Table Of Content_ .............. OUIU DEPARTMENT 0 CE
D to of Geoloff
COVER:
Big Spring, a few miles south of Van Buren in
Carter County, is Missouri's largest spring. On an
average day it feeds nearly 290 million gallons of
high-quality groundwater into the Current River.
Photo by Jim Vandike.
xv
Water Resources Report Number 46
Missouri State Water Plan Series Volume II
Groundwater
Resour ces
of
Missouri
by
Don E. Miller
and
James E. Vandike
1997
MISSOURI DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Division of Geology and Land Survey
P.O. Box 250, Rolla, Missouri 65402-0250
(573) 368-2100
i
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 97-76398
Missouri Classification No. MO/NR. Ge 9:46
Miller, Don E., and Vandike, James E., 1997, Missouri State Water Plan Series Volume II, Groundwater
Resources of Missouri, Missouri Department of Natural Resources' Division of Geology and Land Survey,
Water Resources Report No. 46, 210 p., 77 figs., 17 tbls.
As a recipient of federal funds, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources cannot discriminate against anyone on the basis of race,
color, national origin, age, sex, or handicap. If anyone believes he/she has been subjected to discrimination for any of these reasons,
he/she may file a complaint with either the Missouri Department of Natural Resources or the Office of Equal Opportunity, U.S.
Department of the Interior, Washington, DC, 20240
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................5
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................................................................................................6
PHYSIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................................7
GEOLOGIC OVERVIEW OF MISSOURI..............................................................................................9
GENERAL HYDROGEOLOGY...........................................................................................................15
AQUIFER PARAMETERS..............................................................................................................15
POTABLE GROUNDWATER STORAGE IN MISSOURI ..............................................................17
GENERALIZED MISSOURI GROUNDWATER QUALITY............................................................17
THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE...............................................................................................................23
PRECIPITATION, EVAPOTRANSPIRATION AND RUNOFF ......................................................23
TYPES OF GROUNDWATER RECHARGE ..................................................................................23
Diffuse Groundwater Recharge............................................................................................23
Discrete Groundwater Recharge ..........................................................................................27
RESOURCE DESCRIPTIONS OF MISSOURI GROUNDWATER PROVINCES ..................................33
THE ST. FRANCOIS MOUNTAINS GROUNDWATER PROVINCE...................................................35
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................35
GEOLOGY....................................................................................................................................35
Precambrian System ..............................................................................................................36
Cambrian System ...................................................................................................................36
Lamotte Sandstone ..........................................................................................................36
Bonneterre and Davis Formations and Derby-Doerun Dolomite................................38
Potosi and Eminence Dolomites....................................................................................40
iii
HYDROGEOLOGY ......................................................................................................................41
Basement Confining Unit......................................................................................................41
St. Francois Aquifer ...............................................................................................................42
Ozark Aquifer ........................................................................................................................42
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL...................................................................42
SALEM PLATEAU GROUNDWATER PROVINCE..............................................................................43
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................43
GEOLOGY....................................................................................................................................43
Cambrian System ...................................................................................................................43
Lamotte Sandstone ..........................................................................................................43
Bonneterre and Davis Formations and the Derby-Doerun Dolomite .........................45
Potosi Dolomite...............................................................................................................45
Eminence Dolomite ........................................................................................................45
Ordovician System.................................................................................................................46
Gasconade Dolomite and the Gunter Sandstone Member...........................................46
Roubidoux Formation.....................................................................................................47
Jefferson City and Cotter Dolomites ..............................................................................47
Everton Formation...........................................................................................................48
St. Peter Sandstone..........................................................................................................48
Other Ordovician and Younger Formations in the Salem Plateau ..............................48
Pennsylvanian Strata.......................................................................................................48
HYDROGEOLOGY ......................................................................................................................49
Introduction ...........................................................................................................................49
St. Francois Aquifer ...............................................................................................................50
St. Francois Confining Unit ...................................................................................................54
Ozark Aquifer ........................................................................................................................55
Other Aquifer Zones in the Salem Plateau Groundwater Province..................................... 63
Groundwater Flow Characteristics of the Ozark Aquifer in the Salem Plateau.................. 64
The Effects of Karst Development on Groundwater Movement......................................... 66
Sinkholes.......................................................................................................................... 67
Losing Streams................................................................................................................. 67
Caves and Karst Conduits ............................................................................................... 69
Springs.............................................................................................................................. 73
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL...................................................................79
THE SPRINGFIELD PLATEAU GROUNDWATER PROVINCE..........................................................81
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................81
GEOLOGY....................................................................................................................................81
Precambrian System ..............................................................................................................84
Cambrian System ...................................................................................................................84
Lamotte-Reagan Sandstone.............................................................................................84
iv
Bonneterre Formation, Davis Formation, and Derby-Doerun Dolomite...................... 84
Potosi Dolomite............................................................................................................... 85
Eminence Dolomite......................................................................................................... 85
Ordovician System................................................................................................................. 85
Gasconade Dolomite and Gunter Sandstone Member .................................................. 85
Roubidoux Formation ..................................................................................................... 86
Jefferson City and Cotter Dolomites and "Powell" Dolomite........................................ 86
Devonian/Mississippian System ............................................................................................ 86
Chattanooga Shale........................................................................................................... 86
Mississippian System.............................................................................................................. 86
Compton Limestone, Sedalia Formation, Northview Formation................................... 86
Pierson Limestone, Reeds Spring Formation, Elsey Formation, and
Burlington-Keokuk Limestone .................................................................................87
Other Mississippian Age-Formations.............................................................................88
Pennsylvanian System...........................................................................................................89
Undifferentiated Pennsylvanian-Age Strata...................................................................89
HYDROGEOLOGY ......................................................................................................................89
Basement Confining Unit......................................................................................................89
St. Francois Aquifer ...............................................................................................................89
Ozark Aquifer ........................................................................................................................90
Ozark Confining Unit............................................................................................................99
Springfield Plateau Aquifer.................................................................................................101
Western Interior Plains Confining System .........................................................................104
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL.................................................................104
SOUTHEASTERN LOWLANDS GROUNDWATER PROVINCE (BOOTHEEL)...............................109
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................109
GEOLOGY..................................................................................................................................109
Paleozoic Strata (undifferentiated) .....................................................................................109
Cretaceous System...............................................................................................................111
McNairy Formation........................................................................................................111
Owl Creek Formation ...................................................................................................112
Tertiary System ....................................................................................................................112
Midway Group: Clayton Formation and Porters Creek Clay.....................................112
Wilcox Group (undifferentiated) .................................................................................113
Terrace Gravels .............................................................................................................113
Quaternary System ..............................................................................................................113
Alluvium ........................................................................................................................113
HYDROGEOLOGY ....................................................................................................................113
Paleozoic Bedrock Aquifers................................................................................................113
McNairy Aquifer...................................................................................................................114
Wilcox Aquifer.....................................................................................................................115
Southeastern Lowlands Alluvial Aquifer............................................................................117
Well Interference.................................................................................................................124
v
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL.................................................................125
MISSISSIPPI RIVER ALLUVIUM ........................................................................................................129
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................129
CLARK AND NORTHEASTERN LEWIS COUNTIES ..................................................................131
SOUTHEASTERN LEWIS AND MARION COUNTIES................................................................131
PIKE, LINCOLN, ST. CHARLES, AND ST. LOUIS COUNTIES ..................................................134
STE. GENEVIEVE COUNTY.......................................................................................................135
PERRY COUNTY ........................................................................................................................135
GROUNDWATER QUALITY......................................................................................................136
MISSOURI RIVER ALLUVIUM...........................................................................................................137
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................137
IOWA STATE LINE TO KANSAS CITY......................................................................................140
KANSAS CITY TO MIAMI ..........................................................................................................143
MIAMI TO JEFFERSON CITY.....................................................................................................146
JEFFERSON CITY TO ST. CHARLES..........................................................................................147
GROUNDWATER QUALITY......................................................................................................151
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL.................................................................151
NORTHWESTERN MISSOURI GROUNDWATER PROVINCE......................................................... 153
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................153
GEOLOGY..................................................................................................................................153
HYDROGEOLOGY ....................................................................................................................155
Pre-Pennsylvanian Aquifers................................................................................................155
Pennsylvanian Aquifer........................................................................................................156
Glacial Drift Aquifer ............................................................................................................157
Recent Alluvium ..................................................................................................................160
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL.................................................................161
vi
NORTHEASTERN MISSOURI GROUNDWATER PROVINCE .........................................................163
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................163
GEOLOGY..................................................................................................................................163
HYDROGEOLOGY ....................................................................................................................168
Cambrian-Ordovician Aquifer ............................................................................................168
Mississippian-Devonian-Silurian Confining Unit...............................................................169
Mississippian Aquifer..........................................................................................................169
Pennsylvanian Aquifer........................................................................................................171
Glacial Drift Aquifer ............................................................................................................171
Alluvial Aquifers..................................................................................................................173
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL.................................................................173
WEST-CENTRAL MISSOURI GROUNDWATER PROVINCE ...........................................................175
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................175
GEOLOGY..................................................................................................................................175
HYDROGEOLOGY ....................................................................................................................178
Pennsylvanian Bedrock Aquifer.........................................................................................178
Alluvial and Glacial Drift Aquifers .....................................................................................180
GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION POTENTIAL.................................................................182
THE UTILIZATION OF GROUNDWATER FOR WATER SUPPLY IN MISSOURI...........................185
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................185
WATER WELL DRILLING IN MISSOURI....................................................................................185
TYPES OF WATER WELLS IN MISSOURI..................................................................................190
WELL CONSTRUCTION IN MISSOURI......................................................................................192
Public Water Supply Wells Drilled into Bedrock..............................................................193
Private Water Supply Wells Drilled into Bedrock.............................................................194
Public and Private Water Supply Wells Drilled into Unconsolidated Materials..............194
WELL PLUGGING.......................................................................................................................197
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.....................................................................................................201
BIBLIOGRAPHY...............................................................................................................................207
vii
viii
