Long-term effects of surface coal mining on ground-water levels and quality in two small watersheds in eastern Ohio

Abstract

Introduction 2 Purpose and scope 4 Acknowledgments 4 Methods of study 4 Description of the study watersheds 5 Long-term effects of surface mining 11 Watershed M09 11 Ground-water levels 11 Water quality 17 Watershed 111 34 Ground-water levels 34 Water quality 43 Summary and conclusions 58 References cited 60 Supplemental data 68 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Map showing location of the study watersheds 3 2. Stratigraphic column and schematic cross section for watershed M09 6 3. Stratigraphic column and schematic cross section for watershed 111 7 4-5. Maps showing locations of observation wells, seeps, and streams: 4. Watershed M09 8 5. Watershed 111 10 6. Map showing generalized ground-water flow at watershed M09 12 7-8. Hydrographs showing water levels of selected wells at watershed MO9: 7. Upper aquifer 13 8. Middle aquifer 14 9-10. Hydrographs showing vertical gradient between wells at watershed M09: 9. P8-landP9-2 15 10. P6-landP7-2 16 in ILLUSTRATIONS Continued 11. Hydrograph showing increase in water-level fluctuation after mining in well W5-2, Watershed MO9 18 12-24. Graphs showing water-quality characteristics at watershed M09: 12-18. Upper aquifer: 12. Trilinear diagram 20 13. Explanation of box plot diagrams 22 14. pH, time series, and box plot 23 15. Dissolved-solids concentration, time series, and box plot 24 16. Sulfate concentration, time series, and box plot 25 17. Iron concentration, time series, and box plot 26 18. Manganese concentration, time Series, and box plot 28 19-24. Middle aquifer: 19. Trilinear diagram 29 20. pH, time series, and box plot 30 21. Dissolved-solids concentration, time series, and box plot 31 22. Sulfate concentration, time series, and box plot 32 23. Iron concentration, time series, and box plot 33 24. Manganese concentration, time series, and boxplot 35 25. Selected water-quality characteristics in upper aquifer, seep, and stream 36 26. Map showing generalized ground-water flow at watershed 111 37 27-28. Hydrographs showing water levels of selected wells at watershed 111: 27. Upper aquifer 38 28. Middle aquifer 40 29. Hydrographs showing vertical gradient between wells W6-1 and W7-2 at watershed Jl 1 41 30. Hydrographs showing aquifer response to precipitation at watershed 111 42 31-41. Graphs showing water-quality characteristics at watershed Jl 1: 31-36. Upper aquifer: 31. Trilinear diagram 44 32. pH, time series, and box plot 45 33. Dissolved-solids concentration, time series, and box plot 47 34. Sulfate concentration, time series, and box plot 48 35. Iron concentration, time series, and box plot 49 36. Manganese concentration, time series, and box plot 50 IV VI