and scales may form in boilers, water heaters, and cooking utensils.
6 nt = not tested.
7 No USEPA Secondary Standard.

Summary

Morrow County's ground-water resources are valuable assets to the county's citizens and industry. The availability and quality of these resources are directly influenced by the properties of the geologic formations underlying the county. The productive limestone, sandstone, and sand and gravel formations that underlay parts of Morrow County have the potential to provide water adequate for domestic and agricultural uses, and some industrial and municipal uses. By understanding the physical and chemical nature of these resources, better decisions can be made about ground-water protection, management and use. This publication provided an overview of the county's ground-water resources. It should be used as a guide, and not as a substitute for detailed information and professional advice when drilling a well.

Where to Get More Information

The Morrow County office of Ohio State University Extension can provide other publications on the county's water resources. Your Extension agent, the Morrow County Health Department, and Ohio EPA Central District office (CDO, P.O. Box 2198, 2305 Westbrooke Drive, Building C, Columbus, Ohio 43266-2198) can provide information on potential sources of ground-water contamination, well-water testing and drinking-water quality. The ODNR Division of Water-Ground-Water Resources Section (Fountain Square, Columbus, OH 43224) is an excellent source of information on ground water. Some of the information in this publication was summarized from the map, Ground-Water Resources of Morrow County, and other information available through the Division of Water. This map is much more detailed than that given in Figure 1, and the Ground-Water Resources Section can provide detailed information on ground-water availability and wells. The USGS, Ohio District (975 W. Third Ave. Columbus, OH 43212), also provides information concerning ground water in Ohio.

Bibliography

Ground-Water Resources of Morrow County. 1981, Richard J. Kostelnick, ODNR Division of Water. (map).

Interpreting Your Water Test Report. 1988. D. Lundstrom and S. Fundingsland. AE-937, No. 13-AENG-10. North Dakota State University Extension Service.

Nonpoint Source Pollution: Water Primer. 1993. R. Leeds and L. C. Brown. AEX 465. Ohio State University Extension.

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.

Surface and Ground Water Terminology. 1990. L. C. Brown and L. P. Black. AEX 460. Ohio State University Extension.

Underground Water Resources (maps of various river basins). 1958-1962. ODNR Division of Water.

Water Resources of Morrow County. 1994. S. D. Ruhl, C. D. Ruhl, K. T. Ricker and L. C. Brown. AEX-480.59. Ohio State University Extension.

Water Testing. 1988. K. Mancl. AEX 314. Ohio State University Extension.

Acknowledgments

This publication was produced through the Ohio Water Resources Education Project, in cooperation with: ODNR Division of Water; Ohio EPA; USGS, Ohio District; and Ohio Department of Health (ODH). Project leaders are Larry C. Brown and Karen T. Ricker. Partial support for this publication was provided by these cooperating agencies and programs: Ohio State University Extension; Morrow Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD); Overholt Drainage Education and Research Program; and the Ohio Management Systems Evaluation Area Project (USDA Extension Service Grant No. 90-EWQI-1-9018).

The project leaders acknowledge the following reviewers: Dan Barker (Morrow SWCD); Jim Overmoyer (USDA-Soil Conservation Service, Morrow County); Charles J. Reutter (Emeritus, OSU Extension); Scott Golden (Environmental Health, ODH); Steve Hindall (USGS, Ohio District); and Linnea Saukko and Jeanette Murin (Ohio EPA, CDO).

A special thanks to Michelle Roby, Ross Roberts, and John Humphreys (Agricultural Engineering Undergraduate Assistants) for help in illustration and manuscript preparation, and Kim Wintringham, Associate Editor (Section of Communications and Technology, Ohio State University Extension), for editorial and graphic production.