Hydrology of area 8, eastern Coal Province, West Virginia and Ohio

Abstract

This report presents general hydrologic information about Area 8, in the Eastern Coal Province, for use by hydrologists, consulting engineers, mine operators, and regulatory personnel. The report format consists of brief texts and supporting illustrations and tables on a series of hydrologic topics which together describe the hydrology of the area. Area 8 is located in the Upper Ohio River main-stem drainage and is one of the 24 hydrologic areas in the Eastern Coal province of the United States. It lies within the Appalachian Plateaus (Kanawha section) and Central Lowlands (Till Plains section) physiographic provinces and includes about 5,960 square miles in southeastern Ohio and northwestern West Virginia. The study area includes the Hocking River, Little Kanawha River, Shade River, Middle Island Creek, Fishing Creek, and other Ohio River tributaries. Sedimentary rocks of Mississippian, Pennsylvanian, and Permian age crop out in the area. The major rock units from oldest to youngest are the Mississippian, undivided rocks (including the Maxville Limestone), the Allegheny Formation and Pottsville Group, the Conemaugh Group, the Monongahela Group, and the Dunkard Group. Coal is present in the Pennsylvanian and Permian Systems. About 61 percent of the land is covered by forest, and most of the remaining land is pasture and cropland. Only about 2 percent of the land has been affected by mining. Land slope ranges from relatively level floodplains to steep hillsides (4,200 feet per mile). Stream-channel slopes range from about 1 foot per mile to greater than 40 feet per mile. There is a wide range of soil types (29 soil associations) that are grouped in five land-resource areas. Annual precipitation averages about 41 inches and ranges from about 37 inches along the western edge of the area to about 60 inches along the eastern edge of the area. Average air temperatures range from about 35°F in winter to about 72 °F in summer. Estimated water use in the area during 1980 was 1,170 million gallons per day of which 90 percent was for power generation. Coal production during 1980 was about 1 million tons from 26 surface mines and about 6.7 million tons from 6 underground mines. Surface-water data are available for 158 locations in the area. Streamflow and water quality are influenced by geology, climate, size of drainage area, regulation, land use, and water use. The mean-annual runoff ranges from about 13 inches in the Hocking River basin to about 29 inches in the headwaters of the Little Kanawha River basin. The Ohio, Little Kanawha, and Hocking Rivers are partly controlled by dams to lessen flooding. The median specific conductance of surface water in the area was 260 micromhos per centimeter and ranged from 41 to 4,035 micromhos per centimeter. The median pH was 7.3 and ranged from 2.9 to 8.1. The median alkalinity was 42 milligrams per liter and ranged from 0 to 290 milligrams per liter. Sulfate concentration ranged from 4.8 to 2,845 milligrams per liter, had a median value of 35.5 milligrams per liter, and was highest ...

Modelling potential hydrological impact of abandoned underground mines in the Monday Creek Watershed, Ohio

“…The SWAT model was therefore adopted for scenario simulation at the watershed scale. The hydrological behaviour of the watershed and the functions of those key parameters relevant to AUM were found to be consistent with previous studies (Friel et al ., ; López et al ., ; López and Stoertz, ). We explored further research from a field scale to a watershed scale.…”

“…Most mines were abandoned in the mid‐1920s, leading to some mine drainage point sources that caused fluctuation in stream conditions (López et al ., ). The steep terrain, resistant bedrock and clay‐rich soils have resulted in surprising hydrological effects (Friel et al ., ; Zipper et al ., ). The hydrological impact of AUM in the Appalachian region has been explored at the plot scale (Burbey et al ., ; López and Stoertz, ), but effects at the watershed scale have not been investigated adequately.…”

Assessing Unconventional Oil and Gas Exposure in the Appalachian Basin: Comparison of Exposure Surrogates and Residential Drinking Water Measurements

“…Detection frequencies and concentrations of inorganic chemicals were consistent with existing monitoring data from the area. , While concentrations of inorganic species in this study were generally below MCLs, exceedances were observed for arsenic (a known carcinogen), barium (a cardiovascular toxicant), nitrate (a probable carcinogen), and lead (a neurotoxicant). − Lead was detected frequently in PA (96% of samples), and while lead has a health-based MCL, no concentration of lead is thought to be safe . Some inorganic species varied substantially in detection frequency and concentration by state (e.g., arsenic), which may reflect differences in the mineralogic composition of drinking water aquifers and their overlying sediments, as well as differences in groundwater flow patterns and associated differences in water–rock interaction times. − Our results indicate generally either inverse or no associations between concentrations of inorganic chemicals and UOG exposure metrics, even those accounting for hydrogeological pathways.…”

Natural and Anthropogenic Processes Affecting Domestic Groundwater Quality within the Northwestern Appalachian Basin

“… − Formations are generally flat-lying with a gentle eastward dip (∼6 m/km), and surface expressions grade from older Pennsylvanian Conemaugh and Monongahela formations in the northwest to younger Permian age materials (Dunkard formation) to the southeast. − Erosion has produced a steep rugged topography with deeply incised valleys. Extensive stress-relief fracturing beneath valleys provides pathways for faster groundwater flow. − Domestic-well yields in valley settings generally range from (3.1 × 10 –4 )–(3.8 × 10 –4 ) m 3 /s, whereas yields in upland areas vary between 1.2 × 10 –4 and 1.9 × 10 –4 m 3 /s . When present, unconsolidated glacial and alluvial aquifers of quaternary-age and abandoned coal mines serve as additional sources of groundwater and frequently supply the highest flow rates ((6.3 × 10 –4 )–(6.3 × 10 –3 ) m 3 /s), though their lateral extent is limited. ,− Self-reported domestic-well depths in this study range from <15 to >150 m, with 46% falling between 15 and 50 m. Methane-rich basin brines have been reported within the study area and across the Appalachian region, often associated with proximity to valley centers and structural features. ,− ,,,, Several gentle anticlinal and synclinal folds are present in the region, generally trending north-south (Figure ).…”

“…Due to differences in hydrogeologic conditions, geologic provinces (e.g., the highly deformed Appalachian structural front in northeastern Pennsylvania as compared to the minimally deformed Appalachian Plateau to the west), and state regulatory frameworks for drinking-water protection, it is reasonable to expect that groundwater vulnerability to contamination from UOG may differ between the eastern and western portions of the NAB. − Moreover, the portions of Ohio and West Virginia that now host UOG extraction have supported extensive surface and subsurface coal mining and conventional oil and gas (COG) development for more than a century. Coal mine discharges have raised concentrations of iron, manganese, sulfate, and toxic metals in the surface waters of the region. ,− As many as one in five streams in West Virginia have been degraded by coal mining operations, while 1300 miles of streams and rivers in Ohio are formally recognized as impaired. , Similarly, leaks from abandoned COG wells have been cited as potential sources of organic contaminants, heavy metals, brines, and iron to streams and rivers. ,, That these polluted surface waters are hydraulically connected to groundwater suggests that residential water wells may be at risk of contamination by coal mine discharges and COG, although observations appropriate for evaluating these risks are scarce.…”