Hydrologic assessment, Eastern Coal Province, Area 23, Alabama: Black Warrior River; Buttahatchee River; Cahaba River; Sipsey River

Technical Report · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:7065526

Harkins, J R

Area 23 is located at the southern end of the Eastern Coal Province, in the Mobile River basin, includes the Warrior, Cahaba, and edges of the Plateau coal fields in Alabama, and covers an area of 4716 square miles. This report is designed to be useful to mine owners and operators and consulting engineers by presenting information about existing hydrologic conditions and identification of sources of hydrologic information. General hydrologic information is presented in a brief text and illustrations on a single water-resources related topic. Area 23 is underlain by the Coker and Pottsville Formations and the pre-Pennsylvanian rocks. Area 23 has a moist temperate climate with an annual average rainfall of 54 inches and the majority of the area is covered by forest. The soils have a high erosion potential when the vegetative cover is removed. Use of water is primarily from surface-water sources as ground-water supplies generally are not sufficient for public supplies. The US Geological Survey operates a network of hydrologic data collection stations to monitor the streamflow and ground-water conditions. This network includes data for 180 surface-water stations and 49 ground-water observation wells. These data include rate of flow, water levels, and water-quality parameters. Hydrologic problems relating to surface mining are (1) erosion and sedimentation, (2) decline in ground-water levels, and (3) degradation of water quality. Decline in ground-water levels can occur in and near surface-mining areas when excavation extends below the static water level in the aquifer. This can cause nearby wells and springs to go dry. Acid mine drainage is a problem only adjacent to the mined area.

• Research Organization: Geological Survey, University, AL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7065526
• Report Number(s): USGS-OFR-80-683
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ALABAMA
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CLIMATES
COAL DEPOSITS
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FLOW RATE
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGY
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROLOGY
INFORMATION
MAPS
MINERAL RESOURCES
MINING
MONITORING
MULTI-ELEMENT ANALYSIS
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
SOUTHEAST REGION
SURFACE MINING
SURFACE WATERS
USA
WATER
WATER QUALITY
WATER RESOURCES