Water resources of the Black Hand Sandstone Member of the Cuyahoga Formation aquifers of Mississippian age in southeastern Ohio

Abstract

The Black Hand Sandstone Member of the Cuyahoga Formation and associated aquifers of Mississippian age, including the Allensville Conglomerate, Member of the Logan Formation, were investigated in a 1,500-square-mile area, parts of five counties in southeastern Ohio. The aquifers crop out in western Vinton, western Hocking, and southwestern Fairfield Counties. They dip southeastward about 35 feet per mile, becoming progressively more deeply buried until at Lake Hope, in northeastern Vinton County, the aquifers are the deepest sources of potable ground water in Ohio, occurring at depths locally exceeding 700 feet. These aquifers are the chief sources of water beneath the coal-bearing rocks of the Pennsylvanian System and are widely used for farm and home requirements. Specific capacities of wells are low, exceeding 1 gallon per minute per foot of drawdown only in scattered areas. At McArthur, in Vinton County, the aquifers yield about 300,000 gallons per day for municipal and industrial use, but withdrawal has been accompanied by declining groundwater levels during the past 10 years in a 10-square-mile area. Transmissivity, determined from wells open to both the Black Hand Sandstone Member and Allensville Conglomerate Member at McArthur's west municipal well field, is about 135 square feet per day. The ground water is predominately of the sodium bicarbonate or calcium bicarbonate type in the central part of the area and changes, as it moves downdip, to a sodium chloride bicarbonate type. Along the eastern boundaries of Hocking and Vinton Counties, the aquifers are below the common depth of wells and are presumed to be potable but contain water too salty for ordinary use. Locally, the aquifers are contaminated by brine from oil and gas wells. The report is based largely on drillers' logs of domestic water wells in the files of the Division of Water, Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Approximately 350 logs were field located, of which 160 were selected as a data base. The selected wells are listed in table 3, and the logs are presented graphically in figure 18. The approximate locations of the wells are shown in figure 17. More precise locations can be obtained from Ohio Division of Water files, by reference to the State log number given in table 3.

Geologic setting and water quality of selected basins in the active coal-mining areas of Ohio, 1989-91, with a summary of water quality for 1985-91

“…One of the more important of these aquifers is the Black Hand Sandstone Member of the Cuyahoga Formation. Although the Mississippian aquifer units are not closely associated with coal mining, the Black Hand Sandstone has been described as a useful source of water below coal-bearing strata in parts of the subject and adjacent basins where surface mining has become increasingly active (Norris and Mayer, 1982). b Median was calculated on the basis of only those samples for which alkalinity could be measured (see "Methods," p. 14).…”

“…A recent evaluation of adjacent parts of Hocking and Perry Counties is currently (1993) in preparation at ODNR. According to Norris and Mayer (1982) other sandy members of the Mississippian rocks section west of Athens County at the upper end of the basin can be used as a supply of ground water. In contrast, the unconsolidated sediments forming the valley fill along the Hocking River are ample sources of supply for industrial and municipal purposes.…”

“…The southeastern limit of potable water in the Black Hand Sandstone Member is generally along a line about 3 mi east of McArthur that extends through Wellston ( fig. 27), according to Norris and Mayer (1982). Locally, productive sources of water are available in sandstone units of the Pottsville and Allegheny Formations.…”