DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIBECTOK

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER

UNDERGROUND WATERS

OF THE

COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA

BY 

L. W. STEPHENSON AND J. 0. VEATCH

AND A DISCUSSION OP

THE QUALITY OF THE WATERS

BY

R. B. DOLE

Prepared in cooperation with the Geological Survey of Georgia

WASHINGTON

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE

1915

CONTENTS.

__ Page.

Introduction.............................................................. 25

Physiography.............................................................. 26

Cumberland Plateau.................................................... 26

Appalachian Valley.................................................... 27

Appalachian Mountains................................................ 27

Piedmont Plateau..................................................... 27

Coastal Plain........................................................... 28

General features................................................... 28

Physiographic subdivisions......................................... 29

Fall-line Mils................................................. 29

Dougherty plain............................................... 31

Altamaha upland............................................... 32

Southern limesink region...................................... 34

Okefenokee plain.............................................. 35

Satilla coastal lowland ......................................... 36

Minor features..................................................... 38

Terraces....................................................... 38

Streams....................................................... 38

Lakes and ponds.............................................. 39

Fresh-water swamps............................................ 40

Upland-plain swamps..................................... 40

Fluviatile swamps......................................... 42

Springs....................................................... 43

Elevations................................................................ 44

Geology.................................................................. 52

Geologic provinces-................................................... 52

Deposits of the Coastal Plain............................................ 52

Stratigraphic succession............................................. 52

Structure........ *................................................. 56

Dip and strike................................................. 56

Local displacements........................................... 57

Chattahoochee anticline..................................... 1. 57

Withlacoochee anticline....................................... 59

Monocline in eastern Georgia.................................... 59

Cretaceous system..................................................... 60

Lower Cretaceous series............................................. 60

Areal distribution............................................. 60

Stratigraphic position.......................................... 60

Lithologic character........................................... 61

Strike, dip, and thickness....................................... 62

Upper Cretaceous series............................................ 62

Eutaw formation.............................................. 62

Areal distribution......................................... 62

Stratigraphic position...................................... 62

Lithologic character....................................... 62

Strike, dip, and thickness................................... 64

3
4 CONTENTS.

Geology Continued.

Cretaceous system Continued.

Upper Cretaceous series Continued. Page.

Eipley formation............................................... 64

Areal distribution......................................... 64

Stratigraphic position...................................... 64

Lithologic character....................................... 64

Strike, dip, and thickness................................... 66

Tertiary system....................................................... 67

Eocene series..................................................... 67

Midway formation.............................................. 67

Areal distribution......................................... 67

Stratigraphic position.................................... 67

Lithologic character....................................... 68

Thickness................................................. 69

Paleontologic character.................................... 69

Physiographic expression................................... 69

Structure.................................................. 70

Wilcox formation.....................................:........ 70

Areal distribution......................................... 70

Stratigraphic position...................................... 70

Lithologic character....................................... 71

Thickness................................................. 71

Paleontologic character.................................... 72

Physiographic expression................................... 72

Structure.................................................. 72

Claiborne group................................................ 73

Subdivisions.............................................. 73

McBean formation......................................... 73

Areal distribution..................................... 73

Stratigraphic position.................................. 74

Lithologic character................................... 74

Thickness............................................. 75

Paleontologic character................................ 76

Physiographic expression............................... 76

Structure.............................................. 77

Congaree clay member................................. 77

Barnwell sand............................................. 79

Areal distribution..................................... 79

Stratigraphic position.................................. 79

Lithologic character................................... 80

Thickness............................................. 80

Paleontologic character................................ 80

Physiographic expression............................... 80

Structure.............................................. 80

Jackson formation.............................................. 80

Areal distribution......................................... 80

Stratigraphic position.......:.............................. 81

Lithologic character and thickness.......................... 82

Paleontologic character.................................... 82

Physiographic expression................................... 83

Structure.................................................. 83

Oligocene series.................................................... 83

Vicksburg formation............................................ 83

Areal distribution...........,.,..,,.,,..,..,,..,,..-,,..,. 83
CONTENTS. , 5

Geology Continued.

Tertiary system Continued.

Oligocene series Continued. Page. 

Vicksburg formation Continued.

Stratigraphic position.................................. i... 83

Lithologic character................................1...... 84

Thickness................................................. 85

Paleontologic character...........................:........ 86

Physiographic expression................................... 86

Structure..............---.----.--.---.---..--.-----......- 86

Apalachicola group............................................ 86

Chattahoochee formation................................... 86

Areal distribution...................................... 86

Stratigraphic position.................................. 87

Lithologic character................................... 88

Thickness............................................. 88

Paleontologic character................................ 88

Physiographic expression............................... 89

Structure.............................................. 89

Alum Bluff formation..................................... 89

Areal distribution...................................... 89

Stratigraphic position.................................. 91

Lithologic character................................... 92

Thickness............................................. 93

Paleontologic character................................ 93

Physiographic expression............................... 93

S tructure.............................................. 94

TJndifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive.................. 94

Miocene series..................................................... 97

General features............................................... 97

Marks Head marl.............................................. 98

Areal distribution and structure........................... 98

Stratigraphic position...................................... 98

Lithologic character and thickness..-........................ 98

Paleontologic character.................................... 99

Duplin marl................................................. 99

Areal distribution and structure........................... 99

Stratigraphic position...................................... 99

Lithologic character....................................... 99

Paleontologic character.................................... 100

Pliocene (?) series................................................. 100

Distribution.................................................. 100

Charlton formation........................................... 101

Quaternary system. ................................................... 102

Pleistocene series................................................. 102

Subdivisions.................................................. 102

Columbia group.............................................. 103

Okefenokee formation..................................... ' 103

Distribution and character............................ 103

Coastal terrace deposits................................ 104

Fluviatile terrace deposits............................. 105

Satilla formation.......................................... 107

Deposition........................................... 107

Coastal terrace deposits................................ 107

Fluviatile terrace deposits............................. ' 110
6 CONTENTS.

G eology Continued.

Quaternary system Continued. Page.

Recent series...................................................... Ill

Surficial gray sands of the upland....................................... 112

Water supply.............................................................. 115

Source and amount................................................... 115

Disposition........................................................... 116

Run-off........................................................... 116

Evaporation...................................................... 117

Vegetation....................................................... 117

Chemical absorption.............................................. 117

Underground water storage.......................................... 118

Surface waters........................................................ 118

Streams........................................................... 118

Lakes and ponds.................................................. 118

Underground waters................................................... 119

Water table....................................................... 119

Quality of water.................................................. 119

Artesian waters<.................................................... 120

Definition.................................................... 120

Importance.................................................. 120

Controlling conditions........................................ 120

Conditions in,the Coastal Plain of Georgia...................... 121

Nonartesian waters................................................ 122

Use of underground waters in the Coastal Plain of Georgia .......... 123

Springs....................................................... 123

Shallow wells................................................. 123

Artesian wells................................................ 123

Stratigraphic distribution of underground waters.................... 124

Water in Cretaceous system.................................... 124

Lower Cretaceous series................................... 124

Upper Cretaceous series.................................... 125

Eutaw formation...................................... 125

Ripley formation..................................... 125

Water in Tertiary system...................................... 127

Eocene series............................................. 127

Midway formation.................................... 127

Wilcox formation...................................... 127

Claiborne group........................................ 127

Jackson formation...................................... 129

Oligocene series............................................ 129

Vicksburg formation.................................. 129

Chattahoochee formation............................... 130

Alum Bluff formation................................... 130

Miocene series............................................. 131

Pliocene (?) series......................................... 132

Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive.......... 132

Water in Quaternary system.................................... 132

Pleistocene series........................................... 132

County descriptions........................................................ 133

Appling County.................................-..-...----------.-..-- 133

General features..................................-...--.---...---- 133

Topography....................................................... 133

Geology.......................................................... 134
CONTENTS. 7

County descriptions Continued.

Appling County Continued. PageWater resources.................................................... 134

Distribution and character...................................... 134

Local supplies................................................. 134

Baxley................................................... 134

New Lacey................................................ 135

Baker County.......................................................... 135

General features................................................... 135

Topography........................................................ 135

Geology.......................................................... 136

Water resources.................................................... 136

Distribution and character...................................... 136

Local supplies................................................. 137

Newton.................................................... 137

Elmodel.................................................. 137

Mimmsville................................................ 138

Baldwin County......................................................... 138

General features................................................... 138

Topography....................................................... 138

Geology.......................................................... 138

Water resources.................................................... 139

Distribution and-character...................................... 139

Local supplies................................................. 139

Milledgeville............................................... 139

Stevens Pottery .......................................... 140

Ben Hill County...................................................... 140

General features................................................... 140

Topography....................................................... 140

Geology.......................................................... 140

Water resources.................................................... 140

Distribution and character...................................... 140

Local supplies................................................. 141

Fitzgerald................................................. 141

Bowens Mill............................................... 142

Berrien County....................................................... 142

General features. ............................................. ^..... 142

Topography....................................................... 142

Geology......................................................... 143

Water resources.................................................... 143

Distribution and character...................................... 143

Local supplies................................................. 144

Adel..................................................... 144

Sparks..................................................... 144

Nashville................................................. 144

Milltown.....'...:.......................................... 144

Heartsease................................................ 145

Bibb County.......................................................... 146

General features................................................... 146

Topography....................................................... 146

Geology............................................................ 146

Water resources.................................................... 147

Distribution and character...................................... 147
8 CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued. 

Bibb County Continued.

Water resources Continued. Page.

Local supplies................................................... 148

Macon..................................................... 148

Walden................................................... 148

Seven miles south of Macon................................ 149

White Elk Spring.......................................... 149

Tufts Springs............................................. 150

Bleckley County....................................................... 151

Brooks County......................................................... 152

General features................................................... 152

Topography....................................................... 152

Geology.......................................................... 152

Water resources.................................................... 153

Distribution and character...................................... 153

Local supplies-................................................ 154

Quitman................................................... 154

Barwick................................................... 155

Morven.................................................... 155

Bryan County.......................................................... 156

General features................................................... 156

Topography....................................................... 156

Geology.......................................................... 157

Water resources.................................................... 157

Distribution and character. .^................................... 157

Local supplies................................................. 158

Ways...................................................... 158

Keller.................................................... 158

Fort McAllister............................................ 159

Pembroke................................................ 159

Clyde.................................................... 160

Boding.................................................... 160

Ossabaw Island........................................... 160

Belfast......................................................... 160

Bulloch County........................................................ 162

General features................................................... 162

Topography....................................................... 162

Geology.......................................................... 162

Water resources.................................................... 163

Distribution and character... I.................................. 163

Local supplies................................................. 163

Statesboro................................................. 163

Burke County.......................................................... 164

General features................................................... 164

Topography....................................................... 165

Geology.......................................................... 165

Water resources.................................................... 166

Distribution and character........................................ 166

Local supplies................................................. 166

Waynesboro................................................ 166

Midville.................................................. 168

Greens Cut................................................ 168

Gough..................................................... 169

Girard..................................................... 169
CONTENTS. 9

County descriptions Continued. Page.

Calhoun County....................................................... 170

General features................................................... 170

Topography....................................................... 170

Geology............................................................ 171

Water resources.................................................... 171

Distribution and character....................................... 171

Local supplies.................................................. 171

Arlington................................................. 171

Leary.................................................... 172

Edison................................................... 173

Morgan.................................................... 173

Cordray Mill............................................... 173

Camden County ...................................................... 175

General features................................................... 175

Topography....................................................... 176

Geology........................................................... 176

Water resources.................................................... 177

Distribution and character...................................... 177

Local supplies. ................................................ 177

St. Marys................................................. 177

Kingsland................................................... 178

Tarborp.................................................... 178

Charlton County .................................................... 181

General features................................................... 181

Topography....................................................... 181

Geology-......................................................... 181

Water resources .................................................... 182

Distribution and character...................................... 182

Local supplies................................................. 182

Folkston................................:................. 182

Burnt Fort................................................. 182

Chatham County....................................................... 183

General features................................................... 183

Topography....................................................... 183

Geology.......................................................... 184

Water resources.................................................... 185

Distribution and character...................................... 185

Local supplies................................................. 185

Savannah................................................. 185

Tybee Island............................................. 189

Pooler.................................................... 189

Montgomery............................................... 190

Burroughs................................................. 190

Chattahoochee County................................................. 192

General features...........................................-........ 192

Topography....................................................... 192

Geology.......................................................... 192

Water resources.................................................... 193

Distribution and character...................................... 193

Local supplies................................................ 194

Cusseta................................................... 194

Rural supplies..........................................'.. 194
10 CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued. Page.

Clay County.......................................................... 196

General features................................................... 196

Topography....................................................... 196

Geology.......................................................... 196

Water resources.................................................... 197

Distribution and character...................................... 197

Local supplies................................................. 197

Fort Gaines............................................... 197

Henry County, Ala......................................... 199

Bluffton................................................... 199

Clinch County......................................................... 200

General features................................................... 200

Topography....................................................... 200

Geology.......................................................... 201

Water resources.................................................... 201

Coffee County......................................................... 202

General features ................................................... 202

Topography....................................................... 202

Geology.......................................................... 203

Water resources.................................................... 203

Distribution and character..................................... 203

Local supplies................................................ 204

Douglas................................................... 204

Broxton.................................................. 204

Willacoochee.................................!............ 204

Colquitt County...................................................... 205

General features.................................................. 205,

Topography...................................................... 205

Geology...............:..-........................................ 206

Water resources................................................... 206

Distribution and character..................................... 206

Local supplies................................................ 206

Moultrie................................................. 206

Doerun................................................... 207

Norman Park............................................ 207

Columbia County...................................................... 208

General features................................................... 208

Topography........... rf ........................................... 208

Geology.......................................................... 209

Water resources.................................................. 209

Crawford County..................................................... 209

General features................................................... 209

Topography....................................................... 209

Geology.......................................................... 210

Water resources.................................................. 210

Crisp County......................................................... 212

General features................................................... 212

Topography....................................................... 213

Geology.......................................................... 213

Water resources.................................................. 214

Distribution and character.................................... 214

Local supplies................................................. 214

Cordele.................................................. 214

Coney and vicinity....................................... 215
CONTENTS. 11

County descriptions Continued. Page.

Decatur County....................................................... 218

General features................................................... 218

Topography....................................................... 218

Geology.......................................................... 219

Water resources.................................................. 219

Distribution and character.................................... 219

Local supplies................................................. 220

Bainbridge................................................ 220

Donaldsonville........................................... 221

Iron City................................................. 221

Lela...................................................... 221

Dodge County......................................................... 224

General features................................................... 224

Topography....................................................... 224

Geology.......................................................... -224

Water resources.................................................. 225

Distribution and character.................................... 225

Local supplies................................................. 225

Eastman.................................................. 225

Chester................................................... 225

Chauncey................................................ 226

Jay Bird Spring........................................... 226

Wild Rose Mineral Spring................................. 226

Rhine................................................... 226

Dooly County..............................;......................... 228

General features................................................... 228

Topography....................................................... 228

Geology.......................................................... 228

Water resources.................................................. 229

Distribution and character.................................... 229

Local supplies.................................................. 229

Vienna................................................... 229

Unadilla................................................. 230

Byromville.............................................. 230

Pinehurst................................. 1............... 231

Richwood................................................. 231

Dooling.................................................. 232

Dougherty County..................................................... 233

General features.......................................'............ 233

Topography....................................................... 233

Geology.......................................................... 234

Water resources.................................................. 235

Distribution and character.................................... 235

Local supplies................................................. 235

Albany................................................... 235

Kioka Place.............................................. 239

Ducker station........................................... 240

Putney................................................... 240

Pretoria.................................................. 240

Blue Spring.............................................. 240

Early County......................................................... 243

General features................................................... 243

Topography....................................................... 243
12 CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued.

Early County Continued. Page.

Geology.......................................................... 243

Water resources.................................................. 244

Distribution and character.................................... 244

Local supplies................................................... 245

Blakely................................................... 245

Damascus.................................................. 245

Cowarts station............................................ 246

Other localities............................................. 246

Echols County........................................................ 248

General features................................................... 248

Topography....................................................... 248

Geology.....................................'..................... 248

Water resources.................................................... 249

Effingham County...................................................... 249

General features................................................... 249

Topography....................................................... 249

Geology.......................................................... 250

Water resources.................................................... 250

Distribution and character...................................... 250

Local supplies................................................. 251

Springfield................................................. 251

Eden...................................................... 251

Egypt..................................................... 251

Guyton................................................... 251

Meldrim.................................................. 252

Emanuel County...................................................... 253

General features................................................... 253

Topography....................................................... 253

Geology.......................................................... 25?

Water resources.................................................... 254

Distribution and character...................................... 254

Local supplies................................................. 255

Swainsboro............................................... 255

Stillmore.................................................. 255

Adrian................................................... 255

Garfield.................................................. 255

Glascock County...................................................... 256

General features................................................... 256

Topography....................................................... 256

Geology.......................................................... 257

Water resources.................................................... 257

Distribution and character...................................... 257

Local supplies................................................. 257

Gibson................................................... 257

Glynn County......................................................... 258

General features................................................... 258

Topography....................................................... 258

Geology.......................................................... 258

Water resources.................................................... 259

Distribution and character...................................... 259

Local supplies................................................. 260

Brunswick................................................. 260

Thahnan.................................................. 261
CONTENTS. 13

County descriptions Continued. 

Glynn County Continued.

Water resources Continued.

Local supplies Continued. Page.

Jointer Island............................ ................. 261

St. Simons Island.......................................... 261

Bladen................................................... 263

Everett City............................................... 263

Crispin................................................... 263

Evelyn................................................... 264

JeyklIsland.............................................. 264

Grady County......................................................... 267

General features................................................... 267

Topography....................................................... 267

Geology............................................................ 268

Water resources.................................................... 268

Distribution and character...................................... 268

Local supplies................................................. 268

Cairo....................................................!. 268

Whigham................................/................ 269

Calvary.................................................... 269

Beachton.....................................;............ 269

Hancock County...................................................... 270

General features................................................... 270

Topography....................................................... 270

Geology.......................................................... 270

Water resources.................................................... 271

Houston County........................................................ 271

General features................................................... 271

Topography........................................................ 271

Geology.......................................................... 272

Water resources..................................................... 273

Distribution and character...................................... 273

Local supplies................................................. 274

Fort Valley................................................ 274

Perry...................................................... 276

Other localities............................................. 277

Irwin County......................................................... 279

General features................................................... 279

Topography....................................................... 279

Geology............................................................ 279

Water resources.................................................... 280

Distribution and character...................................... 280

Local supplies................................................. 280

Ocilla............................................... ..... 280

Jeff Davis County.................................................... 281

General features.................................................. 281

Topography....................................................... 281

Geology.......................................................... 281

Water resources................................................... 282

Distribution and character.................................... 282

Local supplies................................................ 282

Hazelhurst............................................... 282

Goldsmith ........,.. . .,.. , . ......,.............. 283
14 ' CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued. Page.

Jefferson County...................................................... 284

General features.................................................. 284

Topography....................................................... 284

Geology.......................................................... 285

Water resources................................................... 285

Distribution and character.................................... 285

Local supplies................................................ 286

Louisville................................................ 286

Wadley................................................... 288

Bartow................................................... 288

Spread................................................... 289

Wrens..................................................... 289

Jenkins County....................................................... 291

General features.................................................. 291

Topography....................................................... 291

Geology.......................................................... 291

Water resources................................................... 292

Distribution and character.................................... 292

Local supplies................................................ 293

Millen................................................... 293

 Perkins................................................... 293

Herndon................................................. 293

Rogers................................................... 294

Scarboro................................................... 294

Johnson County...................................................... 296

General features.................................................. 296

Topography....................................................... 296

Geology.......................................................... 296

Water resources................................................... 297

Distribution and character. ........................... ^....... 297

Local supplies................................................ 297

Wrightsville.............................................. 297

Idylwild................................................. 298

Kite..................................................... 298

Jones County.......................................................... 299

General features.................................................. 299

Topography....................................................... 299

Geology.......................................................... 300

Water resources................................................... 300

Laurens County...................................................... 301

General features.................................................. 301

Topography....................................................... 301

Geology.......................................................... 302

Water resources................................................... 302

Distribution and character.................................... 302

Local supplies................................................ 303

Dublin................................................... 303

Dexter................................................... 303

Tingle................................-...---.....-------.- 303

Rentz..................................................... 303

Limestone springs......................................... 304

Lee County. .................................---.------.-.------- --- 305

General features. ..............................-.....---.-...- 305

Topography. -............................-..--. -. - - - 305
CONTENTS. 15

County descriptions Continued.

Lee County Continued. Page.

Geology.......................................................... 306

Water resources................................................... 306

Distribution and character.................................... 306

Local supplies................................................ 306

Leesburg................................................. 306

Smithville................................................ 307

Armena................................................... 308

Adams.................................................... 308

Philema................................................... 308

Liberty County....................................................... 310

General features.................................................. 310

Topography....................................................... 310

Geology.......................................................... 311

Water resources................................................... 312

Distribution and character............................... I.... 312

Local supplies................................................ 312

Ludowici.................................................. 312

Donald.................................................... 313

Allenhurst................................................ 314

Flemington................................................ 314

St. Catherines Island....................................... 314

Other localities............................................ 315

Lowndes County....................................................... 316

General features.............................................. i... 316

Topography....................................'................... 316

Geology.......................................................... 317

Water resources................................................... 317

Distribution and character...................................... 317

Local supplies................................................ 318

Valdosta.................................................. 318

McDuffie County...................................................... 321

General features................................................... 321

Topography....................................................... 321

Geology.......................................................... 321

Water resources.................................................... 321

Mclntosh County..................................................... 322

General features................................................... 322

Topography....................................................... 323

Geology.......................................................... 323

Water resources.................................................... 323

Distribution and character..................................... 323

Local supplies................................................. 324

Darien.................................................... 324

Valona .................................................. 325

Sapelo light station ....................................... 325

Barrington................................................ 326

Wolf Island............................................... 326

Creighton Island-.......................................... 326

Doboy.................................................... 326

Macon County........................................................ 328

General features................................................... 328

Topography............................. ^i........................ 328

Geology.......................................................... 328
16 CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued.

Macon County Continued. Page.

Water resources.................................................... 329

Distribution and character..................................... 329

Local supplies................................................. 330

Oglethorpe............................................... 330

Montezuma............................................... 330

Six miles north of Montezuma.............................. 332

Marshallville............................................. 332

Miona Springs............................................ 332

Marion County........................................................ 334

General features................................................... 334

Topography....................................................... 334

Geology.......................................................... 334

Water resources. ................................. ^,............... 335

Distribution and character..................................... 335

Local supplies................................................. 336

Buena Vista.............................................. 336

Doyle..................................................... 337

Spring near Tazewell........:.............................. 337

Spring near Putnam....................................... 338

Miller County.......................................................... 338

General features................................................... 338

Topography....................................................... 338

Geology.......................................................... 338

Water resources.................................................... 339

Distribution and character..................................... 339

Local supplies................................................ 339

Colquitt.................................................. 339

Babcock................................................... 340

Mitchell County........................................................ 341

General features. ........................~......................... 341

Topography....................................................... 341

Geology.......................................................... 341

Water resources.................................................... 342

Distribution and character...................................... 342

Local supplies................................................ 343

Camilla................................................... 343

Pelham................................................... 343

Flint..................................................... 344

Montgomery County.................................................... 344

General features.................................................. 344

Topography....................................................... 345

Geology.......................................................... 345

Water resources.................................................... 345

Distribution and character..................................... 345

Local supplies................................................. 346

Mount Vernon............................................ 346

McArthur plantation....................................... 346

Higgston................................................. 346

Ochwalkee............................................... 347

Soperton................................................... 347

McRae................................................... 347

Kibbee. .......* .......................................... 347
CONTENTS. 17

County descriptions Continued. Page.

Muscogee County..................................................... 348

General features.................................................. 348

Topography...................................................... 348

Geology.......................................................... 349

Water resources.................................................... 350

Distribution and character..................................... 350

Local supplies................................................ 350

Columbus................................................ 350

Pierce County. L....................................................... 355

General features................................................... 355

Topography....................................................... 355

Geology.......................................................... 355

Water resources... 1.............................................. 356

Distribution and character ..T................................. 356

Local supplies................................................. 356

Blackshear............................................... 356

Offerman................................................. 357

Ice...................................................... 358

PulasH County....................................................... 359

General features................................................... 359

Topography....................................................... 359

Geology.......................................................... 359

Water resources.................................................. 360

Distribution and character.................................... 360

Local supplies................................................. 360

Hawkinsville..--.-.---.--..-.--.-..--..-................. 360

Cochran................................................. 361

Quitman County...................................................... 362

General features................................................... 362

Topography....................................................... 362

Geology.......................................................... 362

Water resources.................................................. 363

Distribution and character.................................... 363

Local supplies................................................. 364

Well of J. F. Hogan....................................... 364

Eufaula, Ala.............................................. 364

Randolph County..................................................... 365

General features................................................... 365

Topography....................................................... 365

Geology.......................................................... 365

Water resources.................................................. 366

Distribution and character. . .................................. 366

Local supplies................................................. 367

Cuthbert.................................................. 367

Shellman................................................ 367

Richmond County.................................................... 369

General features................................................... 369

Topography....................................................... 369

Geology.......................................................... 369

Water resources.................................................. 370

Distribution and character.................................... 370

Local supplies................................................. 371

Augusta................................................. 371

Somerville............................................... 372

38418° WSP 341 15 2
18 CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued. 

Richmond County Continued. 

Water resources Continued.

Local supplies Continued. Page.

Gracewood............................................... 372

Windsor Spring........................................... 373

chley County ................................ v ...................... 375

General features................................................... 375

Topography....................................................... 375

Geology.......................................................... 375

Water resources.................................................. 376

Distribution and character.................................... 376

Local supplies................................................. 376

Ellaville................................................... 376

Screven County....................................................... 377

General features................................................... 377

Topography....................................................... 377

Geology.......................................................... 377

Water resources.................................................. 378

Distribution and character.................................... 378

Local supplies................................................. 379

Sylvania................................................. 379

Rockyf ord............................................... 380

Dover.................................................... 380

Millhaven................................................ 380

Hears..................................................... 380

Hershman............................................... 381

Stewart County...................................................... 383

General features................................................... 383

Topography....................................................... 384

Geology.......................................................... 384

Water resources.................................................. 385

Distribution and character.................................... 385

Local supplies................................................. 386

Lumpkin.................................................. 386

Bichland................................................. 386

Omaha.................................................... 387

Coffinton.................................................. 387

Other localities........................................... 387

Sumter County....................................................... 391

General features................................................... 391

Topography....................................................... 391

Geology.......................................................... 391

Water resources.................................................. 392

Distribution and character...................................... 392

Local supplies................................................. 393

Americus.................................................. 393

Plains..................................................... 397

Magnolia Spring ........................................... 397

Sumter. ................................................. 398

Huguenin................................................. 398

Andersonville.............................................. 398

Old Danville............................................. 398

Leslie..................................................... 398
CONTENTS. 19

County descriptions Continued. Page.

Talbot County......................................................... 401

General features................................................... 401

Topography.......................................................' 401

Geology.....................................................'..... 401

Water resources.................................................... 401

Tattnall County........................................................ 402

General features................................................... 402

Topography....................................................... 402

Geology .......................................................... 402

" Water resources.................................................... 403

Distribution and character...................................... 403

Local supplies................................................. 403

Reids ville................................................. 403

Claxton.................................................... 404

Collins.................................................... 405

Other localities........................................... 405

Taylor County.......................................................... 406

General features................................................... 406

Topography....................................................... 406

Geology.......................................................... 407

Water resources...................................................... 407

Distribution and character...................................... 407

Local supplies................................................. 408

Reynolds ................................................ 408

Other localities.....................................:....... 409

Telfair County........................................................ 411

General features................................................... 411

Topography....................................................... 411

Geology .......................................................... 411

Water resources.................................................... 412

Distribution and character...................................... 412

Local supplies................................................. 412

Helena................................................... 412

McRae................................................... 413

Scotland .................................................. 413

Towns ................................................... 413

Lumber City .............................................. 413

Shamrock Springs......................................... 414

Terrell County........................................................ 415

General features ................................................... 415

Topography ....................................................... 416

Geology.......................................................... 416

Water resources.................................................... 417

Distribution and character .................................... 417

Local supplies.................................................. 417

Dawson.................................................... 417

Parrott .................................................... 418

Graves station.............................................. 418

Sasser..................................................... 418

Thomas County ....................................................... 420

General features................................................... 420

Topography ....................................................... 420

Geology .......................................................... 420
20 CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued.

Thomas County Continued. Page.

Water resources.................................................... 421

Distribution and character.................................... 421

Local supplies................................................. 422

Thomasville.............................................. 422

Boston.................................................... 422

Pavo ..................................................... 423

Tift County.......................................................... 424

General features................................................... 424

Topography ......................................................... 425

Geology .......................................................... 425

Water resources..................................................... 425

Distribution and character..................................... 425

Local supplies................................................. 426

Tifton ................................................... 426

Toombs County ....................................................... 428

General features.................................................... 428

Topography ....................................................... 428

Geology .......................................................... 429

Water resources.................................................... 429

Distribution and character .................................... 429

Local supplies................................................. 430

Lyons.................................................... 430

Vidalia .................................................. 430

Turner County.......................................................... 432

General features................................................... 432

Topography :...................................................... 432

Geology .......................................................... 432

Water resources.................................................... 433

Distribution and character.................................... 433

Local supplies................................................. 433

Ashburn................................................... 433

Worth ................................................... 433

Twiggs County ........................................................ 434

General features .................................................... 434

Topography....................................................... 434

Geology .......................................................... 434

Water resources .................................................... 435

Ware County ......................................................... 435

General features .................................................... 435

Topography ....................................................... 435

Geology .......................................................... 436

Water resources .................................................... 436

Distribution and character....................................... 436

Local supplies. ................................................. 437

Waycross.................................................. 437

Beach..................................................... 439

Warren County......................................................... 441

General features................................................... 441

Topography....................................................... 441

Geology.......................................................... 441

Water resources.................................................... 441

Washington County.................................................... 442

General features................................................... 442
CONTENTS. 21

County descriptions Continued.

Washington County Continued. f ags.

Topography....................................................... 442

Geology.......................................................... 442

Water resources.................................................... 443

Distribution and character...................................... 443

Local supplies................................................. 444

Sandersville.............................................. 444

Tennille.................................................. 445

Oconee................'.................................... 445

Chalker.................................................... 446

Davisboro................................................. 446

Mineral Spring............................................ 446

Wayne County........................................................ 448

General features................................................... 448

Topography....................................................... 448

Geology.......................................................... 449

Water resources.................................................... 449

Distribution and character...................................... 449

Local supplies................................................. 450

Jesup...................................................... 450

Mount Pleasant............................................ 451

Doctortown. -.............................................. 452

Webster County........................................................ 455

General features................................................... 455

Topography....................................................... 455

Geology.......................................................... 455

Water resources.................................................... 456

Distribution and character...................................... 456

Local supplies................................................. 456

Preston.................................................... 456

Wheeler County........................................................ 457

Wilcox County......................................................... 457

General features................................................... 457

Topography....................................................... 457

Geology.......................................................... 457

Water resources.................................................... 458

Distribution and character...................................... 458

Local supplies................................................. 458

Abbeville.................................................. 458

Eochelle.................................................. 459

Pineview.................................................. 460

Pitts..................................................... 460

Poor Kobin Spring........................................ 460

Wilkinson County..................................................... 461

General features................................................... 461

Topography....................................................... 461

Geology.......................................................... 462

Water resources.................................................... 462

Distribution and character...................................... 462

Local supplies................................................. 463

Irwinton................................................... 463

Toomsboro................................................. 463

Gordon.................................................... 464
22 CONTENTS.

County descriptions Continued. Page.

Worth County.......................................................... 464

General features................................................... 464

Topography....................................................... 464

Geology.......................................................... 465

Water resources..................................................... 466

Distribution and character...................................... 466

Local supplies................................................. 466

Sylvester................................................. 466

Poulan....................:............................... 466

Warwick................................................... 467

Doles..................................................... 467

Oakfield.................................................. 467

Chemical character of waters of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, by R. B. Dole.... 470

Standards for classification.............................................. 470

Mineral constituents of water....................................... 470

Uses of water...................................................... 471

Water for boiler use................................................ 471

Formation of scale............................................. 471

Corrosion...................................................... 472

Foaming..................................................... 473

Remedies for boiler troubles.................................... 473

Boiler compounds.............................................. 474

Numerical standards.......................................... 475

Water for miscellaneous industrial uses............................. 478

General requisites............................................. 478

Effects of dissolved and suspended materials.................... 479

Free acids................................................. 479

Suspended matter........................................ 480

Color..................................................... 480

Iron....................................................... 480

Calcium and magnesium................................... 481

Carbonates................................................ 482

Sulphates................................................. 482

Chlorides................................................. 482

Organic matter........................................... 483

Hydrogen sulphide........................................ 483

Miscellaneous substances.................................. 483

Water for domestic use............................................ 483

Physical qualities............................................. 483

Bacteriologic qualities.......................................... 484

Chemical qualities........................................... 485

Mineral matter and potability.................................. 486

Water for medicinal use.........."...........................-..... 487

Purification of water.................................................. 489

General requirements............................................. 489

Methods of purification...........;................................. 490

Slow sand filtration................................................ 491

Rapid sand filtration.............................................. 493

Cold-water softening............................................... 494

Feed-water heating................................................ 495

Chemical composition of surface waters................................. 497

Chemical composition of the ground waters............................. 505

Analytical results. .....................--.-------------------- --- 505
ILLUSTRATIONS. 23

Chemical character of waters of the Coastal Plain of Georgia Continued.

Chemical composition of the ground waters Continued. Page.

Relation of quality to water-bearing stratum........................ 607

Principal water-bearing strata.................................. 507

Lower Cretaceous series....................................... 508

Upper Cretaceous series........................................ 510

Eocene series................................................. 514

Midway formation......................................... 514

Claiborne group............................................ 515

Jackson formation......................................... 517

Miscellaneous strata........................................ 518

Oligocene series............................................... 520

Vicksburg formation............................:........... 520

Chattahoochee formation.................................. 523

Alum Bluff formation...................................... 524

Miscellaneous strata........................................ 525

Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive............. 526

Summary...................................................... 528

Quality in relation to geographic position............................ 530

Relation of quality to depth........................................ 530

Economic value of the waters........................................... 531

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page. 

PLATE I. A, "Sand stream" 1 mile north of Tazewell, Marion County; B,

Sink in limestone of the Chattahoochee formation near 

Recovery, Decatur County............................... 34

II. A, Satilla terrace plain immediately west of New Savannah Bluff, 

Savannah River, Richmond County; B, Satilla terrace 

plain bordering St. Marys River (Florida side), opposite 

Traders Hill, Charlton County........................... 35

III. Geologic map of the Coastal Plain of Georgia...................... 52

IV. A-A, Section from Columbus, Ga., to the Florida State line south of 

Thomasville, Ga.; B-B, Section from a locality near Macon, 

Ga., to the mouth of St. Marys River...................... 52

V. A, Thomas Bluff, Chattahoochee River, showing Lower Cretaceous 

strata; B, Cut on Columbus-Macon road, showing indurated 

layer of Lower Cretaceous arkose......................... 60

VI. A, Bank of Chattahoochee River at Broken Arrow Bend, showing 

concretions in the Eutaw formation; B, Bluff below Banks 

Landing, Chattahoochee River, showing sands and clays in 

Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw formation......... 62

VII. A, Slick Bluff, Chattahoochee River, showing clay of the Eutaw 

formation; B, Cut on Columbus-Lumpkin road, showing 

unconsolidated sand of the Eutaw formation.............. 63

VIII. A, Narrows of Pataula Creek, showing calcareous marine sand of the 

Ripley formation containing indurated layers; B, Waterfall 

at upper end of narrows of Pataula Creek.................. 64
24 ILLTTSTBATIONS.

PLATE IX. A, Cut on Seaboard Air Line Railway at Manta station, showing 

Cusseta sand member of the Bipley formation; B, Gully 

10J miles northeast of Georgetown, showing Providence sand 

member of the Bipley formation......................... 65

X. A, McBean formation (of the Claiborne group) on an island at the 

mouth of Omusee Creek; B, Ostrea georgiana from the 

McBean formation at Shell Bluff, Savannah River......... 74

XI. A, Cut on Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad at Pikes Peak station, showing the Congaree clay member of the McBean 

formation; B, Flint and limestone of the Vicksburg formation just above De Witt Ferry, Flint River................ 78

XII. A, Limestone of Chattahoochee formation on Withlacoochee River , 

at New Bridge (or Horn Bridge); B, Alum Bluff formation, 

Altamaha River........................................ 86

XIII. Alum Bluff formation, Marks Head marl, and Duplin marl, Porters

Landing, Savannah River............................... 90

XIV. A, Quartzite of the Alum Bluff formation; B, Lower Sisters Bluff, 

Altamaha River, showing sands and clays of the Alum Bluff 

formation............................................... 91

XV. A, Greenish-gray argillaceous feldspathlc sandstone of the Alum 

Bluff formation; B, Weathered phase of late Oligocene beds 

west of Cairo, showing characteristic mottling............. 94

XVI. A, Charlton formation, St. Marys River (Florida side); B, Beards 

Bluff, Altamaha River, showing prominent clay layer in 

the Satilla formation.................................... 100

XVII. A, Pleistocene terrace gravel (Okefenokee formation) in ColumbusLumpkin road; B, Sand used in the manufacture of glass 

(probably Okefenokee formation)........................ 106

XVIII. Map of the underground water resources of the Coastal Plain of

Georgia................................................ 122

XIX. A, Wade Spring, 7 miles east of Quitman; B, Rice and lumber mill

at Tarboro.............................................. 152

XX. A, Stream flowing from Blue Spring, 4 miles south of Albany; B,

Public fountain at Americus.............................. 240

XXI. A, Public flowing well at Oglethorpe; B, Flowing well owned by

E. J. Wilson, Montezuma................................ 330

FIGURE 1. Sketch map showing physiographic divisions of the Coastal Plain

of Georgia................................................ 29

2. Sketch map of the Coastal Plain of Georgia showing the relation of

the drainage to the geologic structure..................... 58

3. Section illustrating the more important conditions governing artesian

pressure in the Coastal Plain of Georgia................... 122

4. Sketch map showing distribution of test wells near Columbus...... 353
UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES OF THE COASTAL 

PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

By L. W. STEPHENSON and J. O. VEATCH.

INTRODUCTION.

This report embodies the results of studies of the geology and 

underground-water resources of the Coastal Plain of Georgia made 

in accordance with an agreement entered into in 1908 between the 

Geological Survey of Georgia and the United States Geological 

Survey. The object of the investigations was to determine so far as 

possible with the appropriations available the composition, structure, 

and stratigraphic relations of the deposits of the Coastal Plain and 

the geologic position, quality, quantity, and economic adaptability 

of the waters they contain.

S. W. McCallie, State geologist, assigned-J. O. Veatch, assistant 

State geologist, to conduct the investigations on the part of the State 

Survey, and T. Wayland Vaughan, of the United States Geological 

Survey, assigned L. W. Stephenson to carry on the work for the 

Federal Survey. It was also arranged that R. B. Dole, chemist, United 

States Geological Survey, should discuss the chemistry of the underground waters with especial reference to their economic value.

According to the agreement with the State Survey the results of the 

investigations were to be published in two volumes, one treating of 

the geology of the area, to be issued by the State Survey, and the other 

treating of the underground-water resources, to be issued by the 

Federal Survey. The former was published in 1912 as Bulletin 26 of 

the Geological Survey of Georgia. It was originally intended that 

Mr. Veatch should be the senior author of the present report, but 

owing to his resignation from the State Survey before the manuscript 

was completed the larger part of the work was done by Mr. Stephenson, who therefore becomes the senior author.

The data upon which the present volume is based were collected in 

part during the progress of the field studies, in part by correspondence 

with postmasters, municipal authorities, well and spring owners, and 

well drillers, and in part by laboratory studies which consisted chiefly 

in making analyses of underground waters. Most of the analyses 

were performed by Edgar Everhart, State chemist of Georgia.

25
26 UNDERGROUND WATEfcS OF COASTAL J>LAlN OP GEORGIA.

In the preparation of the report Stephenson gave his attention 

especially to the underground waters contained in the Cretaceous 

deposits, which outcrop in a relatively small area in the northern and 

northwestern parts of the Coastal Plain, and Veatch gave his attention to the Tertiary and Quaternary deposits, which outcrop over 

much the greater portion of the area. The two reports were combined 

by Stephenson, who incorporated with them an appreciable amount 

of new data subsequently obtained by correspondence.

The report is necessarily largely a compilation of data collected 

from many sources. The account of the physiography and geology 

of the area is mainly that given in Bulletin 26 of the State Survey, 

slightly modified by later information. The account of the water 

resources includes, in addition to the data obtained during the progress 

of the investigations, all the more important available published 

information, particularly that contained in bulletins of the State 

Survey and chiefly in Bulletin 15, published in 1908, of which S. W. 

McCallie is the author.

The authors express their thanks to T. W. Vaughan, of the United 

States Geological Survey, and S. W. McCallie, of the State Survey. 

The correlation of the fossiliferous marine Tertiary and Quaternary 

formations and the interpretation of their stratigraphic relations are 

based largely upon the paleontologic studies of Mr. Vaughan, who 

also has had active supervision of the field and office work. Prof. 

McCallie has been persistent in his endeavors to furnish data from all 

possible sources.

It is manifestly impossible to mention here the names of all those 

who have contributed to the material used in the report. The 

authors, however, have endeavored throughout the report to indicate 

the source of the data presented, and in this way they have acknowledged many individual contributions. Besides making these individual acknowledgments, they desire to express their great appreciation of the public-spirited manner in which many other persons have 

responded to their requests for information.

PHYSIO GRAPHY. 1

The major physiographic divisions of Georgia are the Cumberland 

Plateau, the Appalachian Valley, the Appalachian Mountains, the 

Piedmont Plateau, and the Coastal Plain.

CUMBERLAND PLATEAU.

The Cumberland Plateau is made up of flat-topped mountains or 

table-lands of Carboniferous strata. It is represented in Georgia by 

Lookout, Pigeon, and Sand or Kaccoon mountains, which occupy

i Reprinted with some modifications and revisions from the description by Mr. Veatch in Georgia 

Geol. Survey Bull. 26, pp. 25-50,1911.
PHYSIOGEAPHY. . 27

a small area in Dade and Walker counties, 1,500 to 2,300 feet above 

sea level. These mountains rise 700 to 1,400 feet above the valleys 

and are characterized by comparatively flat tops and steep, precipitous sides. They owe their form to the resistant character and 

synclinal structure of the rocks capping them.

APPALACHIAN VALLEY.

The Appalachian Valley lies between the Cumberland Plateau on 

the west and the Appalachian Mountains on the east. Considered 

as a whole it is a valley, but within itself it is a region of parallel 

ridges and corresponding subordinate valleys. It is 40 to 50 miles 

wide and extends from the Tennessee line to the southern part of 

Polk County and across the State line into Alabama. It is limited 

on the east by an abrupt scarp of semicrystalline schists of the 

Appalachian Mountain area, the Cartersville fault line. Geologically, 

it lies within the Paleozoic area and is a region of intensely folded 

limestones, sandstones, and shales. The ridges run north and south, 

are generally steepsided, and owe their existence both to their structure and to the resistant character of the rocks composing them. 

The valleys have been eroded from the softer strata. The ridges are 

1,000 to 1,800 feet and the valleys 600 to 900 feet above sea level.

APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.

The Appalachian Mountain area comprises mainly the Blue Ridge, 

but includes lesser mountain groups both to the east and west. It 

occupies the northeast and north-central parts of the State, including 

practically all of Rabun, Towns, Union, and Fannin counties, and 

parts of Habersham, White, Lumpkin, Dawson, Pickens, Gilmer, 

and Murray counties. The Blue Ridge enters the State in Rabun 

and Towns counties and loses its distinctively mountainous character 

in Pickens County. The region is vastly more complex geologically 

than either the Appalachian Valley or the Cumberland Plateau, being 

'composed of igneous rocks and highly metamorphosed sediments that 

have been subjected to great orogenic movements, intense folding 

and faulting, and erosion since early geologic time. The topography 

is more rugged and more varied and shows greater irregularity in 

drainage and less dependence upon the strike of the rock. The 

highest elevation above sea level is about 5,000 feet, and a large 

number of the "balds" or knobs rise above 4,000 feet.

PIEDMONT PLATEAU.

The Piedmont Plateau lies between the Appalachian Mountains 

and the Coastal Plain. The general surface of the plateau inclines 

slightly seaward from elevations of 1,600 to 1,800 feet above sea 

level in the north to a slow as 400 feet in places in the south. The
£& UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAltf OF GEORGIA.

plateau surface, according to an oral statement of Mr. Arthur Keith, 

is divisible into at least two plains. The higher plain lies immediately 

south of the Appalachian Mountains in portions of Stephens, Habersham, Banks, Hall, White, Gwinnett, Forsyth, Lumpkin, Dawson, 

Cherokee, Pickens, Bartow, Gordon, and Gilmer counties, at elevations of 1,200 to 1,800 feet above sea level. The lower plain includes 

the remainder of the plateau southward to the border of the Coastal 

Plain and is separated from the higher plain by an escarpment 100 

to 200 feet high, which in most places is well defined. The plateau, 

like the Appalachian Mountain area, is a region of great rock complexity, but the beds, though subjected to intense folding and faulting, 

have been planated by erosion, and with the exception of a few conspicuous monadnocks the land presents an even sky line. The 

streams, which commonly conform to the slope of the plain, have 

deeply trenched their courses, so that, although the general upland 

is at an approximately concordant level, the surface in detail is 

broken or hilly, in places approaching mountain ruggedness.

COASTAL PLAIN. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

The Coastal Plain of Georgia includes practically all the State lying 

south of a line passing through Augusta, Macon, and Columbus, an 

area of approximately 35,000 square miles. It forms a part of the 

Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain of the eastern United States.

Physiographically, the region is a low plain having a gentle southward slope. In comparison with the other physiographic divisions 

of the State this plain has been subjected to erosion for only a short 

time, and its topography over the greater part of the area may be 

described as youthful. On the whole the Coastal Plain is level, 

although it comprises some hilly and broken areas in the northern 

part near the fall line, where in places it is dissected and appears 

somewhat more mature. None of the hills, however, rise above a 

general level, and their tops present an even skyline. The rocks are 

mainly unconsolidated sands, clays, and marls of simple structure, 

and the region consequently lacks the pronounced topography due 

to resistant varieties of rock and the folding of beds that characterize 

the Appalachian Valley and Appalachian Mountains. The plain 

reaches a maximum elevation above sea level of 650 to 700 feet 

between Macon and Columbus, and of 500 to 600 feet between Macon 

and Augusta, and thence slopes gradually 3 to 4 feet per mile to sea 

level. About one-half of the plain is less than 300 feet, and a large 

area near the Atlantic coast, about one-seventh of the total, is less 

than 100 feet above sea level. Here the streams have not cut as 

deep courses as in the older divisions; tributary streams are fewer
PHYSIOGRAPHY. 29

and large, flat, undrained or poorly drained areas abound, particularly in the southeastern part.

PHYSIOGRAPHIC SUBDIVISIONS.

Although the Coastal Plain may be described, in comparison with 

the Appalachian Valley, Appalachian Mountains, and Piedmont 

Plateau, as a plain, it is not entirely featureless, and within itself it 

presents topographic contrasts. It may be divided into six physiographic divisions' the fall-line hills, Dougherty plain, Altamaha upland, southern lime-sink region, Okefenokee plain, and Satilla coastal 

lowland. (See fig. 1.)

FIGURE 1. Sketch map showing physiographic divisions of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 

FALL-LINE HILLS.

The fall-line hills, as is indicated by their name, occupy the upper 

portion of the Coastal Plain, their northern boundary being that of 

the sediments of the Coastal Plain or approximately the fall line, 

south of which the division forms a belt 40 to 50 miles wide across the 

State. This belt, however, is not sharply defined, for on the north 

it merges into the Piedmont Plateau and on the south into the level 

and less broken land of the Dougherty plain and the Altamaha 

upland. In the fall-line hills, more than in any other division, the
30 UNDERGROUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

topographic features are due to surface erosion. Stream erosion is 

more active on account of the greater altitude and has been in progress 

for a greater period of time. The region is characterized by flattopped hills or ridges and deep gullies or "washes." The larger 

streams have cut courses 200 to 350 feet below the level of the upland 

plain, and the northern portion of the belt is as broken as the adjacent 

Piedmont Plateau. The region is underlain mainly by sands and 

clays of Cretaceous and Eocene age and their softness has favored 

rapid erosion.

In elevation above sea level the higher land west of Ocmulgee 

River varies from approximately 350 to 700 feet; that east of the 

Ocmulgee from 300 to 600 feet. The elevations of low water at 

Columbus, Macon, Milledgeville, and Augusta are, respectively, 190, 

279, 241, and 98 feet.

Two types of hills are commonly recognized, the sand hills and 

the red hills. The sand hills are best developed in the more northerly 

part of the belt and are conspicuous in Richmond, Crawford, Taylor, 

Talbot, Marion, and other counties, and are really no more than flat 

ridges which have a notable covering of gray or brownish sand. 

This sand Is almost pure quartz, incoherent or loose, and varies in 

thickness from 3 to 30 feet, though its average thickness is perhaps 

not more than 5 to 6 feet. This sand is probably residual from the 

underlying Cretaceous and Eocene formations. The soil is poorly 

productive, and the tree growth is mainly stunted oak and scattered 

long-leaf pine.

The more southerly part of the fall-line belt consists mainly of red 

hills, in which the gray sand is less widely distributed. The soil of 

the hills is a bright-red sand or red sandy loam, which is residual 

from the underlying geologic formations, chiefly the Eocene. The 

red hills are conspicuous in Wilkinson, Twiggs, Houston, Macon, 

Sumter, Terrell, Randolph, and Stewart counties.

The deep gullies, also known as "washes" and "caves," which 

appear in places in this region, are worthy of note. The softness of 

the strata, together with the high altitudes of the plain above the 

rivers, the removal of the timber, and the cultivation of the land, 

have especially favored rapid erosion, and some of the deepest gullies, 

100 to 175 feet, are known to have formed since the settlement of the 

country. The largest and most picturesque are located west and 

north of Lumpkin, Stewart County. The gullies at Providence, 8 

miles west of Lumpkin, are 100 to 175 feet in depth and from 200 

yards to one-fourth mile in length. Their greatest width is at the 

head, where a number of smaller gullies unite, so that in plan they are 

roughly bottle shaped or pear shaped. In transverse profile they are 

V-shaped, and in longitudinal profile roughly L-shaped, the horizontal 

leg being, of course, much longer than the vertical that is, the
PHYSIOGRAPHY. 31

head of the gully is precipitous, and the gradient of the floor is so low 

that the load of sand which is washed down is not carried far away 

but is spread out in deltas and sand streams. (See PL I, A.) The 

strata in which the gullies are formed are unconsolidated sands containing soft clay layers and hence are easily eroded. The recession 

of the gullies has been very rapid, the deepest being known to have 

worked back 300 feet in about 30 years and to have washed out 10 

or 15 acres. Single caves or slumps 5 to 10 feet wide have taken 

place after very heavy rainstorms. These gullies are the most picturesque features of the Coastal Plain, presenting curious erosion 

forms,pinnacles, "islands" or blocks, and sharp serrated ridges, cut off 

from the adjacent upland, the whole rendered the more striking by the 

vivid color contrast of the bright-red and white sands with the darkgreen pine tops. Similar deep washes or gullies appear in Quitman, 

Webster, Marion, Crawford, Houston, Twiggs, Wilkmson, and Washington counties. The deep washes on the south side of Rich Hill, 

Crawford County, are, next to the Providence gullies, perhaps the 

most picturesque. The famous gullies 4 miles west of Milledgeville 

are properly within this area, although they are cut entirely in residual 

clay derived from granite, only a few remnants of sediments of the 

Coastal Plain appearing at this locality. These gullies, which are 

about 50 feet deep, were visited by Lyell in 1842 and were described 

by him in his Travels in North America.

DOUGHERTY PLAIN.

The Dougherty plain occupies a large area in the western part of 

the Coastal Plain, extending from the Chattahoochee to a few miles 

east of Flint River and including the greater part or all of the counties 

of Decatur, Miller, Mitchell, Early, Baker, Calhoun, Dougherty, Randolph, Terrell, Lee, and Sumter. A small strip extends eastward 

from the Flint to the Oconee, including parts of Dooly, Houston, 

Pulaski, and Laurens counties. The plain is characterized by very 

level tracts, containing few elevations that can properly be termed 

hills. Small streams and branches are comparatively few, and surface 

erosion is consequently slight, the drainage being in large measure 

subterranean. The surface is further characterized by numerous 

lime sinks, which form shallow depressions in otherwise level tracts. 

The Dougherty plain includes most of the area underlain by the 

limestones of the Vicksburg formation. It is rather sharply differentiated from the Altamaha upland on the east and south but merges 

into the fall-line hills on the north.

The elevation above sea level of the Dougherty plain varies from 

approximately 125 feet in Decatur County to 450 feet in the southern 

part of Houston County, much the greater portion being less than 300 

feet.
32 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The sinks vary in size from small shallow depressions not more 

than 100 to 200 feet in diameter to hollows occupying several hundred 

acres and to chains of sinks several miles in length. The sinks usually 

contain shallow ponds or lakes, and the smaller ones generally support 

a thick growth of cypress and other trees. The amount of water in 

the ponds and lakes varies with the seasons, and during droughts the 

smaller ones become dry. A recent desiccation of the sinks is partly 

attributed to the removal of timber, which permits increased evaporation and oxidation of organic matter. Sinks are also known to have 

been suddenly drained through subterranean passages.

The scarcity of small tributary creeks and branches is due not so 

much to the newness of the land surface as to the fact that much of 

the drainage is through subterranean streams. Most of the large 

creeks flow sluggishly through wide swampy valleys, and few of them 

have any considerable bluffs along their courses. Chattahoochee, 

Flint, and Ocmulgee rivers have cut deep terraced valleys 75 to 200 

feet below the plain but have comparatively few tributary streams.

The main topographic features of the Dougherty plain have resulted 

from the relatively rapid removal in solution of the calcareous materials 

that form so large a part of the Vicksburg and the overlying Chattahoochee formation.

ALTAMAHA UPLAND.

The Altamaha upland constitutes the largest physiographic division 

of the Coastal Plain. Its northern boundary runs irregularly between 

Waynesboro, TenniHe, Dublin, Cochran, and Vienna, and its western 

edge lies parallel to and a few miles east of Flint Eiver for as far south 

as Decatur County. On the southeast, in Effingham, Liberty, Wayne, 

Pierce, Ware, and Clinch counties, it merges into the sandy pine flats 

of the Okefenokee plain. The division embraces most of the region 

popularly known as the wire-grass country and is underlain by the 

Alum Bluff formation and by the weathered residual products of 

that formation or by younger material of similar lithology. The 

geology, topography, and flora of this region are of peculiar scientific 

interest and have been the subject of numerous papers and articles.1

The region can be called an upland only in comparison with the low 

coastal plain on the southeast and the adjacent Dougherty plain on 

the west; on the whole it is lower than the fall-line hills to the north. 

It varies in elevation above sea level from about 470 feet in the north 

and west to about 125 feet in the southeast, there being a gradual slope 

to the southeast. An ascent or escarpment prominent enough to be

iLoughridge, B. H., Cotton production of the State of Georgia: Tenth Census, vol. 6, Georgia, pp. 15 

and 49,1884. Ball, W. H., U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 84, p. 81,1891. Harper, K. M., Phytogeographlcai 

sketch of the Altamaha grit region of Georgia: Annals N. Y. Acad. Sci., vol. 17, pt. 1, 1906. McCallie, 

S. W., Underground waters of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 31-32, 1908. Veatch, Otto, 

Altamaha formation of the Coastal Plain of Georgia: Science, vol. 27, pp. 71-74,1908.
PHYSIOGRAPHY. 33

distinguished by the observant traveler without the aid of topographic 

maps separates the upland from the Dougherty plain on the west. 

The rise from Camilla to Pelham, Mitchell County, over the Atlantic 

Coast Line Railroad is 185 feet in 8 miles, and the rise from Bainbridge 

east to Climax is 175 feet. Arabi, in Crisp County, Sylvester, in Worth 

County, Pelham, in Mitchell County, and Climax, in Decatur County, 

may be ($nsidered as marking approximately the crest of the escarp- 

^^^which the elevation gradually decreases to the southeast. 

Characteristic of the topography are low rolling hills with smooth or 

softened opalines, which, except along the large rivers, do not rise more 

than 40 or 50 feet above 'the valleys. None of the features suggest 

ruggednes^ yet at the same time the region is not monotonously level

The soil ^* generally sandy and the country in places is thickly 

mantled \fith loose gray sand. The area was originally covered with 

a wondeffrd forest of long-leaf pine. A characteristic growth is the 

long, ppujwl-bladed, stiff wire grass, Aristida stricta, which grows in 

tufts 6 to § inches high.

Streams are much more numerous than on the Dougherty plain and 

the coastal flats. Altamaha, Ocmulgee, and Oconee rivers have cut 

valleys 100 to 150 feet deep, bordered in a few places by precipitous 

bluffs, but except for these the valleys are shallow. Those of the 

small streams have low breastlike slopes and may be described as 

dish shaped. The creeks flow through broad swampy bottoms, are 

generally sluggish, and are characterized by clear water, free from 

sediment, in contrast to the muddy waters of the Ocmulgee, Oconee, 

and Altamaha. Many of the creeks and branches have their sources 

in flat, moist, densely wooded areas locally known as bays. The name 

"bay" is generally applied to upland, flat, swampy tracts due to 

imperfect drainage and dense vegetation which conserves the rainfall. 

These areas are really swamps but are not alluvial in character. 

Cluffs Bay, about 7 miles west of Waycross, is an example. The name 

is also applied to arms of creek and river swamps which form entrants 

into the dry land and which are characterized by a dense growth of 

bay trees. The bays contain water, but have no well-defined stream 

channels or runs, the water being furnished directly by rainfall and 

by seepage from the surrounding higher land.

In the southeastern part of the Altamaha upland the land is more 

level and finally merges into the moist pine flats of the Okefenokee 

plain. Throughout this part small cypress ponds are numerous, the 

valleys of the small streams are more swampy, and the streams themselves have banks not more than a foot or two high. The ponds 

appear to be the result of irregularities left in the land surface after 

the last retreat of the sea. 

38418° WSP 341 15 3
34 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Along the northern and western edges of the Altamaha upland in 

Screven, Wilcox, Crisp, Turner, Worth, and Decatur counties, sinks? 

due to the underground solution of limestone, most probably that of 

the Chattahoochee formation, were noted.

Among the most interesting features of the Altamaha upland are 

the sand hills which border many of the creeks and rivers. These 

hills slope toward the streams, but many of them are only verv 

slightly or not at all higher than the upland back from the s,4stet»m. 

They are made up of gray, yellow, or light-brown, uneonsiolidated, 

structureless quartz sand, which in places reaches a thickness of 30 

feet. Some of the sand belts are 2 or § miles wide. They run parallel 

to the streams, generally on the east or left side. These sand hills 

seem to stand at higher elevations than the loose san 

first and second Pleistocene terraces of the large rivers.' The most 

prominent are those on the east side of Ojioopee River, in Tattnall 

County, near Reidsville; along the esjst side of Canoochee Rw-er; on 

Little Ocmulgee River near Helena; Slong Satilla River from Waycross westward; and on the east and north sides of Pendleton Creek, 

inEmanuel andToombs counties. A& thfc^oot of some of these hills 

are densely wooded, moist sand beds known as hammocks and in 

places shallow depressions, so-called sand-hill ponds, which contain 

water during rainy periods. The origin of these sands is not yet well 

understood. They may have been formed during the Pleistocene 

epoch and may be of fluviatile origin, but they have since been in 

part shifted by wind.

In comparison with the Dougherty plain, the Altamaha upland has 

a rolling topography, more numerous streams, and fewer lime sinks. 

It is not so entirely featureless as the swampy tracts along the coast 

and is better drained. In contrast to the fall-line hills it lacks 

ruggedness, its valleys are shallower, and its flora is notably different.1

SOUTHERN LIME-SINK REGION.

The southern lime-sink region occupies a small area in the southern 

part of the State, embracing the southeastern part of Decatur County, 

the southern halves of Grady, Thomas, Brooks, and Lowndes counties, and adjacent areas in Florida. The topography is hilly and is 

characterized by lime sinks, lakes, and ponds.

The surface varies from 150 to 275 feet above sea level, and the 

hills rise 50 to 75 feet and in a few places 100 feet above the valleys. 

The topography is more rugged than that of the adjacent Altamaha 

upland and the Dougherty plain, this difference and other characteristics of the division being due mainly to the differences in the 

underlying geologic formations. The lime sinks are due to the under1 Ecological studies in this region have been made by JDr, R, M, Harper. See Annals New York Acad.- 

Sei., vol. 17, pt. 1,1906.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE

A. "SAND STREAM" 1 MILE NORTH OF TAZEWELL, MARION COUNTY. 

The sand has been transported by torrents from gullies in the Cusseta sand member.

J3. SINK IN LIMESTONE OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION NEAR RECOVERY, DECATUR

COUNTY.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE II

A. SATILLA TERRACE PLAIN IMMEDIATELY WEST Or ixitvv s« . . . _u - _.nvH.Ni\iAH RIVER,

RICHMOND COUNTY. 

An escarpment bounding the plain on the west appears in the distance.

5. SH I ILL ft I tKKAU1- J L ING ST. MARYS RIVER (FLORIDA SIDE), OPPOSITE TRADERS 

HILL, CHARLTON COUNTY. 

The escarpment separates the terrace from the Okefenokee terrace plain.
PHYSIOGEAPHY. 35

ground solution of an upper Oligocene limestone, the Chattahoochee 

formation, which except in small areas is not the surface formation 

but which is overlain by 50 to 100 feet of sand and clay, whose soft 

and easily eroded character probably accounts for its greater ruggedness as compared with the western lime-sink region (Dougherty 

plain). The lakes and ponds occupy depressions caused by the collapse of underground solution caverns in limestones. (See PL I, 

B.) Some of the lakes cover areas of several hundred acres and are 

free from timber growth, but the smaller and shallower ponds support 

a thick growth of cypress. Ocean Pond, in the southern part of 

Lowndes County, is one of the largest, having an area of about 6 

square miles. The water in these sinks varies with the seasons but 

has been known suddenly to disappear or to rise, owing probably 

to the opening or closing of underground passages.

The drainage, as in the Dougherty plain, is to some extent subterranean and small streams are not numerous. The rivers of the 

region, the Ochlockonee, the Withlacoochee, and other smaller 

streams, flow canal-like through broad sand-covered terrace plains. 

The water of the streams is not muddy but is dark on account of dissolved and suspended organic matter; that of the lakes is clear.

The soil is in many places red sandy clay. Superficial gray sand 

such as characterizes the Altamaha upland is not so widely distributed. The tree growth differs somewhat from that of the wiregrass region to the north, some oak and hickory being associated 

with the long-leaf pine.

OKEFENOKEE PLAIN.

The Okefenokee plain forms a north-south belt 20 to 40 miles wide 

in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain, including parts of 

Effingham, Bryan, Liberty, Wayne, Pierce, Camden, Ware, Charlton, 

Clinch, and Echpls counties. On the west it is bounded approximately by a line extending from the northeast corner of Effingham 

County southwestward nearly to Groveland, Bryan County, thence 

to a point a few miles south of Glenville, thence nearly to Jesup and 

Waycross, and thence along the western boundary of the Okefenokee 

Swamp. The escarpment separating the plain from the Alfcamaha 

upland is poorly defined, and in places the two seem to merge. On 

the east the plain is separated from a lower coastal terrace by an 

abrup.t descent or escarpment. (See p. 36.)

The Okefenokee plain is essentially a featureless sandy flat, in 

which there are few streams and many cypress and gum ponds and 

swamps, whose areas range from a few acres or a few square miles 

to the immense expanse of the Okefenokee Swamp. (See pp. 39-42.) 

It thus presents a contrast to the rolling topography and dendritic 

drainage of the Altamaha upland. The Okefenokee plain varies in
36 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

elevation above sea level from about 60 to perhaps 125 feet, sloping 

eastward about 2 feet to the mile. The drainage is poor, at least 25 

per cent of the area being swampy, and the few creeks and branches 

flow through broad swampy flats only slightly lower than the general 

level. At only a few places are the bluffs as high as 30 or 40 feet. 

The flatness of the plain and its swampy condition are due to the 

newness of the land surface, the retreat of the sea having taken place 

in comparatively recent geologic time, to the low altitude, and to the 

fact that the surface formation is a thick, loose, porous sand which 

absorbs the rainfall and hence lessens surface erosion. The streams 

are sluggish, and their waters, except those of the Altamaha and 

Savannah, are black or coffee-colored from organic matter. The 

region is characterized by moist long-leaf pine and saw-palmetto 

flats, cypress ponds, gallberry flats, and swamps supporting thick 

growths of gum and bay.

SATILLA COASTAL LOWLAND.

The Satilla coastal lowland or Satilla plain is a low marine terrace 

20 to 35 miles wide that borders the Atlantic Ocean and includes 

part or all of the counties of Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, Mclntosh, 

Glynn, and Camden. (See fig. 1, p. 29.) The western edge of the 

plain is marked by a rise of 20 to 40 feet, probably a Pleistocene 

shore line, which is prominent at Walthourville, Mount Pleasant, 

and Waynesville, and a short distance east of Folkston.

The greater part of the plain is 15 to 25 feet above sea level, but in 

a few places it reaches an elevation of about 40 feet. It has a slight 

eastward slope, somewhat difficult to estimate but generally less than 

a foot to the mile. Although the plain is low, flat, and poorly drained, 

it presents several different topographic aspects. It differs from the 

Okefenokee plain chiefly in its lower altitude, in its greater area of 

swamp and inundated land, and in its topographic forms, which, are 

incident to low coast land.

The western part of the belt is on the whole a sandy flat plain containing an open growth of long-leaf pine. In the spring and summer 

grass and flowers are luxuriant in the open meadows or "savannas." 1 

The surface is dotted with, small cypress ponds and contains large 

swamp areas, in this respect resembling the higher Okefenokee plain.

Near the coast the plain presents a different aspect. Owing to 

recent submergence the coast line is irregular, and a network of 

sea islands, tidal rivers, sounds, estuaries, and marshes has been 

formed. The land terminates as beach on the sea islands, as sand 

bluffs not more than 10 or 15 feet above low tide, and as marshes 

at the mouths of the rivers. The islands are sand covered, and some

i An excellent description is given by R. H. Loughridge, Cotton production of the State of Georgia: 

Tenth Census, vol. 6, Georgia, p. 51,1884. . . .
PHYSIOGKAf'HY. 37

of them exhibit sand dunes, which, however, nowhere reach great 

magnitude. Their total area is perhaps 500 to 600 square miles. 

The largest iare Cumberland, Jekyl, St. Simon, Sapelo, St. Catherine, 

Skidaway, and Tybee. They are of considerable historical interest 

and some of them are noted as resorts.

The tree growth of the coast land is characterized by the cabbage 

palmetto and live oaks, which are more abundant than farther west.

There are two classes of swamp land, upland and tidal. Swamps 

of the upland class, of which Buffalo Swamp, in the western part 

of Glynn County, is representative, probably occupy the sites of 

former shallow sounds or coastal lagoons and marshes which have 

become land through uplift and the retreat of the sea and which have 

not been inundated as a result of the later subsidence indicated by 

drowned-river courses. Other upland swamps are apparently once 

more becoming lagoons, for the subsidence seems to be still going 

on and the sea to be slowly encroaching on the land. The best proof 

of this is the presence of tree stumps and even dead standing trees 

in brackish-water marshes.

The second class, the tidal swamps, occur in considerable areas along 

Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Satilla, and St. Marys rivers. They 

differ from salt marshes chiefly in that at high tide they are partly 

covered by the backing up of the fresh river water instead of 

directly by the sea. They extend up the rivers 10 to 20 miles 

beyond the salt marshes, and rice growing is still carried on in 

these swamps, but to a much less extent than formerly.

The salt marshes reach their greatest extent at the mouths of the 

rivers, but probably do not aggregate more than 150 or 200 square 

miles.1 They are probably due in the main to submergence of the 

coast, although the silting up of shallow water-covered areas by 

sediment carried down by streams has also doubtless been a factor.

The Satilla plain is poorly drained, owing to the newness of the 

land surface and its low altitude. The few streams are sluggish, 

and with the exception of Savannah and Altamaha rivers, whose 

waters are yellow from suspended sediment, are so-called clear-water 

streams, whose waters are, however, dark or even black from organic 

matter. Most of the streams flow eastward or southeastward, their 

courses having been determined by the general slope of the plain. 

Satilla and St. Marys rivers, however, in parts of their courses flow 

parallel to the coast that is, at right angles to the terrace slope.

Shght submergence has drowned the streams, converting the 

mouths of the large rivers into estuaries navigable for sea-going 

vessels for 10 to 20 miles, and changing small streams, mere branches 

or-creeks, so far as their lengths are concerned, into estuaries and

i No survey of the marshland of the State has yet been made, hence accurate figures can not be given.
38 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

so-called rivers. Among the latter are Crooked, Turtle, and Sapelo 

rivers. A network of serpentine waterways on the sea islands are 

termed creeks and, perhaps inappropriately, rivers.

MINOR FEATURES. 

TERRACES.

The terraces constitute an interesting physiographic feature of the 

Coastal Plain. They are intimately connected with the Pleistocene 

geology of the region, and their nature, origin, and detailed extent 

are problems which demand further study with the aid of detailed 

topographic maps.

Two broad terrace plains, the Okefenokee and the Satilla (see pp. 35, 

36), parallel the coast and are easily recognized. Not improbably a 

third higher terrace plain exists, but sufficient proof of its existence 

has not been obtained to warrant positive statements.

Fluviatile terraces, believed to be equivalent in age to the two 

coastal terrace plains, border the larger rivers. They are best developed in the upper part of the Coastal Plain along the Chattahooch.ee, 

Ocmulgee, and Savannah, and are conspicuous at Columbus, Macon, 

and Augusta. The lower or younger terrace, also known as "second 

bottoms," lies 15 to 50 feet above the rivers and is a smooth plain 

from half a mile to 4 miles in width. (See PI. II, A and B.) The 

upper or older terrace, which lies 50 to 100 feet above the rivers, has 

been partly destroyed by the erosion that formed the lower terrace. 

The interstream uplands lie 125 to 300 feet or more above the rivers.

STREAMS.

The drainage of the Coastal Plain discharges into the Atlantic 

Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. The main drainage basins are those 

of Savannah, Ogeechee, Altamaha, Satilla and St. Marys, Suwannee, 

Ochlockonee, and Apalachicola rivers, the last named being drained, 

in the State, by Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. The first four 

basins, which drain into the Atlantic, cover much the larger portion 

of the Coastal Plain of Georgia; the last three drain into the Gulf of 

Mexico.

On the basis of origin the rivers of the Coastal Plain fall into two 

classes, those originating in the Piedmont Plateau and Appalachian 

Mountains and thence traversing the Coastal Plain, and those indigenous to or having their source within the Coastal Plain. To the 

first class belong the Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, Oconee, 

Altamaha, Savannah, and Ogeechee. To the second class, whose 

streams are smaller and more numerous, belong the Little Ocmulgee, 

Ohoopee, Canoochee, Satilla, St. Marys, Suwannee, Alapaha, Withlacoochee, and Ochlockonee. Throughout the greater part of its
PHYSIOGRAPHY. SO

course Ogeechee River has much the aspect of a stream of the second 

class. (See fig. 2, p. 58.)

The rivers of the first class have greater drainage areas, carry a 

greater volume of water, have greater lengths, and have cut deeper 

and wider valleys. Their waters, except those of the Ogeechee, are 

always more or less muddy, whereas the waters of the streams of the 

second class are clear; and this fact furnishes a popular distinction 

"clear-water"1 and "muddy-water" streams. The Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha, and Savannah are bordered by lowlands or swamps 

reaching maximum widths of 5 or 6 miles, in which a large part 

of the sediment is clay, whereas the smaller Coastal Plain rivers of 

the second class have sandy banks and are bordered by low terraces 

composed almost entirely of sand. The explanation is that streams 

of the first class have brought down a large amount of sediment 

derived from the red-clay hills of the Piedmont Plateau, whereas 

those of the second class flow wholly through areas where the geologic formations are predominantly sand and where erosion is less 

active, many of the smaller streams not having cut through even the 

superficial sands.

The rivers crossing the Coastal Plain probably assumed their present 

courses on a comparatively level plain as the sea retreated from the 

land. As geologic time proceeded each successive uplift of the land 

caused the river courses to extend farther southeastward to the new 

coast line. The age of the Ocmulgee at the fall line, for instance, is 

much greater than that of the Altamaha, which receives its waters 

and which, in the lower 20 or 30 miles of its course, flows across the 

later Pleistocene plain. The directions of the streams, which, with 

certain exceptions, flow south, southeast, and east, are due to the 

initial slope of the new land surfaces across which they flowed.

LAKES AND PONDS.

The lakes and ponds of the Coastal Plain are of three types those 

due to lime sinks, those caused by original shallow depressions in the 

land surfaces after the retreat of the sea, and those formed on river 

flood plains.

Lime-sink lakes and ponds are confined mainly to the western and 

southwestern parts of the Coastal Plain the Dougherty plain and 

the southern lime-sink region; some, however, are found in Screven 

County, in the southern parts of Burke, Jefferson, and Washington 

counties, and along the western edge of the Altamaha upland. The 

depressions which lakes and ponds of this type occupy result from

l-Though the indigenous streams of the Coastal Plain are termed "clear," the water is clear only in that 

it is comparatively free from suspended silt and clay. It does not possess the transparency of clear 

mountain streams but is pale brownish or even black from organic matter held in solution and suspension. 

The water of Suwannee and St. Marys rivers, near their source, the Okefenokee Swamp, is almost inky.
40 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

the collapse of underground solution caverns in limestone; the 

process is still in operation and some of the sinks have formed since 

the settlement of these areas. These bodies of water vary in size 

from ponds 100 feet across to lakes 6 square miles in area. The 

shallow ponds often become dry and the water level in the larger 

and deeper ones varies considerably with the seasons. Some attain 

considerable depth and are connected by open passages with underground channels; for instance, a sink 90 feet deep, known as Forest 

Falls or the Limesink, 8 miles north of Whigham, Grady County, 

receives a small stream, which disappears through an opening in the 

bottom. Of the larger lakes the most notable are Oc^an Pond and 

Long Pond in Lowndes County; Original Pond, 3 miles west of Metcalf; and Kock Pond, near Camilla, Mitchell County.

The ponds, many of them small and shallow, which occupy 

original depressions in level sandy plains, depend for their existence 

on seepage from the surrounding sands, and most of them become 

dry in times of severe drought. They are numerous in the southeastern part of the Altamaha upland, are typically developed on the 

Okefenokee plain, and are present on the Satilla marine-terrace plain 

20 to 40 feet above sea level. Most of them support a growth of 

cypress and gum. Some rather large untimbered expanses of water 

in the Okefenokee Swamp, termed "lakes," also belong to this type.

Bodies of water which occupy abandoned channels in the flood 

plains of streams are of the type of the numerous lakes that occur 

along the lower course of the Mississippi. Most of them are long and 

curved, taking the form of oxbows and crescents. Many of them 

receive the flood waters of the streams and are therefore generally 

less clear than those of the lime-sink lakes and ponds. Some of 

them, as Hershman Lake in Screven County and Black Lake in 

Wilkinson County, maintain their connection with the parent stream.

FRESH-WATER SWAMPS.

The fresh-water swamps of the Coastal Plain may be included in 

two main classes, upland plain and fluviatile.

Uplands-plain swamps. The upland-plain swamps lie on the 

Okefenokee and Satilla plains and owe their existence to the flatness 

and consequent imperfect drainage of the land surface. They are 

upland in that they lie at higher levels than the river swamps, tide 

swamps, and salt marshes, although some of them are not more 

than 20 feet above sea level.

Okefenokee Swamp, the largest of this class in Georgia, is perhaps 

the greatest natural wonder in the State. It lies in the southeastern 

part of the Coastal Plain, in Ware, Charlton, and Clinch counties, 

and extends to the Florida line. It has a length of about 40 miles, 

a width of 30 miles, and an area of 700 to 800 square miles. The
PHYSIOGKAPHY. 41

swamp has been fully explored by hunters and lumbermen, but no 

very extended descriptions of it have been published. The following 

excellent short description is that of E-. H. Loughridge,1 who was 

one of a party that made a partial survey of Okefenokee Swamp in 

1875:

This swamp has a width of 30 and a length of 40 miles, covering an area of about 

500,000 acres. It is in reality an upland swamp, having an altitude of 120 feet above 

tidewater on St. Mary's Kiver, 4 miles distant. A sand ridge (part of the water divide 

of the State) 30 feet above the swamp extends along its eastern border to the south, 

becoming lower as it reaches the southern horseshoe bend of St. Marys Kiver. The 

swamp is highest on the northeast, and falls irregularly to the south and southwest 

from 126J to 111J feet at Ellicott's mound and on the southwestern corner.

The eastern part, 12 miles in width, is an open "prairie" or marsh, largely covered 

with water, in which are long rushes aad water lilies. Under its surface is a dense 

body of moss from 4 to 6 feet thick, the great mass of which is decayed, forming muck 

and peat. It is so dense that it will readily bear up a man's weight, merely sinking 

a little and rising for many feet around; hence the name of Okefenokee "trembling 

earth." Small islands, covered with clumps of cypress, bay, and cassino, frequently 

occur. The western part of the swamp is mostly covered by cypress trees and a dense 

growth similar to that of the small swamps outside, so tied together by bamboo briers 

and vines as to be impenetrable except by slow and tedious cutting away with bush 

knives. Small open marshes, and also a number of large islands, are found throughout 

this region. These islands are quite level but are slightly elevated above the swamp 

lands and have a sandy soil, with an open timber growth of long-leaf pine and a very 

low undergrowth of saw palmetto, and are similar in every respect to the mainland. 

Their dimensions are 3 or 4 miles by from 1 to 2, and they are bordered by a low hummock land, on which there is a growth of magnolia, oak, etc. Hunters find deer and 

bear on these islands. The soil or bottom of the swamp proper seems to be but little 

else than white sand.

R. M. Harper 2 has recently published a description, illustrated 

from photographs, in which the literature, history of exploration, 

geography, vegetation, and other characteristics of the swamp are 

briefly set forth.

The swamp dates from middle Pleistocene time. It lies upon a 

terrace plain, which is correlative with a lower terrace plain lying 

from 15 to 40 feet above sea level and extending to the present coast. 

The western edge of the lower plain is marked by an escarpment 

which is prominent at Waynesville, Mount Pleasant, and Walthourville, and probably represents the shore line of the latest Pleistocene 

sea. The next higher plain, the Okefenokee, parallels the lower 

plain, extending 20 to 40 miles westward from the escarpment. It is 

believed to be a wave-cut plain similar to the lower one and to have 

been covered by the sea during middle Pleistocene time. Its western 

border, or the shore of the sea covering it, is not plainly marked, 

although a good topographic map would probably reveal it; but it is 

believed to have extended approximately from Clyo, in Effmgham

i Cotton Production of the State of Georgia: Georgia, Tenth Census, vol. 6, p. 51,1884. 

a Pop. Sci. Monthly, June, 1909.
42 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN 6$ GEORGIA.

County, southward to a few miles above Hinesville, thence via Jesup, 

Offerman, and Waycross to the northern and western borders of 

Okefenokee Swamp. It consists of a deposit of sand, laid down 

along the coast of the sea and shaped into slightly irregular deposits 

by wave currents and wind. The plain itself retains the slightly 

uneven floor left by the retreating sea, on which low ridges and heaps 

of sand had been piled up as bars at the mouths of bays or as beach 

accumulations. One such sand ridge, extending along the east side 

of the swamp, acted as a dam to the drainage from the west and caused 

the waters to spread out over a broad area which vegetation rapidly 

converted into the Okefenokee Swamp.

Big Pond, 7 miles north of Baxley, Appling County, belongs to the 

upland, nonalluvial class of swamps and is probably somewhat 

similar in origin to Okefenokee Swamp and to the smaller cypress and 

gum ponds which are so numerous in the southeastern part of the 

Coastal Plain. Although locally termed "pond," it is more properly 

a swamp. Its only open water is a small lake in its interior, reported 

to be not more than 100 yards long, the area as a whole being thickly 

covered with cypress, gum, pine, and an undergrowth of small trees 

and bushes. Big Pond lies upon a flat, sandy, pine-covered plain, 

about 200 feet above sea level. Its area, including a small swamp 

known as Second Pond, is about 8 square miles. The two "ponds" 

are connected by a narrow swamp known as Tiger Bay. On the east 

side of the swamps is a low ridge covered with superficial gray Sfmd_ 

reaching a thickness of about 10 feet. Tenmile Creek, a small tributary of Altamaha River, flows sluggishly from the southern end of 

Big Pond.

Some swamps lying on the lower coastal terrace plain 15 to 25 feet 

above sea level appear to be the survivors of ancient lagoons or 

shallow sounds. Buffalo Swamp, in the western part of Glynn County, 

is an example. This swamp extends from Altamaha River southward to Turtle River and has a much greater length than width. It 

contains clay and is slightly lower than the sandy pine and palmetto 

land on both sides. Oyster shells in the clay bear evidence of its 

marine origin. Cabbage palmetto trees near Bladen and Everett are 

possibly survivors from the period when this area was a sound or 

marsh. The area is often entirely covered with water during the 

rainy season but becomes almost dry in times of drought. Should 

the present coast be elevated 20 or 30 feet the waterways and marsh 

between St. Simon Island and the mainland would probably become 

such an area as Buffalo Swamp.

Flumatile swamps. The fluviatile swamps occur on the flood 

plains of the streams. Nearly all the streams of the Coastal Plain, 

even the small branches, are bordered by swamps, the most extensive 

lying along the large rivers The swamp lands lie only a few feet
PHYSIOGEAPHY. 43

above the rivers and the frequent overflows and poor drainage maintain them in a swampy condition. Along the lower part of Savannah 

River the swamp reaches a width of 5 to 6 miles, the greater part 

being on the South Carolina side of the river. It supports a dense 

growth of oak, ash, cypiess, gum, and pine. Other broad areas of 

swamp land lie along the Ogeechee, Altamaha, Oconee, Ocmulgee, and 

the upper part of the Flint. Chattahoochee River forms an exception 

to the general rule, having scarcely any land along its course in Georgia 

which can be termed "swamp."

The small branches, creeks, and rivers flow through broad, densely 

wooded lowlands, the water often spreading out among the trees until 

it is difficult to determine just where the channel proper is located. 

On many roads crossing the valleys of such streams it is necessary to 

construct a succession of low bridges a quarter of a mile to a mile 

long, alternating with stretches of earth embankment. Swamps of 

this character are notable along Ogeechee River; WiUiamson Swamp 

creek, in Jefferson County; Commissioner Creek, in Wilkinson County; 

and along the headwaters of Little and Alapaha rivers, in Tif t, Irwin, 

and Berrien counties.

The area of fluviatile, or river and creek, flood-plain swamp in the 

Georgia Coastal Plain is perhaps 1,000 square miles 1 most of which 

lies 2 to 8 feet above the water level of the streams.

SPRINGS.

A few large springs are of physiographic and geologic interest. 

These springs are in limestone areas and seem to be connected with 

subterranean streams. Their water is clear and very transparent, 

though faintly bluish in color, is but little affected by rains, and probably comes from considerable depths. At Blue Spring, 4 miles south of 

Albany, the water rises under pressure through a roughly circular 

opening in limestone and has an enormous flow. Discharge measurements by B. M. and M. R. Hall 2 varied from. 26.4 second-feet to 

135 second-feet, or approximately 18,000,000 to 87,000,000 gallons 

in 24 hours. The spring is the largest in the State. Similar springs 

are Blue or Wade Spring, 7 miles east of Quitman; Mclntyre Spring, 

on the Withlacoochee near the Florida line; Blue or Russell Spring, in 

Decatur County; Well, Wilkes, and Rock springs, in Laurens County; 

and Magnolia Spring, in Jenkins County. These are all large springs 

rising through limestone caverns.

Small springs, both permanent and intermittent, of minor importance, are numerous except along the coastal lowlands.

m

1 No complete survey of the swamp lands of Georgia has been made, and the figures are only a rough 

estimate based on a knowledge of the approximate widths of the swamps along the largest rivers and creeks. 

* TJ. S. Geol. Survey "Water-Supply Paper 197, p. 236,1907.
44 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

ELEVATIONS. 1

The Columbus, Talbotton, and Milledgeville quadrangles of the 

United States Geological Survey cover small areas along the northern 

border of the Coastal Plain in Georgia. The remainder of the Coastal 

Plain in this State has not been mapped topographically. The elevations given below will therefore be of interest and of practical value 

to those engaged in working out geologic problems and in studying 

the underground waters of the State. The list has been compiled 

for the most part from published data, though several of the elevations given are merely rough estimates based on other elevations 

and on knowledge of the topography, supported in a few instances 

by aneroid barometer readings. Some may be several feet in error.

Elevations in Georgia. 2

The abbreviations used are: A. B. & A., Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad; A. C. L., Atlantic 

Coast Line Railroad; C. of Ga., Central of Georgia Railway; Ga. R. R., Georgia Railroad; G. S. & F., 

Georgia Southern & Florida Railway; L. & N., Louisville & Nashville Railroad; M. D. & S., Macon, 

Dublin & Savannah Railroad; S. A. L., Seaboard Air Line Railway; U. S. A. Eng., United States Army 

Engineers; U. S. G. S., United States Geological Survey.

Abbeville........................... '.... .Rough estimate............... 225 ?

Abbeville (low water, railroad bridge) .....II. S. A. Eng.................. 169. 33

Achord..................................TJ.S.G. S..................... 274

Acree, Dougherty County. ................A. C. L....................... 205

Adams Park..............................U. S. G. S..................... 259

Adel..................................... G. S.& P.................... 246

Adrian, Emanuel County.................. Rough estimate............... 290 ?

Albany...................................C. of Ga...................... 184

Albany (Flint River level)................A. C. L....................... 127

Alapaha ..................................A. C. L....................... 293

Alexanderville............................A. C. L....................... 153

Allentown................................M. D. & S. ................... 411 ?

Ambrose, Coffee County..................A. B. & A.................... 395

Americus................................C. of Ga...................... 360

Andersonville. ...........................C. of Ga...................... 394

Arabi....................................G. S. & F. ................... 460

Argyle...................................A. C. L....................... 161

Arlington................................. Rough estimate............... 275

Armena...................................S. A. L........................ 275 ?

Ashburn.................................G. S. & F.................... 450

Augusta (Union Station)..................City engineer ................ 143

Augusta (river gage).......................Weather Bureau............... 100

Baconton.................................. A. C. L....................... 160

Bainbridge................................ A. C. L....................... 110

Bainbridge (river level)....................Rough estimate............... 80

Bartow...................................C. of Ga...................... 237 ?

Bath, Richmond County................... Rough estimate............... 400

. i Reprinted, with a few additions, from the work of Mr. Veatch published in Geol. Survey Georgia Bull. 

26, pp. 50-57,1908.

2 Compiled chiefly from Dictionary of altitudes in the United States, by Henry Gannett, U. S. Geol. 

Survey Bull. 274,1908; from the list of elevations in Water powers of Georgia, Geol. Survey Georgia Bull. 

3-A; from surveys by the U. S. Corps of Engineers of Ocmulgee, Oconee, Altamaha, and Savannah rivers; 

and from the Columbus, Talbotton, and Milledgeville topographic sheets of the U. S. Geological Survey.
ELEVATIONS. 45

Baxley...................................U.S.G.S. .................... 206

Belair....................................Ga. R. R..................... 295

Berzelia..................................Ga. R. R..................... 488

Blackshear...............................A. C. L....................... 106

Bladen.................................-.8. A. L........................ 22

Blakely...................................Rough estimate............... 275

Blakely...................................Weather Bureau............... 300

Bloomingdale............................0. of Ga...................... 24

Bonaire..................................G. S. & F. ................... 354

Boston.................................... A. C. L....................... 194

Bostwick (Paschal)........................0. of Ga. ..................... 669

Boulogne, Fla ...........................A. C. L....................... 70

Box Springs...............................U. S. G. S..................... 364

Braganza................................A. C. L....................... 144

Brentwood................................U. S. G. S..................... 167

Brewer (Tusculum post office) .............0. of Ga....................... 134

Brookfield................................A. C. L....................... 332

Brooklyn................................. S. A. L........................ 691

Brinson..................................A. C. L....................... 104

Brunswick...............................Southern Ry.................. 13

Brunswick (city hall).....................U. S. G. S..................... 11

Buena Vista.............................. Rough estimate............... 590

Bullards..................................U. S. G. S..................... 259

Burroughs...............................A. C. L....................... 19

Bushnell............:.....................A. B. & A. ................... 385 ?

Butler...................................0. of Ga...................... 650

Byromville................................A. B. & A.................... 365 ?

Byron...................................0. of Ga...:.................. 515

Cairo....................................A. C. L....................... 237

Camak.................................... Ga. R. R. .................... 578

Cameron.................................. C. of Ga...................... 103

Camilla...................................A. C. L....................... 167

Carrs station. ............................U. S. G. S..................... 500

Cecil..................................... G.S.&F.................... 250

Chauncey................................ U. S. G. S..................... 300

Ghula....................................G. S. &F...................... 395

Claxton..................................S.A. L........................ 194 ?

Clifton....................................C. ofGa...................... 22

Climax...................................A. C. L....................... 277

Clyo.....................................S.A. L........................ 74

Cochran...................................U. S. G. S..................... 342

Coldbrook, Effingham County..............Brinson R. R.................. 65

Coleman.................................C. of Ga...................... 391

Coley....................................Southern Ry.................. 303

Coffins....................................S.A. L........................ 238

Colon....................................G. S. &F...................... 137

Colquitt..................................Rough estimate............... 175

Columbus (Union Station).................C. of Ga...................... 260

Columbus (river level)....................U. S. G. S..................... 200

Cordele..................................G. S. & F...................... 336

Crescent.................................. Rough estimate............... 18

Culverton................................Ga. R. R..................... 549

Cusseta...................................S.A. L........................ 540

CuthberL................................. C. of Ga...................... 446
46 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Cutler...................................G.S. & F...................... 78

Cuyler...................................S. A. L........................ 37 ?

Cycloneter...............................G. S. & F...................... 410

Dakota...................................G.S. & F...................... 410

Darien....................................Rough estimate............... 15

Dasher...................................G.S. & F...................... 185

Davis.....................................A. C. L....................... 238

Davisboro.................................0. of Ga...................... 302

Dawson..................................0. of Ga...................... 352

Bearing...................................Ga. R. R..................... 464

Devereux.................................U.S.G.S..................... 577

Dewitt...................................Butt's map.................... 175

Dixie....................................A. C. L....................... 130

Dock Junction............................U. S. G. S..................... 25

Doctortown..............................A. C. L....................... 74

Doctortown (low-water level)..............U. S. A. Eng.................. 31. 72

Donaldsonville...........................A. C. L....................... 139

Douglas................................... A. B. & A.................... 388 ?

Doublerun...............................A. B. & A.................... 363 ?

Dover....................................0. of Ga...................... 104

Dry Branch...............................M. B. & S.................... 368 ?

Dublin...................................M. D. & S.................... '231 ?

Dublin (low-water level)..................U. S. A. Eng.................. 160. 6

Dudley....................................M. D. & S.................... 325 ?

Dupont...................................A. C. L....................... 180

East Albany..............................A. C. L....................... 186

Eastman..................................U. S. G. S..................... 357

Eden........................:..............C. ofGa...................... 34

Egypt.....................................0. of Ga...................... 132

Eldorado.................................G. S. & F...................... 340

Elko.....................................G.S.&F...................... 443

Ellabelle.................................S. A. L........................ 93 ?

Ellaville.....-............................J. W. Spencer.................. 591

Empire....................................U. S. G. S..................... 382

Enigma..................................A. C. L....................... 309

Esquiline.................................. U. S. G. S..................... 300

Eufaula, Ala..............................0. of Ga...................... 211 ?

Everett City...............................U. S. G. S..................... 16

Everett station, Crawford County ...........C. of Ga...................... 362

Everett station (Flint River railroad bridge). C. of Ga........................ 337

Exeter....................................A. C. L....................... 94

Exley....................................S. A. L........................ 63

Faceville.................................A. C. L....................... 296

Fargo.................................... G. S. & F...................... 116

Fitzgerald.................................A. B. & A.................... 388 ?

Fitzpatrick................................M. D. & S...................... 541 ?

Fleming...................................A. C. L....................... 22

Flint...................................... A. C.L....................... 168

Folkston..................................A. C. L....................... 80

Fort Gaines............................... C. of Ga........................ 163

Fort Gaines (river level, low water)...................................... 100 ?

i Elevations on the M. D. & S. B. B. are taken from the list given in Water-powers of Georgia: Geol. 

Survey Georgia Bull. 3-A, pp. 98-100. Bough corrections were made according to the bench mark established on Oconee Biver at Dublin by TJ. S. Army Engineers.
ELEVATIONS. 47

ForfMudge...............................A. C. L....................... 134

Fort Valley................................ C. of Ga........................ 522

Fowltown................................A. C. L....................... 289

Gallemore (Willis post office)..............M. D. & S.................... 394 ?

Gardi....................................U. S. G. S..................... 62

Geneva (station).......................... TJ. S. G. S..................... 581

Georgetown............................... C. of Ga........................ 189

Georgetown (low water, Chattahoochee

River)..................................Rough estimate................. Ill ?

Glenmore..................................A. C. L....................... 151

Godwinville..............................U. S. G. S..................... 312

Gordon....................................C. ofGa........................ 348

Gordon, Ala...............................A. C. L....................... 160

Graham................................... Southern Ry.................. 240

Graves.................................... C. of Ga........................ 350

Greens Cut................................ C. of Ga........................ 284

Griswold...................................C. of Ga..........'.............. 447

Grovania.................................G. S. & F...................... 444

Groveland................................S. A. L........................ 162 ?

Grovetown................................Ga. R. R....................... 495

Guyton....................................C. of Ga...................... 81

Hagan.....................................S.A.L........................ 186 ?

Hahira...................................G. S. & F...................... 230

Halcyondale...............................C. of Ga........................ 110

Halloca...................................U. S. G. S..................... 323

Hardaway.................................A. C. L....................... 183

Hardeeville, S. C.........................A. C. L....................... 21

Harlem....................................Ga. R. R..................... 548

Harrison, Washington County..............Weather Bureau............... 245

Hatcher...................................C. ofGa........................ 289 ?

Hawkinsville.............................Weather Bureau............... 235

Hawkinsville (low-water level)............. U. S. A. Eng.................. 200.2

Haylow..................................G. S. & F...................... 167

Hazlehurst...............................U. S. G. S..................... 256

Helena...................................U.S.G. S..................... 247

Hephzibah................................Weather Bureau............... -402

Herndon.................................C. of Ga........................ 179

Homerville................................A. C. L....................... 176

Howard...................................C. of Ga...................... 666 ?

Howell................................... G. S. &F...................... 169

Inaha....................................G. S. & F...................... 415

Irwinton................................. Rough estimate................. 460 ?

Isabella (Sylvester).......................A. C. L....................... 370

Jasper, Fla...............................A. C. L....................... 152

Jeffersonville..............................M. D. & S.................... 526

Jennings, Fla..............................G. S. & F...................... 150

Jesup....................................U. S. G. S..................... 100

Johnsonville, Jeff Davis County............. Southern By.................. 240

Juniper station...........................U. S. G. S..................... 422

Kathleen.................................G. S. & F...................... 330

Kildare, Effingham County................ Brinson R. R................. 133

Kingaland.................................S. A. L........................ 41

KirHand..................................A. C. L....................... 200

Knoxville, ,, ,,,,.....,................. J. E. Thomas.................. 640
48 UNDERGROUjSTD WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Lake Park.................................G. S. & F...................... 160

Lawton.................................... C. of Ga........................ 225

Leary.................................... D. L. Wardroper................ 21Q

Leesburg................................. Rough estimate............... 300 ?

Lenox....................................G. S. & F...................... 300

Lewiston................................. C. of Ga........................ 385

Lily.......................................A. B.& A.................... 364 ?

Longstreet................................. U. S. G. S..................... 302

Louisville.................................Weather Bureau............... 259

Ludowici..................................A. C. L....................... - 71

Lulaton...................................Rough estimate................. 50

Lumber City..............................U. S. G. S..................... 146

Lumber City (river level, low water).......U. S. A. Eng.................. 84. 7

Lumpkin (station)....................... .Rough estimate. .............. 500

Lumpkin..................................Weather Bureau............... 650

Lyons....................................S. A. L........................ 254

McBeanStation....../....................C. of Ga........................ 134 ?

McClenny, Florida........................ S. A. L........................ 125

McDonald................................. A. C. L....................... 167

McGriff................................... U. S. G. S..................... 259

Mclntosh.................................. A. C.L....................... 22

McRae...................................U. S. G. S......\.............. 230

Mdntyre..................................C. of Ga...................... 261

Macon (Union Station).................... G. S. & F...................... 334

Macon (near Southern Ry. station).........U. S. G. S..................... 311

Macon (low-water level)....................U. S. A. Eng.................. 279.02

Macon Junction............................ C. of Ga........................ 350

Manassas..................................S.A. L........................ 217

Marshallville.............................. C. of Ga........................ 500

Marlow.................................... C. ofGa........................ 72

Mayday.................................. G. S. & F...................... 140

Mayfield.................................. Ga.R.R....................... 417.5

Meigs....................................A. 0. L. ........ -......:...... 341

Meinhard.................................S.A.L........................ 19

Meldrim.................................. C. ofGa........................ 28

Melrose.................................... G. S. &F...................... 154

Metcalf.................................. .A. C. L....................... 170

Midville.................................. C. ofGa........................ 186

Milledgeville.............................Ga. R. R....................... 276

Milledgeville (low-water level).............. U. S. A. Eng.................. 241.29

Millen,.,....,,.................:..........C, of Ga........................ 156

Millwood..................................A. O.L--.-..-..-.----.--...-. 160

Mineola..................................-G.S.&F...................... 220

Moniac............................... -.-.G. S. & F...................... 114 .

Monteith................................ -A. C.L.......-..-.----------- 16

Montezuma............................... ---C. of Ga........................ 300

MontroBe.............................-----M.D. AS...................... 391

Morgan ...............Weather Bureau............... 337

Morris.;....-........................ ..-0. of Ga........................ 242

Mount Pleasant............................Southern Ry.................. 59

Munnerlyn................................ C. of Ga......-.----- 264?

...-.-.-......---- 245

Myers,Effingham County.....-.....---.---S. A. L.........-.------------- «

" ' .................A. C. L......-.--------------- 19* Nay lor.
ELEVATIONS. 49

Nicliolls..................................A.B. & A...................... 306 ?

Norwood...................................Ga. R. R....................... 588

Ochillee...................................U. S. G. S..................... 273

Ochlockonee..............................A. C. L....................... 263

Ochwalkee (low water, Oconee River)..... .U. S. A. Eng................... 114.4

Oconee....................................C. of Ga........................ 223

Odum.....................................U. S. G. S..................... 155

Offerman.................................A. C. L....................... 106

Ogeecliee..................................G. of Ga........................ Ill

Oglethorpe.................................C. of Ga......................... 299

Olioopee...................................S.A. L........................ 187

Oliver.................................... G. ofGa........................ 140

Omaha (station)............................Rough estimate................. 240

Ousley...................................A. G. L....................... 148

ParamoreHill..............................C. of Ga........................ 235

Parrott....................................S. A. L........................ 482

Paschal...................................0. of Ga........................ 669

Patterson..................................A. C. L....................... 104

Pearson.................................... A. C. L....................... 205

Pelham...................................A. G. L....................... 355

Pembroke................................S. A. L.......................... 101

Pendarvis.................................U. S. G. S..................... 85

Pennick................................... U. S. G. S..................... 18

Perkins...................................G. of Ga........................ 252 ?

Pikes Peak (station)....................... M. D. & S............... ....... 534

Pinegrove.................................U. S. G. S..................... 229

Pinehurst.................................G.S.&F...................... 390

Pineora...................................0. of Ga........................ 78

Piscola, Brooks County....................Weather Bureau............... 190

Pooler.................................... C. of Ga........................ 23

Poulan....................................A. C. L....................... 345

Powersville................................ C. of Ga........................ 385

Quitman...................................A. C. L....................... 173

Racepond.................................A. C. L....................... 148

Rebecca..................................A. B. & A...................... 373 ?

Recovery.... ...........................A. G. L....................... 189

Register..................................Rough estimate................. 225 ?

Renfroes..................................S.A. L........................ 601 ?

Reynolds.................................. C. of Ga........................ 433

Riceboro..................................Rough estimate................. 15

Ricbland.................................S. A. L........................ 600

Richwood.................................G. S. & F...................... 358

Rincon....................................S.A. L........................ 75

River Junction, Fla.........................L. & N........................ 84

Roberta..................................Rough estimate................. 620

Roberts station............................Ga. R. R................."...... 557

Rockyford...................................G. of Ga........................ 130

Rogers.....................................G. of Ga........................ 159

Saffold...................................A. 0. L....................... 105

Saffold (level of Chattahoochee River)..... Rough estimate................. 65

St. George................................G.S.&F...................... 78

St. Marys .................................Rough estimate................. 12

Sandjersville.............................. Rough estimate................. 470

'" 38418° WSP 341 15 4
50 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

Satilla.....................................A. C. L....................... 96

Satilla (river level)......................... A. C. L....................... 71

Savannah.................................A. C. L....................... 21

Scarboro."..................................C. of Ga........................ 147

Schlatterville.............................A. C. L....................... 133

Scotland..................................II. S. G. S..................... 142

Screven..................................A. C. L....................... 124

Shell Bluff Landing, Burke County.........U. S. A. Eng. (low water)...... 87

Shell Bluff Landing, Burke County.........U.S.A. Eng. (highest point).. 237

Shellman....................... ..........C. of Ga........................ 379 ?

Sibley.....................................G.S.&F...................... 440

Sisters Ferry (Savannah. River), Effingham

County ................................TJ. S. A. Eng. (low water) ...... 20.03

Smithville................................C. of Ga........................ 332

Sofkee....................................G. S. & F...................... 370

Soperton................................... Rough estimate................. 290

Sparks.....................................G. S. & F...................... 241

Sparta.....................................Ga. R. R....................... 557

Springfield................................. Rough estimate................. 100

Statesboro.................................Rough estimate........... 175 to 200

Sterling...................................U.S. G.S..................... 21

Stillmore (highest land)..................... Rough estimate................. 300

Stillwell, Effingham County................S. A. L........................ 69

Stockton...................................A. C. L....................... 187

Sulphur Springs...........................U. S. G. S..................... 300

Stunner....................................A. C. L....................... 373

Sunhill...................................C. ofGa........................ 362

Suirency................................. U. S. G. S..................... 187

Swift Creek...............................M.D. & S...................... 324 ?

Sycamore..................................G. S. & F...................... 415

Sylvania...................................Rough estimate................. 200

Sylvester.................................A. C. L....................... 370 ?

Talbotton ................................U. S. G. S..................... 726

Tarrytown................................. Rough estimate................. 290 ?

Tennille.................................. C. of Ga........................ 469

Thalman..................................Rough estimate................. 20

Thehna........................... .......G.S.&F...................... 158

Thomas.................................... C. of Ga........................ 285

Thomasville..............................A. C. L....................... 250

Thomson.................................Ga. R. R....................... 503

Tifton.....................................A. C.L.:..................... 370

Tivola..................................... G.S.&F...................... 300

Toomsboro................................. C. of Ga........................ 227

Towns..................................... II. S.G.S..................... 128

Tusculum..................................C. of Ga........................ 134

Tyty.....................................A. C. L....................... 332

Unadilla.................................. G.S.&F...................... 412

Upatoi....................................TT. S. G. S..................... 418

Uptonville................................ A. C. L....................... 83

Valambrosa.....................-.--..---..M. D. & S...................... 258 ?

Valdosta................................... A. C. L....................... 215

Valona, Mclntosh County...................Weather Bureau............... 10

Vidalia..................................... S. A. L........................ 257 ?

Vienna.,, I,.......,,...,.,.,.............G. S. & F.......,..,....,...,., 350
ELEVATIONS. 51

VfadLey...................................G. ofGa........................ 234

Wainwright (Uptonville station)............A. C. L....................... 83

Walden...................................0. ofGa........................ 390

Walthourville.............................A. 0. L....................... 95

Waresboro.................................A. 0. L....................... 121

Warrenton.................................Ga. R. R....................... 500

Waverly.................................. S. A. L........................ 17

Waycross.................................. A. 0. L....................... 140

Waynesboro................................ C. of Ga........................ 286

Waynesville..............................A. 0. L....................... 55

Ways......................................A. 0. L....................... 18

Wellston..................................G. S. & F...................... 315

Wenona...........................-......G. S. & F...................... 348

Weetiake.................................U. S. G. S..................... 235

Weston.................................... S.A. L........................ 528

Wheaton, Appling County..................U. S. G. S..................... 201

Whigham. ............................... .A. C. L....................... 265

Whiteoak.................................S. A. L........................ 19

Willis (Gallemore).........................M. D. & S....................... 394 ?

Weston....................................S.A. L........................ 528

Wilcox....................................Southern Ry.................. 116

Willacoochee...........^................... A. C. L....................... 247

Willingham...............................A. 0. L....................... 319

Winchester............................... C. of Ga........................ 463

Woodbine........................----.....S. A. L........................ 20

Worth..................................... G. S. &F...................... 415

Wray......................................A. B. & A...................... 392 ?
52 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

GEOLOGY. 

GEOLOGIC PBOVINCES. 1

Georgia may be divided into three major geologic provinces: (1) 

The Paleozoic area; (2) the crystalline area; (3) the Coastal Plain. 

The Coastal Plain, the largest of the three, covers approximately 

35,000 square miles.

The rocks of the Paleozoic area are limestones, shales, and sandstones, which have been subjected to great dynamic movements and 

have been strongly folded and faulted. They range in age from 

Lower Cambrian to Pennsylvanian.

The rocks of the crystalline area, which includes the Piedmont 

Plateau and the Blue Ridge, are of igneous or metamorphic origin and 

include granites, gneisses, schists, basic eruptives, and highly metamorphosed shales, sandstones, and limestones. They, constitute the 

oldest rocks of the State and are probably in the main of pre-Cambrian 

age. They have been subjected to great orogenic movements, have 

been folded, faulted, and otherwise profoundly altered.

The rocks of the Coastal Plain are sands, clays, marls, and, subordinately, limestones and sandstones. They are largely unconsolidated 

and are comparatively little altered from their original condition. 

Pronounced folding and faulting are entirely absent. The sediments 

of the Coastal Plain are the youngest beds in the State. They range 

in age from Lower Cretaceous to Recent and lie upon the upturned, 

planated rocks of the ancient crystalline complex. They are mainly 

marine deposits, the component materials of which were derived from 

the crystalline rocks to the north, their bulk representing the erosion 

of a vertical thickness of 2,000 feet or more. The boundary between 

these two major provinces, the Coastal Plain and the crystalline area, 

is known as the fall line.

DEPOSITS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN. 

STRATIGRAPHIC SUCCESSION.

The deposits of the Coastal Plain underlie an immense area and have 

an estimated maximum thickness of 4,500 to 5,000 feet, the aggregate 

of separate strata which vary lithologically and faunally. A table of 

the subdivisions recognized in Georgia is given on pages 53-55, the 

areal distribution of the formations is shown on the map (PI. Ill), 

and the general structure and relations of the deposits are shown in 

two sections (PI. IV).

i The text of this report from pages 52 to 59, inclusive, with the addition of the sections shown on PL 

IV and some minor changes, is essentially a reprint from the report of Mr. Veatch in Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 26, pp. 58-66, 1908.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

EORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE III

<r*' x) >vSfe, v .'$ ¥^V^M V£fk r ^u*£* fV.

-\ -'-^^^OTX'N* T^^'fei, 

P^C^< i wU^"llt*3* ^T

i M g> ^^ ^^ . T"\ 7 (ABHEVlLtF .BPEIJ. ' !.. ip ,yy i i> <c Q-^f"!

LEGEND 

SEDIMENTARY ROCKS

1

-2

Charlton formation

(Clays and argillaceous

limestones)

Puplin marl and 

Marks Head marl

(Gray and brownish sands,more 

or let* argillaceous, calcareous,and 

phosphalic clays, and shell marls)

UNCONFORMITY

Undifferentiated Oligocene

to Pleistocene inclusive

(Locally indurated irregularly bedded sands, clays, and gravels. Most

of the deposits icest of a liite through

Rocky Ford and Waycross are

Alum Bluff formation

(Greenish sands, occasional gratels

and clays, locally indurated; subordinate beds vj fuller's earth, photphotic sand, limestone, and marl)

Chattahoochee formation

(.Impure to pure limestones and

calcareous sands and sandstones)

UNCONFORMITY

Vicksbure formation

{White limestones, sands, clays.

and residual sands and clays with

masses ofntnt and chert)

Jackson formation

(Massive limestones, marls, and 

calcareous, glaucmitic clays)

Barnwell Sana and 

McBean formation

(Shell marls, sandy limejslones, clays,

in part in the nature of fuller's earth,

calcareous and glauconitic sands,

and red and varicolored sands')

UNCONFORMITY

Wilcox formation 

(Sands, clays, and shell marls)

UNCONFORMITY

(Sands, clays, marls, and limestones)

Ripley formation 

(Saiuls, clays, and marls) 

a Providence sand member 

b Cusfetatand member

Kutaw formation

(Sands, days, aud marts) 

a Tombujbee sand member

UNCONFORMITY

Arkosic sands, sandy clays, 

and pure white clays

UNCONFORMITY

IGNEOUS ROCKS

Crystalline rooks

(The Pleistocene alluvial terrace deposits 

bordering the rivers are not mapped)

3ase from U. S. Geological Survey 

,000,000 scale map of the United States 

<v in preparation.

GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA

BY T. WAYLAND VAUGHAN, L. W. STEPHENSON AND OTTO VEATCH

Scale i

1O_______O_______1O_______go_______^30 40

T. Wayland Vaughan, geologist In charge of Coastal Plain investigations. 

Cretaceous and Tertiary geology by L. W. Stephenson and Otto Veatch. 

Tertiary and Quaternary geology by T. Wayland Vaughan, Otto Veatch, 

and L. W. Stephenson.

Surveyed in cooperation with the Geological Survey of Georgia. 

S. W. McCallie, State Geologist.

1914r
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR

WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE IV

EOCENE

Undifferentiated sands.clays 

marls, and limes

CRETACEOUS 

^,!fflr?"*LatedM^s,clavs,

A-A'. SECTION FROM COLUMBUS TO THE FLORIDA STATE LINE SOUTH OF THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA

U r-i

srentiated/imeston., " ~~ -^'^^^^''^T-'^'^'--^1^1''- i Alum Bluff formation 

^'"^..' "deSin, ^gj^^gi^-/.. ..

"Cr Crefc,__

Undifferentiated limestones, probably including 

m descending order ,, 

representatives ofth. Und'"

^-UZj±g I ."ones, probably inclui 

=5^^^^: i m descending order

I chprS-seiTtat^es ^

Probably includes

Miocene and Oligocene strata

Undifferentiated limestones,probably including, 

in descending order, representatives of the 

Chattahoochee,Vicksburg,8nd Jackson formations

_, _ ,..uv,, , ur morions /^ ° *-w*-ciic,ana 

Cretaceous age 

(Numerous water-bearing beds)

O ^"/JT? -~T'.TT^ TT- r-r __ __

-,-/"/,,-', '_* ' ^ O r///_- - ' i ', T^TX r- -^-- p __

-^'---:;-; ;'/«'^; -^ v 'v,>^\-o ;^^^^ ^^ __

\XO^ ' '//:v> -V- 1 -1 '-A--- ^-Iv'-^v,-^:, 7i'-y^vr'\'-.V-'»L\T'^7

'x'-,-N~/\. --' x'x ',-J,_^'« .'/ -/ «' ^',\'^X~Vv/ - l-'-'J'",-, ^'- *-.".'

,-,'- % ;-/Y /.x-xjv:v\'- o:,;/. v'^^i.'v/j^^vV^'"'-'- '*x '>v, *;:'v

': ' ' '-~;'- ,-'V -'' x '//--'' '''/,'>/ ' , -"> ^/^ "?."',"-'-)- ' -X T-, /-''

gi:SiMi^i«iga 1AR MACONTO THE ATLANTIC COAST AT THE MOUTH OI

: Chattahoochee formation

' ' ' Vicksburg formation

Probably includes Miocene, 

Qligocene, Eocene, and 

Cretaceousstrata.consisting j 

of sanda,clays,marls,and * 

limestones. Contains 

numerous water-bearing beds

&^'tf£^

B-B'. SECTION FROM POINT NEAR MACONTO THE ATLANTIC COAST AT THE MOUTH OF ST. MARYS RIVER

By L. W. Stephenson

CNOnAVED AND PPINTID aYTHE U.S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Approximate horizontal scale 

o 10 ZO 3O Miles

The vertical scale is exaggerated, being about 4-2 times the horizontal scale

1914
Geologic formations in the Coastal Plain of Georgia.

System.

Quaternary.

Tertiary.

Series.

Recent.

Pleistocene.

Pliocene(?)

Miocene.

Oligocene.

Group.

Columbia.

Apalachicola.

Formation.

Satilla formation.

Okefenokee formation.

Charlton formation.

Duplin marl.

Marks Head marl.

Alum Bluff formation.

Chattahoochee formation.

TTnnon fnrmit.v 

Member. Thickness."

Feet.

10-50

5-40

*

Undetermined.

10-15

45

150-200

150

Character.

Flood-plain deposits, 

sands, marsh mud, sw

posits, and beach sand

Near the coast, mud an

containing marine shel

v i a t i 1 e phase, coar

gravel, and clay.

Coastal-terrace phase, gr

of perhaps beach origi

laceous sand, and smal

of gravel. Fluviatile 

coarse sand and grave

Soft, white argillaceou

stone, and laminated

iferous, greenish clay; 

posits are exposed onl

bluffs of St. Marys Ri

Sandy shell marl, slight

phatic.

Very sandy greenish an

clay, fine gray and br

phosphatic sand, and 

laminated clays with 

ous nodules.

Marine, containing fossil

ish or gray argillaceou

and sandy laminated 

Gray and drab compact 

erous limestone. Silic

placements at thebase 

a rich coral fauna.

a Precise measurements can not be given; the reader is referred to the text for a discussion of the thickness 
Geologic formations in the Coastal Plain of Georgia Conti

System.

Tertiary.

Series.

Oligocene.

Eocene.

Group.

Claiborne.

Formation.

Vicksburg formation.

Jackson formation.

Barnwell sand.

McBean formation.

"Wilcox formation.

Midway formation. 

Tlnnnn fnrmit.v 

Member.

Marls, sand, etc.

Congaree clay 

member.

Thickness.

Feet. 

300

150

100

100-400 

(max.)

150 (max.)

400?

Character.

Mainly heavy-bedded, s

fossiliferous limestone

sively silicifled, over

red residual sand co

flint fragments. Cont

sand and clay beds.

Soft heavy-bedded foss

limestone and calcare

glauconitic sandy clay

Mainly red and varicolo

siliferous marine san

beds of silicifled lime

chert and sandston

quartzite.

Variable in lithologic ch

mainly argillaceous sa

siliferous marl, drab

clays, and fuller's eart

Dark-colored lignitic an

conitic clay o the n

fuller's earth and var

unconsolidated sand a

Ferruginous sand and lo

of white clay, togeth

fossiliferous limestone

clay, and calcareous q
Cretaceous.

Pre-Cambrian

Upper.

Lower.

Ripley formation.

Not differentiated.

Providence sand 

member.

Marine beds.

Cusseta sand member.

Tombigbee sand 

member.

Beds below Tomb i g b e e sand 

member.

-

950 

(approx.)

350-600

Gray calcareous,micac

dark-gray to black sa

and shell marl with, 

calcareous sand or 

sandy limestone of m

gin; fine to coarse cros

of light-colored clay 

lignitic clay of shall

origin.

Calcareous sand, sand

stone, and more or le

clay of marine origi

bedded sands and cla

low marine or estuarin

at base, arkosic, m

sand and dark-gray 

clay containing lignit

Coarse - grained, cross

arkosic sand with sub

lenses of light-colored 

white clays, approach

lin in composition; co

marine fossils and is o

near-shore origin, or 

in part of continental 

Crystalline rocks.
56 TJNDERGBOUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

The great geologic periods Cretaceous, Tertiary, and Quaternary 

are based on the life forms preserved in the rocks and on the great 

physical or climatic changes that have taken place on the earth. 

The broader subdivisions, such as Lower Cretaceous, Upper Cretaceous, Eocene, and Oligocene, are based mainly on the forms preserved 

in the rocks and are also of world-wide application. Further subdivisions are provincial, and still further minor subdivisions are local 

and are based upon fossils, peculiar lithologic characters, stratigraphic 

continuity, surface configuration, or physiography, or a combination 

of some or all of these. To attempt to recognize mappable minor 

subdivisions of the strata either by their fossils or their lithology 

leads to confusion. The fossils are studied because of their value in 

correlating deposits of widely separated localities, the identity of 

which it is not possible to prove by stratigraphic continuity or actual 

tracing.

Sections in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida have been taken as 

standards of comparison for the formations of Georgia for the reason 

that stratigraphic studies were first prosecuted in those localities. 

For the sake of uniformity and to avoid confusion the accepted geologic names employed to designate the formations and groups which 

extend from the States mentioned into Georgia are adopted in this 

report.

The general lithologic character and thickness of the subdivisions 

are shown hi the table on pages 53-55. Their aggregate thickness is 

4,500 to 5,000 feet, of which 2,000 to 2,500 is Cretaceous, approximately as much mere is Tertiary, and probably not more than 100 

feet is Quaternary. Precise measurements of thickness can not be 

given, chiefly because of the inconstancy of the strata both along the 

strike and dip, the merging of strata faunally and lithologically, the 

paucity of fossil remains, and the paucity of natural exposures.

STKUCTUKE.

Dip and strike. The strata of the Coastal Plain dip southeastward 

and southward and the older formations strike northeastward. The 

dip of the Oligocene and Eocene strata and probably that of the 

Cretaceous strata also becomes flatter toward the south and southeast. (See PL IV.) A little to the north of the Florida line the strata 

become horizontal, and at the Florida line they appear to be slightly 

reversed and to be inclined to the north or northwest.

The general slope of the surface, independent of the dip of the 

geologic formations, from the fall line to sea level, is about 3 feet 

to the mile. The slope of the crystalline floor at the fall line is 30 to 

75 feet to the mile, but whether this slope is constant as far as the
GEOLOGY. 57

present coast can only be a matter of speculation, for the full thickness 

of the sediments in the southern part of the Coastal Plain has not 

been determined. The oldest formations outcrop along the northern 

border of the Coastal Plain and dip southward, passing beneath 

the outcropping edges of successively younger formations. The 

maximum dip of the Cretaceous beds is probably 40 feet to the 

mile; their minimum dip is almost horizontal. The dip of the 

lower Eocene beds is from a few feet to probably 30 feet to the 

mile; and the dips of the succeeding formations up to the Alum Bluff 

are still flatter, ranging from a few feet to perhaps 15 feet to the mile. 

The Alum Bluff v formation dips very gently southeastward and 

southward and is probably almost horizontal near the Florida line. 

The Miocene beds, so far as known, are likewise almost horizontal. 

The Pleistocene deposits mantle the older formations and conform 

to the general inclination of the plain.

Local displacements. The strata of the Coastal Plain exhibit no 

great structural disturbances. Local disturbances of Cretaceous and 

Eocene beds have been noted along Chattahoochee River, and 

displacements of beds at other localities have been observed. None, 

however, are believed to be of magnitude, and all are probably the 

results of simple unimportant oscillations. These structural features 

can not be determined from the strike of the strata nor from the dips 

as seen in the outcrops, for those dips are in general so low that the 

strata appear almost horizontal. However, other lines of evidence 

are available.

Chattahoochee anticline. The nature of the drainage, together with 

certain geologic facts, suggests that Chattahoochee River occupies the 

crest of a southward pitching low anticline. The stream has held 

its course and cut its channel down through the rising strata and 

belongs, therefore, to the class of antecedent streams. (See fig. 2.) 

The course of the Chattahoochee is almost directly southward in 

contrast to the southeastward courses of the other major streams 

the Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ogeechee, and Savannah. Flint 

River flows west of south and is apparently located in a broad 

shallow syncline complementary to the Chattahoochee anticline. 

From west of Cordele to its junction with the Chattahoochee, Flint 

River is clearly a subsequent stream. The river flows along the 

southeastern border of its valley at the foot of a bajada. The low 

relief of the valley has been produced, not by the synclinal depression, 

but mainly by the removal in solution of the materials composing the 

limestones of the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations. The 

drainage divides of Chattahoochee and Flint rivers are strikingly 

unequal. (See PL III.) The tributaries of the Flint are much longer, 

notwithstanding that the Chattahoochee is much the larger stream. 

The interpretation is that the Flint River tributaries have been
58 UNDERGROUND WATERS Of COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

accentuated, at least in part, by the slope of the eastern limb of an 

anticline, whereas the Chattahoochee tributaries have developed 

under the adverse conditions present on the crest of an anticline. 

That there have been greater upward earth movements along the 

Chattahoochee than along the other rivers is indicated by the much 

greater depth of the Chattahoochee Valley and by the deep trenchlike channels which the main river and its tributaries have cut in 

the latest Pleistocene plain. The depth of these channels is 40 to 60

FIGURE 2. Sketch map of the Coastal Plain of Georgia showing the relation of the drainage to the

geologic structure.

feet on the Chattahoochee and not more than 15 to 40 feet on other 

large rivers. The Chattahoochee is now probably deepening its 

channel, for it has developed little or no flood plain along its course. 

Geologic evidence of an anticline is afforded by the greater erosion 

and consequent exposure of the geologic formations along the Chattahoochee. The river has been able to cut into the older formations, 

revealing them with greater perfection than along any other Coastal 

Plain stream, probably by reason of the upward earth movements 

which have accelerated downward cutting. For example, the intercept of the Chattahoochee water level with the Vicksburg formation 

is about 50 miles farther south than the intercept on the Flint. The 

Vicksburg formation, however, closely parallels the river as far north
GEOLOGY. 59

as Fort Gaines, suggesting that a great width has been completely 

removed by erosion. Fort Gaines would probably have been near 

the intercept had the same strike of the formations prevailed in 

Georgia as in Alabama, and had there been no greater uplift along 

the Chattahoochee than along the Flint. Greater local disturbances 

of strata have been observed along the Chattahoochee than in other 

parts of the Coastal Plain, and this may be considered evidence of a 

general and greater earth movement.

Withlacoochee anticline. Physiographic and geologic evidence 

exists of a low fold or arch in the Oligocene strata in the area drained 

by Ochlockonee, Withlacoochee, and Alapaha rivers and extending 

along the Florida line from Decatur to Echols county and northward 

to Crisp and Wilcox counties. (See fig. 2, p. 58.) The limestones of. 

the Chattahoochee formation appear in surface exposures in Lowndes, 

Brooks, Thomas, and Grady counties. This may be considered good 

evidence of an uplift, since, had the usual southeastward dip of the 

strata prevailed, the Chattahoochee formation would have been 

buried by later formations, as in the eastern part of the Coastal Plain. 

This arch is known as the Withlacoochee anticline.

This broad arch or fold was formed subsequent to the deposition of 

the Alum Bluff formation, and may have been involved in the 

orogenic movement which produced the Chattahoochee anticline.

In the area involved in this arching the rivers flow southward and 

appear to have had their courses determined by the original slope of 

the Coastal Plain, the normal direction of which is southward toward 

the Gulf of Mexico. In this respect these streams are in contrast to 

the streams of the Georgia Coastal Plain entering the Atlantic Ocean, 

nearly all of which have general southeasterly courses.

Alapaha River, the most easterly of the streams traversing the 

Withlacoochee anticline, is almost devoid of tributaries on its eastern side, and the divide separating its valley from the headwaters of 

Satilla River and the streams entering Okefenokee Swamp lies only 

a few miles east of the main river channel. To what extent this and 

other drainage peculiarities of the area have been produced by the 

arching has not been determined.

Monocline in eastern Georgia. The southeastward courses of the 

Satilla, Altamaha, Ocmulgee, Oconee, Ohoopee, Ogeechee, Savannah, 

and other streams suggest that the eastern half of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia is a monocline having a general southeastward pitch, and 

the dip and strike of the geologic formations afford conclusive proof 

of the existence of such a structure.
60 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

CRETACEOUS SYSTEM.

The Cretaceous deposits of Georgia include representatives of both 

the Lower and Upper Cretaceous series, which, in this report, are 

divided as follows:

Upper Cretaceous: 

Rlpley formation:

Providence sand member. (A shallow-water phase of the formation.) 

Marine beds.

Cusseta sand member. (A shallow-water phase of the formation.) 

Eutaw formation:

Tombigbee sand member. (Massive, glauconitic, and calcareous marine

sands, forming the upper part of the formation.) 

Sands, clays, and marls, chiefly of marine origin. 

Unconformity. 

Lower Cretaceous. Arkosic sands and clays. Not differentiated.

LOWER CRETACEOUS SERIES.

Areal distribution. The Lower Cretaceous deposits appear in surface outcrops in Georgia in an extremely irregular belt, 2 to 30 miles 

in width, extending entirely across the State from Chattahoochee 

Eiver, in the vicinity of Columbus, northeastward to Savannah River, 

in the vicinity of Augusta. The irregularities of the belt are due 

partly to the unevenness of the surface of the basement rocks upon 

which the deposits rest, partly to overlaps of younger formations, and 

partly to the deep erosion valleys which the streams have developed 

along the fall line and which cause the underlying basement rocks 

and the Lower Cretaceous deposits to appear successively much farther 

southward beneath the younger formations, than they would have 

appeared on the early uneroded surface. This irregularity is most 

strikingly developed in the region between Ocmulgee and Savannah 

rivers. (See geologic map, PI. III.) The area in which Lower Cretaceous strata appear includes parts of Muscogee, Chattahoochee, Talbot, Marion, Taylor, Crawford, Bibb, Twiggs, Jones, Wilkinson, 

Baldwin, Washington, Hancock, Warren, Glascock, Jefferson, 

McDuffie, Columbia, and Richmond counties.

Stratigraphic position. The Lower Cretaceous deposits in Georgia 

rest unconformably upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks, 

which are believed to be of pre-Cambrian age. The unconformity 

represents an enormous time interval, including all Paleozoic time 

and the Triassic and Jurassic periods of Mesozoic time. The surface 

of the crystalline rocks is very uneven in detail but, in general, slopes 

south and southeast beneath the Lower Cretaceous deposits. Calculations from well borings at several places have shown that the slope 

in the region of the fall line is 30 to 7.5 feet to the mile. In Jefferson 

County a slope of between 35 and 40 feet to the mile is maintained 

for nearly 40 miles from the border of the Piedmont Plateau.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE V

A. THOMAS BLUFF, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, SHOWING LOWER CRETACEOUS STRATA. 

View taken 1 mile below the mouth of Bull Creek, Muscogee County.

B. CUT ON THE COLUMBUS-MACON ROAD, 3i MILES NORTHEAST OF COLUMBUS, MUSCOGEE 

COUNTY, SHOWING INDURATED LAYER OF LOWER CRETACEOUS ARKOSE.

GEOLOGY. 61

Between Chattahoochee and Ocmulgee rivers the Lower Cretaceous deposits are unconformably overlain by Upper Cretaceous 

strata (Eutaw and Ripley formations) and by a very small outcrop 

of Eocene strata; between Ocmulgee and Savannah rivers they are 

unconformably overlain by Eocene strata. Where the belt is crossed 

by the larger streams the strata are overlain along the valley sides 

by thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age.

Lithologic character. The Lower Cretaceous deposits consist predominantly of arkosic sand (PL V, A and B), with, however, a considerable amount of clay in the form of interbedded lenses and disseminated grains and particles The sands are commonly coarse to very 

coarse in texture and are generally cross-bedded. They are composed 

largely of angular to subangular quartz grains but contain an important percentage of kaolin grains and fine kaolin particles, the latter 

in places filling the interstices between the sand grains. They contain also subordinate amounts of undecomposed feldspar, mica, and 

various other minerals derived from the crystalline rocks of the adjacent Piedmont Plateau. In places the sands have been indurated 

(see PL V, B), and form friable sandstones. The lenses of clay vary 

widely in lithologic character, shape, and extent; in thickness they 

range from 1 inch or less to 40 feet, and in horizontal extent from a 

few square feet to many acres; lamination is rare. In general the 

clays are light drab or gray in color and are more or less sandy; locally, 

however, they are remarkably white and pure, approaching kaolin in 

composition, and are commercially valuable.

For the most part the bedding of the deposits is very irregular, but 

in places a distinct banding of clay and sand is apparent, individual 

beds being traceable for considerable distances. Good examples of 

banding occur in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River below Columbus. 

(See PI. V, A)

Lenses and layers of coarse gravel occur here and there, especially 

in the basal portions near the contact with the underlying crystalline 

rocks. Unconformities that have little or no time significance occur 

within the deposits. As the result of the shifting of the channels 

which produced these unconformities, interbedded lenses of clay have 

in places been torn to pieces and redeposited, as is shown by the large 

number of rolled clay balls and bowlders which locally are scattered 

through the sands.

With the exception of faint, indeterminable impressions of leaves 

in white clays at Carrs station, Hancock County, no fossil remains 

have been discovered in these deposits in Georgia.

The beds of coarse sand which predominantly compose the Lower 

Cretaceous strata are, with certain exceptions, of favorable texture 

for the storage and circulation of large quantities of water. (See 

pp. 124-125.)
62 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Strike, dip, and thickness. The strike of the Lower Cretaceous 

strata in Georgia ranges from JSL 65° E., northeast of Macon, to nearly 

due east on Chattahoochee River at Columbus. The dip is east of 

south or south at right angles to the strike. On account of irregularity of bedding and the smallness of the exposures the exact amount 

of dip can not readily be determined. It is greater, however, than 

the grade of the water surface in the streams and probably averages 

25 to 30 feet to the mile.

In the Chattahoochee region the estimated thickness of the Lower 

Cretaceous deposits where they pass beneath the overlying Eutaw 

formation is 375 feet. Calculations based on well data show that 

across the State along the line where the strata pass beneath the 

overlying Upper Cretaceous or Eocene formations, as the case may be, 

the total thickness of the deposits ranges from 350 to 600 feet, with 

perhaps local exceptions where the amount is less or greater.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits extend coastward beneath the 

unconformably overlying younger formations for at least 10 miles 

and probably for many more; their limit in that direction is not 

known.

UPPER CRETACEOUS SERIES. 

EUTAW FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The Eutaw formation appears at the surface 

in a relatively small area in Georgia. Chattahoochee River cuts 

across the outcrop, exposing the beds from a point a short distance 

below the mouth of Upatoi Creek, 9 miles below Columbus, to a point 

near Omaha, 2 or 3 miles below the Seaboard Air Line Railway bridge 

(see Pis. VI, A and B, and PI. VII, A}, a total distance of about 16 

miles. To the northeast, away from the river, the area of outcrop 

becomes narrower, including approximately the northeastern twothirds of Chattahoochee County, a small portion of southwestern 

Muscogee County, a strip several miles wide in the northern part of 

Marion County, and a very small portion of west-central Taylor 

County, ending in the western part of Taylor County.

StratigrapTiic position. The formation in Georgia rests unconformably upon strata of Lower Cretaceous age and is conformably overlain 

by the Ripley formation. In limited areas bordering Chattahoochee 

River and Upatoi Creek the formation is unconformably overlain 

by thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age.

Lithologic character. The materials composing the Eutaw formation vary considerably in lithologic character, both vertically and 

horizontally. In the region of Chattahoochee River the immediate 

base of the formation consists of coarse, arkosic, micaceous sands 

bearing a close resemblance to the underlying Lower Cretaceous 

sands, Interbedded with these sands are subordinate lenses of drab
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE VI

A. BANK OF CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER AT BROKEN ARROW BEND, 10J MILES BELOW 

COLUMBUS, SHOWING LAYERS OF NODULAR, CALCAREOUS CONCRETIONS IN THE 

BASAL MARINE BEDS OF THE EUTAW FORMATION.

S. BLUFF BELOW BANKS LANDING, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, LEFT BANK, 26^ MILES 

BELOW COLUMBUS, SHOWING GRAY CALCAREOUS SANDS AND SANDY CLAYS WITH 

INDURATED LAYERS BELONGING TO THE TOMBIGBEE SAND MEMBER OF THE EUTAW 

FORMATION.
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE VII

A. SLICK BLUFF, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, RIGHT BANK, 

14 MILES BELOW COLUMBUS, SHOWING GREENISHGRAY CLAY OF THE EUTAW FORMATION.

S. CUT ON COLUMBUS-LUMPKIN ROAD, 13 MILES SOUTH OF COLUMBUS, IN CHATTAHOOCHEE 

COUNTY, SHOWING UNCONSOLIDATED SAND OF THE EUTAW FORMATION.
GEOLOGY. 63

to black laminated clay, in places bearing leaf remains and considerable though scattered quantities of lignite in the form of comminuted 

particles, twigs, branches, and logs.

Immediately above the coarse basal sands are 50 feet or more of 

medium to fine, gray to dark-gray, more or less micaceous and calcareous sands and clays, indurated in some layers to nodular impure 

limestones. (See PI. YE, A and B.) These materials are fossiliferous 

and in places contain large numbers of shells and shell prints. The 

character of the materials and the nature of the entombed organisms 

prove this portion of the formation to be of marine origin.

The bluffs along the Euchee Rapids, Chattahooch.ee River, reveal 

40 feet or more of greenish-gray, compact, marine clay, which lies 

closely above the marine sands and clays just described. (See PI. 

VII, A.) This clay is overlain by dark, laminated clays with thin, 

interbedded layers of sand. Above the laminated beds are coarse and 

fine sands locally indurated to ferruginous sandstones, examples of 

which may be seen at Moores, Betons, and Codys rocks, between 

Euchee Creek and Chimney Bluff. A massive bed of fine to medium 

grained unconsolidated sand that probably represents this portion 

of the formation in Chattahooch.ee County east of the river is shown in 

Plate VII, B. Dark lignitic clays and light to white unconsolidated 

sands of shallow-water origin overlie the coarse sands, being best 

exhibited in the basal part of the exposure at Chimney Bluff, where 

the clays contain poorly preserved leaf remains.

Above the lignitic beds and forming the upper 120 feet of the 

formation are beds of massive gray or greenish-gray calcareous and 

more or less argillaceous sand, with some interbedded layers of gray 

calcareous sandy clay. (See PI. VI, B.~) These sands are more or 

less glauconitic and micaceous, and iron pyrites is fairly common. 

Nodular layers of sandy limestone and calcareous sandstone appear at 

vertical.intervals of several feet as prominent projecting ledges along 

the faces of the bluffs. Fossils are common and certain layers contain 

shells in. great abundance, forming shell marls. These massive marine sands and clays constitute the Tombigbee sand member of the 

Eutaw formation.

Northeastward from Chattahooch.ee River, in Chattahooch.ee and 

Marion counties, the massive marine beds, including the Tombigbee 

sand member, eventually merge into much coarser and more irregularly 

bedded deposits which doubtless originated near shore in shallow 

water or even in sounds and estuaries. Here, on account of similarity of materials, the formation is separable with difficulty from 

the overlying Ripley formation.

The irregularly bedded loose sands of shallow-water origin, which 

make up a considerable part of the formation, are favorable in extent 

and in texture to the circulation and storage of fairly large quantities
64 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

of potable though somewhat mineralized waters. The availability 

of this formation as a source of water supply is discussed more fully 

on page 125.

Strike, dip, and thickness. On the Georgia side of Chattahoochee 

River the beds of this formation strike N. 60°-75° E.; on the Alabama side they strike nearly east and west.

The Tombigbee member, which forms the upper part of the formation, is regularly bedded and dips approximately 20 feet to the mile, 

as estimated from exposures along Chattahoochee River. The 

remainder of the formation, beneath the Tombigbee member, is irregularly bedded, and it has not been possible to make reliable dip 

measurements; however, it is probably safe to infer that in no part 

of the formation does the dip exceed 40 feet to the mile.

The total thickness of the formation has been estimated to be 

approximately 550 feet.

RIPLEY FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The Ripley formation appears at low-water 

level in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River from a point about 40 

miles below Columbus, near Florence, Ga., to a point, not accurately 

determined, near Othos Landing, about 15 miles below Eufaula, Ala. 

It extends northeastward from the river in a belt 8 to 15 miles wide 

that includes parts of Clay, Quitman, Stewart, Webster, Chattahoochee, Marion, Schley, Macon, Taylor, Crawford, Houston, and 

Twiggs counties. In Twiggs, Houston, southeastern Crawford, and 

eastern Macon counties the formation is concealed by a relatively 

thin blanket of overlapping Eocene strata, except where the latter 

have been removed by stream erosion.

Stratigraphic position. In western Georgia the formation is conformable with the underlying Eutaw formation. To the northeast, 

however, from the eastern part of Taylor County, through Crawford 

and Bibb counties to Ocmulgee River, the Eutaw formation, which 

in the Chattahoochee region intervenes between the Lower Cretaceous 

deposits and the Ripley formation, is believed to be absent, and the 

Ripley strata rest directly upon the Lower Cretaceous deposits. In 

Macon, Crawford, Houston, and Twiggs counties the formation is 

concealed over a considerable part of the area, in which it would 

otherwise appear at the surface, by a thin overlap of Eocene strata 

from the south; in Twiggs County, east of Ocmulgee River, the formation passes finally beneath overlapping Eocene beds.

Thin terrace def lits of Pleistocene age rest upon the beds of this 

formation in small. s bordering Chattahoochee, Flint, and Ocmulgee rivers.

Lithologic character. The exposures of the Ripley formation in the 

bluffs of Chattahoochee River, except, possibly, those in the upper
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE VIII

A. NARROWS OF PATAULA CREEK. 9 MILES NORTH OF FORT GAINES, SHOWING CALCAREOUS 

MARINE SAND OF THE RIPLEY FORMATION CONTAINING INDURATED LAYERS.

B. WATERFALL AT UPPER END OF NARROWS OF PATAULA CREEK. 

Falls are produced by a hard calcareous layer.
U. 6. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE IX

A. CUT ON SEABOARD AIR LINE RAILWAY AT MANTA STATION, SHOWING CUSSETA SAND 

MEMBER OF THE RIPLEY FORMATION OVERLAIN BY TYPICAL MARINE BEDS OF THAT 

FORMATION.

B. GULLY 10i MILES NORTHEAST OF GEORGETOWN, SHOWING COARSE, UNCONSOLIDATED 

SANDS OF THE PROVIDENCE SAND MEMBER OF THE RIPLEY FORMATION.
GEOLOGY. 65

part of the high hill at Blufftown in Stewart County and the upper 

part of Stewarts Hill in Quitman County, all reveal materials of a 

strictly marine character. These are gray, calcareous, massive sands 

and clays of moderately deep-water, offshore origin, with interbedded 

darker clays and unconsolidated, yellowish, calcareous sands and shell 

marls of near-shore, shallow, marine origin. Typical marine strata 

of the formation are shown in Plate VIII, A and B. The shallowwater phases contain in places fragmentary bones of dinosaurs, 

mososaurs, crocodiles, and turtles, some reptile teeth, numerous 

sharks' teeth of several species, and a few other fish teeth. In the 

exposures at Woolridge Landing and vicinity these vertebrate remains 

are closely associated with an undescribed species of gigantic oyster 

and with a large number of other species of mollusks.

Northeastward from Chattahoochee River the basal 200 or 300 

feet of the formation merges along the strike into shallow water 

equivalents (the Cusseta sand member), which differ in their essential lithologic characters from the typical beds. The uppermost 130 

feet or more of the formation also merges along the strike, both to 

the northeast in Georgia and to the west in Alabama, into similar 

shallow-water equivalents (the Providence sand member).

The Cusseta sand member consists of irregularly bedded, unconsolidated sands with subordinate lenses of clay, of shallow-water 

origin. (See PI. IX, A.) The member outcrops at the surface in 

a belt which includes parts of Stewart, Chattahoochee, Marion, 

Schley, Taylor, Macon, Crawford, Houston, Bibb, and Twiggs counties. In Stewart and Chattahoochee counties the sands vary from 

fine to coarse in texture and are somewhat arkosic. Farther northeast, in Marion County, the materials become coarser, although 

rather fine phases are not uncommon. This same predominance of 

coarse materials holds throughout the remainder of the outcrop, but/ 

as in Marion County, finer sands occur locally. The clay lenses in 

these sands are commonly light drab or even white, are massive, and 

in places resemble the clays of the Lower Cretaceous. Locally they 

are thinly laminated. At a few places carbonaceous clays, both 

massive and laminated, containing considerable amounts of comminutea plant remains, have been noted, and fossil leaves have been 

collected at two localities. The similarity of the,materials of the 

Cusseta sand member to the materials of the shallow-water phase of 

the Eutaw formation, in its eastern extension, renders the two formations separable with dinlculty. The same is true of the Cusseta 

and the overlying Providence sand members in the region between 

Flint and Ocmulgee rivers.

The Providence sand member consists predominantly of coarse, 

irregularly bedded sands with subordinate, light-colored clays in the 

38418° WSP 341 15 5
66 UITOEKGKOTJND WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

form of lenses and layers. (See PI. IX, B.) In Georgia the member 

outcrops in a long, narrow belt lying along the southern border of 

the Cretaceous area in parts of Quitman, Stewart, Webster, Marion, 

Schley, Macon, Houston, and Twiggs counties. The sands are commonly coarse but contain finer phases, especially toward the base of 

the member in the zone of transition from the underlying typical 

marine beds to the overlying coarser beds of the member. Rolled 

clay balls are numerous at many places in the sands. In Houston 

County the member contains notable lenses of white clay, which have 

been mined in a small way and which give promise of becoming of 

commercial importance in the future.

The typical marine beds, the "Renfroes marl" of Veatch, which 

intervene between the Cusseta and Providence members, are traceable in a narrow belt from the Chattahoochee region through Stewart, 

Chattahoochee, Marion, and Schley counties to Macon County, 

where they appear to pinch out, so far as can be determined from 

surface outcrops between the underlying and overlying shallowwater members. Beyond this point to the eastern limit of the surface occurrence of the formation the two members, each of which has 

gradually increased its thickness, are in conformable contact with 

each other and together appear to represent the whole thickness of 

the formation. However, there is evidence that buried representatives of the typical marine beds extend eastward at least as far as 

Marshallville, where calcareous beds have been penetrated in a well 

boring.

Both the Cusseta and Providence sand members are favorable in 

texture and structure to the circulation and storage of large quantities of potable waters. The typical marine beds are less favorable, 

although they too have yielded fair supplies at certain places. The 

availability of this formation as a source of water supply is discussed 

more fully on pages 125-126.

Strike, dip, and thickness. The beds of the Ripley formation in the 

greater part of Georgia strike N. 60°-70° E., but in the area west of 

Chattahoochee River they strike nearly east. The estimated thickness 

of the formation, where it intercepts Chattahoochee River, is approximately 950 feet. No reliable measurements of thickness elsewhere 

in Georgia have been obtained, but there is reason to believe that a 

comparable thickness exists both to the northeast along the belt of 

outcrop and to the southeast in the buried extension of the formation.
GEOLOGY. 67 

TERTIARY SYSTEM.

EOCENE SERIES. 

MIDWAY FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The Midway formation outcrops in a relatively 

narrow northeast-southwest belt, extending from Fort Games on 

Chattahoochee River to Montezuma on Flint River and thence for a 

short distance into Houston County. On the Chattahoochee the formation has a width of about 8 miles, on the Flint a width of about 

15 miles, and between the two rivers an average width of 8 to 10 

miles. The formation appears at the surface over parts of Clay, 

Quitman, Stewart, Randolph, Marion, Schley, Webster, and Macon 

counties and extends eastward from Flint River probably as far as 

Myrtle on the Perry branch of the Central of Georgia Railway in 

Houston County. No occurrence is known east of Ocmulgee River, 

beyond which the formation is probably overlapped by higher Eocene 

formations.

Stratigraphic position. The Midway formation rests unconformably upon the Upper Cretaceous. Irregular contacts that appear to 

represent erosion unconformities between the two divisions have been 

noted, especially in the gullies north and west of Lumpkin, Stewart 

County. The strata of the basal Midway and of the Upper Cretaceous seem to be lithologically similar, and on account of inadequate 

exposures considerable difficulty is experienced in determining the 

exact location and nature of the contact.

A probable contact between the Cretaceous and the Eocene is 

exposed in the first railroad cut east of the depot at Lumpkin, where 

the base of the Eocene consists of 4 to 6 feet of iron-stained clay 

containing ferruginous sandy layers bearing poorly preserved fossils, 

resting upon light-colored sandy clay of probable Cretaceous age. 

The evidence of an unconformity is, however, slight. Another probable unconformity has been noted about 1| miles south of Lumpkin 

on the Cuthbert public road, where a ferruginous sand is separated 

from a kaolinic sand by a line of pebbles and is nearly approached on 

the south by apparent Eocene strata.

In Marion, Schley, and Macon counties the Midway formation lies 

in contact with the Upper Cretaceous, but the two closely resemble 

each other in lithologic character, and in mapping it is not possible to 

draw a sharp line between them. The Midway formation consists 

mainly of. unconsolidated red, purplish, and white sands in which 

thin, siliceous limonitic layers and crusts and highly ferruginous 

sandstones are common. Thin beds of impure clay also occur, but 

neither the clays nor the ferruginous sandstones contain well-preserved 

fossils.
68 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

A probable contact between the Upper Cretaceous and the Midway 

formation occurs in a cut of the Central of Georgia Railway, a mile 

east of Buena Vista, the two divisions being separated by thin limonitic layers embedded in a stained clay. The lower part of the section 

is white or light-colored sand and sandy clay (Cretaceous), and the 

upper part, probably representing the Eocene, is a bright-red ferruginous sand.

At Underwood Ferry, on Flint River, 6 miles southwest of Marshallville, Macon County, the base of the bluff consists of gray or yellow rather compact argillaceous sand containing poorly preserved 

fossils. From this locality a specimen of Venericardia planicosta was 

obtained and on the basis of this fossil the strata are classed as 

Eocene. This is evidently near the northern margin of the Eocene, 

but its relations to the Cretaceous in this vicinity are obscure. It is 

also not positively known whether this sand represents the Midway 

or the Wilcox formation.

A gray and black laminated sandy clay bearing Venericardia planicosta was also discovered at Barrows Mill in Houston County, 5 

miles east of Marshallville, where a poorly exposed unconformity 

may represent a Cretaceous-Eocene contact. Venericardia planicosta and Turritella Jiumerosa were obtained in a similar sandy clay 

on Robert Slappy's land, 4 miles east of Marshallville, but the 

fossils are inadequate for determining whether the exposure is Midway 

or Wilcox.

No good physical evidence of an unconformity representing a considerable time interval between the Cretaceous and Midway has yet 

been discovered in Georgia, but there is paleontologic evidence that 

this interval is as great here as in adjoining States.

At Fort Gaines the Midway is separated from the overlying Wilcox 

by a pronounced unconformity.

Surficial gray and brownish sand is spread over the formation in 

places and Pleistocene terrace deposits overlie it along Chattahoochee 

and Flint rivers.

Lithologic character. The Midway is mainly a marine formation 

of sands, clays, marls, and limestones. Its lower part consists principally of sands and clays, and its upper part of marls, clays, and 

limestones, but the sediments are so varied in character that sharp 

division lines can not be drawn on the basis of lithology. Thin layers 

of flint interbedded with sands and clays have been noted in the lower 

part of the formation. The sands are varicolored, generally friable, 

and in several places contain lenticular, massive layers of white clay. 

In the lower part of the formation limonite is rather widely distributed in the sands in the form of thin crusts and as hollow concretions 

having black, polished, and botryoidal exteriors. The limestones are 

fossiliferous more abundantly so than other parts of the formation.
GEOLOGY. 69

They are very hard and are generally highly arenaceous, though at a 

few places sufficiently pure for u£e in the manufacture of lime. They 

are conspicuous at several localities. Individual beds of limestone 

in natural exposures are thin, from 2 to 25 feet in thickness, and are 

interbedded with clays, marls, and sands. Friable marls made up of 

glauconite, quartz sand, clay, and shells occur, as do also laminated 

black clay and fuller's earth. Sands and clays make up by far the 

greater part of the deposits. The lithologic character and the character of the fossils indicate a very shallow water deposition for the 

whole formation.

Thickness. The thickness of the Midway formation (referred by 

Langdon to the Clayton limestone of the Midway group, as used in 

Alabama) on Chattahoochee River, was estimated by Langdon * to 

be 218 feet. The width of the outcrop on the Chattahoochee is about 

8 miles, and it is believed that Langdon's estimate is nearly correct, 

though probably too large rather than too small. The thickness of 

the formation probably increases to the northeast and may reach 400 

feet on Flint River, where the width of outcrop is about 15 miles.

Paleontologic character. The collections of fossils from the formation are rather meager. This is due to a paucity of fossils in the 

exposed beds of the formation rather than to insufficient field work, 

for all the best-known exposures have been visited. Ostrea crenulimarginata seems to be a characteristic species, being found at nearly 

every outcrop of limestone and marl. The basal part of the formation, which consists mainly of sands and clays, is very poor in fossils. 

Venericardia planicosta, Turritella, and other forms occur, but these 

are common to other Eocene formations. One of the characteristic 

fossils of the formation in Alabama, Enclimatoceras ulrichi, has not 

thus far been found in Georgia. The following is a complete list of 

the forms identified:

Turritella mortoni Conrad. 

Turritella humerosa Conrad. 

Mesalia alabamiensis (Whitfield). 

Area sp.

Ostrea crenulimarginata Gabb. 

Ostrea pulaskensis Harris.

Crassatellites.

Venericardia planicosta Lamarck.

Venericardia smithii Aldrich.

Cardium sp.

Protocardia sp.

Cytherea ripleyana (Gabb).

Lithodomus gainesensis Harris.

The determinations are by T. W. Vaughan from collections made 

by Veatch, McCallie, and Stephenson.

Physiographic expression. The topography of the area underlain 

by the Midway is broken and hilly, somewhat resembling the Cretaceous area to the northward, and contrasting with the level topography of the areas to the south underlain by Claiborne, Jackson, and

i Langdon, D. W., Geology of the Coastal Plain: Alabama Geol.. Survey, p. 369,1894.
70 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Oligocene strata. A few lime sinks occur in the vicinity of Fort 

Gaines and north of Cuthbert.

Structure. The Midway formation presents no notable structural 

features. It strikes about N. 60° E. and dips gently east of south in 

conformity with the inclination of the older formations of the Coastal 

Plain, but its inclination can not be determined accurately on account 

of the discontinuity of exposures of individual beds and the wide 

variations due to local disturbances. As a whole the dip is roughly 

estimated at 20 to 30 feet per mile. This rate, however, is probably 

not maintained southward under cover of later formations, for a 

fossil, apparently the Cretaceous Exogyra costata, was found in the 

borings of an artesian well at Albany at a depth of 500-510 feet. 

(See p. 236.) Local crumpling of clay beds and very high local angles 

of dip, especially in Stewart, Randolph, and Quitman counties, may 

be the results of the movements that produced the Chattahoochee 

anticline.

WILCOX FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The Wilcox formation outcrops in a belt 

extending northeastward from the vicinity of Fort Gaines on Chattahoochee River probably to Flint River in the northeastern part of 

Sumter County; east .of the Flint it has not been certainly recognized. 

The width of the outcrop is believed to average not more than 5 or 6 

miles. The formation is to some extent overlapped and obscured by 

the McBean and Vicksburg formations.

Stratigraphic position. The Wilcox formation includes the strata 

lying between the Midway formation and the Claiborne group. At 

Fort Gaines, on Chattahoochee River, the Wilcox and Midway formations are separated by a pronounced erosion unconformity manifested 

by large holes, 20 feet or more deep, which have been worn in the 

white limestone of the Midway formation and filled by black sandy 

clay of the overlying formation. In the same locality paleontologic 

and lithologic differences also serve to separate the two formations. 

East of this locality, however, the paucity of the fossils, the fact that 

no unconformity could be discovered, and the unsatisfactory character 

of the evidence furnished by the lithologic composition, has rendered 

the discrimination of the two formations very difficult, and has made 

the mapping of the boundary line necessarily tentative.

The contact of the Wilcox with the overlying Claiborne group, 

where observed, is marked by an undulating line of small pebbles or 

a stratum of coarse sand but shows no physical evidence of the lapse 

of any considerable time interval between the deposition of the two. 

An unconformity marking the contact between the Claiborne group 

and the Wilcox formation has been noted, questionably in the bluff 

at Fort Gaines, 50 to 55 feet above Chattahoochee River; in a cut of 

the Central of Georgia Railway 2^ miles west of Cuthbert; at Halls
GEOLOGY. 71

Bridge on Kinchafoonee Creek, 7 miles southwest of Plains; doubtfully in the public road at Blacks Mills 5 miles north of Plains; and 1J 

miles southeast of Andersonville, on the south side of Sweetwater 

Creek, about a mile below Hodges Mill. Unfortunately, the strata 

are not fossiliferous, except at Fort Gaines, and the evidence that 

the unconformities are of stratigraphic importance is not entirely 

conclusive.

Lithologic character. On Chattahoochee River the formation is 

made up of sandy glauconitic shell marl, dark-colored laminated, 

largely lignitic sandy clay, in places consolidated into mudstone, and 

commonly dark or gray giauconitic and lignitic sand. The laminated 

clay exposed in the bluff at Fort Gaines can be traced northeastward, 

and in Randolph County north and west of Cuthbert has the nature 

of fuller's earth, in places glauconitic. At Greer Cave a considerable 

thickness of varicolored and kaolinic sand apparently lies between 

the clay of the Wilcox formation and the limestone of the Midway 

formation. Black and drab laminated glauconitic clay and sand 

were observed on Bear Creek northeast of Weston, Webster County. 

Gray and black argillaceous and glauconitic sand appears at Magnolia 

Spring, 2£ miles north of Plains; in the bed of a branch on the old 

Morgan plantation, 6 miles northeast of Plains; and at Halls Bridge, 

on Kinchafoonee Creek 7 miles southwest of Plains. Farther east in 

Schley and Macon counties and in the vicinity of Andersonville, the 

strata which might be referred to this formation on the basis of 

geographic position are mainly red and varicolored sands with massive 

beds of white clay, very pure and in the nature of sedimentary kaolin, 

bearing little resemblance to the strata on Chattahoochee River.

Thickness.-r-Langdon l estimated the thickness of the formation 

on Chattahoochee River at 402 feet; but this is excessive, for at 

Fort Gaines the thickness is certainly not more than 60 or 75 feet. 

A natural exposure of the formation at Peterson Hill, 4| miles northwest of Cuthbert, reveals about 100 feet of strata. The following is 

the record 2 of a well at Shellman, Randolph County:

Record of well at Shellman.

Thickness.

Feet. 

18

130

152

100

10

Depth.

Feet. 

18

148

300

400

410

1 Langdon, D. W., loc. cit.

. W., Underground waters of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 156, 1908.
72 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

If the limestone layer is the same as the limestone of the Midway 

formation exposed at Greer Cave, about 16 miles to the northwest, 

the overlying 152 feet of "blue marl" may belong £o the Wilcox 

formation.

There is no positive proof that strata of Wilcox age outcrop on 

Flint River, where the formation may be entirely overlapped by the 

Claiborne group, but if the strata between the Midway and the 

McBean or Vicksburg formations at Dripping Bluff, 9 miles south 

of Oglethorpe, are Wilcox, the thickness of the latter is perhaps 100 

feet. The maximum thickness at any place in the area of outcrop 

probably does not exceed 150 or 200 feet.

Paleontologic character. The formation is poorly fossiliferous in 

Georgia. The following forms have been identified by T. W. Vaughan 

from collections made by Mr. Veatch east of Chattahoochee River:

Actseon.

Turritella mortoni Conrad.

Turritella praecincta Conrad.

Ostrea thirsae (Gabb).

Venericardia planicosta Lamarck.

Cardium.

Dentalium.

Leda pharcida Dall.

Glycymeris.

Protocardia.

Cytherea.

Cassidulus (?) sp.

Calyptrea aperta (Solander). 

The following fossils were obtained 5J miles south of Lumpkin:

Endopachys maclurii (Lea). 1 

Pyrula juvenis Whitfield? 

Turritella sp. 

Leda (apparently pharcida Dall).

Nucula ep.

Paracyathus? ep.

Cueullsea macrodonta Whitfield.

Cytherea sp.

Cytherea nutalliopsis Heilprin?

The species Ostrea thirsse, 0. compressirostra, Ohlamys greggi, and 

Oucullsea macrodonta have been identified from beds near Fort Gaines. 

From beds 4J miles northeast of Preston and from a flint bed 1 mile 

south of Preston T. W. Vaughan has identified 0. thirsse, a small 

oyster considered characteristic of the Wilcox formation. As the 

collections are small and the material in general poorly preserved, the 

stratigraphic deductions from the fossils can not be made with the 

same surety for Georgia as for States to the west, where fossils are 

more abundant and better preserved. Possibly these beds belong to 

the Midway.

Physiographic expression. The area underlain by the formation 

is small and presents no notable physiographic features. The topography of the area is rather broken and hilly, resembling that of the 

area to the north underlain by the Midway formation.

Structure. The Midway strata strike about N. 5.5° E. and dip 

southeastward at a rate that can not be accurately estimated but 

that is probably less than 30 feet to the mile over the area of outcrop

1 Endopachys maclurii suggests Claiborne, Cueullsea macrodonta is usually not later than Wilcox. T. W. 

Vaughan.
GEOLOGY. 73

and is perhaps less than half as much under cover of the later formations to the south. No evidence of local deformation has been noted, 

although such deformation may have taken place in the area adjacent 

to Chattahoochee River, where slight disturbances have been noted in 

the Midway formation.

CLAIBOB.NE GROUP. 

SUBDIVISIONS.

The Claiborne group or, where the strata representing the group 

are not subdivided into constituent formations, the Claiborne formation derives its name from the old town of Claiborne, on Alabama 

River, Ala.-

In Alabama the Claiborne group is subdivided, from the top downward, into the Gosport greensand, the Lisbon formation, and the 

Tallahatta buhrstone. Although in a general way the correlatives 

of these formations may be recognized in Georgia, the use of these 

terms in the latter State is inappropriate, for the Claiborne group is 

not naturally divisible into the same units as in Alabama. In 

Georgia the group is divided into two formations the Barnwell sand 

at the top and the McBean formation at the base, the latter including a 

phase to which the name Congaree clay member has been given. It is, 

however, difficult to distinguish between the weathered phases of the 

McBean formation and the overlying Barnwell sand and no attempt 

has been made to map the two formations separately, the Claiborne 

group being given one color on the geologic map.

MCBEAN FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The McBean formation outcrops in an 

extremely irregular belt, which varies in width from a few miles to 25 

or more and extends entirely across the State. Between Savannah 

and Ocmulgee rivers this belt lies south of the Lower Cretaceous 

outcrops, and between Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers it lies 

south of the Midway and Wilcox outcrops. East of Flint River 

its exposures have been studied in Columbia, Richmond, Burke, 

McDuffie, Jefferson, Glascock, Washington, Baldwin, Wilkinson, 

Jones, Twiggs, Bibb, and Houston counties. Exposures occur also 

on Flint and Chattahoochee rivers. East of Ocmulgee River the 

group originally entirely concealed the Lower Cretaceous deposits 

and lapped over on the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau; but 

the region has since been extensively dissected by erosion and the 

crystalline rocks and Cretaceous strata are now exposed along the 

lower slopes and bottoms of the valleys; the northern boundary of 

the formation is therefore extremely irregular. South of the area 

of outcrop Claiborne group fossils, probably from the McBean formation, have been obtained between the depths 347 and 364.5 feet 

from a well at Herndon, Jenkins County. (See section, p. 293.)
74 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

StratigrapMc position. East of Ocmulgee River the McBean 

formation rests unconformably upon strata of Lower Cretaceous age. 

The unconformity represents a long interval of time, for the two 

lower Eocene formations, the Wilcox and Midway, and all the Upper 

Cretaceous deposits, aggregating a thickness of 3,000 feet or more, 

are absent. Tongues of McBean strata extend northward on the 

divides across the Cretaceous rocks and in places lap over the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau. The most notable overlaps 

are at Roberts, Harlem, and Grovetown.

Between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers the McBean formation 

rests upon the Wilcox formation. Along Chattahoochee River, in 

the vicinity of Fort Gaines, an erosion unconformity, probably of 

minor time importance, seems to separate the Wilcox and the McBean 

formations.

The formation in eastern Georgia is overlain by the Barnwell sand, 

which in this region constitutes the upper formation of the Claiborne 

group. The relations between the two formations are somewhat 

obscure. Along its northern areal margin the Barnwell sand is 

apparently separated from the McBean formation by an unconformity 

of slight time importance, but farther southward it seems to rest 

conformably upon the McBean. It seems probable that near the 

end of the deposition of the McBean formation an uplift brought the 

northern margin of the area of Claiborne deposition above sea level, 

permitting erosion to take place in the emerged area, while deposition 

continued in the area which remained under water. The uplift was 

of short duration, however, the emerged tract soon being submerged 

again, allowing deposition to continue over the whole belt.

The Barnwell sand is believed to be present west of Flint River, 

where its relations to the underlying McBean formation are doubtless 

the same as in the area east of the river.

LitTiologic character. The formation consists mainly of shell 

marls, sandy limestones, calcareous, glauconitic sands and clays in 

the nature of fuller's earth. The marls are for the most part massive 

bedded and friable, but hard, compact, and even partly silicified 

beds have been noted on Savannah River. In places layers of marl or 

calcareous sand alternate with laminated clays. The greatest thickness of the marl beds is in the Savannah River bluffs at Shell Bluff, 

where a thickness of Over 100 feet is exposed. (See PL X, B.)

The marls of the McBean formation reach their greatest development on Savannah River; they extend southward from Shell Bluff 

about 11 miles in a direct line to a point 1£ miles below Griffins Landing where they appear in the bluff 50 feet above the water level. 

Westward from Savannah River marls are exposed near McBean, 

Louisville, Tennille, Sandersville, and elsewhere.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE X

A. EXPOSURE OF THE McBEAN FORMATION (CLAIBORNE GROUP) ON AN ISLAND AT THE 

MOUTH OFOMUSEE CREEK, CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER, 2 MILES BELOW COLUMBIA, HOUSTON 

COUNTY, ALA.

PORTION OF OSTREA GEORGIANA BED OF THE McBEAN FORMATION DISPLACED BY 

LANDSLIDE AT SHELL BLUFF, SAVANNAH RIVER, BURKE COUNTY.

GEOLOGY. 75

The strata between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers present a close 

general lithologic similarity to those of the eastern area. Along the 

northern margin of the formation, red, rather coarse sands at the 

surface overlie laminated or thin-bedded clays, while southward or 

seaward the beds are calcareous, and sandy marls, very similar to 

those along Savannah Eiver, interbedded with clay, are overlain by 

red sand similar to the Barnwell sand. Flint is apparently absent, 

but there are some thin layers of sandstone or quartzite in the sand, 

day or fuller's earth is less extensively developed, but this phase is 

represented by drab, laminated, fossiliferous clays, such as occur at the 

base of the formation at Fort Gaines.

The Flint River exposures are friable calcareous, sands, sandy 

limestones, marls, and sandstones. On Chattahoochee River Langdon recognized a lower buhrstone member and an upper calcareous 

member. Here as elsewhere the formation presents a variety of 

lithologic phases, including gray glauconitic limestones, marls resembling those on Savannah River, calcareous clays and claystones, and 

red and varicolored unconsolidated sands. (See PL X, A.)

Exposures of the formation are of small areal extent, and the marls 

and other materials have had but little effect on the soils of the region 

underlain by them.

The marls are commonly replete with fossils, the casts and shells of 

mollusea being the most common. Vertebrate remains (fish teeth 

and fragments of bones), Bryozoa, and corals have been collected.

A portion of the McBean formation consists principally of fuller's 

earth and drab or greenish sandy clays. This is a depositional phase 

of the terrane, and is best exposed along the northern margin of the 

formation, from Grovetown, Columbia County, to near Macon. This 

phase has been named the Congaree clay member of the McBean 

formation. (See p. 77.)

The McBean formation as a whole is marine in aspect and was 

doubtless deposited near shore in shallow water.

Thickness. The thickness of the McBean formation east of Ocmulgee River is estimated to be 300 to 400 feet. The maximum exposed 

thickness occurs at Shell Bluff, Savannah River, where 115 feet of 

strata was measured. The thickness of the Claiborne group near 

Louisville, Jefferson County, estimated from the record of an oilprospecting well, is 350 feet, the greater part of which is referable to 

this formation; however, the upper 68 feet may belong to the Barnwell sand. The lithologic character of borings obtained from a well 

at Waynesboro indicates that at that place the maximum thickness of 

the Claiborne group is not over 500 feet and may be less; all except 

about 100 feet of this is referable to the McBean formation. In parts 

of the area over which the McBean is the surface formation, the thickness will vary from 50 feet or less to 150 feet. The thickness along
76 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers is certainly much less than that along 

Savannah River, a fact suggesting the existence of a structural basin 

in the Savannah area during the Claiborne epoch.

Between Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers, where the Barnwell 

sand has not been certainly identified, the thickness of the Claiborne 

group seems to be less than in Burke County.

On Chattahoochee River the estimated thickness of the Claiborne 

group is 150 or 200 feet. On the Flint, judging from the width of the 

outcrop, the thickness is not greater than that on the Chattahoochee 

and is probably less. The thickness between these two rivers, as 

shown by natural exposures, is not greater than 150 or 200 feet.

Paleontologic character. The most extensive collection from any 

single locality in the area underlain by this formation was made by 

Earle Sloan at Sloans Scarp on McBean Creek, between McBean 

station and Savannah River. Sloan. submitted his fossils to T. W. 

Vaughan, who contributes the following notes:

In Georgia the McBean formation includes two paleontologic horizons. The lower 

one is especially characterized by Pleurotoma nodocarinata Gabb, Turritella. nasuta 

Gabb, Turritella nasuta var. houstonia Harris, Ostrea sellseformis Conrad, Pteropsis 

fapidosa Conrad, and Corbula fossata Meyer and Aldrich.

A higher horizon is represented especially well along Savannah River between 

Shell Bluff upstream and Griffins Landing downstream. Along this stretch of the 

river a prominent ledge, largely composed of Ostrea georgiana Conrad, forms the top 

of the McBean formation. Although this formation could be subdivided along 

Savannah River it was found impracticable to extend the subdivision westward, for 

which reason the Ostrea georgiana bed is considered as constituting its upper portion.

Between Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers exposures of strata 

belonging to the Claiborne group have been examined 4J miles south 

of Perry, Houston County; along Flint River at several localities, 

notably at the old Danville Ferry and at Penny Bluff; and along 

Chattahoochee River for a considerable distance below Fort Gaines. 

Fair collections of fossils, obtained from a number of exposures, 

render it safe to state that the McBean formation extends uninterruptedly from the Savannah to the Chattahooche. However, the 

formation is masked at many places by later deposits ranging in age 

from Jackson and Vicksburg to perhaps Pleistocene. The red, 

rather coarse sands that underlie the Vicksburg and overlie the 

recognizable McBean may be the westward continuation of the Barnwell sand, but as no fossils have been obtained from the sands between Ocmulgee and Chattahoochee rivers positive correlation with 

the Barnwell sand of the Savannah drainage can not be made.

Physiographic expression. Over practically the, whole area of its 

occurrence east of Ocmulgee River the McBean formation is overlain 

by the Barnwell sand, appearing at the surface only in the stream 

bluffs and on the lower slopes and in the bottoms of the valleys. On 

account of the compactness of the materials composing it the for-
GEOLOGY. 77

mation has been effective in places in preventing the rapid reduction 

of the valley sides from steep to gentle slopes, but otherwise it has had 

only a subordinate part in determining the topographic aspect of the 

region.

Structure. The McBean formation as a whole has a low dip east of 

south, perhaps not more than 10 or 15 feet to the mile. The dip of 

individual beds is so slight that they appear horizontal in natural 

exposures. No pronounced folding or faulting has been observed. 

Langdon 1 noted low flexures along Chattahoochee River; but only 

purely local disturbances, such as might be due to land slips or weathering and solution of calcareous strata, were noted in the OcmulgeeSavannah area. The thick beds of clay and fuller's earth show 

minute jointing. Clay laminae show slight crumpling at a few localities, but this is of doubtful regional significance. An exposure of 

the McBean formation occurs 4£ miles south of Perry, Houston 

County, at an elevation higher than Jackson outcrops lying to the 

north. The structural relations are unexplained, but are probably 

due to folding or faulting.

Congaree clay member. The Congaree clay member consists principally of fuller's earth and drab or greenish sandy clays. Its name is 

adopted from South Carolina, where Sloan 2 states its distribution as 

follows:

The Congaree phase is abundantly exhibited in the western Tertiary division along 

a curved line extending by Aiken, Sandy Bun (on the Congaree), Wedgefield, and 

thence down the eastern side of Santee River; it is also characteristically exhibited 

along the belt extending from Wedgefield toward the eastern division north of the 

Carolinian ridge. East of the latter the Congaree phase is probably exhibited in thin 

shales interlaminated with sands along the western bluffs of Peedee River.

The Congaree phase exhibits its littoral line along Hollow Creek near Savannah 

River and proceeds with occasional tongues extended in conformity with the shore 

line indicated for the Tertiary. The main line proceeds from McBean Creek valley, 

Ga., by Beech Island, Aik*en, Perry, Horseys Bridge, and Gaston, to the vicinity of 

Congaree Bluff.

The Congaree clay member of the McBean formation in Georgia 

lies at the base of the Claiborne group, resting directly upon the Lower 

Cretaceous, from which it is separated by a conspicuous erosion 

unconformity of regional extent. Striking differences in lithologic 

character and the character of the fossils in the Congaree clay -afford 

an easy means of distinguishing it from the underlying beds.

Faunally, the Congaree clay member does not seem to differ from 

the lower faunal horizon of the marl of the McBean formation. It 

seems probable that the clays represent a shoreward phase, or that 

the Congaree clay member becomes more calcareous southward and 

gradually merges into the marl. In most of the sections studied the

i Langdon, D. W., Report on the Coastal Plain: Alabama GeoL Survey, p. 389,1894.

* Catalogue of mineral localities of South Carolina: South Carolina GeoL Survey, pp. 454, 455,1908.
78 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

clay and fuller's earth seem to pass by gradation upward into the 

Barnwell sand. Some unconformities and some abrupt changes in 

the character of the strata may be only such as are natural in shallowwater deposits.

The fuller's earth contained in the Congaree clay member is drab 

or gray (often olive-green when moist), fine grained, thinly bedded, 

and minutely jointed. (See PL XI, A.) Where pure it is soft, 

unctuous, and breaks with a smooth conchoidal fracture, but it is 

generally sandy and contains small sand lenses and pockets and 

thin micaceous sand partings. It is low in specific gravity and 

peculiar in physical properties, being highly porous, adhering strongly 

to the tongue, and, in thin pieces, being light enough to float on 

water.

At a few places the Congaree clay member contains a large amount 

of disseminated lignitic matter and thin beds of lignite, as at the 

lignite pit 3 miles south of Grovetown. Thin-bedded, shalelike, 

aluminous sandstones and dense vitreous quartzites were observed 

near the base of the member at Hephzibah, Wrens, Gibson, Chalker, 

and other localities. At a number of localities greenish or drab, 

stiff or tough clays, showing little or no lamination and attaining a 

thickness of 80 or 100 feet, lie in contact with the Lower Cretaceous. 

In places the materials consist of alternating layers, a few inches 

thick, of clay and varicolored sand.

The member reaches a thickness of at least 100 feet. Fossils are 

abundant at a few places, though on the whole the member is riot as 

fossiliferous as the typical marls" of the formation. The animal 

remains are mainly molluscan casts, although the clay also contains 

thin marly layers in which shells occur in quantity, and in which 

fish teeth and fragments of bones are found. Plant localities have 

been discovered at Grovetown, Hephzibah in Richmond County, 

and 10 miles south of Macon in Bibb County. This member is not 

paleontologically distinct from the McBean formation.

The Congaree clay member outcrops in numerous places from 

Grovetown southwestward along the fall line to Bibb and Twiggs 

counties. It is confined to the northern part of the area of outcrop 

of the McBean formation, but it can not be sharply separated from 

either-the marls .of the McBean formation to the south or from the 

overlying Barnwell sand. The most prominent and typical exposures 

are at Grovetown, Harlem, Gibson, Gordon, Roberts, and Pikes Peak 

in Twiggs County. The clays have had no marked influence on the 

soil and vegetation, outcropping mainly in gullies and ravines where 

the overlying red sands have been eroded.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 34-1 PLATE XI

A. CUT ON MACON, DUBLIN & SAVANNAH RAILROAD AT PIKES PEAK STATION, TWIGGS COUNTY, 

SHOWING THE CONGAREE CLAY MEMBER OF THE McBEAN FORMATION.

B. FLINT AND LIMESTONE OF THE VICKSBURG FORMATION JUST ABOVE DEWITT FERRY, 

FLINT RIVER, MITCHELL COUNTY.

GEOLOGY. 79

pra

group as a whole. The formation overlies both the marls and the 

clays of the McBean formation and extends to the fall line, being 

present over parts of Columbia, Richmond, Burke, McDume, Jefferson, Glascock, Washington, Hancock, Wilkinson, Baldwin, Twiggs, 

Jor.es, and Bibb counties. No evidence was found indicating that 

the fossiliferous red sands in the southern part of the area are later 

ge than, or are superimposed upon, the sands which near the fall 

overlie the Congaree clay member. It is probable that red sands 

rlying the McBean formation between Flint and Chattahoochee 

rs belong to this formation, but no positive statement to this 

ct can yet be made. The conspicuous red soils of the Claiborne

has

s 

Fa

an

dei

of

mi

BARNWELL SAND.

.real distribution. The Barnwell sand of the Claiborne group is 

;tically coincident in its distribution with that of the Claiborne

in

lin

ove

riv

eff

gro

r

wh

dark-red ferruginous sand. It is also well developed over other

counties to the west.

tratigrdphic position. The Barnwell sand directly overlies the 

McBean formation and is in contact with both the marls and the 

Congaree clay member of the latter formation. The nature of the 

contact separating the Barnwell sand from the McBean formation

up are derived from the Barnwell sand.

lhe formation is particularly well developed in Burke County,

*re it contains fossiliferous flint and appears at the surface as a

not been satisfactorily determined; there is evidence, however, 

along the northern margin of the Barnwell sand area the relation

.hat of unconformity, though of local, not of regional, extent.

ther southward the Barnwell sand seems to overlie the McBean

formation conformably. The probable explanation of this discorde of relationship in different parts of the area is that after the 

osition of the clays and marls of the McBean formation an uplift 

the region caused the shore line of the Claiborne sea to recede 

southward a short distance and permitted erosion in the emerged 

areia. Later, after a relatively short period, resubmergence perted deposition to be resumed over the entire Claiborne area.

Tie Barnwell sand is overlain by the Jackson formation, but the 

contact between the two has nowhere been observed and its nature 

is imperfectly known. There is some evidence in favor of a fauna! 

and lithologiq gradation and, on the other hand, some suggestion of 

unconformity.

In Burke and Screven counties the formation is overlapped by the 

Vicksburg formation and questionably by the Chattahoochee formation and the typical Alum Bluff. In the eastern part of the State 

a large part of it was probably originally overlain by still later undifferentiated deposits, two prominent occurrences of which still extend 

northward to Tennille and Waynesboro. The Barnwell sand is in.
80 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

places covered with, a small thickness of surficial gray sand of problematic origin and by Pleistocene terrace deposits along the rivers.

Lithologic character. The Barnwell sand consists largely of unconsolidated red and varicolored sands, embedded in which are also thin 

layers of sandstone, quartzite, silicified limestone or flint, and thin 

layers of siliceous limonite. The sands, especially where weathered, 

appear somewhat similar to the red, residual sands of the Vicksburg 

formation, with which they seem to be in contact in the southeastern 

part of Burke County, and from which, where fossils are absent, they 

can with difficulty be discriminated.

The flint and quartzite contain casts and siliceous replacements of 

fossils, and good collections have been obtained at several localities. 

The sand itself is poorly fossiliferous, containing only imperfect casts 

and molds of fossils and fragments of silicified wood.

Thickness. The maximum measured thickness of the Barnwell 

sand is 105 feet, this thickness being observed on Storm Branch 

below Cox Spring, about 2 miles northeast of Shell Bluff post office.

Paleontologic character. Among the common fossils of the Barnwell sand are Mortonia, Mesalia vetusta (Conrad), Turritella carinata 

Lea, Glycymeris staminea (Conrad), Crassatellites protextus var. lepidus Dall, Venericardia alticostata (Conrad), Oytherea perovata Conrad, 

and Spisula prs&tenuis (Conrad). The best collection of fossils from 

a single locality is that from Old Town, 7£ miles southeast of the 

present site of Louisville.

Physiographic expression. The Barnwell sand has been an important factor in determining the topography. The greater part of 

its area is hilly and broken, for the friable sands and soft clays of the 

formation have yielded readily to erosion. In Twiggs, Wilkinson, 

and Washington counties valleys have been cut 150 to 200 feet below 

the level of the ridges and small plateaus, and at many places the 

hills are furrowed by deep gullies and ravines. In Burke and Jefferson counties there are flat plains in which lime sinks have resulted 

from the collapse of solution cavities in the underlying McBean 

formation.

Structure. The bedding planes of the Barnwell sand have been 

largely obscured by chemical changes. For this reason it has been 

impossible to obtain accurate dip observations. However, the beds 

dip east of south at a rate probably not exceeding 10 or 15 feet to 

the mile.

JACKSON FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The total area over which the Jackson formation outcrops in Georgia is, so far as known, small. The largest connected area is in Johnson, Wilkinson, Houston, Twiggs, Pulaski, 

Dooly, and Sumter counties. There is a small, isolated area at Kich
GEOLOGY. 81

Hill, Crawford County, and, according to Langdon,1 a small area on 

Ch.attah.ooch.ee River near Alaga, Ala. The strata exposed on Oconee 

River at Wring Jaw Landing, Johnson County, are referred to the 

Jackson formation by T. W. Vaughan. Further detailed work may 

reveal occurrences east of the Oconee. Between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers outcrops have been found only on Ichawaynochaway 

Creek, lij- miles below Cordray mill, Calhoun County; if the formation 

outcrops elsewhere to any considerable extent it has not beep, distinguished from the strata of the Vicksburg formation and the Claiborne group. The Jackson formation has been recognized at Americus, Sumter County, where fossils obtained in a well boring seem to 

show that it extends from the surface to a depth of 157 feet. (See 

section, pp. 394-395.)

South and southeast of the areas of outcrop limestones, which probably include in ascending order the Jackson, Vicksburg, and Chattahoochee formations, have been more or less completely penetrated 

in numerous well borings. On the McArthur plantation in Montgomery County (p. 346), for instance, the limestones were penetrated 

from 350 to 890 feet, and at Bainbridge, Decatur County, to a 

depth of 825 feet (p. 220). At Doctortown, Wayne County, limestones 

with interbedded layers of sand were penetrated from 465 to 1,470 

feet, but this thickness (1,005 feet) perhaps includes limestone beds 

referable to the Claiborne group, which underlies the Jackson formation. Similar limestones with' interbedded layers of sand were 

penetrated at Savannah in the wells at the municipal water-supply 

plant.from 250 to 500 feet.

StratigrapTiic position. The Jackson formation is the uppermost 

terrane of the Eocene of Georgia; stratigraphically it lies between the 

Claiborne group below and the Vicksburg formation above. The line 

of division between it and the Claiborne group has not been accurately determined, and it can not be stated with certainty whether or 

not deposition continued uninterruptedly from the one to the other, 

for the two formations are similar lithologically. According to the 

evidence of the fossils, beds referable to the Jackson formation occur 

near the mines of the Georgia Kaolin Co. in Twiggs County an 

occurrence explainable only by faulting or folding or by an overlap 

and erosion unconformity. Paleontologic evidence also indicates 

that an unconformity may exist between the two formations south 

of Perry in Houston County, though none has thus far been observed 

in surface outcrops.

In Mississippi the Claiborne and Jackson seem to be closely related. 

Crider 2 states that "even where the formations have been best

1 Report on the Coastal Plain of Alabama: Alabama Geol. Survey, p. 383,1894.

2 Crider, A. F., Geology and mineral resources of Mississippi: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 283, pp. 33,34,1906.

38418° WSP 341 15 6
82 TJlSrDERGROTJlSrD WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

studied there seems to be a gradation in both the fossils and the 

stratigraphy from the upper Claiborne to the lower Jackson." In 

Alabama the Jackson has not been described as a separate formation, 

and very little specific information as to its relations with the Claiborne has been published. From the description in Langdon's 

report* on the geology of the Coastal Plain of Alabama it is evident 

that the two are closely related lithologically and f aunally, and in 

sections where both are exposed no mention is made of unconf ormable 

relations.

Where the Jackson and the Vicksburg formations have been observed in the same section in Georgia there is no evidence of an 

unconformity or break in the vertical continuity of the strata.

The Jackson formation at Rich Hill, 5 miles southeast of Roberta, 

Crawford County, rests directly upon Lower Cretaceous strata, and 

the presence of marine deposits at this locality indicates that the 

formation originally extended as an overlap much farther northward 

than at present and suggests that it may have even transgressed upon 

the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau.

Lithologic character and thickness. The formation consists of white 

or cream-colored, massive-bedded limestones, thin beds of marl, and 

calcareous, glauconitic, and sandy laminated clays. The limestones 

are highly fossiliferous, in places consisting almost entirely of a friable 

mass of Bryozoa and shells. Southward from Perry there is a considerable thickness of loose red and yellow quartz sand and clay, the 

stratigraphic position of which has not yet been fixed, but which 

may belong in part to the Jackson formation. Silicification of the 

limestone was noted half a mile north of Bonaire and also south of 

Perry, Houston County.

The thickness of the Jackson formation in the area of outcrop can 

not be determined with accuracy, mainly on account of uncertainty 

as to the location of the line of division between it and the Claiborne 

group. About 75 feet of it is exposed at Rich Hill, and about the 

same amount south of Perry, not including the sands underlying the 

fossilif erous strata. At Americus, Sumter County, the thickness as 

shown by a well record is 157 feet. The buried representatives of the 

formation in south-central Georgia probably exceed 100 feet in thickness.

Paleontologic character. The limestones of the formation are 

highly fossilif erous, but the clays and sands are only sparingly so. As 

in Mississippi and Louisiana, the formation seems to mark the upper 

limit of Venericardm planicosta. In places Bryozoa make up the 

greater part of the rock, this being especially true of the occurrences 

at Rich Hill, Crawford County, at Ross Hill, 3| miles south of Perry, 

and at other localities. Of the 24 species which have been deteri Op. cit., pp. Ill, 128, 381, 383.
GEOLOGY. 83

mined from the Jackson formation in Georgia, only 6 are common 

to the overlying Vicksburg formation. The whalelike mammal, 

Zeuglodon (Basilosaurus), is a characteristic fossil of the Jackson, and 

some fragments of it have been found in Georgia. As in the Vicksburg 

formation, Pecten and Orbitoides are abundant; Pecten perplanus, 

Pecten nuperus, and Orbitoides mantelli appear in both formations.

Physiographic expression. The limestone member of the formation has produced a prominent scarp on the south side of Indian and 

Mill creeks in Houston County. Rich Hill, in Crawford County, is a 

conspicuous topographic feature, owing to the fact that the limestones and clays of the formation resisted erosion better than the 

Cretaceous sands and clays. A few lime sinks occur north of Bonaire.

Structure. The formation dips gently southeastward. Visual evidence of folding was not noted in field work, but either a fold or fault 

in the strata or an erosion unconformity between the Jackson formation and the Claiborne group must be assumed to explain the position of the McBean formation at a level stratigraphically higher than 

the Jackson 4J miles south of Perry.

OLIGOCENE SERIES. 

VICKSBURG FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The Vicksburg formation outcrops over a large 

area in the western part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, including 

parts or all of the counties of Sumter, Lee, Terrell, Webster, Randolph, Clay, Early, Calhoun, Dougherty, Baker, Mitchell, Miller, and 

Decatur. Areas of outcrop also occur in Crisp, Dooly, Houston, 

Pulaski, Twiggs, and Laurens counties. Eastward from Oconee 

River the formation has been largely concealed by later formations, 

and only small areas of it are known in Screven and Burke counties. 

With the exception of the undifferentiated and the Pleistocene surficial deposits, the area over which the Vicksburg is the surface formation is greater than that of any other formation of the Coastal Plain.

The formation has been recognized in well borings, on paleontologic evidence, southeast and south of the areas of outcrop at Claxton, Tattnall County, between the depths 365 and 550 feet (see log, 

p. 404); at Waycross, Ware County, between the depths 415 and 691 

feet (see log, pp. 438-439); at Kingsland, Camden County, between 

the depths 450 and 482 feet (see p. 178); and at Valdosta, Lowndes 

County, between the depths 400 and 480 feet (see log, pp. 318-319).

StratigrapMc position. The Vicksburg formation, which is classified as Oligocene, occupies a stratigraphic position between the 

Jackson formation (Eocene) below and the Chattahoochee formation 

above. Contacts with the Jackson formation were seen in Houston 

and Pulaski counties, where there seems to be no physical break 

between the two divisions.
84 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

West of Flint River the Vicksburg overlaps northward to the belts 

of outcrop cf the Midway and Wilcox formations and has largely 

obscured the Claiborne group and the Jackson formation. Unconformable contacts with the Claiborne group, the Jackson apparently 

missing, were noted near Fort Gaines, Cuthbert, Shellman, and Andersonville.

Unconformable contacts between the Vicksburg formation and the 

overlying Chattahoochee formation have been observed in the vicinity of Bainbridge, Decatur County, by Pumpelly 1 and Vaughan.2 

(See Chattahoochee formation, pp. 86-89.) Northward from Decatur County, in the escarpment on the east side of Flint River, the 

upper part of the formation has been so much obscured by weathering that its relations to the overlying Chattahoochee formation can 

not be observed. Eastward in Dooly, Pulaski, Laurens, Burke, and 

Screven counties, and in other counties along the northern margin of 

the formation, the Vicksburg formation is overlapped and partly 

obscured by the Alum Bluff formation and by later deposits, so that 

here also its relation to the Chattahoochee formation can not be 

observed.

Liihologic character. The formation is made up principally of 

limestones but also contains beds of sand and clay. The limestones 

have been extensively silicified and in many places do not appear 

at the surface, but are concealed by varicolored, very coarse grained, 

sandy clays, probably residual, in which residual flint fragments are 

embedded.

The limestones are generally white or cream-colored, soft, earthy, 

and very abundantly fossilif erous. In places flat, disklike Orbitoides, 

Bryozoa, and Pec tens and their fragments form nearly the whole of 

the rock. Along Flint River the rock has a characteristic vesicular 

or pitted appearance due to solution, and its bluffs are marked by 

cavelike recesses which give it a rough, jagged appearance. (See PL 

XI, B, p. 78.) Bedding and joint planes are almost entirely absent. 

At a few localities the limestones are hard, white, and crystalline, 

and are sufficiently pure for use in the manufacture of lime. The 

softer rocks contain various percentages of silica and clay; the silica 

is generally not in the form of quartz grains but has been introduced 

in solution in circulating waters, replacing the limestone.

The limestones have been extensively silicified and the formation 

in many places consists of flint fragments and large siliceous bowlders 

in residual sands and clay; at no place, however, does the flint appear 

in continuous, solid, or undisturbed beds.

The flint is either porous and tripoli-like, or brittle, compact, and 

translucent, having been converted into jasper and chalcedony.

1 Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 46, pp. 445-447,1893.

2 Science, new ser., vol. 12, pp. 873-875,1900.
GEOLOGY. 85

The white porous flint is prominent wherever the Vicksburg is the 

underlying formation. The white or cream color is due to the 

porous condition of the rock, the silica of which, when examined 

under the microscope, is seen to be in translucent grains, probably 

chalcedony. These flint rocks are in many places as fossiliferous as 

the limestones and are evidently replacements of the soft, porous limestones of the Vicksburg formation. The alteration in most places has 

been complete, the rock rarely showing effervescence with acids.

Some of the flint is dense, compact, vitreous or brittle, and either 

translucent or red, yellow, or brown. This variety shows fewer traces 

of fossils than the porous flint, but it is probably a replacement of the 

limestones, though jasper in the form of nodules in the limestones, 

apparently produced by the segregation of silica and not by replacement, has been observed at Albany.

Large bowlders of flint, picturesquely heaped, appear along Flint 

River from Albany to Bainbridge. The bowlders are characteristically vesicular and contain spherical cavities an inch or more in 

diameter, which appear to have been originally occupied by echinoids 

and which often contain a spongy, skeleton-like kernel of silica in 

place of the calcareous test.

The Vicksburg formation is deeply weathered, the weathered product appearing at the surface as deep-red argillaceous sands, containing 

scattered flint fragments and black and brown iron oxide accretions 

about the size of buckshot. In old railway and road cuts where the 

sands have been exposed for a long time they have become slightly 

cemented by iron oxide and crack into polygonal figures. At a number of places the residual clays and sands present a mottled appearance not unlike that of the late Oligocene beds. The freshly exposed 

residue of decomposition and solution is a highly siliceous bluish or 

gray tenacious clay.

Beds of sand which probably belong to the Vicksburg formation 

have been reported in a number of wells. In a cut on the Central of 

Georgia Railway half a mile east of Dawson two beds of varicolored 

sand, which do not appear to be residual, are associated with residual 

flint and clay.

Thickness. The thickness of the formation can not be determined 

from natural exposures. A well boring at Lela, Decatur County (see 

log, p. 222), penetrated 400 feet of Vicksburg strata. Along the 

northern margin of the outcrop in Clay, Randolph, Webster, and 

Sumter counties the thickness is less than 100 feet. Spencer 1 estimated the thickness at Bainbridge to be 500 feet, but he probably 

included strata that should have been referred to older Eocene formations. The formation also appears in Burke and Screven counties,

i Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 56,1890-91.
86 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

where the thickness probably does not exceed that in the western part 

of the State.

Paleontologic character. The formation is highly fossiliferous, the 

most abundant forms being Foraminifera and Bryozoa. The flat, 

disklike foraminifer, Orbitoides, which varies from a quarter of an 

inch to 2 inches in diameter, is so common that the formation was 

formerly called the Orbitoidal limestone. The fauna of the Vicksburg formation possesses certain distinctive characteristics, although 

some of the common Vicksburg forms, such as Orbitoides and Pecten 

perplanus are also found in the underlying Jackson formation. 

Amusium ocalanum is a characteristic fossil. Venericardia planicosta, 

which ranges up into the underlying Jackson formation, has not been 

found in the Vicksburg formation. Common Vicksburg fossils are 

Orbitoides mantelli, 0. papyracea, Nummulites wilcoxi, Glycymeris arctatus, Pecten poulsoni, P. perplanus, Amusium ocalanum, and Cyiherea 

sobrina.

Physiographic expression. The formation has exerted a notable 

effect on the topography. In general, surface areas underlain by 

it are more nearly level than those of the other older formations of 

the Coastal Plain. Underground solution has been extensive and the 

plains are dotted with lime sinks and with ponds which range from 

shallow circular depressions not more than 50 feet across to lakes 

occupying several hundred acres. The region is also characterized 

by a scarcity of small surface streams, much of the drainage being 

underground by way of the sinks.

Structure. The beds are almost horizontal but dip slightly southeastward at probably not more than 8 feet to the mile less than the 

dip of the underlying strata as estimated from the supposed base 

of the formation at Americus and Cuthbert and the supposed base at 

Albany as determined from the record of an artesian well. No flexures or faulting have been observed, though some may be revealed by 

detailed geologic work, for it is certain that the Coastal Plain has 

undergone oscillations subsequent to the deposition of the Vicksburg 

formation.

APALACHIOOLA GROUP.

The Apalachicola group in Georgia includes the Chattahooch.ee and 

Alum Bluff formations.

CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION.

Areal distribution. The Chattahooch.ee formation appears at the 

surface in relatively small areas, being largely concealed by the 

overlying Alum Bluff and later formations. Good exposures occur 

along Flint River and in lime sinks near Recovery in Decatur County; 

and strata belonging to the formation were noted by Langdon1 on

i Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 38, p. 324,1889.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XII

A. LIMESTONE OF THE CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION ON THE LEFT BANK OF WITHLACOOCHEE 

RIVER AT NEW BRIDGE (OR HORN BRIDGE) 3 MILES BELOW THE CROSSING OF THE VALDOSTA 

SOUTHERN RAILWAY. LOWNDES COUNTY.

E. ALUM BLUFF FORMATION ABOVE GRADYS (GRAYS?) LANDING, ALTAMAHA RIVER, TOOMBS

COUNTY.

The materials are sands, clays, and sandy fuller's earth.

GEOLOGY. 87

Chattahoochee River, 9 miles above River Junction, Fla. The 

formation appears at Forest Falls and other lime sinks in the northern 

part of Grady County, in the vicinity of Metcalf and Thomasville, 

Thomas County, and in the beds and bluffs of Withlacoochee and 

Alapaha rivers near the Georgia-Florida line. (See PL XII, A.) 

On Ocmulgee River near Abbeville and near Hawkinsville the formation is believed to be represented by fragmentary beds and by residual 

flint masses containing corals. Limestone, which outcrops near 

Jacksonboro on Briar Creek in Screven County, has been correlated 

by Vaughan with the Chattahoochee formation. Limestone, which 

outcrops in a small area northwest of Millen, Jenkins County, is 

provisionally considered as a part of the same formation; but the 

evidence for this classification is admittedly very meager. Limestone 

of the Chattahoochee formation has been discovered near Cordele, 

Crisp County, and limestone probably belonging to it outcrops 7 

miles northwest of Sylvester. Strata of this formation are believed 

to outcrop in the escarpment east of Flint River from Crisp County. 

to Decatur County but are largely obscured by weathering.

Buried representatives of the formation are believed to underlie 

nearly all the Coastal Plain of Georgia southeast and south of the 

areas of outcrop. The formation has been recognized on paleontologic 

evidence in a well boring at Tarboro, Camden County, between the 

depths 375 and 400 feet. (See p. 178.)

StratigrapMc position. Pumpelly 1 and Vaughan 2 have recognized 

an erosion unconformity between the Chattahoochee and the underlying limestone of the Vicksburg formation in Decatur County. At 

Blue Springs, on Flint River 4 miles south of Bainbridge, both formations are present, but the contact between the two is much obscured 

by the weathering of both the Vicksburg and the Chattahoochee.

At Red Bluff, 7 miles north of Bainbridge, a contact similar to that 

at Blue Springs is exposed. The Chattahoochee formation appears 

as fragments of flint in residual sandy clay, and the weathered limestone of the Vicksburg formation appears at the base of the bluff. 

There is evidence of an erosion unconformity at this locality, and also 

at the bluff back of the old factory about 2 miles above Bainbridge. 

However, at Forest Falls, 8 miles northwest of Whigham, no unconformities were "observed in a section the base of which, according to 

paleontologic evidence, is referable to the Vicksburg formation, and 

successively higher portions of which, on similar, evidence, belong to 

the Chattahoochee and Alum Bluff formations.

Sedimentation was probably continuous from the beginning of 

Chattahoochee time to the end of Alum Bluff time, for no evidence of 

an erosion interval separating the two formations has been observed

1 Am. Jour. Sci., 3d ser., vol. 46, pp. 445-447,1893.

2 Science, new ser., vol. 12, pp. 873-875,1900.
88 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

in the field. McCallie,1 however, has noted an unconformity at the 

old Toy phosphate pit, 3J miles west of Boston; but whether this is 

due to erosion or to solution and irregular weathering of the limestone 

has not been determined. When this locality was visited by the 

authors the relations of the clay to the limestone had become obscured 

by the de'bris filling the pits.

Lithologic character. The Chattahoochee formation is in general 

calcareous and varies from compact, pure, crystalline limestones to 

earthy argillaceous limestones and calcareous sands and sandstones. 

Compact, gray, drab, or white fossiliferous limestones make up the 

bulk of the formation. A brecciated or conglomeratic structure is 

characteristic of some of the beds, the phenomenon being observed 

at nearly all localities where there are good exposures. These conglomerate beds do not seem to be confined to a particular horizon, and 

their origin and significance are not well understood. Both the 

matrix and the angular or rounded fragments are limestone. Some 

beds appear to be pseudoconglomerates, and consist of a limestone 

matrix containing fossil echinoids whose structure has been partly 

obliterated, giving them the appearance of water-worn fragments. 

The rock is phosphatic at a number of places, containing brown or 

black rounded pebbles of phosphate or fragments of bones and teeth. 

The limestones at the base of the formation have been replaced by 

silica at several localities and at others are represented by fragmental beds of flint containing corals and other fossils in a matrix 

of residual clay. The flint closely resembles that of the underlying 

Vicksburg formation and can not everywhere be easily distinguished 

from it.

Thickness. In the gorge northwest of Faceville, Decatur County, 

the Chattahoochee formation has a probable total thickness of 100 

feet. At Forest Falls, or Limesink, in the northern part of Grady 

County, it has an exposed thickness of 60 or 65 feet. No very reliable 

data are at hand for estimating its total thickness to the east and 

northeast, under cover of later formations; but its maximum probably 

does not exceed 250 feet.

Paleontologic character. Though no abrupt faunal break occurs 

between the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations and though 

some fossils are common to both, the two formations "show marked 

differences. The base of the Chattahoochee contains a rich coral 

fauna which, in the vicinity of Bainbridge, has been studied by 

T. W. Vaughan.2 He estimated that in a coral reef 4 miles south 

of Bainbridge there were between 25 and 30 species of corals, and he 

correlated the beds with the Oligocene of Antigua. The characteristic Vicksburg species Amusium ocalanum does not appear, and,

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 5-A, p. 62,1896.

2 Science, new ser., vol. 12, pp. 87»-875,1900.
GEOLOGY. 89

though the genus Orbitoides is common to both the Vicksburg and 

Chattahoochee formations, most of the Chattahoochee species are 

different from those of the Vicksburg. Orbitolites complanata occurs 

in the Chattahoochee formation, but has not been found in the 

Vicksburg. Orfhaulax pugnax, a gastropod common in the Tampa 

formation of Florida, has been found at two localities.

Physiography expression. In portions of Decatur, Grady, Thomas, 

Brooks, and Lowndes counties, where the Chattahoochee formation 

lies near the surface, the topography is a little more hilly and rugged 

than in other parts of southern Georgia. Lime sinks, lakes, and 

ponds due to the underground solution and consequent caving in 

of the limestones of the formation are notable features of the topography.

Structure. The formation is tilted slightly southward and southeastward. The dip

sea level at Forest

is low, probably not over 8 feet to the mile.

The top of the formation is estimated to be about 225 feet above

Falls or Limesink, and about 200 feet above

sea level near Faceiville, approximately 24 miles to the southwest. 

At Red Bluff, 7 m|les north of Bainbridge on Flint River, where 

Vaughan has detehnined paleontologically the presence of the 

Chattahoochee, its pase can hardly be more than 20 feet above the 

river, and at Blue Spring, 4 miles below Bainbridge, is about 10 

feet above the river. This indicates a very low dip.

Local dislocation's of beds, due to underground solution and 

consequent sinking! have been observed in Thomas and Decatur 

counties.

ALUM BLUFF FORMATION.

Areal distribution\ The Alum Bluff formation outcrops in southern 

and south-central Greorgia throughout a large area extending from 

Decatur County northeastward to Savannah River. The limit of 

the deposits of the jAlum Bluff as they exist to-day is approximately 

marked on the north by Waynesboro, Tennille, and Vienna; on the 

west by the west-fkcing escarpment which separates the Altamaha 

upland from the Flint River valley; and on the east by a line extending from Savannaty River near the mouth of Buck Creek through 

Sylvania, Reidsvillje, and Blackshear to the western edge of Okefenokee Swamp.

The formation inpludes typical marine invertebrate-bearing gravels 

sands, clays, and marls and irregularly bedded nonfossiliferous 

sands, gravels, and clays. All the deposits are of shallow-water 

origin. The uppeif part of the formation is usually coarser grained 

than the lower, pebbles occur in its upper part just below the 

Miocene contact at Porters Landing on Savannah River, where it 

contains abundant marine fossils.
90 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The first comprehensive description of the physiographic aspect 

and lithologic character of the formation as exposed in Georgia was 

published by R. H. Loughridge,1 who correlated it with the "Grand 

Gulf sandstcwies" of the Gulf States. His description is as follows:

Included between the Savannah River and the Atlantic and Gulf water divide 

there seems to have been once formed a large shallow basin, which is now filled with 

a sandstone composed for the most part of coarse angular grit and clay, partly cemented 

with silica and resembling in character the Grand Gulf sandstone of the Gulf States. 

The area is marked on the map by the deep-green color of the pine barrens region, 

whose soils overlie the formation. The rocks have a slight dip to the southeast and 

have been traced by Capt. M. T. Singleton (now of the United States Engineer Corps, 

engaged in river improvement) for 60 miles along Oconee River, and he estimates the 

thickness to be 200 feet. Outcrops-have been observed in Irwin, Dodge, Ware, and 

other counties. Paramore's hill, in the western part of Screven County, is of this 

sandstone, which here has a thickness of 50 feet or more. Its grains of quartz are 

partly clear and translucent and partly white and opaque and the rock is highly 

aluminous.

The southern limit of the sandstone is apparently at the edge of the second terrace, 

near the coast and along Satilla River north of Okefenokee Swamp, but the formation 

(represented by blue clays underlying the sandy lands) extends probably still southward, including in its area the country near the Florida line between Alapaha River 

east to the ridge on the eastern side of the swamp a part of the main Atlantic and 

Gulf water divide of the State.

The name "Altamaha grit" was proposed for the same deposits 

in 1892 by Ball,2 who regarded the typical beds along the Altamaha 

River as contemporaneous in a general way with the older Miocene, 

which was later classified by the same author and others as upper 

Oligocene. He says, regarding the deposits:

Though the contact with the oyster-bearing Hawthorne beds of House Creek was 

not observed by Mr. Burns, there can be little doubt that the latter are overlain by 

the grit where they join, and that the grits which contain no fossils except a little 

silicified wood are consequently of Miocene age. Seaward from them marine Miocene beds of the Chesapeake series were doubtless laid down, since Conrad records 

the washing up on St. Simons Island of a specimen of Ecphora.

He also states:

* * * The last bluff of the grit is only a few rods above the bridge across the 

Altamaha River at Doctortown, the piers of the bridge resting upon a newer formation. [This bed is Chesapeake Miocene.]

"The oyster-bearing Hawthorne beds of House Creek" also belong 

to the Alum Bluff formation and are not stratigraphically separable 

from the Altamaha grit of Ball.

Harper 3 in 1906 and Veatch 4 in 1908 correlated the same deposits with the Pliocene. Harper reiterated the correlation of the 

Altamaha with the "Grand Gulf" of the Gulf States. Veatch and

1 Loughridge, R. H., Cotton production of the State of Georgia: Tenth Census, vol. 6, Georgia, pp. 15, 

16 (281, 282 at bottom of page), 1884.

2 Ball, W. H., U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 84, p. 82,1892.

s Harper, R. M., New York Acad. Sci. Annals, vol. 17, pt. 1, p. 18,1906.

* Veatch, Otto, Science, new ser., voL 27, pp. 71-74,1908.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XIII

ALUM BLUFF FORMATION, MARKS HEAD MARL, AND DUPLIN MARL, PORTERS LANDING, SAVANNAH RIVER, EFFINGHAM COUNTY.

Photograph by S, W. McCallie,
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XIV

A. QUARTZtTE OF THE ALUM BLUFF FORMATION IN THE FIRST CUT OF THE SOUTHERN 

RAILWAY SOUTHEAST OF THE BRIDGE OVER OCMULGEE RIVER IN JEFF DAVIS COUNTY.

B. LOWER SISTERS BLUFF, ALTAMAHA RIVER, APPLING COUNTY, SHOWING SANDS AND CLAYS 

OF THE ALUM BLUFF FORMATION.
GEOLOGY. 91

Stephenson 1 in 1911 questionably referred the formation to the Pliocene, although they recognized that the term Altamaha formation, as 

used by them, and also as previously used by Harper and by Veatch, 

included strata ranging in age from Oligocene to Pleistocene.

The investigations of recent years have led to the conclusion that 

the bulk of the deposits included by Harper, Veatch, and Stephenson 

in the Altamaha formation are of Oligocene age and are probably 

contemporaneous with a part of the Alum Bluff formation.

Marine fossils are rare in most of the exposures of the Alum Bluff 

formation, but they have been found in Decatur, Grady, Thomas, 

Lowndes, Echols, Wilcox, and Effingham counties. Excellent exposures appear in the bluffs of Ocmulgee and Altamaha rivers from near 

Abbeville to Doctortown. (See PI. XII, B, p. 86; PI. XIII, and PI. 

XIV, A and B.}

Except along streams, along escarpments near streams, and near 

the Florida line, the entire area underlain by the Alum Bluff formation is mapped as "Undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive." The inland boundary of the formation has not been accurately ascertained, nor has the boundary between it and the Miocene 

been definitely traced; however, it is probable that the Alum Bluff 

is the immediately subsurficial or the surficial formation westward 

from a line passing through Rocky Ford and Waycross to somewhat 

beyond the inland margin of the Chattahooch.ee formation, as there is 

considerable evidence in favor of the latter formation being overlapped by the former. There is discrepancy in the treatment of the 

area underlain by the Alum Bluff as compared with that of the areas 

underlain in the Coastal Plain by older Tertiary formations, for that 

underlain by it is represented as covered by undifferentiated deposits 

ranging in age from Oligocene to Pleistocene, whereas in the areas of 

the other formations account is not taken of Pleistocene deposits 

along stream valleys and of what are perhaps overwash deposits 

associated with stages in drainage development. Consistent treatment of the Alum Bluff formation would have led to omitting the 

color representing "undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene" over 

the area the surface of which it is indicated as underlying. This 

inconsistency is mostly to be attributed to the present incomplete 

knowledge of its inland and seaward boundaries.

StratigrapTiic position. The Alum Bluff formation conformably 

overlies the Chattahoochee formation, and the exact boundary between the two is in places drawn arbitrarily, for there is neither 

abrupt lithologic nor faunal change from the one to the other. There 

are in places apparent unconformities due to solution and weathering 

of the limestone of the Chattahoochee near the contact. On Savannah and Altamaha rivers the Alum Bluff formation is separated from

i Georgia Geol. Survey BulL 26, pp. 400-423,1911.
92 UNDEEGEOU]SrD WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

the overlying Miocene by an erosion unconformity, probably of minor 

importance. Throughout the greater part of the area underlain by 

the Alum Bluff formation its weathered products, in places perhaps 

overlain by more recent deposits, are believed to form the surface 

material; but in southeastern Georgia it is overlain by lithologically 

similar undifferentiated deposits, ranging in age from Miocene to 

Pleistocene. Owing to the lithologic similarity of the materials 

forming or overlying the surface of the Alum Bluff no attempt has 

been made to differentiate them on the map, their discrimination 

being left for future work.

In narrow areas along all the larger streams the Alum Bluff formation is overlain by thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age.

Lithologic character. The Alum Bluff formation appears in a number of different lithologic phases, including subordinate beds of pebbles, coarse angular sands, coarse-grained aluminous sandstones or 

grits, sandy clays, fuller's earths, phosphatic sands, quartzites, sandstones, silicified clays, and limestones or calcareous layers and nodules of local extent. Greenish or gray argillaceous sands and sandy 

laminated clays form the greater part of the formation.

Beds of fuller's earth occur in the formation both in Georgia and 

in Florida. The fuller's earth is generally a gray or drab, faintly 

laminated, claylike earth of low specific gravity. The earth is generally rather hard and brittle and in many places has been so silicified that it is very hard and rocklike and has lost its characteristic 

properties. Segregations of silica in the form of small, round, or 

flattened nodules are characteristic. The fuller's earth beds do not 

attain great thickness and are not persistent over large areas, but 

appear to be local phases in sands and sandy clays. Greenish and 

drab sticky plastic clays and argillaceous sands are associated with 

the fuller's earth.

Phosphatic sands on Alapaha and Suwannee rivers are believed to 

lie directly above the Chattahoochee formation. Sands of the Alum 

Bluff formation on Savannah River are also slightly phosphatic. 

These sands are generally unconsolidated or only slightly indurated. 

In places they are coarse grained and even contain small pebbles, 

and in many places they are cross-bedded. They consist largely of 

quartz, the phosphate content being in the form of small brown or 

black slick nodules or water-worn pieces of bones and teeth, varying in size from a pinhead to three-fourths of an inch in diameter. 

A little clay is generally present. The sands, in a number of places, 

are calcareous and contain calcareous phosphatic nodules. A chemical analysis by Edgar Everhart, former chemist of the Geological 

Survey of Georgia, of a sample of sand from Suwannee River 9 miles 

below Fargo showed 16.8 per cent of phosphoric acid (P2O6).
GEOLOGY. 93

The clay and fuller's earth phases of the formation have in places 

been silicified to such an extent that they have been converted into 

very hard clay stones, and the argillaceous sands have become dense, 

vitreous, and brittle quartzites. The clay breccias and conglomerates have likewise been silicified. In fact, alteration of the rocks by 

silica carried in solution by circulating waters has taken place in some 

degree throughout the greater part of the formation. Opal and agate 

occur in places as a result of this silicification.

Samples of the silicified clays from Withlacoochee River, 7 miles 

east of Quitman, were examined in the laboratory. They vary from 

bluish to light-greenish and dove color, are hard, brittle, and break 

with a conchoidal fracture, and are dense and compact, with cracks 

filled with opaline silica. Some of these rocks are slightly phosphatic. 

Some phases, which might be termed " opalized clay conglomerates'' or 

" breccias," originally consisted of pebbles or angular fragments of clay 

in a matrix of very sandy lighter-colored clay or argillaceous sand 

that in places contains oyster shells. By the infiltration of opaline 

silica, the rock has become dense, compact, and in many places vitreous or glassy to such an extent that the sand grains are no longer 

recognizable. The clay is about 3 in the scale of hardness and it 

requires a strong blow with the hammer to break it. The oyster 

shells have become opalized and agatized, the lime having been 

replaced by silica.

In Grady, Brooks, and Thomas counties thin beds of white sandstone, usually soft, are associated with sandy clays and are often 

phosphatic, the phosphate being in part the cementing agent.

Thickness. The maximum thickness of the Alum Bluff formation 

in Georgia is estimated to be 150 to 200 feet. At no known locality 

can the full thickness of the formation be seen in natural exposure, 

and the estimate is based chiefly on well records. Eecords at Lumber 

City, in Telfair County, indicate a thickness of over 200 feet. Some 

of tiie natural exposures on Savannah River reveal a thickness of 70 

or 80 feet.

Paleontologic character. A few fossils have been found in the marine beds of the formation in Georgia, most of them being in the form 

of casts and impressions. T. W. Vaughan obtained a number of species, in the vicinity of Bainbridge, and a well-preserved oyster, Ostrea 

mauricensis, is found at several localities. The formation seems to 

mark the disappearance of the species of Orbitoides which are so 

common in the Vicksburg and Chattahoochee formations Among 

the characteristic fossils are TurriteUa alcida Da'11, Carolia, and Pecten 

madisonius var. sayanus Dall.

Physiographic expression. The area over which the Alum Bluff 

formation is represented on the map as being at the immediate surface is relatively small, although in the southeastern part of Decatur
94 ITNDEEGBOUND WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

and in the southern parts of Grady, Thomas, Brooks, and Lowndes 

counties a relatively broken and hilly topography has been produced 

by its erosion and weathering. This erosion is due chiefly to the character of the drainage and the structural features.

The higher divides and uplands underlain by the formation and 

mapped as " undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive," 

present a peculiar topography. Part of this area constitutes the 

Altamaha upland, one of the major topographic divisions of the 

Coastal Plain of Georgia (pp. 32-34), an area of low hills with gentle 

slopes and softened outlines, of shallow saucer-shaped valleys, many 

of which are not more than 40 or 50 feet deep, of sluggish clear-water 

streams bordered by swamps and sand hammocks, and of "bays" 

and cypress ponds.

Altamaha and Oconee rivers have cut deep valleys, and the precipitous bluffs along their courses form an exception to the general 

type of topography of the area. The low hills and gentle slopes of 

the main area present a notable contrast to the broken hilly areas 

of the Cretaceous and Eocene near the fall line, with the lime-sink 

topography to the west and southwest, and with the flat sand-coated 

plains to the southeast.

Structure. The Alum Bluff formation has a very low southward 

and southeastward dip, certainly much less than that of the older 

Eocene and Vicksburg formations. On Savannah River the dip does 

not exceed 4 or 5 feet to the mile, and near the Florida line the beds 

must be almost horizontal, for the streams have cut through them, 

exposing the underlying formations. No evidence of broad flexures 

nor even minor folding and faulting was observed in the natural exposures of the strata. However, the probability that a broad arch 

exists in the southern part of the State has been mentioned. (See 

p. 59.)

UNDIFFEEENTIATED OLIGOCENE TO PLEISTOCENE, JNCLUSIVE.

The materials designated " Undiff erentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive," on the geologic map have been partly discussed under 

Alum Bluff formation (p. 91), and under Miocene series (pp. 97-98).

The bulk of the deposits previously included by the writers and by 

others in the Altamaha formation and referred questionably to-the 

Pliocene are now regarded by them as Oligocene and as probably contemporaneous with part of the Alum Bluff formation. (See p. 91.) 

This material consists of irregularly bedded, locally indurated sands, 

clays, and gravels. On the whole the individual beds are homogeneous, but locally they are a heterogeneous mixture. The indurated 

sands and the conglomerates, contain a peculiar greenish or greenishgray disseminated clay and are described as "gray or greenish aluminous grits." 4The pebbles are predominantly subangular, many of
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XV

A. GREENISH-GRAY ARGILLACEOUS FELDSPATHIC SANDSTONE OF THE ALUM BLUFF FORMATION, KNOWN AS "THE ROCKS," NEAR THE HEAD OF A SMALL BRANCH 8 OR 9 MILES 

EAST OF NORTH OF BROXTON, COFFEE COUNTY.

B. WEATHERED PHASE OF LATE OLIGOCENE BEDS IN A CUT OF THE ATLANTIC COAST LINE 

RAILROAD WEST OF CAIRO, GRADY COUNTY, SHOWING CHARACTERISTIC MOTTLING.

GEOLOGY. 95

them lath shaped, and the sands are universally harsh or in sharp 

angular grains. Feldspar is present in great abundance, both as 

pebbles and as semidecomposed disseminated grains, and phases of 

the deposits may be appropriately described as "feldspathic grit." 

Calcareous phases are totally absent. The weathered surface materials are mottled and splotched in red, yellow, purple, and gray, the 

surface aspects differing in this respect from those of any other 

formation of the Coastal Plain. (See PL XV, B.) These striking 

effects are probably due to unequal weathering, oxidation, and unequal distribution of iron materials. This peculiar surface phase is 

not a later deposition but results from weathering, although in many 

places it appears to overlie unaltered beds unconformably. The 

materials are very coarse grained, even at points 100 miles from their 

northern margin. The beds that have been locally indurated to sandstones, conglomerates, and claystones, do not differ essentially in composition from the nonindurated materials.

The grit and sandstone phases, the peculiar nature of which attracted the special attention of those who first studied the terrane, are 

typically exposed along Altamaha Kiver (PL XIV, B, p. 91), where 

they appear as gray or greenish, aluminous sandstones, more or less. 

mottled and stained by iron oxide. At some localities pebbles are 

embedded in the sand and clay matrix and the whole cemented into 

a conglomerate; but except for the pebbles these beds do not appear 

different from the usual sandstones of the Alum Bluff formation. 

The percentage of clay in the indurated rock varies from 5 per cent 

to a percentage sufficiently high to render the rock an indurated clay 

rather than a sandstone. The sandstones are generally soft and 

friable, the cementing material being an opaline silica, but locally the 

rock is extremely hard. In places the sandstones are arkosic; that 

is, they are composed of quartz, feldspar, mica, and other minerals 

originally derived from igneous rocks and have their interstices 

filled with clay, the whole being cemented with silica, producing 

rocks not unlike some of the indurated phases of the Lower Cretaceous 

strata near the fall line. These lithologic peculiarities have been 

observed at widely separated localities and are everywhere easily 

identified, although entirely devoid of fossils. Except along Altamaha River, surface outcrops are not abundant. In the interstream 

areas there are some small tracts a few acres in extent, in which juiting beds of sandstone 15 or 20 feet thick form barren rocky flats. 

Exposures of grit or hard rock are most common in the northern 

part of the Altamaha upland (see PL XV, A) but are not observed 

near the coast or near the Florida boundary line. It is believed that 

these isolated exposures are local indurations only and do not form 

continuous sandstone beds.
96 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The clays, which are similar to those of the Alum Bluff formation, 

are fairly uniform in texture and composition throughout the area 

of their occurrence. They are greenish or drab, very fine grained 

and plastic, and are everywhere more or less sandy. They have a low 

specific gravity, absorb a high percentage of water, and occur in 

thick irregular pockets or thin lenticular layers, nowhere persisting 

as individual beds over any large area. In places they grade into or 

are abruptly replaced by sands and sandstones. Greenish clay, full of 

coarse angular quartz particles and subangular decomposed feldspar 

pebbles is common. The clays are locally indurated, the cementing 

material being opaline silica.

The sands consist chiefly of coarse quartz grains and are red and 

yellow, or orange, or less commonly brownish in color. They are 

more or less argillaceous and locally contain layers or lenses, rarely 

more than 8 or 10 feet thick, of quartz and feldspar pebbles. The 

feldspar pebbles constitute a large percentage of the gravel layers. 

A characteristic of the pebbles is their angularity, some being lath 

shaped and showing scarcely any rounding of the angles. At a few 

localities the pebbles are rather large, attaining a diameter of 4 to 5 

.inches. The pebbly feature is nowhere very prominent and is exceptional rather than general. Where the pebble beds are indurated, 

the cementing material is clay, opaline silica, and iron oxide. In the 

southwestern part of the State, near Whigham, in Grady County, the 

sands are, in places, fine grained, cross-bedded, and rarely micaceous, 

and are interstratified with thin layers and leaves of plastic clay 

which do not exceed an inch in thickness.

In the northern part of the region the sands are everywhere coarse. 

It is only near the Florida State line that they are fine grained and 

even here they contain some coarse-grained materials. They are 

nowhere pure, and they contain large amounts of disseminated clay.

The sands, clays, and sandstones, although described separately 

in the foregoing paragraphs, do not form beds of more than local 

extent. Irregularity of bedding is characteristic and in many of the 

exposed sections the sands, .clays, and sandstones are present in 

interlocking small lenses or merge abruptly into each other horizontally. In places the sands and gritty clays may be seen to grade 

horizontally from nonindurated to indurated rocks, or from soft 

sands and clays into grits.

Brown iron-oxide "pebbles" or nodules are so abundant at many 

places as to warrant special mention. They occur throughout 

the wire-grass region in such quantity as to cause the lands to be 

termed "pebble" or "pimple" land in contrast to the lands covered 

by the residual gray sand alone. Pebble land is generally recognized 

as being superior in productiveness. These nodules are a surface 

phenomenon produced by weathering, which causes the iron oxide
GEOLOGY. 97

of the argillaceous sands to segregate into irregular small bodies 

which are subsequently worn smooth. The pebbles vary in size 

from buckshot to 10 inches in diameter, but the buckshot size is 

most common. They are composed of limonite or some closely allied iron mineral with clay and sand impurities. They are round, 

tubercular, or irregular in shape, and have a slick or water-worn 

appearance, but as there is not much evidence of their having been 

transported by water their smoothness may be due to attrition by 

raindrops. These pebbles were noted as being especially abundant 

at Stillmore, Fitzgerald, Douglas, Pelham, and Doerun.

The age of most of this material west of a line from Rocky Ford 

to Way cross is believed to be upper Oligocene. East of that line 

it probably ranges in age from Miocene to Pleistocene.

MIOCENE SEEIES. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

In earlier geologic literature the Chattahoochee and Alum Bluff 

formations were referred to the Miocene. In fact all the beds between 

the Vicksburg and the Pliocene or Pleistocene in fhe south Atlantic 

and eastern Gulf regions were regarded as belonging to this series. 

However, W. H. Dall recognized an "old or subtropical Miocene" 

and a "new or Chesapeake Miocene." Later 1 he referred the 

so-called "old Miocene" to the Oligocene. The Miocene as treated 

in this report includes only the deposits formerly designated "new 

or Chesapeake Miocene," which lie between the Alum Bluff formation and the Pliocene on Pleistocene deposits.

T. W. Vaughan 2 has recently made a paledntologic study of the 

section at Porters Landing, Savannah River, Effingham County, 

and has correlated the upper part of the Miocene there exposed 

(=Edisto phase of Sloan 3 ) with the Duplin marl of North Carolina, 

and the lower part (Marks Head of Sloan) approximately with the 

Calvert formation of Maryland.

Except in the exposures in the vicinity of Porters Landing, at 

Mount Pleasant Landing, and at Sisters Ferry, it has not been possible 

with the available data to differentiate the Marts Head and Duplin 

marls in the Savannah River sections, though doubtless both formations are represented, at least from Hudsons Ferry in Screven 

County to Sisters Ferry in Effingham County.

Fossils of Miocene age have been recognized in dredgings from 

Brunswick River at Brunswick, Glynn County, but they had been

1 U. S. Geol. Survey Eighteenth Ann. Rept., pt. 2, pp. 329-332, 1898. U. S. Nat. Mus. Proc., vol. 19, 

No. 1110, pp. 303, 304, 1896.

2 Science, new ser., vol. 31, No. 804, pp. 833-834,1910.

a According to Vaughan the Edisto of Sloan in the Porters Landing section is much younger than the 

Edisto of Sloan in the vicinity of Charleston.

38418° WSP 341 15 7
98 UlSTDEEGEOUlSrD WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

mixed by the dredging processes with large numbers of shells younger 

than Miocene. Limestone, tentatively referred to the Miocene, occurs 

on the Livingston plantation, 18 miles west of Brunswick, in Glynn 

County, and a calcareous sand of Miocene age occurs at Owens 

Ferry, Satilla River, 8 miles west of Woodbine, Camden County.

It is believed that strata of Miocene age underlie much of the 

region adjacent to the Atlantic coast beneath beds of younger age, 

and it is considered not improbable that such strata may reach a 

thickness of 200 or 300 feet. However, confirmatory evidence is 

lacking.

The marine invertebrate-bearing beds of the Miocene which outcrop on Savannah and Altamaha rivers and which lie buried beneath 

younger deposits in a zone adjacent to the coast are believed to have 

coarser shoreward phases represented in the undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits indicated on the map as a belt between 

the Alum Bluff formation and the known Pleistocene formations.

HARKS HEAD MARL.

Areal distribution and structure. The Marks Head marl has been 

differentiated at and in the vicinity of Porters Landing, Savannah 

River, EffinghamCounty (PI. XIII, p. 90), and is doubtless represented 

in the undifferentiated Miocene in the sections above Porters Landing, at least as far as Hudsons Ferry, and in the sections between 

Porters Landing and Sisters Ferry.

The formation is almost entirely concealed by younger sediments 

and outcrops only in the bluffs of streams. For this reason it has 

had little or no influence on either the topography of the soil of the 

region. So far as can be determined from natural exposures, it lies 

almost horizontal, having only a very slight dip southward, probably 

not more than 4 feet to the mile.

StratigrapTiic position. The Marks Head marl rests upon the Alum 

Bluff formation of the Oligocene, from which, according to exposures 

on Savannah River, it is separated by an erosion unconformity. 

However, both the physical and faunal evidence seems to show that 

the time interval represented by this unconformity was relatively 

short. The formation is overlain unconformably by the Duplin marl, 

and as the Marks Head marl is early Miocene and the Duplin marl 

late Miocene the unconformity separating them is important.

Lifhologic character and thickness. The beds of the formation 

consist of gray or brownish compact argillaceous sands containing 

large calcareous nodules and, in places, of friable phosphatic sands containing shells. The phosphatic sands consist mainly of quartz grains 

with subordinate percentages of phosphate in the form of small,, 

brown and black, smooth or water-worn particles of bones and teeth* 

disseminated clay, and calcium carbonate in the form of shells and
GEOLOGY. 99

calcareous nodules. A maximum observed thickness of 45 feet 

occurs in some of the sections in the vicinity of Porters Landing on 

Savannah River.

Paleontologic character. The formation has yielded a relatively 

small fauna, the collections coming chiefly from localities in the vicinity of Porters Landing, Savannah River. The fossils have been 

studied by T. W. Vaughan, who says:

The presence of Carolia in this bed suggests Oligocene, but every other identifiable 

species may be Miocene, and only three others range downward into the Oligocene; 

nine species are not known below the Miocene; of these nine, six are confined to the 

Miocene. The horizon is, therefore, in the Miocene, while the presence of Turritella 

sequistriata Conrad, Calliostoma aphelium Dall, Ostrea mauricensis Gabb, and Pecten 

marylandicw Wagner, definitely points to a horizon low in the series.

DTTPLIN MARL.

Areal distribution and structure. The Duplin marl has been differentiated in the sections at Porters Landing and at Mount Pleasant 

Landing, 1^ miles below Porters Landing. The formation is doubtless 

represented in undifferentiated Miocene beds recognized in bluffs above 

Porters Landing as far as Hudsons Ferry, and below Porters Landing 

perhaps as far as Purisburg, S. C., 23 miles above Savannah. The formation has also been differentiated at Doctortown, at Buzzards Roost 

Bluff, and at Bugs Bluff on Altamaha River. The terrane probably 

underlies surficial formations throughout much of the region intervening between its exposures on Altamaha and Savannah rivers.

The Duplin strata dip southeastward at a low angle, probably not 

greater than 3 or 4 feet to the mile. Except in a few stream bluffs 

the formation is probably concealed over the entire area of its occurrence by surficial deposits, and for this reason has had little or no part 

in determining the topographic features or the character of the 

soils.

Stratigraphic position. The Duplin marl rests unconf onnably upon 

the Marks Head marl, or, where the latter is absent, upon the Alum 

Bluff formation of the Oligocene. The former relations were observed in sections examined at and in the vicinity of Porters Landing, 

Savannah River, and the latter relations are believed to obtain in 

sections on Altamaha River, at the bluff at Doctortown, at Buzzards 

Roost Bluff, and at Bugs Bluff.

In the vicinity of Porters Landing the formation is overlain by 

terrace deposits of Pleistocene age.

Lithologic character. The formation as exposed on Savannah River 

is mainly a shell marl, consisting of shells in a matrix of coarse phosphatic sand, but in places is a fine gray or brown quartz sand containing scarcely any fossils or calcareous matter. On Savannah 

River it probably does not reach a thickness of more than 10 to 12 

feet.
100 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

On Altamaha River the Duplin marl consists of 12 or 15 feet of 

friable, sandy, and pebbly shell marls, and bluish, compact, finegrained, argillaceous, fossiliferous sands. It overlies, unconformably, 

strata of probable Alum Bluff age and is in turn overlain by undifferentiated, varicolored sands and clays which probably belong in part 

to the Pliocene and in part to the Pleistocene.

Paleontologic character. The Duplin marl has yielded a fairly 

large number of species in Georgia, although much fewer than in the 

type region in North Carolina. The collections were made chiefly 

at Porters Landing, on Savannah River, but a few species have been 

identified from Doctortown and from Buzzards Roost Bluff, on 

Altamaha River. T. W. Vaughan furnishes the following statement 

in regard to these:

Total number of identified species, 34 (not counting varieties), 30 of which are also 

at Duplin. The 4 species which have not been found there are as follows:

Pteria colymbus Bolten, the previously known range of which was from the Caloosahatchee Pliocene to Recent, or younger than the Duplin.

Astarte distans var. floridana Ball. Miocene of Jackson Bluff, Fla., approximately 

the Duplin horizon.

Phacoides multilineatus (T. & H.) Known range from the Miocene of Maysville, 

S. C., to Recent; from the Duplin to Recent.

Transennella caloosana Dall. Known range from Miocene of Jackson Bluff, Fla., 

to Pleistocene; from approximately the Duplin to Pleistocene.

The bed whence the fossils came is evidently the stratigraphic equivalent of the 

Duplin marl of North Carolina.

PLIOCENE (?) SERIES. 

DISTRIBUTION.

Although the existence of strata of Pliocene age in. Georgia has not 

been definitely proved, certain deposits have been referred with 

greater or lesser degrees of confidence to this epoch. The deposits of 

the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain, to which the name Lafayette 

formation has been applied have for many years been regarded as of 

probable Pliocene age.

The Lafayette formation is represented by McGee as covering the 

entire Coastal Plain of Georgia, and has been described by different 

investigators from numerous localities in Georgia. Recent investigations have shown, however, that many and perhaps all of these 

correlations were erroneous. Several of the beds so referred have 

been found to belong to Cretaceous, Eocene, or Oligocene formations 

or to be the weathered residual products of these formations. Terrace 

deposits which are clearly of Pleistocene age have also been referred 

to this formation.

The authors have examined certain remnantal deposits of gravel 

on the divides near the fall line, chiefly in the vicinity of Augusta, 

Macon, and Columbus, which previous workers had regarded as
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XVI

A. CHARLTON FORMATION, ST. MARYS RIVER (FLORIDA SIDE), 1 MILE ABOVE TRADERS 

HILL, CHARLTON COUNTY.

B. BEARDS BLUFF, ALTAMAHA RIVER, TATTNALL COUNTY, SHOWING PROMINENT CLAY LAYER 

IN THE SATILLA FORMATION, OVERLAIN BY LOOSE SAND.

GEOLOGY. 101

belonging to the Lafayette formation. The authors believe that 

the Lafayette in Georgia is represented, if at all, by these deposits, but 

even as to these they have strong doubts, considering it more probable that some of them are remnants of the basal conglomerates of 

Cretaceous or Eocene formations that formerly overlapped the area, 

and that others are lenses of gravel in these older formations, the 

relations of which have become more or less obscured by weathering. 

These deposits are all north of the area in which the Alum Bluff 

formation is represented as outcropping.

Certain fossiliferous strata exposed on Satilla and St. Marys rivers 

have, on paleontologic evidence, been considered as probably of 

Pliocene age and are described under the name Charlton formation. 

These marine strata probably have littoral shallow-water representatives in the undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits to the 

north in Ware, Pierce, Appling, and Wayne counties. (See geologic 

map, PL III, p. 52.)

CHARXTOH FORMATION.

The name Charlton is derived from Charlton County, Ga., and is 

applied to an argillaceous limestone and clay formation exposed in the 

banks and bluffs of St. Marys River from Stokes Ferry, 11 miles south 

of St. George, Charlton County, to Orange Bluff, near Kings Ferry, 

Fla. (See PL XVI, A.) From a study of the fossil collections from 

the St. Marys localities T. W. -Vaughan has classified the formation as 

probably Pliocene.

Fossiliferous marls probably referable to the formation have been 

observed on Satilla River at Burnt Fort, 12 miles northeast of Folkston, Charlton County; on land of W. M. Thrift, 6 miles east of 

Winokur, Charlton County; and at the King plantation, 6 miles south 

of Atkinson, Wayne County. Fossils from the last-named locality 

have been referred by Aldrich * and Dall 2 to the Pliocene. General 

considerations based on structure and on the lithologic character of the 

materials seem to justify the reference of this marl bed to the Charlton 

formation.

The relations of the Charlton formation to the Miocene are not 

definitely known. From Stokes Ferry, where the top of the formation is perhaps 30 or 35 feet above sea level, the upper nonconformable 

surface descends gradually downstream and finally reaches tide level. 

According to the geologic map of Florida, by Matson and Clapp,3 the 

Jacksonville formation (Miocene) outcrops at elevations of 50 to 100 

feet above sea level a short distance south and east of St. Marys 

River. Beds from which T. W. Vaughan has identified Miocene 

fossils are exposed at low tide at Owens Ferry, Satilla River, Camden

1 Nautilus, vol. 24, No. 11, p. 131,1911.

2 U. S. Nat. Mus. Proc., vol. 46, pp. 226, 227,1913. 

s Florida Geol. Survey Second Ann. Rept, 1909.
102 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

County. In view of these occurrences of Miocene the Pliocene beds 

on St. Marys River, if correctly correlated, may occupy an erosion 

basin in Miocene strata, or, if the latter are absent beneath them, 

they may rest in a similar basin in pre-Miocene strata probably 

referable to the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene). The great thickness attributed to the Miocene at Jacksonville, 460 feet, and the fact 

that the Miocene there is supposed to lie unconformably upon the 

Vicksburg makes the former alternative seem the more probable. 

There are no data for estimating the thickness of the formation, for 

only 12 or 15 feet of strata have been observed in natural exposures. 

 The strata are poorly fossiliferous, and it is difficult to correlate 

them by means of their fossils. -The formation is characterized at 

two or three localities by an abundance of ostracodes. 

With regard to the age of the formation, T. W. Vaughan says:

None of the material [fossils] between Hicks Bluff and Orange Bluff [St. Marys 

River] can be older than Pliocene, and although not a single extinct species was collected, it may be Pliocene. The two species of ostracodes listed by Dr. Bassler from 

Rand Landing and Clay Landing appear to be Recent. As the material from Stokes 

Ferry seems to be the same as that from Rand and Clay landings it is probably the 

same age [Pliocene].

QUATEBNAJfcY SYSTEM.

PLEISTOCENE SERIES. 

SUBDIVISIONS.

The Pleistocene deposits consist of thin accumulations of sand, 

clay, and gravel on terraces of fluviatile and marine origin. The 

only systematic description of the Pleistocene of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia previously given is that of McGee.1 McGee first studied 

the Pleistocene in the District of Columbia, gave it the name Columbia formation, and differentiated it into three phases, the fluvial, 

interfluvial, and low-level phases. He traced the formation southward to the Mississippi and to Mexico, recognizing the three phases 

in Georgia, and giving brief general descriptions of them. Previous 

to McGee's studies Lyell and other observers had already noticed 

successive terraces on the coast of Georgia, but had apparently 

failed to recognize their geologic significance.

The classification given in the present report is based largely on 

topography, and the formations are described in greater detail than 

in McGee's report. The name Columbia as a group term is retained. 

The divisions are as follows:

Satilla formation:

Marine terrace deposits. 

Fluviatile deposits.

Okefenokee formation: 

Coastal terrace sand. 

Fluviatile deposits.

i McGee, W J, The Lafayette formation: U. S. Geol. Survey Twelfth Ann. Kept., pt. 1, pp. 384-407,1891.
GEOLOGY. 103

The solution of the Pleistocene problems of Georgia, and in fact 

those of the Atlantic coast region in general, is conditioned largely on 

a knowledge of topographic details, which can not be acquired until 

detailed topographic maps have been made.

In Georgia the Pleistocene formations are not superimposed one 

upon the other but occupy terraces at different topographic levels.

During the Okefenokee epoch gray sands and other sediments 

were laid down on a terrace plain of probable marine origin, now 

60 to 125 feet above sea level, and contemporaneous fluviatile deposits 

of gravel, sand, and loam were laid down on the "second" terrace 

skirting the larger rivers.

During the Satilla epoch gray sands and muds were laid down on 

a marine terrace, a flat plain 20 to 40 miles broad, bordering the 

coast at elevations of 15 to 40 feet above sea level, and corresponding 

terrace alluvium was deposited along the rivers.

Although the available data are too incomplete to permit positive 

statements, it is not improbable that an older Pleistocene terrace 

plain exists west of and at a higher elevation than the Okefenokee 

terrace. Evidence of such a plain is to be seen in the topographic 

aspect of the country along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad between 

Valdosta, Lowndes County, and Waycross, Ware County; along the 

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad between Pearson, Coffee County, and 

Waycross; and along the Southern Railway between Baxley, in 

Appling County, to near Jesup, Wayne County. The general surface 

of the belt of country crossed by these railroads is a nearly level 

plain which gradually descends toward the coast. Along the firstmentioned railroad there is a descent from an elevation of 215 feet 

at Valdosta to 140 feet at Waycross; along the second there is a 

descent from 205 feet at Pearson to 140 feet at Waycross; and along 

the third a descent from 206 feet at Baxley to 155 feet at Odum.

The northern part of Efnngham arid the southern parts of Screven 

and Bulloch counties also present the aspect of a plain similar to the 

Okefenokee plain.

COLUMBIA GROUP.

OKEFENOKEE FORMATION.

Distribution and character. The name Okefenokee is derived from 

Okefenokee Swamp, a great, swampy tract in southern Georgia 

covering parts of Charlton, Ware, and Clinch counties. The swamp 

occupies a portion of the plain on which were laid down the deposits 

under consideration. The Okefenokee formation consists in part of 

coastal terrace deposits and in part of river terrace or fluviatile 

deposits. During its deposition there was probably a depression of 

the land, the coast line being perhaps 40 to 75 miles west of its present
104 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

position. Coastal sands and probably other sediments were laid 

down as a terrace, and contemporaneous fluviatile terraces were 

formed along the larger rivers as far as the fall line. The coastal 

terrace formed during this period is a flat plain 20 to 40 miles wide, 

which varies in elevation from 60 to about 125 feet above sea level 

and is covered with gray and white quartz sands. The river terraces 

lie 50 to 100 feet above low-water level and form prominent topographic features along Savannah, Ocmulgee, and Chattahoochee 

rivers. The river-terrace deposits consist of sands and gravels of 

fluviatile or fluvioestuarine origin. The two types of deposits will 

be described separately.

Coastal terrace deposits. The coastal terrace phase of the formation is represented principally by a thin deposit of gray sand which 

covers the Okefenokee plain. The age of the formation is determined by its physiographic position and not by fossils, for none of 

these have been found. The western boundary of the plain is marked 

approximately by a line extending from near Sisters Ferry on Savannah River, or Clyo, southeastward through the northern part of 

Bryan County, to about 3 miles north of Ludowici, Liberty County; 

thence to Jesup, and along the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to near 

Waycross, Ware County; and thence to the western boundary of the 

Okefenokee Swamp. The plain includes the Okefenokee Swamp and 

the towns of Folkston, Jesup, Ludowici, and Hinesville. Its eastern 

boundary is marked by an escarpment 20 to 40 miles from the coast, 

which separates it from the first or Satilla terrace. (See fig. 1, p. 29.)

The most conspicuous deposit on the plain referable to this period 

is gray sand. Red and yellow sands containing thin clay layers 

and pebble beds underlie the surface sand and are doubtless in part 

Pleistocene. The marine terrace deposits of the Okefenokee formation are not in contact with any formation older than Pliocene and 

Miocene. On the west the sand of the Okefenokee plain merges 

into the surficial sand of a higher plain, and the two can not everywhere be sharply discriminated. Swampy flats traversed by small 

creeks and underlain by muds probably belonging to this epoch of 

the Pleistocene occur in the plain.

The gray surface sand is composed almost entirely of subangular 

quartz particles, probably derived from the older formations of the 

Coastal Plain. On the whole, the sand is perhaps finer in texture 

and lighter in color than the upland sands to the west. At the surface it is loose, incoherent, and structureless, but in depth it shows 

faint lines of stratification and current bedding. At a few localities 

it is white at the surface and darker colored beneath, the white 

phase having been formed by leaching and not as a separate deposit. 

A notable occurrence of white sand lies along the railroad between 

Ludowici and Darien Junction.
GEOLOGY. 105

In the Okefenokee Swamp the only deposits known, aside from 

the recent peaty accumulations, are white, yellow, brown, and black 

sands the dark colors being due to organic matter. The sand is 

in places indurated, probably by a cement of iron oxide. This is the 

so-called hardpan of this area.

The thickness of the sand is small, probably averaging less than 

10 feet over the whole plain. Good exposures appear at Folks ton, 

where the average thickness is 6 or 8 feet, with local accumulations 

reaching 20 feet; the sand is gray, almost white at the surface, and 

light yellow beneath. At other places over the plain its thickness 

varies from 2 to 15 feet.

The plain which the Okefenokee covers is in general flat and 

almost featureless. Some of the larger streams traversing the plain 

have bluffs 30 or 40 feet high, but these are exceptional. The erosive power of rain water is lessened by the porous sand, and ravines 

and gullies are rare. The main streams have few tributaries. The 

plain is dotted with cypress ponds and swamps due to original 

inequalities in the land surface. Locally the sand has been heaped 

into low ridges and hills, some of which may have been factors in 

determining the courses of streams.

As may be inferred from the lithologic description given above 

little can be said regarding the structure of this formation. It conforms to the low seaward slope of the Okefenokee plain and varies 

in elevation from 60 to 125 feet above sea level.

Fluviatile terrace deposits. Bordering the large rivers of the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia are remnants of a plain higher than the " second 

bottoms" or Satilla plain and 50 to 200 feet lower than the general 

upland of the region. It is believed that the deposits laid down on 

this plain are contemporaneous with the coastal deposits of the 

Okefenokee formation. While the coastal portion of the Okefenokee 

terrace plain was being cut and the gray sands and other deposits 

were being ,laid down upon it, the terraces bordering the present 

river valleys and their accompanying deposits were being formed, 

either by the waves along the borders of reentrant estuaries, or by 

the meandering of the rivers in the parts of the valleys not submerged. The river terraces coalesce with the coastal terrace.

The river-terrace plains lie 50 to 125 feet above the present rivers. 

Immediately subsequent to their formation the fluviatile portions of 

the Okefenokee plain filled the valleys from side to side, having 

widths varying from 1 to 10 miles; into these ancient plains the 

rivers have intrenched themselves, forming younger plains at the 

levels of the Satilla plain and of the Recent flood plain. The cutting 

of these younger plains has destroyed all but remnants jof the original 

Okefenokee plain.
106 UNDERGROUND WATERS Of COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The fluviatile deposits of the Okefenokee formation overlie in turn 

all the older formations of the Coastal Plain, from the Cretaceous to 

the Pliocene. The materials have been derived in part, perhaps 

chiefly, from these older formations, and in part from the rocks of the 

Piedmont Plateau north of the Coastal Plain. On account of lithologic similarity it is in places difficult to distinguish between the terrace deposits and the underlying older formations. However, a 

gravel bed is generally present at the base of the terrace deposits, 

and unconformable relations to the older deposits appear wherever 

there are clean-cut exposures.

The deposits consist chiefly of red argillaceous sands, in places 

pebbly, and coarse gravels. (See PL XVII, A.) Clay beds are few 

and the formation lacks the distinctive alluvial character of the lower 

terrace and flood-plain deposits. Along some of the streams a gray, 

incoherent, rather pure sand seems to be the only deposit. Near the 

fall line the deposits show clearly that they have been derived in large 

part from the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau, but farther 

south the formations of the Coastal Plain have contributed a major 

portion of the materials. Along Withlacoochee, Alapaha, and Ochlockonee rivers the detritus has been derived entirely from the 

formations of the Coastal Plain. The formation is usually unconsolidated, but at a few places contains local beds of gravel cemented by 

iron oxide. The pebbles are chiefly quartz and quartzite, but a 

subordinate percentage are limestone, flint, and limonite.

At a number of localities on the Okefenokee plain -there are surficial, brown-gray, loose, incoherent sands which differ in their physical 

appearance and lithologic characters from the red loams and gravels 

forming the terrace deposits, and which resemble closely the gray sand 

of the upland. Conspicuous accumulations of such sands were noted 

at Montezuma, Bainbridge, Fort Gaines, Dublin, and Lumber City. 

(See PL XVII, B.) Some of these deposits are in the form of hills 

and are probably of wind-dune origin; they may have been formed 

subsequent to the elevation of the terrace plain. At other localities 

the gray sands appear to be water-laid sediments which rest directly 

upon the older formations, forming a thin uniform mantle over the 

plain.

The formation is thin, not exceeding 50 feet in thickness at any 

place and being usually much less than 20 feet. The greatest thickness was noted near the fall line.

Except for fragments of silicified wood found at Fort Gaines and 

for fossils in limestone and flint pebbles derived from the underlying 

Tertiary beds no fossils are known in this formation.

The deposits are confined to comparatively level plains paralleling 

the rivers. The plains were originally 1 mile to 10 miles in width, 

but the deposits have been so largely removed by subsequent erosion
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XVII

A, EXPOSURE OF PLEISTOCENE TERRACE GRAVEL (OKEFENOKEE FORMATION) IN COLUMBUSLUMPKIN ROAD, CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY, 11 MILES SOUTH OF COLUMBUS.

B. SAND USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF GLASS (PROBABLY BELONGING TO THE OKEFENOKEE 

FORMATION), 2 MILES NORTHEAST OF LUMBER CITY, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LITTLE OCMULGEE 

RIVER.

GEOLOGY. 107

that their total area is relatively small. They are confined principally to the courses of Chattahoochee, Flint, Ocmulgee, Oconee, 

Altamaha, Ogeechee, Savannah, Ochlockonee, Withlacoochee, Little, 

and Alapaha rivers.

At a few localities the terrace forms conspicuous topographic features. The business portion of Macon, a part of the residence portion of Columbus, the cities of Fort Gaines, Albany, Lumber City, and 

parts of Augusta are built on this terrace.

In detail the surface of the terrace is nearly level, the only undulations being due to sand heaps. The vegetation is more luxuriant 

and the soil generally more fertile than on the interstream uplands.

The approximate elevations of the second or Okefenokee terrace 

plain above sea level at the fall line are:

Elevations on Okefenokee terrace plain at fall line.

Milledgeville. . ....................................................................

Mint River at &11 line.................................... ........................

River.

Feet. 

98

215

279

320?

190

Terrace 

plain.

Feet. 

200

290

355

380?

300 to 325

From the fall line the river terraces gradually descend and merge 

into the coastal sand plains bordering the seacoast.

SATILLA FORMATION.

Deposition. The name Satilla is derived from SatUla River, Ga., 

and is applied to the latest Pleistocene deposits of the State. These 

deposits are typically developed along either side of Satilla River in 

Camden and Charlton counties. The shore line during their deposition was parallel to the present Atlantic coast, but stood 20 to 30 

miles farther inland. The greater parts of Camden, Glynn, and 

Chatham counties, all of Mclntosh County, the southern part of 

Bryan County, and the eastern part of Liberty County were submerged and the valleys of the larger rivers were inundated to undetermined distances inland. Two types of deposits, coastal marine 

deposits and fluviatile or river terrace deposits, were formed.

Coastal terrace deposits. The coastal deposits lie upon a wave-cut 

terrace which extends 20 to 30 miles back from the present ocean at 

elevations of 15 to 40 feet above sea level. The western limit of this 

terrace Or plain is marked by the high sand ridge east of Folkston, 

Charlton County, and by the escarpment at Waynesville and Mount 

Pleasant, Wayne County, and at Walthoursville, Liberty County. 

North of Liberty County the escarpment is not so pronounced as it 

is to the southward, and owing to the lack of topographic maps it
108 UNDERGROUND WAFERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

has not been traced in detail; however, it probably passes close to 

Clyde, Bryan County, Meldrim, Effingham County, and Meinhard, 

Chatham County. This terrace is referred to in this report as the 

"first marine terrace" or "first Pleistocene plain" and is not to be 

confused with the Recent analogous plain now in process of formation as sand beaches and tide marshes.

The deposits on the Satilla plain rest unconformably upon Pliocene 

or Miocene strata, concealing the latter from view except where exposed along stream bluffs and banks. No sharp distinction can be 

drawn between the latest Pleistocene and the Recent deposits.

The relative age of the formation with respect to the older Okefenokee formation is determined by its topographic position and not 

by its stratigraphic sequence or its paleontologic character.

The formation consists of greenish and bluish marine clays; gray, 

white, and yellow sands; and thin layers of gravel. None of the 

deposits are consolidated. .

The clays are fine textured and appear to have been deposited as 

muds in lagoons or tidal marshes. They are calcareous in places and 

contain oyster shells and white calcareous nodules, disseminated, decayed vegetation, stumps of trees, and bones of animals. Gypsum 

crystals were noted at Savannah and at Colerain Bluff on St. Marys 

River in Camden County. The clays are usually massive and show 

few traces of lamination or bedding. They are underlain by sands 

and often by thin beds of well-rounded quartz pebbles, apparently 

of beach origin. The sands cover the greater part of the plain and 

form low bluffs on the coast. At the surface they are gray or white, 

becoming yellowish, brownish, or even black at depths, the color being 

due to iron oxide and disseminated organic matter. They are composed almost entirely of sharp, angular, quartz grains, and are perhaps, on the whole, finer than the gray, surficial sands of the higher 

plains; small amounts of mica and black sand, magnetite, ihnenite, 

and other black, silicate minerals were noted. The sands show evidences of stratification and cross-bedding, and contain shells or prints 

of shells; at a few places, as at the bluff near Crescent, Mclntosh 

County, they are slightly indurated by iron-oxide cement.

The sands and clays are closely associated and are contemporaneous 

deposits.

The maximum thickness of the deposits is perhaps not more than 

50 feet and the average not more than 15 feet. A thickness of 22 

feet of clay has been observed near Savannah and 20 feet of sand 

appears at Crescent. At Rose Bluff, Fla., opposite St. Marys, the 

bluff, which at low tide is 45 feet high, exposes Pleistocene strata 

referable to this formation from base to top.

The formation is fossiliferous and in this respect is in contrast to 

the older and topographically higher Okefenokee formation. Shells,
GEOLOGY. 109

mostly living species, are common in places; remains of mammals, 

including megatherium, tapir, horse, mammoth, beaver, deer, and 

cetacea, sharks' teeth, and the remains of a species of crocodile 

are also .found. Buried stumps have been observed at many places, 

but no other plant remains of paleontologic value have been discovered.

Bones and teeth obtained from the dredgings at Brunswick were 

studied by J. W. Gidley, of the Smithsonian Institution, who says:

The materials from Brunswick, Ga., consist for the most part of fossil fragments of 

various mammals and fishes representing species of early Pleistocene age. The 

sharks' teeth, however, probably represent Eocene and Miocene species. The recognizable genera and species are as follows:

MAMMALS Continued. 

A cervuline, probably belonging to the

genus Oervus. 

Tapirus haysii Leidy.

PISHES.

Oarcharodon, Galeocerdo, and Lamna. 

Sting-ray Pastinaca sp. 

The sharks' teeth represent several species

of the genera Oarcharodon, Galeocerdo,

and Lamna.

BEPTtLES.

Crocodilus sp.

MAMMALS.

Equus fraternus Leidy.

Equus ? complicatus Leidy.

Equus ? tau Owen (or more probably an

undescribed species). 

Manumit, floridanum (Leidy). 

Physeter ? vetus Leidy or Physeterula ?

neolassicus. 

Megatherium sp. probably M. americanum.

Oastoroides ohioticus. 

Bison ? bison Linn.

The "Eocene and Miocene species" may be detrital material redeposited during the Pleistocene.

A collection of shells was made at Rose Bluff, Fla., opposite St. 

Marys, Camden County, from which the following forms were determined by T. W. Vaughan:

Mulinia lateralis (Say). 

Terebra dislocata Say. 

Olivella mutica Say. 

Nassa acuta Say. 

Turbonilla sp. 

Neverita duplicata Say. 

Natica pusilla Say. «^ 

Sigaretus perspectivus Say. 

Nucula proxima Say. 

Area iueongrua Say. 

Ostrea virginica Gmel.

Sir Charles Lyell,1 who visited several localities along the coast of 

Georgia, notes finding the tooth of a Mylodon and the grinder of a 

mastodon at Heyners Bridge, 12 miles south of Savannah; he also 

mentions finding the remains of Megatherium in the old Brunswick 

Canal and on Skidaway Island. Lyell suggests that the deposits are

Anomia sumplex Orb.

Phacoides multilineatus (T. & H.).

Divaricella quadrisulcata Orb.

Oardium robustum Solander.

Tellina (Angulus) sayi Deshayes.

Strigilla flexuosa Say.

Donax fossor Say.

Donax variabilis Say ? young.

Ervilia concentrica Gould.

Labiosa canaliculata Say.

i Travels in Nprth America, vol. 1, pp. 163,164,1845.
110 UlTOEBGROUND WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAItf OF GEOKGIA.

of fluviomarine origin and that the bones of the mammals were carried down by streams.

Oyster shells are found in the clay deposits west of Savannah, in 

clay in the western part of Glynn County, in the clay terrace bordering St. Marys River, and elsewhere. Large bones of mammals have 

been found at Whiteoak, Camden County.

The time that has elapsed since the emergence of the Satilla plain 

from below sea level has been relatively short and erosion has affected 

only slightly the appearance of the surface. The plain is very flat 

and comprises great stretches of swamp land. In places on the plain 

there are low ridges of sand, probably of beach and wind-dune origin, 

although some such ridges may have existed as banks or islands previous to the emergence of the plain above sea level. The clay flats 

probably represent the sites of old marshes and shallow estuaries and 

straits.

If the coast region were uplifted 15 or 20 feet above its present 

elevation, a plain now submerged beneath the ocean waters would 

appear as an emerged terrace lying east of and parallel to the Satilla 

terrace and separated from it by an escarpment. This plain would 

be analogous to the Satilla plain in all its essential features.

Fluviatile terrace deposits. The fluviatile deposits of the epoch 

form low terraces along the larger rivers of the Coastal Plain. They 

consist of unconsolidated sands, clays, and gravels which merge coastward into the marine or fluviomarine deposits.

The river terraces of the Satilla formation are comparatively flat 

plains, lying 10 to 50 feet above the rivers and varying in width from 

a few yards to 10 miles. They extend from the fall line southward and 

eventually merge into the marine terrace plain of the same formation. 

The greatest width is along the lower course, of Savannah River, but' 

the river is cutting into this original terrace and forming the recent 

alluvium. A distinction is made between the Satilla terrace and the 

Recent flood plain.

The Satilla formation overlies Cretaceous and Tertiary formations 

unconformably. It varies in elevation above sea level from about 

300 feet at the fall line to 20 or 30 feet where it merges into the coastal 

deposits. Its thickness does not generally exceed 10 or 20 feet but 

attains 40 feet in places.

Lithologically the deposits vary considerably on the different 

rivers. On the whole they are distinctly fluviatile or alluvial, consisting of clay (PL XVI, B, p. 100), sands, and gravels, generally unconsolidated, and without regular bedding. The materials have been 

derived in part from the adjacent older formations of the Coastal Plain, 

and in part from the rocks of the Piedmont Plateau to the northward. 

Sand heaps, probably wind accumulations, were noted at a number 

of places on this terrace.
GEOLOGY. Ill

The river-terrace deposits contain little of paleontologic interest. 

A few mammalian bones were found at the base of the deposits on 

St. Marys and Suwannee rivers, and a few fragments of silicified wood 

have been observed.

RECENT SERIES.

The Recent deposits, or those formed since the close of the Pleistocene or the uplift of the Satilla or latest Pleistocene terrace and now 

in the process of formation, consist of (1) marsh and tide-swamp 

muds; (2) beach and dune sands; (3) river flood-plain deposits; (4) 

interstream swamp deposits; (5) certain terrigenous deposits semialluvial in character.

The processes by which the Satilla terrace, with its accompanying 

deposits, was formed are being repeated at the present time along tlj.e 

coast. The Recent terrace thus being formed is largely submarine. 

Beach sands are being laid down on the ocean front, sands and clays 

are being deposited in the estuaries, and muds are being deposited in 

the marsh and tide-swamp lands. In the absence of accurate maps 

the area of marsh and tide-swamp land along the coast may be 

roughly estimated at 400 square miles. Though observations have 

not been made at many localities, it may be said that the thickness 

of the Recent deposits in the area inundated by the tides probably 

does not exceed 6 feet. The composition of the muds is indicated by 

the following analysis of a sample from St. Simons Island, collected 

by S. W. McCallie and analyzed by Edgar Everhart.

Analysis of mud from St. Simons Island.

Moisture at 100° G............................................ 4.62

Loss on ignition............................................. 9.94

Soda (NaaO)................................................ 3.06

Potash (K20)................................................ 1.13

Lime (GaO)................................................... .40

Magnesia (MgO)............................................... 1.28

Alumina (A1203)............................................. 13. 67

Ferric oxide (FeA)........................................... 4.86

Titanium dioxide (Ti02)....................................... 1.01

Sulphur trioxide (S03)....................................... .24

Phosphorus pentoxide (P205 )................................. .22

Chlorine (01)....... ..I....................................... 1.77

Silica (Si02)......~.......................................... 57.95

100.15

In places the Satilla terrace is separated from the Recent terrace 

by bluffs 10 to 15 feet high, and at other localities the two merge into 

each other.

The Recent alluvium along the Coastal Plain streams consists 

mainly of sand, although, along the lower courses of Altamaha and 

Savannah rivers some clays are being deposited. The deposits of
112 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

this class are of small extent; along some of the streams the only 

Recent deposits are accumulations of sand in the form of bars.

In the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia are numerous swamps ranging in size from a single acre to the immense tract 

known as Okefenokee Swamp. Peaty accumulations or decayed 

plant matter with more or less silt and sand are being formed in these 

swamps. In the Okefenokee Swamp accumulations of peat 4 feet 

thick have been observed. Some of the swamp areas are densely 

wooded and have been the roosting places of birds for perhaps centuries, and a phosphatic muck is being slowly formed from their dung 

and dead bodies.

Sand deltas or plains of semialluvial character form another type 

of Recent deposits. In the northern, hilly part of the Coastal Plain 

erosion has been very active because of the loose, unconsolidated 

character of the formations; and at certain localities, especially where 

the forests have been cut away, deep gullies have been formed. Every 

torrential rain moves large quantities of sand which, on account of 

overloading, is deposited along the beds of the small creeks, forming 

so-called "sand streams," or is spread out at the mouths of gullies, 

forming small sub aerial deltas. The best example of this type is at 

the huge gullies or "caves" west or Lumpkin, Stewart County.

STJRFICIAL GKRAY SANDS OF THE UPLAND.

Surficial grayish or brownish, incoherent quartz sands cover large 

portions of the interstream uplands of the Coastal Plain of Georgia at 

elevations higher than the Pleistocene terrace plains. Because of the 

sterility of the soils which these sands produce and their influence on 

the topography and tree growth, they attract the attention even of 

those not interested in geology. The sands are not everywhere of the 

same origin. Much of the sand is residual and can not be referred to 

any one geologic period or formation. However, in places there are 

wind-blown accumulations, and at long intervals marks of stratification 

can be detected. In this report no attempt has been made to subdivide or to map these sands; a part of such mapping, indeed, would 

fall within the province of a soil survey.

The gray sands are of particular importancfe owing to their efficacy 

in checking rapid run-off and in absorbing rainfall and by this means 

increasing the underground-water supplies. They consist chiefly of 

crystalline quartz and nowhere contain sufficient clay to render them 

coherent. A number of samples were examined microscopically and 

were found to contain, in addition to the quartz grains, small percentages of clay, some limonite and allied iron-oxide minerals, and 

very small amounts of minerals such as mica, magnetite, ilmenite, 

feldspar, and rutile that are common to igneous rocks. The clay 

content rarely exceeds 3 per cent; the limonite occurs as a coating
GEOLOGY. . 113

over the quartz grains and in places gives the sand a yellowish or 

brownish appearance.

On the whole, the gray sands are uniformly fine in texture. Sands 

from several localities each passed 40 to 60 per cent through a 40- 

mesh sieve, their texture at any particular locality depending on the 

character of the formations from which they were derived. In all of 

the more notable deposits the quartz grains are for the most part 

subangular. In color the sands are dull gray or white at the surface, 

but at varying depths they become yellowish or darker, and the 

darker basal sands grade downward into the underlying unweathered, 

argillaceous, sandy formations. Pebbles are not common, though 

small well-rounded to angular quartz pebbles, and small brown or 

black iron-oxide nodules were observed at several localities. Notwithstanding the diverse origin and the slight differences that have 

been noted from place to place, the sands are in the main uniform-in 

texture, color, and composition.

In thickness the gray sands range from a few inches to a maximum 

of 30 feet. Their greatest thickness where apparently residual occurs 

at the sand pits near Howard, Taylor County, the maximum being 30 

feet. At other localities along the fall line 10 to 25 feet of sand has 

been observed, but over much of the sand-hill region the thickness 

does not exceed 5 to 6 feet. Over the Alum Bluff formation and later 

Oligocene beds the average depth of the sands where residual is 

probably 2 to 4 feet, but there are local accumulations of torrential 

or eolian origin that reach 10 to 25 feet. In the western part of the 

Coastal Plain,principally in the part underlain by the Vicksburg formation, and in scattered smaller areas in other parts of the upland region, 

the gray sands are either absent or very thin.

The surficial sands are present as a thin mantle over parts of the 

upland region from the fall line on the north to the Florida State 

line on the south. To the southeast, within 50 or 75 miles of the 

Atlantic coast, they merge into the lithologically similar sands which 

cover the Okefenokee terrace plain. The sands are unequally 

distributed over the upland and are notably absent from certain 

areas. Their most conspicuous development is in the region of the 

fall line, chiefly over the area underlain by Lower Cretaceous strata; 

they are also well developed over the region underlain by the Alum 

Bluff formation and later Oligocene beds in the eastern and southeastern parts of the Coastal Plain. Among upland areas, where the 

sands are nearly or entirely absent, are certain areas in Burke, Washington, Wilkinson, and Twiggs counties which are underlain by red 

ferruginous sands of the Claiborne formation; Rich Hill, Crawford 

County; the upland plain in the vicinity of Fort Valley and the "red 

lands" in the vicinity of Grovania, Henderson, and Elko, in Houston 

0 WSP 34J 10 §
114 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

County; the northern part of Dooly County; areas near Americus 

and in the southern part of Sumter County; large parts of Randolph, 

Terrell, Dougherty, and other counties west of Flint River; and areas 

in the southern parts of Grady, Thomas, and Brooks counties.

The sands, notwithstanding their relatively insignificant thickness, 

have had a very marked influence upon the topography, vegetation, 

and agricultural development of the country. The "sand hills" constitute a well-known type of topography in the region of the fall line 

and throughout the area underlain by the Alum Bluff formation and 

later Oligocene beds, popularly known as the "wire-grass" region. 

In the latter region conspicuous accumulations of sand 10 to 30 feet 

thick occur along the streams and particularly along those streams 

having general north-south courses. It has been commonly noted 

by the people living in this region that these accumulations are greater 

on the east or left sides of the streams. Numerous exceptions to this 

may be found in the Coastal Plain region as a whole, but it is prevailingly true over the "wire-grass" region. The hills perhaps antedate 

the present streams. The most notable examples of this type of 

sand hills are on the eastern side of Ohoopee River at Reidsville, 

on Canoochee River at Stillmore, on Little Ocmulgee River 2 miles 

east of Helena, at Lumber City, east of Oconee River at Dublin, and 

on the north side of Satilla River north of Waycross. These hills are 

well above the level of the streams and the sand is not to be confused 

with the alluvial sands of lower levels. The vegetable growth over 

the sand hills is sparse, consisting mainly of scattered long-leaf pine 

and stunted oak, and the soil is poor and unproductive.

In the few references made by McGee 1 to the gray surficial sands 

he referred them to the "interfluvial phase of the Columbia." 

Spencer,2 McCallie,3 and Otto Veatch 4 have referred to them in a 

general way as "Columbia sand." R. M. Harper 5 has given interesting descriptions of the sands at a number of localities, discussing them 

with reference to their influence on the flora of the Coastal Plain.

It is reasonably certain that much of the surficial sand is residual 

from Cretaceous and Tertiary formations, and hence should not be 

classed as a formation, using this word in a stratigraphic sense. The 

residual sands vary from 1 to 10 feet in thickness. On the slopes 

at many places there are accumulations of sands transported by 

rain water from higher to lower levels, and some of these appear to 

rest unconformably upon the underlying strata, this relation being 

especially apparent where pebbles are present at the base. Such

1 The Lafayette formation: U. S. Geol. Survey Twelfth Ann. Kept., pt. 1, pp. 388,389,1891.

2 Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, pp. 61-71,1891.

3 McCallie, S. W., Underground waters of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 29,1908. 

* Clay deposits of Georgia: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 18, p. 68,1909.

5 A phytogeograpMcal sketch of the Altamaha grit region of Georgia: New York Acad. Sci. Annals, vol. 

17, pt. 1,1906.
WATER SUPPLY. 115

deposits may show a thickness of 5 to 15 feet whereas the residual 

sands on the tops of the hills may not be more than 2 feet. Accumulations of this nature are properly colluvial deposits. The winds 

may in places have shifted and redeposited the residual sands, but 

do not "appear to have been the cause of many large deposits.

The formations from which the residual surficial sands are derived 

are themselves composed chiefly of quartz sand with small percentages 

of disseminated clay. In the process of weathering the clays are 

carried away in suspension by rainfall, and the quartz grains and 

small amounts of other minerals, such as mica and iron oxides, are 

left. Wherever the formations underlying the surface are very calcareous/argillaceous, or ferruginous, the gray surficial sands are 

absent.

The origin of the accumulations of sand along Canoochee, Ohoopee, 

Little Ocmulgee, and Satilla rivers, and along other streams throughout the Altamaha upland or wire-grass country has not been determined with certainty. These accumulations appear to be at higher 

elevations than the fluviatile terrace deposits of the Okefenokee 

formation. Locally, they exhibit faint stratification and in places 

seem to be sharply separated from the underlying older formations. 

These facts, together with their peculiar distribution and relatively 

great thickness, are evidence of their nonresidual character. Their 

high elevation precludes the possibility of their having been deposited 

by existing streams. It is suggested that they may have been heaped 

up as the result of combined wave and wind action along the shores 

of early Pleistocene estuaries, or they may have been deposited as 

alluvium by the rivers occupying the valleys in early Pleistocene 

time.

One well-known sand deposit the sand hills on the east side of 

Flint River at Albany clearly owes its present form to wind deposition, whatever may have been the primary origin of the sand.

There is some evidence of the existence of a sand-covered Pleistocene terrace plain higher and older than the Okefenokee plain and 

perhaps similar in origin, but as yet sufficient proof of its existence 

has not been obtained to warrant positive statements. Such a plain, 

if it exists, includes a part of the gray surficial sands here treated 

under the head of upland sands. (See p. 103.)

WATER SUPPLY.

SOURCE AND AMOUNT.

The primary source of water supply is rainfall. The average annual 

rainfall ranges from 43 to 55 inches in different parts of the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia, as shown by the following record of observations by 

the United States Weather Bureau to the year 1908:
116 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Mean annual rainfall in the Coastal Plain ofGeofgia to 1908.

Locality.

Abbeville... . ...........

Blakely..... ............

Brag....................

Butler..................

Dublin.................

Rainfall.

Inches. 

46.09

49.28

47.57

49.85

46.94

49.90

55.23

53.35

49 63

52. 12.

50.70

47.33

46.93

Locality.

Milledgeville..........

Rainfall.

Inches. 

43.72

49.37

55.51

51.13

47.68

48.63

44.71

51.03

46.41

49.81

47.51

50.91

47.77

Locality.

Millp,n .

Poulan.... . .

St. Marys .............

Rainfall.

Inches. 

45.25

52.17

51.40

51.14

49.39

52.48

52.57

50.06

49.48

52.62

53.01

47.79

44 QQ

If an average of 49 inches is assumed, the annual rainfall is equivalent to the enormous amount of 852,000,000 gallons per square mile.

DISPOSITION.

A portion of the rainfall escapes as direct surface run-off, supplying 

in part the waters of creeks and rivers; a portion is taken up by 

evaporation and by vegetation; a small portion enters into chemical 

combination and is locked up in minerals, and the remainder is held 

by the earth for a shorter or longer time as the underground-water 

supply.

RUN-OFF.

The amount of water which flows from any particular land area by 

streams depends mainly on the topography, the character of the geologic formations, the vegetation, the nature of the precipitation 

(whether slow or torrential), and to an appreciable extent on artificial 

structures such as buildings, pavements, and roads.

To illustrate the influence of topography two extremely different 

topographic regions of the State, the Blue Ridge and the flat lowlands of the Coastal Plain bordering the Atlantic Ocean, may be 

taken. In the first the creeks rise rapidly and turbulently, even after 

a single shower, attesting to the heavy run-off or flood flow; whereas 

in the coastal flats the creeks and rivers rise above their banks only 

after prolonged rains.

Other factors being equal, the direct run-off will be greater in a 

region underlain by clay or shale than in one underlain by sand or 

sandstone, because the .former materials absorb water much less 

 readily than the latter.

Vegetation is undoubtedly a factor, for in a forest area roots of 

trees and vegetable mold prevent rapid run-off. Leaves and branches 

of trees convert rain into spray and lessen its impact, thereby becoming a factor in increasing the amount of rainfall absorbed by the soil.
WATER SUPPLY. 117

The breaking up of the soil by cultivation renders it more porous 

and increases absorption and decreases run-off.

Streams derive their waters in part from direct run-off or floodflow and in part from springs. According to estimates by the 

United States Geological Survey approximately two-fifths (40 per 

cent) of the total rainfall of the Coastal Plain of Georgia reaches the 

ocean in the form of run-off. The percentage of the direct run-off 

or flood flow to the total run-off is not known, but it probably does 

not exceed 10 or 15 per cent; in other words, the greater part of the 

run-off is drawn from the underground water and supplied to the 

streams through springs. The bulk of the underground waters consists, therefore, of waters temporarily checked in their passage to 

the sea.

EVAPORATION.

Evaporation takes place mainly from the soil, from running water, 

and from lakes and ponds. A comparatively small although not 

negligible amount of water is evaporated before entering the earth; 

this includes not only the water evaporated from the surface of the 

ground, but that which is caught by leaves and branches of trees, by 

roofs of buildings, and by other artificial structures. The amount 

of the rainfall evaporated depends mainly on climatic conditions; 

if in the Coastal Plain of Georgia 40 per cent of the total rainfall 

reaches the ocean as run-off and less than 1 per cent enters into 

chemical combination with minerals, then nearly 60 per cent is 

evaporated, either directly or indirectly.

VEGETATION.

In the aggregate vegetation takes up an enormous amount of water, 

which is eventually evaporated and so lost to the underground, supply. 

Estimates have been made showing that only 70 per cent as much 

rainfall reaches the soil in a wooded area as in open fields, and measurements have been made showing that the amount of water at 

depths of 16 and 32 inches is appreciably greater in a bare than in a 

forested soil.1

CHEMICAL ABSORPTION.

A small percentage of the waters absorbed by the earth enters into 

chemical combination with the rocks. For example, in the conversion of hematite (Fe2O3) into limonite (2Fe2O3, 3H2O) 14.5 per cent 

of water is absorbed.

Van Hise,2 in a generalized statement, says that at least 99 per 

cent of the water entering the earth returns in some form to the 

surface, and it is inferred that the remaining 1 per cent or less enters 

into combination with the rocks.

i U. S. Dept. Agr. Forestry Div. Bull. 7, p. , 1893.

1 Van Hise, C. U., A treatise on metamorphism: U. S. Geol. Survey Mon. 47, p. 156,1904.
118 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

UNDERGROUND-WATER STORAGE.

The amount of the rainfall absorbed by the soil and by the rocks 

in the Coastal Plain of Georgia is roughly estimated to be 90 or 95 per 

cent of the total, the climate, topography, character of the soil, and 

other factors being taken into consideration. If nearly 60 per cent 

of the rainfall is lost by evaporation, and 4 or 5 per cent escapes as 

direct run-off or flood flow, only about 35 per cent remains to form 

the underground-water supply. All of this, even, is not available 

for use on account of the great depths to which much of it descends 

and the fact that a large part of it is locked up in fine-grained compact 

strata which do not readily yield their waters to the wells tapping 

them.

SURFACE WATERS.

STREAMS.

Surface streams of the Coastal Plain of Georgia are not extensively 

used as sources of municipal supplies except in a narrow area along 

the northern border, cheaper and more healthful waters being 

obtainable from deep wells. Augusta and Macon obtain their water 

supplies from Savannah and Ocmulgee rivers, respectively, these 

cities being located on the northern boundary of the Coastal Plain 

where it is not possible to obtain adequate supplies of artesian water 

unless the pumping plants are located several miles from the city 

limits. Columbus at present obtains its water supply in part from 

Chattahooch.ee River and in part from springs west of the river in 

Alabama. Milledgeville, the county seat of Baldwin County, is 

located on the fall line and obtains its municipal water supply from 

Fishing Creek. Perry, the county seat of Houston County, obtains 

its water supply from Big Indian Creek.

In the southern and southeastern parts of the Coastal Plain the 

waters of the streams, except those of the four largest rivers, are dark 

in color, owing to their high content of organic matter, but are suitable 

for the use of domestic animals, and are superior to most artesian 

waters for producing steam.

LAKES AND PONDS.

The waters of the lakes and ponds of the Coastal Plain are not 

used extensively for any purpose. Many of the lakes are in the 

river swamps and are not only inaccessible but furnish stagnant, 

unwholesome waters. A few lakes in the lime-sink regions are clear 

and appear to be connected with underground streams. Ponds are 

numerous in some sections; some of them contain stagnant waters 

or waters high in their content of organic matter. Such waters are 

used to some extent for stock and boiler supply.
WATEB SUPPLY.

UNDERGROUND WATERS.

WATER TABLE.

As water percolates downward from the surface it reaches a level 

where the soils, sediments, or rocks are saturated. This upper limit 

of saturationis known as the water table. The depth to this level differs 

from place to place according to the topography and the texture and 

porosity of the rocks and from time to time according to the rainfall. 

Shallow wells are generally sunk only a few feet below the water 

table; springs of the common type occur at points where the water 

table intercepts the surface. In' the Coastal Plain the water table 

varies in position from the surface to 50 feet or more beneath it.

Although the materials below the water table are all saturated, all 

of them do not yield their contained waters with equal readiness to 

the wells tapping them. In stratified rocks some beds are extremely 

coarse and porous and allow waters to circulate freely through them; 

others are compact and relatively though not absolutely impervious. 

Between the two extremes are all gradations of porosity. (See also 

pp. 120-122.)

QUALITY OF WATER.

The portion of the rainfall which is absorbed by the earth percolates through the soils, sediments, and rocks, and takes into solution 

greater or less amounts of the soluble salts with which it comes into 

contact. All underground waters are therefore in a sense "mineral 

waters," although the term is frequently used for waters having 

medicinal properties due to certain mineral constituents held in 

solution.

The amount and nature of the mineral constituents in underground 

water depends on a number of variable factors, but mainly on the 

character of the rock strata through which it has circulated.

In addition to inorganic matter held in solution underground 

waters may also carry in suspension mineral matter such as clay, fine 

mica, and precipitates of iron oxide. Shallow-well waters and spring 

waters are more likely to contain sediments than deep-well waters.

Organic matter may be present, especially in the waters of shallow 

wells unprotected from surface drainage or located in low swampy 

places and in springs located in swamps or unprotected from falling 

leaves, twigs, and other refuse. Vegetable matter may also be present 

in the waters of deep wells which, although protected from surface 

contamination, penetrate beds containing lignite; organic matter 

from this source, however, is comparatively rare and is not injurious 

to the health.

A detailed discussion of the quality of the waters of the State, by 

R. B. Dole, is given on pages 470-532.
120 TJ]SrDEIlGfiOUNt> WATERS OP COASTAL fLAltf Off GEOfiGIA.

ARTESIAN WATERS.

DEFINITION.

The term "artesian," as here used and as adopted by the United 

States Geological Survey,1 applies to wells the waters of which are 

under hydrostatic pressure and rise above the level at which they are 

encountered, but which do not necessarily rise to or above the surface 

of the ground. The term may therefore be applied to either flowing 

or nonflowing wells. By many persons the term "artesian well" is 

understood to mean a well which flows at the surface, but the definition 

just given is preferable, because it is based on hydrostatic pressure, 

and because wells tapping the same water-bearing stratum may be 

either flowing or nonflowing according to the elevation of the surface 

of the ground at their respective sites.

IMPORTANCE.

Artesian water is of vital interest to the people inhabiting the 

Coastal Plain of Georgia, for without artesian wells many of the small 

towns and communities would be without adequate healthful supplies. All the cities, except those located near the fall line, and all 

the more progressive towns and villages obtain their public water 

supplies from artesian wells. Wells are continually being drilled on 

plantations, and they afford waters suitable for drinking and for most 

ordinary purposes. Such waters might be used, particularly where 

flows can be obtained, for irrigation, although this has been attempted 

on only a small scale. An account of the large returns from 14 acres 

of land in Dougherty County irrigated from an artesian well is given 

on page 239.

CONTROLLING CONDITIONS.

The following requisite conditions for artesian wells were enumerated by Chamberlin 2 in 1885:

A pervious stratum to permit the entrance and the passage of the water.

A water-tight bed below to prevent the escape of the water downward.

A like impervious bed above to prevent escape upward, for the water, being under 

pressure from the fountain head, would otherwise find relief in that direction.

An inclination of these beds, so that the edge at which the waters enter will be higher 

than the surface at the well.

A suitable exposure of the edge of the porous stratum, so that it may take in a sufficient supply of water.

An adequate rainfall to furnish this supply.

An absence of any escape for the water at a lower level than the surface at the well.

This enumeration has met with general recognition and adoption, 

but in the extensive investigations of underground water carried on

1 Fuller, M. L., Significance of the term "artesian": IT. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 160, pp. 

7-15, 1906.

2 Chamberlin, T. C., The requisite and qualifying conditions of artesian wells: U. S. Geol. Survey 

Fifth Ann. Kept., pp. 134-135,1885.
WATER SUPPLY.

since its publication many exceptional conditions have been found, 

to meet which Fuller 1 has formulated the following essentials:

An adequate source of supply.

A retaining agent offering more resistance to the passage of water than the well or 

other opening. 

An adequate source of pressure.

He has also classified the secondary factors as follows:

Hydrostatic factors (relating to pressure and movement): 

Factors mainly affecting pressure:

Barometric pressure.

Temperature.

Density. 

Factors mainly affecting movement:

Porosity.

Size of pores or openings.

Temperature.

Rock pressure.

Geologic factors (relating to reservoir): 

Character of reservoir. 

Retaining agents. 

Structure of reservoir. 

Topographic conditions. 

Conditions relating to supply:

Catchment conditions.

Conditions of underground feed. 

Conditions of leakage.

CONDITIONS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

The general structure of the Coastal Plain of Georgia may be 

understood by referring to the geologic map (PL III, p. 52) and to the 

sections (PL IV, p. 52). The older formations outcrop along the 

inner margin of the Coastal Plain parallel to the fall line, and the 

strata composing them dip south and southeast and pass beneath 

the younger formations. In going from the fall line to the coast 

one passes over the outcropping edges of successively younger formations, each of which inclines slightly in the direction of the sea. 

Since these formations consist predominantly of sands and porous 

or cavernous limestones interbedded with subordinate layers of clay, 

which serve as confining agents, the conditions are favorable for the 

development of artesian pressure.

The more important conditions which give rise to artesian pressure 

in the underground waters of the Coastal Plain of Georgia are illustrated in figure 3. Layer a is a bed of porous sand underlain by 

crystalline rocks and overlain by clay, both relatively impervious, 

and cut off down the dip by an unconformity. Water enters the 

bed in the catchment area and passes down the dip through the 

porous sand to the point where the bed is cut off; the weight of the

i Fuller, M. L., The controlling factors of artesian flows: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 319, pp. 36,37,1908.
122 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

water in the higher part of the layer produces hydrostatic pressure 

in the water confined in the lower part. Layer & is a bed of porous 

sand confined above and below by relatively impervious clay and 

pinching* out down the dip between the beds of clay; hydrostatic 

pressure is produced in the same manner as in layer a. Layer c 

presents the same conditions except that the downward circulation of 

the water is prevented by the merging of the porous sand down the 

dip into relatively impervious clay. Layer d is a cavernous, waterbearing limestone confined above and below by relatively impervious layers and becoming noncavernous and compact down the dip. 

L'ayer e is a bed of porous sand in which the only hindrance to the 

passage of the water down the dip is friction, which causes a certain 

amount of hydrostatic pressure to be developed.

When a well is drilled to a bed containing water under hydrostatic 

pressure the water immediately rises within the well to the level at 

which the pressure is compensated, or, if this level is higher than the

FIGUEE 3. Section illustrating the more important conditions governing artesian pressure in the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia, o, A pervious water-bearing bed cut off down the dip by an unconformity; 6, a pervious water-bearing bed pinching out down the dip between two relatively impervious strata; c, a pervious water-bearing bed merging down the dip into relatively impervious materials; d, cavernous waterbearing limestones becoming noncavernous and compact down the dip and underlain and overlain by 

relatively impervious strata; e, a pervious water-bearing bed in which artesian pressure is produced by 

friction; v, w, *, y, z, catchment areas of the water-bearing beds a, &, c, d, e, respectively. f

mouth of the well, till it overflows at the surface. The highest 

level to which artesian water will rise at any place is known as its 

static head at that place.

Geologic conditions are suitable for the storage of large quantities 

of pure artesian water at depths of 50 to 1,500 feet or more in all 

parts of the Coastal Plain of Geoigia except in a very small area along 

the fall line. In this respect the Coastal Plain has a great advantage 

over the rest of the State.

The depths of wells in various parts of the Coastal Plain and the 

areas where artesian flows may be expected are shown on the map 

(PL XVIII).

NONARTESIAN WATERS.

In the Coastal Plain of Georgia most underground waters lying 

less than 50 to 100 feet below the surface exhibit no hydrostatic 

pressure and are therefore, by the definition, excluded from the class
. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

iRGE OT1S SMITH, DIRECTOR WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XVIII

/_ OtSJjlETJIO

Location and depth (in feet)

Location and depth (in feet)

Areas of flowing wells 

Includes the areas ir, which flowing well* have 

betn obtained and the area* -in which known 

facts xeem to justify ihe prediction that flowing 

well* can be obtained. Future developments 

will doubtless show that the color should be 

extended farther vpdream along'many of the 

valleys, and it is doubtless possible to obtain 

flowing wells in the valleys of many small 

tributary streams not shown on the map. Deep 

drilling will probably show also that the broad 

areas of flowing well* in the Dougherty Plaint 

in the southwest, anl bordering the Atlantic 

coast should be extended somewhat beyond the 

limits indicated on the nutp.

CKIiKY-Xx L A

Base from U. S. Geological Survey 

1.000,000 scale map of the United States 

>w in preparation.

MAP SHOWING UNDERGROUND WATER RESOURCES OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA

PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF T. WAYIAND VAUGHAN BY L. W. STEPHENSON ASD OTTO VEATCH

1

Scale 1,000,000

A HUEN B CO BALriMOPE

Surveyed in cooperation with

the Geological Survey of Georgia

S.W. McCallie. State Geologist.

2O 30

1914
WATER SUPPLY. 123

of artesian .waters. Such, waters are drawn upon by the majority 

of dug or driven wells.

USE OF UNDERGROUND WATERS IN THE COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

SPRINGS.

In the Coastal Plain of Georgia springs furnish, a considerable part 

of the domestic water supply on farms, but they are not so numerous 

nor so extensively used as in the other parts of the State. Lumpkin, 

Stewart County; Buena Vista, Marion County; Americus, Sumter 

County; and Columbus, Muscogee County, are the only towns which, 

derive their public water supplies in whole or in part from springs.

A number of limestone springs in the region yield sufficient quantities of water to supply cities but have remained practically unused, 

chiefly on account of their location. Large limestone springs occur 

in Dougherty, Decatur, Worth, Baker, Webster, Crisp, Wilcox, 

Brooks, Laurens, Washington, Jefferson, Burke, Jenkins, and 

Screven counties.

SHALLOW WELLS.

The principal source of water supply in the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia is, at present, wells of the dug, bored, and driven types, 

ranging in depth from 10 to 100 feet. Such wells are constructed at 

small cost, for they penetrate mainly unconsolidated sands and 

clays with only subordinate amounts of hard rock. Commonly 

they yield sufficient water to meet ordinary household needs, but 

some of them fail in times of drought. Along the coast, however, 

such failure is unusual.

Waters obtained from shallow wells are generally soft and where 

proper precautions against surface contamination have been taken are 

suitable for domestic use.

ARTESIAN WELLS.

Probably between 700 and 800 artesian wells are now in use in the 

Coastal Plain of Georgia. They constitute the public water supplies 

in many towns and cities and are numerous in villages and rural 

districts. New wells are constantly being added to the number 

already in use, and the future will doubtless witness still more 

rapid development; indeed artesian wells will probably become 

the chief source of water supply.

There is no present evidence that the available supply of artesian 

water is decreasing in amount, but it is not improbable that, locally, 

the demand will in the course of time become so great as to materially 

lower the water table. In and adjacent to the centers of population the needless waste of artesian waters should therefore not be 

permitted.
124 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Most of the artesian wells now in use range in depth from 100 

to 1,000 feet and are drilled at a cost of $1 to $5 per foot, the price 

depending on local conditions such as the nature of the strata encountered in drilling, the depth, and other factors.

The distribution and depths of wells already drilled and the areas 

of probable artesian flows are shown on the map (PI. XVIII). Detailed information is given in the table at the end of each county 

description.

STRATIGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF UNDERGROUND WATERS. 

WATER IN CRETACEOTTS SYSTEM.

All the Cretaceous formations of Georgia contain water-bearing 

beds, but differences in texture and degree of compactness and in 

mineral composition render certain of them more favorable than others 

as sources of artesian supplies.

LOWER CRETACEOUS SERIES.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits contain abundant supplies of excellent water suitable for both domestic and industrial purposes. The 

numerous beds of coarse-grained sand favor the admittance of large 

quantities of water into the deposits, and as the beds do not outcrop 

to the southward the waters thus admitted can not readily escape 

and are kept in storage. On account of the porosity of many of the 

beds of sand the waters are yielded freely to the wells tapping them.

Along the northern border of the Coastal Plain adjacent to the 

Piedmont Plateau relatively thin Lower Cretaceous deposits 

overlap the crystalline rocks. Active stream erosion has greatly 

dissected the deposits, producing conditions that favor rapid drainage 

from the beds, and the quantity of water carried is therefore small. 

Wells located near this inner margin will generally yield water in 

sufficient quantities for ordinary domestic purposes but will quickly 

cease to yield if subjected to heavy pumping.

Away from the Piedmont-Coastal Plain border (fall line) the 

capacity of the deposits for carrying water increases rapidly coastward, owing to the rapid thickening of the deposits in that direction. 

An idea of this increased capacity may be gained from the account 

of the test wells drilled 3 miles southeast of the fall line at Columbus, 

Muscogee County. (See pp. 351-354.) Six miles or more south of the 

fall line the deposits will probably yield sufficient water to meet all 

demands for years to come.

There is, therefore, a strip of country several miles wide along 

the inner margin of the Coastal Plain in which the feasibility of 

obtaining large quantities of water for supplying the larger towns and 

cities from underground sources is doubtful until established by
WATER SUPPLY. 125

actual test. To the south, of this belt is another belt, 15 or 20 miles 

in width, in which practically inexhaustible supplies may be obtained 

from the Lower Cretaceous deposits by drilling to depths depending 

on the location of the well. On account of the inclination of the 

strata the deposits reach greater depths southward, and wells 

at the outer limits of the belt would have to penetrate 1,000 to 

1,500 feet or more of overlying strata before reaching the waterbearing beds.

The predominance of quartz sand, clay, and kaolin as constituents 

of the formation, and the almost total absence of lime and iron 

pyrites, render the waters in general soft and low in dissolved mineral 

matter, especially at moderate distances from the catchment area 

(belt of outcrop).

UPPER CRETACEOUS SERIES.

Eutaw formation. The irregularly bedded, loose sands which make 

up a considerable part of the Eutaw formation are important aquifers." 

The massive beds of compact sand and clay which occur in the basal 

part of the formation and the compact materials composing the 

Tombigbee sand member in the upper part are relatively impervious 

to water and are therefore unimportant as water bearers. Along the 

northern edge pf the belt of outcrop the formation is thin and carries 

only moderate amounts of water. Farther southward the formation 

thickens and the quantity of the contained waters increases. From 

the southern edge of the outcrop southward beneath the overlying 

Bipley formation the terrane is an important source of artesian supply, 

and it may be regarded as a possible source of potable water for 5 to 

20 miles. It passes to greater depths southward, and at 20 miles it 

lies 500 to 1,000 feet beneath the surface. The artesian wells on the 

Bradley plantation, 5 miles north of Omaha, in Stewart County, tap 

water-bearing beds in this formation. (See p. 387.)

On account of the presence of lime, glauconite, and iron pyrites in 

many of the beds composing this formation, the contained waters are 

apt to be more highly mineralized than the waters obtained from the 

Lower Cretaceous deposits; but within, the geographic limits mentioned the mineral content will generally be too small to render the 

waters unsuitable for domestic or for most industrial purposes.

Ripley formation. The strata composing the Bipley formation are 

in part efficient and in part inefficient water bearers. The typical 

marine beds are, as a rule, either too compact to permit the free 

circulation of the waters", or, if sufficiently loose and porous, contain 

large percentages of lime and iron sulphide (pyrites or marcasite), 

which tend to render the waters hard and ferruginous and unsuitable 

for domestic and industrial purposes. That there are exceptions to 

this rule, however, has been proved by practical tests, for at Euf aula?
126 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Barbour County, Ala., at Fort Gaines, Clay County, Ga., and near 

Fort Gaines in Henry County, Ala., the marine beds have yielded 

sufficient water of satisfactory quality for domestic and for some 

industrial uses.

The irregularly bedded shallow-water phases of the formation, 

which have been classified in part as the Cusseta sand member and in 

part as the Providence sand member, are favorable in both composition and texture to the storage of waters. Some waters derived from 

these beds are more or less ferruginous and sulphurous, but most of 

them are only moderately mineralized.

In Sttewart, Marion, Schley, and Macon counties the Cusseta sand 

member dips southeast beneath the typical marine strata of the formation and passes to greater depths. For 15 or 20 miles or perhaps 

farther beyond the outcrop the buried representatives of the member 

may be regarded as a practicable source of water. The water-bearing 

beds of the Cusseta member would be reached along the southern 

border of the outcrop at depths of 100 to 300 feet, and at increasingly 

greater depths southward, until at 20 miles it would probably be necessary to drill 600 to 800 feet OP more.

The Providence sand member of the formation is unconformably 

overlain by strata of Eocene age. Just how far to the southeast 

beneath the Eocene strata the member maintains its distinguishing 

shallow-water character is not known, but it probably does so for 

not less than 10 or 15 miles, within which distance it may be everywhere regarded as a probable source of good artesian waters. Within 

the suggested limits the beds should be reached at depths of 100 to 

400 feet beneath the surface.

East of Macon County, in Houston and Twiggs counties, the Providence member directly overlies the Cusseta member and the two 

members together make up the entire thickness of the Kipley formation, probably 800 to 1,000 feet. As both of these members are water 

bearing and as the Lower Cretaceous deposits which directly underlie 

them are also water bearing, there should be little difficulty in obtaining ample supplies of excellent water in this region.

Little is known-of the physical character of the southward extension 

of the Kipley formation beneath the overlying Eocene. That the 

terrane contains waters suitable for domestic and for many industrial 

purposes, at least as far south as Dougherty and Early counties, has 

been proved by practical tests. In wells at Albany, Dougherty 

County, water-bearing beds are tapped in the Eipley formation at 

depths of 660 to 710 feet, 840 fo 900 feet, and 1,310 to 1,320 feet. 

In a well at Blakely, Early County, water-bearing beds were reached 

at 570 and 812 feet, the lower bed furnishing the municipal water 

supply.
WATER SUPPLY. 127 

WATER IN TERTIARY SYSTEM.

EOCENE 8EEIE8.

Midway formation. The Midway formation consists of 200 to 400 

feet of sedimentary deposits, mainly of marine origin, including sands, 

clays, marls, and limestones. The lithologic character of .the formation is favorable for the absorption and circulation of water, and as 

the strata dip continuously southward the terrane is an important 

aquifer.

The belt of outcrop of the Midway formation is 8 to 15 miles wide, 

extending from Clay County northeastward into Macon and Houston 

counties. The elevation of the greater part of this belt above sea 

level is 400 to 550 feet, with somewhat lower elevations along the 

larger streams. The strata composing the formation dip southward 

at the rate of 20 or 30 feet to the mile, but probably become flatter 

under cover of the younger formations. The thickness probably also 

diminishes. The formation is believed to be the source of the water 

of deep wells in Sumter, Lee, Terrell, Randolph, Dougherty, and 

Calhoun counties, in which, south of the belt of outcrop, the top of the 

formation should be reached at 100 to 500 feet. As certain of. the 

formations which overlie the Midway contain large quantities of 

water, it is not everywhere necessary to drill to the Midway.

In the region east of Ocmulgee River no evidence of the presence of 

the formation has been found either in natural outcrops or in wells.

The following wells probably tap water-bearing beds in this formation: (1) At Shellman, Randolph County, a public well, depth 410 feet; 

(2) at Cuthbert, Randolph County, a well owned by the town, depth 

1,000 feet (depth to principal water-bearing bed 340 to 400 feet), 

and a well owned by the Cuthbert Ice Co., depth 435 feet; (3) near 

Ducker station, Dougherty County, the Fort well, depth 547 feet; 

(4) at Montezuma, Macon County, numerous wells less than 160 feet 

deep.

The waters are generally suitable for domestic and for most industrial purposes.

Wilcox formation. The Wilcox formation is relatively thin. It 

outcrops in a narrow belt extending from Chattahooch.ee River to 

Mint River, chiefly in Clay, Randolph, Webster, and Sumter counties. 

So far as known it is not an important aquifer, although it is composed 

in part of beds of sand which probably carry waters in greater or lesser 

quantities.

Claiborne group. The Claiborne group has been subdivided into 

the McBean formation below and the Barnwell sand above. The 

McBean formation includes a lithologic phase which has been designated the Congaree clay member. (See pp. 73-80.) The available 

data are insufficient for discriminating these divisions in wells south
128 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

of the belt of outcrop, or where they are buried by later overlying 

formations, and most of the water-bearing beds are referred to the 

Claiborne group as a whole instead of to one of its subdivisions.

The Olaiborne group outcrops in the northern part of the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia in an irregular belt 2 to 40 miles wide extending 

entirely across the State from Savannah River to Chattahooch.ee 

River. The widest part of the belt is between Savannah and Flint 

rivers, where the beds lap upon the Cretaceous deposits and in places 

extend entirely to and rest directly upon the crystalline rocks of the 

Piedmont Plateau. The Claibome appears at the surface over much 

of Richmond, Burke, Glascock, Jefferson, Washington, Wilkinson, 

Twiggs, and Houston counties. Between Flint and Chattahoochee 

rivers the belt of outcrop is narrow and the Claiborne does not overlap 

and conceal the older formations.

The area of outcrop lies from 200 to 500 feet above sea level, from 

which elevation the strata of the Claiborne group dip southward 

beneath younger formations and probably extend to the coast. 

Little is known, however, concerning the thickness or character of 

the buried portion of the group.

The group is an important aquifer over the area in which it lies 

at or near the surface, the water-bearing beds being tapped by both 

shallow nonartesian wells and by deep artesian wells. The flowing 

wells at Louisville, Wadley, Bartow, Midville, and other places are 

located on the Claiborne and derive their waters from this group, 

chiefly from the McBean formation, at depths of 150 to 350 feet. 

The base of the McBean formation east of Ocmulgee River consists 

of 50 to 100 feet of clay or fuller's earth (Congaree clay member), 

which is relatively impervious and carries very little water, but 

which is overlain by coarse unconsolidated water-bearing sands. 

Southward it merges into alternating beds of sandy marl, limestone, 

and sand. The Claiborne consists in the main of irregularly bedded 

sands, clays, and marls, and, as individual beds of definite lithologic 

character are not persistent, the rainfall percolates readily through 

the strata, notwithstanding the local beds of impervious clay.

Flowing wells from this group may be expected along the lower 

lands bordering Oconee River in Laurens County, Ogeechee River in 

Jefferson, Burke, and Jenkins counties, and Briar Creek in Burke 

and Screven counties. At depths of not more than 500 feet the 

Claiborne should furnish large supplies in the northern parts of 

Laurens, Johnson, Emanuel, Jenkins, and Screven counties.

Deep wells at Wrightsville, Swainsboro, Millen, Millhaven, and 

elsewhere east of Ocmulgee River probably obtain their supplies 

from this group. West of Ocmulgee River few wells are known to 

obtain their waters from the Claiborne group.
WATEB SUPPLY. 129

* The waters from the Claiborne group are generally suitable 

both for domestic and for most industrial purposes. None of those 

analyzed shows excessive total solids, the amount being generally 

less than 300 parts per million. The waters are hard, and some of 

them emit an unpleasant odor of hydrogen sulphide.

Jackson formation. The Jackson formation consists mainly of 

limestone, more or less sandy, having a maximum thickness of 150 

feet or less. It outcrops in a narrow belt chiefly in Sumter, Dooly, 

Houston, Twiggs, Wilkinson, and Laurens counties and is believed 

fo underlie a large area to the south and southeast. Its more sandy 

portions and perhaps also some solution caverns in it contain artesian 

waters in large quantities and of suitable quality for domestic and for 

most industrial purposes.

OLIGOCENE SERIES.

Vicksburg formation.~The Vicksburg formation is an important 

aquifer. It consists mainly of porous limestones but also contains 

thin beds of clay and water-bearing sand. Throughout the area of 

outcrop the surface materials are residual argillaceous sands and 

sandy clays in which masses of flint are common and through which 

much water is admitted into the beds. The maximum thickness of 

the formation is believed to be about 300 feet. The area of outcrop 

ranges in elevation above sea level from about 125 to 450 feet.

The catchment area of the formation (see PI. Ill, p. 52) is a belt 

5 to 35 miles wide, embracing about 1,500 square miles, and extending 

from the Oconee River valley in Laurens County to Chattahoochee 

River in the southwestern part of the State. Its widest part is in 

the southwest. The beds dip gently to the southeast and south and 

under cover of the later formations extend to the Atlantic coast and 

to Florida.

The formation carries large quantities of water which throughout 

the area of outcrop can be obtained by drilling to depths of 100 to 

400 feet. At a few places the formation will yield flows. In drilling 

underground streams and cavities are frequently tapped and 

afford large supplies of water. Water is also obtained from layers 

of sand interbedded with the limestones. East of Flint River, in the 

wire-grass region or Altamaha upland, the water-bearing beds of the 

formation are tapped by many deep wells. The depth to the formation in the region south and east of the outcrop varies from 50 or 100 

feet in the northwest to perhaps 500 or 600 feet near the Atlantic 

coast. However, in wells the formation can not be easily differentiated from the underlying Jackson formation, nor from the overlying 

Chattahoochee formation, both of which are also water bearing.

38418° WSP 341 15 9
130 UNDER&KOUND WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

The water has a low mineral content, is potable, and is used for 

general domestic purposes; the hardness is sufficient to render it 

somewhat objectionable in boilers and in laundries.

If the area west of Flint River were to become thickly populated, 

there might be some danger of pollution, for surface waters doubtless 

gam access to the underground supply through the numerous lime 

sinks.

CJwManoochee formation. The Chattahoochee formation is composed mainly of soft porous limestone, but it also contains beds of 

calcareous clay and sandstone. The area of outcrop is relatively 

small, including a narrow belt east of Flint River in Decatur, Mitchell, 

Dougherty, Worth, and Crisp counties, isolated areas along the 

Florida line in Grady, Thomas, Brooks, Lowndes, and Echols counties, 

and small areas in the northeast in Screven, Jenkins, and Burke 

counties. The formation also probably outcrops along Ocmulgee 

River near Abbeville in Wilcox and Dodge counties. Although the 

area of outcrop is small, the formation is present throughout the greater 

part of south and southeast Georgia beneath the Alum Bluff formation. The thickness of the terrane is estimated to be 100 to 150 feet. 

The limestones are in part porous and cavernous and throughout much 

of the region carry large quantities of water. As the catchment area 

is small much of the water probably enters the formation through 

lime sinks, although a considerable part of it may find its way by 

percolation through the overlying Alum Bluff formation.

In the area outlined the formation lies at depths ranging from a few 

feet along its northwestern margin to estimated depths of 400 or 500 

feet along the coast. Over the greater part of the region its depth 

does not exceed 350 feet. The waters of deep artesian wells at Waycross 0), Valdosta, Quitman, Boston, Thomasville, Adel, Lumber 

City, and Rockyford are believed to be obtained in whole or in part 

from this formation.

The waters of the Chattahoochee are hard, and in places emit a 

strong odor of hydrogen sulphide, but they are potable and are suitable for domestic and for most industrial purposes. Where lime sinks 

occur, as in Brooks, Lowndes, and Thomas counties, the danger of 

contamination from surface sources renders it desirable to sink wells 

to lower formations.

Mum Bluff formation. The Alum Bluff formation consists of sandy 

clays, in places resembling fuller's earth, and subordinate amounts of 

sand, sandstone, and marl or limestone. On account of its predominantly argillaceous character the formation is not an important 

aquifer, although it contains local water-bearing beds.

The outcrops of the strata are confined roughly to the area east of 

Flint River and south of Cordele, Dublin, Tennille, Midville, and
WATER SUPPLY. 131

Millen. In its distribution the formation corresponds approximately 

to the underlying Chattahoochee formation. The strata dip slightly 

southward. On the north their maximum elevation is 300 to 400 feet 

above sea level, and on the coast, in Mclntosh, Glynn, and Camden 

counties, they lie 100 feet or more below sea level. Throughout the 

greater part of its extent it is overlain by the undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits.

In the area outlined, except in the coast counties, the formation lies 

at depths of not more than 100 or 150 feet, and at many places it is 

very near the surface. Although locally the formation furnishes large 

supplies of water its water content is in the main relatively small and 

at many places it is necessary to sink wells to the limestones of the 

underlying Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, or Jackson formations. In 

wells the deposits can not be sharply differentiated from the underlying Chattahoochee formation. Near the Florida line, in Decatur, 

Grady, Thomas, Brooks, and Lowndes counties, the larger streams 

have cut their valleys entirely through the deposits, exposing the 

underlying limestones of the Chattahoochee formation, thus permitting the freer escape of the contained waters and lessening the chance 

of obtaining artesian supplies. la the southeastern part of the 

Coastal Plain, conditions are more favorable for the presence of artesian waters in the deposits, and it is probable that many of the flowing 

wells in Mclntoch, Liberty, Glynn, and Camden counties derive their 

waters from this source.

The waters from these deposits are potable and are as suitable for 

domestic and industrial purposes as those of the underlying formations. Where large supplies happen to be found in them nothing will 

be gained by drilling deeper except where there is a probability of 

obtaining artesian flows.

MIOCENE SERIES.

Less definite information is at hand regarding the Miocene of 

Georgia than concerning any other geologic division of the Coastal 

Plain of the State. However, it is believed that 200 or 300 feet of 

sands, clays, and marls of Miocene age exist along the coast and that 

these deposits constitute a very important artesian reservoir. (See 

pp. 97-100.)

The Miocene deposits are almost entirely hidden by younger formations, the area of outcrop being insignificant. The deposits probably 

nowhere extend more than 50 or 60 miles back from the ocean front, 

and they probably nowhere reach an elevation of 100 feet above sea 

level. It is believed that some of the artesian wells less than 150 or 

200 feet deep in Camden, Glynn, and Mclntosh counties, and on the 

sea islands of Liberty, Bryan, and Chatham counties, obtain their 

supplies from Miocene strata.
132 UlsTDEBGEOUlsrD WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

The few available analyses of Miocene waters show moderately 

hard waters, most of which emit rather strong odors of hydrogen sulphide. The waters are used for both domestic and manufacturing 

purposes.

PLIOCENE? SERIES.

The Charlton formation (probably Pliocene), which outcrops along 

St. Marys River on the Florida side and adjacent to Charlton County, 

Ga., is believed to be relatively thin and of small geographic extent 

and is therefore considered unimportant as a source of water.

UNDIFFERENTIATED OLIGOCENE TO PLEISTOCENE, INCLUSIVE.

The surface material over the greater part of the region east of 

Flint River, in an area the northern limit of which is marked approximately by a line connecting Unadilla, Hawkinsville, Dublin, 

Tennille, Wadley, Waynesboro, and Girard, although small isolated 

areas probably occur north of these towns and west of Flint River, 

consists of irregularly bedded sands, clays, and gravels, and contains 

water-bearing beds. However, as the deposits are relatively thin 

and are broadly distributed as a nearly horizontal sheet the contained 

waters are under little or no hydrostatic pressure and belong mainly 

to the nonartesian class. The deposits are overlain by a thin covering 

of gray sand, which is in the main residual but is in part of Pleistocene, 

terrace origin.

Most of the shallow wells in the area just outlined tap water-bearing 

beds, and numerous small springs issue at the contacts of local beds 

of clay and sand. The shallow wells yield sufficient quantities of 

water for farm and domestic use except in times of unusual drought; 

large, permanent supplies from these formations are not to be 

expected.

The waters of the deposits are generally soft and are low in their 

content of dissolved mineral matter, and are wholesome where 

properly protected from surface contamination. . Some seepage 

springs have been noted, the waters of which are sufficiently ferruginous to render them disagreeable to the taste.

WATER IN QUATERNARY SYSTEM.

PLEISTOCENE SERIES.

The marine Pleistocene terrace deposits, which cover a large area 

bordering the Atlantic coast (PL III, p. 52), and the alluvial terrace 

deposits of Pleistocene age, which are present in small areas bordering the larger rivers of the Coastal Plain, contain nonartesian 

waters which are tapped by numerous shallow dug or driven wells. 

The water in these wells frequently stands within a foot or two of 

the surface. On account of the high content of organic matter in
APPLING COUNTY. 133

many of the waters from shallow sources and their liability to pollution they are not considered as suitable as artesian waters for 

domestic uses.

The terrace deposits bordering the larger rivers are thin and do 

not yield large supplies. There are many shallow wells on the terraces along Chattahoochee River, but little detailed information has 

been obtained concerning them. Along Ocmulgee, Altamaha, 

Oconee, and Savannah rivers the lowest terrace plain is swampy 

and is sparsely populated, and for this reason few wells have been 

sunk. There are shallow wells in Pleistocene terrace deposits at 

Macon, Hawkinsville, Lumber City, Dublin, and Augusta, but the 

waters of these wells should not be used for domestic purposes on 

account of the danger of pollution.

COUNTY DESCRIPTIONS.

APPLING COUNTY. 

GENEEAL FEATURES.

Appling County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain. 

Baxley, the county seat, is on the main line of the Southern Railway, 

118 miles from Macon and 69 miles from Brunswick. The area of 

the county is 604 square miles and the population is 12,318 (census 

of 1910). Agriculture and the production of rough lumber and 

naval stores are the principal industries.

TOPOGEAPHY.

The county is nearly level to gently rolling; the southern part lies 

within the Satilla drainage basin, the principal streams being Little 

Satilla River and Hurricane Creek. The divide between the Altamaha and the Satilla drainage basins is a flat pine-woods country, 

which is traversed by the Southern Railway. Shallow cypress ponds 

from 100 to 200 feet in diameter and bays and upland swamps, many 

of them several hundred acres in extent, dot this plain. Big Pond, 

7 miles north of Baxley, has an area of 7 or 8 square miles. In the 

north, near Altamaha River, which forms the northern boundary, 

the land is rolling. In the west numerous creeks and branches flow 

sluggishly through shallow valleys.

The known elevations above sea level along the Southern Railway 

are; Graham, 240; Pinegrove, 229; Baxley, 206; Wheaton, 201; 

Surrency, 187. The elevation of the swamp along Altamaha River, 

as estimated from elevations established on the river by the United 

States Corps of Engineers, is hardly more than 75 or 80 feet above 

sea level, and the elevation of the swamp of Little Satilla River, in 

the extreme southeast corner of the county, is about the same.
134 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN" OF GEORGIA.

GEOLOGY.

Except for Pleistocene terrace deposits of sand and clay, laid down 

in narrow areas bordering Altamaha River, the surface materials 

throughout the greater part of the county consist of undifferentiated 

deposits of Oligocene and later age, comprising irregularly bedded 

sands and sandy clays, and interbedded layers of argillaceous sandstone and quartzite. These surficial deposits are the source of the 

waters obtained in shallow wells. Beneath them throughout the 

entire county is the Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet 

or more of soft sandy clays and sands with interbedded thin layers of 

soft sandstone and quartzite, and which outcrops in the bluffs of 

Altamaha River.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by 400 feet or more of 

water-bearing limestones, which probably represent in descending 

order the Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, and Jackson formations, and 

which contain important water-bearing beds. Beneath the limestones, in descending order, is a series of sands, clays, and marls of 

Eocene and Cretaceous age, probably aggregating several thousand 

feet in thickness, which at an undetermined depth rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The shallow wells of the county, both dug and driven, range in 

depth from 10 to 50 feet. These wells draw from the undifferentiated 

surficial deposits and afford abundant supplies of soft but not always 

wholesome water. The land is low and poorly drained, and in rainy 

periods the water stands very near the surface and has an unpleasant 

taste due to iron or to organic matter. Small seepage springs occur 

throughout the county.

Information in regard to deep-seated water is very scanty. However, the prospects may be considered good for obtaining abundant 

supplies of potable water at depths of 150 to 1,000 feet or more. The 

Alum Bluff formation probably contains water-bearing sands at 

depths of 150 to 250 feet or more, and the upper part of porous 

water-bearing limestones referred to the Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, 

and Jackson formations should be reached at depths of 350 or 400 

feet. Flowing wells probably can not be obtained in the county, 

except, possibly, on a small area of lowland bordering Altamaha 

River.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Baxley (population 831, census of 1910). The town of Baxley 

owns an artesian well which supplies the greater part of the population with water for domestic use. The well, which was drilled in
BAKER COUNTY. 135

1895, was originally 461 feet deep, but has since become partly filled 

with sand, and is now only 204 feet deep. The water, which is probably derived from Alum Bluff strata at a depth of about 200 feet, 

rises to within about 80 feet of the surface, and is clear, potable, and 

soft, differing in the latter respect from most of the deep-well waters 

of this part of the Coastal Plain. The water is notable for its high 

content of silica and for the appreciable amount of phosphorus 

which it contains, but is suitable for domestic purposes, so far as can 

be determined from a mineral analysis. The following analysis of a 

sample of the water was made by Edgar Everhart: 1

Analysis of water from 204-foot town well at Baxley.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO2)..................... v ............................ 97

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe2O3 4- A12O3).................... 17

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 3. 9

Magnesium (Mg)............................................... .7

Sodium (Na)................................................. 13

Potassium (K)................................................ 4. 4

Carbonate radicle (CO3)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3)................................... 27

Sulphate radicle (SO4)........................................ 1. 6

Chlorine (Cl)..................."............................... 12

Phosphate radicle (PO4)...................................... 5. 4

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 169

Free carbon dioxide (CO2).................................... 31

New Lacey. An oil-prospecting well, reported to be 440 feet deep, 

has been drilled on the John Aldredge farm, a mile southeast of New 

Lacey. Water rises to within 50 feet of the surface.

BAKER COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Baker County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain between Flint and Chattahoochee rivers. Its area is 357 square miles 

and its population 7,973 (census of 1910). The county contains no 

large towns or manufacturing establishments. Agriculture, lumbering, and the production of turpentine and resin are the chief industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is mainly a nearly level plain. Although but few 

determinations of altitude have been made the surface is known to 

range in elevation above sea level from about 125 or 150 feet in the 

southeast to about 200 feet in the north. Lime sinks, small, shallow 

cypress ponds occupying lime sinks, small, open lakes or ponds, and 

broad creek swamps characterize the topography. The drainage of

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 51,1908.
136 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

the county is chiefly by subterranean streams through lime sinks, 

small surface streams being rare. Flint River forms the eastern 

boundary of the county. Two Pleistocene terraces an alluvial plain 

about 15 feet above the river and a higher sand-covered terrace 40 

to 50 feet above the same datum border the river. The tributaries 

of Flint River, Ichawaynochaway, Chickasawhatchee, and Coolewahee creeks, which flow southward through the county, have very 

shallow valleys and very low banks and in places spread out so 

widely in swamps that it is difficult to recognize their main channels.

GEOLOGY.

The county is directly underlain by the Vicksburg formation which 

is estimated to be not less than 300 feet thick. This formation is 

represented at the surface by residual sands and clays and by flint 

fragments. Beneath the residual materials the formation probably 

consists mainly of limestones interbedded, according to well records, 

with sands. A thin deposit of loose residual sand covers the upland, 

and Pleistocene deposits, which have very little bearing on the water 

supply, occur along Flint River and Ichawaynochaway Creek.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 

undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, 

which contain water-bearing beds. The Eocene deposits are underlain by 2,000 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous 

age, beneath which at an undetermined depth is the basement of 

ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous deposits contain important water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The shallow open wells of the county vary in depth from 30 to 40 

feet. The water of many of them is hard and is considered unwholesome. The water is derived from the Vicksburg formation and from 

the residual sands and clays resulting from the weathering of this 

formation. There are several perennial limestone springs in the 

county, but their waters are used only locally for drinking and cooking. The largest are Blue Spring, at the mouth of Coolewahee Creek 

at Newton, and Lester Spring, 8 miles northeast of Newton.

Two deep flowing wells have been obtained in the county, and it 

is probable that others can be obtained anywhere east of Ichawaynochaway Creek. Limestones of the Vicksburg formation will yield 

large supplies of water at depths of 300 feet or less, and the waterbearing strata of the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits which underlie 

the Vicksburg and which furnish flows in Calhoun and Dougherty 

counties will yield waters at depths of 300 to 1,500 feet or more.
BAKES COUNTY. 137

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Newton (population 364, census of 1910). An artesian well owned 

by Newton is 825 feet deep and flows at the rate of 15 gallons per 

minute; the water will rise 35 feet above the surface. McCallie 1 

has published the following log, giving I. B. Perry as authority:

Log of town well at Newton.

Sands and clays. ........................

Rock....................................

Marl....................................

Rock, white, honeycombed, water bearir

Thickness.

Feet. 

80 

300 

200 

100 

120 

25

Depth.

Feet. 

80 

380 

580 

680 

800 

825

The water-bearing 

Eocene. The following 

Everhart: *

strata are probably in the lower part of the 

analysis of the water was made by Edgar

Analysis of water _ 'rom an 825-foot town well at Newton.

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si02)............ ........ 20

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe203+Al203)................... 3. 6

Calcium (Ca)........... 4.5

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 3.2

Sodium (Na)................................................... 59

Potassium (K)................................................. 1.9

Carbonate radicle (C03)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03)..................................... 162

Sulphate radicle (S04).......................................... 9.3

Chlorine (Cl)................................................. 7.0

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 190

,Total hardness................................................. 27

Permanent hardness........................................... 23

Free carbon dioxide (C02).............. ................^....... 74

Elmodel. Elmodel is a small village 12 miles west of Newton. 

According to M. A. Jarrard, driller, an artesian well at this place, 

completed in 1907, is 661 feet deep, and is cased to a depth of 365 

feet. The diameter at the top is 4^ inches and at the bottom 2 

inches. When finished, the water rose in a pipe 30 feet above the 

surface and flowed 70 gallons a minute. A slight decrease in the 

yield is thought to be due to a leak in the casing. The water is used 

for general domestic purposes.

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 52,1908.
138 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN" OF GEORGIA.

Log of well at Elmodel.

Sand and clay. ..........................................................................

Sand.......................'.........,.... .... ........................................

Marl,blue... . ...........................................................................

Stopped on white, porous, water-bearing rock.

Thickness.

Feet. 

160

100

100

10

290

Depth.

Feet. 

160

260

360

370

660

The water probably comes from the Midway or the Wilcox formation of the Eocene.

MimmsviUe. Drilled wells 200 feet deep have been reported from 

near Munmsville, in the southwestern part of the county.

BALDWIN COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Baldwin County is near the central part of Georgia, on the border 

between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 

area is 307 square miles and its population 18,354 (census of 1910). 

Agriculture and the mining and manufacture of clay products are the 

chief industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Approximately the southern half of the county is included within 

the Atlantic Coastal Plain and forms part of the physiographic division known as the fall-line hills. This part of the county is drained 

by Oconee River, the two principal tributaries of which are Town 

Creek and Fishing Creek. The surface has been much dissected by 

these streams and their tributaries and is therefore hilly, the maximum topographic relief being probably between 350 and 400 feet. 

Two narrow, fairly well defined Pleistocene terrace plains have been 

formed along Oconee River, one lying 10 to 20 feet and the other 40 

to 50 feet above low-water level. The general hilly character of the 

area has been thus modified in a tract a mile or more in width bordering the river.

GEOLOGY.

Crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau region or their decomposed products outcrop at the surface over more than half of the 

county and are present beneath Cretaceous and younger deposits in 

the remainder. Coarse, unevenly bedded sands and clays of Lower 

Cretaceous age form the surface materials over the greater part of 

the area between Oconee River and the eastern boundary of the 

county. They rest upon the crystalline rocks, which appear in the 

bed of Oconee River on the west and of Gum Creek on the east. 

Strata of the same age and of similar character rest upon the crystal-
BALDWIN COUNTY. 139

line rocks in the southwestern part of the area south of Milledgeville. 

The maximum thickness of the Lower Cretaceous deposits within the 

county is probably not greater than 100 or 150 feet.

In a small area in the vicinity of Stevens Pottery the Lower Cretaceous sediments are unconformably overlain by relatively thin, 

overlapping sands and clays belonging to the Claiborne group of the 

Eocene. Some terrace loams, sands, and gravels of Pleistocene age 

have been deposited along Oconee River. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.)

WATEK KESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The water supplies for domestic use in the Coastal Plain areas in 

Baldwin County are derived chiefly from wells of the dug type 20 to 

80 feet in depth and from small springs. The waters yielded by both 

wells and springs come principally from the beds of sand which predominantly compose the Lower Cretaceous deposits. The waters are 

of satisfactory quality except where locally contaminated from surface sources.

Small creeks and branches furnish an abundant supply of excellent 

water for the use of domestic animals and for local steam-producing 

plants,

As the Lower Cretaceous strata probably do not exceed a thickness 

of 100 or 150 feet within the county limits, and as only slight artesian 

pressure is developed, wells drawing water from this source can 

scarcely be classed as artesian. However, moderate amounts of 

water of good quality can be obtained from the porous beds of sand 

which largely compose the deposits.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

MiUedgewtte (population 4,385, census of 1910). Milledgeville, the 

county seat, is situated near the fall line, which marks the boundary 

between the Coastal Plain and the Piedmont Plateau.

The town is equipped with a water-supply system concerning which 

the following data have been furnished by Mayor M. S. Bell:

The water plant is owned by the Baldwin County Water Co., of Philadelphia, Pa., and draws from Fishing Creek, 1^ miles northwest of the 

center of the town. Two "pumps, having a combined daily capacity 

of 750,000 gallons, force the water from its source to a standpipe 

which has a capacity of 1'50,000 gallons, and affords a pressure of 

75 pounds. The distributing mains have a total length of 5i miles. 

There are 278 domestic taps and 82 fire hydrants. The total daily 

consumption for all purposes is 250,000 gallons. The water is soft. 

The State farm is located within the basin of Fishing Creek and the 

creek receives the drainage from the farm a short distance above the 

waterworks intake.
140 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Stevens Pottery. So far as reported the only attempt yet made 

to drill a deep artesian well in the county was made in 1893 at the 

Stevens Pottery. W. C. Stevens states that at a depth between 60 

and 75 feet a strong flow of water was encountered but was cased off, 

and drilling was continued through soft "granite" rock to a depth 

of 150 feet. The well has been abandoned. The soft rock was probably the upper decayed portion of the crystalline basement rocks 

which underlie the Lower Cretaceous deposits.

BEN HILL COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Ben Hill County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, in the wire-grass section. Its population (census of 1910) 

is 11,863 and its area is 256 square miles. Fitzgerald, the only 

large town in the county, is the county seat.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is gently rolling and the relief is slight; the elevations 

probably ranging from 325 to 400 feet above sea level. The elevation 

at Fitzgerald, at the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad station, is about 385 feet. Ocmulgee River forms a part of the northern 

boundary of the county and is the only stream of noteworthy size.

GEOLOGY.

The greater part of the county is underlain by 100 feet or less of 

irregularly bedded sands and clays which weather to gray or yellow 

sands several feet thick. These deposits are underlain by the Alum 

Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of greenish-gray 

sands and clays and which appears in the bluff of Ocmulgee River at 

the mouth of House Creek, in the northeastern part of the county. 

The Alum Bluff is probably underlain, in descending order, by the 

Chattahooch.ee and Vicksburg formations (Oligocene) and the Jackson formation (Eocene), which consist mainly of water-bearing 

limestones and the combined thickness of which is probably between 

300 and 500 feet. The Jackson formation is underlain by undifferentiated sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, and these are underlain 

by undifferentiated Cretaceous deposits which at an unknown depth 

rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Water for domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from dug wells of 

shallow depth. The waters of streams and ponds are used locally for 

steam-producing purposes. Springs are comparatively few and are
BEN HILL COUNTY. 141

of little importance. The only deep wells reported are at Fitzgerald 

and Bowens Mill.

Throughout the county wells drilled to depths of 200 to 1,500 feet 

or more may be expected to furnish abundant supplies of water, but 

the prospects for obtaining flows are very poor, except on a narrow 

area of lowland bordering Ocmulgee River, and in the valleys of some 

of the small tributaries entering the river.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Fitzgerald (population 5,795, census of 1910). The town of Fitzgerald owns a water-supply system and obtains water from an artesian well, using 40,000 gallons a day. The water is satisfactory for 

general domestic purposes but is not used for manufacturing. The 

city well (No. 2, Table 1) is 825 feet deep and the water which probably comes from Eocene strata is reported to rise to within 100 feet 

of the surface. The following is an analysis of the water by Edgar 

Everhart: 1

Analysis of water from an 825-foot town well at Fitzgerald.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO2).................................................. 13

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe2O3+Al2O3 ).................. 10

Calcium (Ca).................................................. 20

Magnesium (Mg)...............................:......:...... 5.2

Sodium (Na).................................................. 8.2

Potassium (K)............................................... 1.9

Carbonate radicle (CO3)....................................... .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3).................................... 72

Sulphate radicle (SO4)........................................ 3. 7

Phosphate radicle (PO4)....................................... Trace.

Chlorine (01).................................................. 20

Total dissolved solids......................................... 118

Free carbon dioxide (C02)..................................... 28

There are several wells at Fitzgerald which are reported to be 

about 650 feet deep, and one which is 381 feet deep (No. 3, Table 1). 

The water-bearing beds tapped by these wells are believed to be in 

the undifferentiated Oligocene and Eocene limestones described on 

page 140. McCallie 3 has published the following log of the 381-foot

well:

Log of 381-foot well of Fitzgerald Ice Co., at Fitzgerald.

Quicksand?. ............................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

100

125

156

Depth.

Feet. 

100

225

381

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 123, 1908. 2 Idem, p. 122.
142 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Bowens Mill (population 79, census of 1910). Bowens Mill is a 

small community in the northeastern part of the county, near 

Ocmulgee River. A well (No. 1, Table 1) owned by R. V. Bowens 

is 670 feet deep and is said to flow at the rate of 50 gallons per minute 

at a height of 15 feet above the surface. The water is reported to be 

hard and sulphurous.

TABLE 1. Wells in Ben Hill County.

No.

1

2 

3

No.

1 

2

3

Location.

Bowens Mill 

(near Fitzgerald). 

Fitzgerald _ .

.....do.......

Owner.

R.

F

Cits 

Fit!

Quality.

Analysis, p. 141 ...

V. Bowens,

itzgerald.

r...... .........

Authority.

T.I 

S. ~V

I. Beale.......

V. McCaJlieo.. 

dn____.- _

Use.

Municipal supply. 

Manufacture of ice.

Approximate 1 va-e

level. tion above sea

Feet.

388 

388

a

&

ft

Feet. 

670

825 

381

js

<t>

5

In.

8

Depth principal to 

bed. water-bearing 

Feet.

370- 

500

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

.....do ... ------

Vicksburg for 

tion?

Character.

Porous limestone.

Level ofabove water surface. below or

Feet. 

+ 15

-100

Yield per 

minute.

1

£

Galls. 

50

iPLI

Galls.

100

Remarks.

1 Several other wells at 

Fitzgerald are re- 

\ ported to be about 

650 feet deep. See 

J log, p. 141.

« Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 122,123,1908. 

BEBBIEN COUNTY. 

GENEEAL FEATURES.

Berrien County lies in the south-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, between Alapaha River on the east and Little River on the 

west. Its area is 735 square miles and its population is 22,772 (census 

of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber and naval stores 

are the chief industries. The main industrial use to which the 

waters are put is the production of steam in the boilers of sawmills 

and cotton gins.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level. The principal streams, Alapaha, 

Little, and Withlacoochee rivers, and their numerous small tributaries, flow sluggishly through swamps without definite channels and 

have accomplished little erosion. The valleys are shallow, the maximum relief being about 70 feet. Cypress ponds or swamps are com-
BERRIEN COUNTY. 143

mon on the flat lands in the southern part of the county. The known 

railroad elevations are Adel, 246; Alapaha, 293; Cecil, 250; Enigma, 

309; Lenox, 300; and Sparks, 241.

GEOLOGY.

The surface formation consists of 50 or 60 feet of sands and clays, 

probably Oligocene, and is the source of the water of seepage springs 

and shallow -wells. The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of clays 

and sands having a probable maximum thickness of 200 feet, outcrops in the valleys of Alapaha, Withlacooch.ee, and Little rivers. 

The formation contains local water-bearing beds, as at Milltown, but 

in general it is believed to be of little importance as an aquifer.

Thin coverings of Pleistocene sand and clay, deposited on the narrow terraces bordering the rivers, yield waters locally and are the 

source of a few springs, but are of relatively slight importance as 

aquifers.

Limestones of the Chattahooch.ee formation underlie the Alum 

Bluff formation at probable depths of 250 or 275 feet, and are in turn 

underlain in descending order by the Vicksburg and Jackson formations, which, consist chiefly of limestones. These formations are 

water bearing and will yield abundant supplies.

The Jackson formation is underlain in descending order by undifferentiated strata of Eocene and Cretaceous age, probably having an 

aggregate thickness of 2,000 feet or more, which at an undetermined 

depth rest upon ancient crystalline rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous 

deposits contain important water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Shallow open and driven wells, ranging in depth from 10 to 65 feet 

and yielding soft water, are the principal sources of domestic supply 

in the small villages and rural districts. On the flat lowlands the 

water table is only a few feet beneath the surface and during rainy 

weather is frequently so near the surface that water can be dipped 

from the wells by hand. Driven and bored wells are practicable over 

the whole county, and should be used in preference to open dug wells, 

which are more likely to be contaminated by surface drainage.

In places at or near the edges of swamps or poorly drained depressions there are small seepage springs, some of which yield unwholesome waters. The waters of the ponds, creeks, and rivers are dark 

or black from decayed vegetation.

Artesian water can doubtless be obtained anywhere in the county 

at depths of 100 to 1,500 feet or more, but the chance for obtaining 

natural flows is slight. Artesian wells have been drilled at Adel, 

Sparks, Nashville, Milltown, and Heartsease.
144 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Add (population 1,902, census of 1910). The town of Adelowns 

an artesian well and has a public water-supply system, but a large 

part of the population uses shallow open wells. The public artesian 

well (No. 2, Table 2), drilled in 1907, is 675 feet deep and 10 inches in 

diameter. The water, rises to within 50 feet of the surface and the 

yield is 500 gallons per minute. The water is hard (see analysis 1, 

Table 3) and the content of total solids is high, rendering'it less suitable for general domestic purposes than most of the artesian waters 

of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. The well probably penetrates the 

upper part of the Eocene. S. W. McCallie 1 gives the following account 

of another artesian well (No. 1, Table 2) at this place:

The Adel well, completed in. 1893, is 4£ inches in diameter and 280 feet deep. The 

water rises to within 154 feet of the surface. Mr. J. B. Spencer furnishes the following 

[partial] record:

Log of 280-foot well at Adel.

Feet. 

Sandy soil...................................................... 2

Red clay....................................................... 10

White sand...................................................... 10

Blue clay with sandstone bowlders............................... 125

Fine white sand................................................. 25

Limestone with thin layers of flint (water bearing at 229 feet)...... 100

Sparks (population 842, census of 1910). The town of Sparks owns 

an artesian well 407 feet deep (No. 6, Table 2) which supplies the 

greater p art of the population with water for all purposes. The analysis (No. 2, Table 3) shows a moderately hard carbonate water, calcium 

and magnesium being the principal bases.

Nashville (population 990, census of 1910). Nashville owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from an artesian well 

(No. 5, Table 2) completed in 1907. The water is reported to be 

hard, but is satisfactory in other respects, and is used for general 

domestic purposes and for the manufacture of ice. The well is 436 

feet deep and 6 inches in diameter. The water rises to within 125 

feet of the surface, but is lowered 25 feet, or to 150 feet below the 

surface, by pumping 135 gallons a minute. The shallow wells in the 

town are from 20 to 40 feet in depth and afford soft waters.

Milltown (population 1,247, census of 1910). Open wells, 10 to 30 

feet in depth, are the principal source of water supply at Milltown. 

There is one deep well in the town (No. 4, Table 2), information concerning which has been furnished by McCallie 2 as follows:

The G. V. Gress Lumber Co.'s well, located .at Milltown, was completed October 

25, 1903. The well is 6 inches in diameter and 260 feet deep, and it furnishes a good 

supply of sulphureted water, rising to within 80 feet of the surface. The main water 

supply is said to come from sand 100 feet from the surface. The water is used for drinking and other purposes.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 53,1908. * Idem, p. 55,
BEBRIEN" COUNTY. 145

Heartsease. A deep well at Heartsease (No. 3> Table 2), owned by 

the Gun Manufacturing Co., is reported to be 800 feet deep. The 

water rises to within 300 feet of the surface.

TABLE 2. Wells in Berrien County.

No.- Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completApproximate elevation 

above

sea 

level.

Adel.................

.....do...............

Heartsease..........

Milltown.

Nashville...........

Sparks, 100 yards

northeast of post

office.

Town.................

Gun Manufacturing

Co. 

G. V. Gress Lumber

Co. 

Town

White & Co.

J. B. Spencer a.

.do.

Postmaster............

S.W.McCallie&.......

J. W. Sirmans, mayor. 

Mark McCaine and 

E. R. Slade.

1893

1907

Feet. 

246 

246

1903

1907

1908

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

principal waterbearing

bed.

Depth 

to other

waterbearing

beds.

Level

of water

below

surface.

Yield per minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

280

675

260

436

407

Inches. 

^ 10

Feet. 

229

Feet.

100

400

10

Feet. 

154 

50

300

125

45

Galls. Galls.

 500 

20

Steam 

pump.

Air-lift 

pump.

135

300

Air-lift

pump. 

.....do.....

Hard and sulphurous.

Analysis 1, Table 3. 

Hard.

Sulphurous. 

Hard.

Hard. Analysis 2, Table 3.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character,

Remarks.

Domestic.........

Municipal supply,

Manufacturing.... 

Municipal supply 

.....do...........

Chattahooch.ee formation ? 

Eocene............

do

Limestone.

Alum Bluff formation.

Vicksburg formation?

.....do............

Sand.......

Soft rock... 

Sand.......

See log, p. 144.

10-inch casingto 60 feet. Cost of well, $2,000.

6-inchcasingto300feet. Cost of well, $1,200;

of machinery, $1,200. 

10-inch casing to 407 feet. Cost of well,

$1,000.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 53,1908. 

38418° WSP 341 15 10

fr Idem, p. 55, 56.
146 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 3. Analyses of well waters from Berrien County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica(SiO2),.... .........................................................................

Iron (Fe)..... ..........................................................................

Calcium (Ca)... .........................................................................

Magnesium (Mg). . ......................................................................

Sodium (Na)... .........................................................................

Potassium (K)... ....... ................................................................

"Witratft rarlinlo fN O*^

Chlorine (Cl)............................................................................

1

47

4.0

150

72

\ 22

.0

168

518

.0

21

972

2

si

0

50'-

16

4.3

.6

136

72

5.0

252

1. Well No. 2, Table 2. Sample collected June 13,1911; Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Well No. 6, Table 2. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

BIBB COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Bibb County is in the central part of the State on the border between 

the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its area is 

277 square miles and its population (according to the census of 1910) 

is 56,646. In the city of Macon the chief industries are the extraction 

of cottonseed oil and the manufacture of cotton goods, wagons, agricultural implements, fertilizers, lumber products, and food preparations. Outside of Macon agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The portion of the county included within the Coastal Plain is a 

part of the physiographic division known as the fall-line hills. The 

tops of the higher hills mark the position of a once-existing upland 

plain which has been largely destroyed by the erosion of Ocmulgee 

River and its several tributaries.

Detailed information concerning the topography is lacking, but 

the maximum relief is probably between 300 and 400 feet. The surface, which over much of the area is hilly, has been modified in an 

area several miles wide bordering Ocmulgee River by processes which 

have produced two fairly well defined Pleistocene terrace plains, 

one lying 10 to 20 feet and the other 60 to 75 feet above low-water level 

of the river.

GEOLOGY.

Crystalline rocks, more or less decomposed, probably of preCambrian age, outcrop in the Piedmont Plateau. Their upper 

surface inclines southward and passes beneath the deposits of the 

Coastal Plain which form the surface materials over approximately 

two-thirds of the county. In the Coastal Plain area Lower 

Cretaceous deposits, consisting of several hundred feet of coarse, 

irregularly bedded, arkosic sands with clay lenses, rest immediately
BIBB COUNTY. 147

upon the crystalline basement rocks. These deposits are unconfonnably overlain in a limited area in the southern part of the county 

by the Cusseta sand member of the Rlpley formation, which consists 

of sands and clays similar in character to those constituting 'the 

Lower Cretaceous deposits. A thin overlap of strata belonging to 

the Claiborne group of the Eocene extends from Twiggs County into 

the eastern part of Bibb County and covers the Lower Cretaceous 

deposits in a limited area. (See PL III, p. 52.)

In narrow areas bordering Ocmulgee Kiver Pleistocene terracing 

has taken place, and terrace deposits of loams, sands, and gravels 

20 to 30 feet thick have been deposited upon the Cretaceous beds. 

Thin surficial deposits of gravel, which are present in discontinuous 

patches on the tops and upper slopes of some of the hills southwest 

of Macon, are tentatively referred to the Claiborne group of the 

Eocene.

The beds of sand which predominantly compose the formations of 

the Coastal Plain in this county contain waters of excellent quality 

in great abundance.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The chief sources of domestic water supply in Bibb County outside 

the city of Macon are dug wells 20 to 100 feet or more in depth and 

springs. On the first terrace lands bordering Ocnrilgee River wells of 

shallow depth prevail, and they tap water-bearing beds at the base 

of the Pleistocene terrace deposits. Waters from these sources are of 

satisfactory quality unless contaminated by drainage from dwellings 

and stables. In the hilly areas away from the river it is necessary 

to sink the wells to 100 feet or more, except in the bottoms of the 

small valleys between the hills, where the water table stands nearer 

the surface. Except in a small area in the southern part of the 

county, where the Cusseta sand member is drawn upon, the waterbearing beds tapped by dug wells in the hilly areas are in the Lower 

Cretaceous deposits.

Springs are numerous throughout the Coastal Plain portion of the 

county. Many are small but some yield large quantities of water. 

The spring waters are commonly soft and of good quality, but 

are locally charged with moderate amounts of mineral matter. Two 

springs of commercial importance are White Elk or St. Winifreds 

Spring (see pp. 149-150), 7 miles east of Macon on the Edwards estate, 

and White Oak Spring near Macon, the waters of both of which are 

sold for drinking purposes.

Numerous small creeks and branches afford an abundant supply 

of water for stock and for steam producing.
148 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

The Lower Cretaceous sediments, which constitute the bulk of the 

deposits of the Coastal Plain part of the county, contain numerous 

beds of coarse unconsolidated sand and gravel capable of carrying 

large quantities of water. Except along their northern border, where 

they feather out against the crystalline rocks, these deposits may be 

regarded as a most promising source of artesian supplies. Southward from the border the deposits gradually thicken until in the 

extreme southern part of the county the base of the water-bearing 

strata lies at an estimated depth of 600 feet.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Macon (population 40,665, census of 1910). The city of Macon is 

provided with a water-supply system, information concerning which 

has been furnished byH. S. Edwards, postmaster, and H. T. Lowell.

The plant is owned by the Macon Gas, Light & Water Co. and 

the source of supply is Ocmulgee River. The pumps which lift the 

water to the standpipe have a daily capacity of 10,000,000 gallons. 

The capacity of the standpipe is 3,00.0,000 gallons. The standpipe 

pressure is 50 pounds and the possible direct pressure from the pumps 

is 120 pounds. The length of the distributing mains is 42.7 miles. 

The number of domestic taps is 3,859; manufacturing taps, 68; and 

fire hydrants, 268. The total amount of water used daily for domestic 

purposes, manufacturing, street sprinkling, and sewer flushing is 

approximately 4,500,000 gallons. The water is filtered, after which 

it is satisfactory for all purposes.

Mr. Edwards has also furnished the following information concerning the private wells formerly used in Macon and concerning certain 

wells now in use in the vicinity of Macon:

There are at present no wells in the city proper. Speaking generally and from 

memory, the wells formerly used in the residential portion among the hills were from 

70 to 110 feet in depth. * * * Several of them were highly mineralized, iron predominating. On the lower levels the wells were from 20 to 40 feet deep, the waters 

rising 10 to 12 feet in them.

South of the city, in the river valley, factories, railway shops, and ice works obtain 

a large supply of water from shallow wells. The supply from this source seems inexhaustible and the water is good. I understand, however, that it is destructive of 

boiler flues and is unfit for bleaching purposes in our cotton mills.

An unsuccessful attempt was made in 1890 by the Acme Brewing 

Co., of Macon, to obtain water from a deep artesian source. (See 

weU No. 1, Table 4.)

Walden. Several artesian wells (Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, Table 4) which 

tap water-bearing beds in the Lower Cretaceous deposits have been 

drilled in the vicinity of Walden. The analysis of a sample of water 

from a 265-foot well owned by J. B. Willis (No. 3, Table 4) is given 

in Table 5 (analysis 3). The following is a log of a well (No. 7, 

Table 4) dug near Walden. The owner is authority for the lithology:
BIBB COUNTY. 149

Log of well of W. G. Middlebrooks, 1\ miles west of Walden (No. 7, Table 4)-

-

Upper Cretaceous, Eipley formation, Cusseta sand member:

Thickness.

Feet. 

22

48

12

Depth.

Feet. 

22

70

82

Seven miles south of Macon. A well (No. 2, Table 4) which taps 

a water-bearing bed in the Lower Cretaceous deposits was drilled 

in 1911 on the property of M. G. Thames, 7 miles south of Macon. 

W. J. Floyd, the driller, furnishes the following log:

Log of well of M. G. Thames, 7 miles south of Macon (No. 2, Table 4).

[Eocene? (Claiborne group):]

Bed elay. ...........................................................................

[Lower Cretaceous: 

Whitish clay and "chalk" [white clay]. .............................................

Sand.................................................................................

Soft rock. ...........................................................................

Whiteclay...........................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

1 

19 

6 

8

40 

11 

25 

15 

15 

18 

12 

25 

4 

11 

40 

20 

7

Depth.

Feet. 

1 

20 26 

34

74 

85 

110 

- 125

140 

158 

170 

195 

199 

210 

250 

270 

277

White Elk Spring. White Elk or St. Winifreds Spring is on the 

Edwards estate, in the valley of Swift Creek, 7 miles east of the 

post-office building at Macon. The spring is at present owned by 

Mary R. Edwards and is being exploited by the White Elk Spring 

Co., of Macon. H. S. Edwards furnishes the following particulars:

The spring is one of three emerging from fine sand beneath a bed 

of white clay in close proximity. Glazed tile pipes, driven a short 

distance into the water-bearing sand, conduct the water into a brick 

and cement basin built over the mouth of the spring. The basin is 

covered with plate glass and illuminated by electric light. From 

the basin a galvanized pipe carries a portion of the water to a near-by 

bottling house, the remainder being discharged through another pipe 

into the valley below. The daily yield of the spring is 28,000 gallons, there being no appreciable variation in the rate of yield. The 

water is very clear and soft and is bottled and sold for drinking purposes, the principal market being the city of Macon. (See analyses 

1 and 2, Table 5.)
150 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The source of White Elk Spring is in the Lower Cretaceous sands, 

which here form the northwestern margin of the deposits of the 

Coastal Plain area. Crystalline basement rocks are said to outcrop 

a mile to the east.

Tufts Springs. Tufts Springs, south of Macon at the edge of the 

Ocmulgee River swamp, were formerly the source of the water supply 

of the city of Macon.

TABLE 4. Wells in Bibb County.

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5

6

7

No.

1 

2

3

4 

5 

6

7

Location.

Macon

Macon. 

of. 

Waldei

do

7 miles south

Walden, one-half 

mile west of. 

Walden, 3 miles 

northwest of. 

Walden, 1J miles 

west of.

Depth.

Feet. 

955 

277

265

185 

185 

190 

82

Diameter.

Inches.

4.5

4

4 

4 

3

Owner.

Acme Brewing Co., 

Macon, Ga. 

M.G.Thames.......

J.B.Willis. ........

B. F. Vii 

W. J. Wi

J. A. Wh 

W. G. Mi

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

249-270

250

180? 

185 

185? 

70

Depth 

to 

other

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

195

75

75 

75-100

llis.........

itaciHo

ddlebrooks.

Level 

of

water 

below 

surface.

Feet.

104

70

80 

60 

90

Driller.

W.J. Floyd.....

H. R. Teal, 

Richwood, Ga. 

.....do..........

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

No

Abui

Abui

Pump.

Galls. 

ne. 

20+

dant. 

5 

dant.

Authority.

S. W. McCalli 

W.J. Floyd..

Owner (see 

S. W. McCall 

S. W. McCalli 

Owner (see 

McCallie).o 

do

eo...

also 

ie).o

also

How obtained.

Deep- well cylinder 

and gasolme engine. 

Gasoline engine 

and windmill.

Wiridmill. ........

do............ 

do............

Date 

completed.

1890 

1911 

1898

1898 

1900 

1904

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

333±

6450? 

400? 

400?

Quality.

Soft. Analysis 3, 

Table 5.

Soft. 

Do.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 56-57,1908. 6 On a hill.
BLECKLEY COUNTY. 

TABLE 4. Wells in Bibb County Continued.

151

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

6

7

Use.

Drinking. .........

.....do............

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Lower Cretaceous. 

.....do............ 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Cusseta sand 

member of Kipley formation.

Character.

Sand.............. 

.....do............

Remarks.

Penetrated Lower Cretaceous strata for 

perhaps 100 feet and basement crystalline rocks to bottom. Well a 

failure and abandoned. 

Bored; 44-inch galvanized casing to 203 

feet. See log, p. 149. 

Drilled; 250 feet of 4-inch casing. Cost 

of well, $300. 

Drilled. 

Drilled; 110 feet 4-inch casing. Hard, 

flinty rock 120 to 140 feet. Pumped 

6 hours with engine without lowering. 

Cost of well and windmill, $800. 

Drilled. Cost of well and windmill, 

$600. 

Dug. Cost of well, $60. Cost of windmill, $200. See log, p. 149.

TABLE 5. Analyses of underground waters from Bibb County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

K

3

o

fc

1

2

3

Date of collection.

Dec. 30,1912

^

33

0

s

1 5

6.0

8.8

<D

&-

d

1

0 18

.5

c '<

q

fc

E

£

<!

0.2

!.5

Source.

.....do............

WellofJ.B.Willis.

C3

0

*3|

0

1.3

1.5

1.6

8

1

103

a

o a

1.2

.5

i*"

|

3

o

DQ

?.o

3

1.6

Location.

of post office.

g

1

cd

0 ?,

5

1.0

3

1-

ISO

go_

X!

0

().()

3 9

® . "So 

do

jOC-

^ 3

53 *-1

«*t

5. a

5.0

a.

1 .

so l«

.§ yDQ

3.1

4.0

1.2

Principal waterbearing stratum.

ous.

.....do..........

.....do..........

£

ll

£g

^

5.0

Q

O

o

^

0 8

2.0

1.6

i

*|

$*

03 5

"S So

>

0.5

Depth.

Feet.

250-265

 d

1

^1

J5

EH

16

21

23

Analyst.

A. M. Lloyd.6

Remarks.

Free C02=0.8. See

data, pp. 149-150.

Well No. 3, Table 4.

a Expressed by analyst in grains per gallon and hypothetical combinations; recomputed to parts per 

million and ionic form at U. S. Geol. Survey. 

6 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 57,1908. 

e FegOa+AlaOs.

BLECKLEY COUNTY.

Since this report was transmitted for publication a part of Pulaski 

County has been organized as Bleckley County. This areals described 

under the heading Pulaski County, on pages 359-362.
152 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

BROOKS COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Brooks County is in the extreme southern part of the State, along 

the Florida border. Its area is 514 square miles and its population 

is 23,832 (census of 1910). The county is rich agriculturally and also 

produces lumber and naval stores. The principal manufacturing 

plants are at Quitman, and include a cotton mill, fertilizer factories, 

cottonseed-oil mills, and an ice factory.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county is generally level with, however, 

some gently rolling or slightly'broken land. The southern part of 

the county, south of Quitman, is rolling to hilly, and lime sinks and 

ponds are more common than in the north. This part of the county 

is embraced in the southern lime-sink region (pp. 34-35) of the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia. The principal streams are Withlacooch.ee and 

Little rivers and Ocopilco Creek, all of which are sluggish darkwater streams originating in the Coastal Plain. Withlacooch.ee and 

Little rivers are bordered by two narrow fluviatile terrace plains, 

the first lying 12 to 15 feet and the second 35 to 40 feet above low 

water. The rivers are no.t bordered by swamps but flow canal-like 

through the first terrace plain.

The known elevations with reference to sea level are Quitman, 173 

feet; Dixie, 130 feet; and water level, Withlacoochee River, Atlantic 

Coast Line Railroad bridge, 81 feet. From an estimate based on 

elevations along the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway, in Lowndes 

and Berrien counties, the higher land in the northern part of the 

county probably reaches 250 feet above sea level.

GEOLOGY.

The undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits and the 

Alum Bluff and Chattahoochee are the surficial formations of the 

county everywhere except along Withlacoochee and Little rivers, on 

which thin Pleistocene terrace deposits appear. The waters of the 

shallow wells come from the formations named. Irregularly bedded 

sands and clays constitute the surface material over much of the 

county but are not so thick as they are farther north, having been 

largely removed by erosion along the streams and in the southern 

part of the county, where the soils are derived from the Alum Bluff 

formation. The Alum Bluff formation, which consists principally of 

fine-grained, drab or gray, unctuous or slick clays interbedded with 

sands', is the source of the water in some of the shallow wells but 

probably will not yield artesian supplies. The Chattahoochee formation, which underlies the Alum Bluff formation, consists prin-
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XIX

A. WADE SPRING, 7 MILES EAST OF QUITMAN, BROOKS COUNTY. 

This Is a limestone spring having an estimated yield of 15,000,000 gallons a day. Photograph byS. W. McCallie.

B. SMALL RICE AND LUMBER MILL AT TARBORO, CAMDEN COUNTY, OPERATED BY THE 

COMBINED FLOW OF THREE ARTESIAN WELLS.

Photograph by S. W. McCallie.

BEOOKS COUNTY. 153

cipally of soft, cavernous, water-bearing limestones, and as a rule 

contains hard water. This formation appears in the banks of Withlacoochee River, in the southeastern part of the county, but elsewhere 

lies from 50 to probably 200 feet beneath the surface. The Vicksburg formation underlies the Chattahoochee formation, and the combined thickness of the two is probably 500 or 600 feet. Beneath the 

Vicksburg formation Eocene strata and, at still greater depths, 

Cretaceous strata doubtless exist, and these probably contain waterbearing beds. At an undetermined depth the Cretaceous strata are 

believed to rest on a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The shallow wells are from 10 to 50 feet deep and are reported to 

yield soft waters. In some of the wells water is obtained from sand 

underneath clay layers, and where such wells are properly curbed the 

water is probably safe for drinking purposes. In many of the wells 

in the low moist lands the water stands within 4 or 5 feet of the surface and, owing to the danger of contamination, can scarcely be considered suitable for domestic purposes.

There are small seepage springs and a few large limestone springs 

in the county. Blue or Wade Spring, 7 miles east of Quitman, has an 

estimated flow of 15,000,000 gallons per day.1 (See PI. XIX, A.) 

Mclntyre Spring, near Withlacoochee River, close to the Florida 

line, probably flows twice this amount. Although the waters from 

these springs are cool, clear, and apparently free from pollution, they 

are not extensively used as sources of water supply, chiefly on account 

of their distance from large communities.

The only artesian wells concerning which detailed information has 

been obtained are at Quitman (see pp. 154-155)., but it is probable that 

artesian water can be obtained at moderate depths at any place in the 

county, although there is but little likelihood of flows except perhaps 

in a small area of lowland along Withlacoochee River. (See map, 

PL XVIII, p. 122.) Water can be obtained from cavernous limestones 

at depths less than 300 or 350 feet, as demonstrated by the Quitman 

wells. It is suggested, however, that wells be drilled to greater 

depths and that the upper water-bearing beds be cased off in order to 

avoid possible pollution of the water by surface drainage entering 

through lime sinks. That such pollution is possible has been clearly 

demonstrated by experiments 2 at Quitman.

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 58,1908.

2 McCallie, S. W., U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 110, pp. 45-54,1905.
154 UErnERGBOUETD WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Quitman (population 3,915, census of 1910). Artesian wells are the 

principal source of water supply.

J. W. Spencer * gives the following partial log of the first well (No. 

5, Table 6), drilled in 1884 at the Quitman waterworks plant.

Partial log of first municipal well at Quitman.

Rock, 3 feet, after which the drill fell 6 feet into a stream of water ......................

Sand and clay ..........................................................................

Sand...................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

70

30

9

77

114

40

45

Depth.

Feet. 

70

100

109

186

300

340

 385

The water rose from 109 feet to within 30 feet of the surface.

A well (No. 6, Table 6) 2 drilled in 1903 to a depth of 321 feet at 

the waterworks plant at Quitman furnished the municipal water supply until 1910. Two water-bearing beds are said to have been encountered, one at 123 feet and the other at 310 feet. An analysis 

of the water from the 310-foot stratum is given in Table 7 (analysis 2).

In 1910 a third well (No. 3, Table 6) was drilled, which now furnishes the municipal water supply. This well is 699 feet deep and 

10 inches in diameter. It yields 400 to 500 gallons of water per minute by pumping without perceptibly lowering the static head. The 

water used comes from beds below 650 feet, the upper water-bearing 

beds having been cased off. These beds are probably in the Jackson 

formation of the Eocene. The following record of the well has been 

furnished by J. M. Curtwright, superintendent of the city water and 

light department:

Log of well drilled at the new water and light plant, Quitman. 

[Authority, C. E. Edwards.]

Gray limestone and bowlders of flint, water bearing at 440, 647, and 685 feet (bold streams 

at last two depths) ....................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

25

18

32

10

15

15

44

31

110

25

11

24

339

Depth.

Feet. 

25

43

75

85

100

115

159

190

300

325

336

360

699

i Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 74,1891.

a U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 110, pp. 45-54,1905.
BROOKS COUNTY. 155

An analysis of water from the 699-foot well is given in Table 7 

(analysis 1).

Several private wells in and near Quitman, most of them less than 

350 feet deep, probably draw from the Chattahoochee formation.

Barwick (population 381, census of 1910). The village of Barwick 

has no public water-supply system. Water for domestic use is obtained from dug and bored wells 25 to 60 feet deep, which, as a 

rule, yield abundant soft water. A bored well 50 feet deep (No. 1, 

Table 6), owned by the Farmers' Ginning Co., is reported to yield 

100 gallons a minute-by pumping.

Morven (population 383, census of 1910). At Morven, water is 

obtained mainly from dug and bored wells 18 to 50 feet deep and from 

two wells 150 to 200 feet deep. The water of the shallow wells is soft, 

but that of the deep wells is said to contain considerable lime and 

probably comes from the limestone beds of the Chattahoochee formation. (See well No. 2, Table 6.)

TABLE 6. Wells in Brooks County.

No.

1

2 

3 

4

5

6

7 

8

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8

Location.

Barwic

MorveH 

Quitma 

Quitma 

atOg 

Quitms 

tion) 

Quitms 

Quitms 

Quitms

Depth.

50 

200? 

699 

92 

500 

321 

120 

90±

k. ....................

in. ...... 

n, f mile 

lesby rru 

n (near

in (near 

n (near 

n, 2 mile

Diameter.

Inches. 

8

io

6 

6

10(?)

northwest of, 

ill. 

pumping staBussel Pond) . 

s northeast of.

Depth 

to principal

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

650-699

87

310 

120

80±

Owner.

Farmers' Ginning Co.

City............

City.. ..........

...rfo.--...

.....do..........

Quitman Power 

Co.

Depth 

to other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

(*)

123

Level 

of water 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

30 (<)

77 

48

77 

77

Yield 

permin 

uteby 

pumping.

Galls. 

100

400

Driller.

C. E. Edwards..

Authority.

C.T.I

C. B. 

J. M.

S. W.

S.W. 

dc

leadley ....

Curtwright. . 

McCallieo..

McCallieoft. 

i . ...

.....do............

S. W. MeCallieo..

How obtained.

Deep-well pump ......

completed. Date 

1907

1910 

1903

1884

1903 

1905 

1905

Approximate ele- vation above 

level. sa 

Feet.

173

173

173 

173

Quality.

Soft. 

Hard. 

Analysis 1, Table 7.

Analysis 2, Table 7.

« Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 58-60, 1908. c Nonflowing. 

6 U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 110, pp. 45^54, 1905. d See log, p. 154.
156 UNDEBGEOUND WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

TABLE 6. Wells in Brooks County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6

7 

8

Use. '

Domestic and 

boiler supply.

Municipal supply. 

Boiler supply ..... 

Municipal supply.

Drainage. .........

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Alum Bluff formation? 

Chatta h o o c h e e 

formation? 

Jackson formation? 

Alum Bluff formation. 

Vicksburg formation? 

Chattahoochee 

formation?

Character.

Remarks.

There is another similar well at this 

place. 

See log, p. 154.

Cost of well, $3,000. See log, p. 154.

Used for draining ponds. 

Do.

TABLE 7. Analyses of artesian waters from Quitman. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (SiO»)............................................................................

Bicarbonate radicle (HCOg)................, ............................................

Chlorine (Cl)...... ......................................................................

1

17

.2

39

9.4

4.9

3.7

154

3.8

4.6

159

2

28

13

2.6

23

9.1

4.1

.7

.0

120

Trace.

5.8

153

90

1. Well No. 3, Table 6. Depth of principal water-bearing bed, 650-699 feet. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Well No. 6, Table 6. Depth of principal water-bearing bed, 310 feet. Edgar Everhart, analyst 

(Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 59-60,1908).

BBYAN COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Bryan County is one of the seacoast counties in the southeastern 

section of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Ogeechee River forms its 

eastern boundary and Canoochee River its western boundary from 

the northwestern corner southeastward for about 20 miles, whence it 

flows eastward and divides the county into two parts. The area of 

the county is 431 square miles and its population is 6,702 (census of 

1910). There are no cities or large towns and water is not used 

extensively for industrial purposes. Lumber and naval stores are 

the chief products.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The southern half of the county, embracing practically all the land 

lying south of Canoochee River, is a terrace plain 10 to 30 feet above 

sea level. From the western edge of this lower plain, which lies
BRYAN COUNTY. 157

within the physiographic division known as the Satilla coastal lowland 

(see pp. 36-38), the land gradually rises to the Okefenokee plain, 

40 to 100 feet above sea level, and the plain to the Altamaha 

upland, of which the northern third of the county forms a part. 

The greater part of the county is poorly drained and is swampy. 

A considerable area of salt marsh lies adjacent to the mouth of 

Ogeechee River, and tide-swamp land extends upstream several miles 

beyond the salt marsh proper. Small ponds supporting a growth of 

cypress or gum characterize the higher plain.

GEOLOGY.

The surface deposits are sands and clays or silts, mainly of Pleistocene age, but in the northwestern part of the county are surficial materials which are mapped as undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, 

inclusive. In the surficial formations the water table stands within 

a few feet of the surface and is obtained in wells 10 to 30 feet deep. 

The Pleistocene and undifferentiated deposits are thought to be not 

more than 50 feet thick. Beneath the surficial deposits are strata 

of probable Miocene age, and beneath the Miocene are other strata 

of probable upper Oligocene age, referable to the Alum Bluff formation. The combined thickness of the Miocene and the Alum Bluff 

formation probably does not exceed 250 or 300 feet. These formations consist mainly of sands and clays with subordinate beds of 

hard rock. The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by several 

hundred feet of soft porous limestones, shell marls, and calcareous 

sands and clays, which may represent in descending order the 

Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the 

Jackson formation of the Eocene. The limestones are important 

aquifers and in the southern and eastern portions of the county, 

at depths of 300 to 450 feet, may be expected to yield abundant 

supplies of water which will flow at the surface. Beneath the limestones are marls and sands of Eocene age, probably aggregating a 

thickness of 1,000 feet or more. Strata of Cretaceous age underlie 

the Eocene at depths of 1,500 to 1,800 feet or more, but nothing 

definite is known concerning them; at an undetermined depth they 

probably rest upon ancient crystalline basement rocks.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The shallow wells of the county, which are mainly of the driven 

type and 10 to 30 feet deep, furnish soft waters, all of which are 

not wholesome. The few seepage springs are of relatively slight 

importance.

Many artesian wells, most of them less than 500 feet deep, are 

scattered throughout the county. They yield moderately hard
158 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

waters suitable for domestic and for most industrial purposes and of 

much, better quality for drinking than waters from other sources. 

Except in the northwestern part of the county the conditions are 

favorable for obtaining artesian flows. (See map, PL XVIII, p. 122.) 

It has not been possible to collect information regarding all wells in 

the county, but the few descriptions and analyses given on the 

following pages are typical and give a fair idea of the artesian conditions and the quality of the waters.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Ways (population 131, census of 1910). Within 2 miles of Ways 

there are nine flowing wells from 320 to 460 feet deep. They draw 

from two water-bearing beds, one lying at about 300 feet and having 

weak flows and the other lying at about 400 feet and furnishing 

strong flows with a head of 30 to 35 feet above the surface. No 

thick beds of hard rock have been reported, the strata consisting 

mainly of sand and greenish or drab sandy clay. The wells are 

commonly cased to 70 or 100 feet. The artesian waters are moderately hard but are suitable for general domestic uses. (See Nos. 

12 to 14, Table 8.)

Keller. -Keller, near which there are several flowing wells, is a 

small village about 8 miles south of Ways and about 15 feet above 

sea level. According to E. D. Cory, the driller, the public well (No. 6, 

Table 8) completed in 1895 is 325 feet deep and 2 inches in diameter. 

The principal water-bearing bed is limestone at 310 feet, but water 

was also found in gravels at 40 and 90 feet. When first drilled the 

water rose 18 feet above the surface, but it now rises only 6 feet 

above. The water is sulphurous but is used for domestic purposes. 

The following log of the public well has been obtained:

Log of town well at Keller (No. 6, Table 8).

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

30

20

2

238

15

Depth.

Feet. 

20

50

70

72

310

325

A well (No. 5, Table 8) belonging to P. D. Cory, about 300 yards 

southeast of the public well, is 318 feet deep. Sand and alternate 

layers of sand and marl with shells were penetrated to 270 feet. The 

water-bearing bed is reported to be below 300 feet.

A well (No. 7, Table 8) owned by George W. Corson, one-half mile 

southwest of Keller, is reported to be 340 feet deep. The water rises 

18 feet above the surface.
BEYAN COUNTY. 159

In a well (No. 8, Table 8) owned by' J. A. Smith,, 2 miles south of 

Keller, the principal water-bearing bed is at 320 feet. Rock was 

entered at 310 feet. The water rises 10 feet above the surface.

There are several other wells a.t Keller, but no information concerning them was obtained.

Fort McAUister. Fort McAllister is on Bayou Neck on the west 

bank of Ogeechee River, 7 miles southeast of Ways, and is the site 

of an old fort dating back to the Revolutionary War and to Indian 

times. In former days there were large plantations in this vicinity, 

but now the population is sparse. There are three artesian wells on 

the old Ward plantation. Mr. Sibley, who lives on the place, states 

that these wells were drilled in 1891-1893 for irrigating rice fields 

and for general plantation uses. Two of them are 6 inches and one 

is 8 inches in diameter. The 8-inch well is variously reported as 

700 feet deep and as 1,800 feet deep. One of the 6-inch wells is 900 

feet deep; the depth of the other was not ascertained. The 8-inch 

well (No. 3, Table 8) yields an enormous amount of water which, 

however, is not at present used. Shortly after the completion of 

the well a storm overturned the scaffolding about the casing, breaking 

the pipe 10 or 12 feet below the surface, and the break was never 

repaired. The water "boils" up in great quantities and has formed 

a "well spring" or basin 10 or 12 feet deep, from which it flows out 

through the marsh and into Ogeechee River. It is difficult to estimate the flow but it probably exceeds 1,500 "gallons per minute. 

There has been no apparent decrease in the yield since the completion 

of the well.

A 900-foot well is located on the public road near the bank of 

Ogeechee River in the vicinity of Fort McAllister. (See analysis 1, 

Table 9.)

Artesian flows are also obtained in this vicinity at depths less than 

those already described. One such well (No. 4, Table 8) on the farm 

of Mrs. M. C. Williams on Genesis Cape, a short distance from the 

Ward plantation, is only 198 feet deep.

Pembroke (population 467, census of 1910). Pembroke is on the 

Seaboard Air Line Railway in the northwestern part of the county, 

101 feet above sea level. The domestic water supply is derived in 

part from driven and dug wells 15 to 30 feet deep and in part from 

deep wells. In 1909 the town completed an artesian well 475 feet 

deep (No. 10, Table 8), from which some of the people obtain water 

for domestic use and for stock. The water rises to within 20 feet of 

the surface.

Mayor J. O. Strickland, has furnished the following information 

concerning a deep well from which the greater part of the population 

obtains water for domestic use:
160 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

The well (No. 11, Table 8) is 100 yards west of the post office and 

is owned by U. S. Williams. It is 520 feet deep and 6 inches in 

diameter and was drilled in 1906 at a cost of $625. Ten-inch casing 

was inserted to 125 feet, 8-inch casing to 350 feet, and 6-inch casing 

to 500 feet. Water-bearing beds were found at 120, 250, 350, and 

520 feet. The water from the 520-foot stratum, the principal waterbearing bed, rises to within 21 feet of the surface, and is lifted to the 

surface by a force pump operated by a gasoline engine.

Mr. Williams's well probably taps a water-bearing bed of Eocene 

age. (See analysis 2, Table 9.)

Clyde (population 107, census of 1910). Clyde, the county seat, 

has two artesian wells, one of which (No. 2, Table 8) was drilled in 

1898 by the county and is 290 feet deep. At 4 feet above the surface 

it furnishes a flow of sulphurous water, which is said not to have 

decreased.

Boding. Three artesian wells are reported at Roding, 3 miles south 

of Clyde.

Ossabaw Island. Several flowing wells at Ossabaw Island are 

reported to be 300 to 500 feet deep.

Belfast. There are two flowing wells at Belfast, one of which 

(No. 1, Table 8) is reported to be 450 feet deep. The wells are used 

by a lumber company for boiler supply, and by the people of the 

village for domestic uses.

TABLE 8. Wells in Bryan County.

No.

1

2

3

4

5 

6

7

8 

9

10 

11

12

13

14

Location.

Belfast...............

Fort McAllister

(Bayou Neck). 

Fort McAllister ......

Keller................ 

.....do................

west). 

Keller (2 miles south).

Pembroke. ........... 

.....do................

Ogeechee River).

east).a

Owner.

Mrs. M.C.Williams.

P. D.Cory... ....... 

Public..............

J. A. Smith.........

Town............... 

U.S.Williams......

Railway.

R.A. Raines.. ......

Driller.

A. E. Cory......

E. D. Cory......

E. M. Haywood 

&Co. 

.....do...........

Authority.

E. D.Cory........

P. D.Cory........

J. A. Smith.......

W. K. Smith...... 

J. 0. Strickland,

mayor. 

S.W.McCalliea...

.....do.............

Driller............

Date 

completed.

1898

1891-93

"1895"

1908

1909 

1906

1895

1909

Ap-. proximate elevation 

aboTe 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

15

........

101 

101

.18

18

9

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 60-62,1908,
BEYAF COUNTY. 

TABLE 8. Wells in Bryan County Continued.

161

No.

1 

2

3

4 

5

6

7 

8 

9 

10

11

12 

13 

14

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5 

6

7 

8 

9 

10 

11

12

13

14

Depth.

Feet. 

450 

290

/ 700? 

\ 1,800?

198 

318

325

340 

320?

475 

520

460 

345 

350

Diameter.

Inches.

3

f 6 

1 6 I 8

2

2i

4

6

3

U 

2

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

290

f

300 

310

320

520 

440

340

Use.

Domes 

supp 

Domes 

Domes 

tion.

Domes 

.....do.

do

tic. boiler

ytic, irriga-

.....do.............

Domes 

.....do.

Boiler s mest 

Domes 

.....do.

>upply, doc. 

tic..........

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

1 40 

\ 90

( 120 

{ 250 

[ 350 

340

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface

Feet.

+ 4

}+«

+18 

+10

-20

}-

+20

+25 

+36

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

12

/ 1,500- 

\ 2,000

20

Pump.

Galls.

}.......

........

How obtained.

]

...do.............

.....do.............

Pumped by hand . 

Gasoline engine...

Flows. ............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Tertiary........... 

. ..fin.

Ter

Ter

tiary?.. ........ .

do.....

.....do............. 

.....do............. .

.....do.............

Ten 

Eoc

do.............

do .

.....do.............

Character.

Bock..............

Limes toi

Sand..............

Sand............:.

Quality.

Sulphurous.

Do.

Do. 

Do.

/See analysis 2,Table 

1 9- 

Hard. 

Do.

Remarks.

Two wells.

Do.

Three wells.

Water formerly rose 18 feet above surface. Costofwell,$125. Seelog,p.l5& 

Cost of well, $150. 

Eight or more wells. 

Several wells.

Cost of well, $625. Cost of machinery. 

$1,200. See also p. 160.

Water fluctuates with tide.

TABLE 9. Analyses of well waters from Bryan County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (SiOj).... ........................................................................

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3 ). ............................................................

Nitrate radicle (NOa)... ................................................................

Chlorine (Cl).. ..........................................................................

1

31 

.4 

29 

15 

10 

.0 

166 

Trace.

8.0 

206

2

34 

2.0 

22 

8.0 

22 

.0 

140 

8.0 

3.0 

10 

171

1. Well 900 feet deep, near Ogeechee River near Fort McAllister, 7 miles southeast of Ways. Age of 

water-bearing bed, Tertiary. Sample collected Apr. 12,1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Well No. 11, Table 8. Sample collected Dec. 17,1912. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

38418° WSP 341 IE
162 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

BTTLLOCH COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Bulloch County is in the east-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Statesboro, the county seat, is 54 miles by railroad northwest of Savannah. The area of the county is 887 square miles and 

its population is 26,464 (census of 1910). The chief industries are 

agriculture and the production of lumber and naval stores. Surface 

and underground waters are used for boiler supply by many sawmills 

and cotton gins and by small manufacturing concerns at Statesboro.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The southern part is flat and poorly drained; the northern part is 

more elevated and is gently rolling or undulating. The transition 

from one part to the other is not sharply defined. The approximate 

line of separation runs from Ogeechee River, opposite Egypt, southwest across the county to Canoochee River, a short distance above 

Groveland, Bryan County. On the southern plain bays are common 

and small branches or creeks spread out through dense swamps 

without well-defined channels. Although no accurate figures are 

available the elevations in the rolling section in the north are probably from 200 to 250 feet above sea level. A swamp, which fringes 

Ogeechee River and is in places a mile or more wide, is the lowest 

elevation in the county, being not more than 40 or 50 feet above sea 

level in the extreme southeast. It is bordered by two relatively 

narrow terrace plains, one lying 8 to 10 feet and the other 30 to 40 

feet above it.

GEOLOGY.

Throughout the greater part of the county, except in a narrow area 

bordering Ogeechee River, the surface materials comprise ferruginous 

argillaceous sands and drab sandy clays, weathering to gray or yellow 

residual quartz sands. These surface deposits and the thin Pleistocene deposits of sand and clay on the river terraces and flatwoods 

lands in the southern part of the county are the source of the waters 

obtained from shallow wells. The Alum Bluff formation outcrops in 

the narrow area of lowland bordering Ogeechee River, and doubtless 

is present beneath the surface materials throughout the entire county. 

The Alum Bluff formation, which probably does not exceed 200 feet 

in thickness and is in many places probably much thinner, is underlain by a series of undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, 

which in descending order are of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous 

age. At an undetermined depth, probably 2,000 feet or more, the 

Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.
BULLOCH COUNTY. 163

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Shallow wells 10 to 40 feet deep furnish the chief water supplies for 

domestic use in the villages and rural districts.

Thera are small seepage springs throughout the county but most 

of them are located on the edges of swamps, and some of them are 

unfit for domestic use.

The spring waters usually have a strong taste of iron and where 

the waters come in contact with decaying vegetation an iridescent 

film of iron oxide, sometimes mistaken for oil, forms on the surface. 

An analysis of water from a small spring located 3|- miles southwest 

of Register and owned by J. W. Atwood is given in Table. 10 

(analysis 1). This water is probably typical of the spring waters.

The only deep wells reported in the county are at Statesboro.

Flowing artesian wells can probably be obtained in the lowland 

bordering Ogeechee River at elevations of 100 to 130 feet above sea 

level, for such wells have been obtained at these elevations at Rockyford and Dover in the adjoining county of Screven. It is also 

probable that flows can be obtained on the lowest land bordering 

Canoochee River. An abundant supply of water may be expected 

anywhere in the county at depths of 500 or 600 feet. Water-bearing 

beds of Cretaceous age probably exist at depths of 1,000 feet or more.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Statesboro (population 2,529, census of 1910). Statesboro, the only 

town in the county having a water-supply system, obtains water 

from two artesian wells. No detailed information has been obtained 

concerning the older of the two wells, but the second (drilled in 1912) 

is 555 feet deep and penetrates water-bearing strata between 400 

and 555 feet. This well was drilled by the Hughes Specialty Well 

Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C., from which company the data here 

given, including the log, were obtained. Ten-inch casing extends to 

40 feet and 8-inch casing to 320 feet.
164 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

Log of town well No. 2, at Statesboro. 

[Authority, J. R. Connelly, driller in charge, 96 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, S. C.]

Light-colored tough rock ...............................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

30

10

20

20

20

20

60

20

40

50

30

40

60

Q^

Depth.

Feet. 

40

70

80

100

120

140

160

220

240

280

330

360

400

460

555

The record is not sufficient to permit the correlation of the strata, 

but the well may have completely penetrated the Oligocene and have 

entered the upper part of the Eocene.

There are several other artesian wells at Statesboro, but no detailed 

information concerning any one of them has been obtained. An 

analysis of the water from a well 320 feet deep, owned by W. D. 

Davis, is given in Table 10 (analysis 2).

TABLE 10. Analyses of waters from Bullock County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (SiOs).. ..........................................................................

1

4.8

3.5

.2

1.1

.6

4.5

74

.9

6.3

29

2

43

o5.0

1.5

.8

2.9

9 7

.0

3.4

3.4

6.8

69

3.0

o Fe2O3+Al2Os.

1. Spring of J. W. Atwood, 3J miles southwest of Register. Age of water-bearing bed, Oligocene? 

Analyzed December, 1909; Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Well of W. D. Davis at Statesboro; depth 320 feet. Edgar Everhart, analyst (Georgia Geol. Survey 

Bull. 15, p. 62,1908).

BURKE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Burke County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Waynesboro, the county seat, is 32 miles south of Augusta. 

The area of the county is 956 square miles and its population is 27,268 

(census of 1910). Agriculture is the principal industry.
BUEKE COUNTY. .165 

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county lies in the topographic division of the Coastal Plain 

known as the fall-line hills (pp. 29-31). The surface is, in part, moderately broken or hilly and in part nearly level. The streams have cut 

valleys 50 to 150 feet deep, but erosion has not advanced to maturity 

and relatively broad flat ridges or small plateaus exist between the 

water courses. The principal streams of the county are Savannah 

River, the second largest stream in the State, which forms the eastern 

boundary, Ogeechee River, which forms the southwestern boundary, 

and Briar Creek. Savannah River, which is navigable from Augusta 

to the sea, has cut its valley about 150 feet below the level of the 

upland plain to the west and is in places bordered by high steep bluffs. 

As it rises in mountainous regions and flows through the Piedmont 

Plateau, its water is more or less muddy during the greater part of the 

year. Ogeechee River rises in the Piedmont Plateau, but its water 

is not always muddy and throughout the lower part of its course 

it resembles streams originating in the Coastal Plain. The river 

flows through a wide, dense swamp and has few bluffs. Above the 

swamp is a habitable terrace plain upon which abundant flows of 

artesian water are obtained. Briar Creek, a clear stream of considerable size, flows southeastward through the county.

Lime sinks and ponds occur on the comparatively level areas in the 

southwestern and southeastern parts of the county, but they are not 

abundant and are not characteristic of the topography as'a whole.

The known elevations above sea level are at Waynesboro, Central of 

Georgia Railway station, 286 feet; Shell Bluff Landing, low water, 

87 feet, top of bluff, 237 feet; Midville, 186 feet; and Keysville (rough

estimate), 400 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The surface materials belong mainly to the Claiborne group, which 

is divisible into the McBean formation and the Barnwell sand. The 

McBean formation, which consists of 300 or 350 feet of sands, marls, 

clays, and limestones that outcrop along the streams, is an important 

source of water both in this and adjoining counties. The waterbearing beds are believed to be of local extent, for the strata, as seen in 

natural outcrops, lack constant lithologic characters. The Barnwell 

sand overlies the McBean formation and is the surface formation over 

the greater part of the county. It consists of red, highly ferruginous 

sands and mottled argillaceous sands, in which there are thin beds of 

sandstone and quartzite and fragments of flint.

The Claiborne group is underlain by Cretaceous sands and clays, 

which in the northern part of the county along Briar Creek, McBean 

Creek, and Savannah River probably lie 100 to 250 feet beneath the 

surface and which from Waynesboro southward would lie at depths
166 . UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

of 350 to 500 feet. Igneous and metamorphic rocks, which will 

probably be found at depths of 1,000 to 1,500 feet, form the basement 

upon which the Cretaceous deposits rest.

The Claiborne group is overlain in relatively small areas in the 

central and southeastern parts of the county by sand and some gravel 

of undetermined age. The Central of Georgia Railway passes over 

these deposits from Waynesboro to the southern boundary of the 

county, and similar deposits have been recognized in the vicinity of 

Girard and Sardis.

Gray or yellow residual sands are prominent at the surface at a 

number of places but do not attain any considerable thickness. 

These sands are conspicuous near Keysville, Girard, and on the 

upland along Savannah River.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The main sources of domestic water supply are shallow dug and 

bored wells 30 to 75 feet deep. Water from many of the shallow 

wells is considered unwholesome, but the poor quality is probably 

due to contamination resulting from improper construction of the 

wells rather than to harmful inorganic constituents. In some parts 

of the county the shallow wells penetrate calcareous materials and 

the waters are hard.

Streams and ponds furnish an abundance of water for stock and 

for other purposes.

Springs are of local importance as sources of domestic supply. 

Several limestone springs, each of which yields large quantities of 

hard water, occur in the western and eastern parts of-the county. 

Davis Spring, a mile west of Gough, is reported to yield sufficient 

water to operate a small gristmill. Many small springs throughout 

the county furnish pure water. An analysis of water from Cox 

Spring, located 1 mile northeast of Shell Bluff post office, is given 

in Table 12 (analysis 1).

Throughout the county abundant potable water can be obtained 

by deep wells from either the Claiborne group or the underlying 

Cretaceous sands, the latter of which will probably yield soft waters. 

Flowing artesian wells have been obtained in the vicinity of Midville 

and in the valley of a tributary of Briar Creek near Waynesboro; it 

is probable that flows can also be obtained along the lowlands bordering McBean Creek, Briar Creek, and Savannah River in the 

eastern part cf the county.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Waynesboro. Waynesboro, the county seat, has a population of 

2,729 (census of 1910). The city owns a public water-supply system 

which draws from an artesian well on low ground near the Central of
BURKE COUNTY. 167

Georgia Railway station. The well (No. 7, Table 11) is about 300 

feet deep and flows 25 gallons a minute a few feet above the surface. 

The water is slightly hard but has proved satisfactory for general 

domestic purposes.

According to Fuller and Sanford, 1 a well (No. 8, Table 11) owned 

by J. I. Linler, on low ground a quarter of a mile east of Waynesboro, 

is 249 feet deep, 6 inches in diameter, and flows 20 gallons per minute 

at 4^ feet above the surface. The principal water-bearing bed is at 

a depth of 160 feet.

The following information relating to wells at Waynesboro is 

quoted from a report by McCallie: 2

There are two deep wells at Waynesboro, one owned by Mr. W. A. Wilkins [No. 5, 

Table 11], and the other by the Southern Cotton Seed Oil Co. [No. 6, Table 11]. The 

former well, which was put down in 1888, is reported to have a depth of 889 feet. 

Water-bearing strata are said to occur in this well at depths of 250, 300, and 889 feet. 

The water supply at present is obtained from the upper stratum. The water rises to 

within 14 feet of the surface and is said to be of good quality.

Mr. R. G. Edenfield of Augusta, Ga., has furnished the writer with a number of 

samples of borings from this well on which ihe following notes have been made:

[Log of well of W. A. Wilkins at Waynesboro (No. 5, Table 11).]

Feefi. 

Fine red sand to ................................................ 60

Yellow sand to ................................................. 150

Coarse white sand with fragments of shells to ...................... 230

Bather coarse gray sand to ...................................... 240

Sandy marl to ................................................... 290

Fine yellow sand to ............................................ 310

Very coarse sand with dark-colored pebbles, numerous minute 

crystals of gypsum, and fragments of tough gray clay to ......... 340

Coarse sand to................................................... 360

Dark sandy clay with sharks' teeth to............................. 380

Coarse sand to................................................... 410

The same as above to........................................... 500

Coarse sand, mixed with red micaceous clay to ................... 700

Considerable limestone and flint are reported to occur in the Wilkins well; but their 

depth from the surface and the thickness could not be ascertained.

The Southern Cotton Seed Oil Co.'s well [No. 6, Table 11] has a depth of about 200 

feet. It is 6 inches in diameter and furnishes daily by pumping 1,200 gallons of water, 

which supplies the oil mill and a number of residences in the town. The water rises 

to within 19 feet of the surface and is of good quality.

An analysis of water from the Southern Cotton Seed Oil Co.'s 

well is given in Table 12 (analysis 2).

The well of W. A. Wilkins at Waynesboro (depth, 889 feet) 

undoubtedly completely penetrates the Claiborne group and enters 

the upper part of the Cretaceous. The thickness of the Claiborne 

group at Waynesboro is believed not to exceed 500 feet, this opinion 

being based on the evidence furnished by the well borings from Mr. 

Wilkins's well.

1 U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, p. 50,1908. Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 63, 64,1908.
168 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

MidviUe (population 603, census of 1910). -Midville, the second 

largest town in the county, is on the Central of Georgia Railway near 

Ogeechee River, in' the southwestern part of the county. The town 

has no public water-supply system but has one public flowing well 

and many private flowing wells, which furnish the principal supplies for domestic use. The artesian waters are sulphurous and emit 

a rather pronounced odor of hydrogen sulphide, but are clear and 

potable. They are moderately hard, for they contain calcium carbonate, 'for which reason river water is preferred for use in boilers.

The artesian wells range in depth from 157 to 750 feet and yield 

strong flows, the maximum yield reported being 75 gallons per 

minute. The static head in the various wells ranges from 14 to 47 

feet above the surface. According to reports, water-bearing beds 

have been entered at 50, 150, 190, 200, 295, 300, 450, and 700 feet.

The deepest well (No. 4, Table 11) concerning which information 

has been obtained is owned by A. W. Jones, who states that it is 750 

feet deep and flows 75 gallons per minute and that the water will 

rise 47 feet above the surface. The principal water-bearing bed is 

at 700 feet; other water-bearing beds are found at 200, 300, and 450 

feet. An attempt was made several years ago to utilize the combined 

pressure of this and two other wells in operating a small electric-light 

plant, but the power was found to be inadequate.

McCallie * has published the following log of the public well at 

Midville:

Log of public well at Midville.

SoU.....................................................................................

White sand .............................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

10

25

20

50

6

46

Depth.

Feet. 

10

35

55

105

111

157

The water-bearing beds tapped by most of the wells at Midville 

are in the Claiborne group. With the exception of the 750-foot 

Jones well (No. 4, Table 11) probably none of them reach the 

Cretaceous.

Greens Cut. At Greens Cut a well owned by H. C. Reese, drilled 

in 1907, is reported to be 289 feet deep and 3 inches in diameter and 

is cased to a depth of 200 feet. The water, which is derived principally from a gravel bed at a depth of 280 feet, rises to within 77 feet 

of the surface and is hard and unsuitable both for laundry and boilersupply purposes but is clear and is a good drinking water.

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 65,1908.
BURKE COUNTY.

A well owned by W. E. Rhodes, located 5 miles west of Greens Cut, 

is reported to be 290 feet deep.

GougTi. At Gough, private wells from 30 to 75 feet deep are the 

main source of supply. A well at this place, drilled to a depth of 

400 feet, in which water rose to within 45 feet of the surface, has been 

abandoned on account of the entrance of sand into the boring.

Girard (population 227, census of 1910). At Girard several nonflowing artesian wells range in depth from 200 to 300 feet. The 

prospects of obtaining artesian flows on the terrace bordering Briar 

Creek near Girard are good. The town has no public water supply 

and water is obtained chiefly from dug wells 30 to 40 feet deep.

TABLE 11. Wells in Burke County.

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6

7 

8

No.

1 

2 

3

4

5 

6

7 

8

. Location.

Girard 

Gough 

Greens 

Midvill 

Wayne 

do

.....do............... 

.....do...............

Depth.

Feet. 

200.300 

400 

289

760

889 

200 

300 

249

Diameter.

Inches.

3 

5

6

6

Owner.

H. C. Reese. _______

Alien W. 

W. A. W 

Southern 

SeedO 

City.... 

J. I. Link

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

280 

700 

250

300 

160

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

260

200,300 

450 

300,889

Jones...... 

ilkins......

Cotton 

ilCo.

r. .........

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet.

-45

-77 

+47

-14 

-19

+ 5 

+ 4J

Driller.

W. H. Brown...

H. F. Loyd, 

Milieu, Ga.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

75

25 

20

Pump.

Galls.

2

150-200

Authority.

Alien W. Jone 

R. G. Edenflel

S.W. McCallie

W.E.Fambro

S.... 

(1....

ugh.

How obtained.

Windmill and 

deep well pump.

Air 

Flo

lilt............

nrs _

Date 

completed.

1907 

1901 

1888

1905

Elevation 

above 

sea 

level or 

below 

datum.

Feet.

+280 

+186 

+286 

+286

+286 

c- 15

Quality.

Hard. 

Do.

Analysis 2, Table 12. 

Slightly hard. 

Soft.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 63, 64,1908. 

6U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, p. 50, 1908. 

c Level below railroad track at station.
170 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 11. Wells in Burke County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3

4

5 

6

7 

8

Use.

.....do............

Domestic and oil 

mill. 

City supply....... 

Domestic, manufacture of ice.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Claiborne group . . . 

Cretaceous........

.....do............. 

.....do............

Character.

Sand..............

Sand. .............

Soft rock and sand.

Remarks.

NonflowinjS. 

Abandoned. 

Cost of well. $400; cost of machinery, 

$225; 3-inch casing extends to a depth 

of 200 feet. 

Rock struck at a depth of 550 feet; 5- 

inch casing to 700 feet. Cost of well, 

$600. 

See log, p. 167.

6-inch casing to 125 feet. Cost of well, 

$600.

TABLE 12. Analyses of waters from Burke County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (SiO2). ............................................................................

Iron (Fe)............... .............. . ...........................

Calcium (Ca).. . .........................................................................

Sodium (Na).............................. .... .....................................

Potassium (K). . ........................................................................

Sulphate radicle (SO4) ..................................................................

Chlorine (Cl). ...... ............... ..................................

Total dissolved solids. . .................................................................

1

7.4

2.8

1.6

50

1.3

1.6

.8

161

.5

5.2

147

2

16

a6.1

62

2.0

3.6

1.7

.0

201

3.7

7.0

198

82

1. Cox Spring, located a mile northeast of Shell Bluff post office. Age of water-bearing bed, Claiborne. 

Analyzed in 1907 by Edgar Everhart.

2. Well No. 6, Table 11. Edgar Everhart, analyst. (Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 64, 1908.)

CALHOUN COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Calhoun County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, between Flint and Chattahooch.ee rivers. Its area is 284 

square miles and its population 11,334 (census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber and naval stores are the chief 

industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling. Lime sinks, isolated 

or connected by streams or swamps are notable. The elevation above 

sea level is about 150 feet in the southeast corner of the county and 

about 350 feet in the northwest corner, these being the extremes. 

The valleys are shallow and the streams have very low banks. In 

places the channels are clogged by logs and other vegetation and the
CALHOUN COUNTY. 171

water spreads out through broad swamps. The stream divides are 

as a rule not more than 50 feet above the bottoms of the valleys.

GEOLOGY.

Except in several relatively small areas the county is everywhere 

directly underlain by the Vicksburg formation. At the surface the 

materials of the Vicksburg appear as red argillaceous sands, the residual 

products of weathering, containing both beds and scattered fragments 

of flint. Soft white limestones are found at depths of 25 to 75 feetWell drillers report the materials penetrated between the surface and 

the limestone as consisting generally of "clay" or of "clay and sand." 

The formation where unweathered consists mainly of cavernous waterbearing limestones interbedded with water-bearing sands.

A small area along Ichawaynochaway Creek near Cordray Mill, in 

the northern part of the county, is underlain by strata of the Claiborne group and probably of the Jackson formation, both of which 

dip southward and pass beneath the Vicksburg formation. Beneath 

the Claiborne are several hundred feet of Eocene sands, clays, and 

marls, with thin interbedded layers of limestone or sandstone, belonging to the Wilcox or Midway formations or to both. Cretaceous 

sands and clays, which probably have an aggregate thickness of 2,000 

feet or more, underlie the Eocene, and at an undetermined depth rest 

upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. Both the Eocene and 

Cretaceous will furnish large supplies of artesian water.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Over the greater part of the county water for domestic use is 

obtained from wells 15 to 60 feet deep. The waters of wells which 

reach the limes tones are regarded by the people as unwholesome; but 

as no analyses of the waters are available the reason for their unsatisfactory character is not known. The shallow wells frequently fail 

during droughts. Small springs are numerous, but none of large size 

are known.

Artesian wells have been drilled at Arlington, Leary, Edison, Morgan, and on several plantations. Artesian water can probably be 

obtained anywhere in the county at depths of 300 to 1,500 feet or 

more, and the chances for obtaining flows are good on the lower land 

in the eastern part of the county. (See map, PI. XVIII, p. 122.)

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Arlington (population 1,308, census of 1910). The principal source 

of water supply at Arlington is an artesian well (No. 2, Table 13) 

1,173 feet deep, completed in 1909. The water is soft, clear, and 

slightly sulphurous, and has proved satisfactory for all purposes.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

(See analysis 1, Table 14.) The principal water-bearing bed is at 

640 feet and is said to be a porous white rock. The water rises to 

within 40 feet of the surface and the well yields 190 gallons of water 

per minute by pumping.

A well (No. 1, Table 13) used at Arlington prior to the one described 

is said to have been about 600 feet deep. Spencer 1 gives the following partial log:

Partial log of well at Arlington.

Feet. 

Chalky clay ................................................... 20

Sand and white clay.............................................. (?)

Shell rock...................................................... , 5

Very coarse sand............................................... (?)

Shell rock, etc.................................................to 355

Hard rock, siliceous, with soft places...........................to 390

Hard dark clay............................................. to 500 (?)

Coarse micaceous sand...........................................to 540

The Arlington Oil & Fertilizer Co., at Arlington, owns a well 328 

feet deep. Other deep wells in the town have not been reported 

upon in detail.

Leary (population 430, census of 1910). The principal source of 

water supply at Leary is a public artesian well in the main part of the 

town, which flows 12 feet above the surface. It is described by 

McCallie as follows: 2

The Leary well is 2 inches in diameter and 672 deet deep. The water rises 30 feet 

above the surface. Two or more water-bearing strata are reported in this well above 

the one which furnishes the flow, but their depths are not given. The capacity of 

this well is said to be about. 20 gallons per minute. The water is used for steam and 

general domestic purposes.

The following (partial) record is given:

[Log of town well at Leary.]

Feet.

Eed clay.......................................................... 40

Limestone..................................................... 20

Blue clay......................................................... 100?

Hard rock..................................................... 30

Quicksand..................................................... 200?

Hard rock containing shells..................................... 10

Some shallow wells in the town, 15 to 60 feet deep, fail during 

droughts.

A fine flowing artesian well (No. 6, Table 13) on the Harper Daniel 

plantation, 4 miles south of Leary, is 778 feet deep and flows at the 

rate of 50 gallons per minute. Water-bearing beds were entered at 

100, 250, and 650 feet. The water emits a strong odor of hydrogen 

sulphide and is moderately hard, in this respect differing from waters

1 Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Eept. Progress, p. 77,1891.

2 Georgia Geol. Survey BuD.. 15, p. 72,1908.
CALHOUN COUNTY. 173

from about the same depths at Albany, Dougherty County (pp. 

235-238); Newton, Baker County (p. 137); and Blakely, Early 

County (p. 245). An analysis of this water is given in Table 14 

(analysis 3).

A well on J. E. Boyd's plantation, 3 miles north of Leary, is said 

to have been drilled to a depth of 400 feet without obtaining a flow.1

Edison (population 841, census of 1910). The town of Edison 

owns a public water-supply system, which is supplied fr&m an artesian 

well near the railroad, but. about 10 feet lower than the track at the 

station. The well is 563 feet deep and yields, by pumping, 215 

gallons of water per minute. The principal water-bearing bed is 

said to be a sand rock at 550 feet, probably belonging to the Bipley 

formation of the Cretaceous, from which the water rises to within 32 

feet of the surface. An analysis of the water is given in Table 14 

(analysis 2).

Morgan (population 302, census of 1910). Both shallow and artesian wells are in use in the vicinity of Morgan. Part of the population obtains water from a private well owned by Williams & Tinsley, 

which probably taps a water-bearing bed in the upper part of the 

Kipley formation. The following information has been furnished 

byW. J. Ragan:

This well was completed in 1906; it is 600 feet deep, 6 inches in 

diameter, and flows 20 gallons per minute. The water will rise 8 

feet above the surface.

Other wells similar to the Tinsley are those of T. J. Tinsley, a mile 

southwest of Morgan (No. 11, Table 13), of the Morgan Lumber Co., 

1£ miles southwest of Morgan (No. 9, Table 13), of J. E. Boyd, 3 

miles north of Leary (No. 7, Table 13), and of T. J. and T. W. Tinsley, 

4 miles from Morgan (No. 12, Table 13).

Cordray Mill. At Cordray Mill, on Ichawaynochaway Creek, 5 

miles northeast of Morgan, are two flowing wells owned by W. H. 

Cobb, of Dawson. One on the bank of the creek near the mill is 

361 feet deep and flows 12 gallons per minute. The water will rise 

20 feet above the surface.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 72,1908.
174 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 13. Wells in Calhoun County.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5

6

7

8 

9

10 

11 

12 

13 

14

No.

1

2 

3 

4

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14

Location.

Arlingt 

do

....do... -------

Edison

Leary( 

of). 

Leary ( 

of). 

Morgan 

Morgan 

south 

Morgan 

its). 

Morgan 

west 

Morgan

Morgan 

north 

Willian

Depth.

Feet. 

600± 

1,173 

328 

563 

672 

77S 

400 

000 

550 

600 550- 

452 

361

4 miles south. 

3 miles north

(1J miles 

west of), 

(intownlim-

(1 mile southof). 

(4milesfrom)

(5 miles 

east of).

Diameter.

Inches. 

6 

6 

5 

6 

2 

2

2 

6

4

Owner.

Town...............

-dn

j 

1

\jlington Oil & Fertilizer Co.

...do. .............

Harper E 

J. E. Boj

Morgan I 

WilUams 

T. J. Tin

T. J. and 

ley. 

W. H. Cc

'd... .......

number Co . 

&Tinsley.

r.W.Tinsbb.........

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

640 

300 

550-563

650-778

525 

430-440

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

900

475

100,250

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. -20

-40

-32

+12

+30

+ 7 

+ 8

+30 

+20 

+ 5

Driller.

M. A. Jarrard . . . 

D. A. Sylvester .

M \. Jarrard...

N. M. Brew

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

20 

50

25 

20 

20 

15 

15 

12

Pump.

Galls.

190

215

Authority.

J. W. Spencer 

M. A. Jarrard 

S. W. McCalli

E. L. Smith. 

S. W. McCalli- ...

a- ...

pV"

6 . ..

Harper Daniel and 

M. A. Jarrard.

W. J. Ragan......

..do....

T. W.Tinsley 

.do..

W. H. Cobb......

W. J. Ragan......

How obtained.

Air compressor. . . .

Air-lift pump.....

.....do............

Flows. ............ 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Date 

completed.

1909 

1910

1907

1909 

1906

1908

Elevation 

above 

sea 

level or 

below 

datum.

Feet. 

+275

c- 10 

+210 

+175

+608

Quality.

Analysis 1, Table 14.

Analysis 2. Table 14. 

Hard. 

Analysis 3, Table 14.

Sulphurous. 

Do. 

Soft. 

Do.

a Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 77,1891. 

6 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 71-72,1908. 

c Datum is track at railroad station.
CAMDEN COUNTY. 

TABLE 16 Wells in Calhoun County Continued.

175

No.

1 

2

3

4

5 

C

7 

8 

9

10 

11

12 

13 

14

Use.

Municipal supply .

Domestic, boiler 

supply.

Boiler supply and 

domestic. 

Domestic and 

manufacturing.

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Ripley formation?.

Ripley formation?. 

.....do............

.....do............

Eipley formation . 

.....do............

.....do............

Eipley formation?. 

Wilcox formation?

Character.

Porous white rock.

Porous white rock.

Rock. ............

Gravel and sand. . . 

Rock and sand. . . .

Remarks.

See log, p. 172. 

8-inch casing to 240 feet; 6-inch casing to 

360 feet.

6-inch casing to 470 feet; cost of well, 

$3,000. 

See log, p. 172.

4-inch casing to 100 feet; 2J-inch to 450 

feet; 2-inch to 475 feet; cost of well, 

$1,756.

Diameter at top, 6 iuches; at bottom, 2 

inches; cost of well, $1,500. 

Diameter at top, 6 inches; at bottom, 2 

inches; cost of well, $2,000. 

4 inch casing to 525± feet; cost of well 

$1,250. 

Cost of well, $1,000.

TABLE 14. Analyses of underground waters from Calhoun County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1 

2- 

3

d

fc

1

2

3.

Date of 

collection.

May 1, 1911 

May 5, 1911 

May 8, 1911

.

O

GQ

1

GQ

25

17

18

£

§

0.4

.2

.6

^

a

a

g

u

10

37

44

Source.

Town well...... 

.....do...........

Well of Harper

Daniel.

"3

S

a

*iH

,1

a

3.0

2.0

5.0

A

nM

g*So"

1*GQ

57

8.0

17

3

 8

2

o>O

2-

1

0

10

2.0

7.0

Location. *

Arl 

Ed 

Lea

mgtoi 

ison

try (4 miles

south of).

0

 O

x.

5o

SW

§

M

150

134

190

0

O 

»tH

T3

'-O

^GQ

1

GQ

12

10

8.0

0

O

 0 -

So

g .

^

0.1

.1

.2

O

§

|

U

10

4,0

7.5

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Ripley formation. . 

Ripley formation?. 

Ripleyformation. .

 0

o>

o .

"a

1EH

233

162

186

Depth.

Feet.

640 

550-563 

650-778

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart. 

Do. 

Do.

Remarks.

No. 2, Table 13. Total depth of well,

1,173 feet.

No. 4, Table 13.

No. 6, Table 13.

CAMDEN COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Camden County is on the Atlantic coast in the extreme southeastern part of the State. Its area is 711 square miles and its population 7,690 (census of 1910). It has no cities or large towns and no 

important manufacturing establishments. The production and shipment of lumber and naval stores and stock raising are its principal 

industries.
176 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIH OP GEORGIA.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The eastern part of the county, a belt about 20 to 25 miles in 

width, is a low, sand-covered, marine terrace plain, in general less 

than 25 feet above sea level, which forms part of the Satilla coastal 

lowland (pp. 36-38). Along the coast and included in the Satilla 

coastal lowland are sand-covered islands which rise to a maximum 

of 20 feet above sea level, and which are separated by a network of 

tidal so-called creeks and rivers. There are also small areas of saltwater or brackish-water marsh. A narrow strip of level land in the 

western part of the county lies 25 to 30 feet above the first terrace 

plain and forms part of the Okefenokee plain (pp. 35-36). Nowhere 

in the county is the surface higher than 50 or 60 feet above sea level. 

Inland from the coast small streams are few in number and the surface 

is only slightly dissected; topographically it differs but little from 

its original condition. As a result of this lack of natural drainage 

there are large numbers of swampy flats or bays and small ponds 

which contain water throughout the year, except during times of 

unusual drought.

GEOLOGY.

Pleistocene sands and clays form the surface deposits over the 

greater part of the county. White or yellowish incoherent quartz 

sands cover the islands and the mainland near the coast, and a 

narrow sandy belt extends westward, fringing the swamp land of 

St. Marys and Satilla rivers. In the central and western parts of 

the county bluish or greenish muds or clays of Pleistocene age, hi 

places containing oyster shells and calcareous nodules, locally underlie 

the flatwoods or savannah land. In most of the shallow driven wells 

the water is obtained from Pleistocene deposits, whose thickness probably does not exceed 50 feet. In places, beneath surficial sands, 

there are red or mottled argillaceous sands the age of which has not 

been determined but which probably belong to the Pleistocene.

Materials exposed at a few places on St. Marys Kiver (Florida side) 

and on Satilla River have been referred to the Charlton formation 

(Pliocene?), but it may be doubted whether in descriptions of materials given in well logs the Charlton formation can be discriminated 

from the Miocene deposits. Strata of Miocene age underlie the 

county, but their thickness and then* relations to other formations are 

unknown. They are believed to consist mainly of phosphatic sands 

and gravels with some soft sandy shell marls and some relatively 

thin clays. The thickness of the Miocene is inferred to be small 

because fossils probably indicating the Chattahoochee formation 

were obtained from a well at Tarboro between the depths of 350 and 

400 feet, and because fossil Bryozoa and Nummulites, probably 

indicating the Vicksburg formation, were obtained in a well at Kings-
CAMDEK COUNTY. 177

land between the depths of 450 and 482 feet. If these correlations are 

correct whatever representatives there are of the Alum Bluff formation and of the Miocene, Pliocene,, and Pleistocene must all be included in a thickness not exceeding 350 feet. Little is known of the 

character of the deposits at depths greater than 500 feet. The 

basement crystalline rocks probably lie at a depth of 3,000 to 4,000 

feet.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARAOTBE.

The domestic water supply is obtained principally from artesian 

wells and from shallow driven wells. There are a few small springs, 

but as sources of supply these are of little importance, even locally.

Thirty-six flowing wells have been reported from the county one 

or more from every town or village at which there is a post office. 

They furnish an abundance of clear, wholesome water. The underground waters are also used in the locomotive boilers and sawmill 

plants. The principal objection to the artesian waters is that they 

are slightly hard and emit a rather disagreeable odor of hydrogen 

sulphide. The wells range in depth from 200 to 500 feet and furnish 

flows at elevations of 10 to 50 feet above the surface; they are put 

down at costs ranging from $250 to $800. So far as data have been 

obtained there has been no decrease in the supply which could be 

attributed to an overdrain on the artesian reservoirs. (See Table 15.)

The shallow wells, 10 to 20 feet deep, driven or dug, furnish soft 

nonartesian waters which, however, are not so wholesome as artesian 

waters. Driven or bored wells are preferable to dug wells, because 

in them the water is protected by the pipe or casing from pollution.

The prospects are good for obtaining flowing artesian wells throughout the county.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

St. Marys (population 691, census of 1910). Two artesian wells at 

St. Marys 'supply water for domestic use and for all other purposes. 

McCallie 1 gives the following account of the public well

The deep well at St. Marys, the county seat, is 4 inches in diameter and has a 

depth of 522 feet. The water-bearing strata occur in this well one at 300 feet and the 

other at 500 feet. The present water supply is obtained from the lower stratum, 

the upper stratum being cased off. The water from the former stratum rises 50 feet 

above the surface, or about 40 feet above high tide. The water is rather heavily 

charged with hydrogen sulphide and forms a white precipitate about the overflow 

pipes.

A mineral analysis of the water from this well is given in Table 16 

(analysis 2).

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 16, p. 67,1908. 

38418° WSP 341 15 12
178 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Kingsland (population 190, census of 1910). Four or more-artesian 

wells at and near Kingsland supply an.abundance of wholesome 

water. Open dug wells, 10 to 15 feet deep, are also used.

The deepest artesian well, 647 feet deep, is about 250 yards north 

of the railroad station and is owned by the Camden Naval Stores Co., 

the water being used chiefly for drinking and for condensing in the 

distillation of turpentine. H. C. Russell, the well contractor, has 

supplied information relating to the depth and character of the 

water-bearing strata. The first flow, which was found at 285 feet 

in a shell bed 6 feet thick, was 3 gallons per minute 4 feet above the 

surface. A second flow was encountered at 470 feet, the static head 

of which was 28 feet above the surface. The well was continued to 

647 feet, and although the yield increased to 80 gallons per minute 

there was no increase in the pressure. The material from depths of 

470 to 647 feet is fossiliferous or shell-bearing limestone with alternating hard and soft layers. (See analysis 1, Table 16.)

From another well recently completed at Kingsland borings taken 

between the depths of 450 and 482 feet contained fossils, chiefly 

Bryozoa and Nummulites, which according to T. W. Vaughan are 

of Vicksburg age.

Tarboro. Tarboro, a small village 5 miles southwest of Whiteoak 

station, has four artesian wells which furnish strong flows. (See 

Nos. 16-18, Table 15.) The combined flow of three of them is utilized 

in operating a small rice and lumber mill. (See PL XIX, B, p. 152.) 

Flows are obtained from two beds, one at about 160 feet and the other 

between 350 and 400 feet. (See analysis 3, Table 16.) Fossils 

obtained from one of the wells between the depths of 375 and 400 feet 

were submitted to T. W. Vaughan, who considers the stratum from 

which they were taken as probably referable to the Chattahoochee 

formation.

TABLE 15. -Wells in Camden County.

No.

1

?,

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Location.

(Dungeness, near

the southern end of

the island).

Kingsland.... . .......

.....do................

.....do................

Midriver (near) ......

Owner.

L.M. Bedell. .......

Lumber Co.

W. N. Casey........

Stores Co.

Driller.

Mr. Clay........

Authority.

S. W. McCallieo..

E. P. Noyes.......

L. A. Miller.......

S.W.McCallie.a

U.L.Stafford.....

H.C. Russell......

completed.

1895

1895?

1889?

1895

1910

Approximate

elevaabove

ses 

level.

Feet.

6

40?

41

o Georgia Geol. Survey bull. 16, pp. 67-71,1908.
CAMDEN COUNTY. 

TABLE 15. Wells in Camden County Continued.

179

No.

10 

11 

12

13

14 

15

16 

17 

18 

19

20 

21

22 

23 

24 

25

26

27 

28

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15

16

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28

Location.

Owens 

Pearl (4 

Satilla 1

do

miles west of) 

SlufL... ......

Silco. --------------

St. Mar

Tarborc 

do

ys............

.....do..--------------

Tarborc 

north. 

Tompk 

Waverl 

south 

Waverl 

north 

Waverl 

of). 

Waverl 

north 

Waverl 

of pos 

WMteo 

.....do.

Woodb

Depth.

Feet. 

200 

365 

750 

680 

500 

75 

647

370 

465 

340 

350

522 

375

350

345 

414

350 

250? 

250? 

490 

490 

450 

365 

444

(1| miles 

east of), 

ins ...........

y (1 mile 

of), 

y (2J miles 

of). 

y(4 miles west

y (600 feet 

east of). 

y(90feet north 

t office). 

ak.. ..........

Diameter.

Incites. 

2 

2 

3 

6 

2

3

2 

6

2 

2

4 

8

2 

2 

2

2 

2

 2

2 

4

4

Owner.

Dyal&L 

Davis & ] 

Hilton & 

Lumbe 

J F Fost

Jrandon. . . 

E Dodge 

rCo.

p.r

Town....

Stafford I 

J. B. God 

W. C. Lai

J. S. Bruc

Dr. B. At 

Georgia L 

Dr. B. At 

T.G.Mid

McKlmiii 

thy. 

L. T. Mcl 

Mr. Bake. ..........

ag. ........

kinson. . . . 

and Co....

Jleton&Co.

i&McCarf^irmon

r

Seaboard Air Line 

By.

Depth 

to 

.principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

365

350-500

470-647

465 

340 

350

500 

375

350

450

436-444

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

400-500 

400

285

300 

60.210 

250

300 

175

200 

250,300 

150

130

228-332

Height 

of 

water 

above 

surface.

Feet.

32 

20 

51 

25

28

25 

35

40 

50

40 

50 

50

io 6-8

5 

5 

50

50

Driller.

Dave Stafford. . .

H. C. Russell....

Dave Stafford...

H. C. Russell...

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

500

80

60

Pump.

Galls.

Authority.

S. W. McCallie 

H. W. Mobley 

S. W. McCallie

«. .

a

S. W. McCall 

and J. S. Rus 

S. W. McCallie 

do

le<» 

sell.

a

H.R. Lang. ......

.....do............

S. W. McCallie «. .

How obtained.

Slig 

Flo"WS- . . . .

.....do.............

Flo

Flo

Flo

Date 

completed.

1903

1902

1902?

1911 

1911

1894 

1908? 

1909

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

20?

20 

20

16

5 

5 

22

Quality.

Hard, sulphurous. 

Hard.

Sulphurous. 

Analysis 1, Table 16.

Slightly sulphurous. 

Sulphurous. 

Sligntly sulphurous. 

Do.

Sulphurous. Analysis 2, Table 16. 

Slightly sulphurous. 

Analysis 3, Table 

16. 

Hard, sulphurous.

Do.

Soft, sulphurous.

Soft. 

Do. 

Hard, sulphurous. 

Sulphurous. 

Do.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 67-71,1908.
180 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 15. Wells in Camden County Continued.

No.

1 

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 

9 

10

11 

12

13 

14 

15

16

17 

18

19 

20 

21

22 

23 

24

25 

26 

27

28

Use.

Boiler supply, domestic.

Domestic, boiler 

supply for locomotives.

Domestic, manufacturing.

Domestic, irrigation. 

Domestic, manufacturing.

Domestic, boiler 

supply.

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do............

Domestic, boiler 

supply for locomotives.

Stock.............

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Miocene or Oligocene. 

Chatta h o o c h e e 

formation?

Vicksburg formation?

.....do.............

Chatta h o o c h e e 

formation? 

Vicksburg formation? 

Chattahoochee 

formation? 

.....do.............

Vicksburg formation? 

Chattahoochee 

formation? 

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do............

Chattahoochee formation.

Vicksburg formation? 

.....do............

.....do............

Chattahoochee formation? 

Vicksburg formation?

Character.

Rock..............

Porous limestone 

at bottom.

Bed of shells......

Remarks.

Elevation 15 feet above Satilla River. 

Cost of well, $250.

Three other flowing wells, 400 to 700 

feet deep, on island. 

2-inch casing, 350 feet. Cost of well, 

$300.

Cost of well, $400.

One flowing well. 

Do. 

One other well, no information.

Cost of well, $300.

One well, no information. 

Cost of well, $800.

Three wells, 8 inches in diameter; one 

well, 1 inch.

Limestone at 100 feet and between 200 

and 300 feet. 

Cavernous limestone at 414 feet. 

Three flowing wells.

Limestone at 200 feet.

Cost of well. $400; 4-inch casing to 188 

feet.

TABLE 16. Analyses of underground waters from Camden County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3

o 

fc

1

2

3

Date of 

collection.

June 7, 1911

May 6, 1911

Apr. 14,1911

O

DQ

O

i»

41

43

36

ej

1

2.0

.4

.4

X.

g.

|

73 O

74

73

45

Source.

Naval Stores

Co.

Town well.. ....

Well of Stafford

Bros.

;s$

§,

a-

.3i

wO

1

35

8.0

26

A

O *"* >

TI +

§15

^ S

 i-l .2

OQ

23

60

17

CD

1

2

a>O 1^

^2

3 

O

0.0

.0

.0

Location.

St. Marys .........

CD

?

'-^j

go ^s

w

S

229

152

178

CD

0 

 i-t

03^, "0

OS^"'

ft

1

131

170

92

CD

O

^X

«-O

2

g

Tr.

1.5

 x

o

1

| a 

o

26

33

14

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Vicksburg formation?

formation?

0

^

° ^

1^

(D ^

^

^

 d

o .

.2s oK

^

o EH

4S4

504

323

Depth.

Feet.

470-647

500-522

350-375

Analyst.

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

No. 7, Table 15.

No. 15, Table 15.

No. 16, Table 15.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 181

CHARLTON COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Charlton County is in southeastern Georgia and borders Florida. 

It has an area of 905 square miles and a population of 4,722 (census 

of 1910). The county is thinly settled and contains no large towns. 

-Lumbering, turpentine distilling, and stock raising are the principal 

industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The eastern part of the country is a flat sand-covered plain; the 

western part is covered by the Okefenokee Swamp and is practically 

uninhabited. St. Marys and Satilla rivers have cut relatively deep 

courses and are bordered by flat terrace plains about 15 feet above 

the river levels; both are sluggish and are affected by the tide, the 

St. Marys to a few miles above Traders Hill and the Satilla to a few 

miles above Burnt Fort. Although the main streams have cut down 

almost to grade, the tributary streams, which are few in number, 

have effected but little erosion and topographically the surface is 

youthful. Small ponds and swamps are common. The known elevations above sea level are Folkston, 80; Racepond, 148 (probably 

the highest point in the county); Wainwright, 83; St. George, 78: 

and Moniac, 114.

GEOLOGY.

Loose white and yellow quartz sands, probably nowhere exceeding 

20 feet in thickness, form the surface over the entire county. These 

sands are very porous and absorb the rainfall readily. They are 

underlain by 50 feet or less of red and white sands containing thin 

bluish clay layers, the age of which is not certainly known but which 

is believed to be Pleistocene. The surface sands and the underlying red and white sands furnish the water of the shallow wells. 

The red and white sands are underlain by the Charlton formation 

(probably Pliocene), which consists of clays, limestones, and marls 

that are exposed on St. Marys River from near Stokes Ferry downstream to Orange Bluff, 2 miles above Kings Ferry, Ga., and on 

Satilla River at Burnt Fort, on land of W. M. Thrift, 6 miles east of 

Winokur and on the King plantation, 6 miles south of Atkinson. 

The Charlton formation probably underlies a small area in the eastern 

part of the county. Beneath the Charlton are strata of probable 

Miocene age, and beneath the Miocene are 100 feet or more of sands 

and clays belonging to the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene). Undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, which belong in 

descending order to the Eocene and Cretaceous, underlie the Alum 

Bluff formation. At an undetermined depth, probably 3,000 feet or 

more, the Cretaceous deposits are believed to rest upon a basement
182 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

of ancient crystalline rocks. Water-bearing beds may be expected 

in both the Alum Bluff formation and the underlying undifferentiated Eocene or Cretaceous deposits.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Water supplies in the county are obtained chiefly from driven or 

dug wells, commonly 10 to 20 feet deep, which can be put down at 

little expense and which furnish abundant supplies of soft water. 

In many of the open dug wells the water stands within 2 or 3 feet of 

the surface and may be polluted. Driven wells, made by driving 

a small iron tube with a strainer point down to the water-bearing 

bed are, for hygienic reasons, preferable to dug wells. There are a 

few unimportant small seepage springs. The waters of the ponds and 

streams are stained dark brown to black by vegetable matter.

Wholesome water can be obtained from deep wells at any place 

in the county. Wells 200 feet or more in depth, located in the valleys, on land 70 feet or less above sea level, will flow at the surface.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Folkston (population 355, census of 1910). Folkston, the county 

seat and the largest town in the county, is not equipped with a watersupply system but owns a deep well (No. 2, Table 17), from which 

many of the inhabitants obtain supplies for domestic purposes. This 

well, which was completed in 1908, is 612 feet deep and 3 inches in 

diameter. The principal water-bearing bed is reported to be at 510 

feet, and the water, which rises to within 12 feet of the surface, is 

not lowered by pumping. The water is slightly hard but is suitable 

for general domestic purposes.

Burnt Fort. At Burnt Fort, a small community on the terrace 

bordering Satilla River, 12 miles northeast of Folkston, a well (No. 

1, Table 17) owned by Mr. L. M. Bedell is 200 feet deep and furnishes 

a strong flow of sulphurous water.

TABLE 17. Wells in CharUon County.

No.

1

7,

3

Location.

Burnt Fort, 12 miles

northeast of Folkston.

Owner.

L.M. Bedell........

Driller. Authority.

W. M. Ollif.......

Date 

completed.

1908

Approximate elevation 

above

sea

level.

Feel.

8C
CHATHAM COUNTY. 

TABLE 17. Wells in Charlton County Continued.

188

No.

1

7,

3

Depth.

Feet.

200

612

65

Diameter%

Inches.

3

Depth

to principal

waterbearing

bed.

Feet.

510

AK

Level

of 

water 

below

surface.

Feet.

12-

How obtained. Quality.

Slightly hard......

Use.

Geologic horizon 

of principal 

water bed.

AJnm Ttjnff forrrifition?

Vicksburg formation?

tion?

CHATHAM COUNTY. 

GENERAL, FEATURES.

Chatham County is on the seacoast in the eastern section of the 

Coastal Plain of Georgia. Its area is 370 square miles, and its population (census of 1910) is 79,690, of which 65,064 live in Savannah. 

Savannah is an important seaport, exporting chiefly naval stores, 

raw cotton, and lumber. It contains fertilizer factories, cottonseedoil mills, cotton cloth mills, ice factories, a brewery, car works, 

machine shops, a canning factory, and many small plants.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The lands adjacent to the coast are low and the coast line is irregular. The eastern part of the county contains many low, sand-covered 

islands separated by sounds, tortuous brackish and salt water creeks 

and rivers. On the islands and adjacent mainland there are small 

areas of marsh land. The western part is a flat poorly drained plain, 

on which low sand hills or sand ridges, bays, and low moist areas are 

underlain by clay and silt of marine or brackish water origin. The 

low flat areas are probably the sites of former tidal arms of the ocean.

Savannah River forms the eastern boundary of the county and 

Ogeechee River the western boundary. The water of the Savannah 

is always more or less turbid and yellowish from suspended silt and 

clay carried down in suspension from the Piedmont Plateau. Ogeechee River is rarely muddy, and although its headwater streams are 

in the southeastern part of the Piedmont Plateau the water has the 

aspect of the streams which originate in the Coastal Plain. Adjacent 

to the mouths of both the Savannah and "the Ogeechee are salt-water 

marshes and tidal-swamp lands (see pp. 36-37), which extend several 

miles above the salt marshes. The only other important stream in 

the county is Little Ogeechee River which has its source in the Coastal 

Plain and flows southeastward through the western part of the 

county. Its water is dark or amber-colored from organic matter, 

but it carries only a small amount of silt or clay in suspension. On
184 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

account of the youth of the land surface and its low elevation stream 

erosion has been a minor factor in the formation of the topography. 

The surface of the greater part of the county lies between 15 and 

25 feet above sea level, but there are a few places in the northern part 

of the county which probably reach a maximum of 50 or 60 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The greater part of the county is covered by late Pleistocene 

deposits, belonging to the Satilla formation, which consist of loose, 

fine, quartz sands rather uniformly distributed, though in places 

heaped into hills by wind or wave action, and of sandy muds or clays 

containing organic matter deposited in the swampy flats. The 

Pleistocene deposits probably do not exceed 25 or 30 feet in thickness, 

but they are the source of the water obtained in shallow dug and 

driven wells. Beneath the surficial Pleistocene sands, at a few 

localities, are red or yellowish sands containing thin bluish clay 

laminae, which are older than the Satilla formation and probably 

belong to an older Pleistocene formation. These red and yellow 

sands are thin and have no important bearing on the water supplies. 

At Savannah, beneath the Pleistocene deposits and the red and yellow 

sands of questionable age, the strata, to a depth of about 250 feet, 

consist of fine more or less argillaceous sands, bluish or greenish 

sandy clays, soft shell marls, and limestones which are of Tertiary age 

and are probably younger than the Chattahoochee formation (Oligocene), but which have not been differentiated into formations. 

Locally, these beds are water bearing and supply wells 270 feet or less 

in depth. Porous, sandy limestones, which may represent in descending order the Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, and Jackson formations, 

are encountered at Savannah between 250 and 500 feet. These 

limestones are an important source of artesian supplies in this and 

adjoining counties.

Little is known concerning the character and age of the Coastal 

Plain deposits existing beneath the limestones, but it is perhaps 

reasonable to assume that the Claiborne group (Eocene) and the 

Upper and Lower Cretaceous sands and clays are represented. 

Beneath the Lower Cretaceous deposits, perhaps at some depth 

between 2,500 and 4,000 feet, are the crystalline basement rocks. 

The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits doubtless contain water-bearing 

beds, some of which would yield potable waters.
CHATHAM COUNTY. 185

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Artesian wells are the chief source of water supply in the county. 

The city of Savannah, the second largest city in the State, derives its 

supply from artesian wells. Many private wells have been sunk in 

the city and throughout the county.

Shallow dug and driven wells 6 to 25 feet deep furnish soft but not 

always wholesome water. Water from driven wells is safer than 

that from dug wells.

Water from Savannah River is used in boilers at many factories at 

Savannah. Elsewhere in the county surface waters are not used 

extensively.

Springs are few in number, small, and usually unwholesome.

Artesian waters may be obtained throughout the county at depths 

ranging from 50 to 1,500 feet or more. Most wells, especially those 

exceeding 100 feet in depth, will flow.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Savannah (population 65,064, census of 1910). The municipal 

water supply at Savannah is derived from 13 artesian wells (No. 5, 

Table 18) in the western part of the city. One well is 1,550 feet deep 

and the others are from 475 to over 500 feet (the average depth is 

said to be 500 feet). Originally they all flowed, but later the yield 

decreased to such an extent that it became necessary to pump them; 

in 1910 the consumption from the 13 wells was 9,500,000 gallons a day. 

A description of the water-supply system and an explanation of the 

decreased yield of the wells has been given by C. S. Slichter,1 the 

greater part of whose paper is here quoted. Table 19 gives a mineral 

analysis of the water of the present supply (analysis 1) and an 

analysis of water from the wells at the old city waterworks (analysis 2).

One of the most carefully planned artesian water supplies of this country is that of 

the city of Savannah, Ga. A brief account of these wells is of much interest, not only 

as illustrative of an intelligently designed and well-constructed engineering work, but 

also because of the valuable lessons to be learned from the way in which difficulties 

were met and overcome as they arose. The works were planned by Mr. Thomas T. 

Johnston, consulting engineer, of Chicago, 111., and the following description is taken 

largely from his paper in Engineering News.2

Prior to 1887 the water supply of Savannah was taken from the river, but in that 

year 14 artesian wells were put in use (a fifteenth well being nearly ready) near the old 

pumping station. Of these wells 2 were 10-inch, 12 were 6-inch, and 1 was 4-inch, and 

not one was more than 400 feet deep. In 1888 the entire supply of the city was drawn 

from these wells, the total for the year being 2,135,842,000 gallons, or about 5,850,000 gallons per day. At the close of 1889,5 new wells had been put in use, the 20 wells being 

distributed very irregularly within a 10-acre lot. About this time, however, it became 

necessary to open the river supply to some extent. Experience and observation 

showed conclusively that the water supply was materially affected by the tide, and it

i U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 67, pp. 97-101,1902. 2 Eng. News, vol. 29, pp. 527-529,1893.
186 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

was supposed that the shallowness of the wells caused a filling by sand to a greater or 

less extent, thus affecting the supply. But little better results were had, however, 

from deepening some of the wells, one of them being deepened to 1,009 feet. Two additional 10-inch wells 502 and 505 feet deep were connected with the old works on December 29,1890, but in November, 1891, it was necessary to again draw water from the 

river. Nothing resulted from dynamiting the wells. [Wells No. 4, Table 18.]

In June, 1891, it was found that water in well No. 1, close to the old pumping station, 

was 9 feet lower than in well No. 2, distant from well No. 1 about 1,600 feet, and it was 

determined to abandon the old wells.

Twelve new wells in a new location were finally decided upon, and 7 were put in use 

on December 9,1892, and the others on March 21, 1893. * * * [No. 5, Table 18.] 

The wells are arranged along a highway which runs nearly parallel to the ocean and 

some distance from the old pumping station. They are 300 feet apart and flow into a 

brick and concrete conduit. * * * Sands and clays were met to a depth of about 

250 feet, where a cherty lime rock was found. The rock varies in character at 

greater depths. The first water was found at 325 feet, and the supply continually 

increased until the depth exceeded 500 feet. The water-bearing rock is uniformly 

a porous limestone, or rather one full of cavities, very similar to the rock outcrop from 

which flow the mammoth Suwanee springs in northern Florida. Water is occasionally 

found below 500 feet, but not in sufficient quantity to justify deeper wells. The 12 

wells of the new waterworks average 500 feet in depth. They are cased to the rock 

(about 250 feet) with casing of 12 inches internal diameter. Below this there is a_ 

12-inch clear opening. The normal position of water in the wells, as determined by 

the position in the old wells when first dug, showed that it reached the static level at 

an elevation of 41 feet above mean low tide. Subsequent wells, bored in a wide range 

of country, show about the same elevation. After a number of wells had been bored 

the elevation of this static level was lowered. At the time of an examination in 1890 

about 6,000,000 gallons per day were being pumped at the old works. The static level 

was then 7 feet; at the site of the new works it was at an elevation of 28 feet, while 9 

miles south of the old works it was at the original elevation, 41 feet. The influence of 

the heavy pumpage was noticed to be greater in wells in the same line perpendicular 

to the shore of the ocean than in wells in a line parallel to the ocean. To predetermine 

the probable flow from the new wells, the Springfield well, 2,000 feet east of the new 

station, was examined, with the following results: 1

Flow of Springfield well, Savannah.

Elevation of 

static level 

above mean, 

low tide.

Feet. 

27.67

25.67 

24.40 

22.77 

22.68 

21.80 

21.79 

20.57 

13.00

Equivalent 

nead.

Feet. 

0

2.00 

3.27 

4.90 

4.99 

5.87 

5.88 

7.10 

14.67

Flow.

Galls, per 

#4-AoMrs.

482,000 

623,000 

1,000,000 

977,000 

1, 133, 000 

1, 172, 000 

1,360,000 

2,500,000

Year.

1890

1890 

1891 

1890 

1891 

1891 

1891 

1890 

1890

It was estimated that about 3,000,000 gallons per day could be obtained with the 

static head reduced to an elevation of 7 feet, which reduction is practicable at the 

purap house, as constructed. The old wells spread over an area about 1,700 feet

1 A section of this well is shown in Eng. News, vol. 30, p. 4,1893.
CHATHAM COUNTY. 187

wide at its largest part, and their flow at an elevation of 7 feet was about 6,000,000 

gallons per day.

The first seven wells embraced a line 1,800 feet long. Reducing the level to 8 feet, 

the flow was 6,500,000 gallons per day. The level in wells Nos. 10, 11, and 12 was 

at this time 14.93,15.96, and 16.20 feet, respectively. On March 21,1893, the 12 wells 

were put into service, with elevation of water at 8 feet, and the flow was 9,500,000 

gallons per day. At the beginning of 1897 the flow of the 12 wells had decreased to 

6,900,000 gallons per day, and the fear was entertained that the history of the old 

plant was to be repeated. Mr. Johnston was again called in consultation. . The 

results of his measurements of the flow of each of the 12 wells were as follows:

Yield of Savannah wells in 1897.

Well.

No. 1.... ............................

No. 2......... .......................

No. 3........ ........................

No. 4........ ........................

No. 5................................

No. 6....... .........................

No. 7............. ...................

No. 8.... ............................

Flow.

Galls, per $4 

hours. 

713,460

460,460

543,950

361, 790

485, 760

293,480

452,870

452,870

Well.

No. 9... .............................

No. 10...............................

No. 11........ .......................

No. 12........ .......................

Flow.

Galls, per 24 

hours. 

399,740

468,050

371,910

485,760

5,490,100

1,019,590

From this table it is seen that wells Nos. 4, 6, and 11 showed a very small flow, 

entirely out of proportion to that of the other wells.

It having been determined that the flow of water in some wells was more obstructed 

than in others, the work of attempting to remove the obstructions was undertaken. 

The method used was back flushing, or the forcing of a strong reverse flow back into 

the well. The first effort was made on well No. 2 by means of fire hose attached to 

a neighboring hydrant. Only a slight improvement resulted. The next attempt 

was made on well No. 10, fire engine No. 2 being used. But little improvement 

resulted. A more powerful fire engine (No. 3) was next employed, and the process 

was tried on well No. 6. A radical improvement was the result, the net gain in the 

yield of the well being 100,000 gallons per day. Encouraged by this result, the next 

effort was made on well No. 4, fire engines Nos. 1 and 3 being used. The result was 

even more radical, the net gain in yield for this well being 200,000 gallons per day.1 

The actual results on well No. 6 were as follows:

Results of flushing well No. 6, Savannah waterworks, in 1897.

Flow before flushing: Gallons per 24 hours. 

May 12................................................. 295,000

May 18................................................. 304,000

Flow after flushing:

May 18................................................. 433,000 "

May 19........-...--...............-.....-.-....------. 395,000

May 20................................................. 400,000

May 24................................................. 389,620

After these experiments Mr. Johnston recommended that a special 8-inch water 

main of the city system be laid along the row of 12 wells, and that it be connected to 

each well by means of a 6-inch pipe and gate. By opening a gate any well can now 

be flushed at any time, and Superintendent Kinsey of the waterworks states that 

all of the wells have been flushed and tested regularly every year since Mr. Johnston's 

tests in 1897. The following is the record of the test for the year 1900:

i Report of T. T. Johnston to chairman of water commission, Savannah, Ga., May 24,1897.
188 UlSTDEEGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

Results of flushing Savannah wells in 1900.

Gallons per 24 hoars. 

Yield before flushing....................................... 5,104,275

Yield after flushing........................................ 5,850,878

Gain............................................... 746, 603

The yield before flushing given above is 385,825 gallons less than the total yield 

before flushing in 1897.

The results at Savannah are especially valuable on account of their reliability and 

the fullness of the information. In the first place, the yield of the wells can be closely 

relied upon, for they were determined by a special current meter designed by Mr. 

Johnston, which can at any time readily be lowered into one of the wells. In the 

second place, it was found by actual measurements at the old waterworks that there 

had been no lowering of the water table during the years 1892 to 1897, as the measurements made in the two years were in substantial accord. Thus the depreciation of 

the wells must be referred to the clogging of the pores in the rock in some unknown 

way, and not to a general depreciation of the basin.

The following description of the strata penetrated in the city wells 

at Savannah in the first 510 feet of depth has been prepared by 

McCallie: 1

Section descriptive of strata penetrated in city wells at Savannah.

Fine sandy clay with a few fragments of fossiliferous limestone, more or less rounded by 

water. ................................................................................

Dark grayish-green marl containing rounded pebbles and fragments of oyster shells and 

a few grains of glauconite. ............. ...............................................

Brownish clay containing dental plates of rays and minute rhombohedrons of calcite. ....

Gray marlwith round pebbles and glauconite. Microscopic examination shows the marl 

to consist largely of rhombohedral crystals of calcite ...................................

Greenish-gray marl, containing water-worn pebbles of feldspar and quartz. Calcite crystals are also abundant. ................................................................

Dark-gray clay with a few water-worn pebbles. .........................................

White, porous, concretionary, fossiliferous limestone, Foraminifera, fragments of oyster

More or less compact gray limestone, containing fossils similar to those of the overlying

Gray marl, in places hardened into a porous rock containing fragments of oysters, pectens,

Dark greenish-gray marl, with glauconite filling casts of corals and Foraminifera; also 

fragments of compact coralline limestone which probably formed thin layers in the

Thickness.

Feet. 

30

40

10

10 

10

20

40

20

30

20

60

30

10

70

10

3

27

10

25

35

Depth.

Feet. 

30

70

80

90 

100

120

ISO

180

210

230

290

320

330

400

410

413

440

450

475

510

The log of a well (No. 6, Table 18) completed in 1905, owned by 

the Mutual Fertilizer Co., 3 miles west of the post-office building at 

Savannah, is given by Fuller and Sanford 3 as follows, on the 

authority of the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., contractors:

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 75, 76,1908. 2 U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, p. 199,1906.
CHATHAM COUNTY. 189

Log of well of Mutual Fertilizer Co., 3 miles west of post-office building' at Savannah

(No. 6, Table 18).

Soft light-gray sand. . ...................................................................

Red and gray clay and fine sand. .......................................................

T ough dark-green sandy marl ...........................................................

Coarser-textured white, brownish, and gray-limestone with coarse sand, bits of shells, 

and dark grains, the latter probably phosphatic; contains Orbitoides (?) identified by

Thickness.

Feet. 

1

2

17

10

1.5

203.5

10

25

40

20

Depth.

Feet. 

1

3

20

30

31.5

235

245

270

310

330

According to the authority cited, the diameter of this well is 8 

inches, the length of the casing is 136 feet, and the water is hard and 

rises to within 4 feet of the surface. A partial set of well borings 

from the well is on file in the office of the United States Geological 

Survey (well No. 380). From materials in this set representing 

depths between 270 and 290 feet were obtained remains of Bryozoa 

which, according to R. S. Bassler, are related to the Bryosoan fauna 

from the Eocene limestone of uppermost Jackson age at Wilmington, N. C., but which may indicate the Vicksburg rather than the 

Jackson age of the formation.

Tybee Island. On Tybee Island there are about 20 artesian wells, 

which range in depth from 80 to 240 feet. The waters are derived 

from strata of Tertiary age and appear to be similar in their mineral 

character to the waters obtained from wells at Savannah. They are 

used for general domestic purposes, for the manufacture of ice, and 

in boilers of locomotives of the Central of Georgia Railway. Most of 

the wells flow at the surface, but the static heads are affected by 

the tide, some of them ceasing to flow at low tide.

A well at the cottage of W. J. Floyd, near Inlet station, is about 

160 feet deep, and is cased to a depth of 84 feet, at which depth a 

layer of hard rock was encountered. It flows continuously 3 feet 

above the surface and does not appear to be materially affected in 

its yield by the tide. (See analysis 3, Table 19.)

Pooler (population 337, census of 1910). Pooler derives its water 

supply in part from an artesian well (No. 3, Table 18) owned by 

S. H. Oliver, and in part from shallow wells 16 to 40 feet deep. Mr. 

Oliver's well was drilled in 1890 to a depth of 450 feet with a diameter of 3 inches. The water is reported to be derived principally 

from limestone at 450 feet. At present the water will rise 10 feet 

above the surface, but since the completion of the well the flow has 

decreased, owing perhaps to a clogging of the pore spaces in the
190 UIsTDEEGBOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

water-bearing bed or to a clogging of the well casing by bacterial 

vegetable growth. The original rate of flow could probably be partly 

restored by shooting the well, or by backflushing it in the manner 

employed at Savannah (pp. 187-188).

Montgomery. H. D. Weed, of Savannah, reports that five artesian 

flowing wells on a sea island 10 to 16 miles south of Montgomery 

are 285 to 400 feet deep and 2 to 8 inches in diameter (No. 2, Table 18). 

In these wells the water rises 10 to 15 feet above the surface. The 

principal water-bearing bed is porous limestone at 280 feet. The 

water is sulphurous and is used for general domestic purposes and 

for irrigation.

Burroughs. An artesian well at Burroughs (No. 1, Table 18) 

owned by H. A. Fountain is 315 feet deep and flows 20 feet above 

the surface. The water is used for domestic purposes. Two other 

flowing wells are owned, one by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and 

the other by the Seaboard Air Line Railway.

TABLE 18. Wells in Chatham County.

No.

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Location.

miles south of, orj 

a sea island.

.....do...............

west of).

.....do...............

.....do...............

Owner.

vannah, Ga.

S.H.Oliver.........

City.................

.....do...............

& Irrigation Co.

Fort Screven Reservation. .....do..........:....

Driller.

Keller, Ga.

cialty Well 

Drilling Co., 

Charleston,

S. C.

Authority.

Henry D. Weed...

ston,oC.S.Slichter.6 S. W. McCallie.c 

.....do.............

S. W. McCalliec...

.....do.............

.....do.............

Date 

completed.

IQflS

1890

1905

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

19

10

10.25-

18.62 

11.30-

20.82

13

a Eng. News, vol. 29, pp. 527-529, 1893.

6 U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 67, pp. 97-101,1902.

e Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 72-81,1908.
CHATHAM COUNTY. 

TABLE 18. Wells in Chatham County Continued.

191

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10

No.

1

2

3 

4 

5

6

7 

8

9 

10

Depth.

Feet. 

315 

285-400 

450 

380-300 

475-1,550 

330 

80-240 

158 

80 

156

Diameter.

Inches. 

2 2-8 

3 

4-10 

12 

8

3 

1 

6

, Use.

Domestic and irrigation.

.....do.............

Manufacturing ....

Domestic and 

manufacturing. 

Boiler supply, irrigation, domestic.

Depth 

to principal

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

280 

450

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

+ 20 

+10-15 

+ 10 

(a)

(a)

_ 4

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

30-500

10-30

Pump.

Galls.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Tertiai 

do

y...........

Vicksburg formation? 

.....do. --------

Vicksb 

tion?

Vicksb 

tion? 

Tertiar

do

urg forma- &'

urg formay...........

Tertiai

Character.

Clay and sand.....

Lie

Ca\ 

s

Lin

rernous limex>ne. 

.do.............

How obtained.

.....do... ......

.....do..........

.....do..........

.....do..........

Quality.

Sulphurous. 

Do.

Analysis 2, Table 19 

Analysis 1, Table 19. 

Hard.

Remarks.

Cost of well, $115.

Old waterworks; 22 wells, nine 10-inch, 

twelve 6-inch, one 4-inch. 

New waterworks; 12 wells 475 to 500+ 

feet deep and 1 well 1,550 feet deep; 

12-inch casing to 250 feet. 

8-inch casing extends to a depth of 136 

feet. 

Many wells.

a Original static head 41 feet above mean low tide. 

6 The 1,550-foot well probably taps the Cretaceous.

TABLE 19. Analyses of underground waters from Chatham County.

$0.

1

2 

3

4

5

Date of 

collection.

Apr. J.1, 1911

1886 

Apr. 11,1911

1886

1885

Source.

from 12 wells 475 

to 500+ feet deep 

and 1 well 1,550 

feet deep.

Deep wells formerly municipal 

supply.

.....do.............

Location.

pfvva.iTia'1 ...

.....do.............

Inlet station.

Principal 

water-bearing 

stratum.

to 500+ feet, 

Vicksburg 

formation? ; 

the 1,550- 

foot well, 

Cretaceous? 

Vicksburg 

formation?

.....do.........

.....do.........

Depth.

Feet. 

475-500+

and 1,500

500± 

160±

240±

240±

Analyst.

C. F. Chandler.a

C. F. Chandler.6

H. C. White.6

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 73,74,1908. 6 Idem, pp. 77-79.
192 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 19. Analyses of underground waters from Chatham County Continued.

[Parts per million.]

.

o

fc.

1

2 

3

4

5

O

ffi

1

OQ

58 

55

35

60

2.1

.

£

^

o

i i

1.0 

0.4

.6

0.4

.1

1

a

 |

0

26 

25

23

22

46

'55

aa"

i

a*

10

7.2

12

10

.2

^

!§"a

.3 o 

o

OQ

g

|

1

o

17

T

17 I 2.6

24

11 .

o>O

|

03

O

2.0

.0

T?""

3

1

03 

t-i ^

IsIB«i .2w

170

159

39

o>

0

T3*o

"8^

t

s

OQ

8.0 

11

12

12

34

o>

o

T3 .

*o

a,S

1

S

0.4 

2.2

9.0

G

1

13

o

7.0 

11

8.0

12

.8

§>;*

frj ©

§i ^a

1^

"g.'a"

10

1.7

 d

l>

o .

"2' 5s

"3

"o

EH

220 

229

202

120

185

Remarks.

Wells No. 5, Table 18. 

Trace of PO4. Wells No. 4, 

Table 18.

Trace of PO4 .

CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Chattahoochee County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia. Its area is 218 square miles and its population 

(census of 1910) is 5,586. Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is included in the topographic division here called the 

fall-line hills. The surface is mainly a much-dissected Coastal Plain 

upland of broken hilly aspect. However, in the western part of the 

county there are two relatively small areas of nearly level land, portions of two Pleistocene terrace plains bordering Chattahoochee 

River. The first (the Satilla plain) covers a few square miles in the 

extreme western part of the county and lies 40 to 50 feet above lowwater level of the river; the second (the Okefenokee plain) covers a 

somewhat larger area immediately east of the first at an elevation 

of 140 to 170 feet above the same datum. Chattahoochee River 

drains the entire county, its principal tributaries being Upatoi, 

Oswichee, and Hichitee creeks. The maximum topographic relief is

approximately 400 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The deposits of the Coastal Plain rest upon a deeply buried basement of ancient crystalline rocks, which, along the northern border of 

the county, lie 350 or 400 feet below low-water level of Chattahoochee 

River, and along the southern border probably 700 or 800 feet below 

the same datum plane. The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which consist of 350 or 400 feet of sands and clays, rest directly upon the basement rocks. The uppermost strata of this division appear in the 

bed of Upatoi Creek along the northern border of the county and 

doubtless extend southward under the entire county.
CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY. 193

The Eutaw formation of the Upper Cretaceous rests unconformably upon the Lower Cretaceous deposits. The terrane consists of 

approximately 550 feet of strata, in part irregularly bedded sands and 

laminated clays and in part massive more or less calcareous and 

glauconitic sunds and clays. Locally, the irregularly bedded portions contain lignite and concretions of iron sulphide. Massive 

marine beds, which make up the upper 120 feet of the formation, 

have been designated the Tombigbee sand member.

Conformably overlying the Eutaw formation is the Ripley formation, which is represented within the county in part by the Cusseta 

sand member and in part by typical marine strata. The Cusseta sand 

member consists of about 300 feet of fine to coarse, irregularly bedded 

sands and subordinate lenses of laminated or massive clay. The 

typical marine strata are massive, compact, calcareous, and glauconitic sands and clays. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.)

Pleistocene terrace deposits consisting of loams, sands, and gravels? 

20 to 35 feet thick, cover small areas in two terrace plains in the 

extreme western part of the county. One of these plains lies along 

Chattahooch.ee River 40 to 50 feet above low-water level; the 

other lies immediately to the east, 140 to 150 feet abo.ve the same 

datum.

Of the formations described the Lower Cretaceous deposits, the 

irregularly bedded portions of the Eutaw formation, and the Cusseta 

sand member of the Ripley formati6n, are the chief water bearers.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Water supplies for domestic purposes are derived chiefly from dug 

weUs 20 to 110 feet deep, which tap water-bearing beds in the Upper 

Cretaceous or in the Pleistocene deposits. Wells located on the terraces, which cover 15 to 18 square miles in the western part of the 

county, obtain good supplies from the sands and gravels at the base 

of the terrace deposits at depths of 20 to 40 feet.

Small springs that are conveniently located are used, and many 

small creeks and headwater branches are important sources of 

water for stock and for local steam production.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which pass beneath the Upper 

Cretaceous beds along the northern border of the county, underlie 

the entire county. They carry large quantities of water of excellent 

quality. The Lower Cretaceous water-bearing beds dip southward, 

and in the upland region in the extreme south they probably lie 

1,000 to 1,400 feet beneath the surface.

The irregularly bedded sands and clays of the Eutaw formation, 

which outcrop in the northwestern half of the county and which dip 

38418° WSP 341 15 13
194 UlSTDEEGEOUlSrD WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

southeast beneath the younger Cretaceous formations, contain waters 

of good quality and in considerable quantities. Along the southeastern border of their outcrop water-bearing strata should be 

reached at depths of 100 to 300 feet, and to the south or southeast 

in Stewart County at increasing depths to a maximum of 600 to 

1,000 feet.

In the southeast corner of the county waters of good quality can 

be obtained from the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation 

at depths of 100 to 400 feet.

Flowing wells should be obtained on the lower levels bor.dering 

Chattahooch.ee River at elevations less than 50 feet above low-water 

level and probably also on the bottom lands of Upatoi Creek. A 

flowing well has been obtained on the opposite side of Chattahoochee 

River in Russell County, Ala., which adjoins Chattahoochee County 

on the west. Prof. E. A. Smith 1 describes this well as follows:

W. J. McLendon's well, near Chattahoochee River; depth 465 feet. Record: Sand 

and clay, 20 feet; -marl with shell, 65 feet; beds of sand and marl, 15 to 25 feet thick, 

alternating, to 380 feet; hard rock, 2 feet; sand to 445 feet. Water at this point flowed 

12 gallons per minute, but has decreased to 4 gallons. Well lowered 20 feet into 

sand or hard rock.

This well is located on the lowest Pleistocene terrace, at a landing 

2J or 3 miles below the mouth of Euchee Creek. Its curb is about 

40 feet above low-water level. The first 20 feet of materials penetrated are Pleistocene terrace deposits; the materials from 20 to 

382 feet belong to the Eutaw formation, and those from 382 to 465 

feet to the Lower Cretaceous.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Cusseta, (population 34, census of 1910). Cusseta, the county 

seat, does not own a municipal water-supply system. Wells on 

individual properties, for the most part of the dug type, ranging in 

depth from 45 to 80 feet, are the chief source of water supply. The 

water-bearing beds tapped are either in the extreme base of the 

Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation or in the uppermost 

part of the Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw formation.

Rural supplies. Two deep artesian wells have been reported from 

this county. McCallie 2 furnishes the following account of one of 

them:

The well which is located on Mr. W. C. Bradley's plantation in the western part 

of the county, was put down in 1897, and is reported by Mr. Bradley to have a depth 

of 700 feet. It is 4 inches in diameter, and the water comes to within 90 feet of the 

surface. The w.ell is said to have a capacity of about 600 gallons per hour. The 

water is used for general domestic purposes.

» The underground water resources of Alabama: Alabama Geol. Survey, p. 234,1907. 

? Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 81,1908.
CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY. 195

The formations passed through in boring the well are reported to consist of clay> 

sand, and marl, no hard rock having been encountered. One water-bearing stratum 

occurs at 285 feet; the depths of the others are not given.

The well described by McCallie is on the Okefenokee terrace plain 

1J miles west of Shack.

During 1910 a well was drilled on the property of Mrs. L. W. 

Adams, 5 miles west of Cusseta. W. A. Weems, R. D. No. 2, Cusseta, 

furnishes the following information concerning it:

The well is located on a plain 330 feet above sea level; the depth 

is 385 feet and the diameter is 3 inches. The depth to the principal 

water-bearing bed is 110 feet; the water rises to within 35 feet of 

the surface and is lifted from the well by hand pump; the water 

is soft and of good quality and is used for domestic purposes and for 

watering stock. The cost of the well was $900. Rock, marl, red 

and white sand, and some lignite were encountered. The waterbearing bed tapped at 110 feet is in the Eutaw formation. The 

following analysis of water from this well, collected March 28, 1911, 

was made by Dr. Edgar Everhart:

Analysis of water from, well of Mrs. L. W. Adams, 5 miles northwest of Cusseta.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO^.................................................... 40

Iron (Fe)~................................................... 16

Calcium (Ca)................................................... 2.4

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 2.8

Sodium and potassium (Na-J-K)................................. 6.0

Carbonate radicle (CO3)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3)..................................... 37

Sulphate radicle (SO4).......................................... 22

Nitrate radicle (N03 )........................................... 2.0

Chlorine (01).................................................. 3.5

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 126

A log of one of the deeper wells of the dug type is given below, 

the owner being authority for the lithology:

Log of well of A. K. Cook, 2 miles east of Shack.

Upper Cretaceous, Eutaw formation:

Clay................................................................................

Fine white sand, almost as fine as flour and as white as snow. .........................

Thickness.

Feet. 

3

IS

20

6

53

Deptti.

Feet. 

3

21

41

47

100

104
196 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

CLAY COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Clay County is in the west-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 203 square miles and its population is 8,960 

(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county lies on the border between the physiographic divisions 

of the fall-line -hills and the Dougherty plain. The topography of 

the fall-line hills is characterized by hills and ridges scored by local 

washes and gullies, and that of the Dougherty plain by nearly level 

or gently rolling tracts. The former is developed in the northern 

part of the county and the latter in the southern, and the two merge 

in a northeast-southwest belt that extends through the central 

part of the county. The drainage of the county is chiefly through 

Chattahoochee River and its tributaries Pataula, Sandy, Comochechebbee, Colomokee, and smaller creeks. The maximum surface 

relief is probably between 250 and 350 feet.

Two well-developed Pleistocene terrace plains, the limits of which 

have not been determined in detail, border Chattahoochee River 

in the west. The lower (the Satilla plain) lies 40 to 50 feet above 

low-water level; the higher (the Okefenokee plain) lies 100 to 115 

feet above the same datum. The main part of the town of Fort 

Gaines is built upon the higher plain.

GEOLOGY.

The Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous outcrops in a very 

small area along Chattahoochee River and along Pataula Creek, in 

the northwest corner of the county. The materials consist of beds 

of massive calcareous, glauconitic, marine sands and clays, with 

some indurated layers. The thickness of the part of the formation 

appearing above water level is probably not more than 50 or 100 

feet, but its total thickness, including the buried portion, is probably 

over 900 feet. The formation is underlain by deeply buried, older 

Cretaceous deposits 1,000 to 1,500 feet or more in thickness, which 

rest in turn upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The 

Ripley formation dips southward beneath overlying Eocene strata 

and at Fort Gaines is probably first encountered in wells at a depth 

of 190 to 200 feet below low-water level of the river.

The Ripley formation is overlain in ascending order by the Midway 

formation, the Wilcox formation, and the Claiborne group, of the 

Eocene, and by the Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene. The 

Midway formation consists of several hundred feet of limestones, 

marls, clays, and sands, which outcrop along Chattahoochee River at
CLAY COUMY. 19?

and above Fort Gaines and in small areas in the northwestern part 

of the county. The Wilcox formation consists of 75 to 100 feet of 

sandy glauconitic shell marls, dark laminated sandy clays, and gray 

or dark-gray glauconitic and lignitic sands, which outcrop on Chattahoochee River at and below Fort Gaines and extend northeastward 

through the county in a belt several miles wide. The Gaiborne group 

consists of 150 or 200 feet of clays, sands, and marls, which come to 

the surface in a belt 4 to 8 miles wide, extending nearly north and 

south through the county.

The Vicksburg formation consists chiefly of sands and clays 

residual from limestones, containing greater or lesser amounts of 

sandy and argillaceous impurities and scattered masses of flint which 

resulted from the partial silicification of the original limestones. 

The formation outcrops in a small area in the southeast and probably 

does not exceed 100 feet in thickness. (See PL III.) Bordering 

Chattahoochee River thin Pleistocene terrace deposits are present in 

narrow areas which correspond in extent to the terrace plains.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

In the rural districts water for domestic use is obtained chiefly 

from shallow dug wells, 20 to 100 feet deep, and from springs. On 

the hilly areas the average depth of the dug wells is greater than on 

the terrace plains bordering Chattahoochee River.

The numeroijs creeks and small spring branches supply abundant 

water for stock and for local steam production.

The uppermost beds of the Ripley formation, which underlies the 

entire county, are a most promising source of artesian water. They 

furnish strong flows at Fort Gaines at depths of 190 to 300 feet below 

low-water level of the river. They would be reached at less depths, 

north of Fort Gaines and at slightly greater depths south of that place. 

The middle and lower beds of the Ripley formation may be regarded 

as possible sources of artesian waters.

Moderate amounts of water suitable for all ordinary purposes are 

obtainable from the more sandy beds of the Midway and Wilcox formations and Claiborne group of the Eocene and from the Vicksburg 

formation of the Oligocene.

Flowing wells can probably be obtained only on the lower of the 

two terrace plains bordering the river, at elevations less than 50 feet 

above low-water level of the river, and in the bottom lands of some 

of the larger creeks.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Fort Gaines (population 1,320, census of 1910). Several deep wells 

have been drilled at and near Fort Gaines, the county seat. Water is
198 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

obtained from horizons in the Eipley formation beneath 200 feet or 

more of Eocene strata. The first deep well drilled is described by 

McCallie 1 as follows:

The well, which has a depth of 650 feet, was constructed in 1885 by the town of Fort 

Gaines, at a cost of about $2,000. The diameter of the well varies from 3 to 4 inches. 

The water rises to within 20 feet of the surface. Dr. J. W. Spencer, in speaking of the 

Fort Gaines well, says: 2 "The record of this well JB lost; but it reaches a depth of 650 

feet. The lower 350 or 400 feet of these strata belong to the Eipley or Upper Cretaceous system, which is overlain by the impervious beds of the lower Eocene limestones."

An analysis of water from this well is given in Table 20 (analysis 3).

In 1909 a second well was drilled at Fort Gaines under the auspices 

of the town government. The following information concerning it 

has been furnished by J. E. Paullin, chairman of the financial committee :

The well is 264 feet deep and is located near the Central of Georgia 

Eailway station on the lowest river terrace plain about 40 or 50 

feet above low-water level of the river. Water-bearing beds were 

encountered at depths of 230 and 264 feet, the principal supply coming from the greater depth. The 264-foot stratum furnishes a 

natural flow of 300 gallons per minute, which will rise at least 30 feet 

above the surface. The cost of the well was $2^000.

An analysis is given in Table 20 (analysis 4).

The well just described is to be the source of supply for a municipal waterworks now (1912) in course of construction. Both waterbearing beds, encountered at 230 and 264 feet are believed to be in 

the Bipley formation, the upper being at the extreme top of the formation. Mr. Paullin furnishes the following information concerning 

the proposed water-supply plant:

A tank to be installed at the well will have a capacity of 125,000 

 gallons. From the tank water will be pumped to a reservoir on a 

hill just east of the town 259 feet above the mouth of the well and 150 

feet above the terrace plain on which the business part of the town 

stands. From the reservoir the water will be distributed by gravity 

through mains having a total length of about 3 miles. There will be 

a standpipe pressure of 65 pounds and a direct pressure from the 

pump of 90 pounds. The number of taps for domestic purposes will 

be about 100 and for manufacturing about 3; the number of fire 

plugs will be 25.

C. C. Greene, 934 Candler Building, Atlanta, has furnished the following information concerning a well in Clay County, 3 miles northwest of Fort Gaines:

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 81,1908.

* Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 79,1891.
CLAY COUNTY. 199

The well, which is owned by Mrs. C. W. Greene, of Fort Gaines, was 

drilled in 1910. It is on the lowest river terrace, about 40 feet above 

low-water level of Chattahoochee River, has a depth of 365 feet, and 

is 6 inches in diameter at the bottom. It flows about 165 gallons a 

minute. The cost was $900. The owner contemplates using the 

well for irrigation.

The well probably penetrated about 175 or 180 feet of strata 

belonging to the Midway formation of the Eocene, below which it 

passed through Ripley strata to the bottom. The water-bearing bed 

is therefore in the latter formation.

Henry County, Ala. Flowing wells have been obtained on the 

lowest river terrace in Alabama opposite Clay County. G. R. Irwin, 

of Fort Gaines, Ga., has furnished the following information concerning his well, 2J miles northwest of Fort Gaines, in Henry County, 

Ala.:

The well is 700 yards west of the river, 15 feet above high-water 

mark, and is 240 feet deep. A flow of 10 or 11 gallons a minute was 

obtained at 190 to 196 feet and 25 or 30 gallons a minute at 217 to 

240 feet. Both water-bearing beds are believed to be in the Ripley 

formation. The following is a log of this well with a correlation of 

the strata:

Log of well of George R. Irwin, in Henry County, Ala., 2% miles northwest of Fort Gaines,

Ga.

Pleistocene (terrace deposit):

Eocene, Midway formation:

Marl................................................................................

Marl................................................................................

Tipper Cretaceous, Eipley formation:

Hard sand rock (first flow of 10 to 11 gallons a minute at this depth; measured from

Marl.................................................................................

Hard sand rock with some soft spots. At 230 to 235 feet the second flow of 25 to 30 

gallons a minute was encountered; flowed from top of 6-inch pipe. Well stopped

Thickness.

Feet. 

30

45

50

10

5

30

10

6

4

6

6

5

3

2

3

2

23

Depth.

Feet. 

30

75

125

135

140

170

180

186 ion

196

202

207

210

212

215

217

240

Bluffton. According to the owner, J. E. Mansfield, a well at 

Bmffton, 300 yards west of the post office, 40 feet above the valley 

of Colomoke Creek, is of the driven type, is 60 feet deep, and is 2 

inches in diameter. An abundance of water, yielded by a bed of 

white sand in the lower part of the well, is used for general domestic
200 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

purposes. A bed of clay containing shells was penetrated at 35 or 

40 feet. The water comes from either the base of the Vicksburg 

formation or from the upper part of the Claiborne group. (See 

analysis 1, Table 20.)

Mr. Mansfield has also furnished information concerning a spring 

'owned by the town of Bluffton, on Main Street, about 300 yards west 

of the post office. The spring emits a moderate stream of clear 

water from sand overlain by a bed of sandstone which outcrops at 

the base of a bluff 40 feet below the general upland level. The water 

is used for drinking and for general domestic purposes by the people 

of the neighborhood. (See analysis 2, Table 20.)

TABLE 20. Analyses of underground waters from, Clay County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3 

4

6

 *

1

2

3

4

Date of 

collection.

June 1, 1911

.....do.......

June 5,1911

.

O

£ 

8

53

CO

12

36

16

30

£

a8

0.2

.4

63.6

Trace.

Source.

Well of J. E.

Mansfield.

BlufftoB Spring, 

owned by the

town.

Town well 

.....do.....

'o?

a

71

°

47

8.0

7.0

10

a

a

 g

M

lS

^

2.0

Trace.

1.4

Trace.

Location.

do

Fort Gaine 

do

i?CO

1

M

g

.s

03

O

PH

4

8.0

76 I o. 1

t 7

®

i

s .

<»O 3 s

,2

03

^

2.0

.0

98

2.0

Principal waterbearing stratum.

burg formation or Claiborne group? 

Claiborne group .

Ripley formatior

S

.°

03

|a

w

158

18

190

<c

0

03^.

"0

-2S

P.

CO

8.0

3.0

9.4

11

Depth.

Feet.

60

650

264

a>

0

^X.

M o

«&

^

0.3

4.0

--------

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.

Do.

Do. a 

Do.

1

o

2

°

3.0

4.0

20

12

<B

.S"2

2 .

«>o

 ft"

1.?.

...

6.3

 o

CD

O .

"S

«8

03 8

^

174

SO

248

238

o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 82,19d8. 6 FeaO3+Al8O3. 

CLINCH COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Clinch County is in the southeastern part of the State on the 

Florida border. Its area is 961 square miles and its population 

(census of 1910) is 8,424. The county has no large towns or cities 

and is thinly settled. Lumber and naval stores are the chief products.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is a nearly even plain which slopes southward from 

about 200 feet above sea level in its extreme northern part to 116 feet 

above sea level at Fargo, in its southeast corner. Alapaha River,
CLINCH COUNTY. 201

which forms its western boundary, has cut 50 to 70 feet below the 

upland plain. Suwanee Eiver flows through a low sand-covered 

terrace plain between banks or bluffs not over 10 feet high. The 

streams are sluggish and the waters are dark to almost black from 

organic matter. A relatively small area in the southeastern part of 

the county is covered by Okefenokee Swamp.

GEOLOGY.

Throughout the greater part of the county red and yellow argillaceous sands with thin interbedded layers of bluish clay closely underlie the surface. The thickness of these surficial materials probably 

does not exceed 75 feet. They are underlain by the Alum Bluff formation, comprising 150 to 250 feet of sands and greenish sandy clays, 

probably locally water-bearing. The Alum Bluff and the overlying 

beds weather to white or yellowish residual sands which cover the 

surface to a depth of several feet throughout the greater part of the 

county. The Chattahoochee formation, which underlies the Alum 

Bluff, does not appear at the surface but is thought to be 100 feet or 

more thick and to contain water-bearing beds. The Chattahoochee 

formation is underlain by limestones belonging to the Vicksburg 

formation, which is several hundred feet thick and which probably 

carries large quantities of water. Between the base of the Vicksburg 

formation and the crystalline basement rocks, the depth of which is 

not known, there is first a series of limestones, sands, and clays of 

Eocene age followed in descending order by a series of sands, clays, 

and marls of Cretaceous age. Both the Eocene and Cretaceous 

deposits probably contain water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES.

None of the towns or villages of the county are equipped with 

public water-supply systems. Domestic water supplies are obtained 

chiefly from dug and driven wells 10 to 50 feet deep, which afford 

abundant soft water. The driven wells are preferable to the dug 

wells because they afford less opportunity for contamination. As 

there are no hard rocks near the surface driven wells are practicable 

throughout the county.

The waters of ponds and streams are suitable for stock and for 

boiler supply.

There are two deep wells in the county one at Fargo and one at 

Council, 6 miles southeast of Fargo. No information has been 

obtained concerning them except that they are 200 or 300 feet in 

depth and are nonflowing.

There are numerous seepage springs throughout the county but 

they yield only small quantities of water and some of them are 

unpalatable. Some are very high in iron. A sample from a spring
202 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

near Argyle, the source of which is probably the beds overlying the 

Alum Bluff formation, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart in August, 

1909, as follows:

Analysis of water from a spring near Argyle.

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiO2 )................................................... 7.7

Iron (Fe)..................................................... 9.1

Aluminum (Al)................................................ 2.6

Calcium (Ca)................................................... .8

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. .5

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)................................. 4.9

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3)..................................... 144

Sulphate radicle (SO4 ).. - ....................................... 1.4

Chlorine (01).................................................. 10

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 69

COFFEE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Coffee County is in the so-called long-leaf pine or wire-grass region, 

in the southeast-central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Its 

area is 901 square miles and its population is 21,953 (census of 1910).

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part is rolling to hilly. The hills present smoothly 

rounded, sand-covered slopes, and the valleys, except that of Ocmulgee River, are shallow. In the south the surface is flatter, presenting 

in places poorly drained pine and saw-palmetto flats and small, 

shallow, cypress ponds, which probably occupy original inequalities 

that have not been drained by stream erosion.

Satilla River and its tributaries form a dendritic drainage system 

over the greater part of the country. The interstream areas south 

and north of the divide between the Satilla and Ocmulgee river 

systems are strikingly unequal, the area south of the divide being 

much larger than that north of it. A similar relationship exists with 

respect to the areas northeast and southwest of the divide separating 

the Satilla and Alapaha drainage systems. The waters, except those 

of Ocmulgee River, are dark to almost black. The banks of the 

creeks and branches are low and in places the waters spread out 

through dense swamps through which there are no definite channels.

On the east sides of Seventeenmile Creek and Satilla and Alapaha 

rivers, at elevations of 40 to 50 feet above low-water level, there 

are belts of fluviatile sand hills half a mile to 1 mile wide.

The known elevations in the county are: Douglas, about 388; Nicholls, about 306; Ambrose, about '395; Willacooch.ee, 247; Kirkland, 

200; Pearson, 205, and McDonald, 167.
COFFEE COUNTY. 203 

GEOLOGY.

Ferruginous sands, with pockets and thin interbedded layers of 

drab or bluish clay, form the surface throughout most of the county. 

These materials are probably Oligocene and are similar to those of 

the underlying Alum Bluff formation. They are probably not more 

than 100 feet thick in the county. They weather to yellow or white 

loose quartz sand, which mantles the surface to depths of 1 foot to 6 

feet. Similar sands of alluvial origin have been deposited on the 

terraces bordering the streams. The surficial sands have some bearing on the problems of water supply, for they are the source of small 

seepage springs and prevent to some extent the rapid surface dramage of rainfall.

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of 

sandy clays interbedded with sands, underlies the surface materials 

and probably contains local water-bearing beds. The Alum Bluff 

formation is underlain by several hundred feet of limestones, which 

probably represent in descending order the Chattahoochee and 

Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the Jackson formation 

of the Eocene. The limestones are water bearing and constitute the 

most promising source of artesian water. Nothing definite is known 

as to the deposits beneath the limestones, but they probably consist 

of sands, clays, and marls of Eocene and Cretaceous age and rest at 

an undetermined depth upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The water supply is obtained chiefly from shallow wells 30 to 50 

feet deep on the higher lands or hills and 10 to 15 feet deep on the 

lower levels. The shallow wells furnish abundant supplies of soft 

water. Ponds and streams afford water for stock and boiler supply.

Small seepage springs issue from the surficial sands and sandy 

layers throughout the county. The most notable is Gaskins Spring, 

at the base of the sand hills on the eastern edge of the swamp of 

Seventeenmile Creek, 2 miles east of Douglas, which flows a small 

stream. The place is a picnic resort and camp-meeting ground and 

the water is used chiefly for drinking. (See analysis 2, Table 22.)

Deep wells have been drilled at Douglas, Broxton, and Willacoochee. No flowing wells have been reported.

The Oligocene and Eocene limestones are abundantly water 

bearing. They will be penetrated in wells at depths of 300 to 600 

feet. The Alum Bluff formation, which overlies the Chattahoochee 

formation, is locally water bearing, and its waters, if like those from 

the same formation in Dodge, Telfair, Appling, and Tattnall counties, are less highly mineralized than those from greater depths.
204 UNDERGEOUNfi WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN Of

Conditions for obtaining flowing wells are probably unfavorable 

except perhaps on the low terrace or bottom lands bordering Ocmulgee 

Biver on the north.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Douglas (population 3,550, census of 1910). The water supply at 

Douglas is obtained from an artesian well (No. 2, Table 21) owned by 

the town. The following account of this well is given by McCallie: *

It is a 6-inch well, 409 feet in depth. Water-bearing strata are reported at 325 and 

390 feet. The static head of the first stratum is said to be 130 feet below the surface, 

and the second 170 (?) feet. The record of the well shows that clays and sands were 

penetrated to a depth of 130 feet, below which sand and hard rock continue to the 

bottom.

The well yields about 75,000 gallons of water a day and would 

probably yield more. (See analysis 1, Table 22.)

Broxton (population 1,040, census of 1910). In 1908 the DorminyPrice Lumber Co. drilled a well (No. 1, Table 21) at Broxton to a 

depth of 400 feet. The water is used for general domestic purposes 

and for boiler supply at the lumber mill.

WiUacoochee (population 960, census of 1910). An artesian well 

408 feet deep (No. 3, Table 21) provides the municipal water supply 

of Willacoochee. The water stands within 160 feet of the surface. 

The daily consumption is about 25,000 gallons. (See analysis 3, Table 

22.)

TABLE 21. Wells in Coffee County.

No.

1

?,

No.

1

3

Location.

Depth.

Feet.

400

4AQ

408

Diameter.

Inches.

4

6

8

Owner.

Town. ........................

.....do........................

Depth 

to principal

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

400

390

350

Depth

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

Level

of

water 

below 

surface.

Feet.

130

160

Authority.

S.W. McCallie.t

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

Pump.

Galls.

50

170

How obtained.

Steam engine. ....

completed.

1908

1QTIQ

An

proximate

elevaabove

level.

Feet.

ooo/o\

247

Quality.

Analysis 3, Table 22.

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 82-84,1908.
COLQUITT COUNTY. 

TABLE 21. Wells in Coffee County Continued.

205

No.

1

?, 3

Use.

boiler supply.

Geologic horizon 

of principal 

water bed.

Vicksburg formation. 

.....do............

.....do............

Character 'of principal water bed. Remarks.

$1,400.

TABLE 22. Analyses of underground ivaters from Coffee County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3

£

i

2

3

Date of 

collection.

Apr. 5, 1911

.....do.......

O

35

*

S3

83

12

36

«

EH

^

M

634

Tr.

1

.

6

 E3

5

34

2.0

37

Source.

 a

a

a

7.2

1.0

11

i

a

g

o

03

. 12

"aM

_S

CO*

£

4.6

6.0

6.0

Location.

east ol.

o "

?

£

18s~-

2

6

0.0

.0

.0

&

 9

S 

 s° 

go§w

3

158

11

160

O)

o

 d

*^5 *-o

2M

%

A

2.6

Tr.

27

O)

o

 O .

:Ib

i?

1.0

.2

Principal waterbearing stratum.

or Vicksburg

formation.

its.

or Vicksburg

formation.

5 

1

c

0

10

5.0

5.0

 d

>

0 .

S| ' 31

 a

1

266

3ft

210

Depth.

Feet.

390

350

Analyst.

Do.

Do.

-

Remarks.

/Free carbon dioxide (COj) = 42. 

\Well 2, Table 21.

Well 3, Table 21.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 83,1908.

COLQUITT COtTNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Colquitt County is in the south-central part of the State, 

is 529 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 19,

Its area 

,789.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Colquitt County is rolling or gently undulating and there are 

nowhere rugged or sharply cut features. The streams are small and 

flow through wide swampy valleys, above which the bordering hills 

or ridges probably rise not more than 75 feet. No exact determinations of elevations have been made within the county, but an estimate 

based on known elevations in adjoining counties puts the greater 

part of Colquitt County 200 to 350 feet above sea level. The highest 

land is in the northwest.
206 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

GEOLOGY.

Ferruginous sands with interbedded layers of bluish sandy clay oui>- 

crop over the greater part of the county. They contain water-bearing beds which are tapped by many shallow wells. Beneath them is 

the Alum Bluff formation which outcrops in the bottoms and lower 

slopes of the larger streams, consists of 100 feet or more of greenish 

and white or drab sandy clays, sands, and sandstones, and is locally 

water bearing. The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by several 

hundred feet of water-bearing limestones interbedded with sands, 

which probably represent, in descending order, the Chattahoochee 

and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene ajid the Jackson formation of the Eocene.

The aggregate thickness of the limestones probably amounts to 

400 or 500 feet and they may be expected to yield large quantities of 

water. The Jackson formation is known to be underlain by strata 

of Eocene age and these in turn by strata of Cretaceous age, but definite information concerning the deposits is lacking. The Cretaceous 

strata probably rest upon a deeply buried surface of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

In Colquitt County dug wells 15 to 50 feet in depth are the chief 

source of domestic water supply, furnishing an abundance of soft 

water. As no hard rook is encountered such wells are dug at small 

expense. Small seepage springs exist but are not used extensively. 

The waters of ponds and streams are used to some extent for stock 

and for boilers. Deep wells have been reported from Moultrie, 

Doerun, and Norman Park.

The prospects for obtaining artesian water from the Oligocene and 

Eocene limestones at depths of 300 to 700 feet throughout the county 

are good, and it is probable that abundant supplies can be obtained 

at still greater depths from the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits. It 

is believed that flowing wells can not be obtained in the county.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

MouUrie (population 3,349, census of 1910). Moultrie, the county 

seat, owns a municipal water-supply system and obtains water from 

two deep wells. The first well, according to McCallie,1 was drilled in 

1897. It is 571 feet deep and is 6 inches in diameter; the principal 

water-bearing stratum is at a depth of 486 feet, and the water rises to 

within 220 feet of the surface. The following log was furnished to 

T. W. Vaughan by S. S. Chandler, the driller:

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 84-85,1908.
COLQUITT COUNTY. 207

Log of town well at Moultrie (No. 2, Table 23).

Layers, with blue clay between .........................................................

(The character of the material interbedded with the blue clay is not known.)

Thickness.

Feet. 

30

55

55

180

100

151

Depth.

Feel. 

30

85

140

320

420

571

The following is an analysis, by Edgar Everhart, 1 of water from 

the well just described:

Analysis of water from town well at Moultrie (No. 2, Table 23}.

Parts per million.

Silica (Si02)................................................... 23

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe203+Al203)................... 6.2

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 18

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 7. 2

Sodium (Na)-.................................................. 24

Potassium (K)................................................ 11

Carbonate radicle (C03)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03)..................................... 138

Sulphate radicle (S04).......................................... 12

Chlorine (Cl)................................................. 9. 5

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 160

Free carbon dioxide (C02)...................................... 42

According to McCallie, the second well (No. 3, Table 23) was 

drilled in 1902, is 506 feet deep, and is 8 inches in diameter. The 

water-bearing bed tapped at a depth of 486 feet in the first well was 

also tapped in this well. It is believed to be in either the Vicksburg 

or the Jackson formation.

Doerun (population 630, census of 1910). At Doerun domestic 

water supplies are derived chiefly from dug wells 25 to 60 feet deep. 

These wells furnish soft water. The town owns one deep well (No. 1, 

Table 23), completed in 1910, which is 460 feet deep and is 4 inches in 

diameter at the top and 3^ inches in diameter at the bottom. The 

water is reported to come from sand at a depth of 410 feet; it rises to 

within 18 feet of the surface but is lowered to 25 feet by pumping. 

The water-bearing stratum is probably in either the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) or the Jackson formation (Eocene).

Norman Park (population 648, census of 1910). Norman Park is 

located on the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad, in the 

northern part of the county. The domestic water supply is derived 

chiefly from dug wells 15 to 40 feet deep. One deep well (No. 4, 

Table 23), on the campus of Norman Institute, supplies water for the

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 84-85,1908.
208 UNDERGROUND WATBES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

college and for some of the inhabitants of the village. According to 

F. E. McCalman this well is 585 feet deep, is nonflowing, and furnishes 

350 gallons of water a minute by pumping. The water is described 

as hard and as having a sulphurous odor. This well probably taps 

a water-bearing stratum in the Jackson formation.

TABLE 23. Wells in Colquitt County.

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

No.

1

2

3

4

No.

1

2 

3

4

Location.

Doerun 

Moulta 

.....do

Norma

Depth.

Feet. 

460 

571

506 

585

..............

e. ............

Diameter.

Inches, 

f

8 

3

Use.

Domes

Munici 

.....do. 

Domes

Depth 

to principal 

waterbear ins 

bed.

Feet. 

410 

486

486 

329-585

Date 

Owner. Driller. Authority. completed.

Town............... M. A. Jarrard... J. L. Dowling. mayor ..... 1910 

....do.............. .................. S.W.McCallieo.. ........ 1897

...do... .. ............. .....do. .....,------------- 1902

Norman Institute . . . Mr. Cole ........ F. E . McCaln

Level 

of 

' water 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

18 

220

220

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

Pumji.

Galls.

350

How obtained.

Air-compressor pump .....

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

tic. ........ Vie

s 

pal supply. ....

t

.ksburg or JackMi formation, 

.do............ 

-do............

kson formaon?

Character.

Sand.. ----- ---- Cost of well. S6M

Limes toi 

....do..

ie?. ...... Cased to 42 feet.

fi-innh nasinsr to

to 329 feet.

Quality.

Sulphurous. 

Moderately hard; see 

analysis, p. 207.

Hard, sulphurous.

marks.

. 

See log, p. 207. 

256 feet; 3-inch casing

o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 84, 85,1908. 

COLUMBIA COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Columbia County is in the eastern part of Georgia on the border 

between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 

area is 350 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 12,328. 

Agriculture is its chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

A relatively small area in the southern part of the county lies 

within the Coastal Plain, the remainder forming a part of the Piedmont Plateau. The Coastal Plain area is on the northern border of 

the fall-line hills. Most of the drainage is through the headwater 

streams of Brier Creek and Spirit Creek, tributaries of Savannah
CRAWFORD COUNTY. 209

River, but a part of it passes northward through small creeks which 

are also tributaries of the Savannah. The surface is hilly, the 

maximum relief being between 150 and 200 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The ancient crystalline rocks which outcrop at the surface over the 

greater part of the county north of the Georgia Railroad are overlapped in the southern part of the county principally by coarse, 

irregularly bedded arkosic sands and interbedded light clay lenses of 

Lower Cretaceous age. The deposits are relatively thin^ reaching a 

thickness of perhaps 150 or 200 feet in the extreme south. On the 

divide between Boggygut and Sandy Run creeks, and extending 

northeastward to the vicinity of Grovetown, is an overlap from the 

south of Eocene sands and clays of the Claiborne group which 

probably attains a thickness of 75 or 100 feet. (See PL III, p. 52.)

WATER RESOURCES.

Tn the Cretaceous area small springs and dug wells 10 to 100 feet 

deep, drawing from sand beds in the Lower Cretaceous, are the chief 

sources of domestic water supply. Wells at Grovetown and Harlem 

begin in a covering of Eocene strata of varying thickness, but most of 

them completely penetrate this and enter the underlying Lower Cretaceous deposits. The waters from the Lower Cretaceous sands are 

soft and of good quality, except where contaminated.

The deposits of the Coastal Plain-do not develop important artesian 

pressure within the county. The water table is low and only moderate amounts of water are available.

CBAWPOBD COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Crawford County is in the west-central part of the State on the 

border between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic and Gulf 

Coastal Plain. Its area is 319 square miles and its population (census 

of 1910) is 8,310. Agriculture and horticulture are the chief 

industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The portion of the county included in the Coastal Plain forms a 

part of the fall-line hills. The drainage of the Coastal Plain area is 

received in part by Flint River through its tributary, Spring Creek, 

and in part by Ocmulgee River through its tributaries, Echeconnee 

and Mossy creeks.

In general the surface is hilly, but on the divide between the Flint 

and Ocmulgee river systems there are small areas of the original

38418° WSP 341 15 14
210 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

upland plain which have been only slightly dissected. The maximum topographic relief probably does not exceed 300 feet.

Locally there are thin accumulations of loose, gray, surficial sand 

which is residual from older formations, but which has undergone 

more or less shifting by winds and torrents.

GEOLOGY.

The northern part of Crawford County, embracing less than half 

the total area, lies within the Piedmont Plateau, and the remainder 

of the county lies within the Coastal Plain. The crystalline rocks, 

which appear at the surface in the Piedmont Plateau, pass southward 

beneath the deposits of the Coastal Plain and form the basement 

upon which the latter rest.

Deposits of Cretaceous, Eocene, and Pleistocene age are present 

in the Coastal Plain area. The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which 

consist of several hundred feet of coarse, irregularly bedded, arkosic 

sands, with subordinate lenses of light drab to white clay, rest 

immediately upon the crystalline rocks and appear at the surface 

in a belt 3 to 6 miles wide along the northern border of the Coastal 

Plain.

These deposits are unconformably overlain by irregularly bedded 

coarse to fine'sands and laminated to massive clays belonging to 

the.Cusseta sand member of the Kipley formation, which may reach 

a thickness of 150 or 200 feet within the county. The member 

appears at the surface in a belt several miles wide along the southeastern side of the county.

The Cusseta sand is unconformably overlain, over a part of the 

area, by 15 to 25 feet of red ferruginous sand referable to the Claiborne group of the Eocene. In a small area, perhaps a few miles 

square, known as Rich Hill, about 5 miles southeast of Roberta, 

Eocene strata belonging to the Jackson formation rest unconformably 

upon the Lower Cretaceous sands and clays. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.)

On the lower levels bordering Flint River thin Pleistocene terrace 

deposits have been laid down in small areas.

WATER RESOURCES.

No deep artesian wells have been reported from the portion of 

the county lying within the Coastal Plain. Supplies for domestic 

purposes are obtained entirely from dug wells 25 to 100 feet or more 

in depth and from small springs. Waters from both wells and 

springs are in general of good quality and are commonly soft.

No springs of especial note have been reported. Small springs, 

emitting as a rule not more than 10 or 12 gallons of water per minute, 

are fairly numerous.
CRAWFORD COUNTY. 211

Detailed information concerning several dug wells is included in 

Table 24 (Nos. 1-8), and from this an idea may be had of the supply 

of the region. Logs of two of the wells are given below, the owners 

being authority for the lithology:

Log of well of Isaac Miller, 4% miles northwest of Fort Valley (Crawford County) (No. 1,

Table 24).

Eocene? : 

Clay................................................................................

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member:

Lower Cretaceous ? : 

"Chalk" [clay]................ ......................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

25

50

15

10

Depth.

Feet.

OK

75

on

100

103

Log of well of J. W. George, half a mile south of Leepope (No. 2, Table 24).

Eocene? : 

Soil.................................................................................

Stiff red clay. .......................................................................

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member:

Sand rock.

Thickness.

Feel. 

2

20

10

3

12

18

3

4

Depth.

Feet. 

2

22

32

35

to

65

68

72

The clay at the bottom of the section first given may correspond 

to the clay at the base of the section in the railway cuts north of 

Zenith. It is therefore tentatively referred to the Lower Cretaceous.

Numerous small creeks and branches in the Coastal Plain area 

afford ample supplies of excellent water for stock and for steam 

production.

The Cretaceous deposits which underlie the southern part of the 

county, and which include the Lower Cretaceous deposits and tne 

Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation (Upper Cretaceous), 

contain numerous coarse beds of sand capable of carrying large 

quantities of water. These are reached at shallow depths along 

the northern border of the area and at increasingly greater depths 

southward. They would be tapped along the southeastern border 

of the county at depths of 100 to 500 feet. The water from these 

beds would be soft and of good quality.

Although no flowing wells have been reported it may be possible 

to obtain such in the bottom lands bordering Flint River in the 

extreme south.
212 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

TABLE 24. Wells in Crawford County.

No. Location. Owner. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Approximate

tion 

above

level.

Fort Valley, 4| miles northwest of.......

Leepope, | mile south of.................

Leepope, J mile southeast of .............

Leepope................................

Isaac Miller.......

J. W. George......

L. H. George.

Roberta, J mile southwest of............

Roberta................................

Zenith, 1 mile north west of.............

Zenith, J mile northeast of.............

Leepope Fruit Co..

Wm. J. Dent.......

J. S. Sandefur&Co. 

Phil Ogletree......

Mrs. C. E. Pearson.

Owner...........

....do............

.do.

1890

1898

W. H. McCarty,

Leepope, Ga. 

Owner...........

Wm.J.Dent.....

Feet. 

535 

550 

540 

545

1891

Owner. 

A. B. Young, Zenith, Ga.

575

575

No. Depth. DiamDepth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depth

to

other 

waterbearing

Level

of

water 

below 

surface.

Yield per minute by pumping.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet. 

103

72

Feet.

3

04 

63 

06 

63J

3

6

3

3

Feet. 

100

70.5

 55

 55

42

26

42

Feet. Feet.

35

50-56 

45-52

38-43 

26 

40

68-70

Small.... 

4 gallons,

Abundant. 

.....do.....

Small.

Suction pump, gasoline engine. 

Bucket and rope...

Gasoline engine...

fGasoline engine 

\ and windmill.

Hand pump.......

Suction pump.....

Gasoline engine...

Bucket and rope..

^Ferruginous.

Soft.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Domestic......

....do.........

Cusseta sand member of Ripley 

formation.

....do.............

Gravel.

Sand and gravel. 

Sand.

Lower Cretaceous.

.....do............

.do............

Boiler supply. 

Domestic......

.....do.........

.....do.............

Lower Cretaceous? 

Lower Cretaceous.

Sand and gravel?. 

Sand and gravel. 

Sand.............

Dug. See section, p. 211.

Dug. Yield is decreased by drouth; 

see section, p. 211.

Dug. Cost of pump, 840.

Dug. Supplies 20 to 200 people and 30 

head of stock.

Dug. Can not be exhausted with hand 

pump. Six similar wells in immediate vicinity.

Dug. Supplies water to boilers of large 

cotton gin, sawmill, and planing mill.

Dug. Cribbed with wood 20 feet. Cost 

of pumps. 8200.

Dug. Cribbed from top to bottom.

a Diameter at top of well. 6 Diameter at bottom of well.

CRISP COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Crisp County is in the west-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 277 square miles and its population (census of 

1910) is 16,423. Agriculture is the principal industry, and lumbering,
CRISP COUNTY. 213

though declining, is still carried on to an important extent. Cordele, 

the county seat, is 65 miles south of Macon. It has an ice factory, a 

cotton-cloth mill, a cottonseed-oil mill, a fertilizer factory, and other 

smaller manufacturing plants.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling. The western part, 

from a few miles west of Cordele to Flint River, is directly underlain 

by limestone and the surface is nearly level but has some lime sinks. 

Flint River is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains. The first 

lies 15 to 20 feet above the river level and is well defined; the second 

lies about 60 feet above the same datum, and although somewhat 

modified by erosion is easily recognizable. The elevation of this 

part of the county is estimated to be between 200 and 300 feet above 

sea level. The eastern part of the county is directly underlain by 

sands and clays and presents the low, smoothly rounded hills or 

undulations and the shallow dish-shaped valleys peculiar to the Altamaha upland or wire-grass region. This area is estimated to lie 300 

to 400 feet above sea level.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 150 feet or more of soft, 

cavernous, water-bearing limestones interbedded with sands and 

clays, forms the surface terrane in the western part of the county. 

It is overlain by the Chattahoochee formation, which consists of 100 

feet or less of limestones, sands, and clays similar to those composing 

the Vicksburg, and which outcrops in a limited area in the southwestcentral part of the county east of the belt of outcrop of the Vicksburg. 

The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by 50 or 100 feet of sands 

and sandy clays of the Alum Bluff formation, which outcrops in a 

narrow area east of the outcrop of the Chattahoochee formation. 

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 50 to 100 feet of sandy clays 

and sands, which appear at the surface over approximately the eastern 

half of the county.

Beneath the Vicksburg formation, but not appearing at the surface 

in the county, are undifferentiated deposits of Eocene age, probably 

representing the Jackson formation, the Claiborne group, and the 

Wilcox and Midway formations, all of which contain water-bearing 

beds. The Eocene deposits are underlain by deposits of Cretaceous 

'age, which aggregate probably 1,500 to 2,500 feet in thickness and 

which contain water-bearing beds. The Cretaceous deposits rest 

upon a deeply buried basement of crystalline rocks.
214 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

In the rural districts dug wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the source 

of water for general domestic use. The water of creeks and ponds 

is used to some extent for stock.

There are small seepage springs and a few bold limestone springs. 

At Cordele the municipal water supply was formerly derived from 

a large spring in the northwestern part of the city, but this became 

polluted and was abandoned.

It is believed that large supplies of artesian water can be obtained 

anywhere in the county at depths not exceeding 500 feet, but these 

waters are apt to be hard. Waters containing smaller amounts of 

mineral matter can probably be obtained at greater depths from the 

Eocene and Cretaceous deposits.

Flowing wells are obtained in the western part of the county, and 

estimates based on the height to which the water rises in the city 

wells at Cordele, show that flows can be obtained in the vicinity in 

places where the surface is 35 or 40 feet lower than that of the 

Georgia Southern & Florida Kailway station.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Cordele (population 5,883, census of 1910). The municipal water 

supply of Cordele is derived from three wells (Nos. 11-13, Table 25), 

located near the railway station about 326 feet above sea level.

The first well (No. 12, Table 25) was drilled in 1890, but was later 

abandoned. It is reported to have been 550 feet deep and to have 

found water which rose to within 20 feet of the surface. J. W. 

Spencer* gives the following record:

Partial log of first city well at Cordele (No. 12, Table 25).

Soil, clay, and "chalk ".................................................................

Loose bowlder rock, through which the tubing was driven (fine white sand was also 

found )................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

40 

20

8 

100 

232 

75 

60

Depth.

Feet. 

40 

60

68 

168 

400 

475 

535

The well may have penetrated the top of the Ripley formation of 

the Upper Cretaceous, but definite proof is lacking.

The second well (No. 13, Table 25), drilled in 1900, is 396 feet deep 

(400 feet?) and 8 inches in diameter. Its daily yield is 300,000 + 

gallons. (See analysis 2, Table 26.)

i Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 79, 1891.
CEISP COUNTY. 215

Information concerning the third city well (No. 11, Table 25) has 

been furnished by J. A. Little]ohn, the county clerk. The principal 

water-bearing bed is at a depth of 735 feet and is believed to be in 

the Kipley formation. (See analysis 3, Table 26.)

For comparison with the waters from the deeper wells a sample of 

water from a well (No. 14, Table 25) of lesser depth at Cordele was 

analyzed (Table 26, analysis 4). This well is owned by J. W. Cannon 

and is located in the eastern part of the city; its depth is 155 feet 

and its diameter is 4| inches, and it yields by pumping about 17 

gallons per minute. The static level of the water is at 57 feet beneath 

the surface.

Coney and vicinity. Several artesian wells at and near Coney (Nos. 

2-10, Table 25) range in depth from 216 to 360 feet, and most of them 

flow small streams a few feet above the surface. The wells yield 

clear, potable waters which give off an odor of hydrogen sulphide. 

An analysis of water from a spring 2 miles west of Coney, owned by 

the Georgia Land Corporation, is given in Table 26 (analysis 1). 

The source of this spring is probably the Vickburg formation.

Logs of several wells near Coney are as follows: *

Log of J. M. CampbelVs well at Coney (No. 4, Table 25).

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

25

6

40

45

8

36

20

85

Depth.

Feet. 

20

45

51

91

136

144

180

200

285

Partial log of well owned by Daniel Wells, 3 miles west of Coney (No. 6, Table 25).

Pf»hhloa

Clay....................................................................................

Flint....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

12

28

8

8

5

28

2

40

14

71

1.5

3

(?)

Depth.

Feet, 

12

40

48

56

61

89

91

131

145

216

217.5

220.5

(?)

336

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 92-94,1908.
216 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

Log of P. C. Clegg's well, 6 miles west of Coney (No. 7, Table 25).

Thickness.

Feet. 

15

81

12

15

20

50

16

7

Depth.

Feet. 

15

96

108

123

143

193

209

216

Partial log of James Byrom's well near Coney (No. 8, Table 25).

Flint...................................................................................

Flint...................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

54

28

8

10

14

40

100

6

5

7

2

28

2

(?)

Depth.

Feet. 

54

82

90

100

114

154

254

260

265

272

274

302

304

(?)

TABLE 25. Wells in Crisp County.

No.

1

?,

3

5 

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Location.

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

west of. 

Coney, 2 miles west of.

.....do...............

.....do...............

Cordele, l mile east of.

Owner.

S.W. Coney........

J. B. Lewis.........

J. M. Campbell......

S. E. Cunningham. . 

Daniel Wells........

P. C.Clegg.. ........

S.C.Clegg. .........

poration. 

City................

.....do..............

Driller.

H. R. Teal, 

Eichwood, Ga.

John Cole.......

F. E. Fenn.....

Authority.

S.W.McCallieo...

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

W. H. Cunningham.

S.W.McCallieo...

.....do............

.....do............

S.W. Coney......

W. H. Byrom.....

S.W.McCallieo...

R. W. Barwick,

superintendent 

of waterworks.

S.W.McCalliea...

Date 

completed.

1890

1896

1900

1909

1905

1890

1897

1911

Approximate 

elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet.

QQQ

(6)

QOfi

326

326

375

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 91-94, 96-97,1908.

& Mouth of well 15 feet above Seaboard Air Line Ey. track at railroad station.
CRISP COUNTY.

TABLE 25. Wells in Crisp County Continued.

217

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10

11

12 

13

14 

15

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

5

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11

12 

13

 14 

15

Depth.

Feet. 

298 

278 

360 

285 

250 

336 

216 

360 

290 

230

735

550 

396 

155 

320

Diameter.

Inches. 

6 

6

3* 

3 

4 

2 

4 

3

6

8 

4J 

4

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

340

240-250

200

735

375 

67

Use.

Domes

Domestic and boiler supply.

Domes 

Muuici

Munici 

Domes

pal supply.

pal supply.

Depth to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds. "

Feet.

150,225

60,96

f 160 

{ 400 

I 600

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface

Feel.

+ 3 

- 6 

+ 4 

+ 1.2 

+ 5 

+ 4 

+ 8 

+ 2J 

+ 3J

1-32

- 20 

- 18

- 57 

-120

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

15

35

6

100 

500

Pump.

Galls.

15

200+ 

17

How obtained.

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.rln

1

Gasoline engine. . .

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Jackson formation? 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............ 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

rln

Rip

Eoc 

Vie 

ti 

Alu 

ti 

Vie 

ti

ley formation?.

ksburg formaon? 

m Bluff formaon? 

kburg forinaon?

Character.

Marl an 

sand. 

Hard roc

Limestoi 

do

d coarse 

k.. .......

Sand

Limestoi 

Quicksaiid........

Sand and marl....

Quality.

Sulphurous.

Soft. 

Analysis 3, Table 26.

Analysis 2, Table 26. 

Analysis 4, Table 26.

Remarks.

3J-inch casing to 240 feet. Cost of well, 

$250.

4 wells. Cost of well, $300. 

6-inch casing to 600 feet. Cost of well, 

$300; cost of machinery, $1,700. 

Abandoned. 

8-inch casing to 180 feet.

4J-inch casing to 69 feet. Cost of well 

and machinery, $750.

TABLE 26. Analyses of underground waters from Crisp County.

No.

1

?:

3

4

Date of 

collection.

June 10,1911

Apr. 18,1911

May 20,1911

Source.

Spring of Georgia Land Corporation.

.....do..........

Well of J. W. 

Cannon.

Location.

Coney, 2 miles

west of. 

Cordele. ..........

.....do............

Cordele, 1 mile 

east of.

Principal waterbearing stratum.

rnation? 

.....do..........

tion? 

Alum Bluff formation?

Depth.

Feet.

375

735

67

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.

Do.o

Do.

Do.

a Georgia .Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 92,1908.
218 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 26. Analyses of'underground waters from Crisp County Continued.

[Parts per million.]

6

1

2

3

4

O

£ 

8

3

03

34

11

39

9.0

t

If

El

1

6.4

1.2

.2

Sa"

 §

56

44

46

44

"3

S

a

 s

s

i

0.4

1.1

5.2

Trace.

4 . "°S~

p.*

§£

.2 lls

'tj W 

03

6.0

4.6

5.8

11

a> "3

 3

^ .

®o

gg.

1

a

Trace.

0.0

.0!b

£

^

'S

2^

go

^B

3

159

134

195

150

tp

.2^ .

t-O1 

P,

1

9.0

4.4

/>. 6 4 t

 8.0

«

^H

O

 d^

So

a,5.

g+i

0.2

1.0

^

O

1s

£

4.5

5.6

5.5

3.5

T3

O

(>

o .

Ss ' Sg

 a

-4-3

196

141

261

172

Remarks.

No. 13, Table 25. Free carbon dioxide=2.

No. 11, Table 25.

No. 14, Table 25. Total

depth, 155 feet.

DECATTJB. COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Decatur County is in the extreme southwestern part of the State, 

adjacent to Florida and Alabama. Its area is 823 square miles and 

its population is 29,045 (census of 1910). Agriculture is important 

and the production of lumber and naval stores is extensive. Manufacturing establishments at Bainbridge include cottonseed-oil mills, 

a foundry, an ice factory, a cooperage works, and smaller plants.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The eastern and western parts of the county present different 

topographic aspects. The western part, which lies mainly west of 

Flint Eiver, but includes also small areas on the east side of the river 

north of Bainbridge, is nearly level and lies for the most part between 

100 and 150 feet above sea level. Lime sinks and ponds are common, 

and the area is notable for the absence of small tributary creeks and 

branches, a part of the drainage being underground. Chattahoochee 

River has only small, unnamed tributaries within the county.

The surface in the eastern part of the county lies 200 to 300 feet 

above sea level, is rolling or broken, and is drained by small creeks 

and branches. This higher land is separated from the lower land in 

the west by a pronounced escarpment which extends northeastward 

from the southwest corner of the county to a point within 7 miles 

of Bainbridge, whence it continues to the northeast corner of the 

county. The escarpment is well marked west of Climax. The difference in elevation between Bainbridge on Flint River and Climax, 9 

miles away, is 175 feet, the greater part of this ascent being in the first 

2 or 3 miles west of Climax. The difference between the eastern and 

western parts of the county is due in part to differences in the surface 

formations and in part to differences in elevation; in the east the
DECATUR COUNTY. 219

surface is higher and is underlain by sands and clays; in the west the 

low plain is underlain by soft limestones.

Chattahoochee River is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains, 

one lying 20 or 30 feet and the other 75 or 80 feet above the river. 

Flint River is also bordered by two terrace plains, one lying 15 or 20 

feet and the other 40 or 50 feet above the river.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of at least 400 feet of soft, 

cavernous, water-bearing limestones, outcrops throughout approximately the northwestern half of the county. The beds dip southward 

2 or 3 feet to the mile, passing beneath the Chattahoochee formation, 

which consists of about 100 feet of limestones, outcropping in an irregular belt 1 to 6 miles wide, extending northeast and southwest through 

the central part of the county. The Alum Bluff formation, which 

consists of 100 or 150 feet of drab sandy clays and quartz sands, overlies the Chattahoochee formation and outcrops in an irregular belt 

2 to 5 miles wide southeast of the Chattahoochee belt and in the small 

headwater valleys of Little River in the southeastern part of the 

county. The deposits contain water-bearing beds. The Alum Bluff 

formation is overlain by 50 to 75 feet of irregularly bedded sands and 

clays, in part water bearing, which outcrop over the remainder of the 

southeastern part of the county. The geologic age of these beds is 

not positively determined.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 

undifferentiated Eocene strata which are water bearing in part and 

are in turn underlain by undifferentiated Cretaceous strata, also 

believed to be water bearing. At an unknown depth the Cretaceous 

rocks rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. (See PL III.)

WATEE RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

In the western part of the county the dug wells range in depth from 

40 to 75 feet. Wells that penetrate only the residual sands and clays 

resulting from the weathering of the limestone of the Vicksburg 

formation yield soft waters, and those that pass through the residual 

materials and enter the underlying limestones yield hard waters. In 

the eastern part of the county the wells are somewhat shallower and 

commonly yield softer waters.

In the vicinity of Donaldsonville, Iron City, Brinson, Reynoldsville, and Boyettville drilled wells ranging in depth from 100 to 500 

feet reach the limestones at depths of 60 to 100 feet and-obtain water 

which rises to within 40 or 50 feet of the surface.

Many limestone springs and small seepage springs are used locally 

for domestic purposes. The largest are Russell Springs, near the
220 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

mouth of Spring Creek, and Blue Spring, 4 miles south of Bainbridge, 

both of which yield large quantities of Water and seem to be the outlets of underground streams. They belong to the type of large limestone springs common in southern Georgia and Florida. Most of the 

springs of the western part of the county yield hard water. The 

waters of creeks and ponds are utilized in a small way for stock and 

boiler supply.

Artesian water can be obtained throughout the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. With the possible exception of wells 

1,200 to 2,000 feet or more in depth the static head will not be sufficient to lift the water above the surface. Flint River is bordered by 

a tract of land lying approximately 100 feet above sea level, in which 

flowing wells can probably be obtained from the deeply buried Eocene 

or Cretaceous deposits which yield flows in the adjoining counties of 

Baker, Calhoun, and Dougherty. A similar narrow strip of lowlying land borders Spring Creek. It is possible that wells drilled to 

the greater depths mentioned may yield flows on some of the low, 

nearly level interstream areas.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Bainbridge (population 4,217, census of 1910). Bainbridge owns 

three artesian wells. At present the principal supply is obtained 

from one well (No. 2, Table 27).

The following record of this well was furnished to T. W. Vaughan 

by S. S. Chandler:

Log of city well at Bainbridge (No. 2, Table #7).

Thickness.

Feet. 

70

165

30

186

1

Depth.

Feet. 

70

235

265

451

452

Spencer * gives the following data regarding the old city wells, one 

of which is 900 feet deep and the other 1,250 feet deep:

Log of 900-foot well at Bainbridge (No. 3, Table 27}.

Sand and clayey sand. . .................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

75

700

50

75

Depth.

Feet. 

75

775

825

900

Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, 1890-91, p. 55.
DECATUK COUNTY. 221

A second well was sunk within 3 feet of the first, which penetrated below-the limestone to a depth of 425 feet [total depth, 1,250 feet] in quicksand. Sharks' teeth, 

lignite, and pyrite concretions came from some of the layers of sand. Several cavities in the limestone were passed through, the deepest being 3 feet.

Analyses of the waters from these wells are given in Table 28 

(analyses 1 and 2).

Donaldsonwlle (population 747, census of 1910). Drilled wells 

ranging in depth from 100 to 500 feet are the principal source of 

water. The town owns a system of waterworks and consumes about 

30,000 gallons of water a day, derived from wells. 

. The wells are reported to enter rock at depths of 75 to 100 feet, and 

the water is said to rise to within 20 to 30 feet of the surface. An 

analysis of water (No. 3, Table 28) from a deep well at Donaldsonville was made several years ago by H. C. White, but the depth from 

which the water was obtained is not given. McCallie l gives the 

log of a well at this place as follows:

Log of well at Donaldsonville.

Thickness.

Feet. 

45

5

90

Depth.

Feet. 

45

50

140

Iron City (population 459, census of 1910). At Iron City drilled 

wells 150 to 175 feet deep are the principal source of water. These 

wells, which are reported to enter limestone at 60 to 100 feet, yield 

hard water. The public supply is pumped from a well and distributed from a tank; the consumption is about 8,000 gallons a day.

Lela. The following log of a well (No. 8, Table 27) owned by the 

Chattahoochee Lumber Co., at Lela (3 or 4 miles southwest of Iron 

City), is adapted from a log published by Fuller and Sanford: :

.2

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 87,1908.

2 Fuller, M. L., and Sanford, Samuel, Keeord of deep-well drilling for 1905: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 

298, p. 200,1906.
222 TIlSrDEEGKOTIlSrD WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Log of well owned 'by Chattahoochee Lumber Co. at Lela (No. 8, Table 27). 

[Samples furnished by Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C.]

Soft white to light-buff sandy limestone containing Nummulites, Orbitoides, and Bryozoa.

Hard white to grayish-brown sandy limestone containing Nummulites and Bryozoa.. . . . 

Soft white marl, may contain glauconite ................................................

Medium to fine, light-gray sand; contains glauconite and bits of shells; has hard layers. . .

Fine to medium gray sand containing layers of rock (probably white limestone) and very

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

20

100

20

20

20

20 

20

20 

60

60

20

60 

60

60

140

198

Depth.

Feet. 

20

40

140

160

IOA

200

220 

240

260 

320

380

400

460 

520

580

720

918

Rig used, hydraulic. Diameter of well, 6 and 2 inches. Casing used, 600 feet of 3-inch. Main supply 

of water from 737 feet. Water rises within 10 feet of surface. Yield, about 15 gallons per minute.

The well probably penetrates to the lower-part of the Eocene 

deposits or to the upper part of the Cretaceous deposits. A partial 

set of borings from the well is on file in the office of the United States 

Geological Survey (well No. 817). Specimens of Bryozoa obtained 

between 200 and 260 feet are related, according to R. S. Bassler, to 

the bryozoan fauna of Jackson age (Eocene) obtained from limestone 

at Wilmington, N. C., and may indicate either a Jackson or a Vicksburg age. Specimens of Nummulites obtained from the same set 

of borings between the depths 60 and 400 feet, identified by Dr. J. A. 

Cushman, indicate, according to Dr. Vaughan, the Vicksburg age 

of the strata to this depth.

TABLE 27. Wells in Decatur County.

No.

1

2

4

5

6

7

8

9

Location.

Bainbridge........... 

.....do................

.....do................

Owner.

City................. 

.....do...............

.....do...............

ber Co.

Driller.

Mr. Van Fleet...

Hnghes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C.

Authority.

T. B. Maxwell.... 

J. W. Spencer o...

.....do.............

R.F. Kinley......

.....do.............

Hughes Specialty

Well Drilling 

Co. of Charleston, S. C., and

the postmaster

of Iron City.

completed.

1900

1905

Approximate elevation 

above

sen

level.

feet.

110 

118

118

' 139

a Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, pp. 54-55,1891,
DECATUR COUNTY. 

TABLE 27. Wells in Decatur County Continued.

223

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7

8 

9

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5

6

7 

8

9

Depth.

Feet. 

700 

452 

900 

1,250 

150 

500 

175

918 

200

Diameter.

Inches.

2

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

100 

500

150 

737 

200

Use.

Munici 

mam 

Munici 

Domes 

.....do.

Domes 

factui 

Boiler 

mest 

Domes 

factui 

Aband<

Domesl

pal supply, 

factoring. 

>al supply.

tic, manuring. 

>upply, doc. 

ic, manuring.

ic... .......

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

280-370 

370 

150

/ 40 

\ 50-60

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

200 

50 

50 

50 

15 

20-30 

40

} »

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

Pump.

Galls.

15 

15

How obtained.

1 

£

1

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Boc

Eoc 

Eoc 

Eoc 

Vie 

ti 

Eoc

Vie 

ti 

Eoc

Vie 

ti

fcsburg formaon.

csburg formaon. 

ene? ..........

ksburg formaan.

Character.

Limestoi 

Rock....

Limes ten

Quality.

Soft. 

Analysis 1, Table 28. 

Analysis 2, Table 28.

Hard. 

Slightly hard.

Hard.

Remarks.

See log, p. 220. 

Do.

Cost of well and machinery, $150.

8-inch casing to 80 feet; 3-inch casing to 

602 feet; 2-inch casing to 740 feet. See 

log, p. 222.

TABLE 28. . of underground waters from Decatur County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

3

6

^

1

2

3

Source.

.....do.......................

Well of Chattahoochee Lumber Co.

0

CQ

3

02

3.9

4.0

38

£

§M

9.8

.1

6.3

C3 

O

S

2

°

62

29

26

Ni

a

fj

1

^

4.6

.1

6.3

03

S

 3

o

02

2

Location.

M

r

1

o

PH

5

57

8.3 1.4

"o

*3

2

n,0

fti

°

85

82

I-H

®O2 fl"

£ 

02

58

32

11

»

0

 O .

2og^

2

^

1.0

o

1

1

0

21..

17

9.1

Principal waterbearing-stratum.

Eocene(?) .....

o

5

0 

1^

|I

1>

1.0

t>

0 .

"s

 08

3o

£ "

293

221

Depth 

of well.

Feet.

900

1,250

Analyst.

H. C. White, a,

Do. 

Do.

Remarks.

No. 3, Table 27.

No. 4, Table 27.

Total hardness as CaC03 , 71; permanent hardness as CaCOs, 32.

o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 87-89,1908, & Fe803+Al803.
224 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

DODGE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Dodge County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Eastman, the county seat, is 63 miles a little east of south 

of Macon. The area of the county is 431 square miles and the population (census of 1910) is 20,127. Agriculture is the principal 

industry, but lumber and naval stores are produced in important 

quantities. The chief industrial use to which water is put is for 

boiler supplies at cotton gins and sawmills.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling or undulating. The 

valleys are shallow and their slopes gentle. Limestone lies near the 

surface in the west and some lime-sink depressions occur. With 

the exception of the bottom lands along Ocmulgee River, which are 

probably less than 200 feet above sea level, the elevation of the 

county is estimated to be 300 to 400 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 

feet or less of limestones with interbedded layers of sand and clay, 

outcrops in the valley of Ocmulgee River in the northwestern part of 

the county; the strata dip slightly southward and underlie the 

remainder of the county beneath younger formations.

The Vicksburg formation is overlain by probably not more than 100 

feet of the lithologically similar Chattahoochee formation (of Oligocene age), which outcrops in the valley of Ocmulgee River in the 

southwest. Both the Vicksburg and Chattahoochee formations contain important water-bearing beds.

In the southern part of the county the Chattahoochee formation is 

overlain by the Alum Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 150 or 200 feet of bluish sands and clays, in part water bearing.

Overlapping the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg formations and constituting the surface deposits throughout the greater 

part of the county is 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and 

clays, with subordinate lenses of claystone and conglomerate, the 

geologic age of which is not positively known. The water obtained 

in the shallow wells is derived from these surficial deposits.

The Vicksburg formation is probably underlain by limestones 

belonging to the Jackson formation, which is in turn underlain by 

several hundred feet of undifferentiated deposits of Eocene age. 

The Eocene is underlain by 1,000 feet or more of undifferentiated 

deposits of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a basement of ancient
DODGE COUNTY. 225

crystalline rocks. Although the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits do 

not appear at the surface within the county, they contain deeply 

buried water-bearing beds of importance.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells, 10 to 50 feet deep, are the principal source of water for 

domestic use. They supply a water that is reported to be soft and 

that should be wholesome if the wells are properly located and protected from surface drainage by casing and curbing. There are some 

small springs, most of which are unimportant as sources of water 

supply, though two of them, Jaybird Spring, 4 miles east of Chauncey, 

and Wild Rose Mineral Spring, near Southerland, supply waters that 

are sold for drinking. (See p. 226; also Table 30, analysis 2.) Deep 

wells have been drilled at Eastman, Chauncey, Chester, and Khine.

Artesian water can be obtained from the limestones of the Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, and Jackson formations, and from the deeply 

buried Eocene and Cretaceous deposits, but the prospect for obtaining flows is poor, except perhaps on the low terrace lands bordering 

Ocmulgee River and in the swamps of Little Ocmulgee River in the 

extreme southeastern part of the county.

It is believed that the water from the deeply buried Cretaceous 

deposits is softer than that from the overlying Eocene and Oligocene 

formations.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Eastman (population 2,355, census of 1910). The water-supply 

system of Eastman is owned by W. E. Davidson. The water is 

derived from a nonflowing artesian well (No. 5, Table 29) 640 feet 

deep, in which it rises to within 100 feet of the surface, or about 257 

feet above sea level. The water is considered, hard but is otherwise 

suitable for a municipal supply.

McCallie 1 gives the following data on another well at Eastman 

(No. 4, Table 29):

The well at Eastman is 529 feet deep. Its diameter is 4 and 6 inches, and the water 

rises to within 115 feet of the surface. Two or three different water-bearing strata 

are reported in the well, but the present water supply is said to be obtained from sand 

529 feet from the surface. No record of the well borings was kept and nothing is 

known of the formations penetrated further than that they consist of sand, clay, and 

hard rock, the latter being most abundant and in places consisting largely of bowlders, 

which greatly interfered with the drilling. The well, which was put down in 1894, 

furnishes daily, to supply the town of Eastman, about 30,000 gallons of water.

Chester (population 278, census of 1910). Dug wells 25 to 35 feet 

deep are the principal source of water. One artesian well (No. 3,

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 90,1908. 

38418° WSP 341 15 15
226 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Table 29) owned by the Carson Naval Stores Co. is 158 feet deep, 

8 inches in diameter, and yields 6,000 gallons of water per hour. 

The principal flow is from a cavity in limestone at a depth of 158 feet, 

the water from which rose to within 109 feet of the surface. An 

analysis of the water is given in Table 30 (analysis 1).

Partial log of well at Chester (No. 3, Table 29). 

[Authority, W. J. Floyd, driller.]

Clay....................................................................................

White clay. .............................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

3

93

14.5

5.5

11.5

13.5

 6§

16. 3 J

Depth.

Feet. 

3

96

110.5

116

127.5

141

141.6f

158

Ckauncey (population 350, census of 1910). Chauncey is located on 

the Southern Railway in the southeastern part of the county at an 

elevation of 300 feet aoove sea level. Dug wells 15 to 50 feet deep 

are the principal source of water. McCallie 1 states that one well (No. 1, 

Table 29) owned by the A. B. Steele Lumber Co. is 525 feet deep and 

that water rose to within 70 feet of the surface.

Jay Bird Spring. Jay Bird Spring (No. 2, Table 29), owned by 

T. A. McMillan, is at the edge of Little Ocmulgee River swamp, 4 

miles east of Chauncey. The spring is in reality a shallow flowing 

well formed by driving a pipe into the earth about 15 feet. The 

water flows 8 gallons a minute and will rise 8 feet above the surface. 

The water has a reputed therapeutic value and is used at the spring 

for drinking and bathing and is also bottled and sold. (See analysis 2, 

Table 30.)

Wild Rose Mineral Spring. Wild Rose Mineral Spring is a small 

spring near Southerland, owned by the Wild Rose Mineral Spring Co. 

Its water has reputed therapeutic properties and is sold in small quantities for medicinal use. (See analysis 3, Table 30.)

Rhine. A well at Rhine (No. 6, Table 29), owned by the town, is 

150 feet deep. Its curb is about 20 feet above the level of the railroad 

station. Water stands within 30 feet of the surface but is lowered 

30 feet by pumping. It is reported to be muddy in rainy weather.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 90,1908.
DODGE COUNTY. 

TABLE 29. Wells in Dodge County.

227

No.

1

2

3

4 

5 

6

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6

No.

1 

2

3

4 

5 

6

Location.

Chaunc 

Jay B

Chau

Chester

Eastou 

do

ird Spring, 4 

5s east of 

ncey.

Rhine................

Depth.

Feet. 

525 

15 

158 

529 

640 

150

1

Boiler £ 

Drinkii 

bathi 

Domes

.....do 

do

Owner.

A. B. St 

ber Co. 

T. A. Me

Carson N 

Co., Sa 

Town

eele LumJJillan

aval Stores 

rannahjGa.

W. E. Davidson 

Town...........

Depth 

to

Inches. Feet. 

6 300

8 158 

4 529

3 ±100

TcA

Depth 

to 

other

Feet.

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface

Feet. 

- 70

v + 8 

-109 

-115 

-100 

- 30

Driller.

R.J. Edingfield.

W. J. Floyd, 

Savannah, Ga.

Yield per 

minute.

H 

Flow. Jump.

Authority.

S. W. McCallieo. .

T.A.McMillan...

W.J. Floyd.......

S.W.MeCallieo...

Date 

completed.

1910 

1894

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

+300

357 

357

jw obtained. Quality.

Galls. Galls.

8 Flows . Ana

. . im Dee

20 .

p-wellpump.. Ana

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

upply..... E 

ig and A 

ngtic.......... V

............ E

oc 

lu 

ti 

ic 

ti

oc

ene?

m Bluff formaon? 

csburg fonnaon.

.ene?. .......... 

do.............

Domestic and Chattahoochee or 

boiler supply. Vicksburg formation?

Character.

ilysis 2, Table 30. 

lysis 1, Table 30.

oline engine . . . Hard.

Remarks.

Cavity in lime- 8-inch casing to 143 feet. Cost of well 

stone. $850; cost of machinery, $350. See 

log, p. 226. 

Sand..............

Clay and rock.....

« Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 90,1908.

6 Elevation 12 feet lower than track of Wrightsville & Tennille R. R. at station.

c Elevation 20 feet higher than track of Seaboard Air Line Ry. at station.
228 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 30. Analyses of underground waters from Dodge County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3

6

fc

1

2

3

Date of 

collection.

Mar., 1910

Jan. 13,1913

Apr. 8, 1910

0

35

03

.§

s

28

21

5.0

^

b

d

5

1.4

2.0

.4

"c? 

0

.g

o

 3

o

35

56

1.3

Source.

Well of Carson

Naval Stores

Co.

Jay Bird Spring(£ 

shallovwell).

Wild Rose Mineral Spring.

"S

§"a

.g

1

1

,1

1.4

4.0

.5

"o?

g.

.3 'TJ

o

GQ

2.4

1

1.5

M

.2

03 "8

PLI

0.5

4

.5

Location.

Chester............

L Chauncey, 4 miles 

east of.

Southerland. ......

CD

 3

* .

o>O SB

i

X!

8

"o'.o

2,

o

 3

2 

5°

go 

§Wo -^

«0

3

112

210

36

&>

<s

 O

oS^ KQ

0>OQ 03"~'

43

A

1

1.3

14

.2

v

CJ

 O .

2j

fc s>x^ "S

2

i

"o.'o"

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Vicksburg formation.

Alum Bluff formation ?

.....do..........

3

a)

*^t

_o

43 

0

4.2

4.0

3.5

CJ

st4° t:

73 O

^ ^ 

a

(D fla

1

>

 o

CD

>

O .

£2 '-3s

"3

 s

H

132

211

17

Depth.

Feet.

158

15

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

No. 3, Table 29.

No. 2, Table 29.

DOOLY COUNTY.

GENEEAL FEATURES.

Dooly County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, between Flint and Ocmulgee rivers. Vienna, the county 

seat, is 56 miles by rail south of Macon. The area of the county is 

397 square miles and its population is 20,554 (census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry. Lumber and naval stores are produced, but these industries are declining.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The surface of Dooly County is nearly level except in the west, 

where some rolling land has been produced by the erosion of small 

tributaries of Flint River. Lime sinks and ponds are numerous. 

The highest part of the county is a belt of country 350 to 400 feet above 

sea level extending north and south through the center of the county 

and forming the divide between Flint and Ocmulgee rivers. The 

Georgia Southern & Florida Railway traverses this divide.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation, which consists chiefly of limestones that 

weather to red argillaceous sands containing fragmental beds of flint, 

appears at the surface over the greater part of the county west of 

the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway and in a small area east of 

that railroad. Its thickness probably does not exceed 100 or 150 

feet in the north but increases southward. The formation is an
DOOLY COUNTY. 229

important aquifer. Fifty to 100 feet of sands and clays, of undetermined age, overlie the Vicksburg formation and constitute the 

surface deposits in the eastern and southeastern parts of the county.

The Vicksburg formation is believed to be underlain by limestones 

belonging to the Jackson formation, although this formation has not 

been certainly identified in either surface outcrops or well borings. 

Sands and clays with subordinate interbedded layers of sandstone and 

limestone belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene outcrop 

in the banks of Flint River and extend eastward beneath the Jackson formation; these beds are estimated to be 100 feet or more in 

thickness. The Claiborne group is probably underlain by Eocene 

sands and clays belonging to the Wilcox or Midway formations, or to 

both, and at still greater depths the Eocene deposits are underlain by 

sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous age. At an unknown depth, 

probably between 900 and 1,200 feet, the Cretaceous deposits rest 

upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

All the formations described, except perhaps the surficial sands 

and clays, may be considered possible sources of artesian water. The 

general lithologic character of the strata is indicated by the logs of 

wells at Byromville (p. 230) and Unadilla (p. 231).

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Wells 30 to 60 feet deep are the principal source of water supply in 

the rural districts. There are many small springs. Numerous small 

streams afford abundant water for stock and for boilers. Several 

wells range in depth from 130 to 1,100 feet.

Artesian waters can be obtained from the Vicksburg formation, or 

at greater depths from the Eocene and the Cretaceous deposits. 

Flowing wells can probably be obtained only on the lower lands bordering Flint River and its larger tributaries.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Vienna (population 1,564, census of 1910). The town of Vienna 

owns a public water-supply system, which draws 800 gallons a minute from an artesian well (No. 8, Table 31) 213 feet deep. The water 

is used for domestic purposes and for fire protection and to some 

extent for boiler supplies. McCallie 1 mentions a well at this place 

180 feet deep, in which the water rises to within 12 feet of the surface. Some wells are 30 to 60 feet deep.

For the purpose of determining the quality of water from the 

Vicksburg formation a sample from an artesian well 137| feet deep 

(No. 9, Table 31), owned by J. T. McNeese, 5 miles northwest of

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 96,1908.
230 UE'DEEGEOtJE'D WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN" OP GEORGIA.

Vienna, was analyzed. (See Table 32, analysis 3.) The water is obtained from hard rock at a depth of 136 feet and rises to within 16 

feet of the surface.

Unadilla (population 1,003, census of 1910). At Unadilla the 

public water-supply system is owned by the town. McCallie * gives 

the following information regarding the well (No. 7, Table 31) from, 

which it draws:

The deep well at Unadilla was completed in 1896. It is 3J inches in diameter and 

189 feet deep. The water rises to within 80 feet of the surface. Mr. E. J. Wilson, the 

well contractor, has furnished the following notes:

Log of town well at Unadilla.

Feet.

Red, sandy clays to............................................. 50

Rock in the form of bowlders to.................................. 66

Clay to.. ....................................................... 150

Sand interstratified with hard rock to............................. 189

At the depth of 150 feet from the surface the water used in washing out the drill 

borings disappeared. This was accounted for by the cavernous limestone struck at 

that point. The only water-bearing stratum occurs near the. bottom of the well. 

Three thousand gallons of water per hour, the capacity of the pump, have been obtained from this well without lowering the static head. The water, which contains 

hydrogen sulphide, is used for general domestic purposes.

It is believed that the well draws from the Jackson formation. 

An analysis is given in Table 32 (analysis 2).

The Georgia Southern & Florida Railway owns an artesian well at 

Unadilla, the water from which is used in the boilers of locomotives.

ByromviUe (population 300, census of 1910). The main source of 

the water supply of ByromviUe is an artesian well (No. 1, Table 31) 

which was completed in 1902. The well is 1,100 feet deep, 8 inches 

in diameter at the top and 5 inches at the bottom, and contains 

water that rises to within 16 feet of the surface. McCallie 2 gives 

the following log:

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 95,1908. z Idem, pp. 96, 97.
DOOLY COUNTY.

Log of town well at ByromviUe (No. 1, Table 31).

231

Bed gravel. .............................................................................

White sand... ..........................................................................

Coarse sand .............................................................................

Sand....................................................................................

Rock.. ..................................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Sand rock. ..............................................................................

Sand...................................................;................................

Hard rock. ..............................................................................

Rock....................................................................................

Marl and clay . . .........................................................................

Blue marl. ..............................................................................

Sand and marl ..........................................................................

Lignite and water. ......................................................................

Sand and water. ........................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Sand....................................................................................

Marl.... .. ... ........ . .

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

10

60

23

25

37

15

0

5

5

4

3

185

23

12

4

160

16

15

204

70

15

76

37

53

Depth.

Feet. 

40

50

110

133

158

195

210

213

218

223

227

230

415

438

450

454

614

630

645

849

919

934

1,010

1,047

1,100

The well penetrates all the Eocene deposits and enters the underlying Bipley formation of the Cretaceous for probably several hundred feet. The principal water-bearing bed is said to be at 320 feet. 

An analysis is given in Table 32 (analysis 1).

Pinehurst (population 451, census of 1910). At Pinehurst an 

artesian well (No. 4, Table 31) 318 feet deep is the principal source 

of domestic supply. The water rises to within 8 feet of the surface.

The Georgia Southern & Florida Railway Co. owns an artesian 

well at Pinehurst but has abandoned it.

Rich/wood. Richwood obtains its water supplies from dug wells 

20 to 30 feet deep and from artesian wells. McCallie * says:

The Parrott Lumber Co. some years ago put down two deep wells at Richwood to 

obtain water for steam and general" domestic purposes [No. 5, Table 31]. These wells 

are 6 inches in diameter and 170 feet deep. The first water-bearing stratum is said to 

have been struck in the wells at a depth of 85 or 95 feet, but the main water supply 

was obtained from a stratum at a depth of from 130 to 170 feet, from which the water 

rose to within 40 feet of the surface. During the time the Parrott Lumber Co. was 

operating its plant at Richwood these wells are reported to have furnished about 

75,000 gallons of water daily. Long droughts are said not to have materially lowered 

the static head of the water in either of these wells. Hard rock is reported from 60 

feet to the bottom of these wells.

A third well at Richwood [No. 6, Table 31], owned by Mr. H. R. Teal, has a depth 

of 100 feet. It is 4 inches in diameter, and the water rises to within about 35 feet of 

the surface. Mr. Teal gives the following record of his well:

[Log of well of H. B. Teal, at Richwood.]

Feet. 

Clay with some sand. ......................................... to 90

Limestone. ................................................... to 96

Sand, water-bearing. .......................................... to 100

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 94, 95, 1908.
232 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Dooling. Wells 8 to 60 feet deep are the principal source of 

water for domestic use at Dooling. In one artesian well, 600 feet 

deep (No. 2, Table 31), the water rises to within a few feet of the 

surface and is said to be ferruginous. The mouth of the well is 

about 4 feet lower than the surface at the railroad station.

TABLE 31. Wells in Dooly County.

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5 

6

7 

8

9

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9

No.

1

2

3

4 

5

6

7 

8

9

Location.

Byromvi 

Dooling

lie..........

Fenn. ....----------.

Pinehurs 

Richwoo. 

do

t.. ..........

1...........

Unadilla. ............

Vienna (5 miles 

northwest of).

Depth.

Feet. 

1,100 

600 

160 

318 

170 

100 

189 

213 

137J

Diameter.

Inches. 

5

8

6 

4 

3J 

6 

3

Use.

Domes 

manufa 

Domestic

tic and 

cturing.

Domestic 

Domes 

manufa Domestic

tic and 

cturing.

Owner.

Town.

Ensign Lumber

Parrott Lumber 

H. R. Tfial .

Town. 

.....do

J.T.l!

Depth to 

principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

320 

600

130-170

189 

200 

136

".o

r,o

[cNeese.......

Level of 

water 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

16

20 

8 

40 

35 

80 

12 

16

Driller.

E.J.Wilson....

Mr. Van Fleet... 

Cole & Hagsett. .

Authority.

W. E. Dawson.... 

A.English........ 

S.W.McCalliea... 

.. ..do.. ..,-.-..-.

.....do....

.....do....

do

D. L. Henderson, 

mayor.

Yield per 

minute 

by How obtained, 

pumping.

Galls.

O..STffl ....................

Gasoline engine. . .

100 ........................

50

800 Air-lift pun 

13J Force pum

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Eocene? . 

Ripley for

E

V

ocene

icksburg formation. 

..do............

Jackson formation? 

Vicksburg formation? 

Vicksburg formation.

Character.

Gravel............ C<

.................... c

.................... S<

San 

Har

d... ........... Cc

ap-. ........

p...........

Date 

completed.

1902 

1908 

1891

1896 

1895

1910

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

290? 

266

390 

358 

358 

412 

350

350

Quality.

Analysis 1, Table 32. 

Ferruginous.

Analysis 2, Table 32. 

Hard. 

Analysis 3, Table 32.

Remarks.

jst of well, 81,000; cost of machinery, 

$500. See log, p. 231. 

jst of well, $800; cost of machinery, 

$250.

wells. Another water-bearing bed 

at a depth of 85 (or 95) feet. 

;e log, p. 231. 

Do. 

jst of well, $400; cost of machinery, 

$1,500. 

inch casing to 85 feet.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 94-97,1908.
BOUGHERTY COUNTY.

TABLE 32. Analyses of'underground waters from Dooly County. 

[Parts per million.]

233

No.

1 

9,

3

1

1

2

3

Date of 

collection.

May 30,1911 

June 5, 1911

July 10,1911

0

3

5

OQ

22

16

20

|?

g

1

0.2

1.0

Tr.

Source.

Town we11.....

Well of J. T. 

McNeese.

a

24

45

48

'M

S

a 

I

a

12

1.0

8.0

,

IM

§g

.3 P

OQ

8.0

5.0

6.0

Location.

Byromvit 

Unadilla

Vienna (5 miles 

northwest of).

CD "o

 O

g

a>0

IBn

£

5

o

6.0

.0

.0

CD

O

 O

g^

5o 

go IB

M

88

158

170

CD

O

-S3

ft

1

20

7.0

3.0

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Eocene? 

Jackson forma- .

tion?

Vicksburg formation.

CD

O

 O .

=1

IT2

1

0.1

.2

.1

0

1t4

O

15

3.5

5.0

 d

0 .

II 08

"3

137

134

181

Depth.

Feet.

320 

189

/ 136- 

\ 137.5

Analyst.

E. Everhart. 

Do.

| Do.

Remarks.

No. 1, Table 31.

No. 7, Table 31.

No. 9, Table 31.

DOUGHEBTY COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Dougherty County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Albany, the county seat, is 100 miles by rail southwest 

of Macon and 88 miles southeast of Columbus. The area of the 

county is 342 square miles and the population (census of 1910) is 

16,035. Dougherty County is a rich agricultural district; cotton, 

corn, melons, and fruit are the principal products. The county is 

also the center of the pecan-growing industry of the State. At Albany 

there are large fertilizer factories, a cotton-cloth mill, cottonseed-oil 

mills, an ice factory, and a brick plant. The production of lumber 

and naval stores is important.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Topographically the county may be divided into two parts. 

West of Flint River, which flows southward'through the eastern part 

of the county, the general surface is nearly level and is typical of the 

physiographic division known as the Dougherty plain. This area is 

closely underlain by the limestones of the Vicksburg formation, and 

as a result of underground solution and the collapse of solution caverns, the otherwise nearly level surface is dotted with lime-sink 

depressions (some of which support a growth of cypress), which 

appear as ponds, as chains of sinks, and as long sinuous depressions. 

Creeks and small branch streams are few in number and the drainage 

is partly effected by underground streams through the lime sinks. 

Coolewahee, Kiokee, and Chickasawhatchee creeks, in the western
234 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

part of the county, have very shallow valleys and flow sluggishly 

through wide swamps. The Dougherty plain west of Flint River is 

probably 225 to 260 feet above sea level, and the swamps and streams 

of the same area are thought to be 175 to 200 feet above the same 

datum plane.

East of Flint River, except a narrow area along the river, the surface is rolling and is typical of the physiographic division described 

in this report as the Altamaha upland and locally known as the longleaf pine or wire-grass region. The general upland here is probably 

300 feet above sea level. The surface materials consist chiefly of 

sands and clays residual from the Vicksburg, Chattahoochee, and 

Alum Bluff formations.

Flint River is bordered by two narrow, nearly level, Pleistocene 

terrace plains. The elevation of the bed of the river at the crossing 

of the Central of Georgia Railway at Albany is 127 feet. The lower 

plain lies about 20 feet above the stream bed, and the higher plain, 

on which the greater part of the city is located, lies about 60 feet 

above the same datum plane. The elevation at the Union Station, 

which is on the higher plain, is 184 feet above sea level.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation appears at the surface over all but a relatively small area in the eastern part of the county and is an important aquifer. The formation, which consists of 150 to 200 feet or 

more of white limestones interbedded with sands and clays, weathers 

to red argillaceous sands and clays containing fragments of flint. 

In the eastern part of the county the Vicksburg formation is overlain 

by the Chattahoochee formation, which consists of sandy limestone 

and calcareous sands and clays, probably less than 100 feet thick, 

and which weathers to sands and clays that outcrop in a belt a few 

miles wide extending east of north through the county. The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by less than 100 feet of greenish-drab 

sands and clays belonging to the Alum Bluff formation, which outcrops in a relatively small area in the southeast corner of the county. 

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by 200 or 300 feet of Eocene 

water-bearing sands, clays, and marls, in interbedded, thin, indurated layers which do not appear at the surface within the county. 

The Eocene deposits are underlain by the Ripley formation of the 

Upper Cretaceous, which consists of calcareous and glauconitic 

sands, clays, and. marls, probably aggregating a thickness of 800 

feet or more and which contain water-bearing beds. At Albany, the 

Ripley formation is first encountered in wells at a depth of 500 feet, 

the deepest well (1,320 feet) probably ending near the base of the 

terrane. The Ripley formation is underlain by undifferentiated 

deposits of Cretaceous age which, at an unknown depth, probably
DOUGHEETY COUNTY. 235

between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.-

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

In the rural districts water for domestic use is obtained from dug 

wells 20 to 60 feet deep and from drilled wells 75 to 150 feet deep. 

The source of the water in both types of well is limestone of the Vicksburg formation, which is cavernous and contains large quantities of 

water. Some of the dug wells fail during times of drought. Wells 

less than 100 feet deep are apt to be contaminated from surface 

sources.

Deep wells have been drilled at Albany, Kioka Place (10 miles 

southwest of Albany), Ducker station, Putney, Pretoria, and near 

Walker station.

Small seepage springs are scattered throughout the county and a 

few limestone springs emit bold streams, but as a whole the springs 

are not important. Blue Spring, the largest in the county, is described on page 240. The waters of ponds and streams are used 

locally for stock and in boilers.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 75 to 1,500 feet or more. The prospects are good for obtaining 

flows from Eocene strata on the terrace plains bordering Flint River 

and in the valleys of the small streams in the western part of the 

county. The deeply buried Cretaceous deposits will probably yield 

flows throughout the greater part of the county west of Flint River.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Albany (population 8,190, census of 1910). Three artesian wells 

furnish the public water supply at Albany, and 12 or 15 others are 

owned by individuals or companies in and near the city. Four 

principal artesian water-bearing beds are tapped: Thefirst is at depths 

of 300 feet or less in cavities or beds of sand in the Vicksburg formation; the second is between the depths 660 and 710 feet, probably in 

the Ripley formation; the third is between the depths 840 and 900 

feet in the Ripley formation; the fourth is between the depths 1,310 

and 1,320 feet in the Upper Cretaceous and probably in the Ripley 

formation. The municipal wells are at the pumping station, 218-222 

North Street, where the elevation above Flint River is estimated to 

be 60 feet. Well No. 1 is 750 feet deep, well No. 2 is 1,320 feet 

deep, and well No. 3 is 940 feet deep. Originally all three wells 

flowed but now only No. 2 does so. Nos. 1 and 3 are pumped by air 

lift, each yielding 450 gallons per minute. In well No. 1 the water 

is lowered 90 feet by continuous pumping, and as the well is old it is 

thought that some water is lost through leaks in the casing.
236 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The following log of city well No. 2 was furnished by C. W. Tift.1 

The attempted correlations are based on the fossils obtained from the 

well and determined, except as otherwise indicated, by T. W. Vaughan.

Log 'of city artesian well No. 2, Albany (No. 2, Table S3).

Tertiary: Feet. 

Red clay....................................................... 0- 20

Light-colored clay................................................ 20- 23

Coarse sand (Vicksburg)......................................... 23- 25

Light-colored clay and coarse quartz sand......................... 25- 35

Limestone, Orbitoides sp. at 150 feet, and from 190 to 200 feet..... 35-200

Gray limestone, Orbitoides sp., echinoid, Bryozoa, Terebratulina 

lachryma Morton (identified by W. H. Ball), some shale from 230 

to 240 feet..................................................... 200- 280

Gray sand with comminuted shells (Ostrea)........................ 280- 285

Some shale, coarse sand, shells, and sharks' teeth at................ 311

Hard layer, Ostrea divaricata Lea................................. 318- 320

Ostrea divaricata Lea at.......................................... 330

Ostrea alabamiensis Lea at........................................ 340

Shale or marl, water vein at...................................... 350

Ostrea divaricata Lea and Ostrea alabamiensis Lea at................ 363

Bed of lignite at................................................ 367

Bed of lignite at................................................ 400

Sand........................................................... 400- 470

Stiff blue clay, echinoid spines, Lamna sp. (teeth)................ 470- 475

Stiff blue clay................................................... 475- 480

Hard gray sandstone............................................. 485- 488

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation:

Ostrea sp. and Exogyra costata Say (?)............................ 500- 510

Pyrite and small oysters at........................................ 520

Greensands and greenish micaceous shales........................ 530- 540

Gray sands with black particles at................................ 600

Water-bearing horizon, limestone, with pieces of hard gray sandstone 

between 785 and 790 feet....................................... 690- 790

Hard rock...................................................... 790- 800

Clay shales, white limestone between 835 and 840 feet............ 800- 850

Limestone, shales, etc; at 880 feet limestone or calcareous sand, also 

light-gray micaceous sand....................................... 850- 890

Grayish sand, calcareous fragments, hard black pieces of pebbles, 

Ostrea sp., Anomia argentaria Morton. [Gryphsea vesicularis Lamarck (young)] at 890 feet; water-bearing, micaceous sandstone 

between 920 and 930 feet....................................... 890- 940

Blue micaceous clay at 950 feet, thick-shelled oyster, Gryphsea sp., 

the same also at 1,080 feet; at 1,100 feet gray sand with Ostrea subspatulata Forbes, Exogyra costata Say........................... 940-1,100

Stiff blue clay, micaceous sandstone, Ostrea cretacea Morton (?)..... 1,100-1,200

Very stiff blue clay at 1,255 feet, streaks of sand and shells, a small 

flow of water; from 1,240 to 1,260, soft shiny blue clay............ 1, 200-1, 260

Marl, gray sand, sandstone lumps, shells........................... 1> 260-1, 270

Gray and black sand, sandstone lumps........................... 1, 270-1,310

Black, irregular, water-worn pebbles, with hard crystalline fracture; 

coarse and fine quartz sand, shells, decayed wood, fourth waterbearing stratum; 50 gallons per minute.......................... 1,310-1, 315

Well ends in quartz sand at...................................... 1,320

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 98, 99,1908.
DOUGHEETY COUNTY. 237

A sample of material taken from 1,300 to 1,315 feet in the well 

just described consists of light-gray, medium-grained very micaceous 

(muscovite) sand, with numerous fragments of dark irregular glauconitic sandstone, some partly water worn; several angular fragments 

of gray calcareous sandstone; numerous fragments of lignite and 

shells of invertebrates. The following species were identified by Mr. 

Stephenson:

Vermes:

Hamulus major Gabb. 

Molluscoidea:

Fragment of poorly preserved BryoMollusca:

Ostrea larva Lamarck. 

Ostrea sp. (irregular form). 

Gryphsea vomer (Morion). 

zoa. - Exogyra ponderosa Boemer.

Pecten quinquecostatus (Sowerby). 

Plica tula sp.

Fragments of undetermined gastropods and pelecypods.

In terms of the Chattahoochee River section the fossils listed 

indicate that the containing strata correspond in position to beds low 

in the Ripley formation.

A public flowing well known as the Coffey well, not connected with 

the pumping station, is at 201 Commerce Street. It was originally 

715 feet deep but was later drilled to a depth of 840 feet. The water 

is used for drinking and domestic purposes. It rises 10 feet above the 

surface and flows 40 gallons a minute. It is soft, clear, and palatable 

but emits an odor of hydrogen sulphide. (See analysis 3, Table 34.) 

According to Mr. Tift the water comes from a stratum tapped at the 

bottom of the well and is therefore from the Ripley formation.

Spencer * gives the following data concerning a well at Albany 

(name of owner not stated):

Several wells have been sunk at Albany and flowing water has been obtained. The 

record of one of these was furnished by Mr. Charles Tif t, and also samples of borings 

from several depths. This well has an elevation of about 20 feet above the railway 

station:

[Log of well at Albany (No. 7, Table 33}.]

Feet. 

Surface soil and red clay to...................................... 23

Light clay, white sand, colored clays, and white lime rock to ....... 55

Flinty rock to................................................... 60

Limestone with clay seams to..................................... 315

Thick rock to................................................... 319

Quicksand with a rocky stratum at 440 feet, and lignite just above 

rock, to....................................................... 480

Black sand thin layer.

Blue marl strata to............................................... 678

Porous water-bearing beds to..................................... 732

'Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, pp. 75-77,1891.
238 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Samples were taken and examined as follows: Marl at 26 feet; limestone at 40 feet; 

oolitic or coral sand from 110 to 115 feet; a lime rock, 5 feet thick, at 160; gray rotten 

limestone from 180 to 200; shell rock at 310; shell marl at 315 to 320; lignite at 340; 

coarse quartz sand with chips of gray limestone, 350; shell limestone, 360; clean 

sharp white sand in different beds between 360 and 425; lignite at 440; green, slightly 

calcareous fine sand, with a little clay between, 485 and 678; a water-bearing coarse 

quartz sand, with calcareous particles, at 660.

Through T. W. Vaughan Mr. C. W. Tift has also furnished what 

seems to be another log of the same well (No. 7, Table 33):

Log of well owned by Nelson Tift, Albany (No. 7, Table S3).

Quartz sand with several harder layers in upper 20 feet; shells at 225 feet; thin, hard

Thickness.

Feet. 

2

23

5

10

15

5

256

4

160

198

54

Depth.

Feet. 

2

25

30

40

55

60

316

320

AQ{\

678

Mr. Tift has furnished the following information concerning the 

artesian well at the ice factory of the Atlantic Ice & Coal Co.: The well 

was bored in 1885 and is 710 feet deep; it was recased to 660 feet in 

1901. At a depth of 320 feet water was encountered, which rose to 

within 42 feet of the surface and this static head was maintained until 

the water-bearing stratum at 660 feet was reached, when the static 

head rose to 26 feet above the surface. The amount of the flow has 

since greatly decreased and the static head is thought to have been 

affected by a well 708 feet deep, completed in 1910, at the Albany 

Cotton Mills, a mile north of the ice factory. The principal waterbearing stratum in the Albany Cotton Mills well is between the 

depths of 680 and 708 feet.

Log of well owned by the Atlantic Ice & Coal Co. (No. 6, Table S3).

Sand... .................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

30 

80 

7 

33 

150 

20 

112 

228 

50

Depth.

Feet. 

30 

110 

117 

150 

300 

320 

432 

660 

710
DOUGHEETY COUNTY. 239

T&oka Place. A 725-foot flowing well (No. 8, -Table 33) known as 

the Williams irrigation well, located at Kioka Place (10 miles southwest of Albany), is owned by Mr. John P. Fort, of Albany. The well 

was completed in 1911 and is used for the irrigation of 14 acres of land 

planted to onions, corn, and cotton. It yields 40,000 gallons of water 

a day, which is stored for distribution in an earthen reservoir holding 

400,000 gallons. Mr. Fort states that the returns on the 14 acres have 

been exceptionally large, the yield of corn being estimated at 200 

bushels per acre, and he thus demonstrates the possibilities of irrigation in the areas of flowing wells in Georgia. Mr. Fort has 

furnished the following log, which is a carefully prepared record of the 

materials penetrated as drilling progressed:

Log of Williams irrigation well at Kwka Place, 10 miles southwest of Albany (No. 8,

Table S3).

mtat..... ...............................................................................

Tlint............ .............. ......'.................. :.................................

Grayish sandstone with biack grains and shells, poorly water bearing; water flows 25

Grayish rock and indurated blue marl, water bearing; water flows 50 gallons a minute. . . 

Grayish, water-bearing rock and indurated blue marl; water flows 60 gallons a minute...

Thickness.

Feet. 

4

9fi

10

30

5

77

20

23

6

97

24

26

1

14

8

43

10

6

30

1

30

1

37

16

20

3

47

12

20

21

80

15 

30

Depth.

Feet. 

4

Qn

40

70

7C

152

1QC

201

99ft

o co

278

279

OQO

0/YI

344

354

QArt

3on

301

421

422

AKQ

475

405

AQ'7

500

547

559

579

600

680

695

725

A 6-inch casing extends to 80 feet; 4^-inch casing to 277 feet; 3|- 

inch casing to 120 feet and from 371 to 444 feet; 2£-inch casing 

from 120 to 500 feet.

The well starts in the Vicksburg formation and probably penetrates that terrane to at least 152 feet, beyond which to 725 feet 

it probably penetrates Eocene strata doubtless belonging to several 

formations. However, it. may enter the upper part of the Kipley 

formation of the Upper Cretaceous.
240 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

Ducker station. The first flowing well In Georgia was drilled near 

Ducker station, 16 miles west of Albany, by J. P. Fort, in 1881. It 

is 547 feet deep and flows 10 feet above the surface. Spencer 1 

gives the following log:

Log of well of John P. Fort at Dueler station (No. 9, Table S3).

Limestone with silicifled layers containing shells and traversed by subterranean streams. 

Blue marl (clay ?).......................................................................

Sand . tinted blue; layer of very fine white sand at 370 feet, below which some coarse sand

Thickness.

Feet. 

65

85 

15

95

120

30

80

40

17

Depth.

Feet. 

65

150 

165

260

380

410

490

530

547

At Ducker station artesian water has recently been used for 

irrigation.

Putney. Prom Putney (Hardaway station), on the Atlantic 

Coast Line Railroad just east of Flint River, 8 miles south of Albany, 

one well owned by F. F. Putney has been reported. The depth of 

the well is about 315 feet, and the water in it rises to within 50 feet 

of the surface. It is probable that by deeper drilling flowing wells 

can be obtained at this place, for the elevation is only 183 feet above 

sea level.

Pretoria (population 369, census of 1910). At Pretoria two 

artesian wells supply the village with water for all purposes. One 

well is 650 feet deep and flows, the static head being 12 feet above 

the surface. The other well is 350 feet deep and does not flow. 

The water is distributed from a tank.

Blue Spring. Blue Spring, 4 miles south of Albany, on the east 

side of Flint River, and about 300 yards back from the river bank, 

is believed to be the largest spring in the State. (See PI. XX, A.} 

Discharge measurements made at different times 3 show yields 

ranging from 26.4 to 135 second-feet, or approximately 18,000,000 

to 87,000,000 gallons every 24 hours. The water, which rises under 

considerable pressure from several small openings in limestone of 

the Vicksburg formation and has a faint bluish tinge, is very clear 

and is said to remain clear, although the supply varies with the 

rainfall. The main spring is 20 or 30 feet deep, and the temperature 

of the water is 69° F. An analysis of the water is given in Table 34 

(analysis 5). The water is used locally for drinking.

1 Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 77,1891.

2 Hall, B. M. and M. R., Water resources of Georgia: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 197, p. 236, 

1907.
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XX

A. STREAM FLOWING FROM BLUE SPRING, 4 MILES SOUTH OF ALBANY, DOUGHERTY COUNTY. 

Yields more than 18,000,000 gallons a day. Photograph by S. W. McCallie.

B. PUBLIC FOUNTAIN AT AMERICUS, SUMTER COUNTY. 

Photograph by S. W. McCallie.

DOUGHEBTY COUNTY. 

TABLE 33. Wells in Dougherty County.

241

No.

1

2 

3

4

5 

6

7 

8

9 

10

11 

12 

13

14

No.

1

2

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14

Location.

Albanj 

pum 

fAlbanj 

I Pim] 

Albany 

pum 

Albany 

mere 

miles 

watei 

Albanj

do

' (well No. 1 at 

ping station). 

'( well No. 2 at

(well No. 3 at 

;>ing station). 

', 201 Come Street. 1J 

north of city 

r-supply plant.

.....do.----.--------

Kioka 

soutl 

bany 

Duckei 

Putnej 

static 

Pretori 

do

Place, 10 miles 

iwest of Al-

(Hardaway 

m).

.....do...............

Walker station (1 

mile north of).

Depth.

Feet. 

750

1,320

940 

840 

708 

710 

732 

725 

547 

315 

350 

650 

SS5 

146

Diameter.

Inches. 

10

12

10 

6

34

4 

6

9

Owner.

City................

}.... do.... .......... 

.....do..,----- -

.....do..

Albany C 

/Atlantic 

1 Co. 

Nelson T 

John P. ]

.....do..

F. F. Pu

otton Mills. 

Ice & Coal

ift... ...... 

?ort. .......

Red Cyp 

ber Co. 

H. J. Lai

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

680

660-710J 

680

680-708 

660 

678 

500-725

580-585?

Depth 

to 

other 

 waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

300 

840-900 

1,320

180 

320

375

ress LumLevel 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

+10

1 +20

+ 8 

+10

+26

+10 -50 

-16

+12

-35

Driller.

E. F. Joyce..... 

C. E. Edwards..

M. B.Matthews. 

I...... ........... 1 C. \ 

Owi

V. Tift......

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

125

80 

40 

100

28

35

Pump.

Galte. 

450

450

105

Authority.

C. W. Tift........

.....do............

C. E.Edwards and 

C. W. Tift. 

C.M. Clark.......

M. A. Jarrard..... 

C. W. Tift. .......

.....do............

S.W.McCallieo... 

.....do...... ---

W. A. Bierma 

do

S.W.McCallieo.. 

.....do............

How obtained.

AirFloi

Airlift pump .....

lift pump. ....

yra

.....do.. ..........

.....do............

.....do............ 

.....do............

.....do............

Flows.............

.....do............

Date 

completed.

1892

/ 1904- 

\ 1906

1907

1903

1910 

/ 1885, 

\ 1901 

1885 

1911

1881

1902

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

184

} 184 

184

210

\

'

183

Quality.

/Analyses 1, 2, Table 

\ 34.

Analysis 3, Table 34. 

Analysis 4, Table 34. 

Soft.

Slightly alkaline. 

Do.

Sulphurous.

38418°

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 101-103,1908, 

-WSP 341 15 16
242 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 33. Wells in Dougherty County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3

4

5 

6

7 

8

9 

10

11 

12 

13

14

Use.

Municipal supply. 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Eipley formation. . 

.....do............

.....do............ 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Midway formation? 

Vieksburg formation.

.....do............

Vieksburg formation.

Character.

Porous sandstone.

White, porous rock

Gravel and shells. . 

Sand, limestone, 

and marl.

Remarks.

10-inch casing to 680 feet. 

Cased to 1;300 feet. See log. p. 236. 

8-inch casing to 710 feet. Cost of well, 

$4,000. 

"Coffey" well. 

3J-inch casing to 480 feet. 

Cased to 660 feet. See log, p. 238. 

See logs, pp. 237,238. 

Cost of well. $2,500. Caving sand has 

reduced yield from 60 to 30 gallons a 

minute. See log, p. 239. 

See log, p. 240.

TABLE 34. Analyses of underground waters from Dougherty County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

o 

K

1 

2

3

4 

5

Date of 

collection.

June'iojigii"

Apr. 1, 1911 

.....do.......

Silica (SiO ).2

9.3 

14

22

16 

12

Iron (Fe).

& 2. 6 

61.8

4.0 

1.0 

.4

Calcium (Ca).

46 

4.3

5.0 

13 

49

Source.

City well No. 2. .

....do.......... 

"Coffey" well; 

now owned by 

the city. 

Well of Atlantic 

Ice & Coal Co. 

Blue Spring.....

i

1 M

1.9 

1.8

3.0 

6.8 

2.4

Sodium (Na).

2 

463

6( 

41 

3.

Potassium (K).

4 

29

' 

8

Location.

Alt

"Alt 

rr

Alt

Alt

S(

radicle Carbonate 

(C0 ).3

576

7.0 

.0 

.0

do............ 

any, 201 Comleree Street.

any, 4 miles 

>uth.

Bicarbonate radicle 

(HC0 ).3

140

160 

178 

178

Sulphate radicle 

(S0 ).4

7.1 

1,4

25 

14 

2.0

Nitrate radicle 

(N0 ).3

0.2

.4 

1.2

1.5

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Eipley formation. 

.....do. ........ 

.....do.........

.....do.........

Vicksburg formation.

Chlorine (Cl).

3.6 

69

4.0

3.5 

3.5

Volatile and organic matter.

7.8

dissolved Total

solids.

160 

1,159

174 

193 

139

Depth.

Feet. 

660-710

1,320 

840

660-710 

20-30

Analyst.

H. C. White.o

Edgar Everhart.o 

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Remarks.

From water-bearing stratum 

at 660-710 feet, No. 2, Table 

33. 

From water-bearing stratum 

at 1,320 feet, No. 2, Table 

33. A trace of PC-4. 

No. 4, Table 33. 

No. 6, Table 33.

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 99-100,1908.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 243

EARLY COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Early County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, adjacent to Alabama. Its area is 524 square miles and its 

population 18,122 (census of 1910). Cotton, corn, lumber, and naval 

stores are the chief products.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county presents two types of topography. The eastern threefourths falls within the physiographic division known as the Dougherty plain; its surface is nearly level to gently undulating, streams are 

few in number and flow through wide swampy bottoms, and it has 

many cypress ponds. The Dougherty plain, which is approximately 

coextensive with the surface occurrence of the Vicksburg formation, 

is well developed in the adjoining counties of Calhoun, Baker, Miller, 

and Decatur.

In the western part of the county, and particularly in the northwest, the surface is hilly. Chattahoochee Kiver, which forms the 

western boundary, has cut its valley 150 to 200 feet lower than the 

general upland. Small tributary streams, which enter from the east, 

have cut deep narrow valleys, thus producing a broken topography 

which extends 5 to 6 miles back from the river.

Chattahoochee River is bordered by two Pleistocene terraces; the 

lower (Satilla plain) is nearly level, is about one-half mile wide, and 

lies about 40 feet above the river; the upper (Okefenokee plain) lies 

about 100 feet above the river and is not so well preserved as the 

lower. Unlike the other large rivers of the Coastal Plain of Georgia 

the Chattahoochee is bordered by few swamps.

At the station of the United States Weather Bureau at Blakely the 

elevation is 300 feet above sea level. Exact determinations of level 

have not been made elsewhere in the county, but it is probable that 

the greater part of the area is less than 300 feet above sea level.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation outcrops in an area approximately coextensive with that of the Dougherty plain. It consists of interbedded 

limestones and sands which weather to red or mottled argillaceous 

sands and clays containing masses of flint. The unweathered limestones generally lie 50 feet or less below the surface and outcrop at a 

few places. The thickness of the formation is believed to be 75 to 

150 feet in the north, but it increases to the east and south and 

probably reaches a maximum of 250 or 300 feet. The formation is 

an important aquifer.
244 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The Jackson formation, which consists principally of soft limestones 

of relatively small thickness, underlies the Vicksburg formation and 

in the southwest outcrops in a small area bordering Chattahoochee 

River. The Jackson formation, and the Vicksburg where the Jackson 

is absent, is underlain by the Claiborne group of the Eocene. The 

Claiborne group consists of 200 to 250 feet of sandy marls with subordinate thin interbedded layers of hard sandy limestone and glauconitic calcareous sandstone overlain by red and varicolored sands 

with subordinate thin interbedded layers of clay. These beds immediately underlie the surface in the western part of the county and are 

well exposed in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River. They probably 

include representatives of the McBean formation and the Barnwell 

sand, into which the group has been subdivided elsewhere in the State. 

The group contains water-bearing beds.

The Claiborne group is underlain by an undetermined thickness of 

undifferentiated Eocene deposits which do not reach the surface 

within the county. The Eocene is underlain by 800 or 900 feet of 

more or less calcareous and glauconitic sands, clays, and marls that 

contain water-bearing beds and are referable to the Ripley formation 

of the Upper Cretaceous. In the deep well at Blakely fossils of 

Ripley age were first encountered at a depth of 500 feet. The Ripley 

formation is underlain by undifferentiated Cretaceous deposits of 

unknown thickness, and at some undetermined depth, probably 

between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, the Cretaceous deposits rest upon a 

basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATEE RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Water for domestic use is supplied chiefly by dug and bored wells 

20 to 75 feet deep. In the western part of the county bored wells 

should be preferred to dug wells, for if properly cased they are less 

likely to be contaminated by surface water.

Small springs are scattered throughout the county and are a source 

of domestic supply. Cedar Spring, one-half mile east of Cedar Springs 

post office, is reported to yield about 80 gallons a minute of soft water, 

which is used for general domestic purposes and in the condensers at 

a turpentine distillery.

Artesian water can probably be obtained anywhere in the county. 

Water-bearing beds occur in the Vicksburg formation and also in the 

underlying Eocene and Cretaceous sands and marls. Waters from the 

Cretaceous deposits are apt to be softer than those from the Vicksburg formation.

In wells on the lowest terrace bordering Chattahoochee River 

waters from Eocene or Cretaceous strata will probably flow. This is
EABLY COUNTY. 245

probably true also of wells 600 feet or more in depth in the valleys of 

some of the larger creeks, although this remains to be tested.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Bldkely (population 1,838, census of 1910). Blakely owns a municipal water-supply system and obtains water from a well 812 feet deep 

(No. 3, Table 35). T. W. Vaughan obtained notes and well borings 

from the driller, S. S. Chandler, from which the following description 

and partial log were prepared:

The well was completed in 1902 at a cost of $3,000; the diameter 

at the top is 10 inches and at the bottom 6 inches. Water-bearing 

beds were encountered at depths of 250, 570, and 812 feet. The 

municipal supply is taken from the 812-foot level, the water from 

which rises to within 19 feet of the surface and is not lowered perceptibly when pumped 290 gallons a minute.

Partial log of town well at Blakely (No. S, Table 35).

Hard sandstone, with glauconite. Two oysters, apparently Grypheea sp. and Exogyra

Thickness.

Feet. 

10

10

10

10

10

20

70

20

125

5

200

10

10

70

Depth.

Feet. 

10

20

30

40

50

70

140

160

285

290

490

500

510

580

From 580 feet to the bottom of the well the beds encountered are 

said to have been limestones inters tratified with sands and clays, the 

water-bearing bed at 812 feet being a coarse sand. Fossils of Kipley 

(Cretaceous) age were identified from the sandstone at 500 to 510 feet. 

An analysis is given in Table 36 (analysis 1).

An artesian well (No. 4, Table 35) owned by the Callahan-Powell 

Co., 6J miles east of Blakely, is 485 feet deep and contains water that 

rises to within 50 feet of the surface. The elevation of the well above 

sea level is reported to be 250 feet. The water-bearing bed is probably in the Midway formation of the Eocene. An analysis of the water 

is given in Table 36 (analysis 2).

Damascus. Damascus obtains water for domestic use chiefly from 

wells 20 to 60 feet deep. The deeper wells yield hard water and probably reach the unweathered limestone of the Vicksburg formation. 

Notes on a deep well (No. 6, Table 35) at this place are given by 

McCallie.1

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 107,1908.
246 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

Mr. C. C. Green's well at Damascus is 2 inches in diameter and 547 feet deep. Considerable hard rock is reported in this well, but the exact thickness and character of 

the various formations were not ascertained. Two water-bearing strata were struck 

in the well, one at 200 and the other at 547 feet. Water from the former rises to within 

20 feet of the surface, and from the latter to within 7 feet of the surface. Both strata 

are said to furnish a good supply of water.

Cowarts station.1 The following log of a well (No. 5, Table 35) 120 

feet deep at Cowarts station has been furnished by W. K. Carter, the 

owner.

Log of W. R. Carter's well, Cowarts station (No. 5, Table 35).

Limestone; water from 7-foot cavity struck at depth of 113 feet, rose immediately to

Thickness.

Feet. 

30

2

88

Depth.

Feet. 

30

32

120

Other localities. A well (No. 1, Table 35) on the plantation of H. G. 

Smith, 6 miles west of Arlington, is 160 feet deep. The principal 

water-bearing bed is limestone at 160 feet. The water rises to within 

12 feet of the surface and is used for general domestic purposes.

A well (No. 2, Table 35) on the plantation of James Johnson, 3 

miles south of Arlington, is 360 feet deep and 2^ inches in diameter. 

According to the driller it penetrated little hard rock. The well 

yields an abundance of water sufficient for the needs of a large plantation.

At Saffold, in the southwestern part of the county, nonflowing 

wells from 350 to 490 feet deep are reported.

TABLE 35. Wells in Early County.

No.

1

9,

3

a

f,

i

8

9

Location.

west of.

Arlington. 3 miles

south or.

Blakely..............

of.

(Kara).

Hilton. ..............

Owner.

H. G. Smith........

Town...............

W. R. Carter........

C. C. Green.........

Driller.

S. S. Chandler...

Authority.

S. S. Chandler t> ...

W. A. Kitchen....

S. W. McCallieft ..

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

completed.

1910

1902

IQfiQ

1897

Approximate elevation 

above

sea

level.

Feet.

(a)

300

250

105

a Elevation 20 or 30 feet above the bed of Spring Creek. 

6 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 105-107,1908.

McCallie, S. W., loc. cit.
EAELY COUNTY. 

TABLE 35. Wells in Early County Continued.

247

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

5 

6 

7 

8 

9

No.

1

2 

3 

4

5

6

7 

8

g

Depth.

Feet. 

160 

360 

812 

485

120 

547 

75 

190 

490

Diameter.

Inches. 

41 

2i 

6 

4

4

2

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

140-160

812

113

547

Use.

Domes

Planta 

Munici 

Domes

ion use .... 

sal supply, 

tic.........

Domestic, boiler 

supply.

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

250, 570

200

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

12

19 

50

27

7

40

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

(falls.

Pump.

Galls.

290

How obtained.

I 

I

Gasoline engine, 

deep-well pump.

I

I

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Vie 

ti 

Eoc 

Eip 

Eoc 

fo 

Vie 

ti 

Eoc

Vie

ti 

Eoc

ksburg formaon? 

ene?.. ------

ley form 

ene; M 

nnation 

ksburg j 

on. 

 ene? .

dway 

?......

ormado............

isburg formaon.

Character.

Marl...............

Sand..............

Quality. -

Slightly sulphurous.

Analysis 1, Table 36. 

Analysis 2, Table 36.

Good. 

Hard. 

Do. 

Slightly sulphurous.

Remarks.

See log, p. 245.

Limestone cavity at 113 feet. See log, 

p. 246.

TABLE 36. Analyses of well waters from Early County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (SiO2)............................................................................

Potassium ( K) ..........................................................................

Bicarbonate radicle (HCOs) .............................................................

Nitrate radicle (NOs)...... ........................ ......................................

la

8.0

6.7

5.4

2.0

42

9.1

.0

114

11

14

140

55

2

4.0

47

6.0

X ,0 / 13

.0

200

8.0

.5

4.0

208

a, Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 106,1908. Fe2C>3+AlsOs.

1. Town well at Blakely (No. 3, Table 35). Depth of principal "water-bearing stratum, 812 feet. Edgar 

Everhart, analyst.

2. Well of Callahan-Powell Co. (No. 4, Table 35). Sample collected June 1,1911. Edgar Everhart, 

analyst.
248 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

ECHOLS COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Echols County is in the southern part of the State along the Florida 

border. Its area is 362 square miles and its population 3,309 (census 

of 1910). The county is sparsely settled and has no large towns or 

cities. Lumbering and turpentining are the principal industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level, is poorly drained, and lies 125 to 170 

feet above sea level. Alapaha and Suwannee rivers have cut their 

valleys 40 to 60 feet below the general upland level, and each is bordered by a flat sand-covered terrace lying 10 to 15 feet above lowwater level. Suwanoochee and Toms creeks and the other small 

streams of the county have low banks and flow through broad swampy 

flats.

GEOLOGY.

The Chattahoochee formation (Oligocene), whicn consists of 100 

feet or more of limestones of greater or less purity, outcrops on 

Alapaha River below Statenville and probably underlies the whole 

county beneath younger formations. The Alum Bluff formation 

(Oligocene), which probably consists of 75 feet or less of phosphatic 

sands and greenish sandy clays, overlies the Chattahoochee formation and outcrops over the southern two-thirds of the county and in 

the valleys of Alapaha River and other smaller streams. In the 

interstream areas in the northern part of the county the Alum Bluff 

formation is overlain by 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands 

and clays of undetermined age.

The Alum Bluff formation weathers to gray or white sands, which 

cover the surface to a depth of several feet. On the terraces bordering Alapaha and Suwannee rivers a thin covering of sand of 

Pleistocene age has been deposited.

The limestones of the Chattahoochee formation are believed to be 

underlain in descending order by similar water-bearing limestones 

referable to the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) and the Jackson 

formation (Eocene), but these formations have not been accurately 

differentiated.

Beneath the limestones in descending order is a series of undifferentiated sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age, which at an 

unknown depth, perhaps 2,500 feet or more, rest upon a basement 

of ancient crystalline rocks. These sediments contain important 

water-bearing beds.
EFFINGHAM COUNTY. 249 

WATEE RESOURCES.

Abundant soft water for domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from 

shallow dug and driven wells, in some of which the water stands 

within 4 or 5 feet of the surface.

The few springs yield only small quantities of water. The waters 

of the streams are dark to almost black from organic matter.

The population of Statenville, the county seat, is 210 (census of 

1910). The town has no water-supply system and obtains water for 

domestic use chiefly from wells 20 to 30 feet deep and from four deep 

wells, the deepest of which is said to be 160 feet. One well, information concerning which has been obtained from L. C. Solomon, the 

driller, is owned by the Garbutt Lumber Co. It is 148 feet deep and 

is cased to a depth of 71 feet, at which depth rock was entered. The 

water, which rises to within 40 feet of the surface, is probably derived 

from the Chattahoochee formation. A sample collected June 7, 1911, 

was analyzed by Edgar Everhart:

Analysis of water from, well of the Garbett Lumber Co., Statenville.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO2)................................................... 34

Iron (Fe).................................................... .2

Calcium (Ca)................................................ 25

Magnesium (Mg)............................................. 11

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)................................ 12

Carbonate radicle (CO3)....................................... .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3).................................... 136

Sulphate radicle (SO4)......................................... 12

Chlorine (01)......................1.......................... 12

Nitrate radicle (NO8).......................................... Trace.

Total dissolved solids......................................... 182

Abundant supplies of artesian water should be obtained anywhere 

in the county at depths less than 700 feet. Flowing wells can probably be obtained on the low terraces bordering Suwannee and Alapaha 

rivers.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Efnngham County is in the eastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, its southern boundary being about 25 miles west of the 

Atlantic coast. Its area is 448 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 9,971.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level, varying in elevation from 150 or 175 

feet above sea level in the north to less than 50 feet in the south. 

The county is bounded on- the east by Savannah River. A series of
250 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

high bluffs overlooks the river on the Georgia side, and at the foot 

of the bluffs are a few relatively small patches of swamp lying 8 to 

10 feet above low-water level. On the South .Carolina side the river 

is bordered by a tract of swamp several miles wide. Ogeechee River, 

which forms the western boundary, is bordered by a large area of low 

and partly swampy land. The water of Savannah River is always 

more or less muddy from suspended sediment; that of the Ogeechee 

is muddy only when the river is at flood stage. Small streams are 

few in number and the county is dotted with small cypress ponds 

and bays.

GEOLOGY.

The surface deposits in the northern two-thirds or three-fourths 

of the county consist of 100 feet or less of argillaceous sands and 

clays which weather to wnite or yellow sands, the latter covering 

the surface to a depth of a few inches to several feet. These deposits 

are mapped as undifferentiated Oligocene-Pleistocene. In the southern part of the county the surface is covered with a thin veneer of 

gray or white Pleistocene terrace sands.

The undifferentiated deposits are underlain in the eastern part of 

the county by 75 feet or less of sands, clays, and marls of Miocene 

age, which outcrop hi the bluffs of Savannah River and which have 

been subdivided into the Marks Head marl and the Duplin marl.

Stratigraphically beneath the Miocene deposits is the Alum Bluff 

formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of sands, clays, and 

marls, probably water bearing, and which outcrops on Savannah 

River north of Effingham County and on Ogeechee River in the 

western part of the county.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by a series of undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, which, in descending order, 

are of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous age. At an undetermined 

depth, probably between 2,000 and 3,500 feet, the Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous deposits contain important waterbearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The main source of domestic water supply is wells of the dug or 

driven type, ranging in depth from 10 to 40 feet. These yield an 

abundance of soft water which, however, is not as desirable from the 

sanitary standpoint as the waters of deep artesian wells. Artesian 

wells have been reported from Eden, Meldrim, Egypt, Guyton, Pineora, and Springfield; those at Eden and Meldrim flow. Springfield 

is the only town in the county owning a public water-supply system.
EPPINGHAM COUNTY. 251

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 200 to 800 feet or more. Flowing wells can be obtained in the 

southern part of the county and on the terraces bordering Ogeechee 

and Savannah rivers at places where the surface is 75 feet or less 

above sea level.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Springfield (population 504, census of 1910). Springfield, the 

county ssat, is in the central part of the county. An artesian well 

owned by Mr. Elliot Mingledoff supplies the town with water for 

general domestic purposes. The well is in a valley in the northern 

part of the town about 30 feet below the general level of the surrounding country and is 400 feet deep. Marl (rock) is said to have been 

encountered at a depth of 290 feet. The principal water-bearing 

bed is at the bottom of the well and the water will rise 8 feet above 

the surface. A hydraulic ram installed at the mouth of the well 

forces the water to a tank 70 feet above the surface, from which it is 

distributed to the consumers.

A well owned by G. M. Brinson in the southern part of the town, 

at a point where the surface is about 100 feet above sea level and 

about 30 feet higher than the surface at the mouth of the Mingledoff 

well, is 500 feet deep. The water stands within 24 feet of the surface.

Eden. Wells at Eden are described by McCallie * as follows:

There are two wells located at this place, one 280 feet and the other 311 feet in depth. 

Each well has a diameter of 6 inches and furnishes a flow of several gallons of sulphureted water per minute, which rises 12 feet above the surface. Only one flow is 

reported in the well and this was struck at about 275 feet. The strata penetrated are 

said to have been clays and marls, with thin layers of hard rock.

Egypt. A well at Egypt is described by McCallie 1 as follows:

This well was sunk by the Central of Georgia Railway. It is reported to be 750 feet 

deep and 4 inches in diameter. Water rises to within 45 feet of the surface. Waterbearing strata were penetrated at 300 and 750 feet from the surface. The strata passed 

through are said to have been clay, sand, and marls, followed by limestone.

Guyton. A well at Guyton is described by McCallie * as follows:

Mr. 3. T. Wells's well, which is located about a mile east of Guyton post office, was 

completed in 1895 at a cost of |400. The well is 3 inches in diameter and 400 feet 

deep; it furnishes hard, sulphureted water, rising to within 18 feet of the surface. The 

principal water-bearing stratum, which consists of sand, was struck at 300 feet. An 

incomplete record is as follows:

Well of J. T. Wells at Guyton.

Feet.

Clay..................................................... 200

Rock.................................................... 200 -201J

Rocks in beds (sharks' teeth and shells).................... 201^-396

Quicksand............................................... 396 -400

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 107-108,1908.
252 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Meldrim. Wells at Meldrim are described by McCallie 1 as follows:

There are two deep wells at Meldrim, one of which was sunk by the Central of Georgia Railway. It is reported to attain a depth of 538 feet. It is 6 inches in diameter 

and furnishes a good flow, rising 4 feet above the surface. The daily capacity of this 

well is said to be about 40,000 gallons. The water is used to supply the locomotives 

of the Central of Georgia Railway and for general domestic purposes.

The other Meldrim well, owned by Mr. C. B. Guyer, is located about 300 yards west 

of the post office. It is 6 inches in diameter and 350 feet deep; it flows about 50 gallons of sulphureted water per minute. The water is said to rise 50 feet above the 

surface. It is used at present only for general domestic purposes, but Mr. Burnham, 

who furnished these data, notes that it is Mr. Guyer's intention to use the water soon 

for irrigation.

TABLE 37. Wells in Effingham County.

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5

6 

7 

8

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5 

6

7 

8

Location.

Eden.................

.....do................

Egypt --------------

Guytor 

of). 

Meldrii

.....do.

Springf 

Sprlngf 

south 

post

Depth.

Feet. 

280 

311 

750 

400 

538 

350 

400 

500

(1 mile east

ieid." '.'.'.'.'. '.'.'...

ield (i mile 

east of the 

jfflce).

Diameter.

Inches. 

6 

6 

4 

3 

6 

6 

6 

8

Owner.

Central 

Ry. 

J. T. We

Central 

Ry. 

C. B. Gir 

ElliottM 

Geo. M. E

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

275 

275 

750 

300

400

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

300

>f Georgia

1(2

rf Georgia

per......... 

ngledoff . . . 

Jrinson.....

Level

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

+12 

+12 -45

, _ 1Q

+ 4 

+50 

+ 8 -24

Driller.

"ii"w.~Sho"walter."

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls. 

2-3 

2-3

28 

50 

110

Pump.

Galls.

Authority.

S. W. McCalli 

do

M

....do

W. W. Barnh 

S.W. McCallie

.....do........ 

H. B. Webb. 

J.H.Hodge..

How obtained.

Fkn

do ......

Flows............. 

.....do.............

.... do .........

For

am1

i

Date 

completed.

1895

"ig'io"

1908

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

34

143

39

100

Quality.

Sulphurous. 

Do.

Hard, sulphurous. 

Slightly sulphurous.

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 107-109,1908.
EMANUEL COUNTY. 

TABLE 37. Wells in Effingham County Continued..

253

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5

6

7 

8

Use.

Boiler supply of 

locomotives.

Boiler supply of 

locomotives and 

domestic.

.....do........... 

Domestic; manufacturing; general.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Oligocene?........

Character.

Bock..............

Remarks.

See log, p. 251.

Also a flowing well at the clubhouse on 

Ogeechee Elver a short distance west 

of Meldrim.

EMANTJEL COTTNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Emanuel County is in the northeast-central part of the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia in the area popularly known as the wire-grass region. 

Its area is 935 square miles and its population 25,140 (census of 1910). 

Cotton, lumber, and naval stores are the principal products. Manufacturing establishments are few in number and small. Water is not 

extensively used industrially. Artesian water is used in the manufacture of ice at Swainsboro.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is rolling to slightly hilly. Creeks and branches are 

numerous and occupy shallow valleys. Accurate determinations of 

altitude have not been made, but the upland is thought to be from 

about 250 to 400 feet above sea level. The highest land is the upland 

in the northern part of the county; the lowest is in the valleys of 

Ogeechee, Ohoopee, and Canoochee rivers, which are bordered by 

terrace plains 200 feet or less above sea level.

GEOLOGY.

The surface terrane throughout practically all the county consists 

of probably less than 100 feet of ferruginous coarse sands with subordinate clay lenses, locally indurated to hard sandstones or claystones. These materials weather to loose gray sands which cover 

the surface to depths of 3 to 25 feet. The surface sands absorb rainfall rapidly and their contained waters are tapped at a few places by 

shallow wells. Many small springs issue from the contact between 

the gray sands and the underlying unweathered materials.

The surficial deposits are underlain by the Alum Bluff formation, 

which consists of 100 feet or more of bluish to drab sandy clays and
254 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

sands with interbedded thin layers of sandstone and which outcrops 

in the valley of Ogeechee River in the north. The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by Oligocene limestones which probably belong 

in part to the Chattahoochee and in part to the Vicksburg formation 

and which are believed to be water bearing.

Although nothing definite is known of the character of the strata 

at still greater depths, the succession of formations outcropping 

north of Emanuel County probably justifies the assumption that the 

Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of sands, 

clays, marls, and limestones of Eocene age, representing in descending 

order the Jackson formation and the Claiborne group, and that the 

Claiborne group is underlain at still greater depths by 800 feet or 

more of sands and clays of Cretaceous age. The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits probably contain important water-bearing beds.

The Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks which would probably be reached at about 1,200 feet in 

the north and at 1,500 feet or more in the south.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the principal source of .water for 

domestic use. The waters are commonly soft and should be wholesome, except where drawn from wells not properly protected against 

surface pollution.

Small springs are numerous but are not used extensively. Gillis 

Spring, 3 miles southeast of Norristown; Beldon Spring, at Graymont; and Magnolia Spring, 4 miles southeast of Stillmore, are locally 

reputed to possess therapeutic qualities. The following is an analysis 

of a sample of water from Magnolia Spring, Edgar Everhart, analyst:

Analysis of water from Magnolia Spring.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO8)..........................".......................... 5.0

Iron (Fe)..........:........................................... 1.0

Calcium (Ca).................................................... .2

Magnesium (Mg)............................................... .3

Sodium (Na).................................................... 1.6

Potassium (K)................................................. .5

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3 )...................................... 4.2

Sulphate radicle (S04)........................................... .4

Chlorine (01).......,........................................... 4.0

Total dissolved solids........................................... 15

The prospects for obtaining artesian water throughout the county 

are considered good. Flowing wells can probably be obtained on the 

lowlands bordering Ogeechee, Ohoopee, and Canoochee rivers. Deep
EMAETUEL COUNTY. 255

wells have been drilled at Swainsboro, Stillmore, Adrian, Garfield, 

Summertown, and Summit.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Swainsboro (population 1,313, census of 1910). The public water 

supply at Swainsboro is obtained from an artesian well. Three or 

more artesian wells are owned by individuals, and shallow dug wells 

are also used. Details concerning several wells will be found in Table 

38 (Nos. 8, 9, and 10).

Stillmore (population 645, census of 1910). The town of Stillmore 

has no public water-supply system, supplies for domestic use being 

obtained chiefly from dug wells ranging in depth from 20 to 65 feet. 

Two deep wells are described in Table 38 (Nos. 5 and 6).

Adrian (population 816, census of 1910). At Adrian there is a 

public waterworks system owned by T. J. James. The water is 

derived from an artesian well 300 (?) feet deep (No. 2, Table 38) and 

the daily consumption is 7,000 gallons. The artesian wells of the town 

range in depth from 250 to 500 feet. A well (No. 1, Table 38) on low 

land about a mile northeast of the town, also owned by Mr. James, 

flows 40 gallons a minute 30 feet above the surface.

Garfield (population 319, census of 1910). Water for domestic use 

is obtained chiefly from dug wells 15 to 60 feet deep. An artesian 

well (No. 4, Table 38) 400 feet deep, owned by the Garfield Oil Mils, 

also supplies water for general domestic purposes.

TABLE 38. Wells in Emanuel County.

No.

1

?,

3

fi

6

7

8

9

10

11

Location.

Adrian. ..............

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

.....do................

Owner.

T. J. James.........

.....do...............

GarfieldOil Mills....

Stillmore, and

Geo. M.' Brinson,

of Springfield.

R. J. Williams......

Driller.

field.

Authority.

A. E. Smith.......

-....do.............

master.

J.R. Warren......

S. W. McCallieo..

S. W. McCallieo..

.....do.............

Wm. E. Hughes,

Charleston, S.C.,

and J. T. Byrd.

Date 

completed.

1903

1905

1894

Approximate 

elevaabove

sea 

level.

Feet.

290

290?

312

300?

300

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 110, 111, 1908.
256 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 38. Wells in Emanuel County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

5

6 

7 

8 

9 

10

11

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

6

7 

8

9

10 

11

Depth.

Feet. 

350 

300? 

110 

400

600

679 

300 

400 

400 

889

400±

Diameter.

Inches.

4

6 

3 

6

6 

2

4

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

100

370

/ 300- 

\ 400±

Use.

Domes 

Munici

ic..........

>al supply.

Domestic, manufacturing. 

Domestic, manufacturing, boilersupply.

Domes 

Domesl 

factui

ic..........

ic, manure of ice.

Public supply. .... 

Manufacturing ....

Depth 

to 

other

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

100

\

'

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface

Feet. 

+30

+ 2

-80

-50

-70

-90

90

-85

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls. 

40

4

Pump.

Galls.

10

"" 5"

60

How obtained.

]

Flows............. 

Pumped; gasoline 

engme. 

Steam engine and 

air-lift pumps.

)

]

]

i

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Vicksburg formation? 

.....do.............

Alum Bluff formation? 

.....do.............

Eoo

do............. .

Clalbornegn 

Eocene.....

.do

Cre1 

Eoc

aceous? 

ene

Character.

Sand..............

5eep-well pump..

Quality.

Soft. 

Do.

Hard. 

Sulphurous.

Remarks.

Cost of well. $500; cost of machinery. 

$150.

Cost of well, $800; cost of machinery, 

$200. Operated by the Swainsboro 

Gin & Warehouse Co.

Cost of well, $1,000; cost of machinery, 

$500; 4-inch casing to 300 feet. The 

well was repaired (not drilled) by the 

Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., 

Charleston, S. C.

GLASCOCK COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Glascock County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Its area is 170 square miles and its population is 4,669 

(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is included in the physiographic division of the Coastal 

Plain known as the fall-line hills. The surface, which was at one 

time an upland plain, has become hilly as the result of the erosive 

action of Ogeechee River, Rocky Comfort Creek, and the numerous 

tributaries of the two streams, by which the county is drained. The 

topographic relief of the county probably does not exceed 200 feet.
GLASCOCK COUNTY. 257 

GEOLOGY.

Crystalline basement rocks, which are exposed in the beds of the 

streams at a few places, underlie the sediments of the Coastal Plain 

throughout the county. Lower Cretaceous deposits, consisting of 

coarse, irregularly bedded, arkosic sands with interbedded lenses of 

light-colored massive clay, rest upon the basement rocks and probably reach a maximum thickness of 200 or 300 feet in the extreme 

south. One hundred feet or less of sands and clays belonging to the 

Claiborne group of the Eocene rest upon the Lower Cretaceous deposits over a considerable part of the county, especially in the southeast and east. The Claiborne strata at one time covered the entire 

area but have been partly removed by erosion.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Wells 15 to 100 feet deep, commonly of the dug type, and springs 

are the chief sources of water for domestic use. They draw from 

porous beds of sand in the Cretaceous or Eocene deposits. Both 

wells and springs yield waters well adapted for domestic and industrial purposes. The waters of the numerous streams are excellent 

for stock and for making steam.

Lower Cretaceous deposits underlie practically all the county, but 

their maximum thickness is probably not more than 200 or 300 feet. 

Beds of porous sand are numerous and contain considerable quantities of excellent water. Over parts of the area it is necessary to 

drill through overlying Eocene strata before reaching the underlying 

Lower Cretaceous beds. The Eocene deposits, which in places probably reach a thickness of ioo feet, also carry moderate amounts of 

water in interbedded layers of sand.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Gibson (population 367, census of 1910). Gibson, the county seat, 

owns a public artesian well which taps a water-bearing bed in the 

Lower Cretaceous. Mayor T. A. Walden has furnished the following 

information:

The well was completed in 1909, and is in the public square in front 

of the courthouse. The depth is 151 feet and the diameter 4 inches. 

The only water-bearing bed recognized was entered at 150 feet, 

and yielded water rising to within 20 feet of the surface. Casing 

extends to the bottom, of the well. The water is lifted by a force 

pump having a capacity of 10 gallons a minute, which is operated by 

water power furnished by a near-by stream. A sample of the water, 

collected May 31, 1911, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart as follows: 

38418° WSP 341 15 17
258 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Analysis of water from town well at Gibson.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiOa)................................................... 41

Iron (Fe)..................................................... 4. 0

Calcium (Ca)................................................... 9.0

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 1.0

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)................................. 15

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3)..................................... 74

Sulphate radicle (SO4).......................................... 6.0 ,

Nitrate radicle (NO,)........................................... .1

Chlorine (Cl).~............................................... 4. 0

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 121

GLYNN COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Glynn County is one of the seacoast counties in the southeastern 

part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Its area is 439 square miles 

and its population 15,720 (census of 1910). Lumber, naval stores, 

and railroad crossties are the principal products. The rural districts 

are rather sparsely settled, the greater part of the population being 

centered at Brunswick, the county seat. Agriculture is not carried 

on as extensively as in the inland counties.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The greater part of the county is a low, flat, terrace plain covered 

by extensive swamps and lying less than 25 feet above sea level. A 

narrow northeast-southwest area in the western part of the county is 

50 or 60 feet above sea level. The streams enter the ocean through 

"drowned" valleys that have been submerged by the sea in geologically recent times. This submergence also caused the formation of low islands, a network of tidal waterways, and large areas of 

salt marsh. The effects of the ocean tides are felt in Altamaha River, 

which forms the northern boundary of the county, to a point about 

15 miles above Darien, the river being bordered by tidal swamps that 

extend several miles above the salt marshes. Little Satilla and 

Turtle rivers are short tidewater streams. Tributary creeks and 

branches are few in number and have only slightly dissected the surface, which is topographically youthful.

GEOLOGY.

The surface formations of the county are of Pleistocene age. On 

the islands and on much of the mainland, especially near the coast, 

they are fine white or yellowish quartz sands, and in the extensive 

swamps and so-called flatwoods in the western part of the county 

they are mainly clays. The Pleistocene deposits do not exceed 50
COUNTY. 259

feet in thickness and over the greater part of the area are probably 

much thinner. They are the source of the water obtained in most 

of the shallow wells. In the marshes mud or silt of Recent age overlies the Pleistocene- deposits and the beaches and islands are covered 

with Recent sands.

The thin covering of Pleistocene deposits is underlain by an undetermined thickness of Miocene sands, in part phosphatic, and clays 

with thin interbedded layers of indurated marl and limestone.

The Miocene is underlain by a series of sands, clays, marls, and 

limestones, in descending order of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous 

age, which have never been completely penetrated by well borings, 

and whose aggregate thickness is therefore unknown. At some 

unknown depth, probably 3,000 feet or more, the Cretaceous deposits are believed to rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 

rocks.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Wells, mostly of the driven type, ranging in depth from 6 to 30 

feet, are common. Throughout the greater part of the county the 

water table stands within a few feet of the surface, so that small 

suction pumps suffice to lift the water from the wells. The waters 

obtained are soft, but owing to the low, swampy condition of most 

of the county they are considered less wholesome than artesian 

waters. On the islands, soft waters of fair quality are obtained at 

depths of 6 to 25 feet.

There are a few small seepage springs of no importance. The 

waters of ponds, streams, and swamps are used to some extent for 

stock and for steam production.

Many flowing artesian wells from 300 to 1,000 feet deep, on both 

the mainland and the islands, yield large quantities of water. The 

artesian waters are moderately hard and emit rather strong odors of 

hydrogen sulphide, but are potable and are more wholesome than 

waters from other sources. It is practicable to utilize the waters for 

irrigation, but it should be remembered that an extremely heavy 

drain on the artesian reservoirs at local points may lower the static 

head sufficiently to cause the wells to cease flowing.

Brunswick is the only large town in the county and the only town 

having a public water-supply system. Artesian wells have been 

drilled at all the post offices and villages and are the chief source of 

water for domestic purposes.

Flowing wells of large yield can be obtained throughout the county 

at depths of 300 to 1,000 feet or more.
260 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOEGIA.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Brunswick (population 10,182, census of 1910). The present municipal water supply of Brunswick is obtained from a flowing well 

(No. 5, Table 39) 1,003.5 feet deep owned by the Mutual Light & 

Water Co., at 1525 Grant Street. The public water supply at 

Brunswick was formerly obtained from three artesian wells (No. 4, 

Table 39) at the waterworks pumping station. Originally the wells 

supplied the needs of the city, but the yield decreased so greatly 

that it became necessary to install pumps. The cause of the decrease is not known, but it can not be attributed to a general overdraft on the underground supply, for other wells in the city and 

county continue to yield large flows, and it is probably due to a 

local overdraft in the immediate vicinity of the pumping station.

In addition to the city wells there are many flowing artesian wells 

in and near the city, which range in depth from 300 to 1,000 feet 

and yield large quantities of wholesome water.

The following log of a well (No. 10, Table 39) recently drilled by 

H. J. Lmniman for the Southern Naval Stores Construction Co. has 

been furnished by Mr. Robert June:

Log of well No. 3 of the Southern Naval Stores Construction Co., Brunswick (No. 10,

Table 39). '

Hard limestone. ............................................ . ... . ..... . ....

Marl................................................................................

Sand................................................................................

Thickness.

Ft. in. 

53 0

37 0

7 0

1 2

9

6 3

73 0

6 0

84 0

60 0

100 0

30 0

20 0

10 0

20 0

40 0

440 0

Depth.

Ft. in. 

53 0

90 0

97 0

98 2

110 0

110 9

117 0

190 0

280 0

340 0

440 0

470 0

490 0

500 0

520 0

560 0

1,000 0

A sample from a depth of 650 feet consists of a porous phosphatic 

sand cemented by silica and calcium carbonate. It contains fragments of oyster shells and other fossils, none of which are well enough 

preserved for specific identification. The flow at 300 feet exerts 

a pressure of one-half pound per square inch at the surface; the second flow, between 470 and 490 feet, exerts a pressure of 8 pounds; 

and the third flow, at 650 feet, exerts an estimated pressure of 22 

pounds. When this well was completed the yield of well No. 2 (No. 9, 

Table 39), distant about 200 feet, the depth of which is 650+ feet,
GLYNN COUNTY. 261

decreased from 700 to 500 gallons per minute. McCallie * gives the 

following additional information concerning wells at Brunswick:

Col. C. P. Goodyear's well, for instance, located in the southern part of the city, 

is reported to reach a depth of 822 feet. This well penetrated water-bearing strata 

at 302, 425, and 525 feet, the latter stratum furnishing a flow of 250 gallons per minute. 

The water from these different horizons rises about 12, 28, and 57 feet, respectively, 

above the surface.

Mr. Fred Baumgartner, the well contractor, who put down many of the Brunswick 

wells, has furnished the Survey the following record of the high-school well [No. 6, 

Table 39]:

[Log of high-school well at Brunswick (No. 6, Table 39).]

Feet. 

Yellow sand................................................ 0- 55

Thin layers of sandstone interlaminated with clay.............. 55-112

Blue clay or marl....:....................................... 112-212

Soft porous limestone with shells.............................. 312-332

Coarse sand and pebbles..................................... 332-357

Hard rock.................................................. 357-359

Blue marl or clay............................................ 359-459

Thin layers of limestone with clay and sand................... 459-479

Very fine white sand at....................................... 479

An analysis of water from the high-school well is given in Table 

40 (analysis 2)~.

Thalman. W. A. Morgan, of Eastman, owns a flowing well (No. 

18, Table 39) at Thalman, the water of which is notable for its 

large content of sulphate. The well is about 50 yards south of the 

depot, is reported to be 400 feet deep, and flows several feet above 

the surface. The water emits a very strong odor of hydrogen sulphide. (See Table 40, analysis 8.) It is used principally for drinking.

Jointer Island. According to George Kennedy, one of the original 

owners, a flowing well (No. 15, Table 39) on Jointer Island, 4 miles 

south of Brunswick, penetrated sands, gravels, and layers of shells, 

with interstratified layers of hard flintlike rock at intervals of about 

15 feet. Water was found beneath a layer of hard rock at 260 feet, 

in a cavity or in soft sand which allowed the drill to drop about 15 

feet. (See analysis 6, Table 40.)

St. Simons Island. Wells on St. Simons Island are described by 

McCallie 2 as follows:

There are four artesian wells reported on St. Simons Island, varying in depth from 

438 to 465 feet. The only one of these wells from which anything like a detailed 

account has been preserved is the Hilton & Dodge Lumber Co.'s well at St. Simons 

Mills. This well, which was sunk in 1886, is 6 inches in diameter and 438 feet deep. 

It furnishes 250 gallons of sulphureted water per minute. The water rises 40 feet 

above the surface. It is largely used for steam purposes. The first flow in this well 

was struck at 350 feet. It yielded 8 gallons per minute. The second flow began at 

435 feet and gradually increased to the bottom of the well.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. Ill, 112,1908. 2 Idem, pp. 115,116.
262 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The following notes on the different strata penetrated in the well 

on St. Simons Island (No. 16, Table 39) were made by Mr. McCallie 1 

from a series of borings furnished by the Hilton & Dodge Lumber 

Co.:

Log of Hilton & Dodge Lumber Co.'s well on St. Simon Island (No. 16, Table 39}.

' Feet. 

Very fine gray sand to........................................... 10

Dark-colored marsh mud containing fragments of shells to.......... 20

Rather coarse gray sand with fragments of oyster and other shells to.. 40 

Quite similar to overlying sand, somewhat coarser, with only a few 

shells to...................................................... 50

Coarse gray sand and water-worn pebbles of quartz and feldspar to.. 60

The pebbles are often an inch or more in diameter. 

Very coarse sand and water-worn pebbles of quartz and feldspar to.. 70

The pebbles are often an jnch or more in diameter. 

Moderately coarse sand and pebbles and comminuted shells to.... 80

Fine dark-gray sand and pebbles to............................... 90

Fine brown sand and a few angular quartz pebbles with clay to..... 100

Fine dark-gray sand, similar to that found at 90 feet................ 110

A conglomerate of quartz pebbles and coarse sand with clay matrix 

to............................................................. 115

There occur in the conglomerate a few dark or brown-colored, 

small, rounded particles, consisting largely of calcium phosphate. 

Coarse gray sand and fragments of shells to........................ 120

The sand granules are well rounded and consist of feldspar of

dark color.

The same as above except that the fragments of shells are more 

abundant to................................................... 125

Fine gray sand with some mica to................................. 133

Fine gray sand and quartz pebbles to............................. 143

Similar to the above except darker and with less clay to............ 153

Fine gray sand with mica to...................................... 170

Fine gray sand to................................................ 180

Fine light-gray sand with much mica to.......................... 190

Fine dark-gray, clayey sand with mica, diatoms, and spicules of 

sponges to..........................:......................... 200

The same as above but darker to.................................. 230

Fine sand with numerous diatoms and spicules of sponges to........ "250

Diatomaceous earth, containing an innumerable number of microscopic rhombohedral crystals of calcite to....................... 310

Fine light-gray, micaceous sand with mica and small teeth resembling those of the gar pike to................................... 320

Rather coarse gray sand containing sharks' teeth, dental plates of 

rays (?), fragments of bones, and small pieces of clay containing 

diatom shells and sponge spicules to........................... 324

Gray sandstone or quartzite containing casts of shells and glauconite 

to............................................................. 327

Moderately coarse gray sand to .................................. 330

Coarse water-worn sand with small sharks' teeth to................. 350

The same as above except that it contains fragments of shells to... 360

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 115-116,1908.
GLYNET COUNTY. 263

Feet.

Dark-gray marl made up largely of microscopic crystals of calcite to.. 400 

Very compact, fine, dark-gray clay, slightly tinged with green, to.. 410 

Fine dark-gray clay, frequently indurated, glauconite more or less 

abundant,to.................................................. 420

Coarse, dark-colored, glauconitic sand containing email teeth of 

sharks to...................................................... 430

Coarse dark sand with rounded pebbles of quartz and feldspar to... 435 

Fine white sand to.............................................. 438

Bidden. A well at Bladen (No. 1, Table 39) is described by 

McCallie 1 as follows:

The Bladen deep well, owned by Mr. J. A. Ward, has a depth of 480 feet. It is 3 

inches in diameter, and flows about 100 gallons per minute. The water, which is used 

for domestic and steam purposes, rises 30 feet above the surface. It is hard and sulphureted. Water-bearing strata are reported at 160, 260, and 475 feet, respectively. 

Nothing is known of the strata penetrated in the well, except that they consist of clay 

and sand, with a few beds of rock and oyster shells.

Everett City. A well (No. 12, Table 39) at Everett City is described by McCallie 1 as follows:

Mr. R. H. Everett's well, at Everett City, was put down in 1894. It is 460 feet deep 

and 2 inches in diameter, and it furnishes a flow 38 feet above the surface. The water 

is hard and sulphureted and is used for domestic and steam purposes. No record of 

the well was secured.

Crispin. McCallie describes a well near Crispin (No. 7, Table 39) 

as follows: 2

A flowing well, owned by Mr. Harry Gignilliat, and located 6 miles northwest of 

Brunswick, on the road leading to Crispin, has a depth of 377 feet. It is 4 inches in 

diameter and it furnishes 50 gallons of sulphureted water per minute. Water-bearing 

strata are reported at 200 and 270 feet, respectively. Water from the first stratum is 

said to rise to within 8 feet of the surface, and from the last 14J feet above the 

surface.

Mr. L. L. Deering, the well contractor, gives the following record of the Gignilliat 

well:

[Log of well of Harry Gignilliat, near Crispin (No. 7, Table 39).}

	Feet. 

Sand....................................................... 0- 4

Clay....................................................... 4-12

Sand....................................................... 12-14

Clay....................................................... 14-26

Sand....................................................... 26-36

Clay....................................................... 36-46

Sand and shells............................................ 46-66

Bock....................................................... 66-68

Clay....................................................... 68-88

Sand rock................................................... 88-100

Clay....................................................... 100-130

Rock....................................................... 130-133

Clay......'................................................. 133-163

Sand....................................................... 163-168

» Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 117,1908. 2 Idem, p. 118.
264 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Feet. 

Clay....................................................... 168-188

Rock....................................................... 188-191

Sand and shells, water bearing.............................. 191-220

Clay....................................................... 220-230

Sand....................................................... 230-272

Clay....................................................... 272-280

Sand....................................................... 280-288

Clay....................................................... 288-304

Rock....................................................... 304-310

Clay....................................................... 310-325

Rock....................................................... 325-327

Clay....................................................... 327-357

Rock....................................................... 357-362

Clay....................................................... 362-370

Rock, water bearing......................................... 370-377

Evelyn. A well at Evelyn (No. 11, Table 39) is described by 

McCallie 1 as follows:

Mr. T. J. Dent's well at Evelyn, in the northern part of Glynn County, has a depth 

of 420 feet. It is 2 inches in diameter, and the water rises 14 feet above the surface. 

The first flow was struck at 370 feet from the surface; but the well was continued to 

420 feet without increase of flow. The water is sulphureted, and is used for farm 

and general domestic purposes.

Jekyl Island. A well on Jekyl Island (No. 14, Table 39) is described by McCallie 2 as follows:

The well of the Jekyl Island Club, which furnishes 250 gallons per minute, is 6 

inches in diameter and 480 feet deep. The flow of the well is said to have perceptibly 

decreased since its completion. Whether this decrease is due to an accumulation of 

sand in the casing or to an overdraft on the water-bearing stratum is not known. 

[See analysis 5, Table 40.]

TABLE 39. Wells in Glynn County.

No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Location.

Bladen... ............

Brunswick. ..........

Brunswick, 2 miles

north of.

Brunswick (three city

wells).

Brunswick...........

Brunswick public

high school.

Crispin, near, 6 miles

northwest of Brunswick.

Owner.

J. A. Ward..........

C. P. Goodyear......

H. W. Loyd. .......

City.................

Mutual Light &

Water Co.

City.................

Harry Gignilliat.....

Driller.

Fred Baumgartner.

Southern Contracting Co.

L. L. Deering

Authority.

S. W. McCallie a..

.....doA..........

.....doA..........

.....do.a...........

H. F. Dunwoody,

mgr. Mutual

Light & Water

Co. S. W. McCallie a

.....do.«.... .......

Date 

completed.

1894

1912

Ap-.

proximate elevation

above

sea

level.

met.

15?

14?

14?

20

14?

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 119,1908. 2 Idem, p. 114. 3 Idem, pp. 111-119.
COUNTY. 

TABLE 39. Wells in Glynn County Continued.

265

No.

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

1 Q

Location.

northwest of. 

.....do................

.....do................

View Hotel).

miles south of 

Brunswick.

(Ocean View Hotel).

Owner.

Stores Construction Co. (well No. 

1). 

Southern Naval

Stores Construction Co. (well No. 

2). 

Southern Naval

Stores Construction Co. (well No. 

3).

R. H. Everett.......

W. H. Crofton......

Brunswick.

Lumber Co., St. 

Simons Mills.

man.

Driller.

H. J. Linniman.

ver Kennedy, 

Brunswick.

ner, Brunswick.

Authority.

.....do............

.....do.............

S.W.McCallieo...

.....do.a...........

S. W. McCalliea..

S.W.McCalliea...

Date 

completed.

1911

1894

1905

1900

1886

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

12

12

12

16

16

6

i on

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14

15 

16 

17 

18

Depth.

Feet. 

480 

822 

485

300-500 

1,003.5

479 

377 

650 

650+ 

1,000 

420 

460 

350± 

480

275 

438 

500 

400

Diameter.

Inches. 

3

4

10

4 

44 

6 

10 

2 

2 

2 

6

3 

6

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

475 

525

540- 

1,002.5

270 

650? 

650? 

650 

370,420

260-275 

435-438

400

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet. 

160,260 

302,425

250- 

300

200

320,490

350

Height

01

water 

above 

surface.

Feet. 

30 

57 

27

14J

.........

38 

30

30 

40

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls. 

100 

250

2,794

50 

+600 

+500 

+3,500

250

250

40

Pump.

Galh.

........

........

How obtained.

Flows. ............

.....do.............

.....do.............

Flows. ............

Flows. ............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do............. 

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

Flows. ............

Quality.

Hard, sulphurous. 

Do. 

Hard, sulphurous; 

analysis 3, Table 

40. 

Hard, sulphurous. 

Analysis 1, Table 40.

Analysis 2, Table 40. 

Hard, sulphurous.

Hard, sulphurous. 

Do. 

Analysis 4, Table 40. 

Hard, sulphurous; 

analysis 5, Table 40. 

Analysis 6, Table 40. 

Hard, sulphurous. 

Analysis 7, Table 40. 

Sulphurous; analysis 8, Table 40.

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 111-119,1908.
266 UNDEEGEOTJND WATERS 'OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

TABLE 39. Wells in Glynn County Continued.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5

6 

7 

8

9

10

11 

12 

13 

14

15 

16

17 

18

Use.

Domestic, boiler 

supplyFormer municipal 

supply. 

Municipal supply.

Distillation of 

wood. 

.....do.............

.....do.............

Domestic.......... 

Boiler supply, etc.

Domestic and irrigation. 

Drinking.. . .......

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Tertiary...........

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do............. 

.....do.............

.....do............. 

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do............. 

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do............

Character.

Limestone, sand, 

etc.

Porous limestone.. 

.....do.............

.....do.............

Sand...... ........

Remarks.

2 wells on Smith plantation.

Flowed when first drilled.

Cost of well $6,476; 12-inch casing to 440 

feet; the first good flow was obtained 

at 560 feet; flow increased to 800 feet, 

also considerably between 900 and 

1,002.5 feet. Well finished in hard, 

white limestone, which was penetrated 1 foot. 

See log, p. 261. 

See log, pp. 263-264. 

6-inch casing to 200 feet; 4J-inch casing 

to bottom. 

Cost of well $3,000; 8-inch casing to 200 

feet; 6-inch casing to bottom; yield 

decreased from 700 to 500 gallons a 

minute when well No. 3 was drilled. 

Discharges 7 feet above surface. 

14-inch casing to 195 feet; 10-inch casing 

to bottom. Discharges 4 feet above 

surface. See log, p. 260.

Cost of well, $300.

3-inch casing to about 75 feet. 

3 other artesian wells on the island 

range in depth from 438 to 465 feet. 

See log, pp. 263-264.

TABLE 40. Analyses of underground waters from Glynn County.

No.

1

3

4 

5

6

7 

8

Date of 

collection.

Dec. 18,1912

June 2,1911

Feb. 17,1913 

June 10,1911 

Dec., 1909

Source.

Well of Mutual

Light & Water Co.

well. 

Well of H. W.

Loyd. 

Well of W. H. 

Crofton. 

WelloftheJekyl

Island Club. 

WellofLeonE. 

Robarts.

Well of W. Arnold.

Well of W. A. 

Morgan.

Location.

.....do.............

north of. 

EverettCity......

Jointer Island, 4 

miles south of 

Brunswick. 

St. Simons Island 

at Ocean View 

Hotel. 

Thalman (at depot).

Principal waterbearing stratum.

.....do..........

.....do..........

.....do..........

.....do..........

.....do.......... 

.....do.......... 

.....do..........

Depth.

Feet. 

540-

1,002.5 

302

485

350 

480

260- 

275

500 

400

Analyst.

Do.

Do. 

H. C. White.o

Edgar Everhart. 

Do. 

Do.

<» Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 112-114,1908.
GEADY COUNTY. 267

TABLE 40. Analyses of underground waters from Glynn County Continued.

[Parts per million.]

6

^

1

2

3

4

5

6

7 

8

0

2-

£j

DQ

39

24

15

14

1.2

47

28 

12

1

o

M

2.0

5.41

27«

.1

8.0

Tr.

1.5

x.

<<

a

1

A

^

.....

.....

5.0

--.. .

x'£

o"0

 i"es °

42

31

33

37

62

43

11 

24

"3

a

I

's

£&fl C3

^

25

18

7.5

4.0

2.0

23

1.0

15

^"e?

5.

|

o

DQ

1

23

50

6

O1

3

5 

52

.

M

a

I

I

PH

5

7.6

2.4

7

.8

4

7 

.5

<o

Q

 3

2

s>O

|S

s

o

0.0

.0

.....

Tr.

83

.0

.0

,2"3

 3

2^,

Soflhri 

^5

w

163

126

120

172

212

164 

128

a>

i-H

O

'O

t-t "*

|S

"3

QQ

91

64

84

103

fiQ

128

16 

101

<B

t I

O

73

^oIs

:£3

^

Tr.

Tr.

0.7

.3

"."6"

.0 

Tr.

§

I

1

0

17

17

27

17

16

17

18 

28

o

0 "SS

 "3 

1O

v*

.....

oo

-----

73

(D

t i 

O .

If* s

o6-1

304

271

308

340

287

389

202 

291

Remarks.

Well 5, Table 39.

Total depth, 479 feet.

Free carbon dioxide

(CO2)=7. Well 6,

Table 39.

Free carbon dioxide

(CO2)=.0. Well 3,

Table 39.

Well 13, Table 39.

Well 14, Table 39.

Well 15, Table 39.

Well 17, Table 39. 

Well 18, Table 39.

a Fe2O3+A12O3 .

GBADY COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Grady County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia, along the Florida border. Its area is 444 square miles 

and its population 18,457 (census of 1910). Cotton, corn, sugar 

cane, lumber, and naval stores are the chief products. The manufacture and shipment of "Georgia" cane sirup is an important local 

industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county is nearly level to gently undulating, and for the most part has the characteristic topography, soil, 

and vegetation of the Altamaha upland or wire-grass region. South 

of Cairo and Whigham the relief becomes stronger, and in places the 

surface is hilly though not rugged. Throughout the county lime 

sinks and lime-sink ponds characterize the topography. Most of the 

county is drained by Ochlockonee River and its tributaries, but a 

small area in the northwest drains into the "Big Slough" a narrow 

area of lowland about 20 miles long lying principally in Mitchell and 

Decatur counties, but touching the northwest corner of Grady County. 

The valleys of the small preeks and branches are shallow and the 

waters of the streams spread out through the swamps which border 

their courses. Ochlockonee River is a sluggish, black-water stream 

which flows canal-like through a terrace plain half a mile to a mile 

wide lying 10 to 15 feet alcove the river level.

The altitude at Cairo is 237 feet and at Whigham 265 feet above 

sea level. The surface north of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad is 

somewhat higher and south of it is somewhat lower than at Whigham.
268 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 200 feet or more of 

porous and cavernous water-bearing limestones, underlies the entire 

county, but appears at the surface only in one small area in the 

extreme northwest. This limestone is overlain by the Chattahoochee 

formation, which consists of approximately 100 feet of cavernous 

water-bearing limestones and which outcrops in a narrow area in the 

northwest and on Ochlockonee River in the south, and is exposed in 

both sections in the walls of numerous lime sinks.

The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by 100 feet or less of 

sandy clays and sands belonging to the Alum Bluff formation, which 

outcrops in a narrow area in the northwest, in a somewhat larger 

area in the south, and in the valleys of Ochlockonee River and its 

tributaries from the Florida line to the northeastern corner of the 

State. Throughout the greater part of the county the Alum Bluff 

formation is overlain by 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded argillaceous sands and sandy clays of undetermined age.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by limestones belonging to 

the Jackson formation, and the latter is underlain in descending 

order by undifferentiated Eocene and Cretaceous strata, probably 

having an aggregate thickness of 2,000 feet or more, which do not 

appear at the surface within the county. The Cretaceous deposits 

rest upon a deeply buried basement of crystalline rocks. The Eocene 

and Cretaceous deposits contain water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

In the rural districts water supplies for domestic use are obtained 

chiefly from dug wells ranging in depth from 20 to 50 feet. Small 

springs scattered through the county are used locally for general 

domestic purposes. One artesian well each has been reported from 

Cairo, Whigham, Calvary, andBeachton.

Artesian water can be reached throughout the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more, but it is doubtful if any flows can be 

obtained.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Cairo (population 1,505, census of 1910). A public water-supply 

system is owned by the town of Cairo. Water is derived from an 

artesian well (No. 2, Table 41) 10 feet above the level of the track at 

the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station. The depth of the well is 

750 feet, and the water is reported to come from a rock stratum, 

probably of Eocene age, at the bottom. The static head is 200 feet 

below the surface, and the yield by pumping is 125 gallons per 

minute. The sulphate content is much greater than has been noted
GBADY COUNTY. 269

in most other Coastal Plain waters of Georgia. A sample taken on 

May 13, 1911, was analyzed, by Edgar Everhart, with the following 

results:

Analysis of water from town well at Cairo (No. 2, Table 41)-

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiQJ............................................... 24

Iron (Fe)................................................. .4

Calcium (Ca)............................................. 54

Magnesium (Mg).......................................... 12

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)........................... 28

Carbonate radicle (C03).................................... .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03)............................... 173

Sulphate radicle (S04)..................................... 112

Nitrate radicle (N03)..................................... .2

Chlorine (Cl).............................................. 19

Total dissolved solids...................................... 342

WhigJiam (population 627, census of 1910). The principal source 

of water supply at Whigham is an artesian well (No. 4, Table 41) 432 

feet deep owned by the town. Two water-bearing beds are reported 

to have been penetrated, one at 200 feet and the other, the principal 

one, at 430 feet. The well is cased to 250 feet and the water rises 

to within 30 feet of the surface.

Calvary (population 225, census of 1910). A well at Calvary 

(No. 3, Table 41), owned by the village, is 372 feet deep, and- the 

water, which stands within 63 feet of the surface, is reported to be of 

satisfactory quality for domestic use. Rock was encountered in the 

well at a depth of 100 feet.

Beachton. McCallie* gives the following data relating to a well 

(No. 1, Table 41) near Beachton, a small village in the southwestern 

part of the county:

This well, owned by Mr. S. M. Beach, is located in the southern part of the county 

near the Georgia-Florida line. It is 6 inches in diameter and 110 feet deep; it furnishes a copious supply of water, rising to within 40 feet of the surface Solid rock 

was struck at 85 feet. The only water-bearing stratum reported occurs at the bottom 

of the well.

TABLE 41. Wells in Grady County.

No.

1

2

3

4

Location.

Cairo.................

Whigham. ...........

Owner.

Public.. ............

.....do...............

Driller.

William'Miller

Authority.

S. W. McCallie 1..

K. P. Wright.....

Date 

completed.

1906

Ap-.

proximate elevation

above

level.

Feet.

247

265

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 180,181,1908.
270 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 41. Wells in Grady County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

Depth.

Feet. 

110 

750 

372 

432

Diameter.

Inches. 

6 

3

6

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

110 

750

430

Use.

Domesl 

facto 

Domes

.....do.

tic, manuring.

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

200

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

40 

200 

63 

30

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

Pump.

Galls.

125

How obtained.

1

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Cha 

m 

Eoc

Vicl 

ti

ttahoochee foration?

Esburg formam. 

do.............

Character.

Rock..............

Rock.... ..........

Quality.

See analysis, p. 269. 

Sulphurous.

Remarks.

3-inch casing to 350 feet. Cost of well, 

$1,200; cost of machinery, $1,500.

6-inch casing to 250 feet. Cost of well, 

$1,200; cost of machinery, $275.

HANCOCK COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Hancock County is in the northeast-central part of Georgia on the 

border between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. 

Its area is 530 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 

19,189. Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Less than half the county is within the Coastal Plain and nearly 

all of this portion lies south of the Georgia Railroad, the remainder 

falling within the Piedmont Plateau. The Coastal Plain area forms 

a part of the physiographic division known as the fall-line hills. The 

surface is hilly, having been considerably dissected by headwater 

streams of Town and Buffalo creeks, tributaries of Oconee River, and 

by headwater streams of Ogeechee River, which drain it. The maximum surface relief is probably between 250 and 350 feet.

GEOLOGY.

. Crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau region outcrop at the 

surface over the northern half of the county. In the southern half 

the southward-sloping surface of the crystalline rocks is buried beneath 

deposits of the Coastal Plain except where they are exposed by erosion in the beds of the larger streams. The deposits of the Coastal 

Plain are for the most part of Lower Cretaceous age and consist of 

coarse irregularly bedded sands with interbedded lenses of massive
HOUSTON COUNTY. 271

light-colored clays, reaching a probable maximum thickness of 150 

or 200 feet in the extreme south. In a limited area in the southeast 

the Lower Cretaceous deposits are unconformably overlain by a relatively thin overlap of sands and clays which belong to the Claiborne 

group of the Eocene. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.)

The texture, composition, and structure of the Lower Cretaceous 

strata are favorable to the absorption and circulation of waters in 

moderate quantities, the amount available at any given place being 

determined by the thickness of the deposits and the local drainage 

conditions.

WATER RESOURCES.

In the Cretaceous area in the southern part of the county water 

for domestic use is obtained from dug wells 10 to 100 feet deep, which 

tap the water-bearing sands of the Lower Cretaceous deposits, and 

from small springs. The wells, as a rule, are fitted with bucket and 

rope for lifting the water to the surface.

The waters from both wells and springs are soft and of, excellent 

quality except at places where insanitary surface conditions are close 

enough to cause contamination.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits probably do not attain sufficient 

thickness within the county to afford water which can be classed as 

artesian under the topographic conditions. Along the extreme southeastern border the deposits are perhaps 150 to 200 feet thick and 

doubtless contain water-bearing beds of some importance; but they 

probably develop little artesian pressure within the county. Northward, toward the Piedmont border, the quantity of water carried by 

the beds is less, and only moderate supplies for domestic purposes 

can be obtained. Over the greater part of the area wells sunk more 

than 100 feet would enter the underlying basement crystalline rocks.

HOUSTON COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Houston County is located in the north-central part of the Coastal 

Plain of Georgia. Its area is 585 square miles and its population is 

23,609 (census of 1910), Agriculture and horticulture are the chief 

industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

From the latitude of Grovania northward the county is included 

within the physiographic division of the fall-line hills and is part of 

a dissected upland plain, much of which has been rendered hilly by 

stream erosion. However, a tract surrounding Fort Valley in the 

northwest has been but slightly dissected and presents a nearly level 

plain. The remainder of the county south of the latitude of Grovania falls within the physiographic division of the Dougherty plain.
272 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

In the extreme south this plain is characterized by nearly level tracts 

75 to 100 feet lower than the plain at Fort Valley. The Dougherty 

plain is not sharply separated from the fall-line hills, the two types 

of topography merging gradually.

In the valley of Ocmulgee River two relatively narrow terrace 

plains of Pleistocene age have been developed, one lying 10 to 20 

feet and the other 60 to 75 feet above low-water level.

The county is drained chiefly by Ocmulgee River through its tributaries, Echaconnee, Big Indian, Tuscawhachee, and several smaller 

creeks. A relatively small area in the southwest is drained into 

Flint River through Hogcrawl Creek. The surface relief of the 

county probably does not exceed 300 feet.

GEOLOGY.

. Deposits of Cretaceous age underlie the whole county, but are 

concealed from view by overlapping Eocene strata except where the 

Eocene beds have been removed by erosion, in the valleys of Ocmulgee 

River, Echaconnee Creek, Indian Creek, and their tributaries in the 

northern half of the county. In a belt several miles wide, along the 

northern border of the area, the partly buried Cretaceous beds belong 

to the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, and to the 

south of this, in a belt several miles wide extending east and west 

across the county, they belong to the Providence sand member of 

the Ripley formation. The Providence sand rests conformably upon 

the Cusseta sand> but the two divisions have not been accurately discriminated owing to similarity of materials and paucity of exposures.

Underlying the Cusseta sand at unknown depths, perhaps 300 or 

400 feet in the northern part of the county, are Lower Cretaceous 

deposits which at still greater depths rest upon a basement of crystalline rocks. A well at Fort Valley 1,075? feet deep failed to reach 

the crystalline rocks. (See No. 3, Table 42.)

The Cretaceous formations are overlain throughout the greater part 

of the county by Eocene strata, consisting, in ascending order, of the 

Claiborne group, composed of red, ferruginous, and more or less 

argillaceous sands and the Jackson formation composed of massive 

limestones, marls, and calcareous glauconitic clays. Upon the Eocene 

lies the Vicksburg formation, of Oligocene age, consisting of white 

limestones, sands, clays, and residual sands and clays with masses of 

flint- The total thickness of the Eocene and Oligocene formations in 

the southern part of the county is probably 300 or 400 feet. (See 

PL III, p. 52.)

In relatively narrow areas bordering Ocmulgee River thin terrace 

deposits of sand, gravel, loam, and clay of Pleistocene age rest upon 

Cretaceous or Eocene strata
HOUSTON COUNTY. 273

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Water for general domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from dug 

or bored wells from 40 to 125 feet deep. The waters are commonly 

soft and of satisfactory quality, although they are more or less 

strongly mineralized.

Small springs emitting as a rule less than 10 gallons per minute 

are fairly numerous throughout the greater part of the county, 

although locally they are reported scarce or absent. In places the 

spring waters are very soft and are low in mineral content. Norwood 

Spring, owned by Mrs. J. B. Clarke, of Marshallville, Ga., rises from 

dark mud in a marsh 1J miles northeast of Myrtle and is visited by 

the inhabitants of the surrounding region because of its reputed 

beneficial qualities. (See analysis 2, Table 43.)

At many places creeks and branch streams are available as sources 

of supply for the use of domestic animals and for steam making.

Logs of several dug wells are given in the succeeding paragraphs, 

the owners being the authorities for the lithology.

Log of well of J. W. Epting, 1\ miles southwest of Powersville (No. 9, Table 42).

Thickness. Depth.

Eocene, Clalborne group: Feet. Feet.

C\a%................................................................................ 30 30

Upper Cretaceous, Eipley formation:

"Chalky" [clayey] strata, gradually becoming sandy (some water).................. 30 60

Clay................................................................................ 25

Sandy, "chalky" (clayey] strata, yellowish.......................................... 23 108

Coarse, white sand, water bearing...............................................'.... 2 110

Log of well of T. N. White, 3 miles south of Duribar (No. 2, Table 42).

Eocene?: Feet. Feet.

Eed clay............................................................................ 20 20

Upper Cretaceous, Eipley formation:

White sand, except two layers of "chalk" [clay] each 1 foot thick, water bearing 

in lower 3 feet..................................................................... 86 106

Log of well ofW.A. Stubbs, 4J miles east of Wellston (No. 13, Table 42).

Eocene, Claiborne group: Feet. Feet.

Solid red clay....................................................................... 20 20

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member:

Yellow and white sand, in part fine, alternating with "chalk" [clay], water bearing 

in sand in lower 3 feet.................:........................................... 73 93

38418° WSP 341 15 18
274 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Log of well of T. W. Leverett at Wellston (No. 14, Table 42).

Eocene, Claiborne group: 

S tin. hard , red clay .................................................................

Upper Cretaceous, Blpley formation, Providence sand member: 

Coarse sand with numerous flint rocks [pebbles] as large as end of thumb, water bearThickness.

Feet. 

40

28

Depth.

Feet. 

40

68

The Upper Cretaceous sediments which underlie all the county 

and the Lower Cretaceous strata which lie buried beneath the 

Upper Cretaceous deposits, the whole aggregating a thickness of 

more than 1,000 feet, are composed in part of beds of water-bearing 

sand. Several wells in the county which tap these beds have yielded 

waters more or less ferruginous, but it is believed that in general 

the waters are not excessively charged with mineral matter. The 

wells from which the municipal water supply at Fort Valley is 

obtained tap water-bearing beds in the Cretaceous deposits.

In the interstream areas in the northern part of the county it 

is necessary to drill through a relatively thin covering of red ferruginous sand of Eocene age before entering the Cretaceous strata. The 

Eocene beds thicken southward and hi the extreme south it would 

probably be necessary to drill through 300 or 400 feet of strata of 

this age to reach, the Cretaceous water-bearing beds. *

In the southern part of the county beds of sand in the Eocene 

formations carry moderate amounts of potable water, which should 

be reached at depths of 50 to 400 feet.

Although no flowing wells have been reported in the county it is 

probable that flows can be secured in the valley of Ocmulgee Eiver 

and its tributaries at elevations not exceeding 40 or 50 feet above 

low-water level.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Fort VaUey (population 2,697, census of 1910). The town of 

Fort Valley is provided with a water-supply system concerning 

which the following information has been furnished by J. L. Fincher, 

superintendent of waterworks.

The system, which is owned by the town, is supplied with water 

from two wells, Nos. 1 and 2, 364 and 400 feet deep, respectively, 

located at the pumping plant. (See Nos. 4 and 5, Table 42.) Formerly the supply was obtained from a group of seepage springs on 

the Fagan plantation, 3 miles to the east. The water is lifted to a 

50,000-gallon tank by duplex steam pumps having a daily capacity 

of 450,000 gallons. The length of the distributing mains is 4^ miles. 

The tank pressure is 42 pounds, and the possible direct pressure from 

the pumps is 70 pounds. There are 200 taps for domestic purposes, 

10 for manufacturing purposes, and 35 fire hydrants. The quantity
HOUSTON COUNTY. 275

of water used daily for domestic purposes is 100,000 to 125,000 

gallons and for manufacturing, 50,000 gallons.

The wells are 150 feet apart. The 364-foot well is 8 inches in 

diameter, and when first drilled an 8-inch casing was inserted to the 

bottom. A strainer 64 feet long and 6 inches in diameter was 

inserted from 300 feet to the bottom of the well. The 8-inch casing 

was then withdrawn 60 feet so that its lower end was just below 

the top of t)ie strainer. The 400-foot well was constructed in the 

same manner as the 364-foot well, except that 100 feet of 6-inch 

strainer was inserted in the lower 100 feet of the well. Because 

of the greater length of the strainer in the second well it yields more 

water than does the first well. The wells are not pumped to their 

full capacity, the yield being more than sufficient to supply the 

present needs of the town. An analysis of water from the 400-foot 

well is given in Table 43 (analysis 1).

Logs of the two wells just described were not prepared, but Mr. 

Fincher states that the material penetrated in the first 25 or 30 feet 

is red, ferruginous, case-hardened san,d, below which the section 

consists of fine to coarse quartz sand with some thin interbedded 

layers of clean white clay or kaolin. The sands are for the most 

part light gray, but some layers are stained yellow or red with iron 

oxide.

There is at the water plant an old abandoned well said to have been 

drilled to a depth of 1,075 feet (well No. 3, Table 42). The following 

is a partial log: 1

Partial log of well at Fort Valley (No. 3, Table 42).

Sand................................ ....................................................

White clay..............................................................................

Quicksand.

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

20

8

An

10

400

(?)

Depth.

Feet. 

20

40

48

88

98

498

(?)

Except for the upper 25 or 30 feet, which is probably referable to 

the Claiborne group of the Eocene, the beds penetrated are of Cretaceous age. The Kipley formation (Cusseta sand member) of the 

Upper Cretaceous, which immediately underlies the red Eocene 

stratum at the surface, was probably entirely penetrated, and the 

underlying Lower Cretaceous deposits were probably penetrated to 

a depth of several hundred feet. If the depth reached is as great 

as given (1,075 feet), the bottom of the well is probably very near the 

basement crystalline rocks.

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 120,1908.
276 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Perry (population 649, census of 1910). Perry, the county seat, 

owns a water-supply system that obtains water from Indian Creek, 

a near-by stream. The distributing tank has a capacity of 50,000 

gallons. (See analysis 4, Table 43.)

The following record of one well (No. 6, Table 42) at Perry, drilled 

by the town, has been published by McCallie: 1

Log of well at Perry (No. 6, Table 42).

R ed massive clay .......................................................................

White clay..............................................................................

Yellowish sand with 4 inches of impervious iron ore at its base. ..........................

Sand, with thin partings of clay. ........................................................

Dark carbonaceous material possibly lignite ...........................................

Coarse gravel. . .........................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

10

39| 82S

4

2

Depth.

Feet. 

10

104

50

132

136

138

An undetermined upper portion of the section is referable to the 

Claiborne group of the Eocene, and the remainder, the greater part, 

including the water-bearing gravel at the bottom, to the Providence 

sand member of the Ripley formation. Zinc, a very unusual constituent of Georgia waters, is reported in the water from this well 

(No. 3, Table 4). The analysis is old and no more reasonable 

explanation of this phenomenon presents itself than the doubt that 

the analysis is correctly reported.

The Southern Mortgage Co., of Atlanta, Ga., owns a 381-foot well 

(No. 8, Table 42) 4f miles southwest of Perry. Detailed informa 

tion concerning this well was furnished by the S. S. Chandler Artesian Well Co., from whom also the following log was obtained:

Log of well of Southern Mortgage'Co., 4f miles southwest of Perry, (No. 8, Table 4%).

Chalk [marl?]...........................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

69

10

40

20

11

180

20

20

6

5

Depth.

Feet. 

69

79

119

139

150

330

350

370

376

381

Water, which rose within 56 feet of the surface, was obtained 

from the white sand between 376 and 381 feet. The yield was tested 

with a 4-inch pump for 5 days at 50 gallons per minute; the maximum yield was not determined. An analysis is given in Table 43 

(No. 5). The well probably penetrated the basal Eocene strata of 

this area and entered the upper part of the Ripley formation.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 121,1908.
HOUSTON COUNTY. 277

Offier localities. Detailed information concerning several deep 

wells is given in Table 42. The water obtained from most wells of 

this type has proved unsatisfactory. The well at Perry (No. 6, 

Table 42) is used but little because the water has a strong ferruginous taste. The water of the well 3| miles west of Wellston (No. 

12, Table 42) is satisfactory for drinking and for steam producing, 

but not for cooking and laundering, probably because of the iron in 

it. Mr. Smith, the owner, says concerning it:

The water is not perfectly clear and contains some mineral properties which render it 

unfit for washing clothes or for cooking. A golden yellow color is imparted to rice or 

hominy cooked in it, and linens washed in it are turned to a similar color.

The well at Byron, owned by J. H. Peavey (No. 1, Table 42), was 

abandoned for reasons not given. The following is its log: 1

Log of'vttell of J. H. Peavey, at Byron (No. 1, Table 42).

Upper Cretaceous:

Quicksand and "chalk" (kaolin) in 3-foot layers. Water-bearing stratum, coarse

Thickness.

Feet. 9*n

60

Depth.

Feet. 

250

310

It is probable that all the beds penetrated belong to the Cusseta 

sand member of the Kipley formation.

TABLE 42. Wells in Houston County.

No.

1

3

5

fi

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

H

Location.

south of.

Fort Valley..........

No. 1).

Fort Valley (well

No. 2).

Perry................

Perry, 1 mile east of. .

west of.

southwest of.

north of.

northeast of.

Wellston, 3J miles

west of. W^ellston 4i miles

east of.'

office).

Owner.

J.H. Peavey........

H. C. Harris........

.....do..............

Town...............

D. H. Culler........

Co., Atlanta, Ga.

J. W. Epting.......

J. P. Newell........

W. E. Saeger.......

J. A. Smith... ......

Driller.

.....do..........

Artesian Well

Co.

Dawson, Ga.

Authority.

S. W. McCalliea..

S. W. McCalliez..

.....do............

S.W. McCallie*..

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Date 

completed.

1902

1885

1Q11

1911

1868

1911

1875

1820?

1908

1903

1890

Ap-.

proximate 

elevaabove

sea

level.

Feet. 

515±

525

525

525

On hill.

500±

425±

320±

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 122,1908. "Idem, pp. 120-122.
278 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 42. Wells in Houston County Continued.

No.

1

2 

3 

4

5

6

7 

8 

9

10 

11 

12

13 

14

No.

1

2

3

4

5 

6

7 

8

9

10 

11

12 

13 

14

Depth.

Feet. 

310

106 

1,075? 

364 

400

138

45 

381 

110

109 

95 

216

93

68

Diameter.

Inches. 

36

36 

4

8 

8

4

48,36 

4 

36,24

36 

48 

3

36 

36

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

103 

300 

300-364 

300-400

136

40 

376-381 

108

105 

95

207

90 

60

Use.

Not us

Domes

Notua 

Munici

.....do. 

Drinlrti

Domes 

.....do.

.....do.

.....do. 

.....do.

Boiler 

ing.

Domes 

.....do.

3d..........

tic.........

3d..........

pal supply.

ag....

tic.........

and drinktic.........

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet. 

\ 210 

\ 275 

I 310

(?) 

180 

180

60

iB

180

58

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

\ 185

103 

100 

120 

120

42

56 

106

103

88 

118

90 

56-64

Yield per minute by pumping.

Small .........

100 gallons. ....

Small .........

Small.........

3 to 5 gallons. . .

How obtained.

I

1 

1

] 

]

Bucket and rope. .

Ur-liftpump.....

... do. -...--.- .

Force pump, gasoline engine. 

Bucket and rope. .

Air-lift pump..... 

Bucket and rope.. 

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Ripley fora 

(Cusseta s 

member). 

Upper Crete

Ripley f oriru 

Ripley form 

(Cusseta s 

member?) 

.....do..... 

Ripley form 

(Prov i d ( 

sand mem 

.....do..... 

Ripley form

Cusseta sane

.....do..... 

.....do.....

Upper Crets

Ripley form 

(Fro v i d 

sand mem 

.....do.....

Lation 

and

tceous.

ition.. 

Lation 

and

lation 

;nc e 

ber).

ation?. 

I......

iceous.

tation 

ence 

ber).

Character.

....do............

Sand.............. 

....do............

....do............

Sand.............. 

White sand.......

Coarse white sand.

....do............ 

Sand..............

....do............

Coarse pebbly 

sand.

Quality.

Soft. 

Soft; analysis 1. 

Table 43. 

Strongly ferruginous; analysis 3, 

Table 43.

Analysis 5; Table 43.

Soft.

Do. 

Do. 

Somewhat ferruginous. 

Slightly ferruginous.

Remarks.

Cost, 1335. Well abandoned; see log. 

p. 277.

Dug. Cribbed in part with wood. 

Cost, $50. See log, p. 273. 

Well aoandoned. See log, p. 275.

Water is little used. See log, p. 276.

Dug. Cost of well, $20; of pump, $60. 

8-inch casing to 56 feet; 6-inch casing to 

330 feet; 4-inch casing to 381 feet. 

See log, p. 276. 

Dug. Cost of well, $100; of pump, $250. 

 See log, p. 273. 

Dug. Cribbed in part with wood. 

Dug. Cribbed in part with Wood. 

Cost, $60. 

Drilled. Length of casing, 207 feet. 

Cost of well, $300; of pump, $300. 

Unfit for laundry and cooking. 

Dug. Cribbed 75 feet. Cost, $40. See 

log, p. 273.

Dug. Cost, $45. See log, p. 274.
IRWIN COUNTY. 279

TABLE 43. Analyses of underground waters from Houston County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2 

3

4

5

6

1 

2 

3 

4 

5

Date of 

collection.

May 20,1911 

.....do.......

May 5, 1911 

May 30,1911

0

s.

I

CQ

29 

5.5 

8.5 

15 

10

1

M

3.0 

1.5 

5.5 

.6 

2.0

Source.

Town well No. 2 

Norwood Spring 

Town well.....

Big Indian 

Creek. 

Well of Southern Mortgage 

Co.

"a

3

2.8

"c? 

O

'o

2.0 

2.0 

4.4 

3.0 

4.0

'55

a

1 a

I

1.0 

1.0 

1.3 

1.0 

1.0

Location.

Fort Valle

Myrtle (1 

northeas

Perry....

Near Perr

Perry (4J 

southwe

Sodium andpotas- 

(Na+K). sium 

5.0 

3.0 

66.1 

3.0 

4.0

radicle Carbonate 

(C0 ).3

0.0 

.0

.0 

.0

y. ......

I miles 

tof).

y. .......

miles

st of).

Bicarbonate radicle 

(HC0 ).3

12 

10

15 

24

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Ripley formation (Cusseta 

sand member?). 

Ripley formation (Providence sand 

member ?). 

Ripley formation (Providence sand 

member).

Ripley formation?

o 

 d

f

5.0 

7.0

7.8

Tr. 

9.0

radicle Nitrate 

(N0 ).' 3

0.5

.2

1.5

Tr.

§

I

ao

5.0 

5.0

2.2 

3.5

4.5

Depth.

Feet. 

400

136-138

376-381

 d

o

o . 

"8

EH

63 

40

52

43

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart. 

Do.

W. H. Hollingshead.o

Edgar Everhart. 

Do.

Remarks.

Well 5, Table 42. 

Well 6, Table 42. 

Well 8, Table 42.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 121,1908.

6 Trace of potassium.

c Phosphate radicle (PO<) 2.1; zinc (Zn) 9.4; lithium (Li) trace.

IRWIN COUNTY.

Irwin County is in the

about midway between 

of the State. Its area Is 

(census of 1910). 

industries.

GENERAL FEATURES.

central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia, 

the Atlantic coast and the western boundary 

378 square miles and its population is 10,461 

Lumbering and agriculture are the principal

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level to gently rolling. The streams are 

small, have broad shallow valleys, and flow sluggishly through 

wide swamps. Small cypress ponds and bays are numerous.

GEOLOGY.

The surface terrane throughout practically the whole county 

consists of 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded argillaceous sands and 

sandy clays which weather to loose gray sands. The surficial deposits
280 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

are underlain by the Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 to 

150 feet of sands and clays which outcrop only in one or two very 

small areas near the southern boundary of the county. The Alum 

Bluff formation is underlain by undifferentiated limestones, sands, 

clays, and marls, in descending order of Oligocene, Eocene, and 

Cretaceous age, probably having an aggregate thickness of several 

thousand feet. The Cretaceous deposits are believed to rest upon 

a deeply buried basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 10 to 40 feet deep are the main source of domestic water 

supply. Springs are few and of slight importance.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 200 to 

1,000 feet or more. The static head will probably nowhere be 

great enough to produce flows.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

OdUa (population 2,017, census of 1910). Ocilla owns a public 

water-supply system, which draws from an artesian well. The well 

was completed in 1906, is 355 feet deep, and 8 inches in diameter. 

The principal water-bearing bed is near the bottom; the water, 

which rises to within 98 feet of the surface, is lowered 8 feet by pumping. The water is used for domestic purposes and for the boiler 

supply of several cotton gins and one sawmill. The water-bearing 

stratum is probably in the Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene. 

The following analysis of a sample of water from this well, collected 

April 4, 1911, is by Edgar Everhart:

Analysis of water from the 355-foot town well at Ocilla.

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiOa)................................................... 18

Iron (Fe)~................................................... 1.5

Calcium (Ca)................................................... 34

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 6.2

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)................................. 5. 6

Carbonate radicle (C03)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03)..................................... 158

Sulphate radicle (S04).......................................... Trace.

Nitrate radicle (N08)........................................... Trace.

Chlorine (01)................................................... 4.5

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 144

The water is clear, emits a slight odor of hydrogen sulphide, and is 

suitable for general domestic purposes.

The following information on a deep well at the lumber mill of the 

Ensign Oskamp Co. is given by McCallie: *

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 123,124,1908.
JEFF DAVIS COUNTY.

This well, which was put down in 1900 at a cost of $1,200, is 6 inches in diameter 

and 512 feet deep. The water rises to within 40 feet of the surface, but by continuous 

pumping it is lowered to 120 feet. The maximum yield is 35 gallons per minute. 

The water is used with surface water, after being treated with boiler compound, 

for steam purposes. Water-bearing strata are reported at 312 and 496 feet, respectively.

The following record of the well is from memory:

[Log of well at mill of Ensign Oskamp Co., at Ocilla.}

Feet 

Soil and clay................................................. 0- 60

Soft rock.................................................... 60- 76

Sand....................................................... 76-105

Rock....................................................... 105-300

Very hard rock.............................................. 300-312

Porous limestone with cavities 4 feet deep..................... 312-512

JEFF DAVIS COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Jeff Davis County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia in the long-leaf pine or wire-grass section. Its area is 300 

square miles and its population is 6,050 (census of 1910). Agriculture, lumbering, and turpentining are the principal industries. 

The county is sparsely settled and Hazelhurst, the county seat, 

is the only town of importance.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Over the greater part of the county the surface is nearly level to 

slightly rolling. Altamaha River and its tributary, Ocmulgee River, 

which form the northern boundary, have cut their valleys 150 to 200 

feet below the upland level to the south; the Southern Railway track 

at Hazelhurst is approximately 170 feet higher than the low-water 

level at Lumber City. Altamaha and Ocmulgee rivers are bordered 

by two Pleistocene terrace plains, one lying 10 to 20 feet and the other 

40 to 50 feet above low-water level. These plains are better developed 

on the north side of the valley than on the south side in Jeff Davis 

County, where in many places they are narrow or absent. Throughout its extent along the northern border of the county the river 

valley is separated from the upland to the south by an abrupt 

escarpment.

The interstream areas are poorly drained, and small cypress ponds 

and bays characterize the topography. The elevation above sea 

level at Hazelhurst, the county seat, is 256 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The surface deposits throughout the entire county, except in a few 

relatively small areas in the north, consist of 100 feet or less of 

irregularly bedded sandy clays and sands, with subordinate, inter-
282 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

bedded layers of argillaceous sandstone and quartzite. They are 

underlain by 100 feet or more of soft sandy clays and sands with interbedded thin layers of sandstone and quartzite belonging to the Alum 

Bluff formation, which outcrops in the bluffs of Oemulgee and Altamaha rivers. Pleistocene terrace sands and clays have been laid 

down in narrow areas bordering Oemulgee and Altamaha rivers.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain in descending order by a 

series of undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene 

and Cretaceous age, probably aggregating several thousand feet in 

thickness, which contain important water-bearing beds. In an oilprospecting well 8 miles southwest of Hazelhurst, water-bearing limestones which may represent in descending order the Chattahoochee 

and Vicksburg formations (Oligocene) and the Jackson formation 

(Eocene) were penetrated from 400 to 815 feet. At an undetermined 

depth the Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The main sources of domestic water supply throughout the county 

are dug wells 15 to 60 feet deep. The waters of the shallow wells are 

derived from beds of sand that are either surficial or belong to the 

underlying Alum Bluff formation. The waters are soft and if protected from surface contamination are of satisfactory quality for 

domestic purposes.

Springs are small and few and are unimportant. Ponds and 

streams are utilized for stock and for boiler supply.

Artesian water can probably be obtained anywhere and flowing 

wells are possible on the terraces bordering Altamaha and Oemulgee 

rivers.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Hazelhurst (population 1,181, census of 1910). Hazelhurst, the 

county seat, is on the flat divide between Oemulgee and Satilla rivers 

256 feet above sea level. The water supply of the town is derived 

from a public artesian well and from shallow dug wells owned by 

individuals.

The public well (No. 3, Table 44), completed in 1911, is 643 feet 

deep and 8 inches in diameter. The water is reported to be derived 

from cavernous limestone below 482 feet, to which depth the casing 

extends, and to rise to within 171 feet of the surface. A small yield 

of water was obtained from a pebble bed at 140 feet, and a second 

supply at about 460 feet. The static head is said to be lowered 20 

feet when the well is pumped continuously 125 gallons per minute. 

The water is hard, clear, and colorless, has a faint odor, and has
JEFF DAVIS COUNTY. 283

proved satisfactory for domestic use. The limestone from which 

the water is derived is referable questionably to the Vicksburg formation. A sample collected April 6, 1911, was analyzed by Edgar 

Everhart with the following results:

Analysis of water from the public artesian well, Hazelhurst (No. 5, Table 44).

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiO2)................................................... 24

Iron (Fe)..................................................... .4

Calcium (Ca)................................................... 52

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 4.0

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)................................. 18

Carbonate radicle (CO3)........................................ 2.5

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3)..................................... 178

Sulphate radicle (SO4).......................................... 9.0

Chlorine (Cl)................................................. 9. 5

Nitrate radicle (NO,)........................................... Trace.

Total dissolved solids................ ........................ 231

Another well at Hazelhurst, near the bottling works, is reported to 

be between 400 and 500 feet deep and to tap a water-bearing bed at 

about 400 feet.

Three oil-prospecting wells 8 or 9 miles southwest of Hazelhurst 

have been drilled by Mr. L. F. Hinson, but only meager data have been 

obtained concerning them. In one well 828 feet deep, on the Hinson 

farm, water rises to within 125 feet of the surface. One of the 

drillers has furnished the following log:

Log of oil-prospecting well 8 miles southwest of Hazelhurst (No. 5, Table 44).

Thickness.

Feet. 

25 

200 

175 

15 

400 

13

Depth.

Feet. 

25 

225 

400 

415 

815 

828

Goldsmith. At Bird's turpentine distillery near Goldsmith a well 

was drilled to 700 feet. Gas is reported to have been found at a 

depth of 550 feet.

On the bank of Hurricane Creek near Goldsmith and about threequarters of a mile north of the Georgia & Florida Railway trestle 

is a well 300 (feet deep, the water of which is said to stand within a 

few feet of the surface.
284 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 44. Wells in JeffDavis County.

No.

1 

2

3' 

4 

5

No.

1 

2

3

4

5

Location.

Goldsm 

Goldsm cane" 

Hazelh 

do

ith, neai 

ith (on 

Dreek). 

urst

HurriHazelhurst (8 or 9 miles 

southwest of).

Depth toprincipal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

482-643 

400

Depth 

toother 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

140,460

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface.

Feet.

171

128

Owner.

City...................

How obtained.

Authority.

Well driller.....

Horizon of principal water bed.

Vicksburg formation? 

.....do............

Date 

completed.

1911

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet.

256±

Depth.

Feet. 

700 

300

643 

400

828

Diameter.

Inches.

8

Remarks.

Gas reported at 550 feet. 

Water rises within a few feet of the 

surface. 

City supply. See analysis, p. 283.

Oil-prospecting well; see log, p. 283. 

Two other oil-prospecting wells 

have been drilled in vicinity.

JEPPEBSON COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Jefferson County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, between Oconee and Savannah rivers, 12 to 15 miles south 

of the fall line. Its area is 720 square miles and its population 21,379 

(census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber are the 

principal industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county, which lies within the physiographic division known as the fall-line hills, is somewhat broken or 

hilly, and the interstream areas are thinly covered with residual gray 

sand. The southern part contains nearly level areas underlain by 

limestone and characterized in places by lime sinks and ponds. The 

county is drained chiefly by Ogeechee River and its tributaries.

In the north the interstream areas lie about 500 feet above sea 

level. The upland surface inclines slightly southward, descending to 

about 300 to 350 feet above sea level in the southern part of the 

county. At the junction of Williamsons Swamp creek with Ogeechee 

River in the extreme southeast the elevation above sea level is about 

200 feet.
JEFFERSON COUNTY. 285 

GEOLOGY.

The Claiborne group of the Eocene, which appears at the surface 

throughout the greater part of the county, has been subdivided 

into two formations, the McBean formation and the Barnwell sand. 

The McBean formation consists of 300 to 400 feet of sands, clays, 

marls, and limestones containing important water-bearing beds; 

the Barnwell sand, which overlies the McBean formation, consists of 

100 feet or less of red sands with interbedded thin layers of sandstone 

and gravel.

In the southwest, south of Williamsons Swamp creek, the Qaiborne group is overlain by a small thickness of irregularly bedded 

sands and clays of undetermined age. The Claiborne group is underlain by 500 to 1,000 feet of irregularly bedded sands and clays of 

Cretaceous age, which contain numerous water-bearing beds and constitute an important source of artesian waters in the region; these 

beds appear at the surface only in a few small areas in the northwest.

The Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 

rocks which lie at depths of 200 to 300 feet in the north but descend 

to probably 1,200 to 1,500 feet in the extreme south. In the oilprospecting well 31 miles southwest of Louisville (see p. 287) the 

basement rocks were struck at 1,140 feet.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Wells ranging in depth from 25 to 75 feet are the chief source of 

domestic water supply, and where protected from surface contamination they yield waters of good quality. In the southern part there 

are limestone springs of considerable size, and in the hilly area in the 

north small springs are common. Springs, however, are not extensively utilized. An analysis of water from Omaha Spring, near 

Avera, collected June 3, 1911, is given in Table 46 (analysis 1).

Although Cretaceous deposits appear at the surface only in small 

areas along the extreme northwestern boundary, they can be reached 

throughout the remainder of the county by drilling through from 100 

to 500 feet of overlying Eocene strata. As they contain numerous 

beds of porous sand abundant supplies of water should be obtained 

from them. The water-bearing beds would be tapped at 100 to 300 

feet in the extreme north and at 400 to 1,200 feet or more in the 

extreme south. The static head of the water in the Cretaceous 

deposits in the valleys of Ogeechee Eiver and its tributaries in the 

central and southern parts of the county should be great enough to 

produce flows.
286 TJFDERGKOTJFD WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Water-bearing beds of sand in the Claiborne group are tapped at 

50 to 100 feet in the north and at 50 to 500 feet in the south. Flowing wells are obtained from the Claiborne group in the valleys of 

Ogeechee River and its tributaries in the southern part of the county.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Louisville (population 1,039, census of 1910). At Louisville 

shallow dug wells are the chief source of domestic water supply, 

though artesian wells are owned by several residents. The town has 

no system of waterworks. An analysis of water from an artesian 

well at the fair grounds is given in Table 46 (analysis 2).

McCallie* gives the following information concerning wells at 

Louisville:

There are five artesian wells in or near Louisville varying in depth from 350 to 

450 feet. Water-bearing strata were struck in these wells at 200 and 300 feet, the 

main water supply being obtained from the latter stratum. Only those wells which 

are located on low ground furnish a flow.

The following notes on the strata penetrated in putting down the Louisville deep 

wells were obtained from Mr. G. H. Harrell of Louisville:

[General log of wells in and near Louisville (No. 3, Table 45).]

	feet. 

Red motley clays.............................................. 25

Fine yellow sand............................................. 40

Quicksand.................................................... 6

Marl, with fragments of shell.................................... 8

Blue marl..................................................... 100

Flint.......................................................... 0.5

Marl, honeycombed rock, and lignite............................ 100

Coarse sand with mica.......................................... (?)

In addition to the wells above noted, there is also another well located at a water 

station, 2 miles south of Louisville, on the Louisville & Wadley Railroad. This is 

a 4-inch well, 325 feet deep, and it furnishes 20 gallons of water per minute. Two 

water-bearing strata were struck in this well, one at 150 and the other at 300 feet 

from the surface. The former furnishes only a small flow, while the water from the 

latter rises 20 feet above the surface.

An oil-prospecting well (No. 5, Table 45) 3^ miles southwest of 

Louisville completely penetrates the deposits of the Coastal Plain, 

including the Cretaceous and Eocene strata. Although the facts 

recorded furnish no direct information as to the character of the waterbearing strata encountered, the log of the well is instructive on account 

of the light which it throws on the structure of the region. The log, 

as furnished to McCallie 2 by James Tague, contractor, is as follows:

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 125,126,1908. 2 Idem, pp. 128-131.
JEFFERSON COUNTY. 287 

Log of oil-prospecting well 3% miles southeast of Louisville (No. 5, Table 45).

Sand. .............................................................................

Shale .............................................................................

Clay..............................................................................

Clay..............................................................................

Clay..............................................................................

Shale.............................................................................

Clay..............................................................................

Sand. .............................................................................

Clay..............................................................................

Clay..............................................................................

Sand..............................................................................

Clay..............................................................................

Thickness.

Ft. in.

68 8

6 0

2 0

14 7

2 0

3 0

8

2 4

13 10

1 1

2 0

3 0

1 0

12 3

10 0

8 0

18 7

2 0

5 0

1 7

7 0

4 4

15 5

1 6

3 0

8

4 0

6 3

4 0

45 9

6 0

22 6

9 10

198 0

4 7

22 6

29 3

19 4

2 4

8

4 0

10 7

62 5

4 0

38 10

37 2

10 0

8 1

16 0

8 0

14 8

2

2 5

42 2

10 0

17 8

26 3

16 5

16 0

19 3

6 9

10 0

11 0

3 7

19 2

2 0

5 0

10

20 7

8 0

16 6

6 0

4 0

6 9

20 0

22 3

22 2

7 0

3 0

Depth.

Ft. in.

68 8

74 8

76 8

91 3

93 3

96 3

96 11

99 3

113 1

114 2

116 2

119 2

120 2

132 5

142 5

150 5

169 0

171 0

176 0

177 7

184 7

188 11

204 4

205 10

208 10

209 6

213 6

219 9

223 9

269 6

275 6

298 0

307 10

505 10

510 5

532 11

562 2

581 6

583 10

584 6

588 6

599 1

661 6

665 6

704 4

741 6

,751 6

759 7

775 7

783 7

798 3

798 5

800 10

843 0

853 0

870 8

896 11

913 4

929 4

948 7

955 4

965 4

976 4

979 11

999 1

1001 1

1006 1

1006 11

1027 6

1035 6

1052 0

1058 0

1062 0

1068 9

1088 9

1111 0

1133 2

1140 2

1143 2
288 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Fossils characteristic of the Claiborne group of the Eocene were obtained at 250 feet. A fragment of a turtle supposed to be of Upper 

Cretaceous age was obtained at 380 feet. On the basis of these fossils the contact between the Cretaceous and Eocene deposits is here 

placed tentatively between 250 and 380 feet. Diorite gneiss, encountered at 1,140 feet, doubtless represents the rock of the crystalline 

basement on which the deposits of the Coastal Plain rest. The probable total thickness of Cretaceous strata penetrated is therefore 790 

feet. The Upper and Lower Cretaceous strata, both of which are believed to be represented in the section, could not be differentiated.

Wadley (population 872, census of 1910). The town has no public 

water-supply system, but has about 15 artesian wells, owned by individuals, which range in depth from 300 to 500 feet and flow 3 to 15 

feet above the surface. Although the waters are moderately hard 

and emit strong odors of hydrogen sulphide they are potable. An 

analysis of water from one of the artesian wells is given in Table 

46 (No. 4). McCallie 1 has published, on the authority of M. M. 

Caldwell, the following log of an artesian well at Wadley:

Log of artesian well at Wadley.

Sand. ...................................................................................

Sand.

Thickness.

Feet. 

60

100

2

250

Depth.

Feet. 

60

160

162

412

Bartow (population 384, census of 1910). Bartow is in the southern part of the county on a terrace plain a few feet above the swamp 

of Williamsons Swamp creek and 237 feet above sea level. The 

town has no system of waterworks, and water is obtained from artesian and shallow wells owned by individuals. The artesian wells 

range in depth from 160 to 525 feet and most of them flow small 

streams. They tap water-bearing strata in the Claiborne group (McBean formation) of the Eocene. McCallie 2 has published the following log of a well at Bartow, prepared from memory by L. B. 

Clay, the driller:

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 126,127,1908. 2 Idem, pp. 127-128.
JEFFEKSON COUNTY. 289 

Log of deep well at Bartow (No. 2, Table 45).

Thickness.

Feet. 

12

40

60

250

163

Depth.

Feet. 

12

52

112

362

525

Spread (population 370, census of 1910). Spread is in the northern 

part of the county on the Augusta Southern Railroad. Its exact 

elevation above sea level is not known but is thought to be approximately 400 feet. The town owns an artesian well which, according 

to Mayor J. L. Denton, is 130 feet deep and taps a white water-bearing 

sand at the bottom. The water, which is soft but ferruginous, conies 

either from the base of the Claiborne group or from the upper part 

of the Cretaceous, and rises to within 16 feet of the surface. It is 

pumped to an elevated tank having a capacity of 1,300 gallons, from 

which it is distributed to the consumers. The system is, however, 

inadequate and furnishes only a portion of the domestic supply. (See 

Table 46, analysis 3.)

Most of the water supply for domestic purposes is obtained from 

wells averaging about 30 feet in depth.

Wrens (population 616, census of 1910). McCallie 1 has published 

the following data concerning a well at Wrens:

This well, which belongs to Mr. W. J. Wren, is located within a few hundred feet 

of the railway station. It is 4 inches in diameter and 556 feet deep, and it furnishes 

a maximum yield of 80 gallons per minute. The principal water-bearing stratum 

is at 525 feet from the surface, and the water rises to within 20 feet of the surface. 

It is used for general domestic and boiler purposes. This well was put down in 1897 

at a cost of $400.

The well just described taps a water-bearing bed at 525 feet in 

Cretaceous strata that were probably entered at about 175 feet. (See 

Table 46, analysis 5.)

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 128,1908. 

38418° WSP 341 15 19
290 UNDEBGBOUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 45. Wells in Jefferson County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Avera................

Bartow..............

Louisville.

Thos. S. Ivey....... John F. Brassell.

Louisville, 2 miles

south of. 

Louisville, 3J miles

southwest of. 

Louisville (old town). 

Spread...............

Louisville & Wadley 

R. R. Co.

Thos. S. Ivey.....

S. W. McCailiea... 

.....do............

....do...........

1909

Feet.

237

.do.

Town.

.do.

"Wadley. 

Wrens.. W. J. Wren.

J. L. Den ton, 

mayor, and David Denton.

S. W. McCailiea...

W.W.Burnhamo.

1907 400

243

1897

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal

waterbed.

Depth

to

other 

waterbeds.

Level

of

water 

above

or

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet. 

54

160-525 

350-450

325 

1,143 

225? 

130

330-500

556

Inches. Feet. Feet. Feet. 

-52

Galls. Galls.

300

300

(50 

225 

350 

200

150

-+7-10

Pumped. 

Flows....

+20

Both flowing and

nonflowing. 

Flows.............

200 160 +28 

-16

170,330

525

+3-15

-20

Flows.............

Pumped; gasoline

engine. 

Flows.............

Sulphurous; analysis

2, Table 46. 

Sulphurous.

Soft; analysis 3,

Table 46. 

Hard, sulphurous;

analysis 4, Table

46. 

Aanalysis 5, Table 46.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Domestic.........

Domestic, stock...

Domestic.........

Boiler supply of locomotives.

Claiborne group?.. 

McBean formation

McBean formation? 

.....do............

Domestic.........

Domestic, boiler 

supply of locomotives.

Domestic, boiler 

supply.

McBean formation 

Cretaceous?....... Sand and gravel.

McBean formation?

Cretaceous.

Dug well, 2 feet square.

3 or more wells in vicinity. See log.

p. 289. 

5 wells in vicinity. See log, p. 286.

Oil-prospecting well. See log, p. 287.

4-inch casing to bottom. Cost of well,

$450. 

Several wells. See log, p. 288.

Cost $400.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 125-131,1908.
JENKINS COUNTY. 291

TABLE 46. Analyses of underground waters from Jefferson County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

3

4

5

o

fc

1

2 

3

4

5

Date of 

collection.

June 3,1911

Dec. 18,1912

May 8, 1911

.9

OQ

in

5.0

39 

12

13

49

i

M

0.4

64.1 

8.0

61.fi

2.0

.

|

6

1.0

33

4.0

57

28

S ource.

Omaha Spring 

Well at the fair

grounds.

Town well

ell....

Well of W. J.

Wren.

on

1

1

1.0

1.4 

1.0

3.1

1.0

g.

A

2.

Pf

1"o 

PH

0

3. 1| 2. 8 

6.0

8.91 3.C

12

Location.

Av 

J,mlisvillfi.. .......

Spr 

WadlfiV---....---.

CD 5

03 t-t

Is

1

0.0

47 

.0

.0

.0

CD "3

g x

|a

3

8.0

"22"

191

102

CD

 d

-28

S 02

1..0

9.4 

2.0

11

8.0

CD

T3 .

S

4.0

-----

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Claiborne group.

tion.

Cretaceous?.....

tion?

f

o

I

o

4.0

8.2 

4.0

4.7

8.0

 d

CD

o

s!

"o3

S

20

152 

58

191

178

Deptn.

Feet.

200-300

130 

170-330

525

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart. Do.<*

Do. 

Do. a

Do.

Remarks.

PO4, 3.3 parts, well 3, Table 45. 

Well 7, Table 45.

PO4, trace; free CO2, 13; well 8,

Table 45.

Total depth, 556 feet; well 9, Table

45.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 125-127,1908. & Fe2O3+Al2O3 . 

JENKINS COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Jenkins County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Millen, the county seat, is 53 miles south of Augusta. The 

area of the county is 342 square miles and its population is 11,520 

(census of 1910). Agriculture and the shipment of lumber and naval 

stores are the principal industries. A cotton-cloth factory and a few 

small manufacturing plants are located at Millen.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The greater part of the county is rolling to slightly hilly. West and 

northwest of Millen, however, the land is nearly level with a few lime 

sinks. Ogeechee River flows across the county and is bordered by a 

wide swamp and by a higher terrace plain. The known elevations at 

railroad stations are Millen, 158; Lawtonville, 225; Perkins, 252 (?); 

Paramore, 244; Scarboro, 157; Rogers, 162; and Herndon, 189. 

Some land in the eastern part of the county probably rises to 300 

feet.

GEOLOGY.

The surface terrane over the eastern and southern parts of the 

county consists of 50 feet or less of irregularly bedded, locally indurated 

sands and clays of undetermined but probably upper Oligocene age.
292 UNDEBGROTJND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

These are underlain by the Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 

75 to 100 feet of sands and clays similar to and not easily discriminated from the overlying deposits and which outcrops in the valley 

slopes of Ogeechee Rive'r and its tributaries. The formation contains 

water-bearing beds.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by limestones and marls 

which probably represent in descending order the Chattahooch.ee and 

Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the Jackson formation of 

the Eocene. The limestone that comes to the surface in an area of 

considerable extent northwest of Millen is mapped provisionally as 

Chattahooch.ee formation. The thickness of the limestones and marls 

is not known but probably amounts to not less than 250 feet. The 

limestones and marls, which are water bearing, supply shallow wells 

and are the source of several bold springs. The Claiborne group of 

the Eocene, which consists of 300 to 500 feet of saods, clays, and 

marls, underlies the undifferentiated limestones and marls of the 

Oligocene and upper Eocene; although the strata of the Claiborne 

group do not appear at the surface in the county they are abundantly 

water bearing and have been tapped by a dozen or more wells.

The Claiborne group is underlain by a series of sedimentary deposits 

of Cretaceous age, probably 1,000 feet or more in thickness, and these 

in turn rest upon a deeply buried basement of ancient crystalline 

rocks. The Cretaceous deposits are water bearing and in the valley 

of Ogeechee River should yield strong flows.

Thin terrace deposits of sand and clay of Pleistocene age border 

Ogeechee River and rest upon the older formations.

WATEB, BE SOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

In the rural districts water for domestic use is obtained principally 

from dug wells 20 to 60 feet deep. Small seepage springs are common 

and yield soft waters. A mineral analysis of the water of Jones 

Spring, a small seepage spring a mile east of Thrift, is given in Table 

48 (analysis 3). In the western part of the county there are a few 

bold limestone springs. Magnolia Spring, 6 miles north of Millen, 

yields several million gallons daily of hard sulphurous water.

Artesians wells have been drilled at Millen, Rogers, Herndon, Perkins, and Scarboro. Although artesian water can probably be 

obtained anywhere in the county at depths of 300 to 600 feet or more, 

the area of flowing wells will probably be restricted to narrow belts of 

lowland bordering Ogeechee River and Buckhead Creek.
JENKIKS COUNTY. 293

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Millen (population 2,030, census of 1910). The public water supply of Millen is derived from an artesian well, and several such wells 

are owned by individuals. The wells range in depth from 320 to 565 

feet, and all of them flow 3 to 20 feet above the surface. Waterbearing strata, probably belonging to the Claiborne group, are 

encountered at depths of 260, 300, 390, and 444 feet. The yield from 

the 444-foot stratum is said to be approximately 100 gallons per 

minute. The artesian water emits a strong odor of hydrogen sulphide and is moderately hard but clear and wholesome. (See Table 

48, analysis 1.)

Perkins. At Perkins there are three artesian wells, one of which, 

owned by Dr. W. E. Rushing, is 500 feet deep. The other two are 

about 300 feet deep. The principal'water supply is from rock and 

sand at about 300 feet and the water rises to within 17 feet of the surface. An analysis of the water from Dr. Rushing's well is given in 

Table 48 (analysis 2). Wells 20 to 60 feet deep and yielding soft 

waters are common.

Herndon. Herndon is on the terrace bordering Ogeechee River in 

the extreme western part of the county. Several fine artesian wells in 

the vicinity are from 200 to 500 feet deep. One well (No. 1, Table 47), 

owned by J. B. Jones and drilled in 1906, is 364.5 feet deep and flows 

360 gallons a minute; its static head is 40 feet above the surface. 

The following log has been prepared from a set of well borings furnished by H. F. Loyd, the driller, which are on file in the office of 

the United States Geological Survey (well No. 1306), and from the 

driller's log:

Log of well of J. B. Jones, Herndon (No. 1, Table 47).

Soft white limestone with, sand at base which yielded a flow of 10 gallons a minute. .....

Light bluish-gray , finely arenaceous , calcareous clay or marl, interbedded with thin layers 

of gray calcareous sandstone containing Bryozoa and numerous fragments of shells. . . . White sandy limestone, soft at bottom, with numerous fragments of shells ; yielded a flow

Coarse water-bearing sand containing much lignite and numerous invertebrates, including Dendrophyllia, Trigonoarca, Ostrea, Pecten, Venerfcardia planicosta?, Oytherea

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

125

25

150

7

17.5

Depth.

Feet.

Ajf)

165 

190

340

347

364.5

The fossils from the lowest layer were identified by T. W. Vaughan, 

who correlates the containing bed with the Claiborne group of the 

Eocene and probably with the McBean formation of that group.

The artesian water at Herndon is considered hard, but that of the 

shallow wells is soft.

The following partial log has been prepared from well borings on 

file in the office of the United States Geological Survey (well No.
294 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

1565), furnished by H. F. Loyd, taken from a well (No. 3, Table 47), 

owned by Mrs. E. Daniel, 5 miles north of Herndon. It is not known 

whether the samples represent the total depth of the well.

Partial log of well of Mrs. E. Daniel, 5 miles north of Herndon (No. 3, Table 47).

Mixture of fragments of white limestone (one showing dendritic growth), "blue calcareous 

sandstone, quartz grains, and fragments of shells; recognized Bryozoa, Balanus, and a

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

95

208

Depth.

Feet. 

40

135

343

343

Rogers. At Rogers water is obtained from both shallow dug wells 

and deep artesian wells. McCallie * states that one well (No. 8, 

Table 47) is 351 feet deep and 4 inches in diameter and flows 80 gallons a minute; the water rises 24 feet above the surface. He published the following log of this well on authority of H. M. Loyd:

Log of well at Rogers (No. 8, Table 47).

Thickness.

Feet. 

5

55

120

2

IRQ

Depth.

Feet. 

5

60

180

182

351

Scarboro. Scarboro is in the southeastern part of the county on 

the terrace bordering Ogeechee River, at an elevation of approximately 157 feet above sea level. A well (No. 9, Table 47) owned 

by M. C. Sharpe, drilled in 1902, is 505 feet deep and yields water 

that rises to within 15 feet of the surface. McCallie 2 has published 

the following log:

Log of well of M. C. Sharpe, Scarboro (No. 9, Table 47).

Sand.. ..................................................................................

Hard rock at 200 feet extending to bottom of well. ......................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

4

100

40

361

Depth.

Feet. 

4

104

144

505

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 65,1908. 

«Idem, pp. 162-163,1908.
JENKINS COUNTY, 

TABLE 47. Wells in Jerikins County.

295-

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Herndon.............

do

Herndon (5 miles

north of). 

Millen ..............

Perkins.............

....do................

Rogers............

....do...............

Scarboro.............

J. B.Jones......

Mrs." E." Daniel."

H. F. Loyd.. 

.....do........

.....do........

H. F. Loyd.......

S. W. MeCalliea... 

H. F. Loyd and 

E. Daniel.

1906

Feet. 

189 

189

W. E. Rushing.. 

J. A. Rodgers... 

W. M. Wadley..

M.'c.'Sharpe....

H. F. Loyd.. 

J. F. Loyd...

H. M. Lloyd. 

H. F. Loyd..

W. E. Rushing....

J. S. Lake.........

Postmaster_.....

S. W. McCalliea..

1907

1909

1902

157

252

252

159

159

147

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal

bearing 

bed.

Depth 

to

other 

waterbearing

beds/

Level 

of

water 

above

or

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet. 

364.5 

300 

343?

/320- 

\ 565

500

300

410

351

505

Inches. 

4 

2

Feet.

347

300

Feet. 

160

Feet. 

+40 

+14 -30

Galls.

360

30

Flows.............

....do.............

444

300± 

300

300

390

 +3-20 

-17

100 Flow..............

330

375

180

180

300

-17

+18 

+24

-15

Steam engine. 

Flows.........

....do.........

Hard.

Soft.

Analysis 1, Table 48.

Analysis 2, Table 48. 

Hard. 

Do.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Domestic..

Domestic..........

D o in e s t ic and

manufacturing.

Domestic..........

Claiborne group... 

do

Jackson formation? 

Claiborne group...

....do.............

Rock.............

Porous limestone.

Rock.............

Rock and sand...

Domesticand boiler supply. 

Domestic..........

.do.

4-inch casing to 255 feet. Cost of well, 

$475. See log, p. 293.

Cost of well, $300. See log, p. 294. 

Data relate to several wells.

3-inch casing to 155 feet. Cost of well,

$250; of pump, $15. 

Cost of well, $250.

.do. 

.do.

.do. 

.do. 

.do.

Blue and marl rock See log, p. 294. 

Cost of well, $650. See log, p. 294.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 64-65,162,1908.
296 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 48. Analyses of underground waters from Jenkins County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1 

3

6

fc

1

2

3

Date of 

collection.

June 3. 1911

0

1

38 

11

6.0

Iron (Fe).

61.2

.5

.8

Calcium (Ca).

40 

64

2.5

Source.

Artesian well... 

Well of W. E. 

Rushing. 

Jones Spring ...

Magnesium (Mg).

3.6 

1.0

.6

"31

.3

o

5.6

4.

5.9

Potassium (K).

2.4 

0

.4

Location.

Mil 

Per

Th

0

Carbonate radicle 

(COs).

"6"6"

kins. .........

rift, 1 mile east 

f.

Bicarbonate radicle 

(HCO ).3

132 

183

28

o 

I

11

26

1.8

o

 r-t 

%

"6."2"

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Claiborne group.

Surface deposits.

Chlorine (Cl).

8.0 

6.0

8.9

Total dissolved 

solids.

175

200

34

Depth.

Feet. 

320-565 

300±

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart." 

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

Wells 4, Table 47. 

Total depth, 500 feet; well 5, Table 

47.

o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 160,1908. 6 Fe2O3+Al203. 

JOHNSON COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Johnson County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 292 square miles and its population 12,897 (census of 1910). Agriculture is the principal industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The eastern part is gently rolling, the topography being that characteristic of the Altamaha upland or wire-grass section. The valleys 

are shallow, the slopes are low and gentle, and the clear streams flow 

through broad swamps. The western part is drained by Oconee 

River and is somewhat broken and hilly.

No determinations of altitude have been made, but from estimates 

based on established altitudes at Dublin, Laurens County, and Oconee, Washington County, the level of Oconee River in Johnson 

County is thought to be 180 to 185 feet above sea level. The land 

on the divide between Oconee and Ohoopee rivers is probably 200 feet 

higher.

GEOLOGY.

Sands, clays, and marls of the Claiborne group of the Eocene outcrop to the northwest in Washington County and underlie the entire 

area of Johnson County beneath the younger formations, with a probable aggregate thickness of 300 to 400 feet. The Claiborne group is 

overlain by the Jackson formation (Eocene), which consists of 100 feet
JOHNSON COUNTY. 297

or less of limestone interbedded with sandy layers and which outcrops 

in a small area in the northwest. The Jackson formation is overlain 

by 100 feet or less of limestone belonging to the Vicksburg formation 

(Oligocene), which outcrops in a small area in the northwest and probably underlies the entire county. In the southern part of the county 

the Vicksburg formation is probably overlain by the sands and clays 

of the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene), but these beds are not 

known to outcrop at the surface.

Overlapping the Oligocene and Eocene formations and constituting 

the surface formation throughout all but a small area in the extreme 

northwest are irregularly bedded sands and clays of undetermined age. 

Beneath the Claiborne group and not appearing at the surface are 500 

to 800 feet of sands and clays of Cretaceous age, which at depths of 

1,000 to 1,200 feet or more rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 

rocks.

All the formations described doubtless contain water-bearing beds, 

but the Vicksburg formation, the Claiborne group, and the Cretaceous 

deposits are probably the most important aquifers.

WATEE RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The main sources of water supply are wells 20 to 40 feet deep, 

which yield soft waters. Small seepage springs are fairly common 

and there are a few bold limestone springs, but none are important 

as sources of domestic water supply. Deep wells have been drilled 

at Wrightsville, Idylwild, and Kite.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

ranging from 100 to 1,000 feet or more. The prospects for obtaining 

flows on the lowlands bordering Oconee and Ohoopee rivers are good. 

Two flowing wells have been obtained at Idylwild on Ohoopee River, 

3 miles below Wrightsville, but one of them flows only intermittently.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

WrigJitsviUe (population 1,389, census of 1910). The town of 

Wrightsville owns a water-supply system and derives water from an 

artesian well (No. 5, Table 49) which was completed in 1911. The 

well is 409 feet deep, 8 inches in diameter, and yields 132 gallons of 

water a minute by pumping. Two water-bearing beds were struck, 

one at 170 feet and the other at 409 feet; the water from the first 

rises to within 45 feet of the surface, and that from the second,which 

is probably in the Claiborne group, to within 40 feet of the surface. 

Slits were cut in the casing to admit water from the 170-foot 

stratum, so that the water used is a mixture from the two beds. 

An analysis of the mixed waters is given in Table 50 (analysis 2)'.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

An abandoned well (No. 4, Table 49), formerly used by the town, 

located on the town square at a somewhat higher elevation than the 

new well, is 578 feet deep, and in it the water rises to within 62 feet 

of the surface. This well furnished only 30 gallons of water a minute, 

too little for the needs of the city. An analysis is given in Table 50 

(analysis 3).

Idylwild. Idylwild is a picnic resort on Ohoopee River, 3 miles 

south of Wrightsville. lVo flowing wells have been obtained at 

this place, one 305 feet deep (No. 1, Table 49) and the other about 

100 feet deep (No. 2, Table 49). The principal water-bearing bed is 

at a depth of 100 feet, and the water rises to a maximum height of 

about 2 feet above the surface. According ~to D. R. Thomas, however, the 305-foot well ceases to flow in October, the static head 

falling to 2 feet below the surface, and does not flow again until February or March. Mr. Thomas has furnished an analysis of the water, 

by J. M. McCandless. (See Table 50, analysis 1.)

Kite (population 241, census of 1910). A well (No. 3, Table 49) 

at Kite, owned by the town, is reported to be 180 feet deep and to 

contain water that rises to within 165 feet of the surface. In wells 

sunk to greater depths in this part of the county the static head 

would probably be much nearer the surface.

TABLE 49. Wells in Johnson County.

No.

1

?:

3

4

5

No.

1

?:

3

4

5

Location.

Idylwild, 3 miles

south of Wrightsville.

.....do...............

Kite, 60 yards northeast of post office.

courthouse).

Wrightsville, fa mile 

southeast of public 

square.

Depth.

Feet.

305

100

180

578

409

Diameter.

Inches.

4

8

Owner.

Town..............

.....do.............

.....do.............

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

inn

100

180

430.578

170, 409

Depth 

to

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

165

Level of

water 

above or 

below 

surface.

Feet.

+2to-2

+ 2

- 62

- 40

Driller.

Hughes Specialty 

"Well Drilling Col, 

Charleston, S. C.

Yield

minute

by

pumping.

Galls.

30

130

Authority.

D. R.Thomas........

.....do................

S.W.McCallieo ....

Arthur Pew, consulting engineer Hughes 

Specialtv Well

Drilling Co:

How obtained.

Flows.............

Air-lift pump .....

Date

completed.

1890

1911

Quality.

Analysis 3, Table 50

Analysis 2, Table 50.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 131,1908.
JONES COUNTY. 

TABLE 49. Wells in Johnson County Continued.

299

No.

1

2 

3

4

5

Use.

TlriTilrfng

.....do............

Domestic, etc.....

Municipal supply. .

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Vicksburg formation? 

.....da............

Alum Bluff formation. 

Claiborne group. . . 

.....do............

Character.

Sand..............

Remarks.

Ceases to flow in October and begins to 

flow again in February or March.

Abandoned. 

8-inch casing to 400 feet. Slits in casing 

admit water from the 170-foot stratum. Cost of well, $1,800. -

TABLE 50. Analyses of undergr6und waters from Johnson County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2 

3

d

fc

1

2

3

Date of 

collection.

Apr. 30,1911

O

S

ci

3

02

35

'

25

13

fc

g 2

61.0

4.0

2.3

1

s

103

o

35

58

62

Source.

Artesian well....

Town well

i « rl

town "well.-

"55

a

'S

M

a

0.8

2.0

2.2

&

t»X.

§>z;

-§ 53

02

2.2

5.0

5.4

 §

2 .

P^

rt

5

.....

0.0

.0

Location.

Idylwild, 3 miles 

south of Wrightsville.

Wrightsv 

do

lie......

"3

 a

18

oW_

^

S

87

207

190

.2

*°

1"

P.

&

0.6

Tr.

15

«

°

"°/-i.

a>^^

2

K

.....

0.2

.....

§

1

1

3.0

9.5

5.6

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Vicksburg formation?

Claiborne group.

.2

5^

rz5 fl

"c3

£

.....

.....

41

o .

 3 s

EH

.....

226

241

Depth.

Feet.

100

170, 409 

430, 578

Analyst.

J. M. McCandless.

Edgar Everhart. 

H. C. Whlte.a

Remarks.

Total depth of well, 305 feet. 

Phosphate radicle (PO4 ) =0.1.

Well 1, Table 49.

Slits in casing admit water from

the 170-foot stratum. Well 5,

Table 49.

Free carbon dioxide is present.

Well 4, Table 49.

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 131.

JONES COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Jones County is located in the central part of Georgia on the border 

between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 

area is 377 square miles and its population 13,103 (census of 1910). 

Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The southeastern part of Jones County, less than one-fourth the 

total area, lies in the Coastal Plain, the other three-fourths being
300 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

included in the Piedmont Plateau. The Coastal Plain area forms a 

part of the physiographic division of the fall-line hills. The surface 

is hilly, having been much dissected by the headwater streams of 

Commissioners and Big Sandy creeks. The maximum relief is probably between 200 and 300 feet. The drainage is to Oconee River 

through its tributaries, Commissioners and Big Sandy creeks.

GEOLOGY.

Ancient crystalline rocks outcrop at the surface in the part of the 

county included within the Piedmont Plateau. Their upper surface 

slopes south and passes beneath the deposits of the Coastal Plain 

which form the surface materials in a relatively small area in the 

southeastern part of the county. These deposits are for the most part 

of Lower Cretaceous age and consist of coarse, irregularly bedded 

sands with subordinate clay lenses, the total thickness of which probably does not exceed 100 feet. Overlapping the Lower Cretaceous 

deposits are small areas of sands and clays belonging to the Claiborne 

group of the Eocene, which occupy some of the ridges between the 

small streams.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits are favorable in texture and composition to the absorption and circulation of waters, but the small 

thickness attained by these deposits within the county limits precludes the possibility of obtaining large quantities. However, 

sufficient amounts for domestic purposes are available at many 

places.

WATER RESOURCES.

The area underlain by Lower Cretaceous deposits is relatively 

small and the greatest thickness of the Cretaceous strata probably 

does not exceed 100 feet. Consequently wells in the southeast more 

than 100 feet deep pass entirely through these deposits and enter the 

underlying basement crystalline rocks. J. K. Van Buren & Co., of 

Griswoldville, own a dug well 84 feet deep a mile north of the town, 

which yields a small amount of soft water from the Lower Cretaceous 

sands for general domestic purposes. Wells of a similar character 

are in use in other parts of this area.

Mr. Van Buren has furnished a description of the materials penetrated in the well just described. The log is given below:

Log of well of J. R. Van Buren & Co., 1 mile north of Griswoldville.

Whiteclay............................ ......... ........... ...........................

Red clay. ...............................................................................

White clay....... .......................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

8

(')

)?\

(?)

6

Depth.

Feet. 

8

(?)

< ?>-,78

84
LAURENS COUNTY. 301

Small springs in the Cretaceous area yield waters of good quality. 

Numerous small creeks and headwater branches furnish excellent 

water for stock and for making steam.

As the Cretaceous strata in the southeastern part of the county 

probably do not exceed 100 feet in thickness, and as the topography 

of the region is such as to favor the rapid drainage of the beds, thus 

producing a low water table, only, moderate supplies of water can be 

expected from this source. Little if any pressure is developed in 

the wells, and water from the Cretaceous beds in the area can scarcely 

be classed as artesian.

LATTRENS COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Laurens County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Dublin, the county seat and commercial center, is 45 

miles southeast of Macon. The area of the county is 806 square 

miles and the population is 35,501 (census of 1910). Agriculture 

is the principal industry, but the production of lumber and naval 

stores, though declining, is still important. Manufacturing plants at 

Dublin include cotton mills, fertilizer factories, cottonseed-oil mills, 

an ice factory, a furniture factory, and other small plants.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county presents two fairly well marked types of topography. 

The northern part falls within the physiographic division known as 

the Dougherty plain and is characterized by a nearly level surface 

underlain by limestones and marked by lime sinks. It differs in soil, 

native vegetation, and topography from the part of the county south 

of Dublin and south of the Wrightsville & Tennille Railroad, where 

the surface exhibits low gently rounded sand hills, broad shallow 

valleys, and other features characteristic of the northern border of the 

Altamaha upland (long-leaf pine and wire-grass section).

Oconee River, which flows through the county, is bordered by 

narrow swamps and at higher levels by Pleistocene terraces, which in 

places are easily distinguishable. The city of Dublin is situated in part 

upon such a terrace. The Oconee is a so-called muddy-water stream 

while its tributaries in the county are small clear-water streams.

Determinations of altitude have been made on Oconee River and at 

the stations on the Macon, Dublin & Savannah Railroad. (See list of 

elevations, pp. 44-51.) The altitude of the low-water stage of Oconee River at Dublin is 160.6 feet above sea level and the upland both 

east and west of the river rises 100 to 150 feet above this level.
302 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

GEOLOGY.

The Jackson formation (Eocene), which consists of 150 feet or 

more of limestones, outcrops in the extreme north and probably 

underlies the remainder of the county beneath younger formations. 

Limestones of the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) overlie the 

Jackson formation and outcrop over much of the county north of 

Dublin and in the valley of Oconee River to a point about 10 miles 

below Dublin; they extend southward beneath younger formations 

beyond the southern limits of the county. The Vicksburg formation 

weathers to red or gray sands containing in places masses of flint. 

Undifferentiated limestones, probably representing the Vicksburg 

and Jackson formations, were penetrated in a well at Rentz between 

147? and 310.5 feet.

In the southern part of the county the Vicksburg formation is 

overlain by sands and clays of undetermined thickness belonging to 

the Alum Bluff formation. These outcrop only in the valley of 

Oconee River.

Overlapping the Alum Bluff and Vicksburg formations and extending north from the southern boundary of the county, apparently as an 

overlap across more than half the county, are irregularly bedded 

sands and clays of undetermined but probably upper Oligocene age. 

The thickness of these beds probably does not exceed 100 feet and in 

most places is probably much less than this amount, and the maximum combined thickness of the Vicksburg and Alum Bluff formations probably does not exceed 200 or 250 feet.

Terrace sands of Pleistocene age have been deposited in limited 

areas bordering Oconee Iliver.

The Jackson formation is underlain by 400 or 500 feet of sands, 

clays, and marls belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene, but 

these beds do not appear at the surface within the county. The 

Claiborne in turn is underlain by perhaps 600 to 800 feet of sands and 

clays of Cretaceous age which rest upon a deeply buried surface of 

ancient crystalline rocks.

The Vicksburg and Jackson formations, the Claiborne group, and 

the Cretaceous deposits are believed to be important aquifers.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 20 to 60 feet deep are the main sources of water supply, 

but a few artesian wells have been drilled.

The water of the shallow wells is soft, except in places in the northern part of the county where the wells penetrate calcareous layers in 

the Vicksburg or Jackson formations. The water of the artesian
LAUEENS COUNTY. 303

wells thus far obtained is hard but is suitable for general domestic 

purposes.

Small springs are fairly common but are not used extensively. 

(See analyses 2, 3, and 4, Table 52.) Parker Spring is near Lovett, 

and Rinehart Keystone Mineral Spring, locally reputed to possess 

therapeutic properties, is near Dudley. In the limestone areas there 

are several large springs. (See p. 304.)

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more, and flowing wells are possible in the 

valleys at elevations not more than 70 feet above low-water, level 

of Oconee River.

In the southern part of the county the limestones of the Vicksburg and Jackson formations are the most promising aquifers. 

Throughout the county the deeply buried Eocene and Cretaceous 

deposits are promising sources of artesian water.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Dublin (population 5,795, census of 1910). According to McCallie * 

the municipal water supply of Dublin, the county seat, is obtained 

from several flowing artesian wells, 300 to 850 feet deep, on a terrace 

about 50 feet above low-water level of the river.

One water-bearing stratum was encountered at 185 feet, probably 

in the Vicksburg formation, and another at 295 feet in either the 

Jackson formation or the Claiborne group of the Eocene. The water 

from the 295-foot stratum rises 30 feet above the surface. In one 

of the city wells the principal water-bearing bed is 375 feet, according to Mayor E. S. Orr. The water is hard, but has proved satisfactory for general domestic purposes. (See analysis 1, Table 52.) 

Several flowing wells are owned by individuals.

Dexter (population 550, census of 1910). The main sources of 

domestic water supply at Dexter are dug wells 20 to 60 feet deep, 

which tap the water-bearing gravels and sands beneath layers of 

clay. The town owns a water-supply system, used chiefly for fire 

protection. The water is derived from a drilled well and is reported 

to be hard.

Tingle. At Tingle, a small station on the Wrightsville & Tennille 

Railroad 7 miles southwest of Dublin, a well owned by Jeptha 

Tingle is 242 feet deep and flows 20 feet above the surface. The 

water is derived from limestone, probably belonging to the Jacksdn 

formation. (See analysis 5, Table 52.)

Rentz (population 275, census of 1910). A well 310.5 feet deep, 

owned by the Rentz Lumber Co., has been drilled at Rentz. A 

sample said to represent the materials between 147 and 310.5 feet 

(sample on file in the office of the United States Geological Survey,

1 Georgia Geol, Survey Bull. 15, pp. 133-133,1908.
304 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

well No. 770) is a white, porous, fossiliferous limestone in which 

were recognized fragments of echinoids, Bryozoa, and Pecten perplanus Morton ? (identified by T. W. Vaughan). The Bryozoa were 

examined by R. S. Bassler, who regards them as related to the 

bryozoan fauna of Jackson age (Eocene) obtained from limestones 

at Wilmington, N. C., but states that they may indicate either a 

Jackson or a Vicksburg age for the material.

Limestone springs. Well, Rock, and Wilkes springs, 9 to 14 miles 

south of Dublin, are the largest in the county. They are in the 

lowland on the west side of Oconee River at elevations not exceeding 

15 feet above the level of the river and are therefore subject to overflow. The springs emerge from caverns in limestones and each 

probably yields more than a million gallons daily. Thundering 

Spring, about 12 miles northeast of Dublin, is a large limestone 

spring in which the level of the water continually rises and falls. 

An analysis of water from Lovett Spring, owned by L. P. Fordham, 

near Lovett, is given in Table 52 (analysis 3).

TABLE 51. Wells in Laurens County.

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

No.

1 

2 

3

4

Location.

Dublin 

.....do. 

Rentz

Tingle (7 miles southwest of Dublin).

Depth.

Feet. 

290 

375 

310.5 

242

Diameter.

Inches.

4i,2

4*

Use.

Owner.

Sam Basbjnski. ..... 

Town............... 

Rentz Lumber Co... 

Jeptha Tingle. 

E. D. 3, Dublin.

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

375

242

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

200,280

220

Height 

of 

water 

above 

surface.

Feet.

20

Driller.

N. T. Bastick... 

John Carter..... 

H. F. Loyd..... 

M.D.Mikle,Arabi

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

Galls. Galls.

160 ........

20 ........

Authority.

Mrs. N. T. Bastick. 

E. S. Orr. mayor... 

Driller............

D.R.Thomas and 

Jeptha Tingle.

How obtained.

Flows. ............

Flo

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

........-.---------. Tf

Domes

Domes

tic.......... C

............ Ja

tic

ckson font 

laiborne gr 

ickson fonr 

. do.

lation?

tation?

Character.

................... C

Lin

Date 

completed.

1896 

1905 

1910

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet.

184

Quality.

Hard. 

Analysis 5, Table 52.

Remarks.

ost of well, $800. 

-inch casing to 104 feet.
LEE COUNTY.

TABLE 52. Analyses of underground waters from Laurens County. 

[Parts per million.]

305

No.

1

2

3

4

5

o

fc

1

 2

3

4

5

Date of 

collection.

June 3, 1911

July, 1909

Sept., 1909

May 11,1911

,

g

I

a

OQ

20

2.0

17

14

32

"?

ge

62.6

.2

.1

.2

1.5

"of 

O"a

.g'o

O

68

8.0

50

1.5

58

Source.

Well at municipal water^upply plant. 

Rinehart Keystone Mineral

Spring No. 4.

Lovett Spring,

owned by L.

P. Fordham.

Jrarker pprmg,

owned toy O.

W. Parker.

Well of Jeptha

Tingle.

^

S

esium I

a

1

3.7

.5

.2

.8

3.0

5.

.3

OQ

6.6

3.

5.0

2.8

i?a"

ji

o

3.1

)

.4

.1

8.0

Location.

Dublin............

Dudley (near)

Lovett............

Lovett, J mile

southwest of.

Tingle (7 miles

southwest of

Dublin).

1

S

fl

gM

8

0.0

.0

"."6"

1

8^

So 

go IBi

«

211

29

144

10

203

0

 pH

II

rS1

OQ

17

Tr.

2.6

2.4

1.0

o

-a .

:!

1

1

0.4

'Tr."

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Jackson formation?

Vicksburg formation?

i^ate oiigocene..

Jackson formation?

§ 

1

,0

O

5.6

4.0

5.0

4.4

5.0

o

M o 

If

1

>

.....

<D

0 .

s!

3o EH

231

40

158

30

256

Depth.

Feet.

185-295

220-242

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.o

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

Free carbon dioxide (COa)=

64.

Well 4, Table 51.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 132,1908. 6 Fe3O3+AlaO3.

LEE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Lee County lies in the west-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Flint River forms the eastern boundary. Leesburg, the 

county seat, is 89 miles south of Macon and 24 miles north of Albany, 

The area of the county is 326 square miles and its population 11,679 

(census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber and 

naval stores are the principal industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Lee County is in general nearly level. Lime sinks are numerous 

and are commonly shallow. They vary in size from those having a 

diameter of 50 feet to those covering 100 acres or more. Many of 

them contain water during either a part or all of the year, and some 

support a growth of cypress trees. In some of the sinks, which appear 

to be connected with underground streams, the level of the water 

has been known to rise or fall suddenly. The surface of the county 

is estimated to lie between 200 and 335 feet above sea level, 

38418° WSP 341 15 20
306 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation (Oligocene), which appears at the surface 

throughout practically all the county, consists of 200 to 300 feet of 

impure, cavernous, water-bearing limestones, which weather at the 

surface to red sandy clays, or sands containing fragments and masses 

of flint. The thickness of the residual materials varies from place to 

place, but is usually great enough to supply shallow dug wells.

Small areas of thin Pleistocene terrace deposits border Flint River.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by 200 to 300 feet of undifferentiated sediments of Eocene age, which contain important 

water-bearing beds. The Eocene deposits are in turn underlain by 

1,500 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous age, also 

important for their contained artesian waters. At an unknown 

depth, probably between 2,000 and 3,000 feet, the Cretaceous deposits 

rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Water for domestic use is obtained chiefly from dug or bored wells 

30 to 90 feet deep, and from many artesian wells 160 to 900 feet deep. 

The dug and bored wells tap water-bearing beds in the Vicksburg 

formation, and although they commonly afford an abundance of 

water, the yield in some of them has been known to decrease during 

dry seasons. Limestone springs are fairly common, but none of large 

size have been reported, and none are of much importance as sources 

of water supply.

The waters of creeks and ponds are suitable for stock and, being 

softer, are usually more satisfactory for boiler supply than the waters 

of artesian wells.

Artesian water can be obtained at depths of 100 to 1,500 feet or 

more, and it is probably possible, by deep drilling, to obtain flowing 

wells throughout the greater part of the county.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Leesburg (population 705, census of 1910). There are three public and several private artesian wells at Leesburg. According to 

McCallie,1 the earlier of the three public wells (No. 3, Table 53), 

drilled in 1893, is 540 feet deep and contains water that rises to within 

12 feet of the surface. (See analysis 2, Table 54.) Another well is 

at the town light plant (No. 4, Table 53) and is about 300 feet deep; 

it does not flow. Its water is hard and differs somewhat in mineral 

character from that of the deeper well. (See analysis 3, Table 54.)

Survey Bull. 15, pp. 133,134,1908,
LEE COUNTY. 307

Other deep wells at Leesburg, owned by individuals, range in depth 

from 160 to 750 feet; some are flowing wells and some nonflowing. 

Additional information is given by McCallie 1 as follows:

W. M. Johnston's well, located on his plantation, 2J miles west of Leesburg, has a 

depth of 150 feet and furnishes a flow 6 feet above the surface. Two water-bearing 

strata are reported, but only the second stratum furnishes a flow. The well is 3 inches 

in diameter and flows about 18 gallons per minute. The flow is said to be somewhat 

reduced in dry seasons.

The following record is furnished:

[Log of W. M. Johnston's well, 2% miles west of Leesburg (No. 7, Table 53).]

Feet. 

Clay....................................................... 0- 9

Limestone.................................................. 9- 13

Cavity..................................................... 13-24

Marl....................................................... 24-104

Limestone with flint......................................... 104-144

Sand (water bearing)........................^................ 144-150

In addition to the well here described, Mr. Johnston also has three other wells on 

his plantation, varying from 100 to 384 feet in depth, but none of these wells furnish 

a flow. The water is used only for general farm purposes.

Smithville (population 574, census of 1910). The public water supply at Smithville is obtained in part from three artesian wells, one 

about 900 feet deep and each of the other two 370 feet deep. The 

900-foot well (No. 11, Table 53) flows, but the water is raised by a 

pump to a tank and thence distributed to the consumers. The water 

is clear, soft, and sulphurous, and is satisfactory for domestic use. 

In the 370-foot wells the water rises to within 25 feet of the surface. 

Two wells, each about 900 feet deep, owned T?y the Central of Georgia 

Railway Co. supply water used principally in the locomotive boilers. 

A description of one of the wells is given by McCallie 2 as follows:

One of the railroad wells, which is 3 inches in diameter, attains a depth of 900 feet. 

Two water-bearing strata are reported in this well one at 500 and the other at 900 

feet. Water rises 20 feet above the surface. It is used to supply the railroad water 

tank. The flow at the surface is about 50 gallons a minute.

Mr. G. W. Warwick, the well contractor, has furnished the following partial record:

[Log of Central of Georgia Railway Co.'s well at Smithville (No. 12, Table 53).]

Feet. 

Clay and sand to................................................ 40

Clay of various colors to......................................... 140

Cavernous rock (?) to............................................ 240

Blue clay with shells and sharks' teeth to........................ 340

Limestone...................................................... 345

Cavernous limestone with corals.................................. (?)

At the bottom of the well the drill struck very hard rock that could not be penetrated.

i Georgia Gepl. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 134,135,1908. 5 Idem, p. 135,
308 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Armena. Armena is a station on the Seaboard Air Line Railway 

in the southwestern corner of the county. The following description 

of deep wells at this place is given by McCallie: 1

The deep wells at Armena, owned by Mr. I. P. Cocke, are three in number. They 

vary in depth from 290 to 450 feet. They are all nonflowing wells, and they were 

sunk chiefly to obtain water for plantation uses. The water rises to a varying height 

of from 24 to 68 feet of the surface.

Mr. Cocke gives the following record of one of his wells:

[Log of I. P. Cocke's well at Armena (No. 2, Table 53).]

Feet. 

Blue clay.................................................. 0-40

Limestone.................................................. 40-190

Quicksand ................................................. 190-250

Flint(?)................................................... 250-280

Cavity from which water rises to within 25 feet of the surface... 280-290

Adams. Adams is a small station on the Central of Georgia Railway between Smithville and Leesburg. The water supply here is 

obtained from dug and drilled wells ranging in depth from 30 to 180 

feet. One well (No. 1, Table 53), owned by Mr. L. G. Council, is 

180 feet deep; the water in it stands within 15 feet of the surface.

PJiilema. Philema is a small station near Flint River on the Albany & Northern Railroad. In the vicinity of the town there are 

several artesian wells drilled for plantation use. A well (No. 9, 

Table 53) near the station is 124 feet deep and once flowed 15 feet 

above the surface, but now flows only 18 inches above it. The yield 

is affected by droughts and by periods of heavy rainfall. Limestone was struck at a depth of 40 feet. The water is said to be 

derived from a sand bed at the bottom.

A well (No. 10, Table 53) on the Brown plantation at Philema 

Quarters, one-half mile west of Philema station, is 142 feet deep. 

When the well was completed the water rose above the surface, but 

it now stands 15 feet below the surface. The elevation of the mouth 

of the well is a few feet above that of the other wells just described 

in this vicinity. (See analysis 4, Table 54.)

On the Starr farm (S. B. Brown plantation), a mile north of the 

station, there is a well (No. 8, Table 53) 114 feet deep which flows 6 

feet above the surface. Casing extends to 40 feet, at which depth 

limestone is said to have been encountered. The well is on the 

second river terrace about 50 feet above low-water level of Flint 

River. (See analysis 5, Table 54.)

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 136,137,1908.
LEE COUNTY. 309

TABLE 53. Wells in Lee County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Adams..

Armena..............

Leesburg.............

.....do...............

.do.

L. G. Council, Americus. 

I. P. Cocke..........

Town.

City light plant.

C. W. Scarborough

S.W.McCallieo. 

.do.

Feet.

.....do...............

Leesburg (2J miles 

west of).

Philema (1 mile north 

of).

Philema (near station).

Philema (i mile west 

of).

Smithvffle...........

Town...............

W. M. Johnston.....

S. B. Brown.

J. J. Cocke.

C. H. Beazley... 

Mayor..........

E.B.Martin....

S. W.McCallieo.

OttoVeatch. 

.....do......

1905

275

300±

300±

300±

300?

300?

S.B.Brown.........

Town...............

.do.

G. W. Warwick.

.....do............... Central of Georgia Ry

G. W. Warwick 

and S. W. McCaUie.o

S. W. McCaUieo..

1890 332

332

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depth

to

other 

waterbeds.

Level

of

water 

above

or

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet.

180

290-450

540 

300±

750 

165 

150 

114 

124 

142 

900±

900

Inches. 

6

Feet. Feet. Feet. 

-15

Galls. Galls.

-24-68 

-12

Hand pump.....

165 

144-150

150

900

350-400 

500

-20 

+ 6 

+ 6 

+

-15 

+18

+20

Force pump. 

Pump.......

18 Flows.. 

....do. 

....do.

50

Flows, but is

pumped to tank.

Flows.............

Hard.

Hard; analysis 1.

Table 54. 

Hard; analysis 2.

Table 54. 

Hard; analysis 3.

Table 54.

Hard.

Analysis 5, Table 54.

Analysis 4, Table 54. 

Soft, sulphurous.

No.

12

Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Domestic.

Farm use. 

Domestic.

Vicksburg formation. 

Eocene?...........

do.

Sand...........

Cavity in rock

Domestic, manufacturing.

.....do......

Cretaceous.. 

Cretaceous?. Gravel.

Farm use. Vicksburg formation, 

do.

Sand.

Municipal supply.

Boiler supply of 

locomotives.

.....do...........

....do...........

Cretaceous..!.....

Sand.....

.do.

Cost of well, $180; cost of pump, $15. 

3 wells. See log .308.

Cost of well, $1,:

3-inch casing to 130 feet. Other wells 

reported 100 to 700 feet deep, some 

of which flow 12 feet above surface; 

cost of well, $165; cost of pump, $20.

Three other nonflowing wells on farm 

100 to 384 feet deep. See log, p. 307.

Limestone from 330 to 470 feet; two 

other wells, each 370 feet deep, owned 

by the town, were drilled in 1904; 

water rises to within 25 feet of the 

surface.

See log, p. 307. Railway owns another 

similar well.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 133,137,1908.

6 Elevation about 50 feet above low-water level of Flint River.
S10 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 54. Analyses of underground waters from Lee County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5

1

2 

3

4 

5

Date of 

coUection.

Mar., 1909 

Mar. 30,1911 

.....do.......

(SiO Silica ).2

9.2

35 

18 

13 

12

Iron (Fe).

62.1

66.2 

.5 

12 

1.5

3. 

3

"o.'s"

Source.

WeU of I. P. 

Cocke. 

T o wn well 

(driUed 1893). 

Well at city 

light plant. 

S. B. Brown 

(Quarters weU) 

S. B. Brown 

(Starr farm 

weU).

Calcium (Ca).

60

26 

54 

49 

44

"3

a 

| 8

0.7

3.4 

1.2 

2.0 

3.2

Sodium (Na).

1.9

27 

2.9 

4. 

2.

Location.

Armena 

Leesburj 

.....do. 

Philema 

do

8

|

1

0.7

5.0 

.3 

0 

9

Carbonate radicle 

(CO.).

"6."6" 

.0

Bicarbonate radicle 

).(HC0 8

183

151 

148 

178 

166

Sulphate radicle 

(BOO.

5.9

13 

3.1 

2.0

4.8

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Eoce

4n. .........

.....do..........

Vicksburg formation. 

.....do.........

a>

i

"6." 2"

2.5

Chlorine (Cl).

6.3

5.2 

3.0 

3.6 

3.0

Phosphate radicle 

(POO-

"6.Y

Depth.

F 

2fl

54 

30 

14 

11

Total dissolved 

solids.

174

195 

169

177 

167

',et. 

0+

0

o±

2 

4

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart. <* 

Do.« 

Edgar Everhart. 

Do. 

Do.

Remarks.

Free carbon dioxide 

(C02)=22; weU 2, 

Table 53. 

Well 3, Table 53. 

WeU 4, Table 53. 

WeU 10, Table 53. 

WeU 8, Table 53.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 133,134,136,1908.

LIBERTY COTJNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Liberty County, the third largest county in the State, is on the 

coast in the eastern part of the Coastal Plain. Its area is 936 square 

miles and its population is 12,924 (census of 1910). The production 

and shipment of naval stores and lumber are the principal industries, 

but farming is carried on to an important extent in the north. A large 

roofing-tile factory at Ludowici is the only important manufacturing 

establishment.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is divisible into three physiographic parts: (1) A nearly 

level marine terrace plain (the SatiUa), which extends 15 to 20 miles 

inland from the coast and lies 10 to 25 feet above sea level; (2) a 

sand-covered plain (the Okefenokee), which lies 60 to 100 feet above 

sea level and parallels the first plain, the two being separated by a 

low escarpment which is easily recognizable in the vicinity of Walthourville and Hinesville; and (3) a small area of level to slightly 

rolling land (the Altamaha upland), in the west near the Tattnall 

County line, which is, for the most part, more than 100 feet above sea
LIBEBTY COUNTY. 811

level and is better drained than the lower plains just described. The 

county is dotted with small cypress and gum swamps.

Altamaha River, which forms the southwestern boundary of the 

county, is bordered by a wide swamp limited on the east by a low 

sand ridge. East of the sand ridge there is an area of low, flat, clay 

land subject to overflow during very high water stages of the river. 

Bordering the coast are numerous islands separated from each other 

by a net work, of short tidewater creeks and rivers. Salt-water 

marshes and tidewater swamps cover considerable areas on the islands 

and on the adjacent mainland. The streams have shallow valleys 

and the creeks and branches flow sluggishly or spread out through 

swamps which border their courses. Geologically the whole land 

surface is of relatively recent origin and has been only slightly 

affected by stream erosion or other destructive processes.

GEOLOGY.

White or yellow sands and subordinate clays or silts, of Pleistocene 

age, cover the surface from the coast inland to a few miles west of the 

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Their maximum thickness is believed 

to be less than 50 feet, and over most of the area they are much thinner. They are the source of some of the waters obtained in shallow 

dug and driven wells. Throughout the remainder of the county in the 

west, irregularly bedded sands and clays of undetermined geologic age, 

whose aggregate thickness probably does not exceed 50 or 75 feet, 

appear at the surface and supply waters to shallow dug or driven 

wells.

A series of undifferentiated Tertiary deposits underlies the surficial deposits. In their upper 400 or 450 feet these deposits consist of 

sands, greenish or drab sandy clays, with subordinate layers of limestone, phosphatic sand, or sandy shell marl and gravel, and probably 

include representatives of the Pliocene, the Miocene, and the Alum 

Bluff formation of the Oligocene. Below them lies 800 to 900 feet or 

more of soft limestones interbedded with layers of sand and shell marl, 

probably representing the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations 

of the Oligocene and the Jackson formation of the Eocene. The 

limestones are followed by sands which extend to a depth of about 

1,900 feet (see section of well at Doctortown, Wayne County, p. 453), 

below which nothing definite is known concerning the deposits. It 

is believed, however, that the Tertiary deposits are underlain by a 

considerable thickness of sediments of Cretaceous age, and that at 

some unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, the Cretaceous 

deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The 

Tertiary deposits and probably also the Cretaceous deposits contain 

important water-bearing beds.
312 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Throughout the county dug or driven wells, 10 to 30 feet deep, are 

the main source of domestic water supply. Artesian wells have been 

drilled at or near Ludowici, Donald, Allenhurst, Flemington, Riceboro, Dorchester, Arcadia, and on St. Catherines Island. There are a 

few small seepage springs in the northern part of the county. An 

analysis of water from one such spring, owned by T. J. Harrington, 

near Donald, is given in Table 56 (analysis 3).

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 

feet or more. Flowing wells are believed to be possible at all places 

less than 75 feet above sea level.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Ludowici (population 541, census of 1910). Driven wells 20 to 30 

feet deep are the principal source of water for domestic use at Ludowici, but there are also three artesian wells, one owned by the town 

and two by individuals. The public well (No. 8, Table 55), drilled in 

1907, is near the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station 71 feet above 

sea level. The well is 589 feet deep and the principal water-bearing 

bed is said to be a shell marl at the bottom. Originally the water rose 

to the surface, and in order to obtain a natural flow a shallow basin 

was excavated about the casing; however, in 1909 the static head had 

decreased to 5 feet below the surface and the flow ceased. The water 

emits a distinct odor of hydrogen sulphide and its content of iron is 

rather high; it is, however, suitable for general domestic purposes. 

An analysis is given in Table 56 (analysis 2). The following is a 

partial log:

Partial log of town well at Ludowici (No. 8, Table 55).

Sand....................................................................................

Sand (shells and teeth at 260 feet) .......................................................

Not reported. ...........................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

60

5

1

2

1

2

3Q

15

95dn

10

30

(?)

(?)

Depth.

Feet. 

40

100

105

106

108

109

111

150

165

260

300

310

340

(?)

(?)

589

An artesian well (No. 9, Table 55) at the roofing-tile factory of the 

Ludowici-Celadon Co. is 607 feet deep. The water from the principal
LIBEETY COUNTY. 313

water-bearing bed rises to within 7 feet of the surface. The mouth 

of the well is about 3 feet higher than that of the public well, but 

probably draws from the same water-bearing beds. A-water-bearing 

shell marl was found at 300 feet, from which the water rose to within 

25 feet of the surface. A fossil I*ecten resembling P. sayanus was 

obtained from the 300-foot stratum, which suggests that the bed 

belongs to'the Alum Bluff formation.

Donald. Two deep wells (Nos. 3 and 4, Table 55) have been 

drilled near Donald, a small town on the Georgia Coast & Piedmont 

Railroad, 10 miles northwest of Ludowici. W. J. Floyd, the well 

contractor, has furnished the following logs and other detailed 

information concerning these wells:

Log of well of 8. H. Howard, 3 miles southeast of Donald (No. 3, Table 55).

SoU.....................................................................................

Clay....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

2

10

5

14

37

2

31

6

35

12

6

24

14

23

3

22

36

24

10

18

21

14

25

8

Depth.

Feet. 

2

 12

17

31

68

70

101

107

149

154

160

184

221

224

246

282

306

316

334

sw

369

394

Af\f)

Log of well of T. J. Harrington, 1 mile south of Donald (No. 4, Table 55). 

[Elevation of curb 12 feet below Georgia Coast & Piedmont R. E. track at Donald.]

Clay (streaked) .........................................................................

Thick- 

 ness.

Feet. 

400

9

5

13

7

13

4

4

1O

3

25

16

23

8

60

22

20

Depth.

Feet. 

400

409

414

427

434

447

451

455

474

483

486

511

527

550

558

618

640

660
314 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Allenhurst. A well (No. 1, Table 55) owned by the Byers-Allen 

Lumber Co. at Allenhurst, 12 miles east of Ludowici, completed in 

1909, is 546 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter. It flows 800 gallons 

a minute 8 feet above the surface. The water is sulphurous and is 

used for domestic purposes and for boiler supply at a large lumber 

mill. A log of the well has been furnished by the Hughes Specialty 

Well Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C.

Log of well of Byers-Allen Lumber Co., Allenhurst (No. 1, Table 55).

Clay... .................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

20

10

20

30

30

20

20

130

40

20

40

20

20 ' 40

20

46

Depth.

Feet. 

20

40

50

70

100

130

150

170

300

340

360

400

420

440

480

500

546

o All the strata called "marl" are probably clay.

Flemington. There are several flowing wells near Flemington. 

A well (No. 7, Table 55) owned by A. G. Caison, a mile east of the 

post office, is 181 feet deep and flows a small stream 6 feet above the 

surface. A sample of water was analyzed for comparison with the 

water of the deeper well at Ludowici. (See Table 56, analysis 1.)

St. Catherines Island. Six artesian wells on St. Catherines Island, 

five of which flow, are used for general domestic and plantation 

purposes. The wells are less than 500 feet in depth and furnish 

strong flows. Their static head is said to be slightly affected by the 

tides.1

W. J. Floyd, the driller, has furnished information regarding a 

well (No. 12, Table 55) drilled in 1909, at the south end of the island, 

6 feet above sea level. This well is 438 feet deep, is cased to 230 

feet, and flows 60 gallons a minute. Its static head is 42 feet above 

the surface.

Log of well on St. Catherines Island (No. 12, Table 55).

Thickness.

Feet. 

38

3

189

80

75

13

40

Depth.

Feet. 

38

41

230

310

385

398

438

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 139,1908.
LIBEKTY COUNTY. 315

Other localities. Flowing wells are the chief source of water supply 

at Biceboro, Dorchester, and Arcadia. At each place the wells 

are less than 500 feet deep and yield strong flows of moderately 

hard water emitting an unpleasant odor of hydrogen sulphide. 

(See Table 55.)

TABLE 55. Wells in Liberty County.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5 

6

7 

8

9 

10 

11 

12

No.

1 

2 

3

4

5 

6

7

8 

9 

10 

11 

12

Location.

Allenhi

Arcadia 

Donald 

south

Donald 

of. 

Dorche; 

Dorche. 

west 

Flemin 

Ludow

.....do

Riceboi

Ricebo 

north 

St. Catl

Depth.

Feet. 

546 

225 

402

660 

470 

450 

181

589 

607 

460? 

430? 

438

, 3 miles 

east of.

, 1 mile south

ster. 2 miles

3f.

?ton. ......... 

ci. ...........

ro, 1 mile 

east of. 

lerines Island .

Diameter.

Inches. 

10

2J

4 

3 

6

8

?

Owner.

Byers- Alien Lumber Co.

 

Town...............

S. H. Ho\

T.J.Harr 

W P WE

irard.......

ington..... 

tit. .... .

.....do.... -~--

A. G. CaL 

Town....

Ludowici 

Co. 

Seaboard 

Ry. 

A. E. Wi

J. Raner.

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

223 

369-394

640-660

181

589? 

592? 

450? 

350? 

398-438

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet. 

150

334-355 

550-558

300 

350 

350

son ........

- Celadon 

Air Line 

on.........

Level 

of

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

+ 8 

+20 -14

-11

+30 

+ 6

- 5

- 7

+42

Driller.

Hughes Specialty Well 

Drilling Co., 

Charleston, 

S. C., J. R. 

Connelly , 

driller in 

charge.

W. J. Floyd, R. 

F. D. 2, Savannah. 

.....do. .. .......

F. L. Perry..... 

J. W. Wiggins..

W. J. Floyd.....

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Gatts. 

800 

50

100 

1,200 

2

........

60

Pump.

Galls.

20 

120

........

Authority.

Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C.

Driller....... -

.....do........

S. W. McCallie 

do

" i! W. Wiggirisand" 

R. L. Home.

S. W. McCalli 

.....do............

W. J. Floyd......

How obtained.

Flows. ...........

do.. ..........

Suction pump and 

gasoline engine. 

.. ...do. ........ ... 

Flows. ............ 

.....do...... ......

.....do. ...........

Flows. ............

. ....do. ........ ...

.....do.. ..........

Date 

completed.

1909

1913 

1912

"i907"

1909

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

+10

""+71

+74

+ 6

Quality.

Hard and sulphurous. 

Hard.

Sulphurous: analyse 1, Table 56. 

Analysis 2, Table 56.

Hard.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 137-139,1908.
316 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 55. Wells in Liberty County Continued.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5 

6 ' 7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12

Use.

M a n u f acturing, 

domestic.

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Tertiary...........

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

Character.

Limestone and 

shell marl.

Soft porous rock...

Marl and layers of 

rock. .

Remarks.

See log, p. 314.

6-inch casing to 165 feet; 4-inch casing 

to 243 feet; 2J-inch casing to 363 feet. 

Cost of well, $900; of machinery. $325. 

See log, p. 3 13. 

8-inch casing to 200 feet; 6-inch casing 

to 409 feet; 4-inch casing to 550 feet. 

Cost of well, $1,600; of machinery, 

$275.. See log, p. 313.

3-inch casing to 72 feet. 

See log, p. 312.

3-inch casing to 230 feet. Cost of well,

$450.

TABLE 56. Analyses of underground waters from-Liberty County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (SiOg). .............................................................

Iron (Fe). ................................................................

Aluminum (Al) ..........................................................

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) ..............................................

Sulphate radicle (SO<).. ..................................................

Nitrate radicle (NO3). ....................................................

Chlorine (Cl).... .........................................................

1

45

.2

16

4.0

1 54 / 54

1.2

202

7.0

.0

5.0

236

2

28

6.0

28

14

20

2.0

195

7.0

3.5

240

3

8.5

3.5

.2

2.0

1.6

( 4.7

i .4

114

8.7

41

1. Well No. 7, Table 55. Sample collected May 5,1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Well No. 8, Table 55. Sample collected Apr. 8,1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

3. Spring of T. J. Harrington, near Donald (10 miles northwest of Ludowici). Water from undifferentiated surflcial deposits. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

LOWNDES COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Lowndes County is in the south-central part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia and is one of the tier of counties bordering Florida. Its 

area is 482 square miles and its population 24,436 (census of 1910). 

The shipment of lumber and naval stores are important industries. 

Cotton goods, fertilizers, and other products are manufactured at 

Valdosta. Sea-island cotton is the most important agricultural 

product. x

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county is, in general, a nearly level plain, 

on which are numerous cypress ponds. In the south the surface is 

nearly level to slightly undulating. Lime sinks are numerous, some
LOWNDES COUNTY. 317

of them being dry and others holding ponds and lakes, the waters of 

which are clearer than the waters of the streams. Ocean Pond, one 

of the largest of the few lakes of the State, has an area of 5 to 6 square 

miles. The county is bounded on the west by Withlacoochee River 

and is partly bounded on the east by Alapaha River. These streams 

have cut their beds 75 to 100 feet below the upland plain on which 

Valdosta is located, and are bordered by two low, sand-covered terrace 

plains, the lower of which lies 10 to 15 feet and the upper 30 to 40 feet 

above low-water level.

The known altitudes above sea level are Valdosta 218, Naylor 195, 

and Ousley 151 feet on the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad; Dasher 

185, Lake Park 167, Melrose 154, State Line 161, Mineola 220, and 

Hahira 236 feet on the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway; Withlacoochee River water level 124, bridge level 140 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The Chattahoochee formation (Oligocene), which consists of 150 

feet or more of porous, cavernous, water-bearing limestones, outcrops 

on Withlacoochee River, in the southern part of the county, and 

underlies the entire county beneath younger formations. The 

Chattahoochee formation is overlain by 50 to 150 feet of greenish 

sands and sandy clays belonging to the Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene), which outcrops in the southern part of the county and in the 

valleys of Withlacoochee and Alapaha rivers and their tributaries, 

and which locally contains water-bearing beds. Over the greater part 

of the county north of the latitude of Lake Park the Alum Bluff 

formation is overlain by 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and 

clays of undetermined but possibly upper Oligocene age. Terrace 

sands of Pleistocene age have been deposited in narrow areas bordering Withlacoochee and Alapaha rivers.

The limestones of the Chattahoochee formation are believed to be 

underlain by similar water-bearing limestones referable to the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene), but the two formations have not been 

accurately discriminated in the county. However, fossils of Vicksburg age have been obtained in wells at Valdosta between the depths 

400 and 480 feet. (See p. 319.)

Beneath the Vicksburg formation in descending order is a series of 

undifferentiated sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age, which at an 

unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, are believed to rest upon 

a basement of ancient crystalline rocks. These sediments contain 

important water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Shallow dug, driven, and bored wells 15 to 75 feet deep are the chief 

source of domestic water supply in the county. All except a few
318 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

wells near the Florida line which penetrate limestones yield soft 

waters. Where only a small amount of water for domestic use is 

required wells of the driven type are preferable to wells of the other 

types, for they afford less opportunity for contamination from surface sources. Artesian wells have been drilled at and near Valdosta.

There are a few small springs in the county. The waters of the 

streams, ponds, and lakes are suitable for stock and for boiler supplies.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. Wells 500 feet or more in depth on the 

terrace plains bordering Withlacoochee and Alapaha rivers will probably flow.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Valdosta (population 7,656, census of 1910). Valdosta owns a 

public water-supply system which obtains water from an artesian 

well (No. 1, Table 57), completed in 1900, 500 feet deep and 8 inches 

in diameter. The water, which rises to within 120 feet of the surface, is pumped at the rate of about 300,000 gallons daily. It is hard 

but has proved satisfactory for general domestic purposes. (See 

analysis 1, Table 58".)

McCallie * has published the following log:

Log of town well, Valdosta (No. 1, Table 57).

Rather compact, brownish-gray limestone containing minute grains of transparent quartz

Thickness.

Feet. 

2

20

50

8

37

59

32

52

100

140

Depth.

Feet. 

2

22

72

80

117

176

208

260

360

500

The limestones in the upper part of the well probably belong to the 

Chattahooch.ee formation and those in the lower part to the Vicksburg formation.

McCallie 2 describes a well (No. 2, Table 57) drilled by the town in 

1893. Analyses of waters from different levels are given in Table 58 

(analyses 2, 3, and 4).

From a set of well borings on file in the office of the United States 

Geological Survey (well No. 915), probably obtained from the town 

well drilled in 1893, the following partial log has been prepared. The 

Foraminifera were determined by J. A. Cushman.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 140,141,1908. »Idem, p. 140,
LOWNDES COUNTY. 319

Partial log of well at Valdosta (No. 2, Table 57).

[Drilled by J. A. Durst; samples furnished by L. C. Johnson.]

Feet.

Light-gray argillaceous sand and chunks of white clay at........ 48

Fragments of brown flint at................................... 87

Chunks of chocolate-colored sandy silicified clay, white sandstone, and numerous fairly well rounded quartz pebbles up to 

one-half inch in longest dimension....... 1.................... 88-90

Fragments of white sandy limestone and gray flint............ 117-122

Chunks of white silicified clay or claystone some showing dendritic growths and fragments of flint....................... 123-125

Fragments of white limestone................................. 130-132

Fragments of white sandy limestone, white silicified calcareous 

cky, and one fragment of flint.............................. 133-139

Fragment of white calcareous, sandy ckystone at.............. 153

Fragments of white sandy calcareous clay and rounded chunks of 

gray limestone............................................. 212-214

Small fragments of white limestone and gray flint.............. 240-241

Large fragments of dark-gray flint and white limestone......... 247-250

Fragments of white sandy limestone, echinoid tests and spines, 

etc...................................................... 311-350

Fragments of white fossiliferous limestone and flint; small flat 

echinoids, fragments of pelecypods, gastropods, etc.......... 360-416

White limestone, containing numerous small Nummulites, Dispansus sp., a few small echinoids, etc....................... 400-416

Same as preceding, containing Nummulites and Orbitoides..... 430-450

Same as preceding, containing Nummulites and Orbitoides, one 

fairly large Orbitoides ci.O. ephippium (Schloth), at.............. 459

Fragments of brown magnesian x limestone................... 476-477

Fragments of white limestone, brown magnesian limestone, small 

echinoids, Nummulites, Orbitoides (2 species), and fragments of 

pelecypods and gastropods, at............................... 477J

Same as preceding, containing Nummulites and Orbitoides at.... 480

Fragments of brown magnesian limestone..................... 487-491

Same at...................................................... 493

Same...................................................... 502-522

According to T. W. Vaughan, a few fragments of fossils taken 

between 400 and 480 feet include Nummulites and indicate the Vicksburg age of that part of the section. Probably 280 to 300 feet of the 

section, up to and including the white limestone at 240 to 241 feet, 

should be referred to this formation.

At and near Valdosta many wells owned by individuals range in 

depth from 80 to 550 feet. Large quantities of water are obtained 

from porous and cavernous limestones.

A well (No. 3, Table 57) owned by J. B. Jones, completed in 1909, on 

the upland 2 miles northwest of Valdosta about 100 feet above Withlacoochee River is 226 feet deep. The water stands within 38 feet of 

the surface. The static head indicates that flows can be obtained 

at lower elevations in the valley to the west.

i The magnesian character of this limestone was determined by W. F, Hunt of the U, S, Geol, Survey,
320 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 

TABLE 57. Wells in Lowndes County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Valdosta. Town.

....do................

Valdosta (2 miles 

northwest of).

.....do..... 

J. B. Jones.

J. A. Durst..... 

L. C. Solomon..

Hughes Specialty 

Well Drilling 

Co. and S. W. 

McCallie.o

.....do............

J. B. Jones........

1900

1909

215

215

No. Depth. DiamDepth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depthto

other 

waterbeds.

Level

of

water 

below 

surface.

Yield per minuteon pumping.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet. 

500

522

226

Inches. 

8

4J 

2

Feet. 

360-500

515

225

260

460

125

Galls.

120

113

38

Gatts. 

200

12 Gasoline engine....

Analysis 1, Table

 58. 

Analyses 2.3, and 4,

Table 58. 

Hard.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Drinking and domestic.

Domestic.........

Domestic and 

boiler supply.

Vicksburg formation? 

.do.

Chattahoochee formation?

Porous limestone. 

.do.

Cavity in rock....

See log, p. 318.

Cost of well, $1,600. See log, p. 319. 

3-inch casing, 103 feet; diameter below

casing is 2 inches. Cost of well and

machinery, $509.

o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 139-141,1908.

& Elevation about 100 feet above the bed of Withlacoochee River.

TABLE 58. Analyses of underground waters from Lowndes County. 

] Parts per million.]

No.

1

?:

3

4

fc

1

2

3

4

Source.

Town wel 

Old town

I...............

Wflll -----

.....do....................

.....do....................

^J

O 

H3

i

a

DQ

15

6.7

8.0

12

"31

fl

aM

»6.1

1.2

1.1

1.4

3

fl

1

 <

0.6

.5

..9

.

a J

 3

 a

O

25

42

35

41

3

a

_g

i

a

3.1

.6

.7

.7

Location.

Valdosta 

do

.....do............

.....do............

g

.s

5

2.8

3.5

3.1

2.3

ff

a

1

£

1.1

.4

.5

.3

05 3

i.

s>d ss.

|

1

0.0

56

48

56

<D 'o

 s

1°

IS

rM

61

.....

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Vicksburg formation?

.....do...............

....do...............

o

 0

>-o 

52-

^

S

24

13

12

14

Gs"

 a

0

5.4

4.9

4.2

2.9

0

^

(H

^

"§

O

20

23

16

 d

0

> 

Q t

co «3 «S

SI iO 

&H

113

150

138

149

Depth.

Feet.

.360-500 

360

460

515

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.o 

H. C. Whiter

Do. a

Do. a

Remarks.

Free' carbon dioxide (COs)=

27; well 1, Table 57.

[Waters from 3 different levels

{ in the town well drilled in

I 1893; well 2, Table 57.

a Georgia Geol, Survey Bull. 15, pp. 140,141,1908,
TJNDEEGEOTJND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA. 321 

McDUFFEE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATUEES.

McDuffie County is in the northeastern part of the State of Georgia 

on the border between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal 

Plain. Its area is 287 square miles and its population 10,325 (census 

of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGEAPHY.

The county from a few miles north of the Georgia Railroad southward is included within the Atlantic Coastal Plain; the remainder lies 

within the Piedmont Plateau. The coastal plain area forms a part 

of the northern border of the physiographic division known as the 

fall-line hills and has been greatly dissected by the headwater streams 

of Brier Creek and is therefore very hilly. The maximum, surface 

relief is probably between 200 and 300 feet.

GEOLOGY.

Crystalline rocks outcrop over the northern part of the county 

(Piedmont Plateau) and dip southward beneath deposits of the 

Coastal Plain. The Coastal Plain area extends to the southern limit 

of the county.

The deposits of the Coastal Plain consist of irregularly bedded 

arkosic sands and clays of Lower Cretaceous age which rest upon the 

eroded surface of the southward-dipping basement crystalline rocks. 

These dip unc6nformably beneath sands and clays referable to the 

Claiborne group of the Eocene, which cap the divides between Reedy, 

Brier, Headstall, and Boggy Gut creeks. The Lower Cretaceous 

deposits probably attain a maximum thickness of 200 or 300 feet in 

the southern part of the county. The Eocene deposits are relatively 

thin, perhaps not exceeding 50 or 75 feet. (See PL III, p. 52.)

WATEE EESOUECES.

In the Coastal Plain area water for domestic use is derived from 

dug wells 15 to 90 feet deep which tap water-bearing beds, chiefly in 

the Lower Cretaceous deposits, and from small springs. The waters 

thus obtained are of good quality, though generally scanty. The 

wells, like others of shallow or of moderate depth in all regions, 

should be protected from surface contamination.

A deep well owned by the town of Thompson, the county seat, 

passes through about 73 feet of deposits of the Coastal Plain and 

penetrates the underlying crystalline basement rocks to a depth of 

506 feet. Water which rises to within 10 feet of the surface is 

obtained from fissures or crevices in granite at depths of 125, 327, 

38418° WSP 341 15 21
322 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

and 450 feet. The daily yield of the well is said to be 12,000 gallons, 

which is used chiefly for drinking. McCallie 1 gives the following log:

Log of town well at Thompson.

Depth.

Lower Cretaceous:

Bluish clay 

Yellowish clay......

Pre-Cambrian:

Decomposed granite

Granite with occasional fissures.

Feet. 

23 

50

10

423

Feet.

83

506

The following is an analysis of a sample of water from the Thompson 

well, Edgar Everhart, analyst: 2

Analysis of water from town well at Thompson.

Parts per million.

Silica (Si02).......,........................................... 32

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe203+ALjOs).................... 1. 6

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 19

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 2.1

Sodium (Na)................................................. 18

Potassium (K)................................................ 3. 8

Carbonate radicle (C03)........................................ 55

Sulphate radicle (SO4 )........................................ 4. 9

Chlorine (01).................................................. 3.3

Nitrate radicle (N03)......................................... .0

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 139

The Lower Cretaceous deposits probably attain a thickness of 200 

or 300 feet in the extreme southern part of the county, where they 

are fairly promising as a source of artesian supply. They not only 

contain beds of porous sand, the texture and structure of which favor 

the retention of considerable quantities of water, but some artesian 

pressure is doubtless developed. However, it is probable that flowing 

wells can not be obtained.

As shown by the deep well at Thompson, fairly good supplies of 

potable water can be obtained from crevices in the crystalline basement rocks which underlie the deposits of the Coastal Plain.

McINTOSH COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Mclntosh County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain, 

of Georgia and borders the Atlantic coast. Its area is 470 square 

miles and its population is 6,442 (census of 1910). The shipment 

of lumber and naval stores, fishing, the canning of oysters, and 

agriculture are the principal industries.

» Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 211, 212,1908. 2 I<iem, p. 212.
McINTOSH COUNTY. 323 

TOPOGRAPHY.

The greater part of the county is a nearly level plain which does 

not exceed 20 or 30 feet above sea level. Bordering the coast are 

numerous low sand-covered islands separated by a network of 

sounds, small tidal creeks, and salt marshes. Altamaha River, 

which forms the southern boundary, is bordered by a swamp a mile 

or two wide, limited on ihe north by a low ridge of dry sandy land 

overgrown with live oaks, behind which is a poorly drained pine 

flat with numerous small cypress and gum ponds and swamps, subject in part to overflow during high-water stages of Altamaha River. 

The ridge, which roughly parallels the river and the eastern margin 

of the mainland, is crossed by the Seaboard Air Line Railway near 

Barrington. Darien is located upon it. In the extreme north the 

land rises rather abruptly to 50 or 60 feet above sea level. Geologically the surface is youthful, having been only slightly affected 

by stream erosion.

GEOLOGY.

Terrace sands and clays of Pleistocene age, probably not exceeding 

50 feet in thickness and in most places much thinner, appear at the 

surface throughout the county. Beneath these surficial deposits is 

a series of sands, clays, marls, and limestones probably having an 

aggregate thickness of several thousand feet, which in descending 

order are believed to be of Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, Eocene, 

and Cretaceous age. They contain numerous and important waterbearing beds. At an unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, 

the Cretaceous deposits the oldest of the sediments of the Coastal 

Plain are believed to rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 

rocks.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Driven wells 10 to 25 feet deep are common and, as the water table 

is only a few feet beneath the surface, furnish abundant water. Dug 

wells are less general. In many of them the water stands so near the 

surface in rainy weather that it can be dipped by hand. The water 

from this shallow source is soft but not always wholesome, and in 

places tastes strongly of iron and organic matter.

Springs are few in number and of slight importance. Pond water 

is used to some extent for stock.

Twenty-five or more flowing artesian wells in the eastern part of 

the county and on the islands range in depth from 128 to 527 feet. 

Their waters are moderately hard and emit a strong odor of sulphur, 

but are clear and potable.
324 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Artesian water-can be obtained in great abundance anywhere at 

depths of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. The static head will almost 

everywhere be high enough to produce flows.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Darien (population 1,391, census of 1910). Darien owns three 

artesian wells (Nos. 4, 5, and 6, Table 59). McCallie 1 has given the 

following information concerning two of them:

The first attempt to obtain artesian water at Darien was made in 1885 by sinking 

a 4-inch well to the depth of 492 feet. This well supplied the town with water until 

1891, when the large 8-inch well now in use was completed. ' The 8-inch well is 530 

feet deep. It flows about 200 gallons per minute. The water is hard and sulphureted, 

but quite wholesome. It rises 15 feet above the surface. The main water-bearing 

stratum is said to be near the bottom of the wells. Other strata are reported nearer 

the surface, though the flow is unsatisfactory.

A sample from the 530-foot well at the municipal waterworks 

plant, collected May 6, 1911, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart as 

follows:

Analysis of water from 530-foot well at the municipal water-supply plant, Darien.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiOa).................................................. 29

Iron (Fe).................................................... 6.0

Calcium (Ca).................................................. 34

Magnesium (Mg)............................................. 5.0

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)................................ 46

Carbonate radicle (C03)....................................... .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03 ).................................... 156

Sulphate radicle (S04)......................................... 91

Nitrate radicle (N03)............................................ .0

Chlorine (Cl)................................................. 12

Total dissolved solids......................................... 326

From a series of well borings McCallie prepared the following 

partial log of the 530-foot well:

Partial log of town well at Darien (No. 4, Table 59).

Feet.

Very coarse sand and pebbles. Many of the pebbles, which consist of both quartz and feldspar, are only slightly rounded and 

are incrusted with a yellowish ocherous deposit at............. 125

Dark-gray marl having a greenish tint and containing numerous 

microscopic rhombohedral crystals of calcite.................... 133(?)

Very fine gray sand with considerable clay; also a few large wellrounded quartz grains at..................................... 143

Fine brown sandy clay and fragments of shells at ............... 167

Coarse sand, pebbles, and fragments of shells at................. 176

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 147-150,1908.
McINTOSH COUNTY. 325

Feet. 

The same as the above except that it contains glauconite at...... 188

Gray marl made up largely of minute crystals of calcite with a

few grains of coarse sand at...............-.....-----.--- --- 220

Fine gray micaceous sand and a few fragments of shells.......... 221

Diatomaceous earth, greenish-gray, at........................... 258

Diatomaceous earth with a few small crystals of selenite........... 280

Diatomaceous earth in which spicules of sponges are common at... 330 

Diatomaceous earth and a few particles of glauconite at.......... 350

Diatomaceous earth at........................................ 375

Coarse sand and pebbles forming conglomerate, which contains

sharks' teeth, small dental plates (possibly of the ray), fragments

of shells, and pieces of lignite, many of which are an inch in

diameter, at................................................. 385

Rather fine gray sand, with sharks' teeth, glauconite, a few diatoms

and fragments of bone and shells, at.......................... 388

Indurated, highly calcareous light-gray marl resembling chalk at. 391 

Fine dark-gray sand containing small flakes of mica, diatoms,

spicules of sponges and glauconite at.......................... 400

Fine yellow sand with fragments of shells, glauconite, and diatoms

at........................:..........................-....... 420

Hard, compact greenish clay, breaking with conchoidal fracture,

at........................................................... 440

Same at...................................................... 500

Fine dark-gray glauconitic sand at............................. 515

Same with fragments of shells at............................... 524

Hard, compact claystone and sand............................... 530

Valona. Valona is a small village on the Georgia Coast & Piedmont 

Railroad 3 miles northeast of Meridian. A flowing well (No. 20, 

Table 59), owned by George E. Atwood (one of five flowing wells 

owned by him within 5 miles of Valona), is 455 feet deep and 3 

inches in diameter. Mr. Atwood gives the following approximate 

log and states that those of the other four wells were generally similar:

Approximate log of well of George E. Atwood, Valona (No. 20, Table 59). 

[Given from memory.]

Thickness. Depth.

Sand or soft marl.......................................................................

Coarse gravel............................................................................

Hard marl..............................................................................

Hard rock (limestone?); yields water which overflows at the surface....................

Marl with interbedded layers of rock l to 2 feet thick; contains water-bearing beds which 

yield flows............................................................................

Feet. 

100 

30 

190

129

Feet.

100

130

320

326

455

Sapelo light station. A well owned by the United States Government at Sapelo light station (No. 19, Table 59), near the south end of 

Sapelo Island, completed in 1906, is 480 feet deep. From a set of well 

borings on file in the office of the United States Geological Survey (well
326 TJNDEEGEOTJND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

No. 625), furnished by Fred Baumgartner, the driller, the following 

log has been prepared:

Log of Government well at Sapelo light station, Sapelo Island (No. 19, Table 59).

Missing ..... .. ....

Coarse sand with numerous fragments of shells. .........................................

Medium to coarse sand with a few fragments of shells ...................................

Coarse clear sand with a few small dark grains of phosphate (?) and a few fragments of 

shell..................................................................................

Very coarse clear sand with a few dark grains of phosphate and numerous fragments of

Very coarse clear sand with small dark grains of phosphate (?) and numerous fragments 

of shells ...............................................................................

Coarse sand cemented with lime and numerous fragments of fossils, chiefly Balanus sp . .

Thickness.

Feet.

60

5

5

10

23

22

155

70

20

.5

15

25

25

20

Depth.

Feet. 

20

80

85

90

100

123

145

300

370

390

395

410

435

460

480

Dr. Vaughan provisionally refers the lowermost layer to the 

Miocene.

Barrington. A deep well at Barrington is described by McCallie 1 

as follows:

The deep well at Barrington, sunk by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1895 for 

the purpose of securing water to supply its locomotives, is 3 inches in diameter and 

450 feet deep. It furnishes 200 gallons of water per minute and the water rises 20 

feet above the surface. Two flows are reported in the well, one at 350 feet and the 

other at 450 feet. The formations penetrated are said to be similar to those in the 

Brunswick wells.

Wolf Island. A well at Wolf Island is described by McCallie 2 as 

follows:

This well was completed in 1891 at a cost of $500. It is a 2-inch well, 500 feet deep. 

The water, which is strongly sulphureted, rises 45 feet above the surface. No record 

of the well has been preserved.

Creighton Island. A well at Creighton Island is described by 

McCallie 2 as follows:

The Creighton Island well, owned by Mr. George E. Atwood, has a depth of 414 feet. 

It is 3 inches in diameter and furnishes a flow which rises 50 feet above the surface. 

A dark-colored rock, 20 feet in thickness, is reported to have been struck in this well 

at 320 feet. Samples of this rock were found to be impure manganese ore. Coral 

rock and beds of gravel are said to have occurred in the well, but neither their depth 

nor their thickness was given.

Doboy. A well at Doboy is described by McCallie 2 as follows:

Mr. J. C. WoodhulFs well at t)oboy is 128 feet deep and furnishes a flow which rises 

10 feet above the surface. This well is interesting, as it is the only deep well in the 

county where a flow is obtained near the surface. The water-bearing stratum furnishing this flow probably occurs in other deep wells in the county, but its presence 

has not been reported.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 149,1908. a Idem, p. 150.
McINTOSH COUNTY. 

TABLE 59. Wells in Mclntosh County.

327

No.

1

2 

3

4

5 

6

7

8

9 

10

11

12 

13

14

15 

16

17 

18 

19 

20 

21

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21

Location.

Barring

Creighti 

Crescen

Darien 

do

on Island ..... 

t..............

do

Darien, 

north 

office 

Darien, 

miles 

Butle 

Doboy 

Doboy

EulonL 

north 

Egg Isl 

InveriM 

beard 

Inverru 

Sapel 

Ridgev 

Ridgev 

south 

Ridgev 

north 

Ridgev 

south 

Sapelol

Valona 

east c Wolf Is

Depth.

Feet. 

450 

414

530 

492 

485 

405 

500 

128 

485 

300+

300± 

527 

503 

476 

474 

480 

455 

500

300 yards 

west of post

about 1| 

south of, on 

r Island.

i, 3 miles 

east of.

sss (BlackIsland), 

iss (Little 

o Island). 

Ule............

iUe, 400 yards 

of post office, 

ille, £ mile 

east of. 

ille, J mile 

east 'of. 

ight station. . .

, 100 yards 

f post office.

Diameter.

Inches. 

3 

3

8 

4 

2..

3..

2..

......J

4

1*

2

3 

2

Owner.

Atlantic < R. R. 

G. E. At* 

Georgia 

Piedmc 

Town

3oast Line

Coast & 

nt R. R.

.....do...............

.....do...

R. Manso 

Adam Sti

J. C. Woo 

Hilton 

Luinbe 

J. A. Wal

Mrs. W. i 

Quaranti

J. H. Bar 

Wm. Clif

J. F. Tho 

Thos. A. 

P. S. Clai 

U. S. Go^ 

G. E. Ati 

Wolf Isla

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

450

530

405 

500

500 

475 

454-476 

474

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet. 

350

365

ain estate. . 

dhull. . . .

& Dodge 

rCo. 

ker....

i. Wilco 

ae static

toly

mpson.....

k..........

merriment. .

nd Club

Height 

of 

water 

above 

surface.

Feet. 

20 

50

15

22 

20 

10 

15

16 

13 

18 

. 25

35 

45

Driller.

T. A. Bailey....

Jule Atwood ....

Mr. Ray........

T. A. Bailey.... 

.....do...........

Fred Baumgart. 

ner.BrunswickMr. Mulligan....

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls. 

200

200 

35 

40

30

5 

20

Pump.

Galls.

Authority.

S.W. McCallieo... 

.....do.............

S.W.McCalliea... 

.....do.............

Owner ............

Chas. M. Tyso

S. W. McCallfe 

E. D. Fox..

n..'.

G. H. Bacon, postmaster.

A. C. McKinle 

do

y 

Wm. Clifton......

.....do.............

.....do.............

Driller.............

How obtained.

Flows

do.-..--.-...

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

Flo

do- .......

Date 

completed.

1895

1891

1885

1908

1890?

1890 

1908

1896 

1896 

1906 

1898 

1891

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet.

30

Near.

15

12 

20

8

Quality.

Hard. 

See analysis, p. 324.

Sulphurous.

Soft. 

Sulphurous.

Slightly hard.

Sulphurous. 

Do.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 149-150,1908.
328 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIATABLE 59. Wells in Mclntosh County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5 

6 

7 

8

9 

10

11 

12 

13 

14 

15

16

17 

18 

19 

20

21

Use.

Locomotive.......

Domestic..........

Domestic..........

Domestic, canning 

fruit, etc.

Domestic and boiler supply. 

Domestic..........

Domestic, irrigation.

.....do.............

.....do.............

Domestic and boiler supply.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Tertiary...........

.....do.............

.....do............. 

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

.....do.............

Character.

Sand..............

Quicksand........

Remarks.

One well. 

See log, pp. 324-325.

3-inch casing to 365 feet. Cost of well, 

$400. The estate owns 2 other similar wells.

Cost of well, $300. The company owns 

another similar well on Doboy Island.

One well. 

Two wells.

Formerly flowed +26. Cost of well, 

$1,350. 

2-inch casing to 100 feet. Cost of well, 

$350. 

24-inch casing to 160 feet. 

Cost of well, $150. 

See log, p. 326. 

Cost of well, $150. See log, p. 325.

MACON COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Macon County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 369 square miles and its population (census of 

1910) is 15,016. Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is part of the physiographic division of the fall-line 

hills. The original upland plain has been largely destroyed by the 

erosion of Flint River, which crosses the county from north to south, 

and by its various tributaries. In the northeastern part, however, 

considerable stretches of the original plain remain.

Along the sides of Flint River valley lie two relatively narrow 

Pleistocene terrace plains, one 15 to 20 feet and the other 50 or 60 

feet above low-water level of the river. The maximum surface relief 

probably does not exceed 300 feet.

GEOLOGY.

Cretaceous strata underlie the whole county but come to the surface only in the northeast over about one-third the total area. Lower 

Cretaceous strata, which consist of coarse, irregularly bedded, arkosic 

sands and clays, outcrop farther north, in the adjoining county of 

Taylor, and dip slightly southward, passing beneath Upper Cretaceous 

deposits near the northern border of Macon County.
MAOON COUNTY. S29

The Lower Cretaceous strata are unconformably overlain by the 

Bipley formation of the Upper Cretaceous. The Cusseta sand member of the Bipley formation, which consists of several hundred feet of 

irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water origin, forms the 

basal portion of the formation. The Cusseta member is conformably 

overlain by several hundred feet of typical marine beds of the formation, which consist of dark sands, clays, and marls. These beds have 

not been traced eastward beyond Ideal, but it is thought that they 

merge in that direction into irregularly bedded shallow-water equivalents. However, their buried representatives preserve the characters 

of the member much farther eastward, as shown by the records of 

wells at Montezuma and Marshallville. In the west the typical 

marine beds are overlain by the Providence sand member of the formation, which consists of 150 feet or more of irregularly bedded sands 

and clays of shallow-water origin. Eastward the member thickens 

and includes in its basal portions shallow-water representatives of the 

typical marine beds.

The Bipley formation is overlain unconformably by Eocene strata, 

which appear at the surface over the southern part of the county. 

The Eocene deposits consist of sands and clays belonging chiefly to 

the Midway formation of the Eocene. However, the Wilcox formation is probably represented in the southwestern part of the county 

and the Claiborne and Jackson formations are believed to be represented in the southeast. A thin overlap of ferruginous sands belonging to the Claiborne group conceals the Cretaceous beds in the northeastern parts of the county. (See PL III, p. 52.)

Thin- Pleistocene terrace deposits overlie the Cretaceous and 

Eocene strata in narrow areas bordering Flint River.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Throughout the county supplies of water of good quality for 

domestic use are obtained chiefly from water-bearing beds in the Cretaceous or Eocene formation from dug, drilled, and bored wells 20 

to 500 feet in depth and from springs. Springs are numerous throughout the greater part of the region but are commonly small. (See 

p. 332.) Creeks and small branches furnish excellent waters in great 

abundance for stock and for making steam.

Both the Cretaceous and Eocene formation^ are composed largely 

of beds of porous sand capable of retaining large quantities of water. 

The prospects are favorable, therefore, in all parts of the county for 

obtaining artesian supplies from Cretaceous or Eocene sources. At 

Montezuma and Oglethorpe the Cretaceous beds are probably 

reached at a depth not greater than 160 feet. Flowing wells at these
330 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

places yield large quantities of water from beds in the Ripley formation. In the extreme southern part of the county it would be necessary to drill through 150 feet or more of Eocene strata before entering 

the Cretaceous beds.

Flowing wells can probably be obtained on the lowest terrace bordering Flint River at elevations not exceeding 40 or 50 feet above 

low-water level from the point where the river enters the county on 

the north to the southern boundary.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Oglethorpe (population 924, census of 1910). Oglethorpe, the 

county seat, is not provided with a water-supply system but owns a 

flowing artesian well in one of the business streets. (See PI. XXI, A.} 

No log is available but the well undoubtedly taps a water-bearing 

bed in the Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous. This well is 

used as a public drinking place for persons and animals. McCallie 

says:*

The deep well at Oglethorpe, the county seat of Macon County, which was sunk 

by the town authorities in 1894, has a depth of 500 feet and furnishes a strong flow. 

The strata penetrated in this well are said to be practically the same as in the Montezuma well.

An analysis of the water is given in Table 61 (analysis 4).

One other deep well at Oglethorpe is owned by Judge R,. L. Greer, 

who furnishes the following information:

The well is about 1,250 feet northwest of the post office and 50 or 

60 feet above low-water level of Flint River. It was drilled in 1909. 

Its depth is 446 feet and its diameter 3 inches from top to bottom, 

3-inch casing having been used for the entire depth. When the 

well was first drilled the water flowed 2J gallons per minute, 10 or 

12 inches above the surface, through a 2-inch pipe inserted within 

the 3-inch casing. The 2-inch pipe was removed and the water 

dropped to 6 or 8 feet below the surface, where it now stands. The 

well is fitted with a hand pump and a gasoline engine. The water 

is said to be somewhat ferruginous and sulphurous, but is used for 

general domestic purposes. The cost was about $550.

Montezuma (population 1,630, census of 1910). Mpntezuma owns 

a public water system, concerning which Mayor J. P. Walker furnishes the following information:

A pump with a capacity of 140 gallons per minute forces water 

obtained from flowing artesian wells to an elevated tank of 40,000 

gallons capacity, from which it is distributed to the consumers. The 

plant is equipped with another pump, having a capacity of 500 

gallons per minute, for applying direct pressure to the mains for fire 

protection. The tank pressure is 65 pounds and the direct pressure 

from the pump 75 pounds. The length of the distributing mains is

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 144,1908.
U. 8. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 341 PLATE XXI

A. PUBLIC FLOWING WELL AT OGLETHORPE, MACON COUNTY. 

Photograph by S. W. McCallie.

B. FLOWING WELL AT MONTEZUMA, MACON COUNTY. 

Static head is 60 feet above the surface. Photograph by S. W. McCallie.

MACOK COUKTY. 331

4 miles; the number of taps for domestic purposes is 195; for manufacturing purposes, 10; and there are 45 fire hydrants. The amount 

consumed daily is 150,000 gallons. An analysis of the water is given 

in Table 61 (analysis 2).

McCallie * states that 18 flowing wells, from 60 to 500 feet, have 

been drilled at Montezuma (PL XXI, B). He gives a log of the 

deepest one:

Log of well at Montezuma (No. S, Table 60). 

[Authority, E. J. Wilson, contractor.]

17. White clay... .......................................................................

15. Sand and clay. ......................................................................

12; Blue clay.. . .........................................................................

2. Clay.................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

6

12

2

30

10

15

20

60

5

30

120

40

2

4

60

64

16

4

Depth.

Feet. 

6

18

20

60

60

75

95

155

160

190

310

360

352

356

416

480

496

500

McCallie says further:

The first water-bearing stratum, struck at 60 feet, flowed 8 feet above the surface; 

the second water-bearing stratum, struck at 150 feet, flowed 20 feet above the surface; 

the third water-bearing stratum, struck at 350 feet, flowed 30 feet above the surface; 

the fourth water-bearing stratum, struck at 500 feet, flowed 62 feet above the surface.

Three of the Montezuma wells obtain their water supply from the first stratum, 

14 from the third, and 1 from the fourth. So abundant is the flow from the deep 

wells that an attempt was made to use the water to furnish power to operate a cotton 

gin, but the attempt was not successful. The total amount of water furnished daily 

by these wells is very great, and it must necessarily cause a very heavy draft on the 

water supply. Nevertheless, it is stated that there has not yet been any perceptible 

variation in the static head.

No fossils were preserved, so that an attempt to distinguish the 

formations penetrated can be nothing more than a rough guess based 

upon the descriptions of the materials as furnished by the driller. 

Layer 18 is probably Pleistocene terrace sand; layers 10 to 17, inclusive, are believed to belong to the Midway formation of the Eocene, 

although considerations based upon the depth at which the Cretaceous is struck in wells at Americus, Sumter County, throw some 

doubt upon this interpretation; layers 1 to 9, inclusive, probably 

belong to the Kipley formation of the Upper Cretaceous. Layers 1 to 

6, inclusive, probably represent the eastward buried extension of the 

typical marine beds of the Eipley formation. If these correlations

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 142,143,1908.
332 TJNDEKGKOTTND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

are correct the water-bearing strata at 60 and 150 feet are in the 

Midway formation, and those at 350 and 500 feet are in the Ripley 

formation of the Upper Cretaceous.

Six miles north of Montezuma. C. L. De Vaughn owns a well west 

of Flint River on the lowest Pleistocene terrace plain, 6 miles north of 

Montezuma. The well is 125 feet deep and is cased to 90 feet. The 

water flows 20 feet above the surface. The water-bearing stratum 

tapped is in the Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous, and the 

water is said to come from a bed of sand beneath a layer of clay. An 

analysis is given in Table 61 (analysis 3).

MarshaUville (population 1,082, census of 1910). The town of 

Marshallville does not own a municipal water-supply system. An 

attempt was made in 1901 to obtain a public supply from an artesian 

source, but on account of difficulties of construction the well was 

abandoned. The following account is furnished by McCallie: 1

The deep well at this place, put down by the town council in 1901 at a cost of about 

$1,200, has a depth of 397 feet. It is a 6-inch well, reduced to 3 inches near the bottom; 

it furnishes about 3,000 gallons per hour, the capacity of the pump. The water rises 

to within 121 feet of the surface.

McCallie gives the following log:

Log of abandoned town well at Marshallville (No. 1, Table 60).

Clay....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

25

65

95

45

40

60

60

10

10

7

Depth.

Feet.

OC

90

185

230

270

320

370

380

390

OQ7

The upper 25 feet of the materials described in the preceding log 

should probably be .referred to the Claiborne group of the Eocene. 

The strata from 25 to 370 feet probably belong to the Providence 

sand member of the Ripley formation; those from 370 to 397 feet 

are believed to represent the eastward buried extension of the 

typical marine beds of the Ripley formation.

One other well, reported from Marshallville, is owned by the Varn 

& Platt Co., of Savannah (No. 2, Table 60).

Miona Springs. Miona Springs is a group of small springs in a 

swamp bordering Flint River, 10 miles north of Oglethorpe. They 

are owned by the Miona Mineral Springs Co., of Fort Valley. The 

waters have reputed medicinal properties and the place is being conducted as a resort, hotel accommodations and cottages having been 

erected. The largest of the group yields 20 gallons per minute.

»Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 144,145,1908.
MACOET COUNTY. 333

TABLE 60. Wells in Macon County,

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Marshallville.........

Marshallville,250

yards south of post

office. 

Montezuma..........

Montezuma, 6 miles

north of. 

Oglethorpe...........

Town..............

Yarn & Platt Co. 

Savannah, Ga.

C. L. DeVaughn.... 

Town..............

R. L. Greer........

S.W.McCalliea... 

Milton T. Herman,

secretary Varn

& Platt Co. 

S.W.McCalliea..

1901

1909

Feet. 

500 

500

300±

Joseph Wilson, 

Montezuma.

J. S. Elmore, ordinary, and S. 

W.McCallie."

Owner...........

1894

1909

300±

300±

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal 

waterbearing

Depth

to

other 

waterbeds.

Level 

of

water 

above

or

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality^

Feet. 

397 

483

500

125

500

446

Inches. 

6 

4

Feet. 

390-397 

483

500

125

500

446

Feet. Feet. 121 Galls.

60

150

350

-120

+ 62

+ 20

+ 36

- 7

Galls. 

125

75 Air-comp r e s s o r 

pump.

Flows.............

.....do.............

70 .do.

Hand pump and 

gasoline engine.

See analysis 2, Table 

61.

See analysis 3, Table

61. 

See analysis 4, Table

61.

Slightly ferruginous 

' and sulphurous.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character,

Remarks.

Abandoned:......

Canning fruit and 

drinking.

Ripley formation., 

.....do............

Sand..

.do.

Drinking and domestic. 

Domestic..........

Sand... 

.....do..

.do.

Diameter reduced to 3 inches near the 

bottom. See log, p. 332.

Many flowing wells have been drilled 

at Montezuma. See log, p. 331.

2-inch casing to 300 feet. Cost of well,

$675. 

Originally flowed 2| gallons 1 foot above

surface. Cost of well, $550.

« Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 142-145,1908. 

TABLE 61. Analyses of underground waters from Macon County.

No.

1

?,

3

4

Date of 

collection.

Apr. 21,1911

Source.

Well of C. L.De 

Vaughn.

Location,

.....do.............

Monte z u m a, 6 

miles north of.

Principal waterbearing stratum.

tion. 

.....do...........

.....do........... 

.....do...........

Depth.

Feet. 

375

500

125 

500

Analyst.

Do. «

Do. 

H. C. White.a

"Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 142-144,1908.
334 TJlSTDEEGEOUlSrD WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIIST OF GEOEGIA.

TABLE 61. . of underground waters from Macon County Continued. 

[Parts per million.]

6

1

2

3

4

 MO

GQ

03

a

3

42

40

20

2

£

c| §£_l

M

0.4

03.1

18

Ia"

 i

o

14

13

6.4

6.7

"55

a

a

1

1C3

a

2.0

L5

1.6

3.2

"0?

g.

I

.5

m

6

22

g

03 -s

PM

0

5.3

8 0

40

0

"o

 3

S .

a>O

12- a

,S

o

0.0

.0

.'o5

 3

2^

"1°

§M,

C3

M

50

35

38

10

o

o

13

«i 1^

1,

S

5.0

12

.0

67

®

0

"°X

So

s^

. a

^

0.1

.....

1.5

-----

.

g

1

0

0

4.0

6.8

2.5

27

o'3

o ^

Is

|i

2o

.....

.....

T)

>

o

«s -31

1

^

110

138

132

158

Remarks.

The municipal supply comes

from the fourth water-bearing bed, the depth of which 

is 500 feet. Phosphate radicle (PO4)=2.4. Well 3,

Table 60.

Well 4, Table 60.

Well 5, Table 60.

MARION COUNTY.

GENEEAL FEATURES.

Marion County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 360 square miles and its population (census of 

1910) is 9,147. Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGEAPHY.

The county is included in the physiographic division of the Coastal 

Plain known as the fall-line hills. Its surface is hilly and forms part 

of a dissected upland plain. The county lies on the divide between 

Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, a part of the run-off being received 

by the former, through its tributary, Upatoi Creek, and the remainder 

passing into the latter through Whitewater, Bucks, Muckalee, and 

Kinchafoonee creeks. The maximum surface relief is probably not 

greater than 300 feet. The hills have rounded outlines and over 

much of the area their tops and slopes are blanketed with a thin covering of residual though more or less wind and torrent shifted sand.

GEOLOGY.

The materials which outcrop at the surface are in part Cretaceous 

and in part Tertiary. Along the extreme northwest border Lower 

Cretaceous sands and clays probably occupy small areas, for they 

outcrop in the southern part of the adjoining county of Talbot and 

clip slightly southeastward, disappearing beneath the Upper Cretaceous beds in the valley of Juniper Creek. The Lower Cretaceous 

deposits consist of several hundred feet of irregularly bedded, coarse 

arkosic sands with subordinate lenses of light massive clay. They 

rest upon crystalline basement rocks.

The Upper Cretaceous deposits have been referred in ascending 

order to the Eutaw and Eipley formations. The Eutaw formation
MARION COUNTY. 335

consists of irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water origin. 

The Eipley formation, which conformably overlies the Eutaw, is 

divisible on lithologic grounds into the Cusseta sand member, which 

consists of several hundred feet of irregularly bedded sands and clays 

similar to the sediments composing the Eutaw formation, the typical 

marine'beds of the Eipley formation, which consist of 450 or 500 

feet of massive, compact, gray sands and clays, more or less calcareous and glauconitic, with indurated layers at intervals, and at 

the top the Providence sand member, which consists of about 150 

feet of irregularly bedded sands and clays, mostly of coarse texture 

and of shallow-water origin. The Upper Cretaceous deposits all 

incline slightly to the southeast, the lower and older beds passing 

beneath the higher and younger beds.

The Upper Cretaceous deposits are unconformably overlain by 

sands and clays belonging to the Midway formation of the Eocene. 

(See PI. Ill, p. 52.)

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHAEACTEE.

Bug wells 15 to 140 feet deep, which tap water-bearing beds in the 

Cretaceous and Eocene deposits, are the chief source of domestic water 

supplies. Cribbing, generally of wood, is used to varying depths 

below the surface, depending upon the character of the materials. 

The water is commonly lifted by rope and bucket. In the outcrop 

of the typical marine beds of the Ripley formation the water from 

dug wells is apt to be more or less hard, ferruginous, and sulphurous. 

In the areas underlain by the Eutaw formation and by the Cusseta and Providence sand members of the Eipley formation the 

waters from dug wells are commonly soft and of good quality, 

although locally they are ferruginous and sulphurous. The log of one 

of the deeper dug wells follows, the owner being authority for the 

lithology:

Log of well of B. F. Duke, 8 miles northeast o/Buena Vista.

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member:

"Chalk" [clay]... ...................................................................

Thick-- 

ness.

Feet. 

12

80

12

36

Depth.

Feet. 

12

92

104

i/ift

Small springs of good quality are common throughout the county 

and where conveniently located are used for domestic supplies. The 

-municipal water supply of Buena Vista is obtained from springs. 

(See p. 336.)
336 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

The Cretaceous formations outcrop successively in descending order 

from the latitude of Buena Vista to the northern border of the 

county, and all of them underlie its southern part. The physical 

structure of the Cretaceous strata, except the typical marine beds of 

the Ripley formation, which contain a considerable percentage of 

lime, glauconite, and iron pyrites, is favorable to the retention of large 

quantities of good water. The chances are good, therefore, for obtaining artesian supplies at reasonable depths in any part of the 

county. In order to tap the Cretaceous water-bearing beds in the 

south it is necessary to drill through a probable maximum of 250 

feet of overlying Eocene strata. The Eocene beds probably carry 

moderate amounts of potable water. Flowing wells probably can 

not be obtained.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Buena Vista (population 1,016, census of 1910). Buena Vista, the 

county seat, owns a public water system, data concerning which have 

been'furnished by G. P. Munn and J. G. Lowe, both of Buena Vista. 

The supply is derived from Camp Ground Springs, a mile northwest 

of the town. The springs are at the head of a small valley and 

together yield 40 gallons per minute of clear, soft water. The water 

is pumped to a tank of 45,000 gallons capacity, located in the town, 

and is used for domestic purposes, fire protection, and sprinkling.

The springs emerge from the Providence sand member of the 

Ripley formation. An analysis is given in Table 62 (analysis 1).

Several attempts have been made to obtain artesian water. In 

one well 583 feet deep and 10 inches in diameter water rose to within 

240 feet of the surface.1 E. J. Wilson, the driller, furnished the 

following log:

Log of abandoned well at Biwna Vista, - 

[Authority, E. T. Wilson.]

Marl....................................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Flint....................................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

35

70

50

3

1

93

2

9

7

27

34

12

21

187

32

Depth.

Feet. 

35

105

155

15S

159

252

254

263

270

297

331

343

364

551

583

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 146,1908.
MAKION COUNTY. 337

McCallie adds:

Two water-bearing strata are reported in the well, one at 331 feet and the other at 

364 feet from the surface. The first of these beds is said to have yielded a large quantity of water, but it was found impossible to keep the bore hole from filling with 

quicksand. Several weeks were spent in trying to control the inflowing sand, but 

all efforts were unsuccessful. The quicksand was finally cased off and the well was 

continued to the depth of 583 feet, when the appropriation made by the town council 

was expended and the well was abandoned. The water-bearing strata of this well are 

Cretaceous.

The upper 105 feet of strata is referable to the Providence sand 

member of the Ripley formation, and the remainder of the section to 

the typical marine beds of the same formation.

Information concerning three unsuccessful attempts to develop a 

municipal water supply from an underground source at Buena Vista 

has been furnished by J. C. Butt, as follows:

Two of the wells were 240 feet deep and were cased to 219 feet with 

8-inch casing; water was obtained in quicksand at 227 feet. The 

third well was 800 feet deep and had 10-inch casing to 280 feet, 

8-inch casing to 360 feet, 6-inch casing to 760 feet, and 4J-inch casing 

to 800 feet. All three attempts failed because of the inability of the 

drillers to control the fine quicksand of the water-bearing beds. The 

total cost of the three attempts was $1,300.

The third well described by Butt is probably the one described by 

McCallie, although the two accounts differ as regards the depth of 

the well.

Dug wells 10 to 100 feet deep afford a part of the domestic water 

supply of the town. The largest supplies are said to come from 

depths of 30 to 40 feet, from which source the water is lifted by rope 

and bucket. Pumps are used in the deeper wells, which tap waterbearing beds in the Providence sand member of the Elpley formation.

Doyle. Eugene Dane, of Friendship, Sumter County, owns a deep 

well 1 mile west of Friendship and 5 or 6 miles south of Doyle, 

Marion County. T. J. James, the driller, gives the following information regarding the well:

The well was drilled in 1910, is 296 feet deep, and is cased with 

3-inch casing to 107 feet and with 2-inch casing the rest of the depth. 

Water rises to within 90 feet of the surface from a bed at the bottom 

of the well. The well is pumped with a gasoline engine and yields 

8 gallons per minute. The cost was $325. The water is used for 

domestic purposes. The well taps a water-bearing bed at either the 

base of the Midway formation or the top of the Elpley formation.

Spring near Tazewell. Mineral Spring, 4 miles northwest of Tazewell, has reputed medicinal properties. According to W. E. Pickard,

of Tazewell, it is in a small valley and is owned by Stewart & Wall of

Tazewell. A small quantity of ferruginous, sulphurous water is

38418° WSP 341 15 22
338 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

emitted. There are two cottages on the grounds and facilities for 

bathing. During the summer months people from the surrounding 

region camp in the vicinity of the spring.

Spring near Putnam. A spring of reputed medicinal properties, 

known as Mineral Spring and owned by Miss Ida Munro, rises in a 

grove on Springdale farm three-eighths of a mile west of Putnam. The 

owner states that the water emerges from sand through a 10-inch 

terra-cottar pipe inserted in the ground to a depth of 12 feet, and that 

a roof has been placed over the spring. The water is used only for 

drinking. The source of the spring is probably the Midway formation. An analysis of the water is given in Table 62 (analysis 2).

TABLE 62. Analyses of spring waters from Marion County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (Si02)............................................................................

Iron (Fe).......................................................... .....................

Calcium (Ca)... .........................................................................

1

5.4

.2

5.6

6.8

\ 21 / 21

.0

12

Trace.

50

20

103

2

4.4

7.0

.5

2.5

1 o

/ 5.6

\ 2.6

.0

26

.7

12

50

41

1. Water from one of Camp Ground Springs, 1 mile northwest of Buena Vista, which furnish the 

municipal water supply of Buena Vista. The springs emerge from the Providence sand member of the 

Ripley formation. Sample collected Apr. 20,1911; Edgar Ever hart, analyst.

2. Mineral spring at residence of Miss Ida Munro, Springdale farm, three-eighths of a mile west of 

Putnam. Source of spring, Midway formation. Analyzed in April, 1910, by Edgar Everhart.

MILLER COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Miller County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia in the V-shaped area formed by the junction of Chattahooch.ee 

and Flint rivers. Its area is 253 square miles and its population is 

7,986 (census of 1910).

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county lies within the physiographic division known as the 

Dougherty plain and presents the topographic features typical of that 

division.. The general surface is nearly level, but has numerous limesink depressions. Surface streams are few, the drainage being partly 

by underground streams through lime sinks. No exact determinations of elevation have been made, but the greater part of the surface 

is probably 125 to 200 feet above sea level.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) is the surface terrane throughout the county. It consists of 300 feet or more of sandy, cavernous,
MILLEE COUNTY. 339

water-bearing limestones which weather to red or yellow residual 

sands and clays containing fragments and masses of flint. Outcrops 

of unweathered limestone are rare.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 

undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age 

which contain water-bearing beds. Although no wells have penetrated below the Eocene within the county, it is believed that these 

deposits are underlain by 2,000 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls 

of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a deeply buried basement of 

ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous deposits contain important 

water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The domestic water supply of the county is obtained chiefly from 

dug wells 30 to 50 feet deep. With the exception of a few wells which 

draw from the underlying unweathered limestones of the Vicksburg 

formation, the source of the water is the residual sands and clays which 

compose the surface materials to varying depths. Artesian wells have 

been drilled at Colquitt and at Babcock.

The few small springs in the county are unimportant as sources of 

water supply. The waters of streams and ponds are used locally for 

stock and for boiler supply.

Abundant supplies of potable water can be obtained from deep 

wells anywhere, and on the low lands bordering Spring Creek flowing 

wells can probably be obtained from the deeply buried Eocene or Cretaceous deposits at 500 to 1,500 feet. This statement is based on the 

known static head of deep wells in Early, Baker, and Calhoun counties.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Colguitt (population 600, census of 1910). Colquitt, the county 

seat, owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from a 

deep well, completed in 1911, on low land near the Georgia, Florida & 

Alabama Railway in the eastern part of the town. The well is 246.5 

feet deep and the water stands within 16 feet of the surface. The 

maximum yield by pumping is about 500 gallons a minute. J. G. 

Chason, the driller, furnishes the following log from memory:

Log of town well at Colquitt (No. 3, Table 63}.

Thickness.

Feet. 

60

75

55

56

.5

Depth.

Feet. 

60

135

190

246

246.5
340 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The principal water-bearing bed is said to be at 140 feet and is 

probably in the Vicksburg formation. A sample collected from this 

well December 23, 1912, was analyzed by Edgar Everhart as follows:

Analysis of water from town well at Colquitt.

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiOa)................................................ 6.0

Iron (Fe).................................................. .5

Calcium (Ca)................................................ 40

Magnesium (Mg)............................................. 2. 5

Sodium and potassium (Na+K).............................. 6.0

Carbonate radicle (CO3)....................................... .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3 ).................................. 148

Sulphate radicle (SO4)....................................... Trace.

Nitrate radicle (NO,)........................................ .5

Chlorine (Cl) ................................................ 3.5

Total dissolved solids......................................... 129

Another well drilled by the town in 1900 is said to be 400 feet deep. 

Water stands within 56 feet of the surface. The surface at the mouth 

of this well is much higher than at the mouth of the new well, which 

accounts for the difference in the static head. The water is hard and 

is used only for domestic purposes.

Babcock (population 402, census of 1910). A well owned by the 

Babcock Bros. Lumber Co. at Babcock, a small town in the southern part of the county, is 300 feet deep. Water stands within 30 feet 

of the surface. It is used for domestic purposes and for stock, but is 

not suitable for boiler supply.

TABLE 63. Wells in Miller County.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5

No.

1

2

3

4

5

Location.

Babcoc

Colquit 

do

k. ............

t.. ...........

Colquitt (1 mile south 

of). 

Colquitt (4 miles 

southeast of).

Depth.

Feet. 

300 

.400

246J 

78

360

Diameter.

Inches. 

4 

3

8 

4

44

Owner.

Babcock Bros. Lumber Co.

.....do...------.-...

R. W. Or 

L. Cowar

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

140

75

300-350

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

150

aw........ 

t... ........

Level 

of

water 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

30 

56

16 

30

65

Driller.

J. G. Chason.... 

.....do..........

.....do..........

Yield per 

minute.'

Flow.

Galls.

Pump.

Galls.

75

500 

8

6

Authority.

R. 0. McNair..... 

O. 0. Bush.......

J. G. Chason. ..... 

.....do............

.....do............

How obtained.

Steam pump......

Suction pump. .... 

Gasoline force 

pump. 

.....do............

Date 

completed.

1901

1900 

1911 

1911

1911

Elevation 

above 

or 

below 

datum.

Feet.

a+25 

b-20 

c+42 

or 50

Quality.

Hard. 

Ferruginous, sulphurous, hard. 

See analysis above. 

Hard.

Do.

<* Datum, surface at railroad station.

6 Datum, surface at courthouse.

« Datum, low-water level of Spring Creek,
MITCHELL COUNTY. 

TABLE 63. Wells in Miller County Continued.

341

No.

1

2

3

4 

5

Use.

.....do............

Municipal supply .

Domestic, manufacturing.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Vicksburg formation.

Vicksburg formation. 

.....do............

Character.

Sand and rock....

White limestone . . 

Marl..............

Remarks.

Diameter at top 6 inches, at bottom 4 

inches. 

Costofwell$700; cost of machinery $200. 

Diameter at top 4 inches, at bottom 

3 inches. 

8-inch casing to 135 feet, see log, p. 339.

4-inch casing to 60 feet. Cost of well $160. 

4J-inch casing to 240 feet.

MITCHELL COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Mitchell County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 548 square miles and its population is 22,114 

(census of 1910). Agriculture and lumbering are the chief industries. 

Near Dewitt and Baconton the cultivation of pecans is an important 

and growing industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

A nearly level plain, 5 to 15 miles wide and 150 to 170 feet above 

sea level, lies east of and approximately parallel to Flint River, which 

forms the western boundary of the county. This area, which falls 

within the physiographic division known as the Dougherty plain, is 

characterized by numerous lime sinks and lime-sink ponds and by 

the almost total absence of surface streams, the drainage being chiefly 

underground. In narrow areas bordering the river the plain is 

modified by two more or less clearly defined Pleistocene terraces, one 

lying 15 to 20 feet and the other 50 to 60 feet above low-water level.

The remainder of the county, in the east and southeast, is an 

upland estimated to be 300 to 375 feet above sea level, the surface of 

which is characterized by low rounded hills and broad shallow valleys. 

This area lies in the physiographic division called the Altamaha 

upland or long-leaf pine region. The Altamaha upland is separated 

from the Dougherty plain to the west by a relatively abrupt escarpment, which is expressed in the grade of the Atlantic Coast Line 

Railroad between Camilla and Pelham.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation is the surface terrane throughout the 

greater part of an area 5 to 15 miles wide which borders Flint River 

and is coextensive with the Dougherty plain. It consists of 300 feet 

or more of cavernous water-bearing limestones, which weather at 

the surface to residual sands and clays containing fragments and
342 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

masses of flint. The unweathered limestones outcrop in places in 

the channel and banks of Flint River. The formation extends eastward and underlies the entire county.

The Chattahoochee formation, which consists of 100 feet or less of 

limestones, overlies the Vicksburg formation, and the residual sands 

and clays to which the limestones weather outcrop in the face of the 

escarpment which separates the Altamaha upland from the Dougherty 

plain and which extends northeast and southwest through the county. 

The Chattahoochee formation is overlain by the Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or less of sands and clays and which 

also outcrops in a narrow belt in the escarpment.

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays of undetermined age, which outcrop 

throughout the remainder of the Altamaha upland in the eastern 

and southeastern parts of the county.

Thin terrace deposits of sand and clay of Pleistocene age occupy 

narrow areas bordering Flint River.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 

undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, 

which contain water-bearing beds. No definite confirmatory evidence 

is available, but it is believed that the Eocene deposits are underlain 

by 2,000 feet or more of sands, clays, and marls of Cretaceous age, 

which rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks and which 

doubtless contain important water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells, 20 to 50 feet deep, are the chief source of domestic water 

supply. Most of them yield soft waters, although ia the western part 

of the county some penetrate the unweathered limestones of the 

Vicksburg formation and yield hard waters. During times of drought 

some of the shallow wells fail.

Deep wells have been drilled at Camilla, Pelham, and Flint.

Limestone springs emerging from the Vicksburg formation occur 

along Flint River. Seepage springs are abundant in the eastern 

part of the county in the region of outcrop of the Alum Bluff formation and the overlying sands and clays. Springs, however, are relatively unimportant.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,500 

feet or more. Waters from the Vicksburg formation, which in the 

western part of the county extends from the surface to a depth of 300 

feet or more, and which in the east would probably be encountered 

at depths of 200 to 500 feet, will be hard. Those obtained at greater 

depths from the Eocene or Cretaceous deposits might be softer than 

the Vicksburg waters.
MITCHELL COUNTY. 343

Although no flowing wells have been reported, it is believed that 

flows can be obtained on the Dougherty plain in the west at depths 

of 500 to 1,500 feet or more. In the region of the Altamaha upland 

in the east flowing wells probably can not be obtained.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Camilla (population 1,827, census of 1910). A well owned by the 

city, completed in 1904, is 297 feet deep and yields hard water, which 

stands within 50 feet of the surface. The well is said to penetrate 

chiefly limestones, probably belonging to the Vicksburg formation, 

from 100 feet to the bottom. Water is pumped at the rate,of 300 

gallons per minute, an amount sufficient for the needs of the town. 

The following analysis of a sample collected from this well June 7, 

1911, was made by Edgar E verb art:

Analysis of water from city well at Camilla.

Parts per million. 

Silica (Si02)................................................... 23

Iron (Fe)..................................................... .8

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 46

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 1.0

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)............................... 3.0

Carbonate radicle (C03 )........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03 )................................... 150

Sulphate radicle (S04 )........................................ 5.0

Nitrate radicle (N08 )......................................... .4

Chlorine (Cl).................................................. 2.0

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 137

Another well owned by the town is 396 feet deep (No. 1, Table 64).

Pelham (population 1,880, census of 1910). The public water supply at Pelham is obtained from a drilled well 728 feet deep. The 

elevation at the mouth of the well is 355 feet above sea level and the 

water is said to stand within 215 feet of the surface. The water is 

moderately hard, but is considered satisfactory for general purposes.

J. H. Chandler, one of the drillers, furnishes the following log:

Log of town well, Pelham.

Hard gray rock with flint bowlders... . ..................................................

Very hard " granite " rock, water bearing in upper 1 foot ................................

Shell formation, water bearing ...........................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

153

22

195

80

5

185

10

50

28

Depth.

Feet. 

153

175

370

450

455

640

650

700

728

McCallie 1 mentions a well at Pelham 293 feet deep, in which limestone probably belonging to the Chattahoochee formation was struck 

at 180 feet.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 147,1908.
344 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Flint (population 105, census of 1910). According to T. B. White, 

postmaster, four nonflowing wells at Flint range in depth from 180 to 

700 feet.

TABLE 64. Wells in Mitchell County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Camilla..............

.....do...............

Mint................

Pelham (J mile north 

of).

Town.........

.....do........

G. C. Cochran. 

Town.........

M. A.Jarrard... 

J. D. Pitts......

F. T! White & 

Co.; J. H. 

Chandler and 

C. E. Edwards 

drillers ,in 

charge.

Lena Brimberry.. 

T. B. Perry.......

Thos. B. White... 

J. H. Chandler and 

the mayor.

1904

Feet. 

177

167

168

366

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depth

to

other 

waterbeds.

Level 

of

water 

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Plow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet. 

396 

297

180

728

Inches. Feet. 

396 

297

Feet.

140

Feet. 

60 

60

Galls. Galls. 

600 

300

700-728J

370-371 

460-456 

640-660

215 350

Air-lift pump..... 

.....do............

Hand pump......

(Air-comp r e s s o r 

\ pump..........

Hard.

Hard; see analyi 

p.343.

Soft.

JModerately hard.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Domestic, manufacturing.

Domestic, manufacturing, boiler 

supply.

Domestic.........

Eocene?.

Vicksburg formation.

.....do............

Limestone. 

Rock......

Municipal supply. Eocene. Shell formation.

8-inch casing to 396 feet. Cost of well,

$1,200; of machinery, $1,000. 

8-inch casing to 210 feet.

4 deep wells at Flint from 180 to 700 feet

deep. 

153 feet of 10-inch casing. See log, p. 343.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY.1 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Montgomery County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Oconee River, which flows through its center, and Ocmulgee River, which forms part of its southern boundary, unite at the 

southeast corner to form Altamaha River. The area of the county 

is 591 square miles and the population is 19,638 (census of 1910).

i Under this heading is included a portion of Montgomery County which has been segregated and 

organized as Wheeler County since this report was transmitted for publication.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 345

The production of lumber and naval stores and the cultivation of 

cotton and corn are the principal industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The interstream areas are rolling to hilly, forming a part of the 

physiographic division known as the Altamaha upland. Although 

few exact determinations of level have been made, it is probable that 

the upland lies 250 to 300 feet above sea level. Low-water level at 

the junction of Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers is approximately 80 feet 

above sea level. Each of the rivers named is bordered by two more 

or less clearly defined Pleistocene terrace plains, one 10 to 20 feet 

and the other 40 to 50 feet above low-water level. The lower plain 

is covered in part by swamps and is subject in part to overflow. 

Little Ocmulgee River, which forms the Western boundary, is bordered 

on the east by a belt of sand hills, one-half to 1| miles wide, rising 

50 to 75 feet above the streams. Cypress ponds and tracts of densely 

wooded seepage areas known as bays at the heads of branches and 

creeks are common in the south.

GEOLOGY.

The surface deposits throughout the interstream areas consist of 

100 feet or less of irregularly bedded sandy clays and sands with 

subordinate interbedded layers of argillaceous sandstone. They are 

underlain by 100 feet or more of soft sandy clays and sands, in part 

water bearing, with interbedded thin layers of sandstone and 

quartzite that belong to the Alum Bluff formation. These strata 

outcrop in the valleys of Oconee, Ocmulgee, and Little Ocmulgee 

rivers.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by 400 feet or more .of 

limestones with interbedded layers of calcareous sandstone and 

marl (see log, p. 346), which probably represent in descending order 

the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and 

perhaps the Jackson formation of the Eocene. These formations 

contain water-bearing beds.

Beneath the limestones in descending order are a series of sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age which probably have an aggregate thickness of 1,500 feet or more and which rest upon a basement 

of ancient crystalline rocks. These deposits' contain important 

water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the chief sources of water for 

domestic use. Artesian wells have been drilled at Mount Vernon, 

McArthur plantation, Higgston, Ochwalkee, and near Soperton.
346 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

Small seepage springs occur throughout the county but are of little 

importance. The waters of many of them, especially those in the 

swamps, after contact with the air have a film of iron oxide over the 

surface and taste strongly of iron. (See analyses 1 and 2, Table 66.) 

The water of streams and ponds can be used for stock and for boiler 

supply.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,500 

feet or more. Flows can be obtained on the terrace plains bordering 

Ocmulgee and Oconee rivers and in the valleys of their large 

tributaries.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Mount Vernon (population 605, census of 1910). The town has a 

public water-supply system, owned by W. C. McRae and others, 

which draws from a flowing artesian well 300 feet deep. The water 

is reported hard. The daily consumption is 7,000 gallons.

McArihur plantation. The McArthur plantation is in the southern 

part of Montgomery County about 5 miles northeast of Lumber City 

(Telfair County). An artesian well at this place is 900 feet deep, 

and the water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. The water is 

soft and for general purposes is superior to the artesian waters from 

more shallow depths in this part of the Coastal Plain. (See analysis 3, 

Table 66.) McCallie * has published the following log:

Log of well on McArthur plantation (No. 2, Table 65).

Red clay . . ..............................................................................

Flint....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

4

16

10

220

100

150

2

23

100

265

10

Depth.

Feet. 

4

20

30

250

350

500

502

525

625

890

900

The well probably penetrates to the lower part of the Eocene 

deposits.

Higgston (population 207, census of 1910). The principal sources 

of water supply at Higgston are shallow dug wells. An artesian well, 

owned by T. M. Barker, is 353 feet deep and contains water that 

rises to within 73 feet of the surface. An analysis of water from a 

small spring near Higgston, owned by Mr. W. R. Calhoun, is given 

in Table 66 (analysis 1).

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 150,151,1908.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 347

Ochwalkee. Ochwalkee is a small station on the Seaboard Air Line 

Railway on the west side of Oconee River. An artesian well near 

the station, owned by the Hilton & Dodge Lumber Co., is 228 feet 

deep and flows 20 feet above the surface.

Soperton (population 449, census of 1910). J. F. Wooten, a well 

contractor, states that a flowing artesian well t>n the A. B. Conner 

estate, 7 miles southwest of Soperton, is 240 feet deep. Its mouth 

is about 25 feet above the level of Oconee River, and the water, 

which rises 8 feet above the surface, flows 25 gallons a minute. The 

principal water-bearing bed is said to be a soft rock at 235 feet. The 

water is used for domestic purposes and for boiler supply at a sawmill.

McRae. Two flowing wells a mile east of McRae (Telfair County) 

on the east side of Little Ocmulgee River near the wagon bridge, in 

Montgomery County, are reported to be 140 feet deep.

Ribbee. An analysis of water from a small spring near Kibbee, 

owned by Mrs. N. H. Mason, is given in Table 66 (analysis 2).

TABLE 65. Wells in Montgomery County.

No.

1

2

3

4 

5 

6

No.

1 

2

3

4 

5 

6

Location.

Higgstt 

McArtt 

5 mil 

Lum 

McRae 

Cou 

east 

Mount

Ochwa

Sopertc 

south

Depth.

Feet. 

353 

900

140 

300 

228 

240

>n. ............

IUT plantation, 

ss northeast of 

ber City. 

(Telf a ir 

a t y ) , 1 mile 

of. 

Vernon. .......

n, 7 miles 

west of.

Diameter.

Inches. 

6 

3

3

2J

Owner.

T. M. Barker........

W. C. McRae and 

others. 

Hilton & Dodge 

Lumber Co. 

A. B. Conner estate. .

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

890-900

235

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

419

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. -73 

-60

+17 

+20 

+ 8

Driller.

..................

J. F. Wootten...

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

25 

25

Pump.

Galls.

Authority.

S. W. McCalliea.. 

.....do............

S. W. McCalli 

J. F. Wootten

How obtained.

Flo

do... ......

.....do............

.....do............

Date 

completed.

1902

1910

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet.

247

(")

Quality.

See analysis 3. Table 

66.

Hard. 

Sulphurous.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 150-151,1908.

& Elevation about 25 feet above low-water level of Oconee River.
348 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 65. Wells in Montgomery County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5 

6

Use.

Municipal supply. 

Domestic.........

Domestic, boiler 

supply.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Alum Bluff formation? 

Vicksburg formation? 

Vicksburg formation. 

.....do............

Character.

Remarks.

Limestone at 350 feet. See log, p. 346, 

Another similar well.

2|-inch casing, 170 feet; 4-inch casing, 

40 feet. Cost of well, $350.

TABLE 66. Analyses of underground waters from Montgomery County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

9,

3

6

fc

1

2

3

Date of 

collection.

Oct., 1909

Apr. 17,1911

0

s.

02

10

12

17

b

g

M

30

.5

1.4

a

0

EJ

-1)

Tr.

0.2

.....

Source.

Spring of W. A.

Calhoun.

N. H. Mason.

Well............

"3" 

o

a3

0

0.7

1.6

16

a 

£J

.y

§

a

0.1

.6

4.0

'a

a3

CQ

1.9

1.5

Location.

Kihbftp

tion, 5 miles

northeast of

Lumber City.

M

8

-2

Pn

Tr.

0.8

32

5 o

In

0

 s

O

1.0

£

o

^^A

|»

S

W

36

33

159

«

o

1~

|£

_g,

DQ

Tr.

1.4

2.0

Principal waterbearing stratum.

its.

mation?

.

O

 ^H

I?

^

1"

J

&

0.1

5

 ^

o

2.8

4.0

9.0

-S

2r

II

^

-----

Depth.

Feet.

890-900

o

<A &

isS

H

86

27

183

Analyst.

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

Well 2, Table 66.

MTJSCOGEE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Muscogee County is in the western part of Georgia on the border 

between the Piedmont Plateau and the Gulf Coastal Plain. Its area 

is 235 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 36,227. 

Columbus, the county seat, is its only municipality. The chief 

industries at Columbus are the manufacture of cotton goods, the extraction of cottonseed oil, the manufacture of carriages, wagons, and 

implements, and the manufacture of fertilizers. Outside of Columbus 

agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

More than the southern half of the county is in the Gulf Coastal 

Plain and the remainder is in the Piedmont Plateau. The surface
MUSCOGEE COUNTY. 349

in general is hilly. The Piedmont portion of the area is more rugged 

and slightly higher than the Coastal Plain portion. The Coastal Plain 

area is in the main a strongly dissected upland plain and is included 

in the physiographic division of the Coastal Plain known as the f allline hills. In limited areas bordering Chattahoochee River, from 

Columbus southward, the hilly upland topography has been modified 

by Pleistocene terracing processes, which have produced two terrace 

plains, one (the Satilla) lying 40 or 45 feet above low-water level 

of the river and the other (the Okefenokee) lying 135 or 140 feet 

above the same datum. The greatest recorded altitude in the county 

is in the Piedmont area in the vicinity of Fortson, about 11 miles 

north of Columbus, where the elevation above sea level is 650 feet. 

Elevations as great as 550 feet are recorded in the northern part of 

the portion of the county in the Coastal Plain.

The county is drained by Chattahoochee River, the principal tributaries of which are Upatoi, Bull, and Standing Boy creeks. The 

maximum topographic relief is approximately 400 feet.

*

GEOLOGY.

Crystalline rocks appear at the surface in the Piedmont Plateau in 

the northern part of the county in an irregular belt 2 to 10 miles wide. 

The crystalline rocks dip southward 50 to 60 feet to the mile and pass 

beneath the deposits of the Coastal Plain, forming the base upon 

which the latter rest.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which constitute the greater part 

of the sediments of the Coastal Plain, consist of coarse arkosic sands 

and gravels, with interbedded lenses of light drab to white massive 

clays, which rest upon the crystalline basement rocks. The deposits, which attain a maximum thickness of 350 or 400 feet along the 

southern edge of the area, pass southward unconformably beneath 

the Eutaw formation of the Upper Cretaceous. The Lower Cretaceous deposits carry large quantities of water of excellent quality. 

The Eutaw formation outcrops in an irregular detached area 1 or 2 

miles wide and about 10 miles long, north of Upatoi Creek, capping 

the hills to a maximum thickness of about 140 feet. The formation 

consists of sands and clays more or less calcareous and glauconitic. 

(See PI. Ill, p. 52.)

A Pleistocene terrace plain (the Satilla), lying 40 or 45 feet above 

low-water level and having a width of 1 to 2| miles, borders Chattahoochee River in the west. This plain is the upper surface of a Pleistocene terrace deposit of clays, loams, sands, and gravels 20 to 40 

feet thick, which rests upon the planed-off surface of Lower Cretaceous strata. Small areas of a similar but older terrace plain (the 

Okefenokee) northeast and east of Columbus, 135 to 140 feet above
350 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

the low-water level-of the river, also rest upon planed-off Lower 

Cretaceous strata. Coarse sands and gravels at the base of the 

Pleistocene deposits carry large quantities of water.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Outside the corporate limits of Columbus, in the Coastal Plain, 

water for domestic purposes is obtained chiefly from dug wells, few 

of which exceed 100 feet in depth. On the terraces bordering Chattahoochee River the wells, as a rule, do not exceed 30 or 40 feet in depth 

and derive their supplies from the sands and gravels at the base of the 

Pleistocene terrace deposits. In the hilly region east of the Chattahoochee Valley it is necessary at many places to sink the wells to 

greater depths.

Small springs are common in the hilly portions of the county and 

are used to some extent. Numerous small creeks and brooks furnish 

an abundant supply of excellent water for stock and for steam 

production.

The waters of both wells and springs are soft and, unless insanitary 

conditions exist at the surface in their immediate vicinity, are of 

excellent quality for domestic uses. Shallow wells and springs near 

stables or dwellings are liable to pollution unless the water-bearing 

strata are protected from surf ace' seepage by overlying impervious 

strata of clay or rock and unless water-tight cribbings and casings 

extend from the surface down to such protecting strata.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits carry large quantities of soft water, 

except along the northern border of the Coastal Plain, where the 

terrane feathers out against the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont. 

The quantity of water contained in the formation increases down the 

dip of the beds, and in the extreme southwestern part of the county 

the amounts available are very great.

The maximum thickness of the deposits in the extreme southwest 

is estimated to be about 375 feet. Test wells near the mouth of Bull 

Creek draw from Lower Cretaceous beds. If these wells were 3 or 4 

miles farther south they would probably supply much larger quantities.

Flowing wells can be obtained on the lowest Pleistocene terrace 

bordering the river from Bull Creek southward to Upatoi Creek and 

probably in the bottom lands of Upatoi Creek for several miles above 

its junction with the river.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Columbus (population 20,554, census of 1910). Columbus is provided with a water-supply system, owned by the Columbus Water-
MTJSCOGEE COUNTY. 351

works Co. The following information_was furnished by Maj. W. S. 

.Greene, of Columbus, who was acting as receiver for the company. ~~

The municipal'water supply is derived in part from two spring 

branches in Lee County, Ala., 4 miles west of the city, and in part 

from Chattahoochee River; that derived from the former source is 

impounded in two reservoirs having a combined capacity of 63,000 

gallons. From these reservoirs the water is conducted through a 

12-inch pipe by gravity to settling basins at the nitration plant in 

the city. The portion derived from Chattahoochee River is lifted 

by means of an electric pump to the settling basins, where the mixed 

water from both sources is treated with alum as a preliminary to 

nitration, which is done with four units of the rapid sand type, manufactured by the New York Continental Jewell Filtration Co., each 

with a daily capacity of 500,000 gallons. After nitration the water 

passes into two clear-water basins having a combined capacity of 

120,000 gallons, from which it is forced by an electric pump having a 

capacity of 1,200 gallons per minute into the standpipe whose base 

is 85 feet above the terrace plain upon which the business part of the 

city is situated. The standpipe itself is 120 feet high and has a 

capacity of 280,000 gallons. The standpipe pressure is 85 pounds 

and the direct pressure 100 pounds per square inch. The total length 

of the distributing mains is 30^ miles; the number of taps for domestic 

purposes is 2,241, and for manufacturing purposes 55; there are 174 

fire hydrants. The daily consumption for domestic purposes is 

925,000 gallons, and for manufacturing purposes 425,000 gallons. 

The water derived from the spring branches is soft.

During recent years a determined effort was made by the Hudson 

Engineering Co., of New York City, under contract with the city of 

Columbus, to secure sufficient water from an underground source to 

supply the city. The contract specified that the well or wells must 

show an output of 5,000,000 gallons daily during one week of continuous pumping. The place selected for the test wells was a tract of 

land on either side of Bull Creek, near its junction with Chattahoochee 

River, about 2| to 3^ miles southeast of the post office. The surface 

here is part of the lowest Pleistocene terrace plain bordering Chattahoochee River, the general elevation of which is about 50 feet above 

low-water level of the river and between 230 and 240 feet above sea 

level.

N. W. Wood, constructing engineer, who had immediate charge of 

the work for the company, furnished the information here given concerning the results of the undertaking. The last detailed information received from Mr. Wood was in February, 1911, at which time 36 

8-inch wells had been completed. The work was still in progress 

and several additional wells were contemplated. Data regarding 

the 36 wells are given in the following table:
352 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

Data of test wells near Columbus.

No. of well.

lo. ............

2...............

3..... .........

4...............

5...............

6...............

7...............

8...............

9...............

10................

11...............

12...............

13...............

146.............

15...............

16c'.. ...........

17*.............

18*.............

19*.............

Total 

depth.

Feet. 

250

9CC

260

OC7

260

270

265

266.5

260

261

262

248

260

275

296

261

262

262

Depth to

basement 

rock.

Feet. 

]73

188

203

1QS

9ift

190

200

180

180

171

185.5

195

211.5

201

215

931

225

Approximate 

elevation of 

mouth of 

well above 

sea level.

Feet. 

218?

226. 75?

9QQ?

OQQ OK

OQ5 K

9*M 7K

235

99ft OK?

oo/i OK

233. 75

909 7K

0^9 K

901 t9

234.75

230.25

232

233.25

9DQ

233.5

No. of well.

20.............

21.............

22.............

23.............

24.............

25.............

26.............

97

28.............

29.............

30.............

31.............

32.............

33«. ..........

34.............

35.............

36/.. .........

37.............

Total 

depth.

Feet. 

262

262.5

263

262

267

267

225

216

241

247

248

227.6

282

300

293

Depth, to 

basement 

rock.

Feet. 

224

225

227

OOA

228

245

242

225

216

241

222

247

248

227.6

232

222

223

Approximate 

elevation of 

mouth of 

well above 

sea level.

Feet. 

232.5

232.25

230

230.5

228.75

226.5

227

230. 25

228

552

222

232.75

234.75

242.25

224. 75

217. 25

217. 75

226.75

a One water horizon only, 98 to 103 feet.

6 Also known as No. 5A.

c Trace of gas in granite.

* Flowed about 10 gallons a minute when first drilled.

« A proposed well.

/ Slight surface flow from rock.

The distribution of wells 1 to 26 is shown in figure 4. The. exact 

location of the remaining 10 wells has not been learned, but they are 

south of Bull Creek, in the southeastern part of the area shown on 

the map.

The wells range in depth from 216 to 300 feet and the crystalline 

basement rocks were struck at depths of 171 to 248 feet. The 

logs of two of the wells follow:

Log of test well No. 11, at Columbus.

Lower Cretaceous (except about 25 feet of undifferentiated Pleistocene material at top): 

Clay................................................................................

Clay, light in color ..................................................................

Sand...............................................................................

Basement rocks:

Hard crystalline rock ...............................................................

Thickness.

Feet.

KR

34

10

3

4

6

9

10

9

10

3

2

13

29

59

Depth.

Feet. %R

60

94

104

107

111

117

126

136

145

155

158

160

173

202

261
MUSCOGEE COUNTY. 

Log of test well No. 25, near Columbus.

353

Pleistocene (terrace deposit): 

Clay................................................................................

Sand and gravel........ ............................... ....... ...... . ........

Lower Cretaceous: 

White sand rock. ...................................................................

Brown sand rock. ...................................................................

White sand rock ....................................................................

Brown sand rock. ...................................................................

Yellow sandy clay , soft and sticky ..................................................

White sand, water bearing ..........................................................

Blue sandy clay. ....................................................................

Yellow clay .........................................................................

Blue sandy clay. ....................................................................

Red clay, shaly .....................................................................

Gray sandy clay, lead color .........................................................

Basement rocks:

Thickness.

Feet. 

17

10

4

7

8

9

8

21

19

8

9

8

5

9

9

14

11

4

16

5

5

9

5

11

5

17

Depth.

Feet. 

17

27

31

38

46

55

69

77

98

117

125

134

142

147

156

179

190

91 A

215

220

229

OOd

245

OKfi

267

Mr. Wood states that two or three water-bearing beds were encountered at various depths in each of the wells Nos. 1 to 26 except 

No. 1, in which there was but one bed. 

The water was admitted to the casings 

by means of strainers inserted at the 

water-bearing beds, the length of the 

strainers being determined by the thickness of the beds. When first drilled, 

the water in each of the 26 wells rose to 

within 20 feet or less of the surface, and 

three of the wells, Nos. 17, 18, and 19, 

flowed aboutlOgallonsperminuteeach. 

The strainers, however, permitted the 

water from the lower beds to drain into 

the upper nonflowing beds and the flows 

ceased. In general the deeper the waterbearing bed the greater the yield.

During the progress of the work a test was made of the combined 

capacity of wells Nos. 1 to 28. Water was pumped by air lift for 144 

consecutive hours at about 3,000,000 gallons per 24 hours, at which 

rate the static head was lowered to about 125 feet below the surface. 

Three-fifths of the water stipulated in the contract was thus produced.

38418° wsr 341 16 23

0 5001.000 1,760 3^20

FIGURE 4. Sketch map showing distribution of test wells near Columbus.
354 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Although the yield, as shown by the test, was less than that 

required, it was more than twice as great as that now consumed 

daily by the city, and if maintained continuously would supply the 

city's needs for many years to come. These wells, however, are 

only 3 miles south of the fall line, and the catchment area is therefore relatively small. It seems possible that the water table would 

be gradually lowered until eventually the reservoir would be 

exhausted.

The following is a mineral analysis of water from test well No. 35, 

collected March 27, 1911, and analyzed by Edgar Everhart. The 

sample probably consisted of a mixture of water from several 

beds between 100 and 232 feet, all of which belong to the Lower 

Cretaceous.

Analysis of water from test well No. 35 near Columbus.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiOa)................................................. 52

Iron (Fe)..'................................................... 1.0

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 37

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 6. 8

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)............................... 47

Carbonate radicle (CO3)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3). .................................. 88

Sulphate radicle (S04). ......................................... 75

Nitrato radicle (NO3).......................................... .0

Chlorine (Cl)................................................. 38

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 314

The water from the wells is said to have been used in some of the 

boilers at the plant for 18 months without forming any appreciable 

scale.

Had these test wells been located several miles farther south in 

southern Muscogee County or eastern Chattahoochee County, where 

the Lower Cretaceous deposits have increased to nearly double their 

thickness at the mouth of Bull Creek, the supply of water obtainable would have been much larger and there would probably have 

been no danger of exhausting the reservoir by heavy pumping.

So far as reported, no shallow wells are used for domestic purposes 

within the corporate limits of Columbus. On a thickly inhabited 

plain, such as that on which the business part of the city stands, 

water from shallow depths is peculiarly liable to contamination.

That a large supply of water may be obtained from shallow sources 

within the city limits is certain, as shown by the following data of 

wells at the plant of Golden's Foundry & Machine Co., furnished 

by I. E. Golden, secretary and treasurer:
PIERCE COUNTY. 355

The wells, five in number, are located on block No. 12, between 

Cemetery Street and Sixth Avenue and between Fifteenth Street and 

the Central of Georgia Railway. They are all dug and range in depth 

from 32 to 36 feet, reaching but not entering the crystalline basement 

rocks. The water comes from sand and gravel beneath beds of sand 

and clay at the base of the Pleistocene terrace deposits or in Lower 

Cretaceous deposits, a few feet of which may intervene between the 

basement rocks and the overlying terrace deposits. It stands 6 to 8 

feet below the surface during wet seasons and at greater depths during 

dry seasons. The yield varies greatly with the seasons, but the 

minimum available from the five wells is 150 gallons per minute. 

The water is obtained by suction pumps.

PIERCE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Pierce County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Blackshear, the county seat, is on the Atlantic Coast Line 

Railroad, 87 miles southwest of Savannah. The area is 605 square 

miles and the population is 10,749 (census of 1910). Agriculture 

and the production of lumber and naval stores are the chief industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county from a few miles southeast of the Atlantic Coast Line 

Railroad northwestward is a slightly undulating upland, 100 to 200 

feet above sea level, which forms part of the physiographic division 

known as the Altamaha upland or long-leaf pine region. The 

remainder of the county, in the southeast and south, is a flat, poorly 

drained plain 60 to 100 feet above sea level, forming a part of the 

physiographic division known as the Okefenokee plain. Small 

cypress ponds and swampy saw-palmetto and gallberry flats are 

numerous.

GEOLOGY.

In the western part of the county the surface deposits consist of 

100 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays, in. part water 

bearing, probably of Oligocene age. In the central and north-central 

parts of the county similar undifferentiated deposits of Miocene to 

Pleistocene age outcrop. (See geologic map, PL III.) The remainder 

of the county is covered by sands and clays of Pleistocene age, 

probably not exceeding 50 feet in thickness. The undifferentiated 

Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits and the known Pleistocene sands 

and clays are the source of the waters obtained in shallow wells.
356 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. .

The series of Tertiary deposits probably includes in descending 

order representatives of the Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, and Eocene. 

(See logs of wells at Offerman, pp. 357-358, at Doctortown, Wayne 

County, pp. 452-453, and at Waycross, Ware County, pp. 437-439.) 

The upper 420 or 450 feet of these deposits consists of sands and 

greenish or drab sandy clays, with subordinate layers of limestone, 

phosphatic sand, or sandy shell marl and gravel. There follows 255.5 

feet of limestones interbedded with layers of sand and shell marl, 

which may represent in descending order the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, Vicksburg, and perhaps also the Jackson formation. (See 

log at Offerman, p. 358.) Nothing definite is known concerning the 

deposits below the limestone, but it is believed that they include in 

descending order older Eocene and Cretaceous strata, which at an 

unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, rest upon a basement of 

ancient crystalline rocks.

The Tertiary deposits and probably also the Cretaceous deposits 

contain important water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Wells of the dug and driven types ranging in depth from 10 to 30 

feet are the principal source of domestic water supply. Two artesian 

wells have been drilled at Offerman.

The springs of the county are small and unimportant as sources of 

supply.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,500 feet or more. It is probable that the static head of 

deep wells located on the lowlands bordering Satilla and Little 

Ocmulgee rivers in the southern and eastern parts of the county will 

be high enough to produce flows at the surface.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Blackshear (population 1,235, census of 1910). Blackshear > the 

county seat, installed a public water-supply system in 1913, obtaining 

water from an 8-inch well 825 feet deep. Information concerning 

the well and the waterworks plant has been furnished by the Hughes 

Specialty Well Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C., and by the A. P. 

Brantley Co., of Blackshear. The following log, furnished by the 

first-named company, was prepared by J. R. Connelly, driller in 

charge:
PIERCE COUNTY.

Log of town well at Blackshear.

357

Soft white sand. ....... ...........

Soft blue marl . ...................

Alternate layers of soft blue marl a

Alternate layers of marl and hard 

Tough blue marl ..................

Hard light-gray rock ..............

Alternate layers of light-blue shell 

Hard light-blue flint, water bearin

Hard flint. . ......................

Hard shell rock. ..................

Shell rock, similar to the precedin

Hard dark-brown layer of shells. . 

Hard flint .......................

Medium-hard light-gray shell rock 

H ard flint .......................

Tough dark-brown layers of shells

g. ....'......-.....-..........-............-...........

Contain water-bearing layers; the principal source 

of supply.

Thickness.

Feet. 

20 

10 

20 

10 

40 

40 

30 

10 

60 

20 

20 

40 

10 

5 

2 

8 

35 

40 

20 '10 

50 

20 

5 

25 

20 

255

Depth.

Feet. 

20 

30 

50 

60 

100 

140 

170 

180 

240 

260 

280 

320 

330 

335 

337 

345 

380 

420 

440 

450 

500 

520 

525 

550 

570 

825

The well probably completely penetrates the Oligocene (including 

in descending order the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg 

formations), and enters the upper part of the underlying Eocene. 

Water-bearing beds were encountered between 300 and 330 feet and 

between 450 and 825 feet. Eight-inch casing was inserted to 450 feet 

only, so that all water-bearing beds between that depth and the 

bottom of the well are utilized. The elevation of the mouth of the 

well is about 10 feet above the ground level at the Atlantic Coast 

Line Railroad station or about 116 feet above sea level. The water 

rises to within 55 feet of the surface and is lifted to the surface by 

means of an air-lift pump. The well will yield 1,000 gallons per 

minute. The water is said to be somewhat hard and sulphurous. 

The well was drilled at a cost of $350.

The water is pumped from the well into a reservoir holding 100,000 

gallons, and from the reservoir into an elevated tank having a like 

capacity. The latter furnishes a gravity pressure of 50 pounds per 

square inch and the possible direct pressure from the pumps is 100 

pounds per square inch. The water is distributed through 5 miles of 

mains to 100 taps and 50 fire hydrants. The daily consumption is 

10,000 gallons for domestic use and an equal amount for manufacturing.

Offerman (population 483, census of 1910). At Offerman the 

domestic water supply is obtained from shallow dug and driven wells 

and from two deep wells owned by the Southern Pine Co. The following log of one of the deep wells, drilled in 1905, was published by 

Fuller and Sanf ord: 1

* U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, p. 201,1906.
858 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Log of the well of the Southern Pine Co., at Offerman. 

[Samples received from the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C.J

Tough reddish and cream-colored sandy clay ............................................

Tough pink clayey sand ................................................................

Loose coarse white gravel, water bearing; yields one-half gallon a minute for each foot 

head is depressed. . ....................................................................

Tough, sticky, cream-colored sandy clay.. . ..............................................

Not reported .................................................*..........................

Loose coarse white sand .................................................................

Cream-colored limestone with siliceous gray limestone, chert nodules, and quartz grains. 

Flinty gray limestone and yellow shell rock with chert nodules and quartz grains; two

Thickness.

Feet. 

1 

39 

20

10 

50 

10 

50 

60 

20 

20 

20 

100 

20 

20 

20 

20 

10 

10 

18

(?8> 

10

5 

5 

10 

30 

75.5

Depth.

Feet. 

1 

40 

60

70 

120 

130 

180 

240 

260 

280 

300 

400 

420 

440 

460 

480 

490 

500 

518 

532 

540 

550

555 

560 

570 

600 

675.5

Diameter of casing, 6 and 4* inches; length, 635 feet. Water obtained from 640 to 675J feet; rises within 

33 feet of surface; is depressed about 25 feet by pumping 250 gallons a minute. Water slightly sulphureted. 

Temperature at well mouth, 76° F.

A partial set of borings from this well is on file in the office of the 

United States Geological Survey (wells Nos. 402 and 450). From 

borings taken between 450 and 575 feet specimens of fossil Bryozoa 

were obtained which R. S. Bassler says are related to the bryozoan 

fauna obtained from the Eocene limestones of upper Jackson age at 

Wilmington, N. C., and may indicate either a Jackson or a Vicksburg 

age for the containing strata.

Information regarding another well owned by the Southern Pine 

Co., drilled in 1898, is given by McCallie 1 as follows:

This well, owned by the Southern Pine Co., of Georgia, is located on the west side 

of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, almost a quarter of a mile north of the Atlanta, 

Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad junction. The well was put down in 1898 at a cost 

of $500. It is 8 inches in diameter and 125 feet deep. Originally the well was 515 

feet deep but it subsequently filled with sand to 125 feet. The water, which is used 

for boiler purposes and for drinking, rises to within 108 feet of the surface. The 

maximum yield of the well is 40 gallons per minute. Rock is reported at 98 and 

500 feet from the surface, the former bed extending to 108 feet, at which point waterbearing sand was struck.

The water of this well is probably derived from the Alum Bluff 

formation.

Ice. An oil-prospecting well has been drilled near Ice post office, 

4 miles northeast of Blackshear, by L. F. Hinson, but no detailed

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 152-153,190S.
PULASKI COUNTY. 359

information concerning it has been obtained. A sample from 400 

feet is white limestone.

PTJLASKI COUNTY.1

GENEEAL FEATURES.

Pulaski County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, the northern boundary of the county being about 30 miles 

south of Macon and the fall line. Its area is 463 square miles and 

its population is 22,835 (census of 1910). Agriculture is carried on 

extensively, and lumbering, though declining, is still an important 

industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

In the northern part of the county the upland surface presents low 

rolling hills covered in part with a growth of oak and hickory. In 

the south the surface is more nearly level and, though now open, was 

once covered with a forest of long-leaf pine. Lime sinks occur 

throughout the county.

Ocmulgee River, the largest stream, has cut its valley scarcely 

more than 100 feet below the level of the upland. The river'is 

bordered by two narrow Pleistocene plains, one lying 12 to 15 feet 

and the other 50 to 60 feet above low-water level.

GEOLOGY.

The Jackson formation, which consists of 150 feet or less of soft 

limestone interbedded with sands and clays, outcrops on Ocmulgee 

River along the northwestern boundary of the county and extends 

southward beneath the younger formations to, and probably far 

beyond, the southern boundary. The formation is water bearing.

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 100 feet or less of 

limestone interbedded with sands and clays, overlies the Jackson 

formation and outcrops in the northern part of the county north of 

Hawkinsville and in the valleys of Qcmulgee River and Tuscawhachee Creek southward to the southern border of the county. 

The formation weathers to red, residual, argillaceous sands, which 

are the chief source of the water obtained in numerous shallow wells. 

The unweathered portion of the formation at greater depths is an 

important aquifer.

In the southeastern and southern parts of the county the Vicksburg formation is overlain by a thin covering, probably nowhere 

exceeding 100 feet, of ferruginous sands and sandy clays mapped 

with the undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive, which 

yield water to shallow wells.

1 Under this heading is included a large area which has been organized as BlecMey County since this 

report was transmitted for publication. (See map, PI. Ill, p. 52.)
360 UNDERGROUND WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The Jackson formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 

undifferentiated sands, clays, and marls of Eocene age, in part 

water bearing. The Eocene deposits are in turn underlain by 1,000 

feet or more of sands and clays of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a 

basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous deposits 

contain important water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Shallow dug wells are the main sources of domestic water supply 

and in general yield soft waters. Several artesian wells have been 

drilled at and near Hawkinsville and one deep well has been drilled 

at Cochran.

There are a few springs, but none of large size have been reported. 

Spring waters are used to a small extent for domestic supplies.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 

1,000 feet or more.

On the Pleistocene terrace plains bordering Ocmulgee River the 

static head of the water will in many places be high enough to produce 

flows from wells 250 feet or more in depth.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Hawkinsville (population 3,420, census of 1910). Hawkinsville 

is the county seat and the principal business town. The public 

water supply of approximately 100,000 gallons a day is derived from 

artesian wells.

The artesian wells in the vicinity of Hawkinsville range in depth 

from 175 to 500 feet and furnish an abundance of water which, though 

potable, is so hard that surface waters are preferred in laundries 

and in boilers. According to McCallie * one water-bearing stratum, 

at 265 feet, yields water which flows at the surface and another, at 

490 feet, water that rises 12 feet above the surface. The following 

log of one of the wells is given by McCallie:

Log of well at Hawkinsville. 

[Authority, Mr. Bearing, well contractor.]

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

140

40

40

100

130

Depth.

Feet. 

40

180

220

260

360

490

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 153,154,1908.
PULASKI COUNTY. 361

The. following is an analysis of water from the 490-foot stratum, 

Edgar Everhart,1 analyst:

Analysis of water from 490-foot bed at Hawkinsville.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO8)................................................... 31

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe2O3+Al2O3 ).................... 5. 3

Calcium (Ca)................................................... 62

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 2. 2

Sodium (Na)................................................... 16

Potassium (K)................................................ 3. 6

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3)..................................... 200

Sulphate radicle (SO4).......................................... 8. 5

Chlorine (01).................................................. 18

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 249

Free carbon dioxide (CO2)...................................... .0

The water-bearing stratum at 490 feet is either in the lower part 

of the Eocene or in the upper part of the Cretaceous deposits.

Cochran (population 1,638, census of 1910). Cochran owns a deep 

well which furnishes water for domestic use to a part of the inhabitants. The well is reported to be 365 feet deep and the water rises 

to within 85 feet of the surface. The difference between the static 

head of this well and of the wells at Hawkinsville is due to the difference in elevation of the two places, Cochran being 341 feet and 

Hawkinsville only 235 feet above sea level.

TABLE 67. Wells in Pulaski County.

No.

1 

2 

3

No.

1 

2 

3

Location.

Cochrai 

Hawki] 

do

Depth.

Feet. 

365 

490 

312

Diameter.

Inches. 

6

8

Depth 

to. principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet: 

350 

490

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

265

Owner.

.....do..............

.....do..............

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. -85

+12

Authority.

S. W.McCalliei...... 

.....do.................

H. Vining. ............

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

302

Pump.

Galls.

320

How obtained.

.....do.............

Date 

completed.

1895

1905

Approximate elevation above 

sea level.

Feet. 

341 

235

Quality.

Hard, sulphurous. 

See analysis above.

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 153-155,1908.
362 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 67. Wells in Pulaski County Continued.

No.

1 

2

3

Use.

Municipal supply . 

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Eocene. ...........

Eocene or Cretaceous. 

Eocene............

Character.

Sand?.....,....... 

Sand. .............

.....do.............

Remarks.

The city owns several deep wells. See 

log, p. 360.

QTTITMAN COTTNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Quitman County is in the west-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 144 square miles and its population 4,594 (census 

of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county lies within the physiographic division of the Coastal 

Plain known as the fall-line hills. The surface was once an upland 

plain but has been subsequently dissected by stream erosion and except in small areas near Chattahooch.ee River is now hilly. Two terrace plains, the limits of which have not been determined in detail, 

occupy a narrow area bordering the river. The lowest (Satilla plain) 

lies 40 to 50 feet above low-water level of the river and probably 

nowhere exceeds 2 miles in width; the higher (Okefenokee plain) is 

narrower and lies 110 to 120 feet above the same datum.

The county is drained by Chattahooch.ee River, chiefly through its 

tributaries, Pataula, Wellono, and several smaller creeks. The maximum surface relief of the county is probably between 300 and 400 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous is the only preTertiary formation outcropping in this county. The formation appears in a belt several miles wide bordering Chattahoochee River. 

It is underlain by buried representatives of the Eutaw formation of 

the Upper Cretaceous, and the latter is probably underlain by still 

more deeply buried Lower Cretaceous deposits. No wells of sufficient 

depth to determine the character and thickness of the several formations mentioned have been drilled in the county. At an unknown 

depth beneath the surface, probably 1,500 to 2,000 feet or more, the 

Cretaceous deposits rest upon crystalline basement rocks. The Ripley 

formation is unconformably overlain by Eocene strata which form the 

surface materials over the greater part of the county east of the 

Cretaceous belt.
QUITMAN COUNTY. 363

The Kipley formation as exposed in the river bluffs consists chiefly 

of massive, compact, more or less calcareous and glauconitic marine 

sands, clays, and marls, with indurated layers at vertical intervals of 

a few feet to 10 feet or more; it contains, however, subordinate lenses 

and layers of loose, irregularly bedded sands and clays. The total 

thickness of the formation in the river section in Georgia is estimated 

to be about 950 feet. In the northern part of the county the upper 

beds of the formation merge horizontally into the irregularly bedded, shallow-water sands and clays of the Providence sand member, 

which probably attains a maximum thickness of 125 feet.

The Ripley formation is unconformably overlain by the Midway 

formation, an Eocene terrane composed of sands, clays, marls, and 

limestones. The Midway strata form the surface materials over the 

greater part of the county, but the Wilcox formation, also of Eocene 

age, which overlies the Midway formation, appears in a relatively 

small area in the extreme southeastern part of the county. (See 

PL III, p. 52.)

Pleistocene terrace deposits, coextensive with the terrace plains, 

rest unconformably upon Cretaceous and Tertiary strata in small 

areas bordering Chattahoochee River.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTEE.

The chief sources of domestic water are welis of shallow or moderate 

depth, mostly of the dug type, and small springs. On the river terraces the depth of the wells does not as a rule exceed 40 feet, the 

source being the sands and gravels at the base of the terrace deposits. 

In the hilly upland to the east, which includes the greater part of the 

area, wells 40 to 100 feet or more in depth tap water-bearing strata 

in the Cretaceous and Tertiary formations.

Small creeks and spring branches afford an ample supply of excellent water for domestic animals and for steam production.

In the west moderate quantities of rather highly mineralized waters 

may be obtained from water-bearing sands in the Ripley and Eutaw 

formations at depths of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. Throughout the 

remainder of the county the same beds may be reached by drilling 

through the overlying Eocene strata, but they lie at increasingly 

greater depths to the southeast away from the belt of outcrop of the 

Cretaceous strata.

In a small area the Providence sand member of the Ripley formation is an especially promising aquifer, for it is composed predominantly of coarse, irregularly bedded sands.

The porous sands of the Midway formation, which overlie the Ripley formation, carry waters in moderate quantities.
364 UNDERGROUND WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Flows can be expected only from wells on the lowest river terrace 

at elevations less than 50 feet above low-water level.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Well ofJ. F. Hogan. J. F. Hogan has furnished the following data 

concerning a well located on his property, 11 miles northeast of 

Georgetown.

The well is situated on a hill and is of the driven type. The depth 

is 150 feet and the diameter is 2 inches. Two-inch casing extends to 

the bottom. The water, which is derived from sand, rises 5 feet in the 

casing and is lifted to the surface by a force pump. The water is soft 

and is used for general domestic purposes. The cost of the well was 

$150. Except for 20 feet of clay in the upper part, the section was 

principally sand. The clay should probably be referred to the Midway formation of the Eocene, and the remainder of the section to 

the Providence sand member of the Ripley formation.

Eufaula, Ala. Several deep wells have been drilled at Eufaula, 

Barbour County, Ala., data concerning which hav^e been published 

by E. A. Smith,1 State geologist. The underground conditions are 

essentially the same as those immediately to the east in Quitman 

County.

At Eufaula the altitude of the well from which the city supply is derived is 110 feet 

below that of the railroad track at the depot, or 90 feet above mean tide; that of the 

Oil & Gin Co.'s well is about the same as that of the depot 200 feet above tide; and 

that of the well at Moulthrop's brickyard is probably intermediate between the two. 

At the two lower wells the water overflows, but not at the other. In all these the supply seems to be inadequate.

City Water Co.'s well, Eufaula, under the bluff on the west bank of Chattahooch.ee 

River, 110 feet below the city; casing, 4-inch; flow, 5| gallons per minute; hydraulic 

ram used; temperature, 68°. Boring is in marl to water-bearing sands at 400 feet; 

several layers of soft rock; hard rock below the water-bearing sand.

Eufaula Oil & Gin Co.'s well, Eufaula; bored in 1895; depth 950 feet; water at first 

stood at 26 feet, now stands at 50 feet; cased at 300 feet, 4-inch and 6-inch; supply 

insufficient; well abandoned.

[Record of Eufaula Oil & Gin Co.'s well, Eufaula, Ala.]

Feet.

Top soil and sand........................................... 0- 30

Marl......................................................... 30-380

Soft sandstone............................................... 380-381

Cavity, with a little water................................... 381-389

Marl, water below in very fine sand.......................... 389-950

Well at Moulthrop's brickyard, 1 mile southeast of Eufaula; bored in April, 1900, by 

Eugene Thompson; depth, 350 feet; casing 20 feet, 4-inch; flow, 5 gallons per minute. 

Record: Top soil, 0-20; marl water, 20-350. The water-bearing bed in this well is a 

sharp gray sand of fine grain, used by engineers for grinding valves. The boring went 

15 feet deeper than this sand and struck a hard rock which was not pierced. The marl 

contains a great many shells, and in it at intervals of about 30 feet occur indurated 

crusts.

1 The underground water resources of Alabama: Alabama Geol. Survey, pp. 240-241,1907.
RANDOLPH COUNTY. 365

The following analysis of water from the last>described well was 

made at the Pratt Laboratory, Atlanta, Ga. ;* the source of the water 

is the Ripley formation.

Analysis of water from well at Moulthrop's brickyard, 1 mile southeast ofEufaula, Harbour

County, Ala.

Parts per million.

Silica (Si02 ).................................................... 16

Iron and aluminum (Fe+Al).................................. 1. 9

Calcium(Ca)................................................. 3. 5

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. .8

Sodium (Na)................................................... 137

Potassium (K)................................................ 3.0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03)..................................... 351

Sulphate radicle (S04).......................................... 5.2

Chlorine (Cl)................................................. 14

Organic and volatile matter..................................... 33

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 387

RANDOLPH COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Randolph County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Cuthbert, the county seat, is 118 miles by rail southwest of Macon and 45 miles south of Columbus. The area of the 

county is 412 square miles and the population is 18,841 (census of 

1910). Agriculture is the principal industry, but there are a few 

small manufacturing plants at Cuthbert and at Shellraan.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county is hilly and broken, the estimated 

altitude of the general upland surface being 350 to 500 feet above 

sea level. The creeks and branches have cut valleys in soft sands 

and clays, 100 to 150 feet beneath the upland level. The upland 

declines slightly southward and becomes less broken until south of 

Cuthbert its surface is only slightly rolling. The county is on the 

divide between the Chattahoochee and Flint drainage systems and 

the streams are small and their waters clear. The western part of 

the county is drained by tributary creeks of Chattahoochee River, 

and the eastern part by Ichawaynochaway Creek and its tributaries 

Outhbert, on the summit of the divide, is 469 feet above sea level.

GEOLOGY.

Strata of Eocene age form the surface materials throughout the 

greater part of the county and consist of several hundred feet of 

sands, clays, marls, and limestones containing important wateri Smith, E. A., op. cit., p. 241.
366 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

bearing beds. Although not accurately discriminated within the 

county it is believed that the Eocene deposits represent in ascending 

order the Midway formation, the Wilcox formation, and the Claiborne 

group. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.) The Midway formation outcrops in a relatively small area in the extreme northwest, where it has been recognized on the evidence of fossils, and dips slightly to the southeast. 

The Wilcox formation, which overlies the Midway, outcrops in a belt 

several miles wide, extending northeast and southwest through the 

northwestern part of the county. The Claiborne group rests upon 

the Wilcox formation and outcrops in an irregular area extending in 

a general northeast and southwest direction through the county, with 

important branches extending down the valleys of Ichawaynochaway and Pachilla creeks to the southern boundary.

In the interstream areas in the southern part of the county the 

Claiborne group is overlain by the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene), 

which consists of probably less than 100 feet of residual sands with 

masses of flint and some beds of unweathered limestones.

The Eocene deposits are underlain by 2,000 feet or more of sands, 

clays, and marls of Cretaceous age, which do not come to the surface 

within the county, and which rest upon a deeply buried surface of 

ancient crystalline rocks. They contain important water-bearing 

beds.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug and bored wells 30 to 100 feet deep are the principal sources 

of domestic water supply. Most of them yield soft, wholesome waters, 

but a few enter calcareous strata and yield hard waters. Bored 

wells 75 to 100 feet deep are practicable over most of the county and 

when properly cased are preferable to the dug wells, for they are less 

liable to be polluted.

Springs are common in the northern part of the county and are 

used to some extent for domestic water supply on farms. Most of 

them issue from sands in the Midway and Wilcox formations, but a 

few emerge from cavernous limestones of the same formations.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. On the lowlands bordering the creeks 

in the southeast the chances for obtaining flows are considered good.

In the northern part of the county the most abundant supplies 

can probably be obtained from the Cretaceous deposits, the top of 

which is estimated to be 300 to 500 feet below the surface. The full 

thickness of the Cretaceous is thought to be 2,000 feet or more, but 

water-bearing beds are apt to be encountered at less than 1,000 feet.
EANDOLPH COUNTY. 367

In the southern part of the county, south of Cuthbert, large supplies 

can probably be obtained from the Claiborne group or from the 

underlying Wilcox and Midway formations at depths ranging from 

200 to 700 feet.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

CufKbert (population 3,210, census of 1910). Cuthbert does not 

own a public water-supply system, and the domestic water supply is 

obtained chiefly from shallow wells owned by individuals. It is 

believed that artesian waters could be obtained in large quantities, 

and such waters would probably prove more satisfactory for general 

purposes than those from other sources.

The following note on an old well at Cuthbert is given by Spencer: 1

This well was sunk to a depth of 1,000 feet but the record was not kept. From a 

point between 340 and 400 feet water rose to within 30 feet of the surface, and at 550 

feet the water rose to within 70 feet of the surface.

A well drilled in 1910 by the Cuthbert Ice Co. near the Central of 

Georgia Railway station is 435 feet deep. The water, which probably comes from the Midway formation, rises to within 33 feet of the 

surface. The yield by pumping is 75 gallons per minute. The 

water is reported to be soft and is used for the manufacture of ice and 

for drinking purposes.

Shettman (population 985, census of 1910). At Shellman the 

principal source of water supply is an artesian well (No. 3, Table 68) 

owned by the town. Several shallow wells 35 to 65 feet deep are 

owned by individuals. McCallie 2 gives the following information 

regarding the town well:

The deep well at Shellman, which supplies the town with water, was completed in 

1902. It is 6 inches in diameter and 410 feet deep. The only water-bearing stratum 

reported occurs near the bottom of the well. The water rises to within 70 feet of the 

surface. Mr. J. E. Cole, the well contractor, has kindly furnished the following 

record:

[Log of town well at Shellman (No. 3, Table 68).]

Feet.

Red clay................................................... 0-18

Quicksand.................................................. 18-148

Blue marl................................................... 148-300

Very hard limestone........................................ 300-400

Water-bearing formation..................................... 400-410

From specimens furnished by Mr. Cole the writer has made the following additional

notes:

Feet.

Green sandy, glauconitic marl.............................. 250

The same as above but with more sand...................... 350

Quartzose and calcareous sand............................... 400

i Spencer, J. W., Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 79,1891. 

* Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 155, 156, 1908.
368 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The following is an analysis of a sample of water from the town 

well at Shellman, Edgar Everhart, analyst. The water is probably 

derived from the Midway formation:

Analysis of water from the town well at Shellman (No. 8, Table 68).

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO2)................................................. 27

Oxides of iron and aluminum (F^C^ A12O3 ).................... 4.6

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 47

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 1.4

Sodium (Na)................................................. 4.8

Potassium (K)................................................ 1.9

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3 )................................... 134

Sulphate radicle (SO4 ). ....................................... 12

Chlorine (Cl).................................................. 5.4

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 174

TABLE 68. Wells in Randolph County.

No.

1 

2

3

No.

1 

2

3

No.

1 

2

3

Location.

Cuthbe 

do

Shellman. ............

Depth.

Feet. 

1.000 

436

410

Diameter.

Inchei. 

4 

4*

6

Use.

Abandt 

Manufa 

and<3 

Domes!

Owner.

Cuthbert Ice Co. .... 

Town...............

D$th Depth 

& o£** 

bed. beclsFeet. 

340-40 

43,

400-4K

Feet. 

0 550 

5 60,130, 

300 

) ........

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

30,70 

33

70

Driller.

B. F. Boland, 

Havana, Fla. 

J. E.Cole.......

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

Pump.

Galls.

75

Authority.

W. J. McLaren.... 

S.W.McCalliefe...

How obtained.

Steam engine, deepwell pump.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

ctureofice ... 

omestic. 

ic......... ...

dwayfonn 

..do......

..do......

Character.

Porous gray rock . . 

Sand..............

Date 

completed.

1910 

1902

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

446 

446

379

Quality.

Soft. 

See analysis above.

Remarks.

120 feet of 6-inch and 110 of 4J-inch casing. Cost of well, $800; of pump, $100. 

See log, p. 367.

a Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 79,1891. 

fr Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 155,156,1908.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 369 

RICHMOND COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Richmond County is in the east-central part of Georgia. Its area 

is 319 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 58,886. In 

Augusta, the population of which is 41,040, the chief industries are 

the manufacture of cotton goods, the extraction of cottonseed oil, 

and the manufacture of carriages, wagons, and lumber products. 

Outside of Augusta the chief industry is agriculture.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is included in the physiographic division of the Coastal 

Plain known as the fall-line hills. Savannah River forms its eastern 

boundary and McBean Creek its southern boundary. The area, at 

one time an upland plain, has been dissected and rendered hilly, with 

a probable maximum relief of 400 to 450 feet. The streams which 

effected the dissection of the upland plain are Savannah River and 

its tributaries, McBean, Spirit, and Butlers creeks. In a strip several 

miles wide bordering Savannah River and extending from Augusta 

southward two terraces were cut during Pleistocene time. The 

lower, the Satilla plain, lies 20 to 30 feet above low-water level of 

the river, and the higher, the Okefenokee plain, lies 75 to 100 feet 

above the same datum plane. The plains, particularly the lower 

one, are still well preserved in places. Augusta is built chiefly upon 

these two plains.

GEOLOGY.

Deposits of the Coastal Plain outcrop throughout the county except 

in a small area in the extreme north, where crystalline rocks of probable pre-Cambrian age appear at the surface. The upper surface of the 

crystalline rocks dips southward beneath the deposits of the Coastal 

Plain and forms the basement upon which the latter rest. These 

basement rocks were encountered in a well at Gracewood, 7 miles 

aouth of Augusta, at a depth of 410 feet. (See log, p. 373.)

Lower Cretaceous deposits outcrop in a belt several miles wide, 

extending from Augusta and south of Augusta westward to the 

county line. They rest upon the southward-sloping surface of the 

basement rocks and consist of 300 feet or more of irregularly bedded 

arkosic sands with interbedded lenses of light-colored clays of greater 

or less purity. They extend southward beneath overlapping strata 

belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene. 

38418° WSP 341 15 24
370 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The Claiborne beds, with local exceptions, are the surface materials 

over the southern half of the county. They also cap the ridge 

between Butlers and Spirit creeks and extend northwestward along 

the ridge to Grovetown in Columbia County. The Claiborne materials 

consist of calcareous and glauconitic sands, red and varicolored 

sands, clays in the nature of fuller's earth, shell marls, and sandy 

limestones. (See PL III, p. 52.)

In an area several miles wide, bordering Savannah River, the 

Lower Cretaceous and Eocene deposits are overlain by relatively 

thin terrace deposits of Pleistocene age. The Lower Cretaceous 

deposits carry large quantities of water and the overlying Eocene 

deposits are in less degree water bearing.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Throughout the rural districts domestic supplies are obtained 

chiefly from dug wells 25 to 130 feet in depth, which tap waterbearing beds in the Lower Cretaceous deposits, and from small springs. 

On the Pleistocene terrace plains bordering Savannah River, wells 

20 to 40 feet in depth penetrate the water-bearing basal sands and 

gravels of the terrace deposits. In the hilly areas west of the river 

valley it is necessary in most places to sink the wells to greater 

depths, the water-bearing beds drawn upon being in the Cretaceous 

and Eocene deposits. Detailed information concerning several wells 

of the dug type, which may be regarded as typical, is given in Table 

69 (wells 2 to 6 and 8).

The water from both wells and springs is of good quality for domestic purposes except where contaminated by near-by organic matter.

With local exceptions the numerous creeks and branch streams 

afford excellent water for domestic animals and for steam production.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits, which underlie all the county 

except a relatively small area in the north, are of favorable physical 

texture and composition for the reception and retention of large 

quantities of water of excellent quality. Along the northern border 

of the Coastal Plain, from Augusta westward to the western boundary 

of the county, where the featheredge of the formation rests against 

the crystalline rocks, the Lower Cretaceous deposits are too thin 

and lie too high on the stream divides to afford more than moderate 

amounts of water. The thickness rapidly increases to the southward, 

however, and the buried deposits throughout the southern two-thirds 

of the county are believed to contain an abundance of water at 

depths of 200 to 800 feet.
BICHMOND COUNTY. 371

The Eocene strata, which rest upon the Lower Cretaceous deposits 

over much of the area and which vary in thickness from a few feet 

in the central part of the county to 300 feet in the extreme south, 

carry moderate amounts of potable water.

No flowing wells have been reported, but the conditions are probably favorable for obtaining flows in the valley of Savannah River, 

south of Augusta, at elevations less than 50 feet above low-water 

level, and perhaps also at low levels in the valleys of Butlers, Spirit, 

and McBean creeks.

As shown by the records of two deep wells (see pp. 371-372) the 

prospects for obtaining water in fairly large quantities from the 

crystalline rocks which underlie the deposits of the Coastal Plain 

are fairly good in the vicinity of Augusta.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Augusta (population 41,040, census of 1910). Information concerning the water plant which supplies the city of Augusta has been 

furnished by Mayor Thomas Barrett, jr.; by Nisbet Wingfield, city 

engineer and commissioner of public works; and by S. B. Vaughn, 

postmaster.

The plant is under municipal ownership. The water is pumped 

from Savannah River above Augusta to a reservoir having a capacity 

of 50,000,000 gallons, located on an eminence north of the city. 

Two pumps are - used, each having a capacity of 6,000,000 gallons daily. From the main reservoir the water passes by gravity 

into 14 mechanical filters of the gravity type, each with a capacity of 500,000 gallons daily, from which it flows to a clear-water 

basin and is distributed to the city by gravity under a pressure 

of 70 pounds. The total length of the distributing mains is 66.94 

miles. There are 4,246 taps for domestic purposes, 130 for manufacturing purposes, and 788 fire hydrants. The total amount of 

water used daily for all purposes is 5,800,000 gallons. The water 

supply is satisfactory. An auxiliary steam pump with a daily 

capacity of 6,000,000 gallons is now being installed at the pumping 

station.

A well (No. 1, Table 69) drilled at the plant of the Georgia Chemical Works, 1J miles south of the post office, is 970 feet deep and is 

reported to have entered rock, probably crystalline rock of preCambrian age, at a depth of 80 feet. The 80 feet of materials above 

the rock are sediments of the Coastal Plain, of which the first 2D or 

25 feet probably are Pleistocene terrace deposits and the remainder 

Lower Cretaceous sands and clays. No water is reported from the 

Cretaceous beds; if water-bearing horizons were penetrated they
372 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

were cased off, for 8-inch casing was extended to the rock. The 

water is not good for steam production because of the hard scale it 

deposits.

According to McCallie 1 water was encountered in this well, probably 

in crevices in the crystalline rocks, between 150 and 190 feet (static 

head 90 feet below the surface), between 200 and 300 feet (static 

head 80 feet below the surface), between 500 and 700 feet (static 

head 75 feet below the surface), and between 800 and 900 feet 

(static head 45 feet below the surface).

Somerville (population 4,361, census of 1910). A well 814 feet 

deep at the arsenal at Somerville, a suburb of Augusta, has been 

described by Capt. D. M. Taylor,2 United States Army, as follows:

Three water-bearing strata were struck in the well at 500, 600, and 700 feet, respectively. As much as 1,080 gallons per hour have been pumped from the well without 

perceptibly lowering the static head. The water is hard and slightly chalybeate. 

The first 85 feet passed through consisted of sand, red clay, and gravel. Hard chloritic 

slate was reached at 280 feet, which was followed by a similar rock, with occasional 

thin layers of quartz, to 700 feet. The rock varies in hardness, occasionally being 

comparatively soft, but generally very hard and tough, the softer rock being met with 

immediately above the watercourses and including them, and the hardest immediately below these watercourses. Near the bottom of the well was found a greenish 

quartz rock.

Another well at the arsenal is described by Capt. Taylor 3 as 

follows:

I have one at the arsenal from which the main supply of water is now obtained. 

It is about 160 feet deep and 5 or 6 feet in diameter, and the water stands in it at a 

constant depth of between 9J and 11 feet, not varying at all from local rains or droughts. 

It is usually pumped dry every day and fills again for the next day's pumping. This 

water I consider much better than that from the artesian well.

Gracewood. A well (No. 7, Table 69) was drilled in 1912 at the 

Augusta Orphan Asylum, Gracewood, Ga., 7 miles south of Augusta. 

The following log has been furnished by the Hughes Specialty Well 

Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C.:

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 157,1908.

2 Idem, pp. 157-158. 

a Idem, p. 158.
RICHMOND COUNTY. 373

Log of well at Augusta Orphan Asylum, Gracewood (No. 7, Table 69). 

[Authorities, S, L. Hughes and J. R. Connelly, drillers.]

Thiek- Depth.

Loose coarse reddish sand... .................

White and yellow, very sticky clay or kaolin. 

Pink sticky clay or kaolin....................

Red sticky clay or kaolin.....................

Lighter red sticky clay or kaolin.............

Soft white sand..............................

Feet. 

25 

15 

15 

15 

60 

10 

Soft white clay and sand................................................................ 40

Sof\, red mud............................................................................ 20

Softwhiteclayandsand............................... . ..............................i 15

Soft white sand......................................................................... 20

Soft white gravel.................... i................................................... 1 30

Soft white sand and clay mixed......................................................... 10

Sticky red mud......................................................................... 10

Soft white sand which caves readily..................................................... 20

Alternate layers of soft, sticky, white clay and sand..................................... | 10

Alternate layers of soft blue^ white, and yellow sand and clay ........................... l 25

Soft white sand, water bearing.

Tough blue marl [clay?] 

Tough blue marl and shhale..............................................................

Hard blue marl and shale...............................................................

Hard bluish gray rock, the crystalline basement rock; some water obtained in crevices.. 91.5

Feet.

25

40

55

70 

130 

140 

180 

200 

215 

235 

265 

275 

285 

305 

315 

340 

348 

370 

390 

410 

501.5

The water is said to come in part from depths of 348 to 370 feet, 

where, according to the log, the materials are tough blue marl (clay ?), 

and it is probable that the water comes from the soft white sand 

which immediately overlies the clay. The age of this sand is Lower 

Cretaceous. The crystalline basement rocks, described as granite, 

were struck in the well at a depth of 410 feet and were penetrated to a 

depth of 501.5; some water was obtained from crevices in the granite.

Windsor Spring. Windsor Spring, owned by W. H. T. Walker, is 

9 miles south of Augusta. According to the owner the spring 

emerges on a hill slope from rock probably belonging to the Claiborne group, at the rate of 15 gallons per minute. The water is 

bottled and sold. The following analysis was made by H. C. White 

in June, 1909:

Analysis of water from Windsor Spring, 9 miles south of Augusta.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiOa )................................................... 3. 9

Oxides of iron and aluminum (Fe2O3+Al2O3 ).................... .2

Calcium (Ca).................................................. 3. 4

Magnesium (Mg)............................................... .6

Sodium (Na).................................................. .8

Potassium (K)................................................. .4

Carbonate radicle (C03 )......................................... .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03 ).................................... 12

Sulphate radicle (S04). ....................................... 1. 6

Chlorine (Cl)................................................... 1. 2

Organic and volatile matter .................................... 2.1

Total dissolved solids........................................... 20
374 UNDEBGEOUND WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

TABLE 69. Wells in Richmond County.

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

6

7

8 

9 

10

No.

1

2 

3 

4

5 

6

7

8 

9 

10

Location.

Augusta, li miles 

south of post-office 

building.

Augusta, 4J miles 

west of. 

Belair, 1\ miles south 

of.

Blythe, J mile east of. 

Debruce, 2 miles 

north of.

Gracew

Hephzi 

east c 

Somem

do

bah, 1J miles 

f. 

ille...........

Depth.

Feet. 

970

34 

132 

100 

144 

84 

501.5

56 

814 

160

Diameter.

Inches. 

8

48 

36 

36 

48 

48 

6

42 

8 

60

Owner.

Georgia 

Works.

P. C. Bol 

R. O. Lo:

E. L. Atl 

R.T. Uli

Augusta 

Asylun

P. B. Car

U. S. Go\ 

do

Chemical 

iler

nbard .....

Orphan 

i.

eminent. . .

water- water" 

bearing V.Q/IO bed Deos.

Feet. Feet.

3 

13 

10 

14 

8 

348-35

5 

f 50 

{ 60 

I 70

4 20 

0 42 

0 50 

0 80 

0 ........

0 ! 501.5 

6 ........

0 ]

o L.....

0 j

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface.

Feet.

30-32 

120-127 

97 

140

130

9J

Driller.

John Eab 

H e p h z il 

Ga.

>ah,

Hughes Specialty WellDrilling Co., Charleston, S. C. 

(S. L. Hughes 

and J.R. Connelly, drillers 

in charge).

Yield per 

minute by 

pumping.

40

Si

gallons ..... 

nail..........

..do... ...... 

..do......... 

..do...... ..

.....do.........

20

Si 

18

0 gallons. .... 

nail.........

gallons .....

Authority.

A. Thomas, superintendent Georgia Chemical 

works.

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Hughes Specialty 

Well Drilling 

Co., Charleston, 

S.C.,andH.H. 

Alexander, Augusta, Ga.

Capt. D. M. Taylor, U.S.Army.e

How obtained.

Electrically driven 

deep- well pump. 

Bucket and rope.. 

.....do............ 

.....do............

Hai 

De« 

gi 

Bu(

For

p-well pump; 

isoline engine. 

;ket and rope. .

cepump.......

rln

Date 

completed.

1885

1900

1905 

1904

1904 

1912

Ap.. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Fee(. 

130

fa) 

500±

8

Quality.

Soft.

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Do.

/Hard and slightly 

\ ferruginous.

a On hill.

6 Mouth of well about level with track of Augusta Southern R. R.

c On high hill.

d Elevation about 200 feet above low-water level in Savannah River.

e Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 157,158,1908.
SCHLEY COUNTY.

TABLE 69. Wells in Richmond County Continued.

375

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

6

7

8 

9

10

Use.

.....do............ 

.....do.............

.....do............

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Pre-Cambrian. ....

Lower Cretaceous. 

.....do............ 

.....do............ 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Pre-Cambrian. ....

Character.

Crevices in crystalline rocks.

Sand............. 

.....do............

.....do............

Sand .............

Crevices in crystalline rocks..... 

.....do............

Remarks.

Drilled; 8-inch casing to 80 feet.

Dug; partly cased. Cost of well, $25. 

Dug; partly cased. Cost of well, $50. 

Dug; partly cased. 

Dug; abandoned on account of caving 

sand. Cost of well, $140. 

Dug. Located 50 feet from preceding 

well. 

6- inch casing to 348 feet; the water probably comes from the white sand between the depths 340 and 348 feet. 

See log, p. 373. 

Dug. Cost of well, $28.

Main supply at arsenal.

SCHLEY COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Schley County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 154 square miles and its population 5,213 

(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The surface is hilly, forming part of an upland plain that has been 

dissected by Cedar and Bucks creeks and by the headwater streams 

of Muckalee Creek. The maximum surface relief probably does not

exceed 200 feet.

GEOLOGY.

Upper Cretaceous strata belonging to the Bipley formation outcrop 

over the northern half of the county, and Eocene strata appear in 

the remainder. The Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, 

which consists of irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water 

origin, appears in a small area in the extreme north. The Cusseta 

sand is overlain conformably by typical marine beds of the Ripley 

formation, which consist of several hundred feet of compact, massive, 

more or less calcareous and glauconitic marine sands and clays. 

The typical marine beds are overlain by the Providence sand member 

of the Ripley formation, which consists of approximately 150 feet of 

irregularly bedded sands and clays of shallow-water origin. The 

Ripley formation is overlain unconformably by Eocene deposits 

which belong chiefly to the Midway formation and which form the 

surface materials over the southern half of the county. The Midway 

formation is composed of sands and clays reaching a thickness of 

several hundred feet. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.)
376 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The Ousseta and Providence sand members of the Ripley formation 

are of the proper texture and composition for the reception and 

retention of large quantities of potable water. The typical marine 

beds of the Ripley formation and the sands and clays of the Midway 

formation of the Eocene also carry water but probably in much less 

quantity.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 20 to 100 feet deep and small springs furnish an abundance of excellent water for all ordinary domestic purposes. Small 

creeks and branches furnish inexhaustible supplies for stock and for 

steam production.

Over the northern half of the county water of good quality should 

be obtained from the Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation. 

In the extreme north these water-bearing beds should be reached at 

depths between 100 and 400 feet. To the south the beds descend 

until in the valley of Bucks Creek they probably lie 300 to 500 feet 

beneath the surface. In tho southern half of the county conditions 

are favorable for obtaining water from the Providence sand member 

of the Ripley formation by drilling through the overlying Eocene 

beds. At Ellaville the water-bearing beds of the Providence member 

probably lie 100 to 250 feet below the surface.

Over the greater part of the county it is necessary to employ force 

pumps to lift the water to the surface, although small flows can probably be obtained on the lowest levels of the valley of Bucks Creek.

In the southern part of the county the sands and clays of the 

Midway formation of the Eocene at 100 to 400 feet should yield 

moderate amounts of potable water.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Ettawlle (population 672, census of 1910). The town of Ellaville 

owns a public water-supply system, the data concerning which have 

been furnished by Mr. E. L. Bridges, of Ellaville.

The source of the water is a well 600 feet deep, drilled in 1910 at 

a cost of $2,000 for the well and SI,600 for the machinery. The 

water is lifted to the surface by means of an air-lift pump operated 

by a gasoline engine. The smallest diameter of the well is 4 inches, 

and the yield is said to be 50 gallons per minute. The water is 

derived from a bed of sand, probably belonging to the Ripley formation. A sample collected January 24, 1913, was analyzed by Edgar 

Everhart as follows:

Analysis of water from 600-foot town well at Ellaville.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO3 )................................................... 23

Iron (Fe)..................................................... 5

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 17
SCREVEN COUNTY. 377

Analysis of water from 600-foot town well at Ellamlle Continued.

Parts per million. 

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 4

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)............................... 9

Carbonate radicle (CO3)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03)................................... 25

Sulphate radicle (S04)................ 1............\ .......... 48

Nitrate radicle (N03)......................................... Trace.

Chlorine (Cl).................................................. 4

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 92

SCBEVEN COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Screven County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia and borders South Carolina. Savannah River forms its 

eastern and Ogeechee River its western boundary. Its area is 794 

square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 20,202. Agriculture and the production of lumber and naval stores are the principal 

industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county is undulating to hilly and the 

southern part is more nearly level. There are several lime sinks and 

lime-sink ponds in the northeast, where the limestones of the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations lie close beneath the surface. 

In the south cypress ponds and bays are common and the small creeks 

and branches spread out through broad swamps. The upland between 

the Savannah and Ogeechee river basins slopes from about 250 feet 

above sea level in the north to about 150 feet above sea level in the 

south. Savannah and Ogeechee rivers are each bordered by swamps 

lying 10 to 20 feet above low-water level and by a narrow Pleistocene 

terrace plain lying about 40 feet above the same datum plane. 

The elevation of the low-water level of Savannah River in the extreme 

north is approximately 70 feet and in the extreme southeast approximately 25 feet above sea level. The elevation above sea level of the 

Savannah River swamp is about 90 feet in the extreme north and 

about 40 feet in the extreme southeast.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene, which consists of perhaps 100 to 200 feet of water-bearing limestones, outcrops in the 

valleys of Savannah River and Briar and Beaver Dam creeks in the 

northern part of the county. It dips southward and probably 

underlies the entire county beneath younger formations.

The Vicksburg formation is overlain by the Chattahoochee formation, which consists of probably less than 100 feet of water-bearing 

limestones and which outcrops in the valley of Briar Creek.
378 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of, 100 feet or more of 

laminated sandy clays and sands, overlies the Chattahoochee formation. It outcrops in the valleys of Savannah River and Buck Creek 

in the east and on Ogeechee and Little Ogeechee rivers in the west; 

the deposits carry water-bearing beds.

In the northern part of the county the Alum Bluff formation is 

overlain by coarse to fine or even pebbly, irregularly bedded sands 

and bluish sandy clays that are probably at least in part of upper 

Oligocene age.

In the southeastern part of the county the Alum Bluff formation is 

overlain by 50 feet or less of Miocene sands, sandy clays, and shell 

marls which outcrop in the bluffs of Savannah River, and which represent in ascending order the Marks Head marl and the Duplin marl.

Overlapping the Miocene formations and forming the surface 

materials throughout the upland region of the southern part of the 

county are 100 feet or less of coarse to fine, irregularly bedded sands 

and bluish sandy clays of undifferentiated Miocene to Pleistocene 

age, which weather to loose white or yellowish sands that cover the 

immediate surface to a depth of several feet. The shallow wells of 

the county tap water-bearing beds in these surface deposits.

Pleistocene terrace deposits consisting of sands and clays have 

been deposited in narrow areas bordering Savannah and Ogeechee 

rivers.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by 400 to 500 feet of sands, 

clays, and marls belonging to the Claiborne group of the Eocene, and 

the Claiborne is underlain in turn by 500 feet or more of irregularly 

bedded sands and clays of Cretaceous age which rest upon crystalline 

basement rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits do not appear 

at the surface in the county, but their buried strata contain important 

water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug or driven wells 15 to 60 feet deep are the chief sources of 

domestic water supply. Most of them yield soft waters, but a few in 

the valleys of Savannah River and Briar Creek in the north penetrate 

limestones and yield hard waters.

Artesian wells have been drilled at Dover, Hershman, and Halcyondale, near Mears, and at Millhaven, Rockyford, Sylvania, and Ogeechee.

A few small springs along Savannah River and elsewhere are of 

slight importance. Reddick Blue Spring, rising from limestone 6 

miles northeast of Sylvania, is the only large spring in the county; its 

estimated yield is 500 gallons per minute. Eureka Spring, 12 miles 

south of Sylvania, is a picnic resort. (See analysis 2, Table 71.)
SCREVEN COUNTY. 379

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more and will be more suitable for domestic use 

than other waters. Flowing wells can be obtained on the terrace 

plains bordering Ogeechee and Savannah rivers and Briar Creek. (See 

PL XVIII, p. 122.)

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Sylvania (population, 1,400, census of 1910). The town of Sylvania owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from 

an artesian well completed in 1911. The well is 320 feet deep and 

the principal water-bearing bed is at a depth of 210 feet; the water 

rises to within 100 feet of the surface but is said to be lowered 20 feet 

when pumped 150 gallons per minute. The water is hard but is used 

for domestic and boiler-supply purposes. A log of this well has been 

furnished by the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co. as follows:

Log of town well, Sylvania (No. 9, Tablk 70). 

[Authority, J. R. Connelly, driller in charge.]

Sand....................................................................................

Sand....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

40

20

20

40

10

60

20

60

10

20

Depth.

Feet. 

20

60

80

100

140

150

210

230

290

300

320

A well owned by T. A. Marks, which formerly supplied the city, 

is 697 feet deep and yields 50 gallons of water per minute, which rises 

to within 70 feet of the surface. Hard rock is reported from 200 

to 230 feet.

A well, reported as unsuccessful, owned by Mr. L. H. Hilton, is 

285 feet deep; water obtained at 280 feet rises to within 80 feet of 

the surface. McCallie 1 has published the following log:

Log of well ofL. H. Hilton, Sylvania (No. 12, Table 70).

Thm layers of hard rock interlaminated with coarse black sand to the bottom of the well. .

Thickness.

Feet. 

60

100

125

Depth.

Feet. 

60

160

285

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 161,162,1908.
380 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

At Sylvania artesian wells more than 800 or 900 feet deep are 

likely to yield larger supplies and softer waters than wells of less 

depth.

Rocky ford (population 385, census of 1910). Rockyford is in the 

western part of the county on a terrace plain lying about 35 feet 

above Ogeechee River and 130 feet above sea level. Seven 1 flowing 

artesian wells 180 or 185 feet deep have been drilled in the town; 

some of them flow 15 feet above the surface. The water obtained is 

hard and sulphurous but wholesome. Flows are first obtained at 

100 feet and the yield increases as greater depths are reached. It 

is believed that the wells tap water-bearing beds in the Chattahooch.ee 

formation.

The town has no public water-supply system but owns a flowing 

well the reported depth of which is 185 feet. The static head is 10 

or 12 feet above the surface, and although the well has been completed several years no material variation in the flow has been noted.

Dover. Dover is near Ogeechee River at 104 feet above sea level. 

A 350-foot well owned by the Central of Georgia Railway 2 yields 

water which rises 19 feet above the surface. Water-bearing beds 

which furnish flows are reported at 125 and 225 feet. The water is 

used chiefly for the boiler supply of locomotives. The principal 

water-bearing bed is thought to be in either the Chattahooch.ee or 

Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene. (See analysis 1, Table 71.)

Millhaven. Millhaven (Garnett), a trading town having a large 

cotton gin and cottonseed-oil mill, is on the Brinson Railway, on the 

bank of Briar Creek, near the north line of the county. The Comer 

Trading Co. owns seven deep wells four of which flow.

Two flowing wells near the post office and about 10 feet above Briar 

Creek are 286 and 298 feet deep and flow 14 feet above the surface. 

The principal water-bearing bed is said to be a sand at 280 feet. 

The water is said to be hard and sulphurous and is used chiefly for 

domestic purposes and for stock. Another water-bearing bed was 

encountered at 175 feet; hard rock was penetrated at a depth of 150 

feet.

Mears. Mears is a small village 3 miles east of Millhaven. On a 

plantation owned by Mears & Sanders, 3 miles northeast of the 

post office, a flowing well has recently been completed. The mouth 

of the well is 24 feet above Rocky Creek, a small tributary of Savannah River. The depth is 470 feet and the principal water-bearing 

bed is reported to be a hard shell marl or limestone at a depth of 371 

feet that probably belongs to the McBean formation of the Claiborne 

group. (See analysis 3, Table 71.) W. J. Floyd, the driller, furnishes the following log:

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 161,1908. 

» Idem, pp. 163-164.
SCKEVEN COUNTY. 

Log of well of Hears & Sanders near Mears (No. 4, Table 70).

381

Sand............................................................................

Clay............................................................................

Whitish honeycomb rock .......................................................

"White sand .....................................................................

Rock. ..........................................................................

Marl............................................................................

Marl............................................................................

Marl............................................................................

Clay............................................................................

Thickness.

Ft. in. 4 0

16 0

6 7

8 1

8 4

51 8

0 9

63 11

3 3

6 11

5 10

5 4

2 4

35 6

118 6

1 6

16 6

1 4

5 6

1 2

4 0

4 0

59 0

40 0

Depth.

Ft. in. 

4 0

20 0

26 7

34 8

43 0

94 8

95 5

159 4

162 7

169 6

175 4

180 8

183 0

218 6

337 0

338 6

355 0

356 4

361 10

363 0

367 0

371 0

430 0

470 0

HersJiman. Hershman is a village near Savannah River, 22 miles 

northeast of Sylvania. A flowing well 3 miles to the southwest, 

owned by W. K. Harrison, is said by W. J. Floyd, the driller, to be 415 

feet deep, 2J inches in diameter, and to flow 18 gallons per minute 

7 feet above the surface. The elevation of the mouth of the well is 

not known, but it is probably 50 to 75 feet above Savannah River. 

The water, which is said to be hard, is used for domestic purposes 

on a plantation.

Log of well of W. K. Harrison, Hershman (No. 3, Table 70). 

[Authority, W. J. Floyd.]

Soft limestone wath small water-bearing beds; good supply of water rises to within 18

Sand....................................................................................

Soft rock.......................... ......................................................

Clay....................................................................................

Soft rock....... .........................................................................

Clay....................................................................................

Soft rock. ...............................................................................

Clay....................................................................................

Marl....................................................................................

Marl and soft rock; water at 362 feet flowed 8 gallons per minute 3 feet above surface .... 

Marl and layers of rock, water bearing; flows IS gallons per ramute 7 feet above surface . .

Thickness.

Feet. 

39

2

2.5

14.5

4 '20

2

3

5

16

2

31

3

4

5

10

10

3

5

18

4

4

26

108

2

19 

53

Depth.

Feet. 

39

41

43.5

58

62

82

84

87

92

108

110

141

144

148

153

163

173

176

181

199

203

207

233

341

343

362 

415
382 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Specimens of borings from 210 and 343 feet are hard shell marl or 

impure limestone similar to rock of the McBean formation exposed 

in bluffs of Savannah River in Burke County.

TABLE 70. Wells in Screven County.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5 

6

7 

8 

9

10

11 

12

No.

1

2 

3

4

5

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12

Location.

Dover. -.__.-...--._._

Halcyc 

Hershr 

soutl 

Mears, 

east 

Millhai 

Ogeech

Rocky 

.....do

Sylvan 

do

nan, 3 miles 

iwest of. 

3 miles north3f.

ord...........

.....do...............

.....do...............

Depth.

Feet. 

350

290 (?) 

415 

470

286

185 

180 

320 

400 

697 

285

Diameter.

Inches. 

3

2J

' 4J

4 

4 

8

4 

3

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearin 

bed.

Feel. 

125,225

362-415 

371

280

185 

100-180 

210-230 

350

280

Owner.

Central of Georgia

W. K. Harrison. 

Mears & Sanders

Town...............

....do..............

Town...............

Sylvania Water Supply Co. 

T.A.Marks.........

L. H. Hilton........

Depth 

to 

other 

waterT bearing 

 > beds.

Feet.

87-92

175

190

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

+ 19

- 12

+ 7

+ 14

+ 12 

+ 15 

-100 

- 90

- 70 

- 80

Driller.

W. J. Ployd..... 

do....

P 1L. Edenfield.

T.D.Lloyd.....

Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C.; 

J. R. Connelly, 

driller in 

charge.

..................

Yield per 

minute.

Plow.

Galls.

18

40

Pump.

Galls.

150

50

Authority.

S.W. McCallie a...

W. J. Floyd....... 

.....do............

E.L. Edenfield... 

A. B. Lovett,Svlvania, Ga. 

Oliver Parker

S. W. McCallie

Hughes Speci 

Well Drillin,

A. B. Lovett.

S. W. McCallie 

.....do.......

How obtained.

PlOA

San 

PloiWR __'.--

Flows............. 

'.....do............

Ploi

Deep- well pump . .

alty 

gCo.

«...

Date 

completed.

1903

........

1908

1911

1895 

1895

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

104

110'

( 6)

(') 

111

130- 

f 130- 

1 (d)

Quality.

See Table 71, analysis 1.

Hard. 

See Table 71, analysis 3. 

Hard, slightly sul~ 

phurous.

Sulphurous. 

Hard, sulphurous. 

Slightly hard. 

Hard. 

Slightly hard.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 161-164,1908. 

6 Elevation about 24 feet above low-water level of Rocky Creek, 

c Elevation about 10 feet above low-water level of Briar Creek, 

d Elevation about 35 feet above low-water level of Ogeechee River.
STEWART COUNTY. 

TABLE 70. Wells in Screven County Continued.

383

No.

1

2

3 

4 

5

6

7

8

9 

10

11 

12

Use.

Supply of locomotive boilers.

.....do............

Domestic, manufacturing.

Municipal supply.

Former municipal 

supply.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Chattahoocb.ee formation (?) 

McBean formation 

.....do............

.....do............

Cnattahoocb.ee formation (?)

Oligocene or Eocene.

Character.

Hard shell rock.... 

Sand..............

Soft shell rock.....

Remarks.

Cost of well, $300.

See log, p. 381. 

See log, p. 381. 

4i-inch casing to 150 feet. Cost of well, 

about $400. Mr. Edenfleld has drilled 

3 other flowing wells and 3 nonflowing wells for the Comer Trading Co. 

near Millhaven.

Cost of well, $200.

Seven 4-inch flowing wells have been 

drilled at and near Rockyford, all 

about 180 feet deep. 

8-inch casing, 150 feet; costofwell,$l,200; 

of machinery, $1,200. See log, p. 379.

Cost of well, $900. 

Cost of well, $350. See log, p. 379.

TABLE 71. Analyses of underground waters from Screven County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3

1

1

2

3

Date of 

collection.

July, 1909

Apr. 25,1911

6

£ "g

33

50

5.2

28

o> b

a

5

64.2

6.3

1.0

3

g

|

^

0.1

Source.

Well of Central

of Georgia Ry.

Eureka Spring, 

owned by H.

S. White.

Well of Hears

& Sanders.

o

a

.3'o

03 

O

36

1.4

44

M 

S

'i

Pn

6.2

.2

2.0

fc

a

g

&

20

3.4

Location.

Eureka Spring, 12 

miles south of

Sylvania.

Hears, 3 miles

northeast of.

M

aP '%

03

I

7.1

4

14

rt"o

1

»O

^B

10

0.0

<o 

1

!_.

^6

|S

03

ffl

149

61

156

o>

 0 .

OS'5 

"0*£

03

a

-1 3

CQ

3.9

1.4

6.0

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Surflcial deposits.

McBean formation.

<o

o

. O .

2p!?

r

!?

Tr.

0

CD

1

flO

29

5.0

3.5

 o

o>

t> 

o .

»2

«8 

"3"S

EH

229

33

190

Depth.

JFee/.

350

470

Analyst.

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

Well 1, Table 70.

Well 4, Table 70.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 163,164,1908.

STEWABT COUNTY. 

GENEBAL FEATURES.

Stewart County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Its area is 411 square miles and its population 13,437 

(census of 1910). The chief industry is agriculture.
384 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county lies in the physiographic division of the fall-line hills. 

In greater part it is more or less broken and hilly, being the result of 

the dissection of an upland plain. Bordering Chattahoochee River 

are two small Pleistocene terrace plains whose limits have not been 

determined in detail. The lower (the Satilla) lies 40 to 50 feet 

above low-water level of Chattahoochee River, and the higher (the 

Okefenokee) lies 110 to 130 feet above the same datum.

The drainage of the county is received by Chattahoochee River 

through its tributaries, Pataula, Hannahachee, Hichetee, and several 

smaller creeks. The maximum topographic relief of the county is 

believed to be at least 400 feet and may exceed that amount.

GEOLOGY.

Upper Cretaceous, Eocene, and Pleistocene deposits are the surface 

formations. The Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw formation, which consists of about 120 feet of massive, more or less calcareous and glauconitic sands and interbedded clays with indurated 

layers at intervals, outcrops in the bluffs of Chattahoochee River in 

the extreme northwestern part of the county. This member is conformably underlain by 400 or 500 feet of sands and clays, which are 

also referable to the Eutaw formation 'but which do not appear at 

the surface within the county. The Eutaw formation is underlain 

unconformably by Lower Cretaceous sands and clays, probably not 

less than 500 feet thick, which rest upon deeply buried crystalline 

basement rocks.

The Tombigbee sand member of the Eutaw formation is conformably overlain by the Ripley formation, which has an estimated thickness of 950 feet. Immediately along the river the formation is 

made up of beds of sand, clay, and marl of marine origin. These 

beds are more or less glauconitic and calcareous and contain some 

lignite. They are in part loose and irregularly bedded and in part 

compact and massive. Northeastward the lower part of the formation merges horizontally into the irregularly bedded shallow-water 

sands and clays of the Cusseta sand member. The upper 125 or 150 

feet of the formation consists of irregularly bedded, coarse to fine 

sands with subordinate clay lenses of shallow-water origin which have 

been designated the Providence sand member of the formation. 

This member outcrops in a belt a few miles wide, extending from 

a point near the southwest to the northeast corner of the county.

The Providence sand member is overlain unconformably by the 

Midway formation (Eocene), which appears at the surface over 

approximately the southeastern half of the county. The Cretaceous and Eocene strata all incline southeast 20 to 40 feet to the 

mile. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.)
STEWAKT COUNTY. 385

Pleistocene loams, sands, and gravels. 15 to 30 feet in thickness 

have been laid down as terrace deposits on two terrace plains in 

small areas bordering the river. One of these plains lies 40 to 50 

feet and the other 110 to 130 feet above low-water level. Their 

extent is not known in detail.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHAEACTEE.

Water for domestic purposes is derived chiefly from dug wells 

20 feet to over 100 feet deep. On the terraces bordering Chattahoochee River shallow wells 20 to 30 feet deep draw sufficient water 

for ordinary domestic purposes from the sands and gravels at the 

base of thfe Pleistocene deposits. Because of the absence of impervious strata between this horizon and the earth's surface there is 

constant danger of contamination from surface sources, especially 

where wells are near dwellings or stables. On the hilly upland 

region east of Chattahoochee River, which makes up the greater 

part of the surface of the county, it is necessary to sink the wells 

100 feet or more. On the hill slopes and in the small valleys water 

is obtained at less depth.

Small springs are common throughout the hilly parts of the county 

and are used to some extent. In general they yield waters of good 

quality unless locally contaminated by too close proximity to dwellings or other sources of decaying organic matter. In the belt of 

typical marine strata of the Ripley formation the spring waters are 

apt to be more or less charged with lime, iron, and sulphur.

In the southeastern half of the county water of good quality is 

available in considerable quantities from the Providence sand member of the Ripley formation. Along the belt of outcrop running 

northeast-southwest through the center of the county the waterbearing beds of this member are tapped by numerous shallow wells. 

To the southeast the same beds should be reached at slightly increasing 

depths beneath the Eocene strata. The quantity of water available 

probably increases in the same direction away from the catchment 

area.

The Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, which outcrops 

over the greater part of the northwestern third of the county, is a 

possible source of artesian supply to the east and southeast of its 

catchment area. Here it is necessary to drill through the overlying 

typical marine beds of the formation, or still farther to the southeast 

through the overlying Eocene strata, the Providence member of the 

Ripley formation, and the typical marine beds of the Ripley formation. The depth of the beds increases to the southeast but probably 

does not exceed 700 or 800 feet within the county.

38418° WSP 341 15 25
386 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

In the western part of the county good water is obtained by drilling 

through the basal strata of the Ripley formation and the Tombigbee 

sand member of the Eutaw formation into the irregularly bedded 

sands and clays of the Eutaw, which are reached at 200 to 700 feet. 

The wells owned by W. C. Bradley near Omaha and near Comnton 

tap these Eutaw beds.

Flowing wells are possible only on the lowest Pleistocene terrace 

bordering Chattahoochee River, at elevations less than 60 feet above 

low-water level.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Lumpkin (population 1,140, census of 1910). Mayor W. L. Mardre 

has furnished information concerning the water plant owned by the 

town. The supply is derived from springs a mile to the southwest 

and is stored in a reservoir having 40,000 gallons capacity. From the 

reservoir it is pumped into a tank of like capacity located in the town. 

The capacity of the pump is 500 gallons per minute, and there is a 

duplicate boiler and pump for use in emergencies. The length of the 

distributing mains is 3J miles, the tank pressure is 45 pounds, and 

the direct pressure from the pumps is 50 pounds. The daily amount 

used is 40,000 gallons (124 taps) for domestic purposes and 10,000 

gallons for manufacturing purposes (3 taps). There are also 22 fire 

hydrants. The water is soft and the supply satisfactory.

The springs emerge from the Providence sand member of the Ripley 

formation. (See analysis 2, Table 73.)

Detailed information concerning a well (No. 5, Table 72) owned by 

C. H. Humber, located 3| miles east of south of Lumpkin, is furnished 

by Mr. M. Walton. (See analysis 3, Table 73.)

Log of well of C. H. Humber, 3% miles east of south of Lumpkin (No. 5, Table It).

Eocene (?), Midway formation (?): 

Red clay.. ..........................................................................

White sand .........................................................................

White rock.. ........................................................................

Dry cavity. .........................................................................

Cretaceous (?), Ripley formation, Providence sand member (?): 

White, yellow, and bluish sands, with interbedded thin layers of rock ; water-bearing 

sands, especially at 145, 200, 245, and 290 feet, the latter being the principal one; the

Thickness.

Feet. 

30

100

6

8

190

Depth.

Feet. 

30

130

136

144

334

Bichland (population 1,250, census of 1910). Richland owns a 

municipal water-supply system which obtains water from a well 425 

feet deep (No. 12, Table 72; for analysis see Table 73, analysis 4). 

The water is distributed from a tank the pressure of which is 52 

pounds; the direct pressure from the pump is 100 pounds; the length 

of the water mains is 4 miles. There are 75 taps and 35 fire hydrants. 

The water is somewhat sulphurous. As to both quality and quantity, 

the water supply is said to be satisfactory.
STEWAET COUNTY. 387

Omaha. On the plantation of W. C. Bradley, 5 miles north of 

Omaha, near Chattahoochee Kiver, are four wells (Nos. 6 to 9, Table 72). 

Three of these, located on the lowest Pleistocene terrace bordering 

the river, are 270 feet deep and afford flows; the fourth, located on 

higher ground, is 315 feet deep and does not flow; the water of this 

well is pumped by a windmill to a tank holding 15,000 gallons and is 

used for stock, fire protection, and other plantation purposes. All are 

believed to tap approximately the same water-bearing bed in the 

Eutaw formation. An analysis of the water from one of these wells 

is given in Table 73 (analysis 1).

Daniel Bradley, who owns another well (No. 10, Table 72) in the 

same vicinity, furnishes the following log: 1

Log of well of Daniel Bradley, near Julia (No. 10, Table 72).

Clay.. ..................................................................................

Sand....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feel. 

12

60

668

Depth.

Feet. 

12

72

740

This well penetrates an undetermined thickness of strata referable 

to the Kipley formation, passes entirely through the Eutaw formation, 

and enters the uppermost Lower Cretaceous deposits. The principal 

water-bearing stratum, 475 feet deep, is probably in the irregularly 

bedded portion of the Eutaw formation below the Tombigbee sand 

member.

Coffinton. On another plantation, owned by W. C. Bradley near 

Coffinton, a well 660 feet deep (No. 2, Table 72) flows 25 gallons per 

minute, supplying the needs of a large plantation on which there are 

about 250 tenants. Mr. Bradley states that there are several flowing 

wells in the area between Coffinton and Omaha.

Other localities. The logs and descriptions of a number of dug wells 

which penetrate Cretaceous strata are given on the following pages. 

In each case the authority for the lithology is the owner unless 

otherwise stated:

Log of well of J. B. Simpson, 2% miles south of Lumpkin (No. 3, Table 72).

Eocene (?) :

Upper Cretaceous. Ripley formation. Providence sand member (?): 

Soft "chalk" [clay]...... ...........................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

90

15

1

Depth.

Feet. 

on

105

106

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 165,1908.
388 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

Log of well of W. 8. Boyett, 4 miles west of Lumpkin (No. 4, Table 72).

Eocene (?): Feet.

Red clay................................................. 30

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member:

"Chalk" [clay] white and pink............................ ?

Coarse sand with small rock (pebbles)...................... ?

"Chalk" [clay]........................................... ?

Thick layer of white sand................................. ?

("And so on until water was struck.") 

70

In another well, 132 feet deep, 25 yards from the preceding, water 

was obtained in coarse sand 128 to 132 feet below the surface. Probably all the strata penetrated in this well below the red Eocene clay 

should be referred to the Providence sand member of the Ripley 

formation.

Log of well of Mrs. Marian Glenn, 1 mile southeast of Brooklyn (No. 1, Table 72).

Eocene (?):

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member: 

"Chalk" [clay].... ..................................................................

White and yellow sand; some beds of rock 4 to 5 feet thick; water bearing at base

Thickness.

Feet. 

30

10

70

Depth.

Feet. 

30

40

110

A well 140 feet deep, 50 feet from the preceding, is said to have 

penetrated similar materials.

G. L. Walton, of Charles, Ga., owns two wells, one 65 feet deep, 

near the station at the level of the track (Seaboard Air Line Railway), 

and another 85 feet deep, seven-eighths of a mile east of the station, 80 

feet above the level of the track. Mr. Walton states that " the land 

is underlain with hard marl and no one in the neighborhood has ever 

been able to carry a well through it." This marl belongs to the 

typical marine portion of the Ripley formation.

Log of well of E. H. Acker, 2 miles southwest of Charles.

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation:

Hard dark-brown and gray streaked clay with one small layer of sand, water bearing

Thickness.

Feet. 

10

16

Depth.

Feet. 

10

26

Mr. Acker states that the black marl has been encountered in other 

wells in this neighborhood.
STEWART COUNTY. 389

Log of well of E. M. Averett, one-quarter of a mile east ofRenfroes (No. 11, Table 72), 

[Authority for lithology, C. V. Stephens, Renfroes.]

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Providence sand member:

Sand and clav, water bearing. ......................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

8

18

30

4

Depth.

Feet.

8

26

56

60

Mr. Stephens states that 1£ miles west of Renfroes blue marl is 

entered at 10 to 15 feet and that wells 90 feet deep have not penetrated 

its entire thickness. This marl belongs to the typical marine portion 

of the Ripley formation.

TABLE 72. Wells in Stewart County.

No.

1

2

3 

4 

5 

6

7 

8 

9 

10 

11

12

No.

1

2

3 

4

5

6

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12

Location.

Brooklyn, 1 mile 

southeast of. 

Coffinton, 1 mile 

southwest of, on 

the Bankin place. 

Lumpkin, 2J miles 

south of. 

Lumpkin, 4 miles 

west of. 

Lumpkin, 3J miles 

east of south of. 

Omaha, 5 miles north 

of. 

.....do...............

.....do............... 

.....do............... 

.... do.------ ----- -

Kenfro* 

of. 

Bichlai

Depth.

Feet. 

110 

660

106 

132 

334

270

270 

270 

315 

740 

60 

425

js, J mile east 

id.. ..........

Diameter.

Inches. 

36 

6

48 

36 

2

4.5

4.5 

4.5 

4.5 

3 

36 

6

Owner.

Mrs. Mar

W. C. Br 

umbus

J. B. Sim 

W. S. Bo 

C. H. Hu

W. C. Br 

umbus 

.....do..

.....do.. 

.....do.. 

Daniel B 

E. M. Av

Town

lanGlem

adley, C 

Ga.

oladley, ColDepth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

110 

660

106 

128 

290

475 

57

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

40 

60 

145 

200 

245

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

-107 

+30

-102 

-128 -150

+3

+9 

+22 -16

 56 

-100

Driller.

Johi 

m 

bi 

Joh

And 

Lu 

Har 

P 

L.I 

to

a R. Chapan, ColumIS.

irew Thomas, 

mpkin. 

per Reeves, 

reston. 

J.Clay, Barw. 

rtn. ---_.....

.....do.......... 

.....do..........

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Oalls.

25

20

30

40

Pump.

Galls. 

i

20

35

Small. 

50

Authority.

J. M. G 1 en n, 

Brooklyn.

.....do............

.....do............

.... do. ......-----

.....do....... 

.....do....... 

S. W. McCalli 

C. V. Steph 

Renfoes. 

S. W. McCallie

How obtained.

Rope and bucket . . 

Flows.............

Dee 

Flo

p-well pump. .

fin -.-. -----

rtn ..-....-..

Wiridmffl. ........

Bucket and rope .. 

Steam pump. .....

ens, 

o. ..

Date 

completed.

1889 

1911

1890 

1886 

1912 

1895

1895 

1895 

1895

1888 

1898

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

600

215±

600 

550

210±

210± 

210±

660? 

600

Quality.

Ferruginous and 

sulphurous. 

Clear, hard. 

Soft, freestone. 

See Table 73, analysis 3.

Sulphurous and ferruginous. 

Do. 

Do. 

-Do. 

Strongly sulphurous. 

Soft. 

Sulphurous. See 

Table 73, analysis 4.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 165,1908.
390 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

TABLE 72. Wells in Stewart County Continued.

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5

6

7 

8

9

10 

11

12

Use.

D omestic and 

boiler supply.

.....do.... ........ 

. ....do... .........

Domestic and 

boiler supply. 

.....do............ 

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............ 

Municipal supply .

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Providence sand 

member of Ripley formation. 

Eutaw formation. .

Providence sand 

member of Ripley formation ? 

Ripley formation 

(Providence 

sand member). 

Ripley formation. .

Eutaw formation..

.....do............ 

.....do............

. ....do.. ........ .. 

.....do............

Ripley formation 

(Pro v i d e n c e 

sand member).

Character.

.....do............ 

.....do............

Sand..............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Remarks.

Dug, cased; cost $50. See log, p. 388.

Cost of well, $1,200; 6-inch casing to 

300+ feet. Furnishes water for 250 

tenants. 

Dug. cased 30 feet: cost $20. See log, 

p. 387.

Dug, cased 30 feet. See log, p. 388.

3-inch casing to 300 feet; cost of well 

and machinery, $360. See log, p. 386.

On lowest Pleistocene terrace bordering 

Chattahoochee River; cost of wells 

 6, 7, 8, and 9, each, $350. Wells cased 

for 100 to 150 feet. 

Not permitted to flow when not in use. 

On hill above river terrace, probably 

300 feet or more above sea level; cost 

of windmill, $250. 

See log, p. 387. 

Dug, partly cased; cost $3,600. See 

log, p. 389.

Hard rock at 300 feet.

TABLE 73. Analyses of underground waters from Stewart County. 

{Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3

4

£

1

2

3 

4

Date of 

collection.

June 4,1911

May 5,1911

Jan. 13,1913

Mar. 28,1911

O

B

Q

DQ

26

4.0

23 

24

^

S

eO

A

0.2

Tr.

4 

1.1

Source.

Wells of W. C.

Bradley.

Town springs . .

Well of C. H.

Hurnber.

Town well......

^

O

'3|

 3

o

12

2.0

50

47

bo sf

1

H

0.5

.5

4 

4.4

4

"§M

°'+

ll

if-* N*^

OQ

62

5.0

14

7.2

Location.

Omaha, 5 miles

north ot

Lumpkin,lmile 

southwest of.

Lumpkin, 3J

miles east of

south of.

Richland. .......

CD 

[g

2

®o

IB 

1

P

o

7.0

.0

.0 

.0

48

^

So 

so

oM

03

M

170

12

198 

178

CD

O

 5

20

Is

ft

M

23

Tr.

12 

11

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Eutaw formation..

Ripley formation 

(P r o v i d ence

sand member).

Ripley formation.

Ripley formation.

CD

O

 O^

2o $*

(_l

 5

0.2

1.2

.1 

3.0

O

Io

o

5.0

2.5

3

4.0

 O 

CD

t>

O .

Jl

1O

197

211 

209

Depth.

Feet.

270

290

425

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

Wells 6,7,8, 9, Table 72.

Well 5, Table 72. 

Well 12, Table 72.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 391

SUMTER COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES. '

Sumter County is in th^ western part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Americus, the county seat, is 62 miles southwest of Macon 

and 48 miles east of the Alabama line. The area of the county is 456 

square miles and the population (census of 1910) is 29,092. Agriculture is tne principal industry. Cottonseed-oil mills, fertilizer 

factories, and other small] manufacturing plants are located at 

Americus. Lumbering and turpentining, though declining in importance, are still carried on.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county is somewhat hilly and broken, 

owing to the rapid erosion of underlying unconsolidated sands and 

clays; the western part, in the vicinity of Plains, is nearly level; the 

southwestern and eastern parts are slightly undulating and less broken 

than the northern; the southeastern part is nearly flat, is covered 

with a few feet of loose gray sand, and contains many lime sinks and 

cypress ponds. Flint River, which forms the eastern boundary, is 

bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains, the "swamp" or second 

bottoms lying 10 to 15 feet and a sand-covered plain less clearly 

defined lying 50 to 75 feet above the river.

Flint River, Muckalee and Kinchafoonee creeks, and their numerous 

small tributaries drain the county. Flint River rises in the Piedmont Plateau and is always more or less turbid from suspended silt 

and clay. The other streams originate in the Coastal Plain and flow 

through shallow swampy valleys; their waters are dark, owing to 

their high content of organic matter.

The known elevations above sea level are Americus, 360 feet; 

Andersonville, 394 feet; and Sumter, about 372 feet. The highest 

land in the northern part of the county probably lies 400 or 450 feet 

above sea level, and the lowlands along Flint River probably lie 

about 200 feet above the same datum plane.

GEOLOGY.

The surface formations of the county are of Tertiary age and belong 

hi part to the Eocene and in part to the Oligocene. The Eocene 

deposits, which have not been accurately discriminated, consist of 

sands, clays, marls, and limestones several hundred feet in thickness. 

They outcrop in the north Wd northwest, and extend southward in 

the valleys of Flint River, and of Muckalee and Kinchafoonee creeks, 

to or beyond the southern boundary of the county.
S92 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Surface observations in this and adjoining counties seem to indicate 

that the Eocene deposits are divisible in ascending order into the 

Midway and Wilcox formations, the Claiborne group, and the Jackson formation. However, the interpretation of the age of the strata 

penetrated in city well No. 4 at Americus, as given in the partial log 

on pages 394-395, indicates that at Americus the total thickness of the 

Eocene is only 200 feet, and that .at least 157 feet of this thickness 

belongs to the Jackson formation. If this be true only 43 feet of 

strata remain to represent the Midway and Wilcox formations and 

the Claiborne group, which, according to the evidence afforded by 

surface outcrops, intervene between the Cretaceous and Vicksburg 

formations. Either great unconformities exist which cut out some of 

the formations locally, or the formations have not been correctly 

correlated.

Over the central, southern, and southeastern parts of the county 

the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) appears at the surface except in 

the immediate valleys of the larger streams. The terrane, which 

consists mainly of heavy-bedded, soft, cavernous, water-bearing 

limestones and interbedded water-bearing sands 200 to 250 feet thick, 

weathers to red argillaceous sands which at many places contain 

masses of fossiliferous flint. Pleistocene terrace deposits have been 

laid down in small areas bordering Flint River.

The Eocene deposits are underlain by 800 to 1,000 feet of sands, 

clays, and marls (Ripley formation of the Upper Cretaceous), which 

do not appear at the surface within the county.

The Ripley formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 

undifferentiated strata of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a deeply 

buried basement of ancient crystalline rocks. The Cretaceous 

deposits contain important water-bearing beds.

WATEE RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The principal sources of domestic water supply are dug and bored 

wells from 20 to 100 feet deep. The waters are soft and are of good 

quality if the wells are properly curbed or cased to prevent contamination from surface sources. Artesian wells are preferable, however, because they afford less opportunity for pollution and are less 

apt to be affected by drought.

Artesian wells have been drilled at Americus, near Huguenin, at 

Leslie, old Danville, Plains, and Sumter, and near Andersonville.

Small springs are fairly numerous in the northern part of the county 

and many of them are perennial. In Americus a portion of the 

water supply is taken from small springs, and in the rural districts
SUMTEE COTJJNTY. 393

springs are used locally for domestic supplies. The spring waters 

usually contain less mineral matter than the artesian waters, but 

many of them are rather strongly ferruginous. The better-known 

springs are Magnolia, Myrtle, Sweetwater, and Providence, the latter 

being the historic spring of the Confederate prison at Andersonville.

The waters of streams and ponds are used locally for watering stock 

and for boiler supply.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 

feet or more. In the south large supplies may be obtained from cavities or beds of sand in the Vicksburg formation at depths of 250 feet 

or less. The Eocene deposits, which underlie the Vicksburg formation in the south and come to the surface in the north, contain waterbearing beds, and beneath the Eocene at still greater depths the 

Cretaceous deposits carry numerous important water-bearing beds. 

The prospects are good for obtaining flowing wells along Flint River 

at elevations less than 75 feet above low-water level and in the lowlands south of Americus.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Americus (population 8,063, census of 1910). At Americus the 

public water supply is derived in part from artesian wells and in part 

from springs. The city artesian wells are four in number and are 

located on the north side of Town Creek one-half mile north of the 

county courthouse. (See PL XX, B, p. 240.)

Well No. 1 is 337 feet deep, and the water stands within 65 feet of 

the surface. The casing rusted out and was recently replaced to a 

depth of 245 feet, but was prevented from going deeper by an obstruction. The water in the well at the time of Mr. Veatch's visit (April, 

1911) was turbid, and when the pumps were started large quantities of gray lignitic quartz sand were forced out.

Well No. 2 is 450(?) feet deep and the water rises to within 60 feet 

of the surface. Originally the water stood within 16 feet of the surface, but wells subsequently drilled to about the same depth at the 

Central of Georgia Railway station and at the fertilizer factory are 

believed to have caused the static head to sink to its present position.

Well No. 3 is about 700 feet deep and yields a slight flow above the 

surface.

Well No. 4 was drilled in 1907 (?) and is 992 feet deep, 10-inch 

casing was inserted to 226 feet, 8-inch casing to 402 feet, and 6-inch 

casing to 962 feet. The principal water-bearing bed is between 962 

and 992 feet and the water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. 

From data and a few samples in the office of J. B. Ansley, superintendent of the city waterworks, Mr. Veatch has prepared the following log:
594 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 

Log of city well No. 4, Americus (No. 4, Table 74).

Sand. ...................................................................................

Coarse white sand, water bearing. ....... i ...............................................

Limestone containing shells and corals (?)...............................................

Slightly glauconitic shell marl... ........................................................

Black clay..............................................................................

Medium-grained sandlike material consisting chiefly of fragments of limestone with scattered quartz grains and some glauconite. ..............................................

Clean white sand, water bearing. ........................................................

Hard calcareous quartzite... ............................................................

Marl (probably sandy clay)... ..........................................................

Sand, gravel, and conglomerate .........................................................

Fine white sand and gravel .............................................................

Flint (quartzite) containing shells. ......................................................

Fine white sand, water bearing. ........................................................

Flint (quartzite) and shell conglomerate. ................................................

Fine gray sand containing a little clay. ............................................ ....

Soft black marl (clay). ..................................................................

Sand....................................................................................

Marl (clay). .............................................................................

Water-bearing strata...... ..............................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

10

60

8

2

26

4

3

2

29

3

5

5

23

45

8

22

20

34

4

8

17

20

18

166

3

112

10

20

15

188

72

30

Depth.

Feet. 

10

70

78

80

106

110

113

115

144

147

152

157

180

225

233

255

275

309

313

321

338

358

376

542

545

657

667

687

702

890

962

992

Since the preceding log was prepared Mr. Stephenson has obtained 

from Mr. Ansley a partial set of well borings of well No. 4, on the basis 

of which the following partial log has been prepared:

Partial log of city well No. 4, Americus (No. 4, Tabk 74).

[Total depth, 992 feet.] 

Eocene:

Jackson formation (?): Feet.

Brown very sandy clay at ............................ 60

Light-gray very coarse sand........................... 60- 68

Jackson formation:

Gray sandy limestone with numerous fragments of 

shells, chiefly Gryphaea sp.; contains also the bryozoan Idmonea maxillaris Lonsdale 1 ................... 80-106

Small fragments of slightly glauconitic sandy limestone 

with numerous fragments of shells and some scattered 

grains of quartz sand............................... 113-115

Loose, medium-grained, sandlike material consisting 

chiefly of fragments of limestone with scattered grains 

of quartz and some glauconite; contains Heteropora 

sp. nov. 1 .......................................... 144-147

Mixture of fragments of sandy, slightly glauconitic 

limestone, fragments of shells, and quartz sand; contains Heteropora sp. nov. 1 (same species as in the preceding sample) and Lunatia eminula Conrad 2 ........ 141-152

1 Identified by R. S. Bassler, who states that the age indicated is Jackson (Eocene).

2 Identified by T. W. Vaughan, who states that the age indicated is Eocene.
SUMTEB COUNTY. £95

Eocene Continued. Feet. 

Coarse clear quartz sand with numerous fragments of 

gray sandy limestone............................... 152-157

Eocene (?):

Not represented by sample but probably Eocene ........... 157-180

Coarse gray argillaceous, micaceous, calcareous sand, with 

angular pebbles up to one-quarter of an inch in length; 

possibly a basal conglomerate.......... ................... 180-200

Upper Cretaceous, Eipley formation (?):

Dark-gray sandy, micaceous, calcareous clay with fragments of shells ........................................ 200-225

Upper Cretaceous, Bipley formation: 1

Fragments of hard gray calcareous, fossiliferous sandstone 

and a few loose shells and fragments of shells; recognized 

Breviarca sp. Nemodon?, Ostrea tecticasta Gabb?, Cardium 

sp., Crassatellitessp., Lithophagasp..................... 225-238

Fragments of gray calcareous sandstone and fragments of 

shells; recognized Exogyra sp., Anomia argentaria Morton, 

Anomia lintea Conrad.................................. 255-273

Yellow fine-grained quartz sand........................... 273-309

Fragments of hard calcareous sandstone and numerous fragments of shells; recognized Ostrea tecticosta Gabb and 

Ostrea subspatulata Forbes ? (young individual)......... 309-313

Mixture of yellow sand, fragments of hard gray calcareous 

sandstone, fragments of dark-gray shaly clay, and fragments of shells; recognized Ostrea tecticosta Gabb, Exogyra sp., - Anomia argentaria Morton, Anomia lintea Conrad, Lima reticulata Forbes ?........................... 313-321 

Fine gray sand containing numerous fragments of hard gray 

calcareous sandstone and a few fragments of shells; recognized Cheilostomatous bryozoa (identified by E. O. Ulrich), Exogyra sp., and Anomia argentaria Morton ....... 358-376

The city springs are on the west side of Town Creek, north of the 

city wells and 1J miles north of the courthouse. They issue from a 

ferruginous quartz sand which outcrops at the base of the hills along 

the edge of the creek swamp. There were, originally, several natural 

springs at this locality, but the 42 so-called springs now in use have 

been developed by sinking shallow holes and are really shallow wells. 

Each spring is walled in the manner of a cistern or well and is covered 

by an iron lid which is kept closed and locked to prevent contamination. The water (150 gallons per minute) flows by gravity from the 

springs to the pumping station at the city artesian wells. The 

spring waters are probably safe, but will probably be contaminated 

if many more houses or factories are built in the vicinity.

Waters from wells Nos. 1 and 4 and from the city springs were 

analyzed (Table 75, analyses 1, 2, and 3). The two well waters, 

which are similar in composition, would be classed as hard and, on 

account of their high calcium content, are poor for boiler supply unless 

softened; each emits a slight odor of hydrogen sulphide. The spring

1 Fossils identified by L. W. Stephenson except as otherwise indicated.
396 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

waters are softer and contain much less mineral matter than the well 

waters.

There are several other artesian wells in the vicinity of Americus. 

One, owned by the Central of Georgia Railway, located near the 

station on the lowland along Town Creek, is reported to be 480 feet 

deep. It flows a small stream.

A well was drilled in 1883 on the present site of Windsor Hotel. 

Reports differ as to its depth; McCallie 1 states that it was 1,725 feet 

deep and that at 1,000 feet water was encountered which rose to within 

30 feet of the surface. The well was abandoned because it did not 

flow.

A well on the public square is reported to be 900 feet deep and is 

nonflowing.

The log of a well (No. 11, Table 74) owned by Dr. P. F. Bahnsen, 

1^ miles south of Americus, has been furnished by the owner as 

follows:

Log of well of Dr. P. F. Bahnsen, 1\ miles south of Amerwus. 

[Authority, J. J. James, driller.]

Thickness.

Feet. 

15

25

20

20

10

Af\

50

Depth.

Feet. 

15

40

60

80

90

130

180

The water-bearing cavity at 177 to 180 feet is probably in limestone 

of the Jackson formation. An analysis of the water is given in Table 

75 (analysis 4).

A well owned by T. B. Hooks, 5 miles southeast of Americus, is 

reported to be 450 feet deep. The water stands within 40 feet of 

the surface and is said to be hard; when exposed to the atmosphere 

an oily scum probably due to iron oxide appears on the surface. 

Rock was encountered at 40 feet, but the principal water supply is 

said to come from sand at a depth of 340 feet. The water is pumped 

by means of a gasoline engine and supplies a plantation.

McCallie 2 gives the following additional well data:

In addition to the wells above described there are two wells near the city limits 

of Americus, one of which is owned by Mr. E. C. Speer and located 1J miles north 

of Americus. This well is 4 inches in diameter and 212 feet deep. The water, 

which is said to be apparently inexhaustible, rises to within 102 feet of the surface and is used for drinking purposes, also to supply a ginnery and a sawmill. 

The other well, owned by Messrs. Perry & Brown, is 2J miles southeast of Americus.

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bulh 15, p. 166,1908. 

a Idem, pp. 168,169.
SUMTEE COUNTY. 897

It ia 284 feet deep and 4 inches in diameter. The water rises to within 100 feet of the 

surface. Both the Speer well and the Perry & Brown well are located on elevated 

ground, which accounts for the low static head of the water. Hard rock is reported in 

the Perry & Brown well at 270 feet. Above the rock occur sands, clays, and marls. 

The principal water supply is said to come from a cavity 2 or 3 feet deep in the rock at 

the bottom of the well. A second water-bearing stratum is reported at 100 feet, but 

this is cased off, and the only water used is from the first-mentioned stratum. The 

water, which is elevated by the means of a deep-well pump, operated by a windmill, 

is used for general farm purposes. It is said to contain iron and sulphur.

Plains (population 400, census of 1910). The town of Plains has 

no water-supply system but owns a deep well from which a part of 

the inhabitants obtain their domestic water supply. The well, 

drilled in 1910, is near the Seaboard Air Line Kailway station and 

is 244 feet deep and 3 inches in diameter. The water, which is hard 

and ferruginous, is said to come from a cavity at 243 feet and rises to 

within 85 feet of the surface; it is lowered 10 feet by pumping 10 

gallons per minute. T. J. James furnishes the following log of

the well:

Log of the town well at Plains.

Clay....... .............................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

60

10

60

10

10

10

40

10

14

Depth.

Feet. 

20

80

90

150

160

170

180

220

230

244

Eight wells in and near the town range in depth from 244 to 280 feet

A well owned by J. D. Clark and T. J. Spann is 265 feet deep and

is cased to a depth of 150 feet; the water probably comes from the

upper part of the Midway formation. (See analysis 5, Table 75.)

The following is an approximate log:

Log of well of J. D. Clark and T. J. Spann, Plains.

1

Thickness.

Feet. 

90

75

75

25

Depth.

Feet. 

90

165

240

265

Magnolia Spring. Magnolia Spring, which has a local reputation, 

is about 31 miles north of Plains. The yield has not been accurately 

measured but is, perhaps, 30 or 35 gallons per minute. The water 

issues from a gray argillaceous, micaceous, slightly calcareous sand
398 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

(Wilcox), containing iron sulphide and bits of lignitic matter, which 

outcrops in a small valley near the head of a small creek. The water 

is slightly sulphurous and is rather hard and high in iron; it is, 

however, a wholesome drinking water. (See analysis 6, Table 75.)

Sumter. A well owned by H. J. Webb, one-half mile south of 

Sumter, is 308 feet deep. The principal water-bearing bed is reported 

to be at the bottom, and the water stands within 26 feet of the surface. 

The water is described as clear "with a little sulphur," and is used 

for general domestic and farm purposes.

Huguenin. Wells at Huguenin are described by McCallie l as 

follows:

The"Huguenin wells, located on the Huguenin plantation near Flint Biver, in the 

extreme southeastern part of Sumter County, are several in number, but only one 

furnishes a flow. Mr. J. M. Johnson, of Macon, Ga., the present owner of the Huguenin 

plantation, states that the flowing well on Ms property is located at Huguenin station, 

1 mile west of Flint River. This well is 4 inches in diameter and 167 feet deep; it 

flows 10 gallons a minute. Mr. Johnson reports six or seven other wells on the property 

varying from 75 to 220 feet in depth, but they are all located on high ground and are 

nonflowing.

Andersonville. A well near Andersonville is described by McCallie 1 

as follows:

The Andersonville well, which is located on A. F. Hodges's farm, near Andersonville, is 244 feet deep and 3 inches in diameter. The water rises to within 132 feetof 

the surface. The well is cased to a depth of 200 feet and is supplied with a deep-well 

pump, operated by a windmill. The water, which is said to be wholesome, is used for 

general domestic and farm purposes. Mr. Hodges was unable to give a complete record of the well, but he states that a thick bed of kaolin was penetrated at a depth of 

perhaps 100 feet from the surface.

A spring of both historic and scientific interest is located at the 

site of Andersonville prison. It illustrates one of the ways in which 

springs originate, for it was formed during the Civil War, while the 

prison was in use, by a heavy rain which washed a gully on one of the 

slopes within the stockade deep enough to intersect a water-bearing 

stratum.

Old Danville. The well near Old Danville is described by McCallie * 

as follows:

Mr. C. S. S. Home's well, located near Old Danville, was completed in 1900. The 

well is 3 inches in diameter and 355 feet deep. The water, which rises to within 90 

feet of the surface, is said to come from a porous rock, first struck at about 300 feet. 

The static head of the water is lowered by long-continued pumping. The well is 

cased to hard rock at 114 feet.

Leslie. Wells at Leslie are described by McCallie 2 as follows:

Leslie has several bored wells, varying from 100 to 125 feet in depth. These wells 

are all small and are reported to have struck hard rock at 50 feet. The water rises to

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 169,1908. * Idem, p. 170.
SUMTEE COUNTY. 399

points varying from 14 to 40 feet from the surface, depending upon the location of the 

well. Long pumping is said to lower the static head of the water. The water-bearing 

stratum is sand which occurs near the bottom of the well.

TABLE 74. Welk in Sumter County.

No.

1 

2 

3

4 

5 

6

7 

8 

9 

10 

11

12 

13

14 

15

16 

17

18

No.

1

2 

3

4

5 

6 

7 

8 

9

10 

11

12

13 

14 

15 

16

17 

18

Location.

Americ 

Americ 

Americ 

Americ 

Americ 

Americ 

squaa 

Americ

Americ 

north 

Americ 

south 

Americ 

south 

Americ 

south 

Anders 

Huguei 

west 

Leslie

us, No. 

 us, No. - 

us, No. I 

us, No. ' 

us

L......

3......

1......

I......

us (public

16).

us. 1J miles 

of. 

us, 2J miles 

east of. 

us, 5 miles 

east of. 

us. 1J miles 

of. 

onville (near) . 

lin, 1 mile 

rf Flint Kiver.

Old Danville (Flint 

River). 

Plains............... 

.....do...............

Sumter, J mile south 

of.

Depth.

Feet. 

337

450? 

700± 

992

1,725 

900? 

480 

212

284

450

180

244

167 

160 

355 

244

265 

308

Diameter.

Inches.

10

4

4 

4

4 

5

3

4

3 

3

2

Owner.

City................

.....do..............

.....do.............. 1 

(

( 

] 

]

1 

]

i

Windsor 

3ity....

Central 

Ry.

3. C. Sp

3erry& 

P. B. Ho 

3eter F. 

V. F. Ho

Hotel......

of Georgia

Brown.....

oks........

Bahnsen. . .

C. S. S. I

Town... 

J. D. Clar 

Spann. 

H. J. W«

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet.

962-992 

1,000

284

340 

177-180

300-355 

243

308

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

(6)

100

40-60

150 

240-265

kandT. J. 

bb. .......

Level 

of

water 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

65

60

60 

30

102 

100

40 

80

132

15 

90

85

26

Driller.

Wm. Brewer....

J. J. James, Sumter.

James E dwards .

M. N. Brewer, 

Dawson.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

10

Pump.

Galls.

10

10

Authority.

OttoVeatch......

.....do............

.....do............

... do ... .

S. W. McOalli 

L. G. Council

S. W. McCalli 

do

30..

.....do............

T. B. Hooks...... 

Owner........-- -

S. W. McCalli 

J. M. Johnson a

S. W. McCallieo..

H.J.Webb. ......

How obtained.

Floi

Win 

w

Gas 

Eta

Wir 

w Floi 

For*

idmill, deepell pump, 

oline engine... 

jtric motor....

idmill, deepell pump.

Gasoline engine, 

deep-well pump.

Wiridmill.........

Date 

completed.

1907?

1883

1907 

1912

1900 

1910

1906

Ap-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

 360 

360 

360 

360 

360 

360

348

394

Quality.

See Table 75, analShghtly hard. 

Hard. 

Hard: see Table 75, 

analysis 2.

Ferruginous and sulphurous. 

Hard. 

See Table 75, analysis 4.

Hard*. Severalwells. 

Hard, ferruginous.

See Table 75, analysis 5. 

Soft.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 166-169,1908. 6 See log, p. 394.
400 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 74. Wells in Sumter County Continued.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5 

6

7

8 

9

10 

11 

12 

13

14 

15 

16

17 

18

Use.

Municipal supply. 

.....do............

.....do............ 

.....do............

Boilers of locomotives. 

Domestic, boiler 

supply.

.....do............

Domestic and farm

Domestic, manufacturing.

.....do............

Domestic.........

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Ripley formation? 

Upper Cretaceous.

Eocene?...........

Eocene or Ripley 

formation. 

.....do............

Jackson formation? 

Ripley formation ?

Vicksburg formamation?

Midway formation? 

.....do............

Character.

Cavity in rock.... 

Sand..............

Cavity below rock.

Sand .............

Cavity with some 

sand. 

Thin layer of rock.

Remarks.

Cased to 245 feet.

10-inch casing to 226 feet; 8-inch casing 

to 402 feet; 6-inch casing to 962 feet. 

See logs, pp. 394-395. 

Abandoned.

Cost of well, $480. 

5-inch casing to 125 feet. See log, p. 396. 

3-inch casing to 200 feet. 

Also 6 or 7 nonflowing wells 75 to 220 

feet deep.

Water lowered by pumping; 3-inch casing to 114 feet. 

Cost of well, $268; 2-inch casing to 185 

feet. See log, p. 397.

2-incn casing to 285 feet. Cost of well,

$350.

TABLE 75. Analyses of underground waters from Sumter County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

<3

fc

1

2

3

4

5

6

Date of 

collection.

Apr. 19,1911

.....do........

......do........

Dec. 16,1912

Apr. 20,1911

.....do........

'S

O

£ 

3

3

02

16

25

17

34

27

30

£

a

M

0.4 l.e

.6

10

3.0

4.5

Source.

City well No. 1..

City well No. 4..

municipal supWell of Peter F. 

Bahnsen.

Well of 3. D.

Clark and T.J.

Magnolia Spring.

.

O,

 |

"cS

o

46

49

2.0

32

34

46

S

1

be

^

2.0

5.0

1.0

9.0

3.0

5.0

1 

aw oi

a * §55 

S^

 8 -a

02

5.0

10

5.0

16

8.0

6.4

Location.

Americus

.....do.............

.....do.............

Americus, 1 J miles 

south of.

Plains, 3J miles 

north of.

S

'ti

5g

o

£%0

0.0

2.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

S 

_g

1 .

3°

IStr.s

«

171

171

17

176

134

171

<D

T3

»0

.goo

 a

OQ

Tr.

12

Tr.

13

6.0

10

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Ripley formation.

tion?

.....do..........

tion?

Wilcox formation.

<D

 O .

S^

"§«&

%

Tr.

0.3

Tr.

.0

1.5

1.0

S

(D

g

7*

0

3.5

3.0

3.0

4.0

3.5

2.5

 o 

e

o .

GO'0

*O m

"3

-s

E-i

170

200

50

209

179

212

Depth.

Feet. 

337

962-992

177-180

240-265

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

Well 1, Table 74.

Well 4, Table 74.

Well 11, Table 74.

Well 17, Table 74.

See pp. 397-398.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA. 401

TALBOT COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Talbot County is in the western part of Georgia on the border 

between the Piedmont Plateau and the Gulf Coastal Plain. Its area 

is 312 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 11,696. 

Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

A small tract in the southern part of the county, less than onefourth of the total area, is included within the physiographic division 

known as the fall-line hills. The remainder lies within the Piedmont 

Plateau.

The Coastal Plain area is hilly and the hills are more or less smoothly 

rounded in outline with a probable maximum topographic relief of 

300 to 350 feet. The existing topography has resulted from the 

dissection of the northernmost border of the Coastal Plain upland. 

Much of the surface is blanketed with loose gray residual or slightly 

wind-shifted or torrent-shifted sand. Drainage is through the headwater streams of Upatoi Creek, a tributary of Chattahoochee River, 

and the headwater streams of Whitewater Creek, a tributary of 

Flint River.

GEOLOGY.

Lower Cretaceous deposits are the only sediments of the Coastal 

Plain represented. They appear in a belt of country 3 to 6 miles 

wide along the southern border of the county and consist of irregularly bedded coarse arkosic sands, with subordinate lenses of lightcolored massive clays. They rest upon the southward-sloping surface 

of crystalline basement rocks and attain an estimated thickness of 

300 or 400 feet. (See. PL III, p. 52.)

In texture, composition, and structure the Lower Cretaceous deposits 

are admirably suited to carry waters of excellent quality, though 

they probably contain them in only moderate quantities.

WAITER RESOURCES.

In the Coastal Plain area nearly all water for domestic use is 

obtained from dug wells, which so far as reported do not exceed 70 

feet in depth, and from small springs. The source of the water is the 

Lower Cretaceous deposits.

The waters from most wells and springs are soft and contain only 

small amounts of dissolved mineral matter. Locally they are more or 

less ferruginous and sulphurous. 

38418° WSP 341 15 26
402 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The log of a well one-half mile east of Geneva, the lithology of which 

is furnished by the owner, J. F. Downs, shows 50 feet of hard red 

gravel with some "chalk" (white clay) and some sand, water bearing 

in lower 5 feet.

Small headwater streams furnish an abundance of excellent water 

for stock and for steam production.

In the southern part of the county moderate quantities of soft 

water are obtainable at depths of 100 to 300 feet from beds of sand 

in the Lower Cretaceous deposits.

TATTNALL COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Tattnall County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia, its southeastern boundary being about 50 miles from the 

Atlantic coast. Its area is 642 square miles and its population is 

18,569 (census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber 

and naval stores are the chief industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The surface of the upland is rolling to hilly in the north and gently 

rolling to nearly level in the south. Its elevation above sea level 

is estimated to be 175 to 250 feet. Altamaha River, which forms 

the southwestern boundary, has cut its gradient down to less than 

75 feet above sea level and is bordered by two relatively narrow 

Pleistocene terrace plains, one lying 10 to 15 feet and the other 40 to 

50 feet above low-water level.

The small streams which drain the county flow sluggishly through 

shallow valleys and in many places are bordered by swamps. In 

the south cypress ponds, gum ponds, and bays are common.

GEOLOGY.

The Alum Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 

feet or more of sands and bluish or whitish clays, locally indurated, 

outcrops in the valleys of Altamaha and Ohoopee rivers, and underlies 

the remainder of the county beneath undifferentiated younger 

deposits.

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 100 or 150 feet of irregularly bedded, locally indurated coarse sands with sandy clays, which 

are mapped as of undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene age. 

These surficial materials are the source of the water obtained in shallow wells.
TATTNALL COUNTY. 403

Pleistocene terrace deposits have been laid down in small areas 

along Altamaha River.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by the Vicksburg formation, which contains water-bearing beds. At Claxton, according to 

a set of borings obtained from a well owned by N. H. Thaggard (see 

p. 404), limestones, in part water bearing, were encountered between 

the depths 365 and 550 feet. Fossil Bryozoa were obtained from the 

borings, which R. S. Bassler says are related to the bryozoan fauna 

obtained from upper Jackson (Eocene) strata at Wilmington, N. C., 

but may indicate either the Jackson or Vicksburg age of the containing strata. On the evidence of the contained Nummulites, T. W. 

Vaughan correlates this portion of the section with the Vicksburg 

formation.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by undifferentiated deposits 

of Eocene and Cretaceous age, which at an unknown depth, perhaps 

2,500 feet or more, are believed to rest upon a basement of ancient 

crystalline rocks.

Both the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits contain important 

water-bearing beds.

WATEE RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug and driven wells 15 to 30 feet deep are the chief sources of 

domestic water supply. These wells yield soft waters, which if properly protected from surface pollution are wholesome. Artesian wells 

have been drilled at Reidsville, Claxton, Collins, Hagan, and Manassas. Small seepage springs are numerous but unimportant. The 

water of streams is used for stock, for the boilers of railway locomotives, and for steam production at sawmills.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,500 feet or more. At most places supplies sufficient for 

general domestic purposes can be obtained from the Alum Bluff 

formation at depths less than 200 feet and are apt to be softer than 

those from the underlying Tertiary limestones. Flowing wells can 

probably be obtained in the valleys of the larger streams.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

ReidsviUe (population 454, census of 1910). The town of Reidsville owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from 

an artesian well 275 feet deep. The well is 6 inches in diameter 

and yields 40 gallons per minute by pumping. The water, which 

is probably derived from the Alum Bluff formation, rises to within 

60 feet of the surface.

A sample from this well, collected February 14, 1913, was analyzed 

by Edgar Everhart as follows:
404 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Analysis of water from the 275-foot town well at Reidsville.

Parts per million. 

Silica (SiOa)................................................... 72

Iron (Fe)..................................................... 5.0

Calcium (Ca)................................................... " 13

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 7.0

Sodium and potassium (Na+K).................................. 12

Carbonate radicle (C03 )......................".................. .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03 )..................................... 86

Sulphate radicle (S04 )...:...................................... 11

Nitrate radicle (N03 )........................................... Trace.

Chlorine (01).................................................. 4.0

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 165

Olaxton (population 1,008, census of 1910). At Claxton water for 

domestic use is obtained chiefly from shallow dug and bored wells. 

The following log of an artesian well owned by N. H. Thaggard, 

completed in 1905, has been adapted from a published log by Fuller 

and Sanford.1

Log of well of N. H. Thaggard, Claxton.

[Samples received from the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C.; United States Geological

Survey well No. 589.]

Stiff red clay............................................................................

Soft " shell formation " ..................................................................

Very hard gray rock. ...................................................................

Tough marl .............................................................................

Hard brownish limestone; contains Nummulites sp. (numerous), Orbitoides sp. (cf. 0.

Hard brownish limestone and dark-gray shale; contains Nummulites and Orbitoides. . . . 

Brownishlimestone with soft layers; contains Nummulites and Orbitoides; waterbearing.

Thickness.

Feet. 

3

7

50

10

50

25

10

20

5 

40

5

25

20

40

40

15

5

10

20

52

8

45

5 

36.5

Depth.

Feet. 

3

10

60

70

120

145

155

175

180 

220

225

250

270

310

350

365

370

380

400

452

460

505

510

546.5

Diameter of well, 8 inches; length of casing, 452 feet; water stands 80 feet below surface. Well yields 

3 gallons per minute for each foot; head is depressed. Present yield, 100 gallons per minute. Temperature, 75° F.

The well penetrates the late Oligocene (?) beds and the Alum Bluff 

and Vicksburg formations. A partial set of borings, on file in the 

office of the United States Geological Survey (well No. 589), show 

that the well reached a depth of 550 instead of 546.5 feet. From 

borings in this set between 365 and 550 feet specimens of fossil 

Bryozoa were obtained, which R. S. Bassler says are related to the

i Fuller, M. L., and Sanford, Samuel, Record of deep-well drilling for 1905: U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 

298, pp. 201,202,1906.
TATTNALL COUNTY. 405

bryozoan fauna of Jackson age obtained from limestones at Wilmington, N. C., but may indicate either the Jackson or Vicksburg age of 

the containing strata. The specimens of Nummulites and Orbitoides 

indicated in the log were identified by J. A. Cushman. According 

to T. W. Vaughan, the presence of Nummulites probably indicates 

the Vicksburg age of the strata between 365 and 550 feet.

CoUins (population 327, census of 1910). At Collins water is 

obtained chiefly from shallow dug and driven wells. Two artesian 

wells have been reported, one 180 and the other 800 feet deep. In 

the 800-foot well, according to McCallie,1 the water rises to within 142 

feet of the surface and is reported to come from a water-bearing 

stratum near the bottom of the well.

The following log of the 180-foot well, which is owned by the Pine 

Product Co., has been prepared from a set of well borings on file in the 

office of the United States Geological Survey (well No. 213):

Log of well of the Pine Product Co., Collins. 

[Samples sent by W. F. Hamilton.]

Dark purplish, rather coarse argillaceous sand. ..........................................

Light-brown, rather coarse argillaceous sand. ............................................

Pink-tinted coarse loose sand ...........................................................

Light-gray coarse loose sand..... .......................................................

White clay or kaolin ....................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

2

12

22

6

18

35

16

22

17

30

Depth.

Feet. 

2

14

36

42

60

95

111

133

150

180

The well penetrates late Oligocene? beds and a portion of the 

Alum Bluff formation.

Other localities. McCallie 2 gives the following data on wells at 

Hagan and Manassas:

The Hagan well, put down by the Perkins Lumber Co. in 1900, is 3 inches in diameter 

and 447 feet deep. The water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. Water-bearing 

strata are reported at 230 and 447 feet. The following is a partial section of the well:

[Log of well of Perkins Lumber Co., at Hagan.]

Feet. 

Grayish sand................................................ 0- 20

Reddish sandstone.......................................... 20-28

White pipe clay and sand..................................... 28-120

Blue marl and sand.......................................... 120-230

The Manassas well, owned by Mrs. M. P. Cummings, was completed in 1895, at a 

cost of $450. It is 6 inches in diameter and 480 feet deep. The water rises to within 

109 feet of the surface. Three or four water-bearing strata are reported, the main 

supply of water coming from near the bottom of the well.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 170,1908. 2 Idem, p. 171.
406 UNDERGROUND WATERS- OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 76. Wells in Tattnall County.

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5 

6

No.

1 

2 

3 

4

5 

6

No.

1

2

3

4

5 

6

Location.

Claxtoi

Collins 

.....do 

Hagan 

Manass 

Reidsv

Date 

completed.

1905 

1905

1900 

1895 

1906

.......

llo

Ap-.

proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet.

238 

238

217

Owner.

N.

Pi] 

To 

Pe 

M. 

To

H. Thaggard..... 

le Product Co. . . .

rkins I 

F.Cui

umber Co .

Depth.

Feet. 

546} 

180 

800 

447 

480 

275

Use.

Municipal supply.

Diameter.

Inches. 

8

8 

3 

6 

6

Driller.

Hughes 

Co., C 

B. Z. M

Specialty Well Drilling 

tiarleston, S. C.

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

460-505

480

275

Depth 

to other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet. 

510-546}

230,447

Level 

of water 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

80

142 

60 

109 

60

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Vicks 

tioi

Alum 

tior 

Eocei 

Vicks 

tioi 

d

burg form

t.

Bluff form

L.

ie?. .......

burg form 

t. 

[)-.-.__ . .

Alum Bluff form 

tion.

i- Shell i 

aAuthority.

Drillers***

W. F. Hamilton. 

S. W. McCallie.6 

Do. 

Do. 

H. H. Elders, mayor.

Yield 

per minute by 

pumping.

Galls. 

100

40

How obtained.

Steam-engine air-lift 

pump.

Remarks.

The depth according to well borings at 

U. S. Geol. Survey (No. 589) is 550 

feet. See log, p. 404. 

See log, p. 405.

Do.

Cost of well, $500; of pump, $300. See 

analysis, p. 404.

all. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 298, pp. 201,202,1906. 

6 Getorgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 170-171,1908.

TAYLOB COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Taylor County is in the west-central part of Georgia on the border 

between the Piedmont Plateau and the Gulf Coastal Plain. Its area 

is 343 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 10,839. 

The chief industry is agriculture.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county, embracing somewhat less than 

half the total area, is included in the Piedmont Plateau, and the 

remainder, from a few miles north of the Central of Georgia Kailway 

southward, lies within the Coastal Plain.
TAYLOE COUNTY. 407

The county is drained'by Flint River through its tributaries, White 

Water, Patsiliga, and smaller creeks. The surface of the Coastal 

Plain is hilly, the existing topography having resulted from the dissection of an upland plain. The maximum topographic relief is 

probably between 325 and 350 feet. The area forms a part of the 

physiographic division known as the fall-line hills. In general, the 

hills have rounded outlines, and their tops and slopes are blanketed 

by a nearly universal covering of residual though more or less windshifted or torrent-shifted sand.

GEOLOGY.

The surface of the crystalline rocks which outcrop in the Piedmont 

Plateau area slopes southward beneath the deposits of the Coastal 

Plain. The latter deposits are all of Cretaceous age. Lower Cretaceous deposits, which consist of 500 or 600 feet of coarse, irregularly 

bedded arkosic sands with subordinate lenses of light-colored 

massive clays, rest upon the crystalline rocks, and appear at the surface in a belt several miles wide extending east and west through 

the center of the county. These are unconformably overlain by 

Upper Cretaceous sands and clays of shallow-water origin, which 

appear at the surface over the remainder of the county south of the 

belt of outcrop of the Lower Cretaceous deposits. The Upper Cretaceous strata belong to the Ripley formation and chiefly to the 

Cusseta sand member of that formation. In the western part of the 

county it is believed that representatives of the Eutaw formation of 

the Upper Cretaceous intervene between the Lower Cretaceous 

deposits and the Cusseta sand, but these have not been accurately 

differentiated. The combined thickness of the Upper Cretaceous 

sediments within the county is probably 500 or 600 feet. (See 

PL III, p. 52.)

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHAEACTEE.

In the Coastal Plain section water for domestic purposes is obtained 

chiefly from dug wells 15 to 160 feet deep and from springs. The 

waters are generally of good quality except where contaminated 

from local surface sources. The wells tap water-bearing beds in 

strata of Lower Cretaceous or Upper Cretaceous age.

The springs are usually small but where conveniently located 

afford waters of satisfactory quality for domestic purposes. The 

largest spring reported, which yields 28 gallons per minute, is a mile 

north of Reynolds and is owned by G. T. Rufnn, of Reynolds. The 

water has been piped to Reynolds and is used in boilers by several 

small factories and by a few families.
408 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Spring waters are utilized for steam production at a few small sawmills and gristmills. At several sawmills the combined flow from 

several closely adjoining springs is used to operate small water-power 

plants.

Small creeks and headwater branches afford abundant supplies of 

excellent water for stock and for steam production.

The Cretaceous beds outcropping in the southern part of the 

county, which include representatives of both the Lower and Upper 

Cretaceous, are favorable physically to the retention of large quantities of water. Prospects for obtaining artesian water supplies from 

these sources at reasonable depths are good at all points south of the 

Central of Georgia Railway.

It may be possible to obtain flowing wells at the lowest levels of 

the valleys of White water and Cedar creeks in the extreme southern 

part of the county, but elsewhere flows are scarcely to be expected.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Reynolds (population 521, census of 1910). McCallie 1 has published the following partial section and description of the materials 

penetrated in a well (No. 8, Table 77) drilled to a depth of 700 feet 

at Reynolds:

Partial log of well of Central of Georgia Railway at Reynolds (No. 8, Table 77).

Whiteclay................................................................... ...........

Thickness.

Feet. 

6

25

3

3

4

3

18

14

Depth.

Feet. 

6

31

34

37

41

44

62

76

- At 600 feet a hard dark-colored rock is reported, which extends to the bottom of the 

well. This hard stratum is probably the crystalline rock which outcrops along Flint 

River about 7 miles north of Reynolds. The water from the 75-foot water-bearing 

stratum is said to be quite soft. It is used by the Central of Georgia Railway for 

steam purposes.

The strata described in the log are of Lower Cretaceous age. 

The log of a dug well (No. 9, Table 77) owned by A. J. Crawford, 

with lithologic descriptions furnished by the owner, is as follows:

iGeorgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 171-172,1908.
TAYLOR COUNTY. 409

Log of well of A. J. Crawford, 600 yards southeast of the post office at Reynolds ('No. 9,

Table 77).

Thickness. Depth.

Lower Cretaceous: 

Sandy soil..... 

Clas

' Chalk "(white clay) and clay. 

Coarse sand with some water at base...............................................

Alternating layers of clay, rock, and mud, furnishing a small amount of water at base.

Feet. 

4 

7 

12 

10 

47

Feet.

Other localities. Detailed information concerning several of the 

deeper dug and bored wells is given in Table 77 (Nos. 1 to 7,9, and 10). 

The logs of three of these wells follow:

Log of well of J. L. Whitley, 1% miles north of Mauk (No. 7, Table 77). 

[The owner is authority for the lithology.]

Thickness. Depth.

Upper Cretaceous:

Ripley formation (Cusseta sand member): Feet. Feet. 

Sand.........................................................................

Clay............................................................................ 5 13

Sand............................................................................ 25 38

"Chalk" (clay)................................................................. 4 42

Sand............................................................................ 18

Eutaw formation (?):

Blackmarly "chalk" (clay)..................................................... 13 73

Formation (?):

"Chalk" (clay) and sand, water bearing in basal 2 feet.......................... 52 125

Log of well of George Ruffin, 1\ miles east of Mauk (No. 6, Table 77). 

[Authority for the lithology, J. A. Steed, Mauk.]

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member: Feet. 

Clay....................................................... ?

Sand....................................................... ?

"Chalk" [clay] and sand..............................:..... ?

Coarse sand.................................................. ?

White pebble rock........................................... ?

90

Log of well of W. G. Hill, three-eighths of a mile north of Southland (No. 10, Table 77)-. 

[The owner is authority for the lithology.]

Upper Cretaceous, Ripley formation, Cusseta sand member: Feet. Feet.

Sand................................................................................ 3 3

"Chalk" (whiteclay) and clay...................................................... 9 12

Fine sand of various colors, water bearing in lower 2 feet-............................ 63 75
410 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 77. Wells in Taylor County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Butler.

Charing..............

Charing, 1 mile north 

of.

Charing, If miles 

northwest of.

Mauk, | mile northeast of.

Mauk, 1£ miles east of.

Mauk, l| miles north 

of.

Reynolds............

M. T. Chapman.

J. T. Garrett........

T. C. Bloodworth...

Walton Watson..... 

W.A. Woodall......

George!Ruffin.. 

J. L. Whitley..

J. W. Riley, ButJ. B. Watson 

(deceased).

Orange Howell, 

Paschal.

ler. 

Owner............

H. H. Rogers,

Charing. 

Owner............

1906

1909

Feet. 

650?

(a)

C. E. Wall, Mauk.

J. A. Steed, Mauk. 

Owner............ 1910

Southland, 

north of.

mile

Central of Georgia 

A. J. Crawford......

W. G. Hill..........

Amos Turner, 

Reynolds.

S. W. McCallie «. 

Owner...........

.....do...........

1909

1906

433

433

No.

10

Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depth 

to

other 

waterbearing|

beds.

Level

of

water 

below 

surface.

Yield per minute 

by pumping. How obtained. Quality.

Feet.

45

74

72 

160.5

80

90

125

700

80

75

Inches.

48

30

12

36

48

048

ft 36

036

ft 30

4

30 

32

Feet. 

40 

72 

70 

160 

80

60

123

Feet.

45-65

Small. 

do.

70 ....do. 

....do. 

....do.

Bucket and rope.. 

....do............

.....do............

.....do............

.....do............

Soft.

.do.

38

75. 250

80

123

75

79.5

73

....do............

Very small 

....do......

Pumps...........

Bucket and rope. 

Steam pump.....

Do. 

Do.

Do. 

Do.

No.

10

Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Boiler supply. 

Domestic.....

....do........

.....do........

.....do........

....do........

Lower Cretaceous. 

Cusseta sand......

....do............

....do............

....do............

....do............

Sand.............

Sand!"""""!!

....do........

Boiler supply.

Cretaceous........

Lower Cretaceous. 

....do...........

Domestic. Ripley formation 

(Cusseta sand 

member).

Gravel and sand. 

Sand.............

....do...........

Coarse sand......

Sand.............

Dug.

Dug. Cost, $50.

Bored. Cost, $19.

Dug.

Do. 

Dug. Cost of well, $30; of pump, $22.

Dug, cased part of way. Cost, $30.

See log, p. 409. 

Enlarged to 13 feet in diameter to 80 feet;

walled with brick. See log, p. 408- 

Dug crooked and not used. Cost, $40.

See log, p. 409. 

Dug, cased part of way with wood.

Cost, $30. See log, p. 409.

o On hill.

6 On upland.

c On hill slope.

a Elevation same as Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic R. R. track at station.

e Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 171,172,1908.

/Elevation 60 feet higher than Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic R. R. track at station.

a Diameter at top of well.

ft Diameter at bottom of well.
UNDEEGBOUND WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOEGIA. 411 

TELFAIR COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATUEES.

Telfair County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 

McRae, the county seat, is on the Southern Railway 78 miles 

south of Macon. Ocmulgee River forms the southern boundary and 

Little Ocmulgee River or Gum Swamp the eastern boundary. The 

area of the county is 373 square miles and the population is 13,288 

(census of 1910). Agriculture and the shipment of lumber and naval 

stores are the chief industries.

TOPOGEAPHY.

The upland is gently rolling to hilly. Streams are numerous, but 

their valleys are shallow, and the maximum surface relief probably 

does not exceed 150 feet. The county falls within the physiographic 

division called the Altamaha upland or wire-grass region. Ocmulgee 

River is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains, one a swamp 

about 15 feet above low-water level and the other a nearly level 

plain about 50 feet above the same datum. These plains are easily 

distinguished at Lumber City, the town being built upon the higher 

one. They are also fairly well developed along Little Ocmulgee 

River from its mouth upstream as far as Scotland.

The known altitudes above sea level at railroad stations are 

McRae, 229 feet; Scotland, 142 feet; Towns, 128 feet; Lumber City, 

146 fee£; and low water, Ocmulgee River at Southern Railway 

bridge, 94.5 feet.1

GEOLOGY.

The Alum Bluff formation (Oligocene), which consists of 100 feet 

or more of soft sandy clays and sands, in part water bearing, with 

interbedded thin layers of sandstone and quartzite, outcrops in the 

Valleys of Ocmulgee River and its larger tributaries. One hundred 

feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays, probably of late 

Oligocene age, overlie the Alum Bluff formation and constitute the 

surface materials in the interstream areas. They weather to loose 

gray or yellow sands.

Pleistocene terrace deposits have been laid down in narrow areas 

bordering Ocmulgee River.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by 500 feet or more of 

limestones with interbedded layers of calcareous sandstone and marl 

which probably represent in descending order the Chattahooch.ee 

and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene, and the Jackson formation of the Eocene. These formations contain water-bearing beds.

1 Survey of Ocmulgee River, Ga., sheet 14: H. Doc. No. 215,51st Cong.
412 UNDEBGBOUND WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

Beneath the limestones in descending order are a series of sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age which probably have an aggregate thickness of 1,500 feet or more and which rest upon a deeply 

buried basement of ancient crystalline rocks. These deposits contain important water-bearing beds.

WATEE RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The main sources of domestic water supply in the rural districts 

are dug wells 10 to 50 feet deep, which penetrate the Pleistocene 

terrace deposits, the soft surficial sands and clays, and the Alum 

Bluff formation. These deposits yield soft waters in sufficient quantities to supply the needs of the people except during times of unusual 

drought, when some of them fail.

Nonflowing artesian wells have been drilled at Helena and McRae, 

and flowing wells at Lumber City, Towns, and Scotland. Small 

seepage springs are fairly numerous, but most of them are of little 

importance.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 

feet or more. It is believed possible to obtain flowing wells in the 

valleys of the larger streams wherever the surface is not more than 

50 or 60 feet above low-water level. The areas of possible flow 

probably embrace only the terrace plains bordering Ocmulgee and 

Little Ocmulgee rivers, and the lowlands along the lower courses of 

Sugar and Horse creeks. (See PL XVIII, p. 122.) In most places in 

the county supplies sufficient for ordinary purposes can be obtained 

 at less than 500 feet. However, in view of the excellent quality 

of water obtained in the 900-foot well at the McArthur plantation, 5 miles east of Lumber City, it might be advisable to drill 

wells of comparable depth elsewhere in the county in the hope of 

encountering the same or similar water-bearing beds.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Helena (population 890, census of 1910). Helena is in the northeastern part of the county at the junction of the Seaboard Air Line 

and the Southern railways. Three artesian wells have been drilled 

for the Helena ice factory, two for public wells, one for the Coca-Cola 

Bottling Works, and one for the cotton ginnery. These wells range 

in depth from 220 to 350 feet, and the water rises to within 70 or 

75 feet of the surface. Sand, drab fine-grained clay (the "marl" 

of the well driller), and thin layers of hard rock are encountered to 

350 feet. The yield of the wells is small. (See analyses 1 and 2, 

Table 79.)
TELFAIR COUNTY. 413

McRae (population 1,160, census of 1910). McRae has a public 

water-supply system, the source being an artesian well 287 feet 

deep. The water rises to within 70 feet of the surface. The well 

doubtless penetrates strata of the same age as those in the Helena 

wells.

Scotland. Scotland is on a terrace plain bordering Little Ocmulgee River 142 feet above sea level and about 100 feet lower than 

Helena. Four flowing wells, ranging in depth from 140 to 196 feet, 

have been drilled, one owned by the town and three by individuals. 

The maximum static head is 26 feet above the surface. Clear, cool, 

and moderately hard but potable water is yielded by each of the 

wells. A mineral analysis of the water from a well 160 feet deep, 

owned by A. Graham, is given in Table 79 (analysis 4).

Towns. Nine artesian wells, ranging in depth from 150 to 185 

feet, drilled at or near Towns, tap water-bearing beds in the Alum 

Bluff formation. A well 185 feet deep, owned by the town, is located 

on a terrace plain bordering Little Ocmulgee River about a foot 

below the level of the track at the Southern Railway station. Waterbearing beds were encountered at depths of 65 and 185 feet, from 

which hard sulphurous water rises 30 feet above the surface.

Lumber City (population 1,195, census of 1910). Lumber City is 

on a terrace plain 50 to 60 feet above low-water level of Ocmulgee 

River. The elevation at the Southern Railway station is 146 feet 

above sea level. The water supply of the town is derived mainly 

from artesian wells.

According to information furnished by J. F. Wooten, a well contractor of Lumber City, 22 flowing wells have been drilled at and 

near this place, which have an average depth of 425 feet and yield 

flows ranging from 10 to 80 gallons per minute, the maximum static 

head observed being 14 feet above the surface. The principal waterbearing bed is at 425 feet, but a bed yielding a flow lies at about 320 

feet. Rock, probably limestone, is reported at a depth of 360 feet. 

Apparently the yield of the wells has not decreased.

McCallie 1 has published the folio whig log of one of the wells at 

Lumber City:

Log of well at Lumber City.

Limestone with water-bearing seams from 380 to 430 feet; limestone containing fragments

Thickness.

Feet. 

4

16

10

220

100

80

Depth.

Feet. 

4

20

30

250

350

430

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 172,1908.
414 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

An analysis of water from the town well is given in Table 79 

(analysis 3).

The wells at Lumber City probably tap water-bearing beds belonging to either the Chattahoochee or the Vicksburg formation.

STiamrock Springs. Shamrock Springs is a local resort on Little 

Ocmulgee River (or Gum Swamp Creek) 1^ miles east of Helena. 

The accommodations include a hotel and small cottages. Several 

small springs emerge from the base of a sand hill at the edge of the 

swamp Two flowing artesian wells on the edge of the swamp afford 

the chief water supply. According to unpublished notes of McCallie 

each well is 140 feet deep and has a static head of 12 feet above the 

surface; the combined yield of the wells is 150 gallons per minute. 

The water, which has reputed therapeutic properties, is a typical 

calcium carbonate water of moderate mineral content. An analysis 

is given in Table 79 (analysis 5).

TABLE 78. Wells in Tel fair County.

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8

9

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9

Location.

Helena

.....do 

Lumbe 

McRae 

Towns 

Scotlan 

.....do 

Shamn 

miles 

do

r City".! '.'."..'.'..

d.. ..

jck Sprir 

sastofH

gB,"H" -

3lena.

Depth.

Feet. 

250 

220 

c425 

287 

185 

cl95 

160 

140 

140

Diameter.

Inches. 

4

f 

2 

2J

Depth 

to principal 

water 

bed.

Feet. 

250

425

287 

185 

190

Owner..

McRae 

Bottllc 

Helena I 

Town

Coca Cola 

gCo.

....do..............

....do..............

A. Graha

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

320 

200 

65

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface.

Feet. -50

+i4 

-70 

+30 

+26

+12 

+12

Driller.

J. F. Wootten...

J. F. Wootten...

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

10+

60 

90

75? 

75?

Pump.

Galls. 

8+

Authority.

H. F. Thaxton....

J. F. Wootten 

S. W. McCalli

J. F. Wootten

S. W. McCalli 

do &

P. 6

How obtained.

Fon

FlOT

Fon 

Flo*

re. ............

ws_ - . _ . _ _ . _ .

.....do............

Fkn

Io.._. ........

Date 

completed.

1908

1903

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

247

146 

230 

128 

142

Quality .

Analysis 1, Table 79. 

Analysis 2, Table 79. 

Analysis 3, Table 79.

Hard. 

Do. 

Analysis 4, Table 79.

Analysis 5, Table 79.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 172,1908. 6 Unpublished notes. Average.
TERRELL COUNTY.

TABLE 78. Wells in Telfair County Continued.

415

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

6

7 

8

9

Use.

Bottling works . . .

Manufacture of ice. 

Domestic and 

boiler supply.

Municipal supply . 

Domestic and 

boiler supply.

.....do............

Drinking....

.....do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

.....do............

C h a 1 1 a hoochee 

or Vicksburg 

formation. 

Oligocene?........

Alum Bluff formation?

.....do............

Alum Bluff formation? 

.....do............

Character.

Porous limestone. .

Rock and sand. . . . 

Rock.. ...........

Remarks.

Cost of well $250; cost of machinery, $100- 

Five other artesian wells. 

Owns two other similar wells. 

21 other artesian wells have been drilled 

at or near Lumber City. Cost. 8300 

to 51,000. See log, p. 413.

Cost, $200. Diameter at top, 4 inches; 

at bottom, 2 inches; 8-other artesian 

wells have been drilled at Towns. 

Average depth, 175 feet. Average 

cost, aoout 8300. 

3 other artesian wells have been drilled; 

average cost, $300.

TABLE 79. Analyses of underground waters from Telfair County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

?

3

4

I

5

d

55

1

2

3

4

5

Date of collection.

Apr. 18,1911

Apr. 17,1911

Nov., 1907

O

3

03

44

W

8.3

«

43

"ST

PR

g

M

2.0

1.36

176

.4

.1

5

aa

d

<4

0.1

Source.

WeU of McRae

Coca Cola Bottling Co.

Well of Helena

Ice Co.

WeU of A. Graham.

Flowing well. . . .

03 

O

¥

.3

3

o

43

46

40

54

62

S

1

a

8.0

8.0

5.1

6.0

9.8

1

3

02

U

Location.

.....do...........

Shamrock

Springs.

w"

1

-g

(In

11

8.1 2.6

12

7.1 1.7

a>

!s

1

jl §

o

2.5

78

58

Tr.

.....

a> 

.S

lx

-So js

y«

207

246

221

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Oligocene?.......

.....do.............

Vicksburg formation.

Alum Bluff formation?

ID

^H

 O23

503 a^f03

2.0

14

30

2.0

4.7

0>

 e .

t'<5

a>5.

I

^

Tr.

.....

0.5

o

1

1o

10

18

10

8.0

10

o

$ 

»o fe

11!>

4.0

Depth.

Feet.

250

220

425

160

140

 e

0>

o .

Ss -31

1

H

262

210

180

272

251

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.

Dearborn Chemical Co.

Edgar Everhart.o

Do.

Do.

Remarks.

WeU 1, Table 78.

WeU 2, Table 78.

WeU 3, Table 78.

WeU 7, Table 78.

WeU 9, Table 78.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 172,173,1908.

TEE-BELL COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Terrell County is in the western part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 

Dawson, the county seat, is at the intersection of the Seaboard Air 

Jjjne and the Central of Georgia railways, 66 miles southeast of
416 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Columbus and 98 miles southwest of Macon. The area of the county 

is 322 square miles and the population is 22,003 (census of 1910). 

Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

In the north the surface is rolling to hilly and the land well drained; 

the creeks and branches have cut their courses 100 to 150 feet below 

the divides. In the south the surface is slightly hilly to nearly level; 

the creeks are bordered by broad swamps, and lime sinks and cypress 

ponds are common.

The general upland surface lies 300 to 485 feet above sea level, 

the highest elevation being in the north. The known altitudes above 

sea level at railroad stations are Parrott, 482 feet; Dawson (Seaboard Air Line Railway), 376 feet; Dawson (Central of Georgia Railway), 326 feet; Sasser, 336 feet; Central of Georgia Railway bridge, 

Kinchafoonee Creek, 265 feet; and Central of Georgia Railway bridge, 

Ichawaynochaway Creek, 283 feet.

GEOLOGY.

Deposits of Eocene age outcrop in the valley of Ichawaynochaway 

Creek in the west and in the valley of Kinchafoonee Creek in the 

northeast, and underlie the remainder of the county beneath the 

younger (Oligocene) Vicksburg formation. The Eocene beds consist of several hundred feet of sands and clays locally indurated. 

They have not been accurately differentiated within the county, 

but it is believed that their basal portion represents the Midway 

formation, which does not appear at the surface within the county. 

The Wilcox formation probably overlies the Midway and appears 

at the surface in the valley of Ichawaynochaway Creek in the extreme 

west; the Wilcox is overlain by about 150 feet of strata believed to 

represent the Claiborne group. The Eocene deposits contain important water-bearing beds.

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of limestones with interbedded sandy layers, overlies the Eocene deposits and appears at 

the surface throughout the remainder of the county; the formation 

weathers to red argillaceous sands and sandy clays containing fragments and masses of flint. The thickness of the formation in the 

north is 50 to 100 feet, but southward it becomes thicker, reaching 

200 or 250 feet along th esouthern border, where it becomes an important aquifer.

The Eocene deposits are underlain by 1,800 or 2,000 feet of sands, 

clays, and marls of Cretaceous age which do not appear at the surface within the county and which at an unknown depth, perhaps 

2,000 or 2,500 feet, rest upon crystalline basement rocks. The Cretaceous deposits contain important water-bearing beds.
TERRELL COUNTY. 417

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug and bored wells 20 to 80 feet deep are the chief source of 

domestic water supply. Of the two types, the bored wells are preferable, for if properly cased they afford less opportunity for contamination from surface sources. The shallow wells yield small supplies 

and some of them fail during times of drought. Artesian wells have 

been drilled at Dawson, Graves station, Parrott, and Sasser. There 

are no large springs in the county, but in the north small springs are 

numerous and supply water for household use on small farms. The 

waters of streams are suitable for stock and boiler supply.

The prospects are good for obtaining artesian water anywhere in 

the county at depths of 100 to 1,500 feet or more, and it is probable 

that flowing wells can be obtained on the lower lands bordering 

Kinchafoonee, Ichawaynochaway, and Chickasawhatchee creeks.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Dawson (population 3,827, census of 1910). The town of Dawson 

owns a water-supply system and obtains water from a deep well. 

C. D. Marshall and F. W. McNulty, of Dawson, have furnished the 

following information:

The well was drilled in 1903, is 447 feet deep, and is 8 inches in diameter at the bottom. The water rises within 36 feet of the surface and 

is lifted to the surface by means of an air-compressor pump at the 

rate of 500 gallons per .minute. The water is used for general domestic and manufacturing purposes. (See analysis 1, Table 81.) - The 

well described probably taps a water-bearing bed in the upper part 

of the Cretaceous deposits (Ripley formation).

Spencer * describes another well drilled by the town at an earlier 

date. The water, which rises nearly to the surface, is obtained by 

a hand pump and is used locally for drinking and domestic purposes. 

The depth to the principal water-bearing bed is not known, but the 

well probably enters the Ripley formation. (See analysis 2, Table 

81.) Spencer gives the following log:

Log of old town well at Dawson.

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

40

570

10

Depth.

Feet. 

40

80

650

660

1 Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 79,1891, 

38418° WSP 341 15 27
418 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Parrott (population 360, census of 1910). At Parrott water for 

domestic use is obtained chiefly from a well 300 feet deep, in which 

the water rises to within 65 feet of the surface. The daily consumption is about 8,000 gallons, and the supply is said to be satisfactory. 

A few shallow wells are in use.

Graves station. Wells near Graves station have been described by 

McCallie * as follows:

Two deep wells have been put down near Graves station, one by Mr. J. B. Graves 

and the other by Mr. W. D. Davidson. The former well is 3 inches in diameter and 

321 feet deep. Water rises to within 50 feet of the surface. Several layers of hard 

rock, 20 feet thick, are reported in this well, and a marl bed at 150 feet. No data have 

been received concerning the Davidson well.

Sasser. Wells in the vicinity of Sasser are described by McCallie * 

as follows:

There are several nonflowing deep wells in the vicinity of Sasser. They vary from 

214 to 540 feet in depth and furnish a copious supply of water, rising from 28 to 60 

feet from the surface. Mr. M. N. Brewer, a well contractor, has kindly furnished the 

following record of Mr. J. H. Wooten's well, located 2 miles southwest of Sasser:

[Log of well of J. H. Wboten, 2 miles southwest of Sasser (No. 7, Table 80).]

	Feet. 

Clay....................................................... 0-50

Red sand .................................................. 50-80

Limestone.................................................. 80- 90

White sand, water bearing.................................... 90-120

Limestone-................................................. 120-130

White clay................................................. 130-140

Limestone, with thin layers of flint............................ 140-147

Fine white water-bearing sand ................................ 147-160

Hard rock, water bearing.................................... 160-165

Bluish sand.................................................. 165-225

Limestone with thin layers of flint............................ 225-260

Gray marl.................................................. 260-300

Hard rock.................................................. 300-303

White water-bearing sand.................................... 303-310

Limestone with layers of flint................................. 310-340

Blue marl................................................... 340-428

Hard flint................................................... 428-431

Gray marl and white clay..................................... 431-504

Hard rock, water bearing.................................... 504-530

Another well, 7 miles east of Sasser, owned by Mr. J. M. King, attains a depth of 

only 214 feet. Water-bearing strata are reported in this well at 96, 150, and 214 feet, 

respectively. The water from the 214-foot stratum rises to within 28 feet of the surface.

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 175,1908.
TERRELL COUNTY. 419

TABLE 80. Wells in Terrell County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Dawson..............

Dawson, J mile northeast of. 

Graves station.......

Parrott..............

Sasser (several wells). 

Sasser, 7 miles east of. 

Sasser, 2 miles southwest of.

Town.

J. B. Graves.. 

Town.........

J.M.King.... 

J. H. Wooten; M. N. Brewer.

S. W. McCallieo.. 

C. D. Marshall and 

F.W.McNutty. 

S.W. McCallieo... 

Postmaster.......

S.W.McCallieo... 

.do.o

1903

Feet. 

326 

326

379? 

""336

-do.o ,

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depth 

to

other 

waterbearing

beds.

Level

of

water 

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Inches. Feet. Feet. Galls.

447

321 

300 

214-540 

214

530

447

214 

304-530

96,150 

' 90 

147 

160 

303

30

36

50

65

28-60 

28

500

Hand pump.. 

Air-lift pump.

Hard; see analysis 2,

Table 81. 

See analysis 1, Table

81.

Force pump.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Domestic, boiler

Domestic, manufacturing.

Ripley formation?. 

.....do............

Sand... 

Gravel.

Domestic.

Eocene. 

.....do..

....do

Tertiary..........

Eocene? or Cretaceous?

Hard rock.

9 other deep wells in vicinity. See log, 

p. 417.

Diameter at top 10 inches and at bottom 8 inches. Cost of well, $1,000; 

machinery, $7,000.

See log, p. 418.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 173-175,1908.
420 UNDERGEOUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 81. Analyses of well waters from Terrell County. 

[Parts per million.

Silica (SiO2).. ...........................................................................

Calcium (Ca). ...........................................................................

Sodium (Na). ...........................................................................

Potassium (K). .........................................................................

Sulphate radicle (804) ..................................................................

Nitrate radicle (NO3).. ..................................................................

Chlorine (01).. ..........................................................................

1

27

.4

39

6.0 \»

176

12

.4

3.0

202

2

23

.6

43

3.4

/ 7.6

i 1-4

120

24

8.2

174

1. Well No. 2, Table 80; sample collected Mar. 29,1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Well No. 1, Table 80; Edgar Everhart, analyst: Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 174,1908.

THOMAS COUNTY. 

GENEEAL FEATURES.

Thomas County is in the extreme southern part of the State in 

the tier of counties bordering Florida. Its area is 530 square miles 

and its population is 29,071 (census of 1910).

TOPOGRAPHY.

In the north the surface is nearly level to slightly undulating, the 

topographic aspect being somewhat similar to that of Colquitt, Tift, 

and other counties of the wire-grass section to the north and east; 

the broad interstream areas are poorly drained, and topographically 

the region, is in a youthful stage of development.

In the south the relief is somewhat more pronounced than in the 

north, and lime sinks and lime-sink lakes and ponds are numerous; 

and the surface is more completely drained.

The streams are small and flow sluggishly. Their waters are dark 

from their high content of organic matter.

The maximum surface relief of the county probably does not exceed 100 or 125 feet. The known altitudes at railroad stations are 

Thomasville, 250 feet; Boston, 194 feet; Metcalf, 170 feet; Ochlockonee, 262 feet; and Meigs, 341 feet.

GEOLOGY.

The Chattahooch.ee formation (of Oligocene age), which consists 

of approximately 100 feet of cavernous, water-bearing limestones, 

underlies the entire county, but appears at the surface only in the 

valleys of Aucilla and Miccosukee rivers and in lime sinks in the 

south.

The Chattahooch.ee formation is overlain by 100 to 150 feet of 

sands and greenish or drab sandy clays belonging to the Alum Bluff
THOMAS COUNTY. . 421

formation (also of Oligocene age) which outcrops in the valleys of 

Aucilla and Miccosukee rivers in the south and in the valley of Ochlockonee River along the northwestern boundary; this formation 

contains water-bearing beds.

Throughout the interstream areas of the county the Aium Bluff 

formation is overlain by irregularly bedded argillaceous sands and 

sandy clays, probably nowhere more than 75 feet thick, that are 

probably also of Oligocene age. These materials weather to loose 

gray residual sands which cover the surface to a depth of several feet.

The Chattahoochee formation is underlain by 200 feet or more of 

cavernous water-bearing limestones, which do not appear at the surface within the county and which belong to the Vicksburg formation 

of the Oligocene.

Beneath the Vicksburg formation in descending order lie strata of 

Eocene and Cretaceous age, probably aggregating 2,000 feet or more, 

the Cretaceous probably resting on a basement of ancient crystalline 

rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits contain important waterbearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 10 to 60 feet deep are the chief source of domestic water 

supply and furnish an abundance of water except during times of 

drought, when some of them fail. The waters of streams and ponds 

are soft and satisfactory for boiler supply, though they are highly 

colored by organic matter.

Deep wells have been drilled at Thomasville, Boston, Pavo, and 

MetcaU. (See Table 82.)

A few small springs scattered throughout the county yield pure 

waters in sufficient quantities for local domestic use. Allgood Spring, 1 

the largest reported, is near Meigs in the northwestern part of the 

county and has a flow estimated at 100 gallons per minute.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 2,000 

feet or more. The results of deep drilling seem to show that flowing 

wells can not be obtained, although it does not seem improbable that 

wells 1,000 feet or more in depth on the lowlands bordering the 

larger streams would flow. It would of course be necessary to case 

off the cavernous Oligocene and Eocene limestones, which would 

otherwise drain away the deeper-seated waters.

Wells tapping water-bearing beds in the cavernous limestones of 

the Chattahoochee formation are at certain places liable to contamination through lime sinks. Such wells should be sunk to greater 

depths and the casing extended below the limestone in order to prevent the entrance of questionable waters.

i Geoigia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 176,1908.
422 UNDEBGKOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Thomasville (population 6,727, census of 1910). The municipal 

water supply of Thomasville is derived from three artesian wells. 

The water is hard but has proved satisfactory for general domestic 

purposes. (See analyses 2 and 3, Table 83.)

The following information regarding one of the city wells at Thomasville, drilled in 1907, was furnished to T. W. Vaughan by the driller, 

Mr. S. S. Chandler:

Log of city well at Thomasville.

Sands and clays. ........................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

80

160

204

Depth.

Feet. 

SO

240

444

The well furnishes 500 gallons of water per minute and stands at 175 feet below the 

surface. At 175 feet there is an underground channel that takes the water away.

J. W. Spencer * published the following partial log of one of the city 

wells at Thomasville, drilled about 1890:

Partial log of one of the city wells, Thomasville.

[Authority E. O. Thompson, superintendent of waterworks.]

Feet.

 Red and blue clay and sand to.................................. 162

Limestone to.................................................. 225

Shell rock with water to........................................ 310

Rubble rock at................................................ 360

(From this level the water rises to within 210 feet of the surface.)

Shell rock with copious flow at.................................. 410

Water at....................................................... 1,400

Bottom of limestone .......................................... 1, 680

Quicksand thence to ........................................... 1, 820

This well probably penetrates all the Oligocene and Eocene deposits 

and enters the Cretaceous deposits.

The deep wells at Thomasville are believed to tap water-bearing 

beds in the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations.

Boston (population 1,130, census of 1910). The municipal water 

supply of Boston is obtained from an artesian well 320 feet deep. 

Sandy water-bearing limestones were encountered at several levels 

between the depths 130 and 320 feet. The water rises to within 102 

feet of the surface. The water-bearing bed is in either the Vicksburg 

or the Chattahoochee formation. (See analysis 1, Table 83.) The 

following log 2 was furnished to T. W. Vaughan by S. S. Chandler, 

the driller:

1 Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 74,1891.

2 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 180,1908.
THOMAS COUNTY.

Log of town well at Boston.

428

Thickness.

Feet. 

90

40

90

40

45

15

Depth.

Feet. 

90

130

220

260

305

320

Pavo (population 572, census of 1910). A well owned by Pavo, 

a town in the northeastern part of the county, is reported to be about 

400 feet deep. The water, which rises to within about 200 feet of 

the surface, is considered hard, but is used for general domestic purposes and for boiler supply. The well probably penetrates the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations.

TABLE 82. Wells in Thomas County.

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

No.

1

2 

3

4

Location.

Boston

Metcalf

Thoma 

do

Depth.

Feet. 

320

225 

400± 

444

1,820

Diameter.

Inches. 

6

6 

8

Owner.

Town...............

Town...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

130-320

240-444 

410

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

/ 360- 

\ 1,400

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface.

Feet. 

102

200 

175 

} 210

Driller.

S. S. Chandler..."

S. S. Chandler...

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

Galls. 

50

250 

500

Authority.

S. S. Chandler and 

S.W. McCallie.a

W. M. Fambrough. 

S. S. Chandler..... 

J. W. Spencers....

How obtained.

Puinp ............

Air-lift pump .....

Date 

completed.

1908 

1907 

1890?

AP-. proximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

197

170

258 

258

Quality.

Hard; see analysis 1, 

Table 83.

Hard.

/See analyses 2 and 3, 

\ Table 83.

« Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. No. 15 ,pp. 179-181, 1908. 

6 Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 74, 1891.
424 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 82. Wells in Thomas County Continued.

No.

1

2 

3 

4

5

Use.

Boiler supply, domestic. 

.....do............

Municipal supply.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Chattahoochee or 

Vicksburg formation. 

.....do.............

Vicksburg formation? 

Chattahoochee or 

Vicksburg fo rmation. 

Vicksburg formation?

Character.

Sandy limestone..

Remarks.

See log, p. 423.

6-inch casing to 200± feet; cost of well, 

$700. 

8-inch casing to 305 feet; see log, p. 422.

See log, p. 422.

TABLE 83. Analyses of underground waters from Thomas County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2

3

I

1

2

3

Source.

Town well. ....

Town well

No. 1.

Town well

No. 2.

"3"

o.

.33

40

48

48

.

'So

a

¥

.3'»

W)

1

4.0

22

22

Location.

Boston..........

Thomasville.....

.....do...........

S"^

£

 rH1

O

03

5.4

9.0

7.8

M

 «|

03

I

2.0

2.6

2.1

_"o

^

K

0>O

O

103 o

o.o

.0

.0

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Vicksburg formation?

.....do.............

.....do.............

o

^03 ;-l^

"|o

,§5

ojj

S

128

179

159

<c 

o

 5

03 ^

1^"

ft "3

CQ

8.8

81

82

o

frt

s

IS"H.^

o

fi

0.4

Tr.

Tr.

Depth.

Feet. 

320

(?)'

(?)

o

S .9

ao

9.5

12

12

<c

t>

o .

«i « 

C3 "o

174

278

274

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart a.

... .do. «.... .......

....do.a....... ....

« 

so

fl'w'

O

O

1

18

4

20

Silica 

(Si02).

20

20

20

Oxides

of iron

and aluminum

(FeaOs

+

18

1.6

1.4

Remarks.

Well 1, Table 82.

Wells 4 and 5, Table 82.

Do.

o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 177-180,1908.

TIFT COUNTY. 

GENEEAL FEATURES.

Tift County is in the south-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia in the long-leaf pine or wire-grass region. Tifton, the county 

seat, is 105 miles south of Macon. The area of the county is 243 

square miles and the population is 11,487 (census of 1910). Lumber 

and naval stores are the chief products, but the pine timber is being 

rapidly exhausted and the inhabitants are giving increased attention 

to agriculture, which will doubtless be the chief industry in the near 

future.
TIFT COUNTY. 425 

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level to moderately hilly. The upland portion 

lies 300 to 400 feet and the partly swampy lowlands along Little and 

Alapaha rivers somewhat less than 300 feet above sea level.

The streams are small and flow sluggishly through wide, dense 

swamps. The waters are free from silt or clay in suspension but are 

dark from their high content of organic matter. Little River, which 

flows south through the western part of the county, and Alapaha 

River, which forms a part of the northeastern boundary, are the 

principal streams.

GEOLOGY.

The Alum Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 

feet or more of greenish or drab sandy clays and sands interbedded 

with thin, hard layers, outcrops in a small area along Little River 

in the southwestern part of the county. The formation contains 

water-bearing beds and is overlain throughout the greater part of the 

county by 100 feet or less of mottled, irregularly bedded argillaceous 

sands, greenish sandy clays, and subordinate lenses of gravel, which 

are probably of Oligocene age. These materials weather to a sandy 

soil, which contains in places great numbers of small iron-oxide 

nodules and is locally known as "pebble" or "pimple" land. The 

deposits yield soft waters to shallow wells.

In a narrow belt on the east side of Little River accumulations of 

soft surficial sand form small sand hills of probable Pleistocene age.

The Alum Bluft formation is underlain by 400 or 500 feet of waterbearing limestones, which probably represent in descending order the 

Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations of the Oligocene and the 

Jackson formation of the Eocene. These limestones are underlain in 

descending order by undifferentiated strata of Eocene and Cretaceous 

age, having an aggregate thickness of 2,000 feet or more. The Cretaceous probably rests upon a deeply buried surface of ancient crystalline rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous deposits contain important 

water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Shallow dug wells are the chief source of domestic water supply 

Deep wells have been drilled at Tifton.

Streams and ponds are used locally for stock and are the principal 

source of boiler supplies for sawmills, factories, and railway locomotives. A few small springs on the edges of the creeks and swamps 

are used for domestic supplies. The water from the Murrow Mineral 

Spring, 4 miles west of Tifton, is bottled and sold for drinking (See 

Table 85, analysis 4.)
426 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. It is doubtful if flowing wells can be 

obtained.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Tifton (population 2,381, census of 1910). The town of Tifton 

owns a public water-supply system which obtains water from an 

artesian well 550 feet deep drilled in 1906. The water rises to within 

125 feet of the surface, and the maximum yield by pumping is 420 

gallons a minute. Rock is said to have been entered at 270 feet. 

The principal water-bearing bed is between 300 and 550 feet. The 

water has a slight odor of hydrogen sulphide and is moderately hard, 

but is used for general domestic and manufacturing purposes. (See 

analysis 1, Table 85.)

A partial set of well borings on file in the office of the United States 

Geological Survey (well No. 1174) probably came from the town well 

just described. The samples were furnished by the Hughes Specialty 

Well Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C. The following partial log has 

been prepared:

Partial log of town well at Tifton.

Fine white sand. ........................ ............................................

Flint....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

80

20

20

10

5

5

8

2

10

7

15

12

66

5

Depth.

Feel. 

80

100

120

130

135

140

148

150

168

178

185

200

212

278

283

The limestones penetrated between 212 and 278 feet probably 

belong to the Chattahoochee formation.

Another sample, bearing the well number 1,325, received in January, 1907, from the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., was taken 

from the town well (probably the well just described) and is said to 

represent the ^materials penetrated between 298 and 400 feet. It 

consists of pure white limestone having a botryoidal appearance.

Capt. H. H. Tift's well, completed in 1896, is 368 feet deep and the 

water rises to within 125 feet of the surface. Two or three waterbearing strata are said to have been struck. Limestone was encountered at 260 feet. The principal water-bearing bed is sand, at a depth 

of 330 feet.
TIFT COUNTY. 427

A well owned by the Tifton Ice & Power Co., 1 near the Atlantic 

Coast Lone Railroad station about 10 feet above the railroad track, is 

572J feet deep. The water, which rises to within 115 feet of the 

surface, is used chiefly for the manufacture of ice. The following is a 

partial log:

Partial log of well of Tifton Ice & Power Co., Tifton.

Sand rock... ...................................................;........................

Rock and clay (20-foot layers) ...........................................................

Hard flint... ............................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

30

20

100

25

95

30

212

60.5

Depth.

Feet. 

30

50

150

175

270

300

512

572.5

TABLE 84. Wells in Tift County.

No.

1

2 

3

No.

1

2 

3

No.

1

2 

3

Location.

Tifton................

.....do...............

Depth.

Feet. 

550

368 

572J

Diameter.

Inches.

8

8 

6

Use.

Munici;

Domesl

Manui 

ice a 

suppl

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

300-550

330-368 

340-512

Owner. Authority.

Town....................... W. S. Walker...........

H.H. Tift. ................. .....

Tifton Ice & Power Co. ..... W.

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet.

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

125

125 

115

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

Galls. Galls. 

........ 420

........ 150

W. "Rvirnhftm 1

How obtained.

Air-lift pump.....

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

jal supply. Vieksburg formation?

acture of Vieksburg forma- . 

nd boiler tion?

y.

Character.

Porous limestone.. 8-inch casing to 2 

$2,000; ofmachi 

p. 426. 

....do............ Limestone at 260 f

casing. 

... .do ............ Water from caviti 

of well, 82,000 

$1,000. See log

Date 

completed.

1906 

1896

Approximate elevation above 

sea level.

Feet. 

370 

370 

343?

Quality.

Hard, slightly sulphurous. See analysis 1, Table 85. 

Hard. See analysis 

2, Table 85. 

Hard. See analysis 

3, Table 85.

narks.

70 feet. Cost of well, 

aery, $2,000. See log,

eet; 330 feet of 8-inch

es in limestone. Cost 

of pumping plant, 

above.

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 54, 55,1908.
428 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 85. Analyses of underground waters from, Tift County, 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

 7,

3

>A

1

?

3

4

Date of 

collection.

1911.

May 24

O

SBDQ

28

16

16

22

'S'

fH

C3

8a

0.2

,1

.2

Source.

Well of H. H.Tift....

Well of Tifton Ice &

Power Co.

Spring.

.

3

3

3

g

,9

<1

5.3

-----

«

*s

'S

0

44

73

35

38

a

"i

EDC3 3

2.0

.8

4.9

2.0

03 

g.

J£H

O

CQ

U

Location.

Tifton...........

.....do...........

.....do..........

west of.

ff

_«

fM

?

8. 3 1 4. 1

8

6.0

a>

&

H

«SIB8

^2

M

0

0.0

116

34

.0

3

£

2 I6"

,0ISs- '

ro

 S

w

181

154

Principal waterbearing stratum.

tion?

.....do.............

.....do.............

o>

0

 o

'SOh o

®OQ

3^

^

D^

6.0

12

49

Tr.

o>

0

 a 

So

3~

s

 PM

^

0.1

Tr.

3 

I

o*3

o

5.0

.7

12

3.0

o

i§* ii ia M>

70

-----

Depth.

Feet.

300-550

330-368

340-512

 0

a> 

(>

O .

II

5

E-i

192

950

176

168

Analyst.

H. C. White.a

C0.6

Remarks.

Well 1, Table 84.

Well 2, Table 84.

Total depth of well

572J feet. Well 3,

Table 84.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 54, 55,1908. & Idem, p. 55. 

TOOMBS COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Toombs County is in the east-central part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Lyons, the county seat, is on the main line of the 

Seaboard Air IJne Railway, 75 miles west of Savannah. The area 

of the county is 393 square miles and the population is 11,206 (census 

of 1910).

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is for the most part slightly undulating to hilly, 

but some of the interstream areas are nearly level. Altamaha 

River, which forms the southern boundary, has cut 100 or 150 feet 

below the general upland level. Ohoopee River and Pendletpns 

Creek, the next largest streams, are bordered on the east by low 

hills or ridges with conspicuous coverings of incoherent quartz sand, 

the origin of which has not yet been satisfactorily explained. Small 

branches and creeks are numerous and flow through swamps in 

broad shallow valleys.

The known altitudes at railroad stations are Lyons, 254 feet; 

Ohoopee, 187 feet; and Vidalia, 257 (?) feet. The elevation of the 

swamp along Altamaha River, estimated from bench marks established by United States Army Engineers, is 75 to 85 feet above sea 

level.
TOOMBS COUNTY. 429 

GEOLOGY.

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more 

of sands and bluish or drab sandy clays, in part fuller's earth, with 

interbedded layers of sandstone or aluminous grit, outcrops in the 

valley of Altamaha Kiver and underlies the remainder of the county. 

The deposits contain water-bearing beds.

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 75 or 100 feet of irregularly bedded, locally indurated sands, sandy clays, and gravels, which 

probably are of Oligocene age, and which form the surface throughout 

nearly all the county. These materials are the source of the water 

obtained in shallow wells. Pleistocene terrace deposits occur in 

small areas along Altamaha River.

The Alum Bluff formation is underlain by a series of undifferentiated limestones, sands, clays, and marls, which in descending order 

are of Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous age. At an unknown 

depth, perhaps 2,500 feet or more, the Cretaceous deposits rest 

upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.

The Oligocene, Eocene, and Cretaceous deposits contain important 

water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 15 to 40 feet deep are the chief source of domestic 

water supply; most of them tap water-bearing beds in the surficial 

sands and gravels of Oligocene (?) age and yield soft potable waters 

suitable for household use, except where not properly protected 

from surface pollution. Deep wells have been drilled at Lyons and 

Vidalia.

Small seepage springs are scattered throughout the county but 

are comparatively unimportant as sources of water supply; most of 

them occur at the edges of the swamps bordering the streams and 

issue either from the base of sand hills or from sandy layers in the 

Oligocene (?) surficial deposits. An analysis of water from a spring 

owned by J. M. and C. S. Meadows, Normantown, is given in Table 87 

(analysis 2).

The waters of streams are' suitable for stock and boiler supply

Abundant suppEes of artesian water can be obtained anywhere 

in the county at depths of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. The prospects 

for obtaining flows are good only on the low-terrace plains bordering 

Altamaha River and on the lowlands bordering Ohoopee River and 

Pendletons Creek.
430 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Lyons (population 927, census of 1910). Two public artesian wells 

have been drilled at Lyons. The first,1 drilled in 1900, is 450 feet 

deep and the water rises to within 85 feet of the surface; the well is 

no longer in use. The second, 1 drilled in 1909, is 406 feet deep and is 

8 inches in diameter at the top and 6 inches at the bottom. The 

principal supply is said to come from a sand at 400 feet, and the water 

rises to within 100 feet of the surface. This well furnishes the municipal water supply for both domestic and manufacturing purposes. 

(See analysis 1, Table 87.)

Vidalia (population 1,776, census of 1910). The public water 

supply at Vidalia,is obtained from a well 805 feet deep at the electriclight plant in the eastern part of the town. The water comes chiefly 

from limestones below 440 feet and rises to within 140 feet of the 

surface. Another water-bearing stratum was penetrated at about 

400 feet but was cased off. The water from the limestones is suitable 

for drinking but is rather hard and is objectionable for boiler supply. 

The following log has been furnished by the driller:

Log of well at the electric-light plant, Vidalia.

*

Clay.. ......................... ....................................................:....

Marl (?).................................................................................

Clay....................................................................................

Sand....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

40

30

40

27

8

20

30

1

20

8

46

27

25

2

11

1

19

20

20

40

365

5

Depth.

Feet. 

40

70

110

137

145

165

195

196

216

224

270

297

322

324

335

336

355

375

395

435

800

805

A sample from 800 feet is a glauconitic sandy marl.

A well at the ice factory, about one-fourth mile west of the Seaboard 

Air Line Railway station, is 507 feet deep and is cased to 377 feet, 

where a water-bearing stratum is said to have been entered. The 

water, which stands within 120 feet of the surface, is pumped at the 

rate of 93 gallons per minute. It is said to be much softer than the 

city water and is used for the manufacture of ice and for boiler

i McCallie, S. W., Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 171,1908.
TOOMBS COUNTY. 481

supplies. This well and the town well are about three-quarters of a 

mile apart and are at about the same elevation.

TABLE 86. Wells in Toombs County.

No.

1

2 

3 

4

No.

1

2 

3 

4

No.

1

2

3 

4

Location.

.....do.

Vidalia 

Vidalia 

of S 

Line

Depth.

Feet. 

450 

406 

805 

507

1

Domes

Manufa 

dome

Domes 

Manufa 

and ply-

, J mile west 

eaboard Air 

By.

Owner.

To

.do...............

.....dn_. .............

Ice

Depth 

to 

P.. prin1' cipal 

 waterbearing 

bed.

Inches. Fe 

24 4 

6 400-4 

........ 440-51

........ 3,

el. 

50? 

06 

DO? 

J7?

Depth , , 

to ^J61 

other °J 

water- ^^

Feet. Feet. 

........ 85

........ 100

400 140 

........ 120

Driller.

E. L. Edenfleld.

Authority.

S. W. McCallieo.. 

E. L. Edenfield...

Date 

completed.

1900 

1909 

1908

Ap-. proximate elevation of 

mouth 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

254 

254 

257? 

257?

Yield 

per 

minute How obtained. Quality.

pumping.

Galls. 

...... .................... Hard.

100 Air-lift pu

......... Hard.

93 .................... Fairlysof

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

tic.......... E

stic. 

tic.......... E

tctureofice O 

joiler supocer

d

oceu 

ligo< 

ceni

e?... ........ ....................

j.... ......... Sand.............. 6-

5.

sis 1, Table 87.

t.

Eemarks.

inch casing to 200± feet. Diameter 

at top 8 inches and at bottom 6 

inches. Cost of well, about $1,000.

36 log, p. 430.

o Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 171,1908.

TABLE 87. Analyses of well and spring waters from Toombs County. 

[Parts per million.]

.

Silica (SiOa)......... ................................... . . ........................

Iron (Fe)..... ..........................................................................

Aluminum ( Al) ........................................................................

Calcium (Ca)............................................................................

Sodium (Nal..... ......................................................................

Potassium (K). .........................................................................

Carbonate radicle (COs) .................................................................

Sulphate radicle (SO4) ..................................................................

Nitrate radicle (NOS) ...................................................................

Chlorine (Cl)...... .....................................................................

1

9 n

.6

9

n

1.0

30

.0

118

6.0

.1

11

112

2

2.4

.5

.1

1.8

.7

/ 3.2

\ Q

952

1.4

5.2

20

1. Well No. 2, Table 86. Sample collected Apr. 15,1911. Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Spring owned by J. M. and C. S. Meadows, Normantown; water-bearing formation, Oligocene surficial 

material.
432 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TTJBNEB COUNTY.

*

GENERAL FEATURES.

Turner County is in the central part of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. 

Ashburn, the county seat, is on the Georgia Southern & Florida Railway, 85 miles south of Macon. The area of the county is 231 square 

miles, and the population is 10,075 (census of 1910).

TOPOGRAPHY.

Turner County is moderately hilly, but the hills are low and the valleys broad with gentle slopes. The general upland surface is 350 to 

400 feet above sea level. Small ponds occur throughout the county, 

and in the west lime sinks indicate the presence of limestone at no 

great depth. The streams which drain the county originate in the 

Coastal Plain and are small and clear.

GEOLOGY.

Strata of Oligocene age underlie the entire county but have not 

been accurately discriminated. It is believed, however, that they 

represent in ascending order the Vicksburg, Chattahoochee, and Alum 

Bluff formations. The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 200 

feet or more of limestones with interbedded layers of sand and clay, 

does not appear at the surface.

The Chattahoochee formation is lithologically similar to the Vicksburg formation, but probably does not exceed 100 feet in thickness. 

It comes to the surface in a small area in the extreme west. Both the 

Vicksburg and the Chattahoochee formations are believed to carry 

potable waters in great abundance.

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 100 feet or more of 

bluish sandy clays, sands, and sandstones, outcrops in a belt a few 

miles wide extending north and south in the extreme west. The formation contains water-bearing beds. The Alum Bluff formation is 

overlain by 100 feet or less of irregularly bedded coarse ferruginous 

sands and blusish sandy clays, which are probably also of Oligocene 

age. These beds form the surface materials throughout the remainder 

of the county and are the source of the waters obtained in shallow dug 

.wells.

Deeply buried beneath the Vicksburg formation are undifferentiated 

deposits of Eocene age, probably representing in descending order the 

Jackson formation and the Claiborne group and perhaps, also, the Wilcox and Midway formations. They contain water-bearing beds. The 

Eocene deposits are underlain in turn by deposits of Cretaceous age, 

the aggregate thickness of which is probably between 1,500 and 2,500 

feet; these deposits also contain water-bearing beds. The Cretaceous
TUEFEE COUNTY. 433

deposits are believed to rest upon a deeply buried basement of ancient 

crystalline rocks.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 10 to 60 feet deep, yielding soft waters, are the chief 

source of domestic water supply. Deep wells have been drilled at 

Ashburn and Worth. Creek water is used locally for stock. A few 

of the small springs of the county are used for domestic water supplies.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

ranging from 100 to 1,500 feet or more. On the lowlands bordering 

the larger creeks it is probably possible to obtain flows by drilling to 

depths exceeding 500 feet.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

AsTiburn (population 2,214, census of 1910). The town of Ashburn 

obtains its municipal water supply from three deep wells drilled in 

1895 by the J. S. Betts Lumber Co. but now owned by the municipality. The wells are about 500 feet deep and are 20 feet apart. The 

water rises to within 175 feet of the surface and the yield is 125 to 150 

gallons per minute. The water, which is probably derived from the 

Vicksburg formation, is slightly hard, is low in total solids, and has 

proved satisfactory for domestic and manufacturing purposes. A 

sample of water from one of these wells, collected June 15, 1911, was 

analyzed by Edgar Everhart as follows:

Analysis of water from one of the public wells at Ashburn.

Parts per million.

Silica (Si08)................................................. 26

Iron (Fe)..................................................... .4

Calcium (Ca)................................................. 24

Magnesium (Mg).............................................. 7.0

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)............................... 8.0

Carbonate radicle (C03)........................................ 2.0

Bicarbonate radicle (HC03)..................................... 117

Sulphate radicle (S04)........................................ 8.0

Nitrate radicle (NO,)........................................... .2

Chlorine (d)................................................... 3.5

Total dissolved solids.......................................... 100

Worth (population 169, census of 1910). At Worth domestic water 

supplies are obtained in part from a well 375 feet deep, in which the 

water rises to within 10 feet of the surface.

McCallie 1 describes a well at this place, drilled by the Enterprise 

Lumber Co. in 1896, the depth of which is 300 feet. The water, 

which is probably derived from the Vicksburg formation, rises to

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 197,1908. 

38418 ° -WSP 341 15 28
434 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

within 60 feet of the surface. Limestone is said to have been encountered. The water was used for boiler supply.

TWIGGS COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Twiggs County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 314 square miles and its population (census of 

1910) is 10,736. Agriculture and the mining of kaolin and highgrade clays are the chief industries.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is a dissected upland plain within the physiographic 

division known as the fall-line hills. Its central part forms the 

divide between the Ocmulgee and Oconee river systems. Numerous 

small creeks and branches flow southwestward into Ocmulgee River, 

and other small streams flow southeastward, eventually reaching 

Oconee River. Erosion by Ocmulgee 'River and the numerous 

small streams in the county has rendered much of the surface broken 

and hilly. In relatively narrow areas bordering Ocmulgee River 

Pleistocene terracing processes have produced two plains, one 10 to 

20 feet and the other 60 to 75 feet above low-water level of the river.

GEOLOGY.

Eocene strata outcrop over the greater part of the county, perhaps 

reaching a maximum thickness of 200 feet at the extreme southern 

border. The Eocene beds rest unconformably upon Cretaceous 

strata which consist predominantly of irregularly bedded sands with 

subordinate clay lenses. These Cretaceous sands and clays outcrop 

in a narrow strip bordering Ocmulgee River along the western edge 

of the county and along the bottoms and lower slopes of the valleys 

of the small tributary streams entering Ocmulgee River from the 

east; they appear also in the valley of Big Sandy Creek in the north. 

Both the Lower and Upper Cretaceous are believed to be represented. 

Lower Cretaceous deposits lie immediately beneath the Eocene in 

approximately the northern third of the county. The Cusseta sand 

member of the Ripley formation (Upper Cretaceous) intervenes 

between the Lower Cretaceous and Eocene beds in a belt 4 or 5 miles 

wide in the west-central part of the county and extends eastward 

beneath the Eocene. In the southwestern part of the area the 

Providence sand member of the Ripley formation intervenes between 

the Cusseta sand and the Eocene and extends eastward beneath the 

Eocene. The Eocene deposits present in the county have been 

referred to the Claiborne group, the Jackson formation, and the
WARE COUNTY. 435

Vicksburg formation. The Claiborne group is composed of sands 

and clays, the Jackson formation consists chiefly of limestones, and 

the Vicksburg formation consists chiefly of the residual products of 

decomposed limestone. (See PI. Ill, p. 52.)

Thin Pleistocene deposits of sandy loams, sands, and:gravels cover 

narrow terrace plains along Ocmulgee River.

Water-bearing sands are numerous in the Cretaceous deposits and 

are present, though fewer in number, in the Claiborne group of the 

Eocene.

WATER RESOURCES.

Domestic water supplies throughout the county are obtained 

chiefly from dug or bored wells 30 to 100 feet deep and from numerous 

springs. Both wells and springs yield waters of excellent quality for 

domestic and industrial purposes. The numerous creeks and branches 

are sources of excellent water for stock and for steam making.

Lower and Upper Cretaceous deposits underlie the whole county 

but appear at the surface only in the valleys of Ocmulgee River and 

its tributaries along the western side of the county and in the valley 

of Big Sandy Creek in the north. The Cretaceous deposits are composed largely of beds of porous sand capable of carrying large quantities of water. In the northern part of the county these waterbearing beds lie at 100 to 300 feet and in the extreme south at 

probably 150 to 1,500 feet or more. The Eocene deposits, particularly the sandy strata of the Claiborne group, should yield small to 

moderate amounts of potable water at depths not exceeding 200 feet.

Conditions appear favorable for obtaining flowing wells in the 

valley of Ocmulgee River at elevations less than 50 feet above lowwater level.

WARE COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Ware County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia, its eastern boundary being about 50 miles from the Atlantic 

coast. Its area is 804 square miles and its population (census of 

1910) is 22,957. The principal industries are lumbering and the 

manufacture of turpentine and resin, but increased attention is being 

given to agriculture, which will doubtless be the chief industry of the 

future.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part is a gently rolling to nearly level upland plain 

having a veiy slight general southward slope and a maximum elevation of about 250 feet. The southern part is a swampy, poorly 

drained, pine and saw-palmetto flat lying 115 to 130 feet about sea
436 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

level. Okefenokee Swamp covers the extreme southern part of the 

county.

Satilla River, the largest stream, flows eastward across the northern part of the county and forms the northeastern boundary; it is a 

sluggish dark-water stream, flowing through a low, sand-covered, 

poorly drained terrace plain. Low-water level at the Atlantic Coast 

Line Railroad bridge, 3 miles northeast of Waycross, is about 70 feet 

lower than the surface at Waycross, where the altitude is 140 feet 

above sea level. The smaller streams spread out through swamps 

and carry a large amount of decayed vegetation.

GEOLOGY.

Throughout all but a few relatively small areas in the southern part 

of the county the surface terrane consists of 150 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays which are probably of late Oligocene age. 

They weather to loose gray or yellowish quartz sands and are in part 

water bearing. At many places the materials immediately beneath 

the surface sands consists of mottled reddish, yellowish, and bluish 

argillaceous sands, in part cemented by iron oxide and locally known 

as hardpan. The remainder of the county is covered by sands and 

clays of Pleistocene age. The late Oligocene ? beds are the source of 

the waters obtained in shallow wells.

A series of undifferentiated sands, clays, limestones, and marls of 

Tertiary age underlies the Pleistocene deposits and probably includes 

in descending order representatives of the Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, and Eocene. According to the log of a 700-foot well at Waycross 

(pp. 438-439) fossils corresponding to the Tampa formation (Oligocene) 

of Florida ( = Chattahoochee formation of Georgia) were found at 415 

feet. Limestones interbedded with layers of sand and shell marl, 

probably representing the lower portion of the Chattahoochee formation and the Vicksburg formation of the Oligocene, and perhaps also 

the Jackson formation of the Eocene, were encountered between 440 

and 691 feet.

Nothing definite is known concerning the deposits beneath the 

limestones, but it is believed that they are underlain in descending 

order by sediments of Eocene and Cretaceous age, and that at some 

depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, the latter rest upon a basement of 

ancient crystalline rocks. Both the Eocene and Cretaceous deposits 

probably contain important water-bearing beds.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug and driven wells 10 to 40 feet deep are the chief source of 

domestic water supply. They yield an abundance of soft water 

which in wet seasons often stands within 3 or 4 feet of the surface.
WARE COUNTY. 437

The waters of the shallow wells are liable to contamination from 

surface sources owing to the porous character of the soils and subsoils. 

Deep wells have been drilled at Waycross and at Beach. (See 

Table 88.)

Springs are few in number, small, and of little value. The waters 

of streams and ponds are used to some extent for stock and for boiler 

supply. ^

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 

feet or more. Waters from deep sources, provided the wells are 

properly cased, are not subject to contamination from surface sources 

and are more suitable for all purposes, except boiler supply, thaff the 

waters of shallow wells and streams.

The prospects for obtaining flows are not good except on the lowlands bordering Satilla River, where flowing wells can probably be 

obtained at depths of 1,000 feet or more.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Waycross (population 14,485, census of 1910). The city of Waycross owns a public water-supply system, which obtains water from 

two artesian wells, at the intersection of Plant Avenue and Mary 

Street. The surface at the mouth of the wells is about 2 feet lower 

than the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad station, which is 140 feet above 

sea level. According to H. M. Pafford, city engineer, the first well, 

drilled in 1893, is 700 feet deep, 12 inches in diameter at the top, and 8 

inches in diameter at the bottom; and the second well, drilled in 

1895, is 700 feet deep, 10 inches in diameter at the top, and 6 inches 

in diameter at the bottom. The principal water-bearing bed is between 670 and 700 feet, and the water rises to within 58 feet of the 

surface. The combined maximum yield of the wells is 1,800 gallons 

per minute. The city consumes 1,080,000 gallons of water per day, 

which is distributed from a standpipe having a capacity of 287,000 

gallons.

The wells probably tap a water-bearing bed in Eocene deposits, 

possibly in the Jackson formation.

The water from the wells is clear and odorless, and although hard is 

of good quality for drinking, but, as it is rather high in calcium, magnesium, and sulphate it would probably produce considerable scale 

in boilers. (See analyses 2 and 3, Table 89.)

Although water for domestic and industrial purposes is furnished 

chiefly by the municipal water-supply plant, many shallow dug and 

driven wells owned by individuals are still in use, and some of the 

manufacturing concerns obtain their supplies from deep or shallow 

wells.
438 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

McCallie* gives the following log of one of the city wells, prepared 

from a set of well borings:

Log of city well at Waycross.

[Authority, H. Murphy, chairman of water works commission.]

Feet.

Surface Band..................................................... 2

Motley red, yellow, and white clayB at...................... t ...... 9

A rather coaiBe-grained, waterworn reddish Band at................ 20

A sample of sand differing mainly from the above in being of a reddish-brown color at............................................ 30

Coarse quartz sand cemented by iron oxide at.................... 40

Dark gray plastic clay at.......................................... 50

Very coarse white sand at....................................... 55

Very coarse white sand at....................................... 80

Dark gray clay at.................................".............. 100

Yellow sandy clay at........................................... 115

Fine gray sand containing glauconite at............................ 130

Dark-gray clay at................................................ 140

Sandy clay with glauconite at................................... 145

Fine glauconitic sandy clay at.............'....................... 160

Coarse white sand with glauconite at............................. 186

Dark-gray greenish marl at...................................... 215

Medium fine-grained glauconitic sand at........................... 217

Hard, flinty, sandy drab-colored claystone at....................... 226

Drab-colored calcareous sandy clay with fragments of flint and 

limestone at................................................... 228

Hard vitreous glauconitic sand at................................. 230

Gray glauconitic marl at......................................... 232

- Fine dark-gray sand with fragments of shells at.................... 234

Blue clay at..................................................... 236

Gray sandy marl at............................................. 275

Coarse sand and phosphatic pebbles, sharks' teeth, dental plates of 

rays, and glauconite at........................................ 300

Fine sand with glauconite at.................................... 302

Hard compact sandstone at....................................... 310

Dark sandy clay with dental plates of rays and glauconite at ...... 312

Gray marls, fragments of pectens, spines of sea urchins, etc., at.... 325

Very hard compact sandstone at................................. 340

Fine gray glauconitic sand at.................................... 343

Shells at....................................................... 380

Shell marl at..................l................................. 400

Highly fossiliferous limestone, Tampa horizon, at.................. 415

Gray marl, pectens, and spines of sea urchins at................... 425

White chalky sandy limestone at.................................. 440

Fossiliferous limestone having a concretionary structure at......... 450

White chalky arenaceous limestone at............................. 455

Gray sandy marl at............................................. 475

Fine yellow argillaceous sand at.................................. 480

Gray sandstone and claystone at.................................. 500

White chalky limestone at....................................... 510

Compact dark-gray limestone with fragments of corals and shells at.. 525

iGeorgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 181-185,1908.
WARE COUNTY. 439

Feet. 

Shell marl at...............................'..................... 527

White chalky limestone at.."..................................... 530

Dark gray marl with fragments of shells at........................ 550

Hard, compact dove-colored glauconitic claystone at............... 555

White chalky limestone at....................................... 560

Gray porous limestone with casts of gastropods at.................. 600

White chalky limestone at....................................... 610

White compact fossiliferous limestone at.......................... 650

"Peninsular" limestone, coral, Foraminifera, and bryozoans in

abundance at................................................ 665

White chalky limestone at....................................... 670

White limestone made up largely of the tests of Foraminifera, some

of which are an inch or more in diameter, at.................... 675

White chalky limestone at....................................... 680

Dark-gray fossiliferous limestone at............................... 685

Fossiliferous limestone, Basilosaurus horizon, at................... 691

Information has been obtained concerning two other deep wells at 

Waycross. One of them, owned by the Waycross Gas <£r Construction 

Co., is 647 feet deep and supplies water which rises to within 55 or 60 

feet of the surface and is pumped at the rate of 500 gallons a minute. 

The other well, owned by the Hebard Cypress Co., at its lumber mill 

just outside the city limits, is 613 feet deep and contains water which 

stands within 57 feet of the surface.

Beach (population 358, census of 1910). A deep well at Beach, 

owned by McMillan & Co., is 850 feet deep. The water, which rises 

to within 75 feet of the surface, is the principal domestic supply 

and is also used for making steam at a sawmill. It is clear, colorless, 

odorless, and wholesome.

TABLE 88. Wells in Ware County.

No.

1

2 

3

4

5

Location.

the post office). Waycross (Plant 

Ave. and Mary St.). 

.....do...............

west city limits).

Owner.

McMillan & Co......

City................ 

.....do..............

Construction Co.

Driller.

B.D.Finn...... 

.....do.. ........

Authority.

S.W.McCallieoand 

H.H.Pafford. 

.....do............

.....do............

Date 

completed.

1904

1893 

1895

Ap-.

proximate elevation

above

level.

Feet,

138 

138

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 181-183,1908.
440 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 88. Wells in Ware County Continued.

No.

1

2

3

4 

5

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

Depth.

Feet. 

850

700

700

647 

613

Diameter.

Inches. 

6

8

6

6 

6

Depth 

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

850

670-700 

670-700

Use.

Domestic, boiler 

supply.

Domestic, industrial. 

.....do............

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet. 

350

!

300 

400 

300 

400

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

75

1 " 

} »

58 

57

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls.

Pump.

Galls. 

50

900

900 

500

How obtained.

1

...do............ 

...do............

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Claiborne group?. .

Jackson formation? 

.....do............ .

.....do............

.....do............

Character.

Gravel a

Porous li 

....do..

Limestoi 

do

ad sand., 

mestone..

Quality.

See analysis 1, Table 

89.

See analyses 2 and 3, 

Table 89. 

Do.

Remarks.

Cost of well, $1,700; pump, $500. Outside casing 6 inches, inside casing 4 

inches, both inserted to 850 feet. 

Diameter at top 12 inches, at bottom 8 

inches. 

Diameter at top 10 inches, at bottom 6 

inches.

TABLE 89. Analyses of underground waters from Ware County. 

[Parts per million.]

No.

1

2 

3

o

 4

1.

2 

3

Date of collection.

1912.

Dec. 17

1911.

Apr. 8

O

02

0

02

44

45 

9.9

 sti

3.0

.2 

1.0

Source.

WellofMcMillan&

Co.

Town wel 

...-do....

B"a

o

"Ss

0

33

40 

54

'3

a

.g'OT

«

16

18 

.6

s. .......

a"

 «

02

2

2 

2.8

x

ro

SPH

5

4 

0.5

Location.

Beach.............

Waycross. 

....do.....

."3

2xis

o

0.0

.0

78

 3

2x

So

gw

J

'o

w

193

175

........

."3

2X

a?0 -t^O2

p4

IB

27

49 

10

Prmcipal waterbearing stratum.

Claiborne group?.

Jackson formation 

.....do............

o 

_o

tH-^

-w

&

0.0

.0

0

q

o

a

0

12

20 

3.6

o .

d-*^ 

§

S 0

^ *

** 

"ie"

 8

^

 3s

fl

o

^

249

296') 

177 /

Depth.

Feet.

850

' 670-700 

670-700

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart.

Do. 

H. C. White.o

Remarks.

Well 1, Table 88.

Well 2, Table 88.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 183,1908.
UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 441 

WARREN COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Warren County is in the northeastern part of Georgia on the border 

between the Piedmont Plateau and the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Its 

area is 404 square miles and its population (census of 1910) is 11,860. 

Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

Except for relatively small areas in the southeastern and southern 

parts of Warren County, which are in the Coastal Plain, the county 

lies in the Piedmont Plateau region. The Coastal Plain areas are on 

the northern border of the physiographic division called the fall-line 

hills. The southern part of the county is drained by the headwater 

streams of Ogeechee River, Rocky Comfort Creek, a tributary of 

Ogeechee River, and Brier Creek, a tributary of Savannah River. 

The dissection produced by these streams has rendered the surface 

hilly, the maximum topographic relief being probably between 250 

and 350 feet.

GEOLOGY.

Crystalline rocks of the Piedmont Plateau outcrop at the surface 

over the greater part of the county. However, in relatively small 

areas in the south and east coarse arkosic sands and light massive 

clays of Lower Cretaceous age outcrop above crystalline basement 

rocks which extend southward beneath them. The maximum thickness of the Lower Cretaceous deposits probably does not exceed 100 

feet. Small patches of strata referable to the Claiborne group of 

the Eocene cap the ridges in very small areas in the extreme southeast. 

(See PL III, p. 52.)

Although in texture and composition the Lower Cretaceous strata 

are good water bearers, they are too thin and too much dissected to 

be important as a source of water supply except for domestic purposes.

WATER RESOURCES.

Dug wells 25 to 100 feet deep and small springs furnish domestic 

supplies in the small Lower Cretaceous areas. Wells exceeding 100 

feet in depth pass through the Lower Cretaceous deposits and enter 

the underlying crystalline rocks. The Lower Cretaceous sands are 

favorable in composition and texture to the storage of water, but on 

account of their high elevation and easy drainage they furnish only 

moderate supplies. However, the contained waters are soft and of 

good quality.
442 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

WASHINGTON COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Washington County is in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Its area is 669 square miles and its population is 28,174 

(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The northern part of the county is for the most part hilly and 

broken, with rather level interstream areas. Oconee River, which 

forms a part of the western boundary, has cut its valley about 250 

feet lower than the plain on which Tennille and Sandersville are 

located. The southern part of the county is undulating and much 

less broken than the northern. The known elevations above sea level 

at railroad stations are Davisboro, 302 feet; Sunhill, 362 feet; Tennille, 477 feet; Oconee, 228 feet; and Oconee River bridge, 221 feet. 

The hills in the extreme northwest reach 500 feet above sea level. 

(See atlas sheet of Milledgeville quadrangle, U. S. Geological Survey.)

GEOLOGY.

Ancient crystalline rocks outcrop in the valley of Oconee River, 

Baldwin County, within a few miles of the northwestern boundary 

of Washington County, and in the valley of Ogeechee River, in the 

extreme northern part of Washington County. They slope southeastward beneath overlying sediments of the Coastal Plain and in the 

extreme southeastern part of the county probably lie 1,000 to 1,200 

feet beneath the surface.

The crystalline rocks are overlain by 500 or 600 feet of irregularly 

bedded coarse sands with interbedded lenses of white clay of Lower 

Cretaceous age, which in turn are unconformably overlain throughout the greater part of the county by strata of Eocene age. Oconee 

River and Buffalo Creek in the west and Ogeechee River in the 

northeast have cut through the Eocene strata, bringing the Lower 

Cretaceous deposits to the surface along the sides and bottoms of 

their valleys.

The Eocene deposits, which probably reach a maximum thickness 

of 300 or 350 feet, have been referred to two divisions named in 

ascending order the Claiborne group and the Jackson formation. 

The Claiborne group, which is composed of 250 or 300 feet of red 

ferruginous sands and clays in the nature of fuller's earth and marls 

or impure limestones, outcrops throughout the greater part of the 

county north of the Central of Georgia Railway and in a few small 

areas south of that railway. The Jackson formation consists of 

limestones or the residual products of limestones, and appears at the 

surface, in only a small area in the southwest.
WASHINGTON COUNTY. 443

Overlapping the Jackson formation and the Claiborne group in 

the southern part of the county and forming the surface materials 

are 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and clays of undetermined but probably of late Oligocene age.

Pleistocene terrace deposits appear in narrow areas bordering 

Oconee River on the west.

The beds of porous sand which largely compose the Lower Cretaceous deposits carry large quantities of water, and sands carrying 

moderate amounts of water are present in the Claiborne group of the 

Eocene.

WATER RESOURCES.

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Shallow dug and driven wells 25 to 100 feet deep are the chief 

sources of domestic water supply in the county. In the north such 

wells, if located on the lowlands bordering the streams, tap waterbearing beds in the Lower Cretaceous deposits and yield soft waters. 

Those on the hills tap water-bearing beds in the Claiborne group. 

In the central part of the county shallow wells draw from the Claiborne 

group, and in the south from the late Oligocene ? sands. Deep wells 

have been drilled at Sandersville, Tennille, Davisboro, and Oconee.

Small springs are numerous throughout the greater part of the 

county and furnish part of the domestic water supply.^ Large 

springs issue from limestones or marls of the Claiborne group near 

Sandersville, Tennille, Davisboro, and Sunnill.

The Lower Cretaceous deposits are present beneath practically 

the entire county, except in the valley of Oconee River and its tributaries on the west and in the valley of Ogeechee River in the north. 

They are concealed at the surface by overlapping Eocene beds which 

reach a thickness in the extreme southeast of perhaps 350 feet. As 

the Lower Cretaceous deposits are composed predominantly of sands, 

many beds of which are coarse and porous, they should contain 

numerous water-bearing beds, which should be reached in the northwest at 100 to 300 feet and in the southeast at a maximum of 1,000 

to 1,100 feet. A flowing well has been obtained at Oconee, and flows 

can probably be had in the valleys of Oconee River and Buffalo Creek 

for several miles above Oconee and in the Oconee Valley below 

Oconee. A flowing well has also been obtained at Davisboro and 

flows can probably be obtained in the valley of Williamsons Swamp 

Creek from Davisboro downstream to the county line.

The Claiborne group contains beds of sand which are water bearing 

and which should be reached at depths not exceeding 300 or 400 feet.
444 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

SandersviUe (population 2,641, census of 1910). McCallie 1 has 

published information concerning deep wells at Sandersville, the 

county seat. The following log of the first city well (No. 3, Table 90) 

was prepared by McCallie from samples furnished by C. E. Worthen:

Log of first city well, Sandersville (No. 3, Table 90).

Feet. 

White and dark clays -with pyrite at............................. 35

White sandy limestone at........................................ 85

Gray limestone with fragments of shells at........................ 103

Dark clay at................................................... 160

Yellow coarse sand at........................................... 215

White kaolin at................................................. 270

Fine white sand at.............................................. 285

Dark pyritiferous sand at......................................... 335

White kaolin at................................................. 370

Rather coarse brownish sand at................................... 387

White sand at................................................... 426

Fine white sand at............................................... 436

The materials at 35, 85, 103, and 160 feet probably belong to the 

Claiborne group of the Eocene. The strata below the dark clay at 

160 feet are probably of Lower Cretaceous age. If this interpretation 

is correct the water-bearing beds at 325 and 425 feet are in the Lower 

Cretaceous deposits and those at 120 and 185 feet are in the Claiborne 

group.

Mayor A. W. Evans has furnished the following information concerning the municipal water plant at Sandersville:

The plant is under municipal ownership. The supply is derived 

from artesian wells (Nos. 3 and 4, Table 90). Air-lift pumps having 

a combined capacity of 200 gallons per minute raise the water to a 

reservoir with a capacity of 125,000 gallons, from which it is pumped 

to a tank with a capacity of 75,000 gallons. There are 6 miles of 

distributing mains. The standpipe pressure is 50 pounds and the 

direct pressure from the pumps 70 pounds. There are 200 taps for 

domestic purposes, 5 taps for manufacturing purposes, and 51 fire 

hydrants. Sixty-six thousand gallons are used daily. An analysis 

of the water is given in Table 91 (analysis 4).

McCallie says further: "The two private deep wells of Sandersville, one owned by Mr. Lewis Cohen, and the other by Dr. C. G. 

Rawlins, each has about the same depth as the deeper city well, and 

penetrates similar strata." The well owned by Mr. Cohen is 400 feet 

or more deep. The water is probably derived from a bed in the 

upper part of the Lower Cretaceous deposits. An analysis is given 

in Table 91 (analysis 5).

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 185-187,1908.
WASHINGTON COUNTY. 445

TenniUe (population 1,622, census of 1910). Information concerning the development of artesian supplies at Tennille is given by 

McCallie.1

In the report just cited * McCallie has published the following log 

of the first city well (No. 5, Table 90), which he obtained from the 

notes of the well contractor:

Log of first city well at Tennille (No. 5, Table 90).

White sand..... ........................................................................

White sand..... ........................................................................

Bluish marl. .............................................................................

Blue clay . . .............................................................................

White clay and sand ....................................................................

White "sticky "clay....................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

38

14

28

11

5

7

27

10

45

9

16

50

10

30

10

40

10

44

32

4

30

30

30

20

440

Depth.

Feet. 

38

52

80

91

96

103

130

140

185

194

210

260

270

300

310

350

360

404

436

440

470

500

530

550

990

The upper 250 or 300 feet of strata is referred tentatively to the 

Claiborne group of the Eocene and the remainder to the Lower Cretaceous. An analysis of the water is given in Table 91 (analysis 6).

McCallie mentions a second city well, which is known to be about 

300 feet deep and which probably penetrated water-bearing sands in 

the upper part of the Lower Cretaceous deposits.

Oconee. A flowing artesian well has been drilled at Oconee. J. W. 

Barksdale, the postmaster, furnishes the following information:

The well was drilled by the town in 1908 on a slope about 75 yards 

northeast of the post office, 10 feet above the Central of Georgia 

Railway tracks and 231 feet above sea level. It is 140 feet deep and 

has 4-inch casing to 40 feet and 3-inch casing to 120 feet. The water 

comes from a bed of sand and gravel at the bottom of the well and 

will rise 10 feet above the surface; it now flows several gallons per 

minute 4 feet above the surface. Sand caving from the walls of the 

well below the end of the casing is slowly filling the boring and causing a gradual decrease in the flow. The water has a slight odor of 

hydrogen sulphide but is used for general domestic purposes. The 

cost of the well was $220.

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 187-188,1908.
446 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The Oconee well penetrates Lower Cretaceous strata only, and the 

water comes from a bed of sand and gravel. An analysis is given in 

Table 91 (analysis 3).

(Jhalker. At Chalker and vicinity there are many wells 50 feet or 

more, and some 100 feet in depth. All tap water-bearing beds in 

Lower Cretaceous deposits.

Davisboro (population 589, census of 1910). McCallie 1 has described 

a flowing well (No. 1, Table 90) 325 feet deep, owned by the town 

of Davisboro, which yields 5 gallons per minute. The following is a 

log of the well:

Log of town well at Davisboro (No. 1, Table 90).

Coarse white sand .......................................................................

Dark greenish marl .....................................................................

Water-bearing sands with fragments of shells which continue to quicksand at the bottom 

of the well. ...........................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

20

20

20

8

237

Depth.

Feet. 

20

40

60

80

88

325

The water-bearing bed is probably in the Claiborne group of the 

Eocene. An analysis is given in Table 91 (analysis 1).

Mineral Spring. According to T. Julian Orr, of Davisboro, Mineral 

Spring, 4 miles west of Davisboro, owned by W. J. Henderson, possesses therapeutic properties. A mineral analysis of the water is 

given in Table 91 (analysis 2).

TABLE 90. Wells in Washington County.

No.

1

2

3

4

5

Location.

Oconee...............

.....do................

Tennille..... .........

Owner.

Town...............

.....do..............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

Driller.

J. B. Carter.....

Authority.

S. W. McCallie «...

James W. Barksdale.

S. W. McCallie 2 . .

.....do.............

.....do.............

Date 

completed.

1882

1908

1900

1904

1892

Approximate elevation 

above

level.

Feet.

231

477

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 188,189,1908. 

«Idem, pp. 185-189.
WASHINGTON COUNTY. 

TABLE 90. Wells in Washington County Continued.

447

No.

1

2 

3

4 

5

No.

1

2

3 

4

5

Depth.

Feet. 

325

140 

436

195 

990

Diameter.

Inches. 

2

3 

4i

6 

4

Depth 

to principal

waterbearing 

bed.

Feet. 

88-325

120-140

425

Use.

Domes 

do

tic..........

Domesbic.........

Depth 

to 

other 

waterbearing 

beds.

Feet. 

70-120

70.120 

185,325

380-426

Level 

of 

water 

above 

or 

below 

surface

Feet. 

+ 3

+ 10 

-134

- 90

Yield per 

minute.

Flow.

Galls. 

5

Several .

Pump.

Galls.

120 

150

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

Claiborne gr 

Lower Greta

.....do......

Claiborne gr 

Lower Greta

iceous.

iceous.

Character.

Sand and £ 

White san

jravel... 

I.......

How obtained.

.....do........

Quality.

See analysis 1, Table 

91. 

See analysis 3, Table 

91. 

Soft; see analysis 4. 

Table 91. 

Hard. 

See analysis 6, Table 

91.

Remarks.

See log, p. 446. 

4-inch casing to 40 feet, 3-inch casing to 

120 feet; caving of sand is decreasing 

flow. 

See log, p. 444. 

12 inches in diameter at top, 4 inches 

at bottom. 

Not used; another well owned by city 

is said to be 300± feet deep. See log, 

p. 445.

TABLE 91. Analyses of underground waters from Washington County.

No.

1

9,

3

4

5

6

Date of 

collection.

Apr., 1909

Apr. 24,1911

Apr. 24,1911

.....do.......

Source.

the town.

of W. J. Henderson.

well.

Well of L. D.

Cohen. 

Town well......

Location.

west of.

.....do............

TennUle.... .......

Principal waterbearing stratum.

Claiborne group.

.....do..........

ous sand and 

gravel.

ous. 

.....do..........

.....do..........

Depth.

Feet. 

88-325

120-140

70-325?

400±

380-426

Analyst.

Edgar Everhart. a

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 185-189,1908.
448 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 91. Analyses of underground waters from Washington County Continued.

[Parts per million.]

6

55

1

2

3

4

5

6

0

3

I

3

CO

13

17

16 

27

38

19

PR"""

0

SH

040

0.6

1.0 

olO

.2

1.0

^

0

1 3

'oS

a

59

56

29 

75

60

4.0

^

M

a

.3

w<D

103

a

1.8

.9

3.0

2.7

6.0

2.0

^

5.a"

i^CO

14

1.6

1

9.6

8.

6.

R"a

i 4^> 

O

PH

3.7

.6

4

1 0

0

0

0

.2

13

2

 gooO

o

,g

a

105

.0

.0 

125

.0

.0

H

^G3 M^

5jO

'§'"' oW

o

PQ

1?3

110

234

12

0

^

 tH

-c

»° Is

ft

3

CO

7.2

1.4

8.0

4.2

5.0

Tr.

o

1 1

^

-a .

2?

o§. "§

(H-*J

jz;

"fr."

0.2

.5

3,

I

§

3

o

5.6

3.0

3.5

68

3.5

12

.S

M

8^

«"§

r£ P

'-§

"3

^

.....

.....

.....

 o

0

[>

O .

»s

^ °

"3

"o

EH

213

166

134 

264

234

65

Remarks.

A trace of the phosphate radicle (PO4). Well 1, Table

90.

F'eecarbon dioxide (CO2)= 5.

Well 2, Table 90. 

Total depth of well 436 feet.

A trace of the phosphate

radicle (PO4). Well 3,

Table 90.

Well 5, Table 90.

WAYNE COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Wayne County is in the southeastern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Jesup, the county seat, is at the intersection of the Atlantic 

Coast Line Railroad and the Southern Railway, 57 miles southwest of 

Savannah and 39 miles northwest of Brunswick. The area of the 

.county is 764 square miles and the population is 13,069 (census of 

1910).

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county presents two well-marked topographic divisions. The 

greater part of the area southeast of Jesup and the Waycross line of 

the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad is a poorly drained pine and sawpalmetto flat or plain lying 60 to 100 feet above sea level and containing many small swamps and cypress ponds. It forms part of the 

Okefenokee plain, and its soil, vegetation, and topographic aspect 

are characteristic of that physiographic division. The northwestern 

part of the county lies 100 to 175 feet above sea level, is slightly 

undulating, and is more completely drained. Its topographic aspect 

approaches that of the Altamaha upland or long-leaf pine region.

Altamaha River, which marks the northeastern boundary of the 

county, has its source in the Piedmont Plateau of Georgia and is a socalled muddy-water stream. On the Wayne County side it is bordered 

by high, steep bluffs. The smaller streams of the county are sluggish 

and are confined by low sandy banks or are spread out through 

swamps; their waters are black or coffee-colored from their high content of organic matter.
WAYNE COUNTY. 449 

GEOLOGY.

From a few miles southeast of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad to 

the northern part of the county undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits, consisting of 100 feet or less of irregularly bedded 

sands and clays, in part water bearing, form the surface materials 

and weather to loose gray sands. The remainder of the county is 

covered by sands and clays of Pleistocene age, probably not exceeding 50 feet in thickness. The undifferentiated and the known Pleistocene deposits are the source of the waters obtained in shallow wells. 

The undifferentiated sands, clays, limestones, and marls of Tertiary 

age, which underlie the surficial deposits, probably include, in descending order, representatives of the Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, and 

Eocene. (See logs of wells at Jesup, Mount Pleasant, and Doctortown 

pp. 450-453.) Strata belonging to the Miocene and to the Alum 

Bluff formation have been recognized in the bluffs of Altamaha River 

at and above Doctortown. It is believed that the Tertiary deposits 

are underlain by a considerable thickness of sediments of Cretaceous 

age, and that at some unknown depth, perhaps 3,000 feet or more, 

the Cretaceous deposits rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline 

rocks.

The Tertiary deposits and probably also the Cretaceous deposits 

contain important water-bearing beds.

WATEE RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug and driven wells 10 to 30 feet deep tap water-bearing beds 

in the surficial deposits and are the chief sources of domestic water 

supply throughout the county. The waters obtained are soft, and 

where the wells are properly curbed to prevent contamination from 

surface sources are of satisfactory quality for domestic use; some of 

them, however, are rather strongly ferruginous. The driven well 

consists of a small iron pipe with a strainer point driven down to 

water-bearing sand and a small suction pump attached above the 

ground. This type of well is inexpensive and is practicable throughout the county, for water-bearing sands and gravels lie at small depths 

and no hard rocks are present. Such wells are preferable to open 

dug wells, because they afford less opportunity for pollution from 

surface sources.

Artesian wells have been drilled at Jesup, Doctortown, and Mount 

Pleasant.

Most of the few small seepage springs are in low swampy places, 

and many of them yield waters having an astringent taste or a strong

38418° WSP 341 15 29
450 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

taste of iron. Streams and ponds furnish water for stock and for 

boiler supply.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,000 

feet or more. The Tertiary limestones at 300 to 1,200 feet or more will 

yield large quantities of water.

It is probable that flowing wells can be obtained in the southeastern 

part of the county and in the valleys of the Altamaha, Satilla, and 

Little Satilla rivers wherever the elevation above sea level does not 

exceed 65 feet.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Jesup (population 1,415, census of 1910). The town of Jesup 

has recently drilled a well 675 feet deep to obtain a municipal water 

supply. Water which rises to within 30 feet of the surface was 

obtained between 600 and 670 feet; the yield by pumping is 1,000 

gallons per minute. (See well 3, Table 92, and analysis 1, Table 93.) 

The following log has been furnished by the Hughes Specialty Well 

Drilling Co., of Charleston, S. C.:

Log of town well at Jesup (No. 3, Table 92). 

[Authority, C. C. Roberts, driller in charge.]

Black soil ...............................................................................

White sand. . ....................................................... ...................

Gray marl..... . .........................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

1

5

12

37

20

60

10

15

15

19

21

15

35

10

25

5

25

20

45

10

70

10

60

15

80

8

37

Depth.

Feet. 

1

6

18

55

75

125

135

1 V»

165

184 onf;

220

255

265

OQA

295

320

Oyl A

385

395

ifi^

475

535

550

630

638

675
WAYNE COUNTY. 451

The following log of a well, drilled in 1890.and owned by the town 

but not now in use, has been given by Spencer: 1

Log of town well at Jesup (No. 2, Table 92).

Thickness.

Feet. 

10

4

12

26

3

10

13

155

4

253

(?)

Depth.

Feet. 

10

14

26

52

55

65

78

233

237

490

(?)

The limestone at 55 feet probably corresponds to the Miocene 

marl exposed in the bluffs of Altamaha River near Doctortown.

Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant is a village of 100 inhabitants 

in the southeastern part of the county at an elevation of 59 feet above 

sea level. A well owned by L. R. Akin is 729 5 feet deep and flows 

10 feet above the surface. The water is used for domestic and 

boiler-supply purposes. (See well 4, Table 92, and analysis 2, 

Table 93.)

Another well (No. 5, Table 92) owned by the Southern States Pine 

Products Co., one-half mile southwest of Mount Pleasant, was drilled 

in 1906 by the Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co. (J. R. Connelly, 

driller in charge). It is 560 feet deep and has 6-inch casing to 210 

feet and 4^-mch casing to 345 feet. The main supply comes from 

540 to 560 feet, but some water comes from 430 feet. The static 

head is 19^ feet above the surface and the well flows 150 gallons per 

minute. Mr. Connelly, who furnished the information just given, has 

also furnished a set of well samples (U. S. Geol. Survey well 1416) 

from which the following log has been prepared:

i Georgia Geol. Survey First Kept. Progress, p. 75,1891.
452 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Log of well of Southern States Pine Products Co., one-half mile southwest of Mount 

Pleasant (No. 5, Table 92}.

Thickness. Depth.

Feet. Feet. 

Fine gray sand.......................................................................... 20 20

Fine gray sand containing fragments of shells............................................ 20 40

Coarse argillaceous sand with small fragments of fossils.................................. 13 53

Missing................................................................................. 2 55

Fine gray sand with small fragments of fossils........................................... 14 69

Soft gray sand, limestone, or marl, with numerous fragments of Ostrea, Pecten, etc...... 2 71

Fine gray, slightly argillaceous sand with small fragments of fossils...................... 25 96

Gray, coarsely arenaceous clay.......................................................... 19 115

Gray, slightly argillaceous sand with small fragments of fossils........................... 28 143

Missing................................................................................. 4 147

Fine gray, slightly micaceous and calcareous sand....................................... 13 160

Medium-grained clear quartz sand....................................................... 5 165

Missing................................................................................. 3 168

Fine light-gray sand..................................................................... 26 194

Coarse clear sand, chiefly quartz; water bearing at 206 feet; water rises to within 10 feet of 

surface................................................................................ 16 210

Fine dark-gray argillaceous, slightly calcareous sand .................................... 75 285

Gray medium-gramed sand with numerous small fragments of shells.................... 8 293

Very fine micaceous, slightly argillaceous sand.......................................... 40 333

Medium-grained calcareous clear quartz sand with scattered dark grains (phosphate?)... 6 339 

Missing................................................................................. 2 341

Gray sandy clay........................................................................ 11 352

Fine gray micaceous sand and chunks of sandy clay..................................... 28 380

Missing................................................................................. 20 400

Medium-grained, very calcareous clear quartz sand...................................... 18 418

Gray fine micaceous, argillaceous sand .................................................. 4 422

Medium-grained calcareous clear quartz sand with dark grains (phosphate?); water 

bearing; water rises to 10 feet above the surface and flows at the rate of 30 gallons per 

minute................................................................................ 8 430

Fine gray calcareous sand............................................................... 42 472

Medium-grained gray calcareous sand................................................... 4 476

(Samples labeled440 to 470,470 to 480, and 480 to 500 consist of coarse grains of quartz, 

dark pebbles of phosphate?, and fragments of limestone, and appear to be washings.) 

White sandy limestone; water bearing in lower 20 feet; water rises 19J feet above the surface and flows 150 gallons per minute...................... ., ..................'........ 84 560

Doctortown. Doctor-town is in the northeastern part of the county 

near Altamaha River. The following log of an oil-prospecting well, 

a mile to the southwest, has been published by McCallie: 1

Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 190-192, 1908.
WAYNE COUNTY. 453

Log of oil-prospecting well near Doctortown (No. 1, Table 92). 

[Authority, C. A. Gibson.]

Sand................................................... ................................

Quicksand ..............................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

20 

35 

25 

15 

40 

50 

45 

25 

40 

30 

28 

40 

15 

7 

50 

2 

44 

318 

20 

45 

35 

10 

16.5 

10.5 

22 

17 

14 

17 

15 

13 

6 

134 

18 

33 

59 

18 

138 

170 

84 

26 

12 

139

Depth.

Feet. 

20 

55 

80 

95 

135 

185 

230 

255 

295 

325 

353 

393 

408 

415 

465 

467 

511 

829 . 

849 

894 

929 

939 

955.5 

966 

988 

1,005 

1,019 

1,036 

1,051 

1,064 

1,070 

1,204 

1,222 

1,255 

1,314 

1,332 

1,470 

1,640 

1,724 

1,750 

1,762 

1,901

This well was commenced in July, 1905, and completed the last of May, 1906, at a 

cost of between $15,000 and $20,000. It is cased with 10-inch pipe to 460 feet, 

8J-inch pipe to 540 feet, and 6-inch pipe to a point within a few feet of the bottom. 

The first hard ledge of rock reported in the well occurs at 480 feet. The sample of 

borings marked 550 to 725 feet contains numerous fragments of Eocene shells. The 

material consists largely of limestone, and it continues to 1,490 feet, below which 

point the following samples were collected:

Sample marked 1,470 feet consists of medium fine-grained sand with fragments 

of corals, shells, and particles of glauconite.

Sample marked 1,505 feet, glauconitic sand with sharks' teeth and fragments of 

shells.

Sample marked 1,750 feet, grayish marl made up largely of fragments of corals and 

shells.

Sample marked 1,838 feet, glauconite.

The well just described probably penetrates all the Tertiary 

deposits and enters the upper part of the Cretaceous, although no 

fossil evidence to this effect was obtained.
454 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 92. Wells in Wayne County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Approximate elevation

above 

sea

level.

Doctortown (near

river). 

Jesup.............

Jesup (500 yards

northeast of post

office).

Mount Pleasant.., 

....do............

Oil prospecting

company. 

Town............

....do............

L. R. Akin.......

Southern States 

Pine Products 

Co.

C. A. Gilson.

Hughes Specialty Well 

Drilling Co.. Charleston, S.C.; C.C.Roberts, driller in charge.

Fred Baumgartner, 

Brunswick.

Hughes Specialty Well 

Drilling Co., Charleston, S. C.

S.W.McCallieo...

J.W. Spencer &....

Hughes Specialty 

Well Drilling 

Co.. Charleston, 

S. C., and James 

Steele, town 

clerk.

Owner............

J. R. Connelly, 

Varnville,S.C.

1906

1890

1912

1902

1906

Feet. 

74

100

100

55± 

59

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depth

to

other 

waterbeds.

Level 

of

water 

above

or

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet. 

1,901

490+ 

675

729.5

560

Inches. Feet. Feet. 

(80, 408, 

\511,939

Feet. Galls.

600-S70

-33

540-560 206,430

-30 

+ 10 

+19J

1,000

150

Air-lift pump......

Flows.............

....do.............

See analysis 1, Table

93. 

See analysis 2, Table

93.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Cretaceous?.

Municipal supply.

Domestic and 

manufacturing.

Oligocene or Eocene. 

Eocene............ Sandstone and 

sandy marl.

.do.

Oligocene or Eocene.Sandy limestone..

This is an oil-prospecting well.

log, p. 453. 

This well is not now in use.

p. 451. 

10-inch casing to 60 feet, 8-inch casing to

480 feet. Cost of well, $3,500; of

pumps, 11,635. See log, p. 450. 

Bored type.

210 feet of 6-inch casing and 345 feet of 

4J-inch casing. See log, p. 452.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 190-192,1908.

& Georgia Geol. Survey First Rept. Progress, p. 75,1891.
WEBSTER COUNTY. 455

TABLE 93. Analyses of well waters in Wayne County. 

[Parts per million.]

Silica (SiOa).. ...........................................................................

Iron (Fe).... ............................................................................

Calcium (Ca). ...........................................................................

Magnesium (Mg). .......................................................................

Carbonate radicle (COs) .................................................................

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3) .............................................................

Sulphate radicle (BQt).. .................................................. ^. ............

Nitrate radicle (NO3 ). ..................................................................

Chlorine (Cl).. ..........................................................................

1

40

6.0

19

20

26

.0

177

35

Trace.

7.0

229

2

42

4.0

31

24

25

.0

177

70

Trace.

18

303

1. Well 3, Table 92. Sample collected Dec. 14,1912; Edgar Everhart, analyst.

2. Well 4, Table 92. Sample collected Dec. 23,1912; Edgar Everhart, analyst.

WEBSTER COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Webster County is in the northwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its northern boundary is 25 to 30 miles south of the fall line. 

Its area is 302 square miles and its population is 6,151 (census of 1910). 

Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The greater part of the county is a dissected upland plain and is 

hilly and broken except for some small, nearly level interstream areas. 

The northern upland lies 500 to 600 feet above sea level, but slopes 

slightly southward to 450 to 550 feet. Some of the streams have cut 

valleys 150 to 175 feet deep, and their small tributaries have cut 

precipitous V-shaped gullies or ravines.

GEOLOGY.

In the extreme northwest the Providence sand member of the Ripley 

formation (Upper Cretaceous), which appears at the surface, consists 

of coarse, irregularly bedded water-bearing sands with subordinate 

light-colored clay lenses and layers. The Providence sand is underlain by 1,200 to 1,500 feet of sands, clays, and marls, belonging in 

descending order to the Ripley and Eutaw formations of the Upper 

Cretaceous, but these do not appear at the surface within the county. 

They contain water-bearing beds and constitute a possible soun^ of 

artesian water.

The Upper Cretaceous deposits are underlain by several hundred 

feet of water-bearing sands and clays of Lower Cretaceous age which, 

at an unknown depth, perhaps 2,000 or 2,500 feet, rest upon a basement of ancient crystalline rocks.
456 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

The Providence sand inclines slightly southeast and is overlain by 

several hundred feet of sands, clays, marls, and limestones of Eocene 

age which, although not accurately discriminated within the county, 

are believed to represent in ascending order the Midway and Wilcox 

formations and the Claiborne group. (See PL III, p. 52.) The Midway formation outcrops over nearly all the northwestern half of the 

county. The Wilcox formation outcrops in an irregular belt several 

miles wide, extending in a general northeast-southwest direction, 

through the southeastern part of the county. The Claiborne group 

appears in relatively small areas in the south and east. The Eocene 

formations contain important water-bearing beds.

On the narrow divide between Ichawaynochaway and Lochochee 

creeks, from a few miles northwest of Weston southeastward to the 

county line, is a thin overlapping sheet of red argillaceous sand containing fragments and masses of flint which belong to the Vicksburg 

formation of the Oligocene.

WATER. RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug or bored wells 30 to 90 feet deep are the chief sources of 

domestic water supply. Bored wells, when properly cased, yield safer 

drinking waters than dug wells. One deep well has been drilled at 

Preston.

Small springs are numerous and are used for domestic purposes on 

many of the farms. Most of the springs issue from noncalcareous 

sands in the Midway, Wilcox, and Claiborne formations, but a few 

are bold limestone springs. The best known is Cole Spring, on the 

south side of Kinchafoonee Creek, 2^ miles southeast of Preston.

The streams are clear and comparatively free from organic matter 

and are used locally for stock and for boiler supply.

It is possible to obtain artesian water in the county at depths of 

100 to 1,500 feet or more. The prospects for obtaining flows are poor 

except perhaps in the lowlands bordering Kinchafoonee Creek in the 

extreme southeast.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Preston (population 259, census of 1910). Preston has no public 

water-supply system, but owns a deep well located on the courthouse 

grounds, which furnishes a large part of the water for general domestic 

purposes. According to T. J. James, the driller, the well was completed in 1910, is 249 feet deep, and is 3 inches in diameter. The cost 

of the well and pumping machinery was $680. The principal waterbearing bed is sand at 499 feet and the water rises within 76 feet of 

the surface. The well is pumped by means of a gasoline engine and 

yields 500 gallons per hour. Mr. James has furnished the following 

log:
WILCOX COUNTY. 457

Log of town well at Preston.

Clay and sand. ..........................................................................

Alternating layers of hard rock 2 inches to 6 feet thick, and marl l foot to 15 feet thick; 

a water-bearing bed of small yield was struck at 240 feet, and sand, the principal waterThickness.

Feet. 

10

. 90

75

324

Depth.

Feet. 

10

100

175

499

The well probably taps a water-bearing bed in the Ripley formation. 

WHEELER COUNTY.

Since this report was transmitted for publication a part of Montgomery County has been segregated and organized as Wheeler County. 

This area is described in connection with Montgomery County 

(pp. 344-348).

WILCOX COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Wilcox County is a little northwest of the center of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Its area is 403 square miles and its population is 13,486 

(census of 1910). Agriculture and the production of lumber and naval 

stores are the chief industries. Cottonseed-oil mills are located at 

Abbeville and Pitts; cotton gins and sawmills are distributed throughout the county.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is nearly level to slightly rolling, except in a narrow 

area in the east bordering Ocmulgee River, where the surface is somewhat hilly. From a few determinations of altitude it is estimated that 

the general upland surface is 300 to 450 feet above sea level. The 

highest part is the divide running northeast and southwest through 

the county between Ocmulgee and Alapaha rivers. According to a 

bench mark established by the United States Army Engineers at the 

Seaboard Air Line Railway bridge near Abbeville, the elevation of 

low-water level of Ocmulgee River is 169 feet above sea level. The 

river is bordered by two narrow terrace plains, one about 15 feet and 

the other 50 or 60 feet above low-water level of the river.

There are a number of lime sinks and lime-sink ponds in the eastern 

part of the county.

GEOLOGY.

The Vicksburg formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 

feet or less of limestones with interbedded layers of sand and clay, 

outcrops in the valley of Ocmulgee River in the extreme northeast.
458 TJNDEBGBOTJND WATEES OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOEGIA.

The strata dip slightly southward and underlie the remainder of the 

county beneath younger formations. The Vicksburg formation is 

overlain by 100 feet or less of limestones belonging to the Chattahoochee formation of the Oligocene that outcrops on Ocmulgee River 

in the vicinity of Abbeville. Both the Vicksburg and Chattahoochee 

formations contain important water-bearing beds.

In the south the Chattahoochee formation is overlain by the Alum 

Bluff formation (of Oligocene age), which consists of 100 feet or less 

of bluish sands and clays, in part water bearing.

Overlapping the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg formations and constituting the surface terrane throughout the greater 

part of the county is 75 feet or less of irregularly bedded sands and 

clays with subordinate lenses of claystone and conglomerate. The 

age of these deposits is not determined, but they are probably upper 

Oligocene.

The Vicksburg formation is underlain by several hundred feet of 

undifferentiated deposits of Eocene age, and the Eocene is underlain 

in turn by 1,000 feet or more of undifferentiated deposits of Cretaceous age, which rest upon a deeply buried basement of ancient 

crystalline rocks. The Eocene and Cretaceous strata do not appear 

at the surface within the county, but they contain important deeply 

buried water-bearing beds.

WATER EESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Water for domestic use is obtained chiefly from dug wells 10 to 40 

feet deep. The shallow-well waters are generally soft and wholesome, 

and where the wells are properly curbed to prevent contamination 

from surface sources they are more suitable for boiler. supply and 

laundry purposes than the artesian waters. Artesian wells have been 

drilled at Abbeville, Pineview, Pitts, and Rochelle. (See Table 94.)

A few bold limestone springs in the eastern part of the county afford 

clear water of good quality for drinking. Poor Robin Spring, near 

Abbeville, is described on page 460. The water of Abbeville Mineral 

Spring, near Abbeville, is bottled and sold for drinking purposes.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere in the county at depths 

of 100 to 1,000 feet or more. Wells 600 feet deep in the valley of 

Ocmulgee River will probably flow where the elevation does not exceed 

50 or 60 feet above low-water level.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Abbevitte (population 1,201, census of 1910). Abbeville owns a 

public water-supply system which obtains water from an artesian well. 

Although the water is regarded as hard it is wholesome for drinking.
WILCOX COUNTY. 459

About one-half of the domestic water supply of the town is furnished 

by the city plant and the remainder is obtained from shallow wells. 

McCaliie 1 gives the following information regarding wells at 

Abbeville:

There are t\vo deep wells at Abbeville, one owned by the town and the other by the 

Abbeville Cotton. Seed Oil Co. The former well, which was completed in 1898 at a 

cost of |1,600, is 585 feet deep. It varies from 2 to 8 inches in diameter and it furnishes 

50 gallons of water per minute. The water rises to within 60 feet of the surface. 

Several water-bearing strata are reported between 100 feet and the bottom of the well. 

Cavernous limestone is said to be the main water carrier.

The Abbeville Cotton Seed Oil Mill well was put down in 1902 at a cost of $350. It 

is a 3-inch well, 175 feet deep, and it furnished daily 13,000 gallons of water, used 

chiefly for boiler purposes. The water rises to within 80 feet of the surface. Waterbearing strata are reported at 105 feet and 175 feet, respectively.

McCaliie also gives the following log of the last-described well:

Log of well of the Abbeville Cotton Seed Oil Mill, Abbeville (No. 2, Table 94), 

[Authorities, the owners.]

*

Sand....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

40

115

Depth.

Feet. 

20

60

175

RocTielle (population 860, census of 1910). Rochelle owns an artesian well, but has not installed a system for distributing the water. 

However, the well is equipped with a pump, operated by a gasoline 

engine, which raises the water to a tank. The following information 

is given by McCaliie:*

The Rochelle well is 3 inches in diameter and 286 feet deep. The only waterbearing stratum is near the bottom of the well. It furnishes a good supply of water, 

rising to within 150 feet of the surface. The water is used for general domestic purges.

The following log of the town well at Rochelle is given by McCaliie:

Log of town well, Rochelle (No. 6, Table 94). 

[Authority, J. C. Conn, Atlanta.!

Thickness.

Feet. 

75

75

136

Depth.

Feet. 

75

 150

286

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 193,1908.
460 UNDERGROUND WATEBS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Pineview (population 708, census of 1910). A-well owned by the 

town of Pineview is 210 feet deep and furnishes water for general 

domestic purposes to about 200 of the inhabitants. Rock is said to 

have been entered at a depth of 110 feet and the water rises to 

within 46 feet of the surface.

The following log of a well owned by J. S. Bruce at Pineview is 

given by McCallie: l

Log of well of J. S. Bruce, Pineview (No. 4, Table 94)- 

[Authority, the owner.]

Thickness.

Feet. 

20

100

155

18

Depth.

Feet. 

20

120

275

293

Pitts (population 279, census of 1910). At Pitts a well owned by 

the Pitts Oil Mill & Power Co. is 300 feet deep. The water rises to 

within 80 feet of the surface and is used for boiler supply.

Poor Robin Spring. Poor Robin Spring, a mile north of Abbeville, 

yields 5,000 gallons per minute, according to the owner, W. L. 

Du Vail. The water rises under considerable pressure through 

openings in the bottom of a small limestone basin 15 or 20 feet deep 

and is remarkably clear. Fragments of flint found near the spring 

contain coral and other fossils which probably indicate that the 

limestone belongs to the Chattahoochee formation. Therapeutic 

properties have been ascribed to the water and the place is a local 

resort. The following analysis of a sample of the water collected 

June 1, 1911, was made by Edgar Everhart:

Analysis of water from Poor Robin Spring, Abbeville.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiQa)................................................... 14

Iron (Pe)..................................................... .4

Calcium (Ca)................................................... 54

Magnesium (Mg).........................................'..... 4.0

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)................................. 3.0

Carbonate radicle (CO3)........................................ .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3 )..................................... 185

Sulphate radicle (S04).......................................... 1.0

Nitrate radicle (NO3)........................................... .2

Chlorine (Cl).................................................. 3.5

Total dissolved solids............................................ 190

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 194,1908.
WILKINSON COUNTY. 

TABLE 94. Wells in Wikox County.

461

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5 

6

No.

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6

Location.

Abbeville. ........... 

. do.----

Pinevie 

.....do.

Pitts..

Rochel

Depth.

Feet. 

585 

175 

210 

293 

300 

286

Munici 

Boiler 

Domes

Boiler 

Domes

le. ............

Owner.

City............. 

Abbeville Cotton

J. S. Bruce ...... 

Pitts Oil Mill & ] 

Town. .. -----

D«Pth Depth 

 to 

Diam- P^?7 other 

eter. °2 waterSS tadf g bed. DedsInches. Feet. Feet. 

2 . .

3 17 

4 101 

27

5 105 

D ........

5

3 ........ ........

Seed" Oil MUl" """"

Level 

of 

water 

below 

surface

Feet. 

60 

80 

. 46

80 

150

Yield per 

minute.

Authority.

S.W.McCaUieo.. 

.....do............

L.J.Wilson......

J. N. McAllister . .

How obtained. 

Flow. Pump.

Galls. Galls. 

........ 50 ....................

........ 10 ..........--.-..-.--

........ 50 Deep-wellpump...

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon.

pal supply . J5 

>upply..... V 

bic.. ....... V

............ JE

>upply..... V

tic

ocene. ....

icksburg f 

tion. 

icksburg 1 

tion? 

ickson f 

tion? 

icksburg 1 

tion?

do- - -

ormaormaormaormaCharacter.

Rock............. 8 

................... S

................... S

................... S

Date 

completed.

1898 

1902 

1904

1897

Approximate elevation 

of 

mouth 

above 

sea 

level.

Feet. 

225 

225

Quality.

Slightly sulphurous.

Remarks.

nches in diameter at top and 2 inches 

at bottom, 

ee log, p. 459.

inch casing to 110 feet. Cost of well, 

$300; of pump, $50. 

ee log, p. 460.

Be log, p. 459.

a Georgia Geol. Survey Bull 15, pp. 193,194,1908. 

WILKINSON COUNTY. 

GENERAL FEATURES.

Wilkinson County is in the north-central part of the Coastal Plain 

of Georgia. Its area is 472 square miles and its population (census 

of 1910) is 10,078. Agriculture is the chief industry.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is included within the physiographic division called 

the fall-line hills. The surface, which was originally an upland plain, 

has been greatly dissected by Oconee River and its numerous tribu-
462 UNDERGROUND .WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

taries and is now very hilly. The maximum surface relief is probably between 300 and 400 feet.

Two Pleistocene terrace plains, not everywhere well defined, have 

been formed along the sides of Oconee River valley, one lying 10 to 

20 feet and the other 30 to 40 feet above low-water level of the river.

GEOLOGY.

Crystalline basement rocks outcrop in the bed of Oconee River in 

the northern part of the county and extend southward beneath 

deposits of the Coastal Plain, their upper sloping surface probably 

lying at depths of 600 to 800 feet in the extreme south. The crystalline rocks are overlain by 500 or 600 feet of irregularly bedded 

coarse sands with commercially important interbedded lenses of 

white clay and kaolin, all of Lower Cretaceous age. The Lower Cretaceous sands and clays are unconformably overlain throughout the 

greater part of the county by Eocene strata. Porters and Commissioners creeks and Oconee River have cut through the Eocene deposits, 

bringing the Lower Cretaceous strata to the surface along the sides 

and bottoms of their valleys.

The Eocene deposits, which on the divides between the streams 

probably reach a maximum thickness of 150 or 200 feet, have been 

referred to two divisions the Claiborne group and the Jackson 

formation. The Claiborne group is composed chiefly of sands and 

clays, and the Jackson formation consists of limestones or residual 

products of limestones. (See PI. III.) Pleistocene terrace deposits 

have been laid down in small areas along the sides of the Oconee 

River valley.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

The domestic water supply in the county is obtained chiefly from 

dug wells 25 to 100 feet or more in depth and from small springs. 

The well waters are derived from beds of porous sand in the Lower 

Cretaceous deposits or in the Claiborne group of the Eocene. The 

waters of both wells and springs are commonly of good quality for 

domestic and industrial purposes. The numerous creeks and 

branches afford abundant water for stock and for steam production.

The whole county is underlain by Lower Cretaceous deposits containing numerous beds of porous sand carrying large supplies of artesian water. The Lower Cretaceous beds appear at the surface in the 

valleys of Big Sandy Creek and Oconee River and their tributaries; 

but in all the interstream areas they are concealed by overlapping 

Eocene strata which probably reach a maximum thickness of 150 or 

200 feet in the southern part of the county. In the extreme north 

wells 100 feet deep would probably pass entirely through the Lower
WILKINSON COUNTY. 463

Cretaceous deposits and enter the underlying basement rocks. The 

Lower Cretaceous deposits thicken southward beneath the Eocene 

deposits, and in the extreme south their water-bearing beds probably lie at depths of 200 to 800 feet. Small flows from Cretaceous 

water-bearing strata have been obtained on low ground at Irwinton 

and at Toomsboro, and it is probable that flowing wells can be drilled 

into the same source at low levels in the valleys of Big Sandy and 

Commissioners creeks and Oconee River in the southern half of the 

county.

Moderate amounts of potable water may be obtained from beds of 

porous sand in the Claiborne group of the Eocene, which can be 

reached at depths of 50 to 200 feet in the south and at less depths 

in the north.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Detailed information concerning all of the deep wells in the county, 

except that recently drilled at Toomsboro, has been published by 

McCallie.1 The water-bearing strata in these wells are in the Lower 

Cretaceous deposits.

Irwinton (population 249, census of 1910). McCallie described 

wells at Irwinton as follows:

Two attempts have been made at Irwinton to obtain artesian water. The first of 

these wells, located on low ground, was put down to a depth of 300 feet, at which point 

a water-bearing stratum yielding a small flow was struck. This well continued to flow 

for a time, but it finally became filled with sand and was abandoned. The water is 

said to have had a rather offensive odor and an unpleasant taste, due, probably, to the 

presence of hydrogen sulphide and iron oxide.

Another well, located on high ground, was extended to the depth of 600 feet, but the 

water did not rise higher than to within 50 feet of the surface.

Toomsboro (population 404, census of 1910). Mayor S. J. Nixon 

has furnished the following information regarding a public well 

drilled at Toomsboro in 1912:

The well is 315 feet deep and was drilled by S. C. Attaway of 

Hawkinsville at a cost of $600. Its diameter is 2 inches, and 2-inch 

casing extends to a depth of 210 feet. Beds of water-bearing sand 

were encountered at depths of 185, 285, and 315 feet. The water 

flows 2 gallons per minute 2 feet above the surface, but will rise to 3 

feet above it. It is used chiefly for drinking. As the casing extends to 

only 210 feet the water is doubtless a mixture from the beds at 285 and 

315 feet. The age of the strata penetrated by the well is Lower 

Cretaceous. A sample collected December 16, 1912, was analyzed by 

Edgar Everhart as follows:

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 194,1908.
464 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Analysis of water from a flowing town well at Toomsboro.

Parts per million.

Silica (SiO2)................................................. 16

Iron and aluminum (Fe+Al)................................ 4.0

Calcium (Ca)............................................... 18

Magnesium (Mg)............................................ 2.4

Sodium and potassium (Na+K)............................... 8.0

Carbonate radicle (CO3 )...................................... .0

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3)................................... 54

Sulphate radicle (S04)........................................ 13

Nitrate radicle (N03)......................................... Trace.

Chlorine (Cl)................................................ 5. 0

Total dissolved solids........................................ 94

McCallie describes other wells at this place as follows:

The Toomsboro well was put down in 1882 at a cost of $320. It is 1J inches in 

diameter and 320 feet deep; it furnishes a flow rising 3 feet above the surface. When 

the well was first completed it flowed 8 gallons per minute, but the flow gradually 

decreased until it finally ceased about four years after the well was completed. During 

last spring a second deep well was put down at Toomsboro, but no record of this well 

was secured.

Gordon. One deep well has been reported from Gordon. McCallie

says:

A 2-inch well, 365 feet deep, with water rising to within 19 feet of the surface, is 

reported at Gordon. About 20 feet of soft limestone, together with sands and clays, 

are said to have been penetrated in this well. The only water-bearing stratum reported is near the bottom of the well.

WORTH COUNTY.

GENERAL FEATURES.

Worth County is in the southwestern part of the Coastal Plain of 

Georgia. Its area is 651 square miles and its population is 19,147 

(census of 1910). Agriculture is the chief industry, but the production of lumber and naval stores, though declining, is still carried 

on to an important extent. There are a few small manufacturing 

establishments at Sylvester and at Poulan.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The county is for the most part undulating or rolling, but some of 

the interstream areas are nearly level. The topography, soil, and 

native vegetation of the upland portion are characteristic of the 

physiographic division known as the Altamaha upland or long-leaf 

pine or wire-grass region. In the area drained by Abrams, Jones, 

and Swift creeks the surface is nearly level and is underlain by the 

limestones of the Chattahoochee and Vicksburg formations; here 

lime sinks are common. Flint River, which forms the northwestern 

boundary of the county, is bordered by two Pleistocene terrace plains,
WOBTH COUNTY. 465

one lying about 20 feet and the other about 60 feet above low-water 

level of the river.

With the exception of Flint River the streams are all small.

The known altitudes above sea level are Sumner, 350 feet; Poulan, 

312 feet; Sylvester, 370 (?) feet; and WiUingham, 299 feet. In the 

extreme northeastern part of the county, near the Tift and Turner 

county lines, the elevation of the higher land is believed to be approximately 400 feet.

GEOLOGY.

Strata of Oligocene age underlie the entire county. They have 

not been accurately differentiated, but it is believed that they represent in ascending order the Vicksburg, Ohattahooch.ee, and Alum 

Bluff formations.

The Vicksburg formation, which consists of 200 feet or more of 

cavernous water-bearing limestones in interbedded soft and compact 

layers, outcrops in the banks and bluffs of Flint River and appears 

as residual sands and clays over a belt several miles wide in the 

extreme northwest.

The Chattahoochee formation is similar in its lithologic characters 

to the Vicksburg formation but probably does not exceed 100 feet 

in thickness. It comes to the surface in a narrow belt running 

northeast and southwest in the northwestern part of the county, 

where it is represented chiefly by residual sands and clays.

The Alum Bluff formation, which consists of 150 to 200 feet of 

bluish sandy clays, sands, and sandstones, outcrops in a'narrow 

belt lying southeast of the outcrop of the Chattahoochee formation. 

It contains water-bearing beds.

The Alum Bluff formation is overlain by 100 feet or less of irregularly bedded coarse ferruginous sands and bluish sandy clays, perhaps of late Oligocene age. These beds form the surface materials 

throughout the remainder of the county and are the source of waters 

obtained in shallow wells.

Pleistocene terrace deposits have been laid down hi narrow areas 

bordering Flint River.

Deeply buried beneath the Vicksburg formation are undifferentiated deposits of Eocene age, probably representing in descending 

order the Jackson formation and the Claiborne group and perhaps 

also the Wilcox and Midway formations. They contain water-bearing beds. The Eocene deposits are underlain in turn by deposits of 

Cretaceous age, the aggregate thickness of which is believed to be 

between 1,500 and 2,000 feet. These deposits also contain waterbearing beds. The Cretaceous deposits rest upon a deeply buried 

basement of ancient crystalline rocks. 

38418° WSE 341 15 30
466 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL* PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

WATER RESOURCES. 

DISTRIBUTION AND CHARACTER.

Dug wells 20 to 50 feet deep are the chief source of water for 

domestic use. With the exception of those located in the northwestern part of the county they yield soft waters. Deep wells have 

been drilled at Sylvester, Oakfield, Doles, Poulan, and Warwick.

Artesian water can be obtained anywhere at depths of 100 to 1,500 

feet or more. Waters from the Oligocene limestones are apt to be 

hard. Flowing wells may be had on the terrace plains bordering 

Flint River in the northwest. The source of the waters of such wells 

lies at depths of 500 to 1,000 feet or more and would be in the basal 

Eocene beds or the underlying Cretaceous deposits.

LOCAL SUPPLIES.

Sylvester (population 1,447, census of 1910). Sylvester owns a 

water-supply system which obtains water from a well 720 feet deep, 

completed in 1908. The water rises to within .115 feet of the surface, 

and the maximum yield by pumping is estimated to be 750 gallons 

per minute, an amount more than sufficient to meet the present needs 

of the city. The elevation of the mouth of the well is about 3 feet 

lower than the level of the track at the station of the Atlantic Coast 

Line Railroad, where the altitude above sea level is 370 feet. It is 

estimated that the stratum penetrated at the bottom of this well (720 

feet) corresponds approximately to the stratum penetrated at 550 

feet in the wells at Albany. At Sylvester, therefore, it would be 

necessary to drill to a depth of 850 or 900 feet in order to reach the 

water-bearing stratum tapped at a depth of 680 feet in well No. 1 

at Albany. The water from the 680-foot stratum at Albany is only 

slightly hard and is in other respects well suited for a municipal 

supply.

Several other wells owned by individuals at and near Sylvester 

range in depth from 100 to 250 feet and tap water-bearing cavities 

in limestones of the Chattahoochee formation. (See analyses 2 to 5, 

Table 96.)

Poulan (population 652, census of 1910). At Poulan the chief 

sources of water for domestic use are shallow dug wells. There are 

three deep wells in the town.

A well owned by the Poulan Cotton Mills was originally 198 feet 

deep, but was deepened in 1908 to 409 feet, at which depth it probably 

reached the Vicksburg formation. (See analysis 1, Table 96.)

McCallie 1 gives the following additional information concerning 

wells at Poulan:

1 Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 196,197,1908.
WOKTH COUNTY. 467

The first attempt to secure water at Poulan by deep borings was made by Mr. J. 0. 

McPh.au! in 1890. Mr. McPhaul made two or three efforts to obtain a flowing well at 

Poulan, but each time he was unsuccessful. At the time of the writer's visit, in 1897, 

Mr. McPhaul furnished the following notes on his well, then in use: The well is from 

6 to 8 inches in diameter and 315 feet deep. Water rises to within 75 feet of the surface. 

The main water-bearing stratum is reported as occurring at a point between 85 and 95 

feet from the surface, but it is cased off. The static head of the water in the well is 

said to be lowered as much as 75 feet during a long-continued drought. The water is 

used chiefly for steam purposes, 75,000 gallons being used daily.

Mr. McPhaul has furnished the following record:

[Log of well of J. C. McPhaul at Poulan (No. 5, Table 95).}

Feet. 

Red clay to..................................................... 15

Yellow clay to................................................... 20

White clay to................................................... 35

Hard rock at................:............-...................... 75

The last extends to the bottom of the well.

Another deep well at Poulan, on which Mr. [W. W.] Burnham has furnished data, is 

the Jordan & Simerly well, located at a sawmill half a mile west of the post office. 

This well, completed in June, 1904, at a cost of $330, is 6 inches in diameter and 220 

feet deep. Water-bearing strata are reported at 90 and 210 feet. Water rises to 

within 82 feet of the surface, or from 5 to 10 feet above the railroad track at the station. 

Sand and clay are reported in the well to 120 feet, limestone at 145 feet, and quicksand 

at 220 feet. The water is used only for boiler purposes.

Warwick (population 226, census of 1910). A well owned by C. P. 

Romes 1 at Warwick is 497 feet deep and yields a large supply of sulphurous water. At a depth of 22 feet the drill entered a water-filled 

cavity 8 feet thick. The rocks penetrated in the well were chiefly 

limestone.

Doles. A well owned by J. M. Chapman at Doles 2 is 257 feet deep 

and 3 inches in diameter and yields an abundance of water, which 

rises to within 12 feet of the surface. The following is a partial log:

Partial log of well owned by J. M. Chapman at Doles (No. 1, Table 95).

Clay....................................................................................

Flint....................................................................................

Thickness.

Feet. 

15

81

12

15

20

50

16

?

?

Depth.

Feet. 

15

96

108

123

143

193

209

?

257

Oakfield (population 276, census of 1910). Several wells at Oakfield range in depth from 185 to 365 feet. Some of them flow, the 

maximum static head reported being 7 feet above the surface. A

i Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, p. 197,1908. * Idem, pp. 195,196.
468 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

well owned by the town, completed in 1901, is 185 feet deep and contains water that rises to within 8 feet of the surface.

TABLE 95. Wells in Worth County.

No. Location. Owner. Driller. Authority.

Date 

completed.

Approximate elevation 

above 

sea 

level.

Doles................

Oakfield.............

.....do...............

Poulan...............

.....do...............

Poulan (J mile west

of). 

Sylvester............

Warwick.............

3. M. Chapman.

Feet.

Town...............

Poulan Cotton Mills. 

J. C. McPhaul.......

Jordan & Simerly...

Town...............

C. P. Romes........

J.C.Cock..... 

M. A. Jerrard.

W. J. Hall, mayor. 

.....do............

F. M. Kimble.....

S. W. McCaliieft.. 

.....do............

W. W. Tison......

S. W. McCallieft..

1901

1908

1904

1908

355

312

367

No. Depth. Diameter.

Depth

to principal 

waterbearing 

bed.

Depth 

to

other 

waterbearing

beds.

Level

of

water 

above

or

below 

surface.

Yield per 

minute.

Flow. Pump.

How obtained. Quality.

Feet. 

257 

365 

185 

409

315

220

720

497

Inches. Feet.

185 

140-360

130-170 

210-220

85-95 

90

Feet.

- 12 

+ 7

- 8

- 85

- 75

- 82

-115

- 5

Gatts. Gatts.

60 Flows.

12

100

100+ 

"756"

Deep well pump.. 

Air-lift pump.

Air-lift pump.

Soft.

See analysis 1, Table 

96.

Hard; see analyses 

2 and 3, Table 96. 

Sulphurous.

No. Use.

Principal water bed.

Geologic horizon. Character.

Remarks.

Domestic.

Domestic and

manufacturing.

Boiler supply....,

Vicksburg formation.

Eocene............

Vicksburg formation?

Tertiary..........

Gravel.

Domestic and manufacturing.

Chattahoochee fortion?

Alum Bluff formation ?

Eocene or Cretaceous.

Eocene............

Hard rock.. 

Sand.......

Limestone.

See log, p. 467.

3-inch casing to 60 feet. Cost of well,

$300; of. pump, $20. 

Cost of well, $750; of machinery, $275.

See log, p. 467. 

Cost of well, $330.

8 inches in diameter at top and 2 inches 

at bottom.

a Elevation about 20 feet above low-water level of Flint River. 

& Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, pp. 196,197,1908.
to to os

wcio

>-» ,- 

o O

No

Sil

Iro

Al

Ca

M

So

Po

Ca

Bi

Su

Ni

Ch

To
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS OF THE COASTAL 

PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

By R. B. DOLE.

STANDARDS FOB CLASSIFICATION.

MINERAL CONSTITUENTS OF WATER.

All natural waters contain dissolved or suspended materials derived 

from substances with, which they have come into contact. They take 

up such materials in amounts determined principally by the chemical 

composition and physical structure of the substances, by the temperature, pressure, and duration of their contact, and by the condition of 

substances that they have previously incorporated. To designate 

such suspended and dissolved materials "impurities" is scarcely correct, because they have been introduced normally, in strict accordance 

with natural conditions and not necessarily by human agency. It 

has become customary, however, to call them impurities if their 

presence is detrimental to some proposed use of a water supply.

For purposes of examination the substances that may be present 

in natural waters are classified as suspended matter, such as particles 

of clay or leaves; dissolved matter, either of mineral or organic 

origin; microscopic animals or plants; and bacteria. The presence of 

very small animals and plants likely to affect the quality of waters 

is determined by microscopic examination, and the chance of contracting disease by drinking the water is ascertained by bacteriologic 

processes.

In the present study consideration is given chiefly to the suspended. 

and dissolved mineral matter. The amount and nature of this are 

most commonly determined by estimating the total suspended 

matter, total dissolved matter, total hardness, total alkalinity, silica, 

iron, aluminum, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, carbonates, 

bicarbonates, sulphates, nitrates, chlorides, free carbonic acid, and 

free hydrogen sulphide, these being the materials most commonly 

present and most likely to affect the value of the waters. Estimates 

of all of them are not necessary, however, in computing the economic 

value of a supply for a particular purpose, as will be shown in a discussion of the various practical uses of water. 

470
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 471 

USES OF WATER.

In judging the value of a water from its analysis it is necessary to 

consider the supply both in relation to its intended use and to other 

available supplies. Besides its general domestic use, water is essential 

in steam making, paper making, starch manufacture, and many 

other industrial processes. Many waters are valued for the supposed medicinal properties of their dissolved minerals. Much water 

is used for irrigation, both in the West and to some degree in the 

South, in the latter especially in rice growing. For each of these 

purposes the relative amounts of certain ingredients in a water determine its value and assist in its classification. For example, considerable iron in a water may be harmful in one industrial process and 

harmless in another. The value of a water for another purpose may 

be directly measurable by its suspended matter, its dissolved matter 

not being significant. Furthermore, many waters that are considered of great medicinal value are unfit for boiler use.

To catalogue waters as good or bad, hard or soft, pure or impure, 

is indefinite and may be misleading, unless the arithmetical values of 

such terms are rigidly defined. And even when the descriptive 

words in a classification are rigidly defined and carefully applied, it 

is highly advisable to know the intended use of a water and the 

composition of other available supplies before pronouncing final 

judgment as to its suitability.

WATER FOB BOILER USE. 

FORMATION OF SCALE.

The most common trouble in boilers is the formation of scale or 

deposition of mineral matter within the boiler shell. When water 

is heated under pressure and concentrated by evaporation, as in a 

boiler, certain substances are thrown out of solution and solidify on 

the flues and crown sheets or within the tubes. These deposits increase fuel consumption because they are poor conductors of heat, 

and increase the cost of boiler repairs and attendance because they 

have to be removed. If the amount of scale is great or if it is allowed 

to accumulate, the boiler capacity is decreased and disastrous explosions are likely to take place.

The incrustation (scale) consists of the substances that are insoluble 

in the feed water or become so within the boiler under conditions of 

ordinary operation. It includes practically all the suspended matter 

or mud; the silica, probably precipitated as the oxide (SiO2); the 

iron and aluminum, appearing in the scale as oxides or hydrated 

oxides; the calcium, precipitated principally as carbonate and sulphate ; and the magnesium, found chiefly as oxide but also partly as 

carbonate. Scale is therefore a mixture which varies in amount,
472 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

density, hardness, and composition with the quality of the water 

supply, the steam pressure, the type of boiler, and other conditions of 

use. Calcium and magnesium are the principal basic substances in 

the scale, over 90 per cent of which usually is calcium, magnesium, 

carbonate, and sulphate. If much organic matter is present part 

of it is precipitated with the mineral scale, as the organic matter is 

decomposed by heat or by reaction with other substances. If magnesium and sulphate are comparatively low, or if suspended matter 

is comparatively high, the scale is soft and bulky and may be in the 

form of sludge that can be blown or washed from the boiler. On the 

other hand, a clear water relatively high in magnesium and sulphate 

may produce a hard compact scale that is nearly as dense as porcelain, 

clings to the tubes, and offers great resistance to the transmission of 

heat. Therefore the value of a water for boiler use depends not only 

on the quantity but also on the physical structure of the scale produced by it.

CORROSION.

Corrosion or "pitting" is caused chiefly by the solvent action of 

acids on the iron of the boiler. Free acids capable of dissolving iron 

occur in some natural waters, especially in the drainage from coal 

mines, which usually contains free sulphuric acid, and also in some 

factory wastes draining into streams. Many ground waters contain 

free hydrogen sulphide, a gas that readily attacks boilers, and some 

contain dissolved oxygen and free carbon dioxide, which are also corrosive. Organic matter is probably a source of acids, for waters high 

in organic matter and low in calcium and magnesium are corrosive, 

though the nature and the action of the organic bodies are not well 

understood. The chief corrosives are acids freed in the boiler by the 

deposition of hydrates of iron, aluminum, and magnesium, the last 

named being the most important as it is the most abundant. The 

acid radicles that were in equilibrium with these bases may pass into 

equilibrium with other bases, displacing equivalent quantities of carbonates and bicarbonates; they may decompose carbonates that have 

been precipitated as scale; they may combine with the iron of the 

boiler, thus causing corrosion; or they may do all three, their action 

depending on the chemical composition of the water. Even with 

the most complete analysis this action can be predicted only as a 

probability. If the acid thus freed exceeds the amount required to 

decompose the carbonates and bicarbonates, it attacks the iron of 

the boiler and produces pits or tuberculations of the interior surface, 

leaks, particularly around rivets, and general deterioration.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS 473 

FOAMING.

Foaming is the formation of masses of bubbles on the surface of 

the water in the boiler and in the steam space above the water, and 

it is intimately connected with priming, which is the passage from 

the boiler of water mixed with steam. Foaming results when anything prevents the free escape of steam from the water. It is usually 

ascribed to an excess of dissolved matter that increases the surface 

tension of the liquid and thereby reduces the readiness with which 

the steam bubbles break. As sodium and potassium remain dissolved in the boiler water, while the greater portion of the other 

bases is precipitated, the foaming tendency is commonly measured 

by the degree of concentration of the alkaline salts in solution, 

because this figure, in connection with the type of boiler, determines 

to a great extent the length of time that a boiler may run without 

danger of foaming. It is a fact that the worst foaming waters in 

railroad practice are encountered in the arid and semiarid regions 

of the Southwest, where the quantity of dissolved alkali is greatest. 

However, it is well known that suspended matter can cause foaming, 

for certain surface waters that deposit a moderate amount of scale but 

do not foam when clear foam badly when they carry a great quantity 

of mud. Greth * states that foaming is due to condition of boiler, 

design of boiler, size and shape of water space, steam pipe, irregularity in blowing off, introduction of oil into the feed water from the 

exhaust steam, neglect to change water periodically, irregularity of 

load, or improper firing and feeding. He concludes that it is not 

merely the presence of sodium salts in solution that causes foaming, 

but the presence of other substances which together with the sodium 

salts and operating conditions brings about foaming. A strong solution of sodium carbonate might not induce excessive foaming in 

water otherwise pure, but its introduction into a boiler which under 

operating conditions invariably contains suspended matter or precipitated sludge might produce foaming by increasing the suspended 

matter either by precipitating calcium and magnesium or by loosening previously deposited scale. Under working conditions it is difficult to distinguish the actual cause of the trouble. Experience has 

shown that the type of boiler, steam pressure, and other operating 

conditions may greatly accelerate or retard foaming.

REMEDIES FOR BOILER TROUBLES.

The best way of remedying unsatisfactory boiler supplies is to 

treat them before they enter the boiler, but where this is impracticable trouble can be minimized in various ways. Low-pressure

1 Greth, J. C. W., Water softening and purification for coal-mine operations: Paper read before the West 

Virginia Coal Mining Institute, Bluefield, W. Va., June 7,1910.
474 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

large-flue boilers are used in many stationary plants with hard 

waters, and it is said that the scale formed in them is softer and 

more flocculent and can therefore be more readily removed than 

that formed in high-pressure boilers. Blowing off is about the only 

practical means of preventing foaming, because this trouble is due 

principally to concentration of substances in the residual water of 

the boilers. Accumulated sludge, or soft scale, is removed by blowing, particularly in locomotive practice. In condensing systems 

much of the trouble due to mineral matter in the feed water is obviated because the quantity of raw water supplied is proportionately 

small. Yet the problem is not completely solved in such systems, 

because the incrusting or corrosive action is transferred from the 

boiler to the condenser, which requires more or less cleaning and 

repairing in proportion to the undesirable qualities of the water 

supply.

BOILER COMPOUNDS.

Boiler compounds are widely used in regions where hard waters 

abound, but treatment within the boiler should be given only when 

it is impossible to purify the supply beforehand, or when the supply 

is relatively pure and requires only minor correction. If previous 

purification is not practicable, some feed waters can be improved 

by judicious addition of chemicals. Many substances, ranging from 

flour, oatmeal, and sliced potatoes to barium and chromium salts, 

have been recommended for such use, but only a few have proved 

to be really efficient. These substances have been classified 1 according to their action within the boiler. Those that attack chemically the scaling and corroding constituents precipitate incrusting 

matter and neutralize acids. Soda ash, the commercial form of 

sodium carbonate, containing about 95 per cent Na2CO3 , is the most 

valuable substance of this character, because it is cheap and its 

use is attended with the least objectionable results. Tannin and 

tannin compounds are also used for the same purpose. The addition of limewater to the feed to prevent corrosion and to obviate 

foaming has been recommended,2 and it is probable that it would 

improve waters high in organic matter and very low in incrustants. 

Such practice increases the incrustants in proportion to lime added 

but prevents corrosion. Soda ash neutralizes free acids, precipitates 

the incrusting ingredients as a softer, more flocculent material, 

which is more easily removed from the boiler and increases the foaming tendency of the water by increasing its content of dissolved 

matter. The proper amount to be used depends on the chemical 

composition of the water and the style of the boiler.

i Gary, A. A., The use of boiler compounds: Am. Machinist, vol. 22, pt. 2, p. 1153,1899. 

s Palmer, Chase, Quality of the underground waters in the Blue Grass region of Kentucky: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Water-Supply Paper 233, p. 187,1909.
CHEMICAL CHAEACTER OF WATERS. 475

The second class of boiler compounds comprises those that act 

mechanically on the precipitated crystals of scale-making matter 

soon after they are formed, surrounding them and robbing them of 

their cement-like action. Glutinous, starchy, and oily substances 

belong to this class, but they are not now used to any considerable 

extent because they thicken and foul the water more than they 

prevent the formation of hard scale.

The third class comprises compounds that act mechanically, like 

those of the second class, and also partly dissolve deposited scale, 

thus loosening it and aiding in its ready removal. Of these, kerosene is very effective, but graphite is believed to be still better.

Many boiler compounds possessing or supposed to possess one or 

more of the functions just described are on the market and are 

widely sold. Some are effective and some are positively injurious. 

Most of them depend for their chief action on soda ash, petroleum, 

or a vegetable extract, but all are costly compared with lime and 

soda ash. Boiler compounds can not reduce the amount of scale 

and may increase it. Their only legitimate functions are to prevent 

corrosion and deposition of hard scale and to remove accumulations 

of scale that have become attached to the boiler. Every engineer 

should bear in mind that steam boilers are costly and that fuel 

and boiler repairs are expensive, and should hesitate to add substances to his feed water without competent advice as to their effect. 

It is far more economical to have the water supply analyzed and to 

treat it effectively by well-known chemicals in proper proportion, 

either within or without the boiler, than to experiment with compounds of unknown composition.

NUMERICAL, STANDARDS.

The value of natural waters for boiler use depends primarily on 

their corroding and foaming tendencies and on the amount and 

character of scale likely to be deposited by them. This value, however, should always be considered in connection with local standards, 

for no matter how low a water may be in undesirable constituents it 

can not be classed as good if it is poorer in quality than the average 

water of the region in which it occurs. On the other hand, if the 

best available supply is poor the economy of purifying it, even at 

large expense, is obvious. Along the Atlantic coast, where waters 

containing less than 100 parts per million of incrusting ingredients 

are extremely common, a supply carrying 200 parts of such substances 

would not be considered fair for boiler use. Throughout most of the 

Mississippi Valley, however, such a supply would be considered good, 

because in that region natural waters not exceeding 100 parts in 

scale-forming constituents are rare. Because of this variance in local 

conditions, numerical standards should be interpreted relatively and
476 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

not literally. At the same time any classification by nominal ratings 

must be applied absolutely if the terms are to have comparative 

significance outside the region where the waters exist.

Stabler's excellent mathematical discussion of the quality of waters 

with reference to industrial uses * contains several formulas by which 

the effect of waters may be computed, and his formulas, quoted 

here in slightly altered form, have been used in classifying tne waters 

discussed in the present report. The terms involving iron, aluminum, and free acids have been omitted because these substances are 

too scarce in most Georgia waters to call for consideration in such 

approximate ratings; and the terms involving sodium and potassium have been united for simplicity.

(1) s=Sm+Cm+2.95 Ca+1.66 Mg.

(2) h=SiO2+1.66 Mg+1.92 Cl+1.42 S04 -2.95 Na.

(3) f=2.7Na.

(4) c=0.0821 Mg-0.0333 CO3 0.0164 HC03 .

These equations express numerically some of the relations that 

have been discussed in the preceding sections on scale, corrosion, and 

foaming. Sm, Cm, SiO2, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, SO4 , CO3 , and HCO3 represent the amounts in parts per million, respectively, of suspended 

matter, colloidal matter (oxides of silicon, iron, and aluminum), 

silica, calcium, magnesium, alkalies, chlorine, sulphate, carbonate, 

and bicarbonate. It is uncertain in some waters whether iron and 

aluminum are in solution or in colloidal state, but in applying these 

formulas to Georgia ground waters little error is introduced by assuming that they are colloidal.

The first formula gives the amount of scale-forming ingredients (s) 

that would probably be formed from the water under ordinary conditions of boiler operation. If it is desired to compute the scaleforming ingredients of waters whose analyses in this report give no 

values for silica, iron, or aluminum, Cm may be taken as 20 without 

introducing great error. In clear waters suspended matter (Sm) 

would of course be zero; and consequently for most Georgia ground 

waters the amount of scale may be estimated practically from the 

figures representing silica, calcium, and magnesium. Suspended 

matter can not, however, be disregarded in estimating the scaleforming ingredients of unsettled surface waters, for it frequently is 

greater than the dissolved matter.

The second formula gives the amount of the hard scale forming

ingredients (h). The ratio expresses the relative hardness of the

S

scale. If - is greater than 0.5 the scale may properly fee called hard;

3

if it is less than 0.25 the scale may properly be called soft.

i Eng. News, vol. 60, p. 355,1908; TJ. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 274, p. 165,1911.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 477

The third formula gives the amount of the foaming ingredients (f) 

as estimated from the probable content of alkali salts.

The fourth formula has been used to calculate the corrosive tendency of the water (c). As can be readily seen from the coefficients, 

it expresses the relation between the reacting values of magnesium 

and the radicles involving carbonic acid (p. 472). If c is positive, the 

water is corrosive. If c + 0.0499Ca (the reacting value of calcium) is 

negative, the mineral constituents will not cause corrosion; but 

whether organic matter or electrolysis will cause it is uncertain. If 

c + 0.0499Ca is positive, corrosion is uncertain.

After these three attributes of boiler feed have been computed 

rating the water is largely a matter of judgment based on experience. 

The committee on water service of the American Railway Engineering 

and Maintenance of Way Association has offered two classifications by 

which waters in their raw state may be approximately rated; but, as 

the report states, "it is difficult to define by analysis sharply the line 

between good and bad water for steam-making purposes." Table 97 

gives these classifications with the amounts transformed to parts per 

million.

TABLE 97. Ratings of waters for -boiler use according to proportions of incrusting and 

corroding constituents and according to foaming constituents.

Incrusting and corroding con stituents 

(parts per million).

More 

than 

90 

200 

430

Not more 

than 

90 

200 

430

680

Classiflcation.<»

Good. 

Fair. 

Poor. 

Bad.

Foaming constituents 

(parts per million).

More 

than 

150 

260 

400

Not more 

than 

150 

250 

400

Classification.6

Good. 

Fair. 

Bad. 

Very bad.

a Proc. Am. Ry. Eng. and Maintenance of Way Assoc., vol. 5, p. 595,1904. 

6 Idem, vol. 9, p. 134,1908.

The classification by incrusting and corroding constituents has been 

applied to the computations of scale-forming ingredients (s) in the 

analytical tables accompanying this report. (See Tables 107-118, pp. 

509-527.) The quantity of foaming ingredients (f) should always be 

considered in conjunction with the probable amount of scale or sludge 

thatwould beformed, the hardness of thescale, and the tendency toward 

corrosion. Those who are thoroughly familiar with local conditions 

in Georgia and with the chemistry of water will doubtless prefer to 

disregard the descriptive terms of the classification and draw their 

own conclusions regarding the quality of the waters from the figures 

representing scale, foaming constituents, and probability of corrosion. 

The classifications are given principally for the aid of those not thoroughly familiar with such matters and rather to indicate the limits 

of usefulness than to define rigidly the value of the waters.
478 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Waters of poor quality can be improved by treatment in softening 

plants. How bad a water may be used without treatment depends 

on the cost of artificially softening the water and the relative saving 

effected by the use of the softened water. A report 1 of the committee on water service of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance of Way Association sets forth the factors involved. The 

benefits include the saving in boiler cleaning, repairs, and fuel, the 

decrease in the time during which the boilers must be withdrawn from 

service for cleaning and repairs, the decrease in the depreciation of 

the boilers, and the value of the materials removed by softening. The 

cost of softening includes the cost of labor and power for the softening 

apparatus, the cost of softening chemicals, the interest on the cost of 

installation, depreciation in the value of the softening plant, and the 

waste in changing boiler feed due to increased foaming tendency.

In locomotive service it is, in general, economical to treat waters 

containing 250 to 850 parts per million of incrustants and to treat 

those containing less than 250 parts if the scale formed contains much 

sulphate.2 As the incrusting solids may commonly be reduced to 

80 or 90 parts per million, the economy of treating boiler waters deserves consideration in a region where many supplies contain 300 to 

500 parts per million of incrusting matter.

The amount of mineral matter that makes a water unfit for boiler 

use depends on the combined effect in boilers of the softening reagents 

used with such waters and of the constituents not removed by softening. Sodium salts added to remove incrustants or to prevent corrosion increase the foaming tendency, and this increase may be great 

enough to render a water useless for steaming. It is not of much 

benefit to soften water containing more than 850 parts per million of 

nonincrusting material and much incrusting sulphate.2 Trouble 

from priming in locomotive boilers begins at a concentration of about 

1,700 parts per million of foaming constituents, and the limit of 

safety for stationary boilers is reached at a concentration of about 

7,000 parts. Though waters containing as high as 1,700 parts per 

million of foaming constituents have been used, it is usually more 

economical to incur considerable expense in replacing such supplies by 

better ones.

WATER FOB MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL USES. 

GENERAL REQUISITES.

Many articles are affected by the ingredients of the water used in 

their manufacture and can be improved by its purification. If by the 

same process the boiler efficiency of the factory can be increased the

1 Proc. Am. Ry. Eng. and Maintenance of Way Assoe., vol. 8, p. 601,1907.

2 Idem, vol. 6, p. 610,1905.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 479

expense is often justified when it would not be warranted merely by 

the increased value of the product. This observation applies particularly to paper, pulp, and strawboard mills, laundries, and other 

establishments where large quantities of water are evaporated to 

furnish steam for drying, and to ice factories and similar plants where 

distilled water is required.

Besides its use for steam making water plays a specific part in 

many manufacturing processes. In paper mills, strawboard mills, 

bleacheries, dye works, canning factories, pickle factories, creameries, 

slaughterhouses, packing houses, nitroglycerin factories, distilleries, 

breweries, woolen mills, starch works, sugar worKs, canneries, glue 

factories, soap factories, and chemical works water becomes a part of 

the product or is essential to its manufacture. In most of these establishments the water is used principally as a cleansing agent or as a 

vehicle for other substances, and therefore a supply that is free from 

color, odor, suspended matter, microscopic organisms, and especially 

from bacteria of fecal origin, and fairly low in dissolved substances, 

especially iron, is generally satisfactory. But water that is also hygienically acceptable is necessary where it comes into contact with or 

forms part of food materials, as in the making of beverages, sugar, 

and dairy or meat products. As ideal waters for any use are rare, the 

manufacturer must ascertain what degree of freedom from substances 

is necessary to prevent injury to his machinery or to his output and 

whether the cost of obtaining such purity is counterbalanced by 

decreased cost of production and increased value of product. Competitive business methods and increased facilities of transportation 

have standardized the values of manufactured articles so thoroughly 

that makers are now obliged to scrutinize every item of production 

cost in order to obtain reasonable profits. Any appreciable saving 

effected by improvement of the water supply is one of the easiest 

sources of profit for the manufacturer.

EFFECTS OF DISSOLVED AND SUSPENDED MATERIALS.

The effects in some industries of the substances most commonly 

found in water are outlined in the following pages, the object being 

to offer approximate standards for classification.

FREE ACIDS.

Free mineral acids, sucB. as the sulphuric acid in drainage from coal 

mines or the hydrochloric acid in the effluents of some industrial 

establishments, are especially injurious and nearly always have to be 

neutralized before the waters containing them can be used industrially. In paper mills, cotton mills, bleacheries, and dye works 

waters containing a measurable amount of free mineral acid decom-
480 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAD PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

pose chemicals, streak and rot fabrics, and corrode and rapidly 

destroy metal screens, strainers, and pipes.

SUSPENDED MATTER.

Suspended matter in surface waters may be of vegetable, mineral, 

or animal origin, as it consists of particles of sewage, bits of leaves, 

sticks, and sawdust, and sand and clay. The fine silt so common 

in rivers of the South is largely derived from clay. Few well waters 

contain suspended animal or vegetable matter, but many carry finely 

divided sand and clay, and many become turbid by precipitation 

of dissolved ingredients. Suspended matter is objectionable in all 

processes in which water is used for washing or comes into contact 

' with food materials, because it is likely to stain or spot the product. 

Suspended matter due to precipitated iron is especially injurious 

even in small amount. Suspended vegetable or animal matter liable 

to decomposition or to partial solution is much more objectionable, 

even in small amounts (10 to 20 parts per million), than equal quantities of mineral matter. For these reasons water should be freed from 

suspended matter before being used for laundering, bleaching, wool 

scouring, paper making, dyeing, starch making, sugar making, brewing, distilling, and similar processes. In making the coarser grades of 

paper, such as strawboard, a small amount of suspended matter is 

not especially injurious, but for the finer white and colored varieties 

clear water is essential.

COLOE.

Color in water is due principally to solution of vegetable matter. 

Materials bleached, washed, or dyed light shades in colored water 

are likely to become tinged. Highly colored waters can be used 

in making wrapping or dark-tinted papers but not in making the 

white grades, and paper manufacturers are put to great expense for 

water purification on that account. The lower waters are in color, 

therefore, the more desirable they are for use in bleacheries, dye 

works, paper mills, and other factories where brown tints in the 

products are undesiiable.

IKON.

Iron is the most undesirable dissolved constituent, and its presence 

in comparatively small quantities necessitates purification. Many 

ground waters in Georgia contain 1 to 20 parts per million of iron, 

which may be precipitated by exposure to the air and by release of 

hydrostatic pressure, causing the waters to become turbid; and many 

such waters develop rusty-looking gelatinous growths that may 

interfere in industrial operations. In all cleansing processes, especially if soap or alkali is used, precipitated iron is likely to cause 

rusty or dull spots. In contact with, materials containing tannin
CHEMICAL CHAEACTEE OP WATEES. 481

compounds iron forms greenish or black substances that discolor the 

product. Therefore many waters containing amounts even as small 

as 1 or 2 parts per million of iron have to be purified before they can 

be used industrially. In water for dye works iron is especially 

objectionable and commonly prevents the use of the water without 

purification.1 Iron in the water supply of paper mills may be precipitated on the pulp, giving a brown color, or during sizing or tinting, 

giving spotty effects. Water containing much iron can not be used 

in bleaching fabrics, because salts that spot the goods are formed. 

The dark-colored compounds that iron forms with tannin discolor 

hides in tanning and barley in malting, and give beer a bad color, 

odor, and taste.2

CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM.

Calcium and magnesium are similar in their industrial effects. In 

water their amounts bear a more or less definite relation to each 

other, most waters carrying 10 to 50 per cent as much magnesium 

as calcium. Both are precipitated on whatever is boiled in water 

containing them, forming a deposit that may interfere with later operations. They also decompose equivalent amounts of many chemicals employed in technical operations, causing waste and forming 

alkaline-earth compounds that interfere with the later treatment of 

fabrics. These troubles are the strongest incentives to preliminary 

softening. Some of the chemicals used to disintegrate the fibers in 

making pulp are consumed by the calcium and magnesium in the 

water supply, though the loss from this source is not nearly so great 

as that which occurs later when the resin soap used in sizing the paper 

is decomposed by the calcium and magnesium. The insoluble soaps 

thus created do not fix themselves on the fibers, but form clots and 

streaks. Similar decomposition of valuable cleansing materials and 

subsequent deposition of insoluble compounds take place in laundering, wool scouring, and similar processes. In the manufacture of 

soap calcium and magnesium form with the fatty acids curdy precipitates that are insoluble in water and therefore have no cleansing 

value. They interfere with many dyeing operations, neutralizing 

chemicals and changing the reactions of the baths, besides forming 

insoluble compounds with many dyes. Highly calcareous waters 

can not be used for boiling the grain in distilleries because they hinder 

proper action by causing the deposition of alkaline-earth salts on 

the particles of grain, nor for diluting spirits because they cause 

turbidity.3 Very soft water, on the other hand, is said to be undesirable in paper mills for loading papers with any form of calcium

i Sadtler, S. P., A handbook of industrial organic chemistry, Philadelphia, p. 483,1900. 

 De la Coux, M. A. J., L'eau dans Pindustrie, Paris, pp. 187, 232,1900. 

s Idem, p. 251.

38418° WSP 341 15 31
482 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

sulphate, because such waters dissolve part of the loading materials.1 

Probably waters high in chlorides would also be bad for this purpose, 

because chlorides increase the solubility of calcium sulphate.

CAKBONATES.

The effects of carbonates and bicarbonates in waters used in 

industrial processes are not differentiated in this paragraph. It is 

not unusual to estimate the combined carbonic acid and to state it 

as the carbonate without distinguishing between carbonates and 

bicarbonates, though in most natural waters of Georgia the carbonate 

radicle is absent and the combined carbonic a'cid is in the form of 

bicarbonates. If hard waters proportionately high in carbonates 

and low in sulphates are boiled, the bicarbonate radicle is decomposed, free carbonic acid is given off, and the greater part of the calcium and magnesium is precipitated. Consequently waters of that 

character are generally more desirable for industrial operations than 

waters high in sulphates and low in carbonates, whose hardening 

constituents are not greatly reduced by boiling. In beer making 

waters high in carbonates are said to produce dark-colored beers 

with a pronounced malt flavor because the carbonates increase the 

solubility of the nitrogenous bodies, whereas waters high in sulphates 

yield pale beers with a definite hop flavor because the sulphates 

reduce the solubility of the malt and the coloring matters.2

SULPHATES.

The influence of sulphates in beer making has been noted. Hard 

waters with sulphates predominating are desirable in tanning heavy 

hides because they swell the skins, exposing more surface for the action 

of the tan liquors.3 Sulphates, however, interfere with crystallization in sugar making by increasing the amount of sugar retained 

in the mother liquor.

CHLOKIDES.

High chlorides are usually accompanied by high alkalies in Georgia 

waters. Appreciable amounts of chlorides are injurious in many 

industrial processes. Beverages and food products, of course, can 

not be treated with waters very high in chlorides without becoming 

salty. In tanning, chlorides cause the hides to become thin and 

flabby.3 Animal charcoal used in clarifying sugar is robbed of its 

bleaching power by absorption of salt, and the quality of sugars is 

affected by chloride-bearing waters because saline salts are incorpo1 Cross, C. F., and Bevan, E. J., A textbook of paper making, New York, p. 294,1900.

2 Brewing water, its defects and remedies, American Burtonizing Co., New York, p. 19,1909. Also De 

la Coux, op. cit., p. 169.

a Parker, H. N., and others, The Potomac River basin: TJ. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 192, 

p. 194,1907.
CHEMICAL CHABACTER OF WATEES. 483

rated in the crystals.1 In the preparation of alcoholic beverages 

chlorides in large amount prevent the growth of the yeast and interfere with the germination of the grain. The only commercially developed way of removing chlorides from water is distillation. As 

the cost of this process has been greatly reduced by the use of multipleeffect evaporators, it is worth considering where chloride-bearing 

waters must be used.

ORGANIC MATTER.

Organic matter of fecal origin is of course dangerous in any water 

that comes into contact with food products, and water so polluted 

should be purified before being used. Care in this respect is particularly necessary in creameries, slaughterhouses, canneries, pickle factories, distilleries, breweries, and sugar factories. Organic matter 

not necessarily capable of producing disease is further undesirable in 

industrial supplies because it induces decomposition in other organic 

materials like cloth, yarn, sugar, starch, meat, or paper, rotting and 

discoloring them, and because it causes slime spots on fabrics by 

supporting algae growths.

HYDROGEN SULPHIDE.

Hydrogen sulphide (H3S), a gas with an odor like that of rotten 

eggs, occurs dissolved in some underground waters and gives them 

what is known as a "sulphurous" taste and odor. It is corrosive 

even in small quantities, and it also injures materials by discoloring 

and rotting them.

MISCELLANEOUS SUBSTANCES.

Silica and aluminum are usually not present in sufficient quantity 

appreciably to affect any industrial processes except those in which 

water is evaporated. Large quantities of sodium and potassium, by 

adding to the amount of dissolved matter, are objectionable in some 

manufacturing operations. Phosphates, nitrates, and some other 

substances not noted in this outline interfere with industrial chemical 

reactions, but they are present in few natural waters in sufficient 

quantity to have noticeable effect.

WATER FOR DOMESTIC USE.

PHYSICAL QUALITIES.

Entirely acceptable domestic supplies are free from suspended 

matter, color, odor, and taste and are fairly cool when they reach the 

consumer. The more nearly waters fulfill these conditions the more 

satisfactory they are for general use. Suspended mineral matter 

clogs pipes, valves, and faucets, and growths of microscopic plants

1 De la Coux, M. A. J., op. cit., p. 152.
484 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

suspended in water frequently cause odors and stains. The outlets 

of some artesian wells are surrounded by growths of microscopic 

organisms, which form tufts or layers in pipes and well casings and 

sometimes clog them. Detached particles escape through faucets, 

giving the water an unsightly appearance and staining clothes washed 

in it. So far as known such growths in tanks and mains do not cause 

disease, but they often impart unpleasant odors that make the water 

objectionable. True color is usually due to dissolved vegetable 

matter, and causes serious objection only when it exceeds 20 to 30 

parts per million.

In general, Georgia well waters are satisfactory in respect to suspended mineral matter and color. Finely divided material from 

quicksands enters some driven wells, but such trouble is not so serious 

as it is in other parts of the country. A few waters, especially those 

containing iron, develop a turbidity of 10 to 30 parts per million on 

exposure to the air by precipitating dissolved matter, and such condition gives rise to apparent though not to real color. The odor most 

commonly noticed in the ground waters of Georgia is that of hydrogen 

sulphide.

BAOTEEIOLOGIC QUALITIES.

Before a water is used for domestic purposes there should be reasonable certainty that it is free from disease-bearing organisms and that 

it can be guarded against all chances of infection. The disease germs 

most commonly carried by water are those of typhoid fever. The 

bacilli enter the supply from some spot infected by the discharges of 

a person sick with this disease, and though comparatively short lived 

in water they persist and retain their power of infection in fecal 

deposits for remarkable lengths of time. Consequently, water from 

lakes and streams draining from pollution centers or from irrigated 

fields should not be used for drinking without purification. Wells 

should be so located as to be guarded against the entrance of filth of 

any kind, either over the top or by infiltration. Pumps and piping 

in the system should also be protected. Water from a carefully cased 

well more than 20 or 30 feet deep is acceptable if the well is located 

at a reasonable distance from, privies, cesspools, and other sources of 

pollution. Many open dug wells and pits constructed as reservoirs 

around the tops of casings are exposed to fecal contamination from 

above or through cracks in poorly built side walls. Care should be 

taken that the casings of deep wells do not become leaky near the 

surface of the ground so as to allow pollution to enter. As a matter 

of ordinary precaution the ground should be kept clean and water 

should not be allowed to become foul or stagnant near any well, no 

matter how deep. If shallow dug wells are necessary, they should 

be constructed with water-tight walls extending as far as practicable
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 485

into the well and also a short distance above ground. The floor or 

curbing should be water-tight, and pumps should be used in preference 

to buckets for raising the water. Every possible precaution should 

be taken to prevent feet scrapings and similar dirt from getting into 

the well. Underground water is not only less likely to become contaminated when protected from surface washings, air, and light, but 

it keeps better and is less likely to develop microscopic plants that 

give it an unpleasant taste.

CHEMICAL QUALITIES.

The amounts of dissolved substances permissible in a domestic 

supply depend much on their nature. No more than traces of 

barium, copper, zinc, or lead should be present, because these substances are poisonous; however, their occurrence in measurable 

amounts in ordinary waters is so rare that tests for them are not 

usually made. Any constituent present in sufficient amount to be 

clearly perceptible to the taste is objectionable. Water containing 

two parts per million of iron is unpalatable to many people and may 

cause trouble by discoloring washbowls and tubs and by producing 

rusty stains on clothes. Tea and coffee can not be made satisfactorily 

with water containing much iron because a black inky compound is 

formed. Four or five parts of hydrogen sulphide make a water 

unpleasant to the taste, and this gas is objectionable also because it 

corrodes well strainers and other metal fittings. The amounts of 

silica and aluminum ordinarily present in well waters have no special 

significance in relation to domestic supply.

Approximately 250 parts of chlorine make a water "salty," and 

less than that amount causes corrosion. In regions where the 

chlorine content runs as low as 5 or 10 parts in normal waters unaffected by animal pollution the amount of chlorine is frequently taken 

as a measure of contamination. But the establishment of isochlors, 

or lines of equal chlorine, in Georgia would be of little sanitary value, 

because many of the waters dissolve so much chloride from the sedimentary deposits of the Coastal Plain that the small changes caused 

by animal pollution are not discernible.

Calcium and magnesium, are the chief causes of what is known as 

the hardness of water. This undesirable quality is indicated by 

increased soap consumption and by deposition on kettles of scale 

composed almost entirely of calcium, magnesium, carbonates, and 

sulphates. Calcium and magnesium, forming with soap insoluble 

curdy compounds that have no cleansing value, prevent the formation 

of a lather until these two basic radicles have been precipitated. 

Hardness is measured by the soap-consuming capacity of a water 

expressed as an equivalent of calcium, carbonate (CaCO3 ), and it ca-n 

be determined by actual testing with a standard solution of soap or
486 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEOEGIA.

can be computed from the amounts of calcium (Ca) and magnesium 

(Mg) by means of the following formula:

Total hardness as CaCO3 = 2.5 Ca + 4.1 Mg.

Soda ash (sodium carbonate) is used in many regions to "break" or 

soften hard water in order to save soap.

MINERAL MATTER AND POTABILITY.

The lower waters are in mineral content the more acceptable they 

are as sources of domestic supply. The amount of dissolved substances that can be tolerated in drinking water is, however, much 

greater than that allowable in city supplies, for which hardness, 

corrosion, pipe clogging, and general utility have to be considered. 

Though there are certain limits above which the common ingredients 

are intolerable, these limits are not only difficult to ascertain but are 

also liable to shift. A normal water is not a pure solution of one salt 

whose physiologic effect can be measured, but an indeterminate 

mixture of solutions of several salts whose effects are not easily 

differentiated. Further, though all animals select for drinking 

waters that are lowest in solids and avoid those that are highest, the 

same animals, when transported to districts of poor water, accustom 

themselves to supplies of far greater mineral content than those they 

would not touch before. Consequently any general limits that may 

be assigned to the various mineral ingredients must be regarded as 

extremely flexible.

The degree of mineralization that can be tolerated in alkaline 

sulphate waters is greater than that allowable in alkaline chloride 

waters, and is considerably greater than that allowable in alkaline 

carbonate waters. Strong calcium sulphate waters can not be used 

for boiling vegetables and are likely to cause diarrhea, as the presence 

of calcium necessarily implies the presence of magnesium, which 

in large quantity is laxative. Calcium carbonate waters are extremely 

common, but it is unusual for them to be so highly mineralized as 

to cause noticeable physiologic effect.

The usual immediate consequence of drinking waters too high in 

mineral content is diarrhea. Many persons at first afflicted with this 

trouble become accustomed to the newsupply and acquire what maybe 

termed immunity. Whether other disorders result from the continued 

drinking of such waters is not known; and it is equally uncertain 

whether cattle and horses that so commonly are reported to have 

been killed by drinking mineral water were killed by the purging of the 

mineral matter or by the excessive consumption of the water itself. 

Waters exceeding 300 parts per million of carbonate, 1,500 parts of 

chloride, or 2,000 parts of sulphate are apparently intolerable to
CHEMICAL CHAEACTEE OF WATEES. 487

most people. These limits are fortunately far beyond the points 

where the substances in solution become clearly perceptible to the 

ordinary taste. In conclusion it can not be too emphatically stated 

that information on this subject is fragmentary and uncertain 

and that any limits of mineral tolerance are modified by individual 

idiosyncrasy.1

WATER FOB MEDICINAL USE.

The term "mineral" may reasonably be applied to all natural 

waters, as all contain dissolved mineral matter,-but is commonly 

restricted to natural spring waters irrespective of whether they are 

highly or slightly mineralized or whether they are deemed good 

table waters or reputed to have specific therapeutic properties. The 

term "medicinal" usually is and should be used to distinguish 

highly mineralized waters that may cause specific physiologic reaction 

from those that are low in mineral constituents and are especially 

acceptable as table waters by reason of their attractive physical 

characteristics and freedom from contamination. Though the 

literature on mineral waters is voluminous and though many schemes 

for the classification of waters reputed to have curative properties 

have been devised, yet comparatively little has been published on 

the relations between the concentration of the various dissolved 

substances and their effects within the body. Further, the distinction 

between waters having therapeutic action by virtue of their content 

of certain mineral substances and those having possible therapeutic 

action only as water itself has not been generally recognized.

It seems entirely reasonable to conclude that the specific reactions 

caused by the radicles in natural waters are similar to those caused 

by the same radicles in simpler artificial solutions, and that the force 

or strength of such reactions depends on the concentration of the 

radicles. In other words, the probability of medicinal action due to 

the dissolved substances in natural waters can be judged by comparing the concentration of such substances with equivalent concentrations of medicinal preparations whose doses have been fixed and 

whose properties have been investigated. On this basis the author 

has computed the smallest doses of certain radicles given in common 

medical practice and their equivalent concentration in 4 kilograms 

of water, or a little more than a gallon a generous day's allowance 

of drinking water. Consistent effort has been made to have the 

concentrations finally expressed represent a minimum below which 

therapeutic activity could not logically be attributed to the radicle 

in question, and every reasonable allowance has been made with 

that object in view. The strengths thus obtained are proposed as

i For further data see Dole, R. B., The concentration of mineral water in relation to therapeutic activity: 

U. S. Geol. Survey Mineral Resources, 1911, pt. 2, pp. 1175-1192,1912.
488 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

standards for differentiation between medicinal and common waters, 

the assumption being that water which carries less than one medicinal 

dose of a physiologically active radicle in a day's allowance would not 

have therapeutic value by virtue of its mineral content. This does 

not necessarily imply, however, that use of such water may not be 

beneficial, for the improvement in health following the ingestion of 

hygienically pure water under proper regimen of diet, exercise, and 

similar factors is thoroughly recognized. On the other hand, supplies exceeding the minimum concentrations may not necessarily 

possess special medicinal value, as every reasonable allowance tending to lower the standards has been made.

TABLE 98. Minimum medicinal doses of certain radicles and their equivalent concentration 

in 4 kilograms of water, arranged in order of concentration.

Radicle.

Arseni te ( AsO2) .........................................................

Arsenate ( AsO4 ). . .......................................................

Fluoride(P).. ............................... ..........................

Barium (Ba). ...........................................................

Hydroxide (OH)......................... . ..........................

Iron (-Pe)..... ..........................................................

MeteboTate(BOi)... ....................................................

Pyroborate (B4O7> ......................................................

Iodide (I).. .............................................................

Carbonate (CO8). .......................................................

Sulphite (SO,)..........................................................

Thiosulphate(S2O3).....................................................

Nitrate (NO3).. .........................................................

Bromide (Br) ...........................................................

Sulphate (SO4). .........................................................

Average

TriinlmnTn dose.

Grams. 

\ aO.0002

.002

.003

.013

.011

-.024

.075

.078

.12

| c.035

.12

.2

.23

.281

.315

.300

.5

.53

.6

Equivalent 

concentration.

Milligrams per 

kilogram, 

f 0.2

i 3 1 :i

.7

3 '

63

6

15

20

30

/ 30

\ 30

30

50

50

70

70

70

100

100

150

a Equivalent as arsenic (As). 6 In acid solution. c Equivalent as boron (B).

The smallest dose of sulphates, which are laxative, recommended 

by various authorities is equivalent to about 0.6 gram SO4 . This 

amount evidently should be contained in a quantity of water that 

might be drunk within a comparatively short period, because otherwise the radicle would not be concentrated enough to cause perceptible 

reaction. Nevertheless, for consistency this dose has been divided 

by 4 in the tabulation of concentrations. A water containing 600 

milligrams per kilogram of sulphate (SO4) might exercise gentle 

laxative action. Many waters containing less than 1 milligram per 

kilogram of lithium are advertised as having specific curative properties by virtue of the presence of that radicle, but the therapeutic 

value of such a small amount of this ingredient may well be questioned, because a physician would have to prescribe 40 gallons of the 

water to administer an ordinary minimum dose of lithium.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 489

Study of analyses and other data on mineral waters yields four 

significant facts: First, many patients have improved in health 

under mineral-water treatment; second, waters of widely different 

chemical composition have been recommended as cures for the same 

disease; third, curative properties are attributed to many waters 

whose mineral content is the same or is lower than city supplies used 

daily by thousands of people without peculiar physiologic effect; 

fourth, treatment at resorts is very often recommended for those 

afflicted with chronic organic diseases, many of which are obscure in 

nature or are caused by failure of proper interchange between food 

and waste in the tissues of the body. These facts lead to the reasonable conclusion that the free use of water itself hydrogen monoxide, 

the common ingredient of all these mineral solutions is the cause 

of much of the apparent improvement in health, and that this agent 

is aided by normal regimen of diet and exercise and by other hygienic 

restrictions, as well as by possible change of climate and freedom 

from business or household cares.

No doubt can be entertained that many mineral waters have distinct physiologic effect because of the inorganic substances dissolved 

in them, for certain obvious reactions following the ingestion of 

some waters differ entirely in kind or in degree from the reactions 

following the drinking of other waters. Some natural solutions are 

poisonous; some are cathartic; some have less obvious but demonstrable effects. The nature and the magnitude of these reactions are 

as much dependent on the nature and the concentration of the dissolved substances as the reactions caused by any medicine. As the 

administration of water in one or more of many ways and at various 

temperatures can cause marked reactions, however, it is pertinent to 

inquire how much of the therapeutic value of natural mineral waters 

is due to dissolved inorganic matter and how much to water itself.

PURIFICATION OF WATER.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS.

Purification of water is removal or reduction in amount of the 

substances that render waters in their raw state unsuitable for use. 

It is practiced on a large scale with one or more of three objects in 

view: First, to render the supply safe and unobjectionable for drinking; second, to reduce the amount of the mineral ingredients injurious to boilers; third, to remove substances injurious to machinery 

or to industrial products. The largest purifying plants in this country have been constructed almost solely to render the waters potable; and some waters when so purified need no further treatment 

to make them suitable for steaming and for general industrial purposes. But many other waters are hard, and increased appreciation
490 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

of the value of good water has resulted in demand for the removal 

of the hardening constituents also.

Removal of bacteria, especially those causing disease, and removal 

of turbidity, odor, taste, and iron are the principal requirements in 

purification of a municipal supply, elimination of bacteria and suspended matter being the most important. The common methods of 

effecting such purification are slow filtration through sand and rapid 

filtration after coagulation, both methods usually being combined 

with sedimentation.1 The first process is known as "slow sand" 

filtration and the second as "mechanical" or "rapid sand" filtration. 

The efficiency of such filters is measured primarily by the ratio between the number of bacteria in the applied water and the number 

in the effluent. This figure, stated in percentage of removal, should 

be as high as 98, and it often reaches 99.8 per cent under normal 

conditions with a carefully operated filter of either kind.

Removal of scale-forming and neutralization of corrosive constituents are the chief aims in preparing water for steam making. 

For this two general methods are employed cold chemical precipitation followed by sedimentation and heating with or without chemicals, usually followed by rapid filtration. The first process is carried 

on in cold-water softening plants and the second in feed-water 

heaters.

METHODS OF PURIFICATION.

The requirements of the water supplies for industries are so varied 

that classification of purification methods is difficult. Water properly prepared for domestic and boiler use is suitable for most industrial establishments, and it is more economical for small manufacturers in large cities to obtain such water from the city mains than 

to maintain private supplies and purification apparatus. It is 

usually cheaper, however, for large factories to be supplied from separate sources, not only because of saving in actual cost of water, but 

also because of the opportunity thus afforded of procuring water 

specially adapted to the needs of the factory. The common methods 

of industrial water purification are those already mentioned, or combinations of them, modified to meet particular needs. In a few 

industrial processes, notably the manufacture of ice by the can 

system, water practically free from all dissolved and suspended substances is necessary, and distilled water must be manufactured. 

Recent improvements in multiple-effect evaporators have greatly 

reduced the cost of distillation, so that it is now economical to distill 

for industrial and domestic use many waters heretofore considered 

too highly mineralized for treatment. Many large factories, hotels, 

and even municipalities have installed multiple-effect stills.

1 For descriptions of filters see Johnson, G. A., The purification of public water supplies: U. S. Geol. 

Survey Water-Supply Paper 315,1913.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 491

Besides the four common systems of purification many minor 

processes are used, sometimes alone but more frequently as adjuncts 

to filters or softeners. Surface waters are screened through wooden 

or iron grids or through revolving wire screens to remove sticks and 

leaves before other treatment. Coarse suspended matter can be 

removed by rapid filtration through ground quartz or similar material in units of convenient size provided with arrangements for 

washing the filtering medium similar to those used in mechanical 

filters. Very turbid river waters may be first allowed to stand in 

large sedimentation basins in order to reduce the cost of operating 

the filters by preliminary removal of a large part of the suspended 

solids. Supplies undesirable only because of their iron content are 

aerated by being sprayed into the air, by being allowed to trickle 

over the rocks, or by other methods that cause evaporation of carbonic acid and absorption of oxygen, thus precipitating and oxidizing 

the iron in solution so that it can readily be removed by rapid filtration. Similar aeration is employed to evaporate and oxidize dissolved 

gases that cause objectionable tastes and odors.

Disinfection by ozone, copper sulphate, calcium hypochlorite, and 

many other substances kills organisms that may cause disease or 

impart bad odors and -tastes. Purification of this character must 

be done with subs.tances that.destroy the objectionable organisms 

without making the water poisonous to animals. Calcium hypochlorite, sodium hypochlorite, and chlorine gas are used to disinfect 

drinking water, and treatment with these substances is now widely 

practiced either as an adjunct to filtration or as an emergency precaution where otherwise untreated supplies are believed to be contaminated. Disinfection by this method is not a substitute for 

purification by filtration, for it does not remove suspended matter 

nor appreciable amounts of color, organic matter, swampy tastes, or 

odors, and it does not soften water.1 Natural purification of water 

is accomplished largely through biologic processes, 2 in which the 

organic matter is oxidized by serving as food for bacteria, and objectionable organisms are destroyed by the production of conditions 

unfavorable to their existence. Action of this kind takes place in 

reservoirs and lakes, and it is also relied upon in many processes for 

the artificial purification of sewage.3

SLOW SAND FILTRATION.

Slow sand filtration consists in causing the water to pass downward through a layer of sand of such thickness and fineness that the 

requisite removal of suspended substances is accomplished. The

1 Johnson, G. A., The purification of public water supplies: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 

315, p. 71,1913.

2 Hazen, Alien, Clean water and how to get it, New York, p. 83,1907.

3 Winslow, C.-E. A., and Phelps, E. B., Investigations on the purification of Boston sewage: U. S. 

Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 185,1906.
492 UNDEBGEOUND WATEKS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOEGIA.

slow sand filter is also called the "continuous" and the "English" 

filter. On the bottom of a water-tight basin, commonly constructed 

of concrete, perforated tiles or pipes laid in the form of a grid are 

covered with a foot of gravel, graded in size from 25 to 3 millimeters 

in diameter from bottom to top. A layer of fine sand, 3 to 4 feet 

deep, is put over the gravel, which serves only to support the sand. 

When water is applied on the surface it passes through the sand and 

the gravel and flows away through the underdrain. The suspended 

materials, including bacteria, are removed by the sand, the action of 

which is rendered more efficient by the rapid formation of a mat of 

finely divided sediment on its surface. When this film has become 

so thick that filtration is unduly retarded, the water is allowed to 

subside and about half an inch of sand is removed, after which 

filtration is resumed. The sand thus taken off is washed to free it 

from the collected impurities and is replaced on the beds after they 

have been reduced about a foot in thickness by successive scrapings. 

As cleaning necessitates temporary withdrawal of filters from service, 

they are divided into units of convenient size, usually one-half to 

1 acre each, so that the operation of the entire system may not be 

interrupted. Most modern filters are roofed and sodded as this 

facilitates cleaning by preventing the formation of ice, permits work 

on the filter beds in all kinds of weather, inhibits algae growths, and 

prevents agitation of the water by wind and rain.

The foregoing are the essential features of a slow sand filter, but 

several adjuncts render this system more efficient. A clear-water 

basin for the filtered supply, covered to prevent deterioration of the 

water, is provided in order that the varying rate of consumption 

may not affect the rate of filtration. Clarification of turbid water is 

rendered more economical by allowing it to stand for one to three 

days, during which a large portion of the suspended matter is deposited, so that the time between sand scrapings is lengthened. In 

some plants roughing, or preliminary, filters consisting of beds of 

coarse sand or fine crushed stone are provided, through which the 

water flows 15 to 20 times as fast as through the sand filters, a very 

large proportion of the suspended matter being thus removed. Objectionable odors and tastes may be obviated by aeration before 

or after filtration. Killing the bacteria before filtration by use of 

chlorine or other germicides is also practiced.

Slow sand filtration removes practically all the suspended matter 

and the bacteria. Color is only slightly reduced and hardness is not 

changed. The process is specially adapted to waters low in color, 

suspended matter, and animal pollution. Very small particles of 

clay are not removed by these filters, and waters carrying such particles only for short periods may be benefited by the occasional 

addition of a coagulant before filtration. It can readily be seen that
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 493

the efficiency of this kind of filter depends largely on the character 

of the sand, as the ability to prevent the passage of suspended matter 

is governed by the size of the spaces between the sand particles. 

The rate of filtration depends on the average size of the sand particles, the thickness of the sand bed, the head of the water, and the 

turbidity. Under ordinary conditions of operation in the United 

States the rate of slow sand filtration of water previously subjected 

to sedimentation is 2,000,000 to 4,000,000 gallons per acre per day.

RAPID SAND FILTRATION.

The rapid sand filter is also known as the American filter, and till 

recently it was generally styled the "mechanical" filter because of 

its contrivances for washing the sand. Its distinctive features are 

its use of a coagulant and its high rate of filtration. While the raw 

water is entering the sedimentation basin, which is smaller than that 

used with slow sand filters, it is treated with a definite proportion of 

some coagulant, which forms by its decomposition a gelatinous precipitate that unites and incloses the suspended material, including 

the bacteria, and absorbs the organic coloring matter. This combined action destroys color and makes suspended particles larger, 

and therefore more readily removable. When aluminum sulphate, 

the coagulant most commonly used, is decomposed, aluminum hydrate is precipitated and the sulphate radicle remains in solution, 

replacing an equivalent amount of the carbonate, bicarbonate, or 

hydrate radicle. One part per million of ordinary aluminum sulphate requires somewhat more than 0.6 part of alkalinity expressed 

as CaC03 to insure complete decomposition.1 The natural alkalinity 

of many waters is sufficient to effect this reaction. If the alkalinity 

is not sufficient, part of the aluminum sulphate remains in solution, 

and good coagulation does not take place. Therefore lime or soda 

ash is added if the alkalinity is too low. The proper amount of aluminum sulphate to be used is determined by the amounts of color, 

organic matter, and suspended matter, and by the fineness of the 

suspended matter, and it is best ascertained by direct experimentation with the water to be purified. Much of the trouble in operating 

the earlier types of rapid filters has been caused by failure to produce 

a good "floe"-or precipitation partly because of improper ratios of 

coagulant and alkalinity.

Ferrous sulphate instead of aluminum sulphate is used as a coagur 

lant in some filtration plants. To this lime must be added in order 

to bring about proper coagulation.

The water after having been mixed with the coagulant is allowed 

to stand for three or four hours in the sedimentation basin, where a 

large proportion of the suspended particles is deposited. It is then

1 Hazen, Alien, Report of the filtration commission of the city of Pittsburgh, p. 57,1899,
494 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

passed rapidly through beds of sand or ground stone to remove the 

rest of the suspended matter. Many filters now in use are built in 

cylindrical form 10 to 20 feet in diameter, and some are so designed 

that filtration can be hastened by pressure. The sand, 30 to 50 

inches deep and coarser than that used in slow sand filters, rests on a 

metallic floor containing perforations large enough to allow ready 

issue of the water but small enough to prevent passage of sand 

grains. When the filter has become clogged the flow of water is 

reversed, filtered water being forced upward through the sand to 

wash it and to remove the impurities, which pass over the top of the 

filter with the wasted water. A revolving rake with long prongs 

projecting downward into the sand mixes it during washing and 

prevents it from becoming graded into spots of coarse or fine particles. In recently constructed works rectangular filters 300 to 1,300 

square feet in area have been built, in which the sand is agitated 

during washing by compressed ajr forced through it at intervals 

instead of by a revolving rake. Larger orifices in the strainers are 

also being used, the passage of sand being prevented by fine gravel 

over the strainer pipes. The rate of filtration is from 100,000,000 

to 120,000,000 gallons per acre per day. The time between washings is 6 to 12 hours, depending principally on the turbidity of the 

water.

Mechanical filtration removes practically all suspended matter, 

reduces the color to unobjectionable proportions, and under some 

conditions removes part of the dissolved iron. The permanent 

hardness of the water is increased in proportion to the amount of 

sulphate added by the coagulant, and if only enough lime to decompose the coagulant is added the total hardness is slightly increased. 

If larger amounts of lime are added, however, the total hardness is 

reduced. If soda ash is used in place of lime, the foaming constituents are slightly increased. The chemicals are always added in 

solution. As this method of filtration is used almost entirely for 

river waters with fluctuating contents of suspended and dissolved 

matter, proper operation requires constant and intelligent attention.

COLD-WATER SOFTENING.

The principal objects of water softening are to remove the substances that cause incrustations in boilers, particularly calcium and 

magnesium, and to neutralize those that cause corrosion. Solutions 

of chemicals of known strength are added to the raw supply in such 

proportion as to precipitate all the dissolved constituents that can 

be economically removed by such treatment. The water is then 

allowed to stand long enough to permit the precipitate to settle, 

after which the clear effluent is drawn off, or the partly clarified 

effluent may be filtered very* rapidly through thin beds of coke,
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 495

sponge, excelsior, bagging, or similar material in order to remove 

particles that have not subsided in the tanks. The water softeners 

on the market differ from each other principally in the precipitant, 

in the filtering medium, if one is used, and in the mechanism regulating the incorporation of the chemicals with the water. Installations may be of any size to suit consumption, and the process can be 

combined with rapid sand filtration for purifying municipal supplies. 

Among the substances that have been proposed as precipitants are 

sodium carbonate (soda ash), silicate, hydrate (caustic), fluoride, 

and phosphate; barium carbonate, oxide, and hydrate; and calcium 

oxide (quicklime). Lime and soda ash, however, are almost exclusively used on account of their excellent action and comparative 

cheapness.

When soda ash (Na^COg) and lime dissolved in water to form a 

solution of calcium hydrate, Ca(OH)2, are added to a water in proper 

proportion free acids are neutralized, free carbon dioxide is removed, 

bicarbonates are decomposed, and iron, aluminum, and magnesium 

hydrates and calcium carbonate are precipitated. The precipitate 

in settling takes down with it a large proportion of the suspended 

matter. The treatment removes the incrusting constituents practically to the limit of their solubility and also removes the calcium 

added as lime. Sodium, potassium, sulphates, and chlorides are 

left in solution, and the alkalies are increased in proportion to the 

quantity of soda ash added; that is, the foaming constituents are 

increased, and the maximum proportion of these that is allowable 

in the treated water fixes the maximum proportion of incrustants 

that a raw water can contain and be satisfactorily treated. The 

proportion of incrustants left in a treated water is determined by the 

solubility of the precipitated substances and by the completeness of 

the reaction between the added chemicals and the dissolved matter. 

It has been brought below 90 parts per million in some well-treated 

waters. The sulphate radicle can be removed by using barium compounds, which precipitate barium sulphate, but the poisonous effect 

of even small amounts of barium and the relatively high cost of its 

salts are great objections to their use. The chlorides are not changed 

in amount by water softening. The chemicals should be very 

thoroughly mixed with the raw water and sufficient time should be 

allowed for complete reaction, which proceeds rather slowly, for 

otherwise precipitation will occur later in pipe lines or in boilers.

FEED-WATER HEATING.

Water heaters are designed primarily to utilize waste heat in stationary boiler plants by raising the temperature of the feed water 

and thereby lessening the work of the boilers themselves, but they 

also effect some purification, and many heaters have been specially
496 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

designed with that end in view. The heat is derived from exhaust 

steam or from flue gases. Heaters utilizing steam either are open 

that is, operated at atmospheric pressure or are closed and operated 

at or near boiler pressure. In accordance with these different conditions, which result in distinct purifying effects, feed-water heaters 

are classified as "open" or "closed" or "economizers," the last 

being those using flue gases.

In most forms of open heaters, which are best adapted for removing 

large quantities of the materials that form soft scale, the steam enters 

at the bottom and the water at the top, and intimate contact between the two is obtained by spraying the water or by allowing it to 

trickle over or to spfash against plates. By this process the water is 

quickly heated nearly to boiling temperature; dissolved gases are 

expelled; bicarbonates are decomposed; and iron, aluminumj part 

of the magnesium, and calcium equivalent to the carbonates after 

decomposition of the bicarbonates are precipitated as hydrates, 

oxides, and carbonates, under varying conditions of temperature, 

pressure, and time. The precipitate agglomerates the particles of 

suspended matter and makes them more readily removable by sedimentation and filtration. The slowness with which the reactions 

take place and the presence of acid radicles other than carbonates 

to hold the bases in solution prevent complete removal of calcium 

and magnesium. The addition of soda ash in proper proportion, 

however, effects fairly complete precipitation of the alkaline earths, 

and apparatus for constant introduction of this chemical in solution 

may be provided. Open heaters operated without a chemical precipitant remove constituents that are soft and bulky and leave those 

that form hard scale. Scale from water treated without chemicals 

in such heaters is therefore not so great in amount but is harder than 

that formed by the raw water.

After the precipitate has been formed the water passes through 

filters of burlap, excelsior, straw, hay, wool, coke, gr similar materials arranged in units that can readily be cleaned.

In closed heaters the water is passed through tubes surrounded by 

ste'am or around steam pipes, and manholes or other openings are 

provided for removing the scale from the tubes. As the water is 

heated under pressure some precipitation takes place, but closed 

heaters are not so efficient in this respect as open heaters, because 

they do not permit escape of the gases liberated from the water. 

This objection does not hold if treatment in a closed heater follows 

treatment in an open one, from which the gases escape. Several 

systems accomplish very good purification by using a unit of each 

type in series.

Economizers consist essentially of water tubes set in flues leading 

from the furnaces, Facilities are provided for cleaning scale from
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 497

the" inside and soot from the outside of the tubes. As economizers 

are heated by flue gases, the water in the tubes can be heated under 

pressure to much higher temperature than in open or closed heaters, 

and conditions of ordinary boiler operation are approximated. The 

precipitation of incrustants varies greatly with the normally fluctuating temperature of the flue gases.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SURFACE WATERS.

From October, 1906, to October, 1907, daily samples of water 

were collected from six rivers in Georgia by representatives of the 

United States Geological Survey in connection with an extensive 

study of the quality of surface waters of the United States. The 

daily samples were united in sets of 10 consecutive samples from 

each river and the composites thus obtained were analyzed.1 Through 

the courtesy of the authorities in charge at the University of Georgia 

the Survey was furnished laboratory space and other facilities for 

the performance of these examinations till May, 1907, when the 

work was transferred to Survey laboratories at Norfolk, Va., and 

Washington, D. C.

In the following tables of analyses the first column gives the turbidity or cloudiness of the water compared with that of standard 

suspensions of diatomaceous earth,2 and the second gives the weight 

of the suspended matter dried at 180° C. The third column is 

obtained by dividing the weight of the suspended matter by the turbidity. It expresses the comparative fineness of the suspended 

solids, a matter of much interest to operators of plants for purification 

of water. The last column gives the' mean gage height of the river 

during each sample period in order that the river stage may be compared with the mineral content of the water. The next to the last 

column gives the weight of the total dissolved solids dried at 18.0° C. 

in distinction from that of the suspended solids. The other columns 

indicate the composition of the dissolved solids.

1 For description of methods of analysis see Dole, R. B., The quality of surface waters of the Unjted 

States: Part I, Analyses of waters east of the one hundredth meridian: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 

Paper 236,1909.

2 Report of the committee on standard methods for the examination of water and sewage, Am. Public 

Health Assoc., New York, p. 7,1912.

38418° WSP 341 15 32
498 UNDERGROUND WATEKS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 99. Mineral analyses of water from Chattahoochee River at West Point.0- 

[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.]

Date 

(1906-7).

From 

Oct. 20 

Oct. 30

Nov. 9 

Nov. 19 

Nov. 30 

Dec. 10 

Dec. 21 

Jan. 2 

Jan. 12 

Tan. 22 

Feb. 1 

Feb. 11 

Feb. 27 

Mar. 9 

Mar. 19 

Mar. 29 

Apr. 8 

Apr. 18 

Apr. 28 

May 8 

May 19 

May 29 

June 8 

June 18 

June 28 

July 9 

July 19 

July 29 

Aug. 8 

Aug. 18 

Aug. 28 

Sept. 17 

Sept. 27 

Oct. 9

M6£

Per cent 

drous ri

To 

Oct. 29

Nov. 8 

Nov. 18 

Nov. 29 

Dec. 9 

Dec. 19 

Jan. 1 

Jan. 11 

Jan. 21 

Jan. 31 

Feb. 10 

Feb. 26 

Mar. 8 

Mar. 18 

Mar. 28 

Apr. 7 

Apr. 17 

Apr. 27 

May 7 

May 18 

May 28 

June 7 

June 17 

June 27 

July 7 

July 18 

July 28 

Aug. 7 

Aug. 17 

Aug. 27 

Sept. 6 

Sept. 26 

Oct. 8 

Oct. 18

of anhyBsidue.-...

Turbidity.

85 

45 

65 

70 

60 

55 

130 

85 

25 

15 

220 

55 

260 

290 

30 

285 

190 

185 

185 

350 

115 

260 

130 

120 

340 

450 

325 

375 

400 

375 

225 

155 

185 

140

185

_§'

 d 

1

1

50 

25 

37 

24 

37 

34 

96 

65 

14 

9.0 

169 

42 

205 

166 

26 

264 

220 

175 

165 

279 

76 

166 

91 

81 

246 

448 

214 

289 

220 

242 

121 

129 

100 

98

136

1

'o M.

I 1 

10 __

0.59 

.56 

.57 

.34 

.62 

.62 

.74 

.76 

.56 

.60 

.77 

.76 

.79 

.57 

.87 

.92 

1.16 

.95 

.89 

.80 

.66 

.64 

.70 

.67 

.72 

1.00 

.66 

.77 

.55 

.64 

.54 

.83 

.54 

.70

.71

(Fe). iron Total 

16 

7.9 

10 

2.4 

5.8 

13 

35 

12 

21 

10 

6.6 

3.7 

5.2 

12 

4.4

(SiO ).Silica 2

16 

30 

20 

26 

30 

32 

32 

24 

17 

24 

33 

18 

25 

24 

11 

28 

27 

18 

16 

22 

23 

14 

16 

11 

12 

9.0 

13 

12 

14 

15 

17 

12 

18 

8.9

20 ' 

38.0

Iron (Fe).

1.0 

.6 

.20 

.7 

.8 

.5 

.9 

.7 

.10 

.30 

i:2 

.9 

1.3 

.9 

1.0 

1.4 

1.1 

1.0 

1.3 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.03 

.00 

.00 

.00 

.00 

.03 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr.

.47 

cl.3

(Ca). Calcium 

6.6 

3.6 

5.7 

6.8 

6.0 

6.4 

3.9 

2.3 

4.7 

7.4 

3.6 

4.8 

4.4 

5.6 

6.4 

6.8 

2.0 

2.5 

3.5 

4.9 

5.2 

3.0 

3.2 

5.1 

4.9 

4.3 

4.0 

6.0 

3.2 

4.2 

4.9 

5.1 

4.9 

5,7

4.8 

9.1

i

 a

0>

3

1.2 

.8 

Tr. 

1.6 

2.8 

2.4 

Tr. 

.8 

.8 

1.6 

1.6 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

.8 

1.1 

1.9 

.6 

1.1 

1.2

c

i!i

1.3 

1.0 

.6

'.\

f A

1.0

.8 

1.6

and potas- Sdium (Na+K). sium 

-----

' ~&.S 

9.2 

10 

7.2 

6.7 

7.0 

7.6 

8.1 

9.4 

7.9 

6.3 

6.5 

6.6 

9.0 

5.8

7.7 

14.6

radicle Carbonate 

(C0 ).3

0.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0

.0 

.0 

.0

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

68.4 

68.4 

.0 

63.6 

.0 

6Tr. 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0

.0 

21.5

radi- Bicarbonate 

(HCO ).cle 3

24 

19 

22 

27 

24 

29 

15

17 

29

15 

15 

20 

22 

22 

9.8 

9.8 

12 

13 

21 

26 

21 

16 . 

27 

28 

24 

37 

24 

28 

27 

27 

29 

27

23

£ j

1Ui ^

o>° 

jQQ

&

f 

02

::::

....

'i' 8 

5.0 

4.0 

3.5 

7.6 

4.0 

3.0 

3.8 

6.6 

4.0 

4.2 

4.8 

4.3 

4.1 

3.5

4.5 

8.5

radicle. Nitrate 

(NO,).

0.0 

.4 

.4 

.6 

.7 

.4 

.7 

.8 

.8 

.5 

.4 

.3 

.3 

.4 

.2 

.4 

1.6 

1.3 

1.1 

.9 

.9 

1.2 

.0 

.7 

1.1 

1.0 

1.1 

1.2 

1.1 

1.1 

1.0 

.7 

1.0 

.6

.7 

1.4

(Cl). Chlorine 

2.0 

2. 

1. 

3. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

3. 

1. 'i.~

2. 

2. 

3. 

1. 

2. 

1.

1. 

1.

1. 

2. 

1. 

1. 

4.8 

1.8 

2.0 

1.8 

1.3 

1.8 

1.7

2.1

4.0

dissolved Total 

solids.

50 

60 

54 

71 

77 

81 

60 

55 

59 

59 

53 

56 

53 

53 

40 

59 

40 

33 

34 

57 

65 

47 

45 

42 

45 

36 

40 

63 

47 

48 

60 

46 

54 

42

52

height. Mean gage 

Feet. 

4.2 

3.4 

3.5 

4.1 

3.3 

4.1 

4.8 

5.3 

3.7 

3.5 

7.2 

3.8 

7.7 

3.8 

3.6 

3.5 

3.7 

5.9 

4.6 

5.1 

3.6 

3.7 

3.1 

2.8 

3.2 

3.0 

2.6 

2.7 

2.6 

2.6 

2.0 

2.6 

2.5 

2.1

.....

a Analyses Oct. 20,1906, to May 7,1907, by Jas. R. Evans; May 8 to Oct. 18, 1907, by R. B. Dole, Chase 

Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by E. N. Dunn in midstream from Montgomery Street 

Bridge.- Gage heights measured at same place.

6 Abnormal; computed as HCOs in the average.

c Fe2O3.
CHEMICAL CHAEACTER OF WATEES. 499

TABLE 100. Mineral analyses of water from Ocmulgee River near Maconfl 

[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.]

Date

(1906-7).

From 

Oct. 19

Oct. 29

Nov. 8

Nov. 18

Nov. 28

Dec. 8

Dec. 21

Jan. 5

Jan. 17

Jan. 27

Feb. 6

Feb. 16

Feb. 26

Mar. 8

Mar. 18

Mar. 28

Apr. 7

Apr. 17

Apr. 27

May 7

May 17

May 27

June 6

June 16

June 27

July 12

Aug. 3

Aug. 13

Aug. 24

Sept. 10

Sept. 20

Oct. 1

Oct. 12

To 

Oct. 28

Nov. 7

Nov. 17

Nov. 27

Dec. 7

Dec. 17

Jan. 4

Jan. 16

Jan. 26

Feb. 5

Feb. 15

Feb. 25

Mar. 7

Mar. 17

Mar. 27

Apr. 6

Apr. 16

Apr. 26

May 6

May 16

May 26

June 5

June 15

June 26

July 11

July 21

Aug. 12

Aug. 22

Sept. 9

Sept. 19

Sept. 30

Oct. 10

Oct. 21

Mean. .......

Per cent of anhydrous residue....

(A

i

1

fr

35

49

50

65

60

 75

30

60

40

240

75

40

210

55

35

25

30

560

450

204

45

310

226

410

670

416

1,100

580

550

270

400

180

35

230

_§'

+s

8

0

-d

S>

§

CO

27

14

18

26

24

46

20

42

28

189

60

33

178

46

27

23

29

511

416

158

31

234

179

241

527

331

807

552

414

133

260

90

32

174

§

<rt "3 .

 ss

§§ 3

I

^

0.77

.29

.36

.40

.40

.61

.67

.70

.70

.79

.80

.83

.85

.84

.77

.92

.97

.91

.92

.77

.69

.75

.79

.59

.79

.79

.73

.95

.75

.49

.65

.50

.91

.72

5"

£ 

I

 s 3"8

EH

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

.....

2!""

35

16

10

8.9

2.6

1.1

's5

o 

ffi

I

55

12

32

30

30

26

29

26

18

21

34

32

33

38

15

14

27

23

21

24

31

25

26

23

25

23

32

7.5

21

16

41

29

42

28

26

39.8

'oT 

&

 §

0.6

.5

.20

.30

.9

.7

.9

.8

.8

1.8

.8

.7

1.4

.8

1.0

1.2

2.1

1.7

1.4

1.1

2.0

1.2

1.2

2.4

2.0

1.6

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

.9

62.0

"il

0, "0

1o

5.6

5.2

8.3

7.5

8.1

9.6

4.4

3.6

3.6

4.6

7.6

8.0

6.8

6.0

9.6

11

9.2

5.5

4.5

6.7

5.7

4.9

5.7

4.1

6.5

8.1

5.0

5.8

5.8

6.4

5.1

5.7

4.7

6.3

9.6

i

 i

CD

1

S

1.6

.8

Tr.

1.2

1.6

1.2

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

2.4

Tr.

1.6

Tr.

.8

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

1.2

.8

"2."9"

2.8

2.6

2.4

1.5

2.2

1.5

1.8

1.8

2.3

1.8

1.8

1.4

1.2

1.8

&03 18*i

$£

a ^g

CO

.....

.....

.....

16""

8.1

11

4.4

6.9

6.3

7.5

6.8

11

6.6

7.4

11

11

8.1

8.3

12.7

's

ja

S-, 

jgO 

(SO

o

1CO

O

0.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

21.2

s

fix

o>O

IS"2 

H

20

22

27

22

25

32

15

12

12

24

27

22

20

29

34

29

24

15

40

43

"37"

31

31

41

24

40

32

38

34

37

30

28

£

18 .

 3

!§

fCO

~3."3~

2.0

5.9

4.9

4.8

5.2

6.8

4.7

4.3

4.7

5.8

6.4 "s.'s"

4.9

7.5

®

^3x H

® ^

r%

0.1

.5

.5

.2

.6

.8

.1

.5

.4

.5

.4

.3

1.2

.6

.5

.7

.8

1.6

1.8

1.0

.3

.4

.4

1.1

.7

1.0

1.1

1.2

1.3

.9

1.0

.7

.6

.7

1.1

0,

I rH

|

0

4.0

3.0

1.5

1.8

1.5

1.7

4.0

3.5

2.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

3.5

3.0

3.5

3.5

4.0

2.5

3.0

5.0

4.0

2.5

3.0

4.0

3.5

4.0

1.4

1.8

2.6

1.0

2.3

3.0

3.2

2.8

4.3

|_>;

to 

S'S

s1

o

H

50

66

77

72

77

75

56

88

46

64

58

57

71

47

52

70

64

48

50

96

85

91

78

86

84

94

35

64

53

87

70

85

70

69

s

1S

a

CD

I

a

Ft.

3.7

2.9

3.0

4.0

2.8

3.3

5.4

4.3

3.3

7.2

7.8

4.0

8.9

5.0

3.4

3.1

3.4

7.7

5.3

4.5

3.0

3.1

2.8

2.5

4.3

2.2

2.7

3.3

1.7

1.1

3.7

1.6

.9

....

a Analyses Oct. 19,1906, to Ma

Aug. 3 to Oct. 21, by R. B. Dole, C__ ^ ___, __ ,, . ~. _ , 

in midstream from bridge. Gage heights measured at same place.

A T?rt/~i

6,1907. by J. R. Evans; May 7 to July 21,1907, by W. D. Collins; 

:ase Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by G. E. Lawton
500 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

TABLE 101. Mineral analyses of water from Savannah River near Augusta.*1 

[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.]

Date

(1906-7).

From 

Oct. 25

Nov. 4

Nov. 14

Nov. 24

Dec. 4

Dec. 14

Dec. 24

Jan. 3

Jan. 13

Jan. 23

Feb. 3

Feb. 13

Mar. 13

Mar. 23

Apr. 2

Apr. 12

Apr. 22 

May 2

May 12

May 23

June 2

June 12

June 22

July 4

July 14

July 24

Aug. 4

Aug. 14

Aug. 24

Sept. 3

Sept. 13

Sept. 23

Oct. 3

Oct. 13

To 

Nov. 3

Nov. 13

Nov. 23

Dec. 3

Dec. 13

Dec. 23

Jan. 2

Jan. 12

Jan. 22

Feb. 2

Feb. 12

Feb. 22

Mar. 22

Apr. 1

Apr. 11

Apr. 21

May 1 

May 11

May 22

June 1

June 11

June 21

July 3

July 13

July 23

Aug. 3

Aug. 13

Aug. 23

Sept. 2

Sept. 12

Sept. 22

Oct. 2

Oct. 12

Oct. 22

Per cent of anhydrous residue.....

£

"2

3

EH

45

40

35

40

55

65

85

60

16

60

150

20

22

15

45

210

340 

265

45

130

175

300

425

315

425

400

575

475

160

270

200

300

65

25

172

1"S

a ^

1

§OQ

33

17

12

17

20

22

55

46

10

41

127

17

15

14

42

205

316

248

38

142

259

231

338

255

446

419

424

318

75

159

72

299

59

25

142

§

td

°o .

^ 88 Is

e

8

o

0.73

.42

.34

.42

.36

.34

.65

.77

.62

.68

.85

.85

.68

.93

.93

.98

.93 

.94

.84

1.09

1.65

.77

.79

.81

1.05

1.05

.74

.67

.47

.59

.36

1.00

.91

1.00

.77

<D

PH

f

'ca

-t^

H

.....

-.

..

3.2

5.2

14

9.6

14

9.4

18

14

46

28

7.9

11

9.3

21

5.6

2.4

X

O

 §

a

33

21

28

32

32

34

 31

36

24

17

30

23

13

12

20

23

26

20 

17

37

31

21

17

15

25

30

14

15

16

22

18

19

14

16

21

23

35.0

<D b

go

HH

'6."20

.30

.20

.30

.30

.40

.7

.40

.40

.7

1.2

.9

.9

1.2

1.4

1.6 

1.8

.22

.20

.54

.08

.06

.20

.26

.04

Tr.

.04

Tr.

.04

.00

.04

Tr.

.00

. 44

c.9

"o?

O,

5.4

6.2

4.4

4.9

6.4

6.2

3.9

3.9

6.0

8.2

5.4

7.6

i

aa ft

1

S

1.2

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

3.2

2.8

Tr.

1.6

4.8

2.8

.8

1.2

5.6 Tr.

8.4

8.4

7.6

5.5

7.2

5.9

5.2

4.9

5.1

5.1

5.0

5.0

4.7

5.1

5.1

5.0

5.0

6.0

6.0

4.6

5.3

5 7. i

8.7

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

Tr.

1.6

.4

.4

.4

.2

.4

.7

..... ".4

.6

.5

.5

.4

.5

.3

.4

.5

.8

1.2

*X

°M

>rj "I"

§!

|l

o 3

02

.....

.

.

.

.

.

"is"

1311

12

11

12

12

13

11

10

13

11

12

9.2

9.6

11

12

18.3

"3

 3

' 'X

so 

go§""' 

fi

03

o

0.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

3

£x

a>O -go

-g^ S'3

s

27

24

17

20

22

22

15

17

27

34

20

24

20

27

.01 27

.0

.0 

.0

.0

69.6

67.2

6Tr.

*Tr.

67.2

614

69.6

.0

63.6

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

62.4

.0

22.6

24

19

24

50

27

17

35

37

24

9.8

22

32

30

40

34

40

33

32

32

30

1

5

'"X

s °

S1

a

OQ

.. .

.. .

..

.-

-- -

" '5.' 5

5.7

6.1

5.6

5.8

5.5

7.3

7.4

6.8

6.7

6.0

5.3

5.8

4.9

4.7

6.0

6. C

9.1

2

0

-OX.

2|

C3

*H-t^

&

0.1

.6

.7

.8

.6

.5

.3

.8

.8

.4

.9

.6

o.

13

o

3.0

3.0

1.5

1.5

1.8

2.0

3.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

3.0

3.0

.6 2.8

.5 3.0

.3

.3

.4 

.2

.8

.7

.7

1.1

1.6

.2

.9

.0

3.0

.3

1.0

1.0

.7

.0

.7

.0

'

1.0

2.5

1.5

3.0 

3.0

1.7

1.8

1.4

1.4

1.6

1.4

1.2

Tr.

1.8

1.7

2.0

2.2

2.2

1.6

1.9

1.8

2

1

. J

3.2

 s

 3

 oo" fi

03

O

^

56

77

59

64

-74

72

78

54

60

70

53

52

3bo

1

M

03Soia?

^

Ft.

9.6

9.0

10.4

9.2

9.6

10.8

11.0

11.2

9.3

9.3

14.2

9.2

42 9.4

55 8.4

59 8.5

52 8.4

4211.6 

45 9.5

90

78

61

51

54

67

76

53

53

56

63

58

64

49

53

61

60

8.3

8.3

9.8

8.2

8.8

7.7

8.4

7.6

7.4

9.5

6.5

6.8

6.1

10.9

6.3

5.3

....

a Analyses Oct. 25,1906, to May 11,1907, by J. R. Evans; May 12 to Oct. 22,1907, by R. B. Dole, Chase 

Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by C. A. Maxwell in midstream from the highway bridge. 

Gage heights measured at same place.

6 Abnormal; computed as HCO3 in the average.

e Fe2O3 .

Though most of the analyses represent drainage from the region 

of crystalline rocks, all the streams but one traverse the Coastal Plain 

and probably are not greatly increased in mineral content by drainage 

from the sedimentary rocks. The analyses of water from Chattahoochee River at West Point, Ocmulgee River near Macon, and Savannah River near Augusta (see Tables 99-101) represent drainage essentially from silicate rocks, chiefly granite and gneiss, that contribute 

little mineral matter because of their slight solubility.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS, 501

TABLE 102. Mineral analyses of water from Oostanaula River near Rome.® 

[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.]

Date 

(1906-7).

From 

Oct. 21 

Oct. 31 

Nov. 10 

Nov. 20 

Dec. 2 

Dec. 12 

Dec. 22 

Jan. 1 

Jan. 11 

Jan. 21 

Feb. 1 

Feb. 11 

Feb. 21 

Mar. 5 

Mar. 15 

Mar. 26 

Apr. 4 

Apr. 14 

Apr. 24 

May 3 

May 14 

May 24 

June 6 

June 16 

June 27 

July 8 

Aug. 7 

Aug. 17 

Sept. 27 

Oct. 7 

Oct. 18

Me 

Per cent 

drous r

To 

Oct. 30 

Nov. 9 

Nov. 19 

Dec. 1 

Dec. 11 

Dec. 21 

Dec. 31 

Jan. 10 

Jan. 20 

Jan. 31 

Feb. 10 

Feb. 20 

Mar. 4 

Mar. 14 

Mar. 24 

Apr. 3 

Apr. 13 

Apr. 23 

May 2 

May 13 

May 23 

June 5 

June 15 

June 26 

July 7 

July 17 

Aug. 16 

Aug. 26 

Oct. 6 

Oct. 17 

Oct. 28

of anhyTurbidity.

25 

40 

140 

125 

95 

105 

70 

65 

25 

30 

40 

4 

165 

45 

25 

12 

65 

60 

260 

220 

150 

340 

200 

180 

415 

370 

260 

260 

125 

45 

10

128

1

 8 

1

00

.18 

14 

120 

96 

69 

77 

53 

41 

16 

21 

28 

3.6 

124 

38 

23 

10 

56 

56 

236 

220 

149 

318 

170 

114 

378 

370 

234 

198 

87 

37 

8.8

109

Coefficient fine- of

ness.

0.72 

.35 

.86 

77 

.73 

.73 

.76 

.63 

.64 

.70 

.70 

.90 

.75 

.84 

.92 

.83 

.86 

.93 

.91 

1.00 

1.00 

.93 

.85 

.63 

.91 

1.00 

.90 

.76 

.70 

.80 

.88

.80

iron (Fe). Total ,

1.2 

Tr

....

(SiO Silca ).a

9.6 

23 

34 

34 

29 

27 

25 

22 

14 

21 

18 

13 

33 

16 

18 

19 

17 

8.8 

7.8 

18 

18 

29 

25 

28 

26 

39 

31 

23 

47 

44 

17

24 

29.6

Iron (Fe).

Tr. 

0.30 

.40 

.6 

.40 

.9 

.7 

.8 

.20 

.8 

.6 

.7 

1.3 

.9 

1.2 

1.2 

1.4 

1.4 

1.6 

.7 

1.0 

1.6 

.6 

.40 

1.2 

.8 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr.

.7 

61.2

Calcium (Ca).

12 

12 

9.9 

11 

9.6 

8.2 

11 

9.6 

11 

13 

11 

11 

14 

7.6 

15 

11 

14 

15 

13 

15 

11 

12

14 

12 

13 

9.6 

13 

7.3 

14 

11

12

14.8

Magnesium (Mg).

.....

'1.2

1.2 

1.6 

1.2 

1.2

1.2 

3.2 

.8 

2.0 

Tr. 

1.2

~3.2 

4.0

"O" 

3.1 

3.2 

3.3 

4.1 

3.7 

3.9 

4.6 

2.9 

3.2 

5.0 

2.9

2.6 

3.2

Sodium and potas- (Na+K). sium 

.....

.....

"sfs" 

11 11

6.0 

8.2 

6.6 

12 

13 

9.4 

7.6 

7.9 

9.1

9.2 

11.3

radicle Carbonate 

(C0 ).3

0:0 

0

.0 

.0 

0

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

0

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0

.0 

32.2

Bicarbonate radi- 

(HC0 cle' ).3

39 

46

39

37 

34

32 

44 

37 

37 

44 

41 

37 

44 

24 

51 

34

59 

51

72 

72 

71 

74 

78 

68 

78 

73 

67 

51 

74 

70

53

o> "o

« fi .

si

rD 

00

.....

"i'e"

4.3 

4.3 

4.8 

3.6 

3.8 

5.5 

5.1 

4.8 

3.6 

3.8 

3.3

4.1

5.0

o>° 

o

Is

«pS5

1 

2;

0.1 

.6 

.3 

.4 

.6 

.8 

.4 

.6 

1.0 

.2 

.7 

.3 

.4 

.4 

.8 

.6 

.4 

.2 

.0 

.8 

.0 

.6 

.0 

.6 

.7 

.4 

1.0 

1.0 

.5

.4

5

Chlorine (Cl).

2.0 

3.0

"i.'s"

1.5 

1.8 

2.0 

1.5 

1.8 

1.5 

2.0 

2.0 

3.0 

2.0 

1.0 

2.5 

2.0 

2.0 

3.0 

1.0 

1.5 

1.5 

2.5 

2.0 

2.0 

2.0 

1.0 

.6 

1.7 

1.2 

1.8

1.8

?,.?,

T t\ dissolved ao

solids.

63 

81 

79 

85 

70 

66 

82 

62 

67 

75 

66 

54 

83 

47 

76 

62 

70 

68 

61 

100 

92 

120 

90 

101 

106 

122 

105 

87 

109 

118 

81

82

height. Mean gage 

Ft. 

6.1 

2.8 

3-3 

14.4 

3.6 

6.3 

6.6 

8.Q 

3.0 

3.2 

9.0 

3.6 

9.7 

6.1 

4.0 

3.1 

3.4 

3.6 

4.7 

4.2 

5.4 

5.0 

3.8 

2.4 

2.9 

2.4 

1.9 

2.0 

2.6 

1.5 

1.0

o Analyses Oct. 21, 1906, to May 2. 1907, by Jas. R. Evans; May 2 to July 17,1907, by W. D. Collins; 

Aug. 7 to Oct. 28, 1907. by R. B. Dole, Chase Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by W. M. 

Chambers at waterworks pumping station. Gage heights measured at same place.

& FesO3.

TABLE 103. Comparison of the average mineral content of six surface waters of Georgia 

with that of certain other surface waters.

James River, Richmond, Va. .......................................

Cumberland River, Kuttawa, Ky . .................................

Suspended 

matter.

Parts per 

million. 

a 146

71

46

156

165

519

Tr.

1,890

Coefficient 

of fineness.

0.74

.96

.93

.81

.92

.97

1.02

Dissolved 

matter.

Parts per 

miUion, 

66

89

59

122

124

202

134

346

Flint River omitted.

The quantity of dissolved matter in the water of Oostanaula River 

near Rome (see Table 102) is notably greater than that in the other 

surface waters, the excess being due to solution of carbonates of
502 UNDEEGEOUND WATEES OF COASTAL PLAIN Of GEOKGtA,

calcium and magnesium from the old crystalline limestones and dolomites in the Oostanaula basin. Yet the mineral content is not 

especially high and is not at all comparable with that of surface waters 

of the Middle West (see Table 103) from areas underlain principally 

by limestone, because, first, a large proportion of the basin above 

Rome is occupied by silicate rocks; second, the older compact crystalline limestones are dissolved by percolating waters less readily than 

later "formations; third, the rocks have been thoroughly washed and 

leached by abundant rain; and, fourth, the topography favors rapid 

surface run-off instead of retention of water in contact with the mineralizing substances.

TABLE 104. Mineral analyses of water from Flint River near Albany fl 

[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.]

Date

(1906-7).

From 

Oct 23

Nov. 2

Nov. 12

Nov. 22

Dec. 2

Dec. 12

Dec. 22

Jan. 1

Jan. 12

Jan. 23

Feb. 2

Feb. 12

Feb. 22

Mar. 4

Mar. 14

Mar. 24

Apr. 3

Apr. 13

Apr. 23

May 3

Me

To 

Nov. 1

Nov. 11

Nov. 21

Dec. 1

Dec. 11

Dec. 21

Dec. 31

Jan. 11

Jan. 22

Feb. 2

Feb. 11

Feb. 21

Mar. 3

Mar. 13

Mar. 23

Apr. 2

Apr. 12

Apr. 22

May 2

May 12

an_. .. _

Per cent of anhydrous r«ssidued

3'D

1

S

&

45

17

20

25

35

40

35

20

12

120

60

65

85

40

30

60

160

460

560

100

8

I

-o

 d 

d

®

&

a

64

31

4

8

11

18

17

20

15

7

89

53

45

64

36

30

50

156

376

58

<£> a

"8 .

al _a> fj

id*n

§

0

0.53

.69

.24

.40

.44

.51

.42

.07

.75

.58

.74

.88

.69

.75

.90

1.00

.83

.98

.82

.67

X.

O

<s

o

rd

3

47

19

25

27

33

34

20

18

22

16

36

22

14

18

12

24

19

23

27

33

24

35.8

£- 

£j

1

0.8

.20

.30

.20

.5

.9

.8

.10

.8

.9

1.1

1.2

1.4

.7

1.4

.8

.9

1.3

2.1

.86

el.8

"0?

Oa"

a'M 3

0

6.8

11

11

12

12

14

6.0

6.2

8.1

7.0

5.6

6.8

8.4

8.8

6.4

10

10

9.5

9.0

7.0

8.8

13.0

^

If

|S a

CD

Ml

S

3.6

4.8

Tr.

1.2

1.2

1.6

.8

1.2

.8

.8

.8

.8

1.2

1.2

.8

1.2

.8

2.5

1.6

1 ?,

1.4

2.1

53 X.

^-f- IF

o ^

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1 a a s 'D «fH 

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CQ

67.0

10.4

CD "o

s

"X.

00

ilo

o

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o

0.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

22.8

3

2x

<cO

ISgw

*£,3

03 o

 2

«

29

51

32

34

37

49

29

22

34

24

22

22

27

29

22

37

34

34

34

24

oJ. Q1

 s

9

2 u.

'^

*OT

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Pi

^

CQ

c6 0

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o

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C3 ^

®!^ "S"'*'

-£> iH

^

1

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 O

.4

.9

.6

.7

.5

.8

.5

.8

1.1

.4

.7

.1

.4

.3

.7

.3

.3

.2

.1

.6

9

0"§"

 pj

1

3

n 

. u

3.0

2.5

2.0

2.2

2.5

3.0

3.0

4.0

5.5

2.0

4.0

2.5

3.0

1.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

3.5

2.0

2.8

4 ?,

 O

o

 g

m 

Tj'Ui

-1

03 -*^

O

6-1

84

80

74

77

90

93

68

62

63

52

66

70

47

54

39

72

59

60

66

60

67

*?

 1-1M

3

o>

1

d

03®

a

-F*.

4.3

1.8

2.3

3.0

1.9

2.1

3.8

5.4

2.8

3.0

7.9

5.8

3.8

5.8

4.1

2.1

3.8

3.6

9.4

7.2

a Analyses by J. R. Evans. Samples collected, by D. W. Brosnan in midstream from the county bridge. 

Gage heights measured at same place.

6 Fluctuates between 2 and 10 parts. Average value about 7 parts, 

c Fluctuates between trace and 8 parts. Average value about 6 parts. 

<* Approximate. 
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 503

TABLE 105. Mineral analyses of water from Oconee River near Dublin.® 

[Parts per million unless otherwise stated.]

Date 

(1906-7).

From 

Oct. 18 

Oct. 28 

Nov. 7 

Nov. 18 

Nov. 28 

Dec. 8 

Dec. 19 

Jan. 4 

Jan. 16 

Jan. 27 

Feb. 7 

Mar. 2 

Mar. 12 

Mar. 22 

Apr. 1 

Apr. 11 

Apr. 25 

May 5 

May 15 

May 25 

June 4 

June 14 

June 24 

July 4 

July 15 

July 25 

Aug. 4 

Aug. 15 

Aug. 26 

Sept. 8 

Sept. 28 

Oct. 8

Mes 

Per cent 

drous rt

To 

Oct. 27 

Nov. 6 

Nov. 17 

Nov. 27 

Dec. 7 

Dec. 17 

Jan. 3 

Jan. 15 

Jan. 26 

Feb. 6 

Feb. 18 

Mar. 11 

Mar. 21 

Mar. 31 

Apr. 10 

Apr. 24 

May 4 

May 14 

May 24 

June 3 

June 13 

June 23 

July 3 

July 14 

July 24 

Aug. 2 

Aug. 13 

Aug. 24 

Sept. 7 

Sept. 17 

Oct. 7 

Oct. 17

of anhyTurbidity.

55 

75 

85 

85 

80 

155 

160 

105 

38 

80 

40 

240 

110 

35 

75 

185 

95 

200 

100 

350 

375 

400 

230 

350 

400 

650 

400 

425 

290 

400 

350 

40

208

Suspended matter.

23 

51 

28 

65 

52 

94 

125 

85 

32 

59 

36 

204 

100 

28 

65 

176 

75 

206 

69 

232 

220 

275 

266 

354 

233 

504 

266 

460 

205 

328 

379

171

Coefficient offineness.

0.42 

.68 

.33 

.76 

.65 

.61 

.78 

.81 

.84 

.74 

.90 

.85 

.91 

.80 

.87 

.95 

.79 

1.03 

.69 

.66 

.59 

.69 

1.16 

1.01 

.58 

.77 

.66 

1.08 

.71 

.82 

1.08

.78

Total iron(Fe).

6.1 

15 

16 

16 

12 

15 

9.6 

28 

19 

34 

16 

24 

15 

3.5

. 0

a

03 

O ft

a

29 

32 

31 

24

26

31 

28 

20 

30 

26 

22

34

16 

24 

20

20 

16

18 

18 

21 

22 

11 

10 

15 

13 

17 

14 

21 

18 

18 

16 

15

21 

30.2

(Fe). Iron 

0.6 

2.0 

.9 

,40

5

.7 

1.2 

.5 

.9 

.8 

1 0

1.1

.6 

1.6 

1,3

2.4 

1 8

2.5 

.42 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

.02 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

.02 

.6

.68 

cl.4

Calcium (Ca).

9.0 

11

8.8

8.8

9.6

12

8.3 

5.7 

14 

12 

5.6

7 6

9.6 

12 

9.6

10

7.0

10 

7.8 

7.7 

6.6 

6.3 

6.6 

6.6 

7.1 

6.3 

5.9 

7.2 

6.9 

6.4 

11 

8.5

8.5 

12.2

Magnesium (Mg).

1.2

.8 

1.2 

1 ?

1 6

.8 

Tr. 

44

1 7,

Tr

1.2 

1.6 

1.6

2.4 

1.6

1.6 

2.2 

2.0 

2.2 

2.1 

3.2 

1.6 

1.9 

1.9 

1.2 

.9 

1.1 

1.1 

1.7 

1.9

1.6 

2.3

Sodium andpotas- sium (Na+K).

---

.....

.....

ll' 

7.9 

8.1 

8.3 

9.4 

6.2 

8.1 

7.9 

10 

7.9 

12 

8.3 

9.2

8.8 

12.6

Carbonate radicle 

(C0 ).3

0.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

64.8 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0

.0 

26.1

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO ).3

33 

39 

32 

32 

34 

49 

27 

20 

51 

56 

20 

27 

32 

41 

32 

34 

24 

34 

44 

43 

45 

38 

34 

37 

27 

34 

32 

40 

40 

41 

54 

50

37

£

0

jl

02

'5.' 4~ 

6.2 

5.6 

6.0 

8.1 

4.9 

7.5 

6.3 

6.1 

5.4 

5.0 

5.5 

7.4 

7.5

6.2 

8.9

radicle. Nitrate 

(N0 ).3

0.4 

.4 

.7 

.1 

.7 

.9 

.8 

.4 

1.1 

1.2 

.5 

.6 

.4 

.3 

.2 

.4 

.3 

.2 

40 

1.5 

1.0 

Tr. 

.6 

3.2 

.6 

2.3 

2.0 

4.2 

.7 

1.0 

1.7 

Tr.

1.0 

1.4

(Cl). Chlorine 

40 

40 

2.0 

4.0 

4.5 

4.8 

5.0 

4.0 

4.2 

3.0 

5.0 

2.5 

2.0 

40 

6.5 

5.0 

2.5 

45 

2.2 

2.6 

1.9 

1.4 

1.8 

2.4 

3.1 

3.4 

2.9 

3.1 

2.4 

2.6 

4.9 

2.8

314 

4.9

1

ijj

03 

O

76 

83 

68 

70 

78 

89 

83 

61 

94 

85 

60 

69 

50 

73 

64 

66 

48 

61 

70 

68 

69 

51 

54 

57 

62 

62 

55 

74 

62 

63 

84

68

I

3

1 

s<p

Ft. 

1.4 

.6 

.8 

1.9 

.9 

1.7 

3.1 

3.4 

1.4 

4.3 

7.5 

6.9 

3.2 

1.6 

1.6 

3.3 

5.4 

40 

1.9 

1.4 

.9 

1.0 

2.4 

1.6 

.8 

2.7 

.9 

2.0 

.7 

1.0 

3.9 

.4

a Analyses Oct. 18, 1906, to May 14, 1907, by J. R. Evans; May 15 to Oct. 17, 1907, by R. B. Dole, Chase 

Palmer, and W. D. Collins. Samples collected by W. E. Martin in midstream from the highway bridge. Gage heights measured at same place.

6 Abnormal; computed as HCO in the average.

The waters of Flint River near Albany and Oconee River near 

Dublin (see Tables 104, 105) are essentially alike in respect to quantity and proportion of dissolved matter and show very little increase 

of mineral content as a result of seepage from the sedimentary 

formations. As no reliable series of analyses of water from rivers 

nearer the coast are available it is impossible to state the exact 

effect of drainage from the later sediments, which contain some 

calcareous material; but in view of the relatively slight differences 

between the waters at Albany and Dublin and those from areas of 

crystalline rocks it may safely be concluded that the proportions of 

calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate in surface waters nearer the 

coast are somewhat higher, but that the proportions of other constituents are not materially different from those of waters whose 

analyses are recorded.
504 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The streams frequently carry large quantities of suspended matter, 

and a high proportion of it is very fine. The relatively low average 

content of suspended matter recorded for Flint River is due to the 

fact that sampling of that stream was not carried through the muddy 

period. Loads of finely divided silt are characteristic of rivers in 

the Southeastern States and are troublesome in purification plants, 

where, besides increasing the quantity of suspended matter to be 

removed, they necessitate the use of a coagulant, as the fine silts 

pass through slow sand filters and cloud the effluents. Therefore 

rapid sand filtration preceded by coagulation with aluminum sulphate has been generally adopted throughout these States in preference to slow sand filtration. The quantity and the coarseness of the 

silts might be expected to increase in proportion to the discharge and 

the velocity of the streams, but such relations are by no means regular. The crests of floods after long periods of low water carry heavy 

loads of suspended matter, but the loads decrease very rapidly after 

the crests have passed, and secondary floods do not usually bear 

proportionate quantities. Because of this and other irregularities 

the relations of discharge, load, and fineness of suspended matter in 

these streams can not be mathematically expressed. The same 

comment applies also to relations between discharge and dissolved 

solids, for increased discharge may be accompanied by increased or 

decreased content of dissolved matter.

TABLE 106. Average composition of the water of rivers in Georgia.

Coefficient of fineness. ............

Silica (Si02).... ..................

Calcium (Ca)... . .................

Sodium and potassium (Na+K) .

Nitrate radicle (NO3 ) ............

Parts per million.

£

a

2^

si P

03 *^3 i>02

172

142

.77

23

.44

5.7

.8

12 

.0

30

6.0 

.6

2.1

60

%

a

1 £d

*°

-n-3

!8

o

230

174

.72

26

.9

6.3

1.2

8.3 

k .0

28

4.9

.7

2.8

69

 8

1

rt s

£*

O W

£fe 31s

ftu

1QE

136

.71

on

.47

4.8

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7.7 

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23

4.5

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2.1

52

£

§

I

tf §

H

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P

1

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128

109

.80

24

.7

12

2.6

9.2 

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53

4.1 

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1.8

82

>>39

a

fe

«

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e

100

58

.67

24

.86

8.8

1.4

7.0 

.0

31

6.0 

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2.8

67

4

ft

1

N

£

c^

0

208

171

.78

21

.68

8.5

1.6

8.8 

.0

37

6.2 

1.0

3.4

68

Percentage composition of 

anhydrous residue.

g

fl

§3 . t>_g

f4 3

J3 S

g<!

g

02

35.0

a,9

8 7

1 ^

18.3 

2^.6

9.1 

1 0

3 9.

%

Id

«§

Q^

Q

 ^

|

0

39 8

o2.0

9.6

1,8

12.7 

21.2

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.EJ-W

1,8

op

1

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38. (1

9.1

1,fi

14.6 

21.5

8.5 

1.4

4.0

%

a

1

M g

 3pn i-3

1

R

0

29.6

o1,2

14.8

3 2

11.3 

32.2

5.0

.5

?: 2

Jj

fl

^

.S^

1

: « «

ol.S

13 0

2.1

10.4

W, 8

9.0 

.9

4 2

C3

CD

a

tH .

>|

pn S

H

$

o

O

30 2

al.4

12.2

2.3

12.6 

26.1

8.9 

1.4

4.9

a Fe2O3.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 505

The economic value of the waters of the long rivers of Georgia is 

indicated in Tables 103 and 106. In Table 103 the average condition of the six Georgia waters is compared with that of certain other 

streams. After the heavy loads of silt have been removed they 

are excellent for general industrial use, being soft, usually only 

slightly colored, and low in scale-forming and foaming constituents. 

The free carbonic-acid gas that they contain may cause corrosion 

under some conditions of boiler operation, but that trouble can be 

obviated by treatment with appropriate amounts of milk of lime, by 

which the gas is neutralized and precipitated. Proper filtration furnishes water low in mineral content, generally low in iron, soft, and 

otherwise satisfactory for municipal use.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE GROUND WATERS. 

ANALYTICAL RESULTS.

About 170 analyses of ground waters from the Coastal Plain of the 

State have been tabulated in the county descriptions of this report. 

More than a third of the analyses were made by Dr. Edgar Everhart 

of Atlanta especially for this report, and nearly half of the others 

were made by him in connection with earlier investigations. The 

remainder, made by various chemists, have been quoted from several 

publications. A large number of analyses previously published in 

hypothetical combinations and in oxide form 1 have been recalculated 

to ionic form in parts per million, so that they may be more easily 

compared with one another and with later analyses. To obviate possible misunderstanding of the method of recomputing these it may be 

stated that "free carbon dioxide" reported in the original analyses 

includes part of what is now more commonly known as the "halfbound carbon dioxide," and the calculations have been so made as 

to report free carbon dioxide only when the content of carbon dioxide 

exceeds that necessary to satisfy the bases with the bicarbonate 

radicle. The computations indicate that relatively few ground waters 

of Georgia contain normal carbonate (CO3 ), or, in other words, that 

nearly all contain free dissolved carbon dioxide, and though the carbonate radicle has been reported in some analyses where the radicles 

involving carbon dioxide were not differentiated, it is entirely probable that all the combined carbon dioxide in such waters is present as 

the bicarbonate (HCO3 ) and that the normal carbonate is absent.

The results of the analyses in this paper are stated in parts per 

million, and though the amounts of water used for examination were 

measured by volume the mineral content is generally so low that the 

figures may be considered to represent milligrams per kilogram or 

parts per million by weight. Simplicity of computation, avoidance

i McCallie, S. W., Georgia Geol. Survey Bull. 15, 1908.
506 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

of fractions, and certainty of the basic unit make this decimal system 

especially satisfactory. As metric weights are invariably used by 

water analysts expression of the results in grains per gallon or a similar 

unit involves subsequent recalculation. Reporting the results in 

parts per million has been generally adopted by sanitary and research 

chemists and by many technical chemists, and the exclusive employment of this unit industrially is delayed only by disinclination to 

adapt mental processes to the decimal standard.

For the convenience of those who may desire to transform the 

results to other forms of expression it may be stated that multiplying 

the number of parts per million by 0.058 gives the equivalent in 

grains per United States gallon of 231 cubic inches; multiplying it 

by 0.07 gives the equivalent in grains per Imperial gallon; and multiplying it by 0.00833 gives the equivalent in pounds per thousand 

gallons.

The analytical methods commonly employed in examining water 

permit the estimation of the elements and radicles present, the determination of the total amount of mineral matter in solution, and the 

more or less approximate separation of the incrusting from the nonincrusting constituents. Further than this, however, ordinary 

chemical tests give little knowledge regarding the chemical composition of mineral waters, and consequently the exact amounts of the 

different salts in solution are largely conjectural. Though such salts 

as sodium chloride, potassium carbonate, and magnesium sulphate 

are probably present, they are not determined as such, and their 

exact amounts can not be computed from the analytical data. The 

ionic form of stating the analyses that is, stating the radicles present has been adopted in this report because it gives fact and not 

opinion. The form is entirely practical and presents the actual 

results for the consideration and criticism of persons other than those 

making the tests, besides making it possible properly to compare 

analyses performed by different chemists.

The waters have been classified in respect to their character and 

value for various technical uses by application of formulas and ratings 

already discussed. (See pp. 471 to 487.) Though the ratings reflect 

the result of experience in Georgia and elsewhere they are largely 

opinions useful in describing the waters to persons unaccustomed to 

interpreting analyses, and consequently they should be sharply differentiated from the figures of the analyses, which express facts regarding the mineral constituents.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER Of WATERS. 50*7

RELATION or QUALITY TO WATER-BEARING STRATA

PRINCIPAL WATER-BEARING STRATA.

The composition of the water-bearing rocks is almost everywhere 

the chief determining factor in the composition of ground waters, 

and this is generally true throughout Georgia. Because of this an 

attempt has been made to ascertain the relation between the quality 

of the waters and the strata from which they come, by grouping 

waters from the same formation in so far as Stephenson and Veatch 

have differentiated the waters in that respect. The principal waterbearing strata and their lithologic characteristics have been plainly 

summarized in the table of geologic formations (p. 57). Those concerning the composition of whose waters appreciable information is 

at hand comprise the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous, the 

Bipley formation of the Upper Cretaceous, th,e Midway formation, 

the Claiborne group, and the Jackson formation of the Eocene, and 

the Vicksburg, Chattahooch.ee, and Alum Bluff formations of the 

Oligocene, and undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene deposits. 

Other formations yield water, but the number of analyses of water 

from them is insufficient for proper discussion. In addition to the 

analyses grouped as described, the Eocene and the Oligocene are 

represented by a few analyses of waters whose source can not be 

assigned to a single formation either because the waters are derived 

from several strata or because their exact source is unknown; these 

analyses have therefore been grouped in two tables, one of waters 

from undifferentiated Eocene strata and the other of waters from 

undifferentiated Oligocene strata. A third table comprises analyses 

of waters from extensive but unnamed deposits now classified as 

"undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene, inclusive." (See p. 132.)

Consideration of the conditions under which samples of water are 

collected makes it evident that definite conclusions regarding the 

chemical composition of the waters from the several water-bearing 

strata must be drawn with extreme caution. It is by no means certain that water from a well is a fair average sample from a single 

sharply differentiated stratum; indeed it is certain that the water in 

many wells in Georgia comes from two or more beds. As the primary 

purpose of the well driller is to obtain an abundant supply he usually 

does not attempt to shut out any water he may encounter, except 

possibly that near the surface if it is known to be polluted. Consequently a deep well that penetrates more than one water-bearing 

stratum is likely to yield a mixture, and though one kind of water 

may predominate the other kinds modify its quality by decreasing 

or increasing its mineral content. Even if all the supplies but one 

were excluded during construction subsequent deterioration of the 

casing may cause holes and cracks through which they could enter.
508 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

An instance of such admixture is afforded by conditions at Grinnell, 

Iowa, where highly mineralized water from the Carboniferous has 

entered well casings through cracks and mingled with the more 

desirable supplies derived from underlying formations.1 It is possible also that wells drawing water from one stratum may not afford 

samples that are typical of that stratum over a wide area, as seepage 

from other strata may cause local changes in character. The water 

of shallow wells is intermittently modified by the diluting effect of 

rain, and deep wells may be indirectly but appreciably affected by 

similar dilution. Last but not by any means least important is the 

recognized fact that the draft on a well affects the quality of the 

water, for it has been observed that water from most new wells contains more mineral matter than that from the same wells after they 

have been used for some time or after they have been subject to 

heavy draft. Long-continued heavy pumping of some wells, however, has resulted in increased mineral content, this phenomenon 

being particularly observed in wells near the seacoast, where excessive draft has lowered the water plane and thereby permitted entrance 

of sea water. After consideration of all these factors that may 

influence mineral content it can readily be understood that statements regarding the quality of the waters should not be interpreted 

too literally, and it is not surprising to find great differences in the 

chemical composition of supplies apparently from the same bed.

LOWER CRETACEOUS SERIES.

The Lower Cretaceous is not differentiated into formations. It 

outcrops in a narrow belt extending across the State from Augusta 

southwestward to Columbus, and it rests on the crystalline rocks. It 

consists of coarse-grained arkosic sands with lenses of clay, some of 

which approach kaolin in composition. As the sands are composed 

largely of angular unweathered or slightly weathered fragments of 

silicate rocks they may be expected to yield relatively little mineral 

matter to percolating waters, and this expectation is corroborated to 

a great extent by the relatively few analyses in Table 107. The 

waters from the Lower Cretaceous near Macon, Walden, Toomsboro, 

and Tennille are very low in mineral content, and those from the 

wells at Gibson and Oconee appear to be normal. The town well at 

Sandersville undoubtedly draws from the marls and limestones of the 

Claiborne group (Eocene), which overlies the Cretaceous at that place, 

as well as from the arkosic sands, and Mr. Cohen's well probably 

produces a similar mixture; consequently the waters from those two 

can hardly be considered fair representatives of supplies from the 

Lower Cretaceous, but may be cited as examples of waters altered

1 Norton, W. II., and others, Underground water resources of Iowa: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 

Paper 293, p. 94,1912.
CHEMICAL CHAEACTEE OF WATEES. 509

by supplies from overlying strata. The well at Columbus is said to 

be entirely in the Lower Cretaceous except for 20 or 30 feet of overlying Pleistocene (see p. 354), and it is therefore surprising to find the 

water in it so distinctly different from that of other wells drawing 

from the arkosic sands. Possibly the mineral content of this and 

similar wells at Columbus would be decreased by increased and continued draft.

In general the waters from the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous may be said to range in mineral content from 20 to 130 parts 

per million and in hardness from 5 to 90 parts. They/contain too 

small quantities of scale-forming ingredients to render treatment 

necessary before their use in boilers, and, except a few that are high 

in iron, they are excellent for domestic use. Next to purified river 

water they afford the softest and most desirable supplies for domestic 

and general industrial use in the State. The figures in the lowest 

line of Table 107 represent a roughly approximate average intended 

to convey numerically a very general idea of the character of water

from the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous in Georgia.

 >

TABLE 107. Chemical composition of water from the Lower Cretaceous arkosic sands. 

[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.]

County.

Glascock...........

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Wilkinson..........

Bibb...............

Do.............

Do.............

Location.

G 

C 

S

T 

1

K

* 

C

County.

Glascock..............

Washington. ..........

Do.................

Do................

Do................

Wilkinson. ...........

Bibb.................. 

Do................

Do................

Approximate 

average, c

ibson........

..do........

[aeon, 7 miles 

east of. 

...do........

olumbus. ....

Owner or source.

City..........................

.....do........................

L. D. Cohen..................

.....do........................

Mary R. Edwards (White Elk 

Spring).

J. B. Willis...................

Well No. 35 of proposed city 

supply.

Analyst.

Edgar Eyerl 

do

.....do................

:.. ..do. ...............

. ....do.... ............

.....do.. ..............

J. F. Sellers. 

Edgar Evert 

A. M. Lloyd 

Edgar Ever!

iart _ '....

art,'.".'.'.'.".

I03

3

01

41 

16 

27 

38 

19 

16 

1.5 

6.0 

8.8 

52

20

? fin

I

4.0 

1.0

olO 

.2 

1.0

64.0 

.18 

.5 

o2.5 

1.0

1 

°j3

as

o

9.0 

29 

75 

60 

4.0 

18 

1.3 

1.5 

1.6 

37

10

Depth 

of well.

Feet. 

151 

140 

436 

400± 

990 

315

265 

282

i

"E/J

1

1.0 

3.0

2.7 

6.0 

2.0 

2.4 

.2 

1.2 

.5 

6.8

2

Depth to 

principal

waterbearing 

stratum.

Feet. 

150-151 

120-140 

70-325? 

400± 

380-426 

285, 315

250-265 

100-232

? 8

5. s 

1 1 

"§ 1 cc pu

15 

14 

9.6 1.9 

8.0 

6.0 

8.0 

2.0 1 .2 

3.5 

1.6 | 1.0 

47

10

Date of collection.

May 31, 1911 

Apr. 24, 1911

Apr. 24, 1911 

Do. 

Dec. 16, 1912

Dec. 30, 1912 

Mar. 27, 1911

o> 

[3 

 5 

* .

<o^S

11 

o 

fi

kt 

03

o

"6."6" 

125 

.0 

.0 

.0 ""."6"

3.9 

.0

0

£ 

 3 

2~

36 

go .8"

1 S

74 

110

234"" 

12 

54 

5.2 

5.0 "as""

45

o>

[3 

 o 

£ .

*6sl

a P. "3

CQ

6.0 

8.0 

4.2 

5.0 

Tr. 

13 

3.1 

4.0 

1.2 

75

5

I- Fe+Al, c Three strongest waters omitted.
510 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 107. Chemical composition of water from the Lower Cretaceous arkosic sands 

Continued.

County.

Do................

Do................

Do................

Bibb..................

Do................

Do................

average./

Nitrate radicle 

(NOi).

0.1

Tr.

.2

.5

Tr.

5.6

.6

Chlorine (Cl).

4.0

3.5

6.8

3.5

12

5.0

.8

2.0

1.6

38

5

dissolved Total solids.

121

134

c264

234

65

94

21

«23

314

75

Total hardness as

CaC0 ."3

27

85

199

. 175

18

55

4.0

8.7

6.0

120

35

Probable scale-forming 

ingredients."

70

110

250

220

30

70

5

15

15

170

Probable foaming ingredients."

40

40

30

20

15

20

5

10

10

130

Probability of corrosion. &" 

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

(?)

(?)

N.C. (?)

N.C.

boiler Quality for use.

Pair .

...do.

Good

...do.

...do.

...do.

...do..

Fair..

Mineral content.

do...

Mod.

...do.

...do.

...do.

...do.

...do..

Mod..

Quality for domestic 

.' use.

Pair.

Good.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

a- Computed.

6 N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=

c PO4 trace. '

 uncertain or doubtful.

d Al 0.2 part; free CO2 0.8 part. 

« Volatile matter 0.5 part. 

/Three strongest waters omitted.

UPPER, CRETACEOUS SERIES.

The Upper Cretaceous includes two water-bearing formations, the 

Ripley at the top and the Eutaw at the bottom, but, as few data are 

available regarding the quality of the water from the Eutaw, the 

following discussion is confined chiefly to the waters derived from the 

Ripley, which comprises the Providence sand member at the top, the 

typical marine beds in the middle, and the Cusseta sand member at 

the bottom. The marine beds consist of calcareous, micaceous sand, 

sandy clay, and shell marl with nodular layers of calcareous sand or 

sandy limestone, but the Providence and Cusseta members, form 

which most wells are supplied, consist essentially of sand and clay 

with little or no calcareous material. Thus the waters come into contact With relatively little calcareous material, though they are generally of the calcium carbonate type and somewhat higher in mineral 

content than those in the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous.

Wells draw from these beds in the area between Chattahoochee 

and Ocmulgee rivers southeast of Columbus and north of Albany. 

Twenty-eight analyses of water that come wholly or chiefly from the 

Ripley, according to the studies of Stephenson and Veatch, are 

grouped in Table 108 by counties from north to south. Their waters 

range widely in mineral content and in hardness. Those in Houston 

County of which analyses are recorded are much like those from the 

Lower Cretaceous arkosic sands. Over the greater part of the area 

where the Ripley is entered, however, the waters range from 90 to 

250 parts in dissolved solids and from 20 to 140 parts in hardness. 

Most of them are low in iron, chlorine, and sulphate, the latter
CHEMICAL CHARACTEB OF WATERS. 511

radicle exceeding 25 parts in only two waters. The range in mineral 

content is most probably due to differences in the lithologic character 

of the water-bearing strata and to differences in the rate of diffusion 

from overlying strata. As the beds of the Ripley comprise sands, 

clays, and marls not uniformly distributed either geographically or 

stratigraphically local differences in mineralization may be expected; 

thick beds of sand containing little calcareous material would yield 

soft waters, whereas beds of sand containing much marl would yield 

hard waters. Tertiary strata 20 to 500 feet thick, including impure 

limestones and marl, overlie the greater part of the area where wells 

draw from the Ripley, and entrance of water from these overlying 

beds either by seepage or through intentional or accidental perforations of the casings could markedly alter the character of the supply. 

The water of the springs near Lumpkin, which is exceptionally low 

in mineral content, comes from the Providence sand member of the 

Ripley. In the same county, two wells 334 and 425 feet deep, 

which yield waters that are similar to each other and are much more 

strongly mineralized than the spring water, are believed to be supplied chiefly from the Ripley, which is overlain by the marls and limestones of the Midway formation. Well No. 4, at Americus, the principal water-bearing stratum of which is between 962 and 992 feet, 

yields water similar to that of well No. 1 and probably derives most 

of its supply from the Ripley. (See analysis, p. 400.) No explanation is apparent for the high mineral content of water from the 1,320- 

foot stratum of -city well No. 2 at Albany, which differs essentially 

from all other waters from the Cretaceous of Georgia that have been 

analyzed. The upper strata of the same well, assigned to the Ripley, 

yield normal water. The only other well whose water approaches it 

in character is the 350-foot well at Eufaula, Ala.

The lowest three lines of Table 108 give the approximate average 

composition of waters from the Ripley and roughly the range of their 

constituents. In estimating these amounts the analyses of water 

from the 1,320-foot stratum at Albany, the 350-foot well at Eufaula, 

and the springs near Lumpkin have been omitted, because they are so 

noticeably different from the others. The figures representing average 

and range of constituents should therefore be interpreted broadly as 

numerical indications of conditions revealed by the analyses. The 

average represents especially conditions in the more porous sandy 

strata of the Ripley formation,, as there is some evidence that the 

typical marine beds yield more strongly mineralized waters.

Most of the waters of the Ripley are fit for domestic use, being moderate in mineral content and not too hard, though some are high 

enough in iron to taste unpleasant and to stain fabrics washed in 

them. The watejs are low in foaming ingredients and probably noncorrosive in boilers, though the hydrogen sulphide reported in so
512 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

many waters may'cause trouble. The scale-forming ingredients 

range from quantities too small to cause appreciable deposits to 

quantities that might profitably be removed by softening plants before 

the waters are used in boilers.

TABLE 108. Chemical composition of water from Ripky formation (Upper Cretaceous). 

[Paris per million except as otherwise designated.]

County.

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Schley... ........

Stewart. ........

Do..........

Do..........

Terrell. .........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Do..........

Calhoun

Do..........

Do..........

Early...........

Clay.............

Do..........

Location.

Fort Valley ...............

of.

of.

.....do....................

of.

west of. x 

EllaviUe. ........ .........

west of.

south of.

.....do....................

.....do....................

Blakely...................

.....do....................

southeast of.

Owner or source.

Town well No. 2. .......

City well.. ..............

City well No. 2..........

.....do..................

.....do..................

.....do..................

Depth 

of well.

Feet. 

400

138

381

375

500

125

500

600

337

735

425

334

447

660

1.320

1,320

840

710

1,17$

563

778

812

650

264

350

Depth to 

principal 

waterbearing 

stratum.

Feet.

136-138

376-381

375

500

125

500

735

290

a 660-710

61,320

840

660

640

550

650

812

264

20-350

Date of collection.

May 20,1911

Do.

May 30,1911

Apr. 21,1911

Do.

Apr. 20,1911

Jan. 24,1913

Apr. 19,1911

Apr. 18,1911

May 5, 1911

Mar. 28,1911

Jan. 13,1913

Mar. 29,1911

June 10,1911

Apr. 1, 1911

May 1, 1911

May 5,1911

May 8,1911

June 5, 1911

County.

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Marion. ............

Schley.............

Crisp...............

Stewart............

Do.............

Do.............

Terrell.............

Do.............

Analyst.

.....ao...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

H..C. White.............

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

(Si0 Silica ).2

9Q

8

K

10

49

Af\

20

5.4

23

16

39

4.0

24

23

97

23

Iron (Fe).

3 A

1.5

5

K

2 A

.4

(J3.1

18

5

1.2

Tr.

1.1

.4

d.6

1

o

2 A

2.0

4.4

4.0

14

13

6.4

6.7

5.6

17

46

46

2.0

47

50

QQ

43

Magnesium (Mg).

1.0

1.0

1 ^

1.0

2 A

1.5

1.6

3 9

6.8

4

2 A

5.2

.5

4.4

4.0

6. tt

3.4

i

m

3

6.1

6

8

40

21

9

5

5

5.

7.

14

14

7.6

8

"o

0

0

Tr,

0

0

5.3

0

0

8

0

2

1.4

Carbonate radicle 

(COi).

0.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

radi- Bicarbonate 

(HC0 cle ).3

12

10

24

50

35

38

10

12

25

171

195

12

178

198

176

120

a> "3

1^

"3

5.0

7.0

7 S

5.0

12

.0

67

Tr.

48

Tr.

6.4

Tr.

11

12

12

24

« Second and principal water-bearing stratum. 

6 Third water-bearing stratum.

e Entered under Quitman County. 

d Fe2O3+Al2O8 .
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 513

TABLE 108. Chemical composition of water fron Ripley formation ( Upper Cretaceous) 

Continued.

County.

Dougherty ......... 

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Calhoun

Do.............

Do.............

Early..............

Clay...............

Do.............

Approximate e 

Approximate range 

Highest...................................

Analyst.

H.C. White...... .......

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

.....do...................

Silica (SiOj).

9.3

14 

22 

16 

25 

17 

18 

8.0 

16 

30 

16

20

40 

2

Iron (Fe).

o2.6 

ol.8 

4.0 

1.0 

.4 

.2 

.6 

o.7 

o3.6 

Tr. 

61.9

3

20 

Tr.

Calcium (Ca).

46 

4.3 

5.0 

13 

10 

37 

44 

5.4 

7.0 

10 

3.5

20

50

2

Magnesium (Mg).

1.9

1.8 

3.0 

6.8 

3.0 

2.0 

5.0 

2.0 

1.4 

Tr. 

.8

3

10 

Tr.

Sodium (Na). Potassium (K).

2.4 

463 | 29 

60 

41 

57 

8.0 

17 

42 1 9.1 

76 9.1 

67 

137 | 3.0

20

80 

3

Carbonate radicle 

(Co ).3

576 

7.0 

.0 

10 

2.0 

7.0 

.0 

98 

2.0

Bicarbonate radi-cle (HCO ).3

140

160 

178 

150 

134 

190 

114

190 

351

120

200 

10

0,6"

tsra 1" 

ft

S

7.1 

1.4 

25 

14 

12 

10 

8.0 

11 

9.4 

11 

5.2

10

70 

Tr.

County.

Houston. ........

Do..........

Do.......... 

Do..........

Macon. .......... 

Do.......... 

Do..........

Do..........

Marion ........

Schley... ........

Sumter.....

Crisp ............

Stewart.........

Do.......... 

Do........

Terrell., .........

Do..........

Dougherty......

Do....

Do..... 

Do.......... 

Calhoun ........

Do.... 

Do........."

Early...........

Clay............. 

Do.........

Barbour. . . .

average. 

A p p r o x i mate

I Nitrate radicle 

(NO,).

0.5

.3

"Tr"

.1 Ts"

50

Tr

Tr

1.2

3.0 

.1

.4

.3

.4 

1.2 

.1

.1

.2

Chlorine (Cl).

5 0

5 0

2.2 

4.5

4.0

6.8

3 5

27

30

4

3 ,5

5 5

2.5

4.0 

3

30

8 3

3.6

fi9

4.0 

3.5 

10

4.0 

7.5 14'

20

1?

14

8

3(1

1 Phosphate radicle 

(P0<).

2.1

"2." i"

.....

Tr

"Tr"

6.3

1 Volatile andorganic 

|matter. 

.....

.....

7

.....

7 Q

.....

.....

 tt

Total dissolved 

solids.

63

40

«57 

43

110 

/138 

132

1 P»ft

103

92

170

261

209

911

202

174

160

1,159

174 

193 

233

162 

186 

?140

248 

238

387

150

260

40

1 Totalhardness as

jCaCO c 3. 

9

g

16 

14

43 

39 

33

30

4?,

59

19^

7

135 

141

133

131

193

1 B

25 

60 

37

101 

130

00

23

35

1 9

II Probable scale-forming ingredients, c

40

15

20 

30

90 

80 

40

Qrt

30

80

160

1 fifl

10

170

1 ftft

150

160

i p»n

30

40 

70 

60

130 

160 

30

40 

60

30

Probable foaming ingredients, c

15

10

15 

10

15 

70 

20

110

60

25

15

15

15

20 

40

40

25

5

1,330

160 

110 

150

20 

50 

140

230 

180

380

Probability of corrosion. Cd

N.C.

(?) "N.'C"

N.C. $

C.

C. (?)

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

(?)

(?)

N.C.

N.C. 

N.C. 

N.C.

N.C. 

N.C. 

N.C.

N.C. 

N.C.

N.C.

I

2

8 as 

£>

I

Good..

...do..

...do.. 

...do..

...do.. 

...do.. 

...do..

...do..

Good..

...do..

Good..

Fair... 

...do..

...do..

...do..

...do..

/Very

\ bad. 

Good.. 

...do.. 

...do..

Fair... 

...do.. 

Good

Fair... 

...do..

Mineral content.

Low ..

...do..

...do .. 

...do..

...do.. 

...do'.. 

...do..

Mod..

...do..

Mod..

...do..

Low ..

Mod.. 

...do..

...do ..

...do..

...do..

JHigh..

Mod.. 

...do.. 

...do..

...do.. 

...do..

Mod.. 

...do ..

...do..

Chemical character.

NjKJOj

Na-CO3

Ca-CO-3 

Na-C03 

Ca-CO3

Na-S0 4

Ca-SO-4

Ca- 03

...do...

Ca-C03 

...do...

..,do...

..;do...

...do...

Na-COs

...do ... 

...do... 

...do...

Ca-C03 

...do...

Na-COs

...do... 

...do...

...do...

Quality for domestic 

use.

Good.

Do.

Fair. 

Good.

Do. 

Do. 

Poor.

Do.

Fair.

Good.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Fair.

Good.

Do.

Do.

Bad.

Fair. 

Good. 

Do.

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Do.

o Fe2O3+Al2O3.

6 Fe+Al.

c Computed.

<* C=corrosive; N. C.=noncorrosive;

38418'

uncertain or doubtful. 

WSP 341 15 33 |

e Al 2.8, Li trace, Zn 9.4 parts. 

/ Free COS, 2.0 parts. 

g Free COj, 55 parts.
514 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

Analyses are available of only two waters known to be derived 

from the Eutaw formation and these are entered in Table 109. A 

larger number of analyses would undoubtedly show that the waters of 

this aquifer are similar in composition and usefulness to those of the 

sandy members of the Ripley formation, which comprise beds of 

similar lithologic character.

TABLE 109. Chemical composition of water from the Eutaw formation (Upper Cretaceous). 

[Edgar Everhart, analyst. Parts per million except as otherwise designated.]

Depth of well (feet)........................................................

SOIca(SiOj)... ............................................................

Iron (Fe). ..................................................................

Calcium (Ca)... ............................................................

Magnesium (Mg). . .........................................................

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3 ) ................................................

Sulphate radicle (804).....................................................

Chlorine (C\). ..............................................................

1

386 

110 

Mar. 28, 1911. 

40 

16 

2.4 

2.8 

6.0 

.0 

37 

22 

2.0 

3.5 

126 

17 

50 

15 

Noncorrosive. 

Good. 

Low. 

Na-S04 . 

Poor.

2

270 

270 

June 4.1911. 

26 

.2 

12 

.5 

62 

7.0 

170 

23 

.2 

5.0 

197 

32 

60 

170 

Noncorrosive. 

Good. 

Moderate. 

Na-C03. 

Good.

a Computed.

1. Well of Mrs. L. W. Adams, 5 miles northwest of Cusseta, Chattahoochee County.

2. WeH of W. C. Bradley, 5 miles north of Omaha, Stewart County.

EOCENE SERIES. 

MIDWAY FORMATION.

The Midway, comprising ferruginous sand and local beds of clay 

together with marl, calcareous quartzite, and limestone that is generally highly arenaceous, outcrops in a narrow belt in the southwest 

part of the State west of Ocmulgee River. The analyses of water 

in Table 110 are too few to permit many general statements regarding 

the character of the supplies, but they are apparently similar in 

composition and concentration to those from the Ripley moderately 

mineralized, moderate in their content of scale-forming ingredients, 

not likely to foam nor cause corrosion in boilers, and, except those 

that carry much iron, entirely acceptable for domestic use.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 515

TABLE 110. Chemical composition of water from the Midway formation (Eocene). 

[Edgar Evbrhart, analyst. Parts per million except as otherwise designated.]

Depth of well (feet)................ ..........

Depth to principal water-bearing stratum 

(feet).......................................

Silica (SiO2). .................................

Iron (Fe)....... ..............................

Calcium (Ca). ................................

Magnesium (Mg). ............................

Sodium (Na). ................................

Potassium (K). ..............................

Carbonate radicle (CO3 ) .....................

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO3 ) ..................

Sulphate radicle (SO4).......................

Nitrate radicle (NO3 )~ .......................

Chlorine (Cl)........................ .........

Total hardness as CaCO3 c. ...................

1

Apr., 1910.

7.0

2.5

1.2

5.6

2.6

.0

26

.7

12

650

11

15

20

Fair.

2

265

240-265

Apr. 20, 1911.

97

3.0

34

3.0

\ 8.0

.0

134

6.0

1.5

3.5

179

97

130

20

Fair.

Ca-COs.

Good

3

410

400-410

27

o4.6

47

1.4

( 4.8

1 1 Q

134

12

5.4

174

123

170

20

Fair.

Moderate.

Ca-C03 .

4

485

June 1. 1911

18

4.0

47

6.0

I 11

I M

.0

200

8.0

.5

4.0

208

142

170

40

Fair.

Moderate.

Ca-CO3.

Fair.

a Fe2O3+Al2O3. 6 Al 0.5 part; free CO2 41 parts. Computed.

1. Spring of Ida Munro, f mile west of Putnam, Marion County.

2. Well of Clark & Spann. Plains, Sumter County.

3. Town well, Shellinan, Randolph County.

4. Well of Callahan-Powell Co., 6| miles east of Blakely, Early County.

CLAIBORNE GROUP.

The Claiborne group comprises at the top the Barnwell sand, which 

consists of beds of marine sand, thin beds of silicified limestone or 

chert, sandstone, and quartzite, and at the bottom the McBean formation, which is mainly sand or clayey marl, sandy clay, and fuller's 

earth. Though the beds of the Claiborne group extend across the 

State, nearly all the Claiborne waters of which analyses are available 

are from wells in the northeastern part of the Coastal Plain, one well 

in Ware County and one in Clay County being the only exceptions. 

Three spring waters from the Claiborne (see Table 111) are very low 

in mineral content, but the other waters from this group range from 

150 to 250 parts per million in total solids and from 90 to 160 parts 

in total hardness; in other words, they are moderately mineralized 

hard calcium carbonate waters rather high in scale-forming ingredients, but not likely to Jo am or be corrosive in boilers. They may 

be classed as generally fair for boiler use and good for domestic use. 

Some are reported to contain hydrogen sulphide but not in sufficient 

quantity to render them* nauseating. These analyses are typical of 

waters from strata containing large proportions of calcareous material. As the waters from the Claiborne at Davisboro are not essentially different from those believed to come from the Lower Cretaceous 

at Oconee and Sandersville in the same county, it is possible that the 

calcareous waters of the Claiborne have essentially modified the purer
516 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

supplies of the Cretaceous. The water from the well in the Claiborne 

at Beach is like that from the Jackson at Waycross in the same 

county.

TABLE 111. Chemical composition of water from the Claiborne group (Eocene). 

[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.]

County.

Richmond.....

Do........

Do........

Do........

Do........

Do........

Do........

Clay...........

Do........

Location.

9 miles south of Augusta. .

Bluff.

Millen...... ...............

Louisville. ................

Wrightsville. .............

.....do.....................

Beach.....................

Bluff ton..................

.....do.....................

Owner or source.

Windsor Spring, W. H. T.

Walker.

City well..................

W. E. Rushing.. ..........

.....do.....................

McMillan & Co. ...........

J. E. Mansfield............

Depth 

of 

well.

Feet.

200

470

500

325

o409

578

850

60

Depth to 

principal 

waterbearing 

stratum.

Feet.

371

565

±300

200-300

170-330

88-325

170,409

430,578

850

60

Date of 

collection.

June, 1909

1907

Apr. 25,1911

Do.

Apr., 1909

Apr. 30,1911

Dec. 17,1912

June 1, 1911

Do.

County.

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Ware...............

Do.............

Approximate 

Approximate range: 

Highest .

Analyst.

H.C. White.. ............

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

.....do....................

H.C. White..............

.....do....................

(Si0 Silica ).2

3.9 

7.4 

16 

28 

38 

11 

5.0 

39 

13 

13 

17 

25 

13 

44 

12 

36

20 

40

4

Iron (Fe).

60.2 

2.8 

66.1 

1.0 

61.2 

.5 

.4 

64.1 

61.8 

64.0 

6.6 

4.0 

2.3 

3.0 

.2 

.4

2

(Ca). Calcium 

3.4 

50 

62 

44 

40 

64 

1.0 

33 

57 

59 

56 

58 

62 

33 

47 

3.0

50

60 

1

i 

103 

%

0.6 

1.3 

2.0 

2.0 

3.6 

1.0 

1.0 

1.4 

3.1 

1.8 

.9 

2.0 

2.2 

16 

2.0 

Tr.

2

20 

-Tr.

Sodium (Na).

0.8 

1.6 

3.6 

14 

5.6

:

3.1

8.9 

14

1.6 

5 

5 

23 

14 

8

W

o 

PH

0.4 

.8 

1.7

2.4 

.0 

.0 

2.8 

3.0 

3.7 

.6 

.0 

.4

.0

10

30 

1

radicle Carbonate 

(C0 ).3

0.0

""."6" 

.0

""."6" 

.0 

47 

.0 

105 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

2.0 

.0

......

Bicarbonate radi-cle (HC0 ).3

12 

161 

201 

156 

132 

183 

8.0 igi"" 

its'"

207 

190 

193 

158 

18

170

200 

10

!

2 .

si 

102

1.6 

.5

3.7 

6.0 

11 

26 

1.0 

9.4 

11 

7.2 

1.4 

Tr. 

15 

27 

8.0 

3.0

10

30 

Tr.

o Slits in casing admit water from 170-foot stratum; water is therefore a mixture.
CHEMICAL CHAEACTEE OF WATERS. 517

TABLE 111. Chemical composition of water from the Claiborne group (Eocene) Con.

County.

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Johnson

Do...........

Ware.............

Clay..............

Do...........

Approximate

Approximate 

range:

radicle Nitrate 

(NO,).

Tr,

.2 

4.0

3-

,0

3

4 0

Chlorine (Cl).

1 3

5 ?,

7.0-

3.5

8,0

6.0 

4.0

8,3

4.7

fi.fi

3 0

9.5

5.6

13

3,0

4.0

5

10

1

radicle Phosphate 

(P0«).

.....

3.3

Tr,

Tr,

dissolved Total slids.

«W

#147

198

190

175

200 

20

1fi3

191

313

166

326

«341

249

174

80

190

250

30

Total hardness as

CaCO .a8

11

130

1ft?

118

115

164

7

88

155

155

144

153

164

148 126

8

dioxide Freecabon 

(COt).

82

0

13

5

(/)

0

Probable scale-form- ingngredients.®

15

160

200

160

160

200 

10

140

190

190

180

200

200

170

IfiO

40

Probable foaming 

ingredients.®

5

5

15

40

30

10

5

Ifl

30

50

5

15

15

*0

40

20

Probability of cor- 

&rosion.® 

(?)

N.6.

N.C.

N C

J

?)

?) 

?)

?).6.

N.C.

(?)

N.C.

(?)

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

1

p

£®

>. 

0?

Good..

Fair...

...do..

...do..

...do..

...do.. 

Good..

Fair...

...do..

...do..

...do..

...do..

...do..

...do..

...do..

4J

i

...do.

Mod..

...do.

...do .

...do. 

Low..

Mod..

...do.

...do.

...do.

...do.

...do.

...do.

...do.

M 

1

Ca-CO3 .

...do....

...do....

...do....

...do....

Ca-COs..

...do....

...do....

...do....

...do....

...do....

...do....

...do....

Na-CO3 .

_o 

£5 §

>> +*

0?

Good.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

o Computed.

& N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful.

c Volatile matter, 2.1 parts.

d Al, 1.6 parts.

e Organic and volatile matter, 41 parts.

/Present.

JACKSON FORMATION.

The Jackson, the highest formation of the Eocene series, consists 

mainly of soft limestone and calcareous glauconitic sandy clay. Five 

analyses of water from wells tapping it in the central part of the State 

and two of water from a well in Ware County much nearer the coast 

are recorded in Table 112. Some water from the overlying Vicksburg 

(Oligocene) probably enters the wells at Dublin. Except the spring 

water at Americus, which is very low in mineral content, all waters 

from the Jackson for which analyses are available are hard, moderately high in scale-forming constituents, low in alkalies, and rather 

poor for boiler use in their natural state, though capable of being 

rendered thoroughly satisfactory by softening. All are acceptable for 

domestic use except that from the Bahnsen well, which is high in iron. 

The limestones and calcareous sands of the Jackson are the evident 

source of the hardening constituents. The water of the Bahnsen 

well, except for its content of iron, is similar to that from wells tapping 

other formations near Americus, and the water from the Jackson at 

Waycross is similar to that from the Claiborne. Consequently it 

seems fair to conclude that the water from the Jackson is locally 

similar to that from other Eocene strata. The figures in Table 112, 

showing the approximate average mineral content of waters from the 

Jackson, have been rounded off to avoid appearance of undue 

accuracy.
518 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

TABLE 112. Chemical composition of water from the Jackson formation (Eocene). 

[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.]

County.

Do.........

Do.........

Ware..........

Do.........

County.

Do.........

Dooly. .........

Sumter........

Do.........

Ware..........

Do.........

Brooks ........

Approxim

Location.

Dublin...................

Tingle, 7 miles southwest 

of Dublin.

Americus, 1£ miles south of

Owner or source.

City wel 

Jeptha 1

Townw 

P. F. Ba 

City spri 

Townw 

.....do..

Townw

Analyst.

.....do.......................

.....do.......................

.....do.......................

.....do.......................

H.C. White.................

.....do.......................

Silica (SiOj).

20 

32 

16 

34 

17 

45 

9 9 

17

25

U. ...............

ingle.............

ill . ..........

Jinsen

ills (2)

ell... .............

Iron (Fe).

62.6 

1.5 

1.0 

10 

.6 

.2 

1.0 

.2

3

Calcium (Ca).

68 

58 

45 

32 

2.0 

40 

54 

39

40

i 

1

3.7 

3.0 

1.0 

9.0 

1.0 

18 

.6 

9.4

5

Depth 

of 

well.

Feet.

242

189

180

700 

700 

699

Sodium (Na).

Depth to 

principal 

waterbearingstratum.

Feet. 

185-295

189 

177-180

670-700 

670-700 

650-699

8

o 

PH

6.6 3.1 

80 

5.0 

16 

5.0 

24 

2.8 .5 

4. 9 3.7

10

Carbonate radi-

(C0 ).cle 3

0.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

78

.....

Date .of collection.

May 11,1911

June 5, 1911 

Dec. 16,1912 

Apr. 19,1911 

Apr. 8, 1911

radi- Bicarbonate (HC0 cle ).3

211 

203 

158 

176 

17 

175

154

150

Sulphate radicle 

(S0 ).4

17 

1.0 

7.0 

13 

Tr. 

49 

10 

3.8

10

County.

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Approximate

radicle Nitrate 

(NOi).

Tr.

0.2

.0

Tr.

.0

Chlorine (Cl).

5.6

5.0

3.5

4.0

3.0

20

3.6

4.6

5

dissolved Total

solids.

«231

256

134

209

50

296

/177

159

9nn

Total hardness as

CaCOg.e

185

157

117

117

9

174

137

136

scale- Probable forming ingredients, c

230

210

150

1A.1

25

190

170

150

Probable foam- ingngredients, e

25

20

15

40

15

60

10

25

Probability of 

<*corrosion. <= 

(?)

N. C.

N. C.

N. C.

N. C.

(?)

(?)

(?)

Quality for boiler

use.

Poor..

...do..

Fair...

...do..

Good..

Fair...

...do..

...do..

Mineral content.

Mod..

...do..

Low. . Mod..

Mod..

...do..

...do..

0 .

i

Ca-CO3 ..

...do.....

...do.....

...do.....

Na-COs .

Ca-CO3 . .

...do....

...do.....

Quality for domestic ue.

Good.

Do.

Do.

Poor.

Good.

Do.

Do.

Do.

« One of the wells of the municipal water supply, which range from 300 to 850 feet in depth,

6 Fe203+Al2O3.

c Computed.

<J N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful.

t Free CO2 64 parts.

/ Organic and volatile matter 16 parts.

MISCELLANEOUS STRATA.

The strata of Eocene age include the Midway, Wilcox, McBean, 

Barnwell, and Jackson formations, whose waters, except those from 

the Wilcox, are considered under separate headings. The Wilcox,
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS; 519

which overlies the Midway formation, includes lignitic and glauconitic clay* somewhat like fuller's earth and unconsoHdated sand and 

clay, but little is known in regard to the quality of its waters.

Besides the analyses reported under the headings above mentioned, 

sixteen analyses of waters from Eocene strata that could not be definitely identified are available, and these are grouped in Table 113. 

The well at Byromville yields water essentially like that from the well 

at Unadilla in the same county, which taps the Jackson formation. 

The well at Pembroke is reported to receive water from three horizons, and its chief source can not be identified. The wells at Statesboro and at Adel present the recorded extremes of mineral content; 

as both, according to Stephenson, are probably from the upper part 

of the Eocene they may be noted as examples of the wide range of 

mineralization that waters from a given formation may acquire from 

local differences in composition of the water-bearing beds, in quantity of seepage from other formations, and in other conditions. 

Two waters reported to be from the Eocene at Leesburg differ markedly in composition, that from the shallower well being somewhat 

lower in mineral content but nearly twice as hard as that from the 

deeper well.

TABLE 113. Chemical composition of water from undijferentiated Eocene strata 

[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.!

County.

Ben Hill.......

Do.........

Dooly.... ......

Grady.........

Do.........

Do.........

Wayne.........

Location.

Fitzgerald................

Adel......................

.....do....................

Cairo.....................

northeast of.

Jesup. ....................

Owner or source.

.....do....................

U. S. Williams............

W T) T&QT71Q

.....do....................

.....do....................

City light plant. ..........

.....do....................

L.R.AMn...... ..........

Depth 

of well.

Feet. 

825

825

675

520

320

900

1,250

1,100

750

290

540

300

900

406

675 

730

Depth to 

principal

waterbearing 

stratum.

Feet.

520

280.370

370

320

750

290

890-900

400-406

600-670

Date Of 

collection.

June 13,1911

Dec. 17,1912

May 30,1911

May 13,1911

Mar.. 1909

Apr. 17,1911

Apr. 15.1911

Dec. 14,1912 

Dec. 23,1912
520 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA. 

TABLE 113. Chemical composition of water from undifferentiated Eocene strata Con.

County.

Ben Hill. ......

Bulloch........

Do.........

Do.........

Do.........

Toombs. .......

Do.........

County.

Ben Hill. ......

Bulloch........

Do.........

Dooly. .........

Do.........

Do.........

Montgomery...

Wayne......... 

Do.........

Analyst.

Edgar Ever 

do

.....do.................

.....do.................

.....do.................

H.C. White.. .........

.....do. .

Edgar Ever 

do

.....do.................

.....do.................

.....do.................

.....do.................

.....do................. 

.....do.................

.....do.................

o

O 

ojtjr 

-* * C^ 

ni

0.0 

3.0

.1

.2

.1 

.1

Tr.. 

Tr..

s, 

1

7.0 

20 

21 

10 

6.8 

21 

17 

15 

19 

6.3 

5.2 

3.0 

9.0 

11 

7.0 

18

"o

J;

"B

Is

190 <ni8

972 

171 

69 

293 

e221 

137 

342 

174 

195 

169 

183 

112 

229 

303

§

Jh

o

1

24 

71 

670 

88 

7 

174 

73 

109 

184 

153 

79 

140 

56 

27 

129 

176

(SiO»). Silica 

20 

13

47 

34 

43

1 Q

4.0

22 

24 

9.2

35 

18 

17 

9.0 

40 

42

09 

1

2

74 

28

; )

2

(Fe). Iron 

o3.6

4.0 

2.0 

o5.0

9

0

.1

.2

.4

o6.2 

.5 

1.4 

.6 

6.0 

4.0

.1 

£ £

lg>

40 

80 

610 

110 

50 

190 

90 

110 

200 

190 

120 

180 

70 

40 

130 

170

(Al). Aluminum 

0.5

......

.1

f

160 

25 

60 

60 

15 

70 

150 

20 

80 

5 

90 

10 

90 

100 

70 

70

(Ca). Calcium 

4.5 

20 

150 

22 

1.5 

62 

29 

24 

54 

60 

26 

54 

16 

9.0 

19 

31

Magnesium (Mg).

3.2 

5.2 

72 

8.0 

.8 

4.6 

.1 

12 

12 

.7 

3.4 

1.2 

4.0 

1.0 

20 

24

4

8

O 

^ fl Is 

I

N.C.

N.C. 

C.

if

N.C.

N.C. 

N.C.

N.C.

"o?

£

03

59

8.2

2.9

J

1.9

27 

2.9

OJ

!

Fair... 

Good.. 

Bad... 

Fair... 

Poor. . 

Fair... 

...do.. 

...do.. 

...do... 

...do.. 

...do... 

...do..

Good.. 

...do..

Fair... 

...do..

(K). Potassium 

1.9 

1.9

22 

22 

2.7 

26 

57 

J.O 

28 

.7 

5.0 

.3 

32 

36 

26 

25

1 o

.1

Mod. 

Low. 

High. 

Mod. 

Low. 

Mod. 

..do.. 

..do... 

..do.. 

..do... 

..do... 

..do...

..do..

Mod.. 

..do...

Carbonate radicle 

(C0 ).3

0.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

85 

82 

.0 

.0

1.0 

.0 

.0 

.0

Bicarbonate radicle 

(HCOs).

162

72 

168 

140 

3.4

88 

173 

183 

151 

148 

159 

118 

177 

177

' fcl

1

1

g 3o

Na-COs 

Ca-COs 

Ca-SO4 . 

Ca-COs. 

Na-Cl.. 

Ca-COs. 

Na-COs 

Ca-C03 

Ca-SO4 . 

Ca-CO, 

Na-CO3 

Ca-COs. 

Na-COs 

...do.....

Ca-COs.. 

...do....

radicle Sulphate 

(S0 ).' 4

9.3 

3.7 

518 

8.0 

3.4 

58 

32 

20 

112 

5.9 

13 

3.1 

2.0 

6.0 

35 

70

W

I

o 3 

O1

Good. 

Fair. 

Poor. 

Good. 

Fair. 

Do. 

Good. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Fair. 

Good. 

Do. 

Do. 

Fair. 

Do.

d PO4 trace.

6 Computed. e Organic and volatile matter 1.0 part.

c C=corrosive; N.C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful.

OLIGOCENE SERIES. 

VICKSBURG FORMATION.

The Vicksburg formation is chiefly soft heavy-bedded limestone 

overlain by beds of sand and clay. The limestone has been extensively 

dissolwd by percolating waters charged with carbon dioxide, and therefore much of its water circulates in open channels and caverns instead 

of slowly filtering, as in sand. Consequently the chances of pollution 

of these sources through sink holes and other underground passages 

are worth attention, for polluted water can be carried long distances
CHEMICAL CfiABACTEB OF

in a very short time through limestone channels without being purified 

any more than if it were passing through an iron pipe. The opportunities of such contamination are of course greatest where the formation is exposed and least where it is deeply buried. To determine

whether or not the circulating waters at any given place are polluted 

chemical analyses are practically useless, but much may be learned 

by bacteriologic examinations and by using fluorescein or other dyes 

to trace the underground courses.

The wells tapping the Vicksburg are scattered over the southeast 

half of the Coastal Plain, some being almost on theseacoast. Analyses 

of water from 28 of them, given in Table 114, show more plainly 

than the analyses heretofore considered the effect of contact with 

calcareous material. None of them contains less than 100 parts per 

million of total solids, and all but 6 exceed 100 parts in hardness. 

Springs from earlier formations yield waters very low in mineral 

content, but springs from the Vicksburg yield hard waters comparable 

in most respects to those from wells. Lovett Spring, issuing from 

the cavernous limestone of the Vieksburg, yields water much more 

strongly mineralized than that from two other springs in Laurens 

County; and the springs at Coney and Albany yield similarly hard 

waters. The well waters range generally in dissolved solids from 

100 to 300 parts per million and in hardness from 70 to 200 parts. 

One unusually strong water, from the town well at St. Marys, contains 

504 parts per million of total solids. The close similarity of the waters 

from three different horizons in the old town well at Valdosta furnishes 

no basis for the belief that mineral content increases with depth of 

source. On the other hand, the great difference in content of iron 

between the two waters from Mr. Brown's wells near Philema attests 

the effect of local differences in the formation.

The supplies from the Vicksburg are distinctly calcium carbonate 

waters of moderate mineral content. They are generally hard but 

not too hard for domestic use, and they are acceptable if they do 

not also contain enough iron to taste unpleasant. They carry enough 

scale-forming matter to make softening advisable before they are 

used for boiler feed, but they are not likely to foam or cause corrosion. 

They^may be classed as fair or poor for boilers in their natural state, 

but they can be rendered entirely satisfactory by preliminary treatment. The high sulphate content of some of the waters renders them 

less desirable for industrial use, for waters high in sulphate deposit 

a harder scale in boilers than those proportionately higher in carbonates. All the waters are low in chloride. The figures at the 

bottom of the table, which represent numerically the average chemical composition of the waters from the Vicksburg, have been rounded 

off to indicate approximate conditions and should not be too literally 

interpreted.
522 UNDEBGBOUND WATEKS OF COASTAL PLAIN OP GEOBGIA.

TABLE 114. Chemical composition of water from the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene). 

[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.]

County.

Jeff Da vis

Do.............

Do.............

Tift

Do............ 

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Do.............

Thomas............ 

Do.............

Do.............

Mitchell...... ......

Miller..............

Do.............

Camden.... ........

County.

Crisp..............

Do............

Do............

Tift...............

Do............

Do............

Do............ 

Do............

Do............

Do............

Do............

Mitchell...........

Miller. ............

Chatham

Do............

Camden...........

Approximate 

Approximate range 

Highest

Location.

Idylwild, 3 miles south 

of Wrightsville.

Vienna, 5 miles northwest of.

Coney, 2 miles west of. .

Philema Quarters. ...... 

Starr farm near Philema. 

Tifton..... .............

.....do..................

.....do..................

Albany, 4 miles south of

.....do..................

.....do..................

.....do..................

Boston ................. 

Thomas ville ............

.....do..................

Camilla........ .........

Colquitt ................

.....do..................

St. Marys...............

Analyst.

J. M. McCandless.....

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

H.C. White... .......

Boiler Compound Co. 

Edgar Everhart. .....

.....do...............

.....do...............

H.C. White......... 

.....do...............

.....do...............

Edgar Everhart. .....

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

.....do...............

C.F. Chandler.......

Edgar Everhart. ..... 

average...............

Owner or source.

L. P. Fo

Carson > 

Public w 

J. T. Mcl

Public w 

Spring o 

Corpor 

Public w 

do

 dham ......... 

aval Stores Co. 

ell. ............

Vees 

ell

f Georgia Land 

ation. 

ell.............

S. B. Brown............ 

.....do..................

Town w« 

H. H. Ti 

Tifton Ic 

Blue Spr 

Townw« 

Public w 

Old towi 

do

Jl. .............

ft..............

e & Power Co . .

Jl. .............

ell.............

i we1...........

.....do..................

Town w« 

Town w« 

Town w< 

City well 

Town we 

City well 

Former j 

Townw*

O 

bo

I 

§

35 

17 

28 

24 

20 

11 

34 

26 

18 

13 

12 

28 

16 

16 

12 

31 

15 

6.7 

8.0 

12 

20 

20 

20 

23 

6.0

58 

55 

43

20

60 

10

?

&

61.0 

.1 

1.4 

.4 

Tr. 

62.9 

.4 

.4 

1.5 

12 

1.5 

.2 

.1 

63.8 

.4 

.3 

66.1 

1.2 

1.1 

1.4 

618 

61.6 

61.4 

.8 

.5

1.0 

6.4 

.4

1

10 

Tr.

Jl.. ...........

J1N 

sllN

3.1........

3.2........

H

jublic supp 

sll ..............

Iv...

g

3

5.' 3~

"."e"

.5 

.9

1^1

'S 

o,

 f 

o

35 

50 

35 

52 

48 

44 

56 

24 

34 

49 

44 

44 

73 

35 

49 

50 

25 

42 

35 

41 

40 

48 

48 

46 

40 

26 

25 

73

40

70 

25

"So

a 

1

0.8 

.2 

1.4 

4.0 

8.0 

1.1 

.4 

7.0 

6.2 

2.0 

3.2 

2.0 

.8 

4.9 

2.4 

16 

3.1 

.6 

.7 

.7 

4.0 

22 

22 

1.0 

2.5 

10 

7.2 

8.0

5

20 

1

Depth 

of 

well.

Feet. 

305

Spring. 

158 

643 

137.5

396

500 

355 

142 

114

550 

368 

572.5

407 

500 

522 

522 

522 

320

297 

246.5 

(a)

522

"c?

§.

' §

OQ

2

5.0 

2.4 

18 

6 

4 

6 

8 

5 

4 

2 

18 

8.3 | 

8 

3 

4.3 

2.8 

3.5 

3.1 

2.3 

5.4 

9.0 

7.8 

3 

6 

17 

10 1 

60

Depth to 

principal 

waterbearing 

stratum.

Feet. 

100

.........

482-«43 

136-137. 5

375

500

300-550 

330-368 

340-512 

20-30

360-500 

360 

460 

515 

130-320

100-297 

140

(«) 

500± 

500-522

g

1 

1

P4

2 

0.4

.5

0 

6 

0 

0 

6 

0 

9

4.1

8 

.6 

1.1 

.4 

.5 

.3 

2.0 

2.6 

2.1 

0 

0

1.7

10

20 

2

0,0 a£ Is s*

o

2.5 

.0 

.0 

Tr. 

2.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

116 

34 

.0

.0

56 

48 

56 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

.0 

2.0

.0

0

Date of 

collection.

July, 1909 

Mar., 1910 

Apr. 6, 1911 

July 10,1911

June 10,1911

June 15,1911 

Apr. 4, 1911 

Mar. 30,1911 

Do.

May 24,1911 

Apr. 1,1911

June 7, 1911 

Dec. 23,1912 

Apr. 11,1911 

1886 

May 6, 1911

 o 

g- "7?

1803 (_)

§M

«' S!§ 

87 

144 

112 

178 

170 

134 

159 

117 

158 

178 

166 

181

178 

136 

61

128 

179 

159 

150 

148 

170

152

140

200 

60

<D ;§ 

<»o 'SOQ

rOQ

0.6

2.6 

1.3 

9.0 

3.0 

4.4 

9.0 

8.0 

Tr. 

2.0 

4.8 

6.0 

12 

49 

2.0 

72 

24 

13 

12 

14 

8.8 

81 

82 

5.0 

Tr. 

8.0 

11 

170

20

80 

Tr.

a Twelve wells 475-500+ feet deep and one well 1,550 feet deep. The 1,550-foot well probably enters the 

Cretaceous, but the others draw from the Vicksburg.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 528

TABLE 114. Chemical composition of water from the Vicksburg formation (Oligocene) Continued.

County.

Laurens..........

Jeff Davis........ 

Dooly.. ..........

Do...........

Irwin.. ..........

Do........... 

Tift... ...........

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Do...........

Mitchell..........

Miller............

Chatham..

Do.... .......

Approximate

Approximate 

range: 

Highest......

radicle Nitrate 

(N0 ).3

....

Tr. 

0.1

.2

2

Tr.

,2

2.5 

.1

1 5

4

5

,4

2.2

Tr

(Cl). Chlorine 

3.0

5.0

4.2

9.5 

5.0

5 6

4 5

3 5

4.5 

3,6

3.0

5 0

,7

12

3 5

5 0

5 4

4 9

4.2

2 9

9,5

12

12,

2,0

3 5

7 0

11

33

5

12

5

113 

2 .

fl

1

0,1

....

"T

4

Tr

Tr

Tr

and Organic volatile matter.

....

....

....

....

7 0

20

23

16

9 Q

dissolved so-Total 

ids.

158 

13?

231

181 

141

196

100

144 

177

167 

19?

250

176

139

252

113

150

138

149

174

278

274

137

129

220

229

5fU

190

300

100

hardness Total as

CaCOs-o

91

126 

93

146 

153 

114

142

89

110 

131

123

118

186

108

132

191

75

107

90

105

116

210

210

119

110

106

92

215

dioxide carbonFee 

(C0 ).2

"2"

27

18

4

20

Probable scale-form- ingredients." ing 

140

170 

130

180 

170 

140

200

100

130 

160

ISO 

160

?30

120

IfiO

210

90

130

110

130

140

200

200

IfiO

130

150

140

270

Probable foaming ingredients.^ &

5

15 

10

50 

15 

10

15

20

15 

10

10 

50

30

20

10

15

10

10

10

5

20

30

30

10

15

50

30

IfiO

Probability of corrosion.o

(?)

(? 

(?)

N.C. 

(?) 

(?)

(?)

N.O N.CN.C.

N.C. 

N.C.

N.C.

(?)

N.C.

(?)

(?)

(?)

(?)

(?)

(?)

(?)

(?)

N.C.

N.C.

N.C.

(?)

'S 

a

o

ft

b .

CO

£ 

<y

Fair...

...do... 

...do...

...do... 

...do... 

...do...

...do...

...do...

...do... 

...do...

...do... 

...do...

...do...

Good..

Fair...

...do...

...do...

...do...

...do...

...do...

...do...

...do...

...do...

...do...

Poor

Mineral content.

Mod..

Mod... 

...do...

Mod...

...do... 

Mod..

...do... 

...do...

...do...

...do...

Mod..

...do...

...do...

...do...

Mod..

...do...

...do...

...do...

Mod..

...do...

High..

Chemical character.

Ca-C03 .

...do..... 

...do....

...do..... 

...do..... 

...do.....

...do.....

...do.....

...do..... 

...do.....

...do..... 

...do.....

...do.....

Ca-SO-4..

Ca-COa..

Ca-SO-4..

Ca-COa..

...do.....

...do.....

...do.....

...do....

...do.....

...do.....

...do.....

...do.....

...do.....

Quality for domestic use.

Good.

Do. 

Do.

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do. 

Poor.

Good. 

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Fair.

Do.

Do.

Fair.

Do.

Good.

Do.

Do.

Do.

Fair.

a Computed. & N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful. 

CHATTAHOOCHEE FORMATION.

The Chattahoochee formation, like the Vicksburg, which underlies 

it in many places, is mostly limestone, and its waters are similar 

to those of the Vicksburg. Only a few analyses of waters from the 

Chattahoochee in the southern part of the State are available (see 

Table 115), but these represent calcium carbonate waters of moderate 

mineral content generally good for domestic use except for their 

hardness and generally fair for boiler use. Most of the waters 

contain enough scale-forming matter to deposit considerable scale, 

but it would be soft and most of it could readily be blown from 

boilers as sludge, though it would be better to soften the supplies 

before use. From the limited information concerning the composition of the waters from the Chattahoochee it may be concluded 

that they range in mineral content from 150 to 300 parts and in 

hardness from 100 to 200 parts per million. One water analyzed 

contains 92 parts per million of sulphate and one contains 35 parts 

of chlorine, but most waters from the formation probably contain
524 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

less than 10 parts of either radicle. The waters from the Chattahoochee in Worth County are much alike, but they differ from 

one another as much as they do from the waters of the Eocene or 

Cretaceous.

TABLE 115. Chemical composition of water from the Chattahoochee formation (Oligocene). 

[Parts per million except as otherwise designated.]

County.

Do.........

County.

Wilcox.........

Worth.........

Do.........

Approximate

County.

Wilcox........

Worth........

Do........

Approximate

Location.

Tarb 

Abb(

Sylv

Quit 

State

sville, 1 mile north of.

0.. ...................

man. ...---

inville

Owner or source.

Stafford 

Poor Re 

Town w 

Joseph ] 

Town w 

Garbett

Analyst.

Edgar Eve 

do

.....do.......................

.....do.......................

.....do.......................

.....do.......................

averag

» 

1

EX.

O 

ofc

T %

1.5 

.2

.0

Tr.

Chlorine (Cl).

14

3.5 

7.0 

35 

5.8 

12

8

Total dissolved 

solids.

323 

190 

c204 

<2261 

«153 

182

200

Total hardness as

CaCO .a3

219 

151 

157 

164 

95 

108

Silica (SiO ).2

36 

14 

21 

26 

28 

34

?5

Probable scale- forming ingredients.o

210 

180 

180 

200 

110 

130

Bros ..------..

bin Spr 

ell......

kteGrili 

ell

(?/.....,

Lumber Co.....

Iron (Fe).

0.4 

.4 

.1 

.4 

13 

.2

Probable foaming ingredients.o

50 

10 

40 

80 

15 

30

1

|

45 

54 

51 

54 

23 

25

40

Depth 

of well.

Feet.

400

200± 

100 

321 

148

Magnesium (Mg).

26 

4.0 

7.3 

7.2 

9.1 

11

10

Probability of corrosion, 6a 

? 

(?) 

N.C.

N. C. 

N. C. 

N. C.

i

CQ

12 

24 

4.1

Depth to 

principal 

waterbearing 

stratum.

Feet. 

350-375

310 

71-148

8

o 

PM

17 , 

J.O 

2.5 

7.0

.7 

12

15

I 

>>

.<y

PC

Fa

... 

...

or..

lo... 

lo... In

...do..

I

 +J

S3

i3

Mod.. 

..do...

..do... 

..do.. 

..do...

..do:..

Carbonate radicle 

(CO,).

0.0 

.0

ooo

Date of 

collection.

Apr. 14,1911 

June 1,1911 

Aug.. 1908 

Do.

June 7, 1911

Bicarbonate radicle (HCO ).3

178 

185 

198 

209 

120 

136

170

o

-fe 

gI

Ca-SO*.. 

Ca-C03.. 

...do.... 

...do.... 

...do....

...do.....

0>

|3

<D<5 -|OQ

rDQ

92 

1.0 

.7 

2.0 

Tr. 

12

o ^ o

£3 £ §

O1

Good. 

Do. 

Do. 

Do. 

Poor. 

Good.

o Computed.

6 N. C.=noncorrosive; (?)=uncertain or doubtful.

c Al 0.2 part.

d Al 0.5; PO4 1.6; free CO2 4 parts per million. 

e Al 2.6; free CO2 90 parts.

ALUM BLUFF FORMATION.

The Alum Bluff formation consists chiefly of sand, clay, and 

gravelly beds of coarse sandstone or grit with local beds of clay, and 

it includes marine deposits of clayey sand and sandy laminated clay. 

Though the formation is widely distributed, very few waters from it
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Nitrate radicle 

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Chlorine (Cl).

Total dissolved solids.

Total hardness as 

CaCO3.<:

Probable scale-forming 

ingredients, c

Probable foaming ingredients, c

Probability of corroQuality for boiler use.

Mineral content.

Chemical character.

Quality for domestic 

use.

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Silica (SiOj).

Iron (Fe).

Aluminum (Al).

Calcium (Ca).

Sodium (Na).

Potassium (K).

Carbonate radicle 

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Bicarbonate radicle 

(HCO3).

Sulphate radicle 

(SOO.
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Nitrate radicle 

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Chlorine (Cl).

Total dissolved 

solids.

Total hardness as 

CaCO3.&

Probable scaleforming ingredients.&

Probable foaming 

ingredients.&

Probability of corrosion.6 c

Quality for boiler 

use.

Mineral content.

Chemical character.

Quality for domestic use.

bbb

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Dearborn Chemical Edgar Everhart. . 

.....do..............

-3 

u

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.....do............. .....do............. .....do..............

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to ^i *.p

d t-* O5 W

S h3 00 1x3 _ p j 

F cn o O 

' >& ' Q rf^ffi Cn ^J

. fe. ^Stoooorf".

CO H^ 1x3 

Olx3rf^.lx3CO^abOp

O OCO O1CO

4

»

Silica (Si02).

Iron (Fe).

Calcium (Ca).

Magnesium (Mg).

Sodium (Na).

Potassium (K).

Carbonate radicle 

(CO,).

Bicarbonate radicle (HC08).

Sulphate radicle 

(804).

bb

op

Pg> 

It

1 

£>-

O 

§£

o

!§

- 3 

! i 

8 

O 

? 

t-

^ 

t-

H
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OP WATERS. 527

nature of these deposits is discussed on page 94, and many shallow 

wells in central Georgia enter them. The few available analyses 

indicate that water from these beds is generally good for boiler and 

domestic uses, being usually low in mineral content and relatively 

soft.

TABLE 118. Analyses of water from "undifferentiated Oligocene to Pleistocene,

inclusive,"

[Parts per million.]

County. Location. Owner. Depth of 

well.

Date of collection. Analyst.

Screven.

Jenkins... 

Emanuel.

Liberty.. 

Laurens.

Montgomery.... 

Coffee. v........

Clinch... 

Toombs.

Eureka Spring, 12 

miles south of Sylvania.

Thrift, 1 mile east of..

Magnolia Spring, 4 

miles southeast of 

Stillmore.

Donald, 10 miles northwest of Ludowici.

Lovett, J mile southwest of.

Higgston, near........

Dpuglas.2 miles east of.

Tifton, 4 miles west of.

Argyle, near...........

N orman town..........

H. S. White..... 

Jones's spring...

Spring.... July, 1909

T.J.Harrington. 

O. W. Parker...

W. A. Calhoun.. 

Gaskins Spring.. 

Murrqw Mineral 

Spring Co.

Spring. 

..do... 

..do....

Sept., 1909

J. M. and C. S. 

Meadows.

Spring. 

..do....

Apr. 5,1911

Apr. 3,1911

Aug., 1909

Edgar Everhart

Do. 

Do.

Do. 

Do.

Do. 

Do. 

Do.

Do.

County. So

20

eW,

Screven.......

Jenkins.......

Emanuel.....

Liberty.......

Laurens......

Montgomery.. 

Coffee.........

Tift...........

Clinch........

Toombs......

5.2 

6.0 

5.0

8.5

14

10

12

22

7.7 

2.4

6.3

.8 

1.0 

3.5

.2 

30 

Tr.

.2 

9.1

.5

0.1 1.4 

2.5

.2 

2.0 

1.5

.7 

2.0 

38

2.6 

.1

0.2 

.6 

.3

1.6 

.8 

.1

1.0

2.0 

.5 

.7

3.4 

5.9 

1.6 

4.7 

2.8 

1.9

3.2

0.4 

.4 

.5 

.4 

.1

Tr.

.3

0.0 

.0

61

28

4.2

114

10

36

11

154

144

28

1.4 

1.8 

.4 

.9 

2.4 

Tr. 

Tr. 

Tr. 

1.4 

1.4

Tr

County.

o

fl e.

ISi

PH

Screven......

Jenkins......

Emanuel.....

Liberty......

Laurens......

Montgomery. 

Coffee........

Tift..........

Clinch........

Toombs......

5.0

8.9

4.0

8.7

4.4

2.8

5.0

3.0

10

5.2 20

4.3

8.7

1.7

12

7

2.2

9.1

103

4.0

10

16

7

21

22

12

22

142

12

11

10

17

5.7

14

7.8

5.1

16

16

13

9.4

N. C. 

N. C. 

N. C. 

N. C. 

N. C. 

N. C.

(?) 

N.C. 

N. C. 

N.C.

Good 

...do. 

...do.. 

..do. 

.do

...do.. 

..do. 

Fair .. 

Good 

...do.

Low. 

...do. 

...do. 

...do. 

,do.

...do. 

...do. 

Mod. 

Low. 

...do .

Na-COs. 

...do...,

Na-Cl. 

Na-COs . 

do.

...do... 

...do...

Ca-COs.

Na-COs. 

...do...

Fair. 

Good.

Do.

Do.

Do. 

Bad. 

Good.

Do. 

Poor. 

Good.

o Computed. 6 NC. =noneorrosive; (?) uncertain or doubtful.
528 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OP GEORGIA.

SUMMARY.

The averages computed from Tables 107 to 116, inclusive, and collected in Table 119 show some striking general similarities and differences in the waters from the various formations of the Coastal Plain. 

The Chattahoochee and the Vicksburg, both of which include massive 

beds of limestone, yield waters of practically the same composition; 

the composition of individual waters from either formation has far 

greater range than the general differences between the averages. 

The rather meager information regarding waters from the Alum Bluff 

indicates that they are somewhat softer than those from other formations of the Oligocene. The three averages portraying the quality of 

waters from Eocene formations show that the supplies from that 

series are generally similar in composition to those from Oligocene 

strata. The waters from the Jackson formation and the formations 

of the Claiborne group have wider range of mineral content than those 

from the, Chattahoochee and the Vicksburg formations, but the 

averages show that the waters from all four formations have practically the same general characteristics. Apparently the differences 

in composition that may be found from place to place in waters from 

a given formation, and those that may be found in waters from 

various horizons of Eocene and Oligocene formations at a given place, 

are much greater than the general differences between supplies from 

the various water-bearing beds. Evidently, then, no particular formation of these two series yields markedly superior or inferior water, 

and choice of the proper horizon to tap for domestic or industrial 

supplies must depend on local conditions. The formations of the 

Oligocene and Eocene series furnish rather hard calcium carbonate 

waters of moderate mineral content, practically all of which are 

acceptable for domestic use. Most of them should be softened 

before being used in boilers, as they carry appreciable quantities of 

scale-forming matter.

TABLE 119. Approximate chemical composition of waters from the chief water-bearing

strata.

[Parts per million.]

Source.

Oligocene o......

Arkosic sands...

Number of analyses.

7

28

46

7

16

4fi

25

7

Silica. 

(Si02).

9*

20

25

25

20

20

20

20

Iron 

(Fe).

1

4 

3

2

3

3

Calcium 

(Ca).

40

4fl

40 

40

50/in

20

10

Magnesium 

(Mg).

10

5

5 

5

2

5

3

2

Sodium and potassium 

(Na+K).

15

10

10 

10

10

15

20

10

Bicarbonate 

radicle 

(HC03 ).

. 170

140

140 

150

170

170

120

45

Sulphate 

radicle 

(SO,).

20

20 

'10

10

15

10

5

Chlorine 

(Cl).

8

5

8 

5

5

8

8

5

Total dissolved 

solids.

200

190

190 

200

190

200

150

75

a Includes undifferentiated strata of the Alum Bluff, Chattahoochee, and Vicksburg formations. 

6 Includes undifferentiated strata of the Jackson, Midway, and Wilcox formations and the Claiborne 

group.
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 529

Though the waters from the Ripley, like those from later formations, differ much from one another in composition, they are as a class, 

noticeably lower in mineral content and softer than waters from 

Tertiary rocks. The average total solids in supplies from the Ripley 

is 50 parts per million less than that in supplies from the Vicksburg; 

the content of calcium is half as great; and there is almost a corresponding difference in bicarbonates. For industrial uses, therefore, 

waters from the sand beds of the Ripley are generally better than 

those from later formations. Waters from typical marine beds of 

the Ripley are possibly more strongly mineralized.

The waters from the arkosic sands of the Lower Cretaceous are 

lowest of all in mineral content, as may be expected from the fact 

that these beds contain relatively little calcareous material.

The presence of hydrogen sulphide gas and excessive .amounts of 

iron has been reported in waters from all formations of the Coastal 

Plain. The gas imparts an objectionable odor to some of the waters 

and may cause corrosion of boilers and water mains. Iron when 

present in amounts exceeding 2 or 3 parts per million is likely to be 

perceptible to the taste and to cause stains on fabrics washed in the 

water.

The waters in the limestones and other calcareous deposits of the 

Coastal Plain of Georgia are much alike in composition, but they 

differ materially from the waters in the older, harder, and more 

compact limestones of other parts of the United States. This is 

clearly shown in Table 120, in which the average composition of supplies from the Vicksburg is compared with that of supplies from the 

"Niagara" limestone of southwestern Ohio 1 and with that from 

limestones yielding fresh water in north-central Indiana.2 The 

Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian limestones from which fresh 

water is obtaine^l in Indiana are compact, massive, and generally 

fine grained and dolomitic in many places. The "Niagara" of 

southwestern Ohio is a massive granular to compact Silurian limestone containing a rather large percentage of magnesium. The 

Vicksburg formation is softer, coarser, and much lower in magnesian 

content. These differences are reflected in the composition of the 

waters from these beds; waters from the Vicksburg contain only 

about one-eighth as much magnesium as calcium, whereas waters 

from the older limestones of the Central States contain one-third to 

one-half as much magnesium as calcium. The waters from the 

Vicksburg are much lower in total mineral content and in all constituents except silica, which though exhibiting local differences 

seems to be relatively constant, irrespective of the range of other

1 Pole, E. B., Chemical character of the waters of southwestern Ohio: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply 

Paper 259, p. 212,1912.

3 Dole,- E. B., Chemical character of the waters of north-central Indiana: U. S. Geol. Survey WaterSupply Paper 254, p. 261,1910.

38418° WSP 341 15 34
530 UNDERGROUND WATERS OF COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

constituents. The relatively small content of sulphate and chloride in the waters of the Vicksburg also is noteworthy.

TABLB 120. Comparison of quality of water from Vicksburg formation of Georgia with 

that from older limestones in Ohio and Indiana.

Mineral content In parts per million.

A.......

B.......

C.. ......

Number of 

analyses 

averaged.

28

20

80

Silica 

(Si02).

20

20

18

Iron

(re).

1

.5

1.8

Calcium 

(Ca).

40

80

82

Magnesium 

(Mg).

5

40

31

Sodium and potassium 

(Na+K).

10

20

27

Carbonate 

radicle 

(CO,).

0

0

0

Bicarbonate 

radicle 

(HC03).

140

360

341

Sulphate 

radicle 

(S0<).

20

80

70

Chlorine 

(Cl).

5

25

19

Total 

dissolved 

solids.

190

440

466

Percentage composition of tbe anhydrous residues.

D. ......

E.......

F.. ......

12

4

4

1

0

0

24

18

20

3

9

7

5

5

7

40

40

40

12

18

17

3

6

5

A. Average of anatyses of water from the Vicksburg formation of Georgia.

B. Average of analyses of water from the "Niagara" limestone of southwestern Ohio.

C. Average of analyses of water from the limestones yielding fresh water in north-central Indiana.

D, E, and F. Percentage composition of anhydrous residues computed respectively from A, B, and C.

QUALITY IN RELATION TO GEOGRAPHIC POSITION.

Most ground waters in the belt of counties along the northwestern 

border of the Coastal Plain are low in mineral content and soft, 

carrying less than 150 parts per million of dissolved solids and less 

than 50 parts of hardening constituents. The waters of many deep 

wells along the coast in Mclntosh, Glynn, and Camden counties contain 50 to 120 parts per million of sulphate and 200 to 400 parts of 

dissolved matter, and are proportionately much harder than supplies elsewhere, though the excessive content of chlorine that might 

be expected is not present. Throughout the rest of the State 

spring waters are not uncommonly lower in mineral content than the 

well waters, which range in general from 150 to 300 parts per million 

in total solids and from 50 to 200 parts in total hardness and commonly contain less than 20 parts per million of sulphate and less 

than 10 parts per million of chlorine.

RELATION OP QUALITY TO DEPTH.

It has been stated that the greater the depth of the water-bearing 

strata in Georgia the greater the amount of mineral matter dissolved 

in water from them. In some senses this is true. Many spring waters 

of the State contain less mineral matter than waters from wells 

entering deeper strata of the same formation, though whether the 

difference of mineral content is essentially a factor of depth or is 

caused by differences in the composition and texture of the waterbearing beds has not been demonstrated. It is also true that many
CHEMICAL CHARACTER OF WATERS. 531

wells drawing chiefly from the Cretaceous at depths of 200 to 600 

feet yield more strongly mineralized waters than wells entering the 

Cretaceous formations where they are not overlain by Eocene strata 

that yield strongly calcareous waters. The most reasonable explanations of this difference are that the waters of the Cretaceous in the 

deeper wells are mixed with waters from the overlying Eocene 

or that the water-bearing beds become more strongly calcareous 

toward the coast. Aside from these differences, however, there 

seems to be no basis for the belief that mineral content of water 

increases with depth of well in the Coastal Plain of Georgia. The 

deeper wells at some places yield the stronger waters, but at other 

places the reverse is true. For example, the water of a well 264 feet 

deep at Fort Gaines contains 238 parts per million of dissolved matter 

and has a hardness of 25 parts, and the water of another well 650 feet 

deep at the same place in the same formation contains 248 parts of 

dissolved matter and has a hardness of 23 parts. The slight difference 

of mineral content is insignificant. Two 710-foot wells entering the 

Kipley at Albany furnish supplies containing 160 and 193 parts per 

million of dissolved matter. Three analyses of water from different 

levels (all reported to be in the Vicksburg formation) in the same well 

in Lowndes County afford an excellent illustration of the irregular 

differences in mineral content; the total mineral contents of waters 

from the 360-foot, 460-foot, and 515-foot horizons are, respectively, 

150,138, and 149 parts; and the corresponding hardnesses are 107, 90, 

and 105 parts. Throughout the Coastal Plain local differences in 

the character and structure of the water-bearing beds or in the 

rate of diffusion from overlying beds cause local differences in the 

composition of the ground waters, but these differences conform to 

no general rule. As a matter of fact waters from the same depth in 

the same formation and in the same county may be essentially alike 

or noticeably different, and waters from different depths in a given 

formation may or may not differ in composition.

ECONOMIC VALUE OF THE WATERS.

The surface waters are lower in mineral content than most of the 

ground waters and consequently are better for industrial use. After 

the heavy loads of silt have been removed the river waters are 

excellent for general industrial use, being soft, usually only slightly 

colored, and low in scale-forming and foaming constituents. Proper 

filtration of them furnishes water low in mineral content, generally 

low in iron, soft, and otherwise satisfactory for municipal supplies.

The ground waters from Cretaceous strata are fairly low in mineral 

content, are usually soft, and are entirely acceptable for domestic 

use unless they contain too much iron.
532 UNDERGROUND WATERS OP COASTAL PLAIN OF GEORGIA.

The waters from later formations are calcium carbonate waters 

of moderately mineral content, rather hard, but most of them not 

too hard for domestic use. A number of them are low in sulphates, 

chlorides, and alkalies, and consequently can be softened for boiler 

use at relatively little expense. Preheaters would remove a great 

part of the scale-forming material, and none of the waters analyzed 

is too high in mineral content to be amenable to treatment in a coldwater softening plant. Many supplies from Tertiary rocks are 

reported to be "sulphurous" that is, to contain some hydrogen 

sulphide and such supplies might cause corrosion of water mains, 

flush tanks, and boilers. This gas, however, is readily removed or 

oxidized by aeration, and probably the iron in many of the waters 

could be similarly removed.
INDEX.

A.

Abbevflle, Poor Eobin Spring near........... 460

water supply of.................... 458-459,461

Acids in water, effects of.................. 479-480

Adams, water supply at................... 308,309

Adel, water supply of....................... 144

Albany, water supply of........... 235-238,241-242

Allehhurst, artesian well at............ 314,315-316

Altamaha upland, description of............ 32-34

Alum Bluff formation, composition of water

from.......................... 524-525

distribution and character of............ 89-94

plates showing.................... 86,90,91,94

.water in............................... 130-131

Americus, public fountain at, plate showing.. 240 

water supply of................. 393-397,399-400

Andersonvflle, artesian weU and spring

at...............if........"398,399-400

Ansley, J. B., acknowledgments to......... 393,394

Apalachicola group, distribution and character of.......................... 86-94

Appalachian Mountains, description of....... 26-27

Appalachian Valley, description of.......... 26-27

Appling County, topography and geology

of............................. 133-134

water resources of..................... 134-135

Arcadia, artesian well at................... 315-316

Arlington (Calhoun County), water supply of. 171

~ 172,174-175 

Arlington (Early County), artesian wells

near........................... 246-247

Armena,artesian wells at............. 308,309,310

Artesian wells. See "Wells, artesian.

Ashburn, water supply of.................... 433

Atwood, George E., acknowledgment to...... 325

Augusta, water supply of.......... 371-372,374-375

B.

Babcock, artesian well at.................. 340-341

Bacteria in water, precautions against...... 484-485

Bahnsen, B. F., acknowledgment to......... 396

Bambridge, water supply of.. ... 220-221,222-223 

Baker County, topography and geology of.. 135-136

water resources of..................... 136-138

Baldwin County, topography and geology of 138-139

water resources of..................... 139-140

Barksdale, J. "W.,acknowledgment to........ 445

Barnwell sand, distribution and character of. 79-80

water in............................... 127-129

Barrett, Thomas, jr., acknowledgment to.... 371

Barrington, artesian well at............ 326,327-328

Bartow, water supply of............... 288-289,290

Barwick, water supply of.................. 155-156

Bassler, E. S., fossils identified by.. 358,394,403,404 

Baumgartner, Fred,acknowledgment to... 261,326 

Baxley, water supply of.................... 134-135

Page. 

Bay, use of term............................. 33

Beach, artesian well at.................... 439,440

Beachton,artesianweUat.................. 269-270

Belfast, artesian wells at.................. 160-161

Ben Hill County, topography and geology of.. 140

water resources of..................... 140-142

Berrien County, topography and geology of. 142-143

water resources of..................... 143-146

Bibb County, topography and geology of... 146-147

water resources of..................... 147-151

Big Pond, description of...................... 42

Blackshear, water supply of............... 356-357

Bladen, artesian well at............... 263,264-266

Blakely, water supply of.............. 245,246-247

Bleckley County set off from Pulaski County. 151 

Blue Spring, description of..............".... 240

stream flowing from, plate showing...... 240

Bluff ton, well and spring in............... 199-200

Boilers, compounds for use in............. 474-475

heating and purifying water for........ 495-497

rating of waters for .................... 475-477

remedies for water troubles in......... 473-474

softening waters for...................... 478

waters harmful to..................... 471-473

Boston, water supply of................... 422-423

Bowens Mill, artesian wellat................ 142

Bradley, Daniel, acknowledgment to.... .. 387

Bridges, E. L., acknowledgment to.......... 376

Brooks County, topography and geology of. 152-153

water resources of..................... 153-156

Broxton,artesianweDat.................. 204-205

Brace, J. S., acknowledgment to............ 460

Brunswick, water supply of....... 260-261,264-267

Bryan County, topography and geology of.. 156-157

water resources of..................... 157-161

Buena Vista, artesian wells at......... 336-337,338

water supply of.....:.............. 336-337,338

Buffalo Swamp, description of............... 42

Bulloch County, topography and geology of.. 162

water resources of..................... 163-164

Burke County, topography and geology of. 164-166

water resources of...................... 166-170

Burnham, "W. W., acknowledgment to...... 467

Burnt Fort, artesian well at............... 182-183

Burroughs, artesian wells at............... 190-192

Byron, artesian well at..... 1.............. 277-278

Byronville, water supply of....... 230-231,232-233

C.

Cairo, water supply of................. 268-269,270

Calcareous marine sand of the Bipley formation, plate showing.............. 64

Calcium in water, effects of........ 481-482,485-486

Calhoun County, topography and geology

of.............................. 170-171

water resources of..................... 171-175

Calvary, artesian well at. ............... 269-270

533
534 INDEX.

Page. 

Camden County, topography and geology

of............................. 175-177

water resources of...................... 177-180

Camilla, water supply of................... 343,344

Carbonates in water, effects of............. 482,486

Carter, W. K., acknowledgment to.......... 246

Chalker, wells at............................ 446

Chamberlin, T. C., cited..................... 120

Chandler, J. H., acknowledgment to......... 343

Chandler, S. S., acknowledgments to......... 220,

245,276,422 

Charlton County, topography and geology

of.............................. 181-182

water resources of...................... 182-183

Charlton formation, distribution and character of.......................... 101-102

on St. Marys River, plate showing....... 100

water in................................. 132

Chatham County, topography and geology

of.............................. 183-184

water resources of...................... 185-192

Chattahoochee anticline, description of...... 57-59

Chattahoochee County, topography and

geology of..................... 192-193

water resources of..................... 193-195

Chattahoochee formation, composition of

water from.................... 523-524

distribution and character of............. 86-89

limestone of, plate showing............... 86

sink in, plate showing................... 34

water in................................. 130

Chattahoochee River, analyses of water from. 498 

bluffs on, plates showing.............. 60,62,63

Chauncey, water supply of............. 226/227,228

Chester, water supply of........... 225-226,227,228

Chlorides in water, effects of............ 482-483,485

Claiborne group, subdivisions of............. 73

water in............................... 127-129

composition of ........................ 515-517

Clay,L. B., acknowledgment to.............. 288

Clay Couuty, topography and geology of.... 196-197

water resources of...................... 197-200

Claxton, water supply of.................. 404-405

Clinch County, topography and geology of.. 200-201 

water resources of...................... 201-202

Clyde, artesian wells at.............>...... 160-161

Coastal Plain of Georgia, fresh-water swamps

of............................... 40-43

general features of....................... 28-29

geologic map of.......................... 52

lakes and ponds of....................... 39-40

map of the underground water resources

of................................... 122

springs of................................ 43

stratigraphy of.......................... 52-56

streams of............................... 38-39

structure in............................. 56-59

terraces of............................... 38

Cochran, artesian well at................... 361-362

Cocke, I. P., acknowledgment to............. 308

Coffee County, topography and geology of.. 202-203 

water resources of..................... 203-505

Cofflnton, artesian wells at............. 387,389-390

Cole, J. E., acknowledgment to.............. 367

Collins, water supply of.................... 405,406

Page. 

Color in water, objections to.................. 480

Colquitt County, topography and geology of. 205-206 

water resources of...................... 206-208

Colquitt, water supply of.................. 339-341

Columbia County, topography and geology

of............................. 208-209

water resources of........................ 209

Columbia group, formations of............. 103-111

Columbus, section from, to the Florida State

line south of Thomasvllle ........ 52

water supply of........................ 350-355

Coney, artesian wells near.................. 215-216

Congaree clay member, distribution and

character of...................... 77-78

plate showing........................... 78

water in............................... 127-129

Connelly, J. R., acknowledgment to........ 356,451

Cooperation by the State.................... 25

Cordele, water supply of........... 214-215,216-218

Cordray Mill, artesian well at.......... 173,174-175

Corrosion of boilers.......................... 472

Cowarts, artesian wells at.................. 246-247

Crawford County, topography and geology 

of............................. 209-210

water resources of...................... 210-212

Creighton Island, artesian well at....... 326,327-328

Cretaceous series, Lower, Arkose of, on 

Columbus-Macon road, plate 

showing......................... 60

features of............................... 60-62

strata of, on Chattahoochee River, plate

showing......................... 60

water in............................... 124-125

composition of........................ 508-510

Cretaceous series, Upper, formations of...... 62-66

water in............................... 125-126

composition of..................... 510-514

Crisp County, topography and geology of.. 212-213 

water resources of..................... 214-218

Crispin, artesian well at............ 263-264,264-266

Cumberland Plateau, description of......... 26-27

Cushnian, J. A., fossils determined by..... 318-319

Cusseta sand member of the Ripley formation, plate showing.............. 65

water supply of......................... 194

Cuthbert, water supply of................. 367,368

D.

Ball, W.H., cited................?....._..... 90

Damascus, water supply of........ 245-246,246-247

Darien, artesian wells at........... 324-325,327-328

Davisboro, artesian well at................ 446,447

mineral spring west of................. 446,447

Dawson, water supply of.............. 417,419; 420

Decatur County, topography and geology of 218-219

water resources of..................... 219-223

Deering, L. L., acknowledgment to......... 263

Depth of water-bearing beds, relation of quality to.......................... 530-531

Dexter, water supply of..................... 303

Diarrhea, waters causing.................... 486

Doboy, artesian well at................ 326,327-328

Doctortown, artesian well at.......... 452-453,454

Dodge County, topography and geology of.. 224-225

water resources of..................... 225-228
INDEX. 535

Doerun, water supply of................... 207,208

Dole, R.B., work of......................... 25

Doles, artesian well at..................... 467,468

Domestic use, requirements of water for... 483-487 

Donald, artesian wells at.............. 313,315-316

Donaldsonville, water supply of....... 221,222-223

Dooling, water supply of.................... 232

Dooly County, topography and geology of. 228-229

water resources of..................... 229-233

Dorchester, artesian wells at............... 315-316

Dougherty County, topography and geology

of............................. 233-235

water resources of..................... 235-242

Dougherty plain, description of.............. 31-32

Douglas, watersupply of.................. 204-205

Dover, artesian well at................ 380,382-383

Doyle, artesian well at...................... 337

Dublin, watersupply of............... 303,304,305

Ducker,artesian well at............... 240,241-242

Duplin Marl, distribution and character of.. 99-100

plate showing........................... 90

E.

Early County, topography and geology of.. 243-244 

water resources of..................... 244-247

Eastman, water supply of................. 225,227

Echols County, topography and geology of.. 248 

water resources of....................... 249

Economic value of the waters............. 531-532

Eden, artesian wells at................ 251,252-253

Edison, water supply of............... 173,174-175

Edwards, H. S.,cited....................... 148

Efflngham County, topography and geology

of............................. 249-250

water resources of...................... 250-253

Egypt, artesian well at................. 251,252-253

Elevations, list of............................ 44-51

Ellavflle, water supply of.................. 376-377

Elmodel, artesian well at.................. 137-138

Emanuel County, topography and geology

Of.............................. 253-254

water resources of...................... 254-256

Eocene series, formations of.................. 67-83

water in............................... 127-129

composition of..................... 514-520

Eufaula, Ala., artesian wells at............ 364-365

Eutaw formation, clay of, in Slick Bluff, plate

showing......................... 63

concretions in, plate showing............ 62

distribution and character of............ 62-64

sands and clays in, plate showing........ 62

unconsolidatedsand of, plate showing... 63 

water in................................. 125

composition of.......................... 514

Evans, A. W., acknowledgment to........... 444

Evaporation, conditions affecting............ 117

Evelyn, artesian well at............... 264,265-266

Everett City, artesian well at.......... 263,265-266

Everhart, Edgar, work of.................... 25

F.

Fall-line hills, description of.......".......... 29-31

Feed water, heating and purifying of....... 495-497

Filtration, rapid sand, method of.......... 493-494

slow sand, method of.................. 491-493

Fincher, J. L.,acknowledgment to.......... 274

Fitzgerald, water supply of................ 141,142

Flemington, artesian wells at.......... 314,315-316

Flint, artesian wells at....................... 344

Flint River, analyses of water from.......... 502

Floyd, W. J., acknowledgments to.......... 313,

314,380,381 

Foaming in boilers.......................... 473

Folkston, artesian well at.................. 182-183

Formations, principal water-bearing....... 507-508

Fort, John P., acknowledgment to........... 239

Fort Gaines, water supply of.......... 197-199,200

Fort McAllister, artesian wells at...... 159,160-161

Fort Valley, water supply of....... 274-275,277-279

Fossils, occurrence of.. 68, 69, 72, 75,76,78,80,82-83,

86,88-89,91,93,97-98,99,

100,102,108-110,236,237

Fuller, M. L., cited.......................... 121

and Sanford, Samuel, acknowledgments

to.......:..................... 357,404

cited.............................. 221-222

G.

Geographic position, quality of water in relation to........................... 530

Georgetown, artesian well northeast of...... 364

gully northeast of, plate showing........ 65

Gibson, water supply of................... 257-258

Gidley, J. W., fossils identified by............ 109

i Girard, water supply of.................... 169-170

Glascock County, topography and geology

of.............................. 256-257

water resources of...................... 257-258

Glynn County, topography and geology of.. 258-259

water resources of...................... 259-267

Golden, I.E., acknowledgment to........... 354

Goldsmith, artesian wells at............... 283,284

Gordon, artesian well at..................... 464

Gough, water supply of.................... 169-170

Gracewood, artesian well at........ 372-373,374-375

Grady County, topography and geology of. 267-268

water resources of...................... 268-270

Graves, artesian wells at................... 418,419

Greene, C. C., acknowledgment to......... 198-199

Greene, W. S., acknowledgment to.......... 351

Greens Cut, artesian wells at............... 168-170

Greer, R. L., acknowledgment to............ 330

Griswoldville, artesian well at............... 300

Gullies, description of....................... 30-31

Guyton, artesian well at............... 251,252-253

H.

i, artesian well at.................... 405,406

Hancock County, topography and geology

of........................... 270-271

water resources of....................... 271

Harrell, G. H., acknowledgment to.......... 286

Hawkinsville, water supply of............. 360-362

Hazelhurst, water supply of........... 282-283,284

Heartsease, artesian well at................... 145

Helena, artesian wells at............... 412,414,415

Henry County) Ala., artesian well in........ 199

Herndon, artesian wells at............. 293-294,295

Hershman, artesian well at................ 381-383

Higgston, water supply of............. 346,347-348

Hiltori & Dodge Lumber Co., acknowledgmentto......................... 262
536 INDEX.

Hogan, J. F., acknowledgment to............ 364

Houston County, topography and geology

of............................ 271-272

water resources of...................... 273-279

Hughes Specialty Well Drilling Co., acknowledgments to............... 372,379,450

Huguenin, artesian wells at............ 398,399-400

Hydrogen sulphide in water, effects of..... 483,485

I.

Ice, artesian well at........................ 358-359

Idylwild, artesian wells at................. 298-299

Iron City, water supply of............. 221,222-223

Iron in water, effects of................ 480-481,485

Irwin County, topography and geology of. 279-280 

water resources of..................... 280-281

Irwinton, artesian wellsat................... 463

J.

Jackson formation, distribution and character of............................ 80-83

water in................................. 129

composition of..................... 517-518

James, T. J., acknowledgments to..... 337,397,456

Jay Bird Spring, description of.............. 226

Jeff Davis County, topography and geology

of.............................. 281-282

' water resources of...................... 282-284

Jefferson County, topography and geology

of............................. 284-285

water resources of...................... 285-291

Jekyl Island, artesian well on.......... 264,265-267

Jenkins County, topography and geology of. 291-292 

water resources of..................... 292-296

Jesup, artesian wells at............ 450-451,454,455

Johnson County, topography and geology

of.............................. 296-297

water resources of...................... 297-299

Johnston, Thomas T., cited................ 185-187

Jointer Island, artesian well on........ 261,265-267

Jones County, topography and geology of.. 299-300 

water resources of...................... 300-301

June, Robert, acknowledgment to........... 260

K. 

Keller, water supply of............ 158-159,160-161

Kibbee, spring near......................... 347

Kingsland, water supply of................ 178-180

Kioka Place, artesian well at.......... 239,241-242

Kite, artesian well at...................... 298,299

L.

Lakes, use of water from .........

Laurens County, topography and

of...............................

water resources of.....................

Leary, water supply of............ 172-173,

Lee County, topography and geology of...

water resources of......................

Leesburg, artesian wells at. _..... 306-307,

Lela, artesian well at.......................

Leslie, artesian wells at....................

Liberty County, topography and geology of.

water resources of.....................

Lithia water, value of......................

Littlejohn, J. A., acknowledgment to.......

Loughridge, E. H.,cited...................

118

301-302

302-305 

174-175

305-306

306-310 

309,310 

221-222 

398-400 

310-311 

312-316

215

41,90

Louisville, water supply of........ 286-288,290,291

Lowe, J. G., acknowledgment to............. 336

Lowndes County, topography and geology

of. ........................... 316-317

water resources of...................... 317-320

Loyd, H. F., acknowledgments to......... 293,294

Ludowici, water supply of......... 312-313,315-316

Lumber City, water supply of......... 413-414,415

Lumpkin, water supply of............. 386,389-390

wells near............................. 387,388

Lyons, artesian wells at................... 430,431

M.

McArthur plantation, artesian well on....... 346

McBean formation, distribution and character

of................................ 73-78

Ostrea georginaa from, plate showing..... 74

plates showing.......................... 74,78

water in............................... 127-129

McCallie, S. \V., acknowledgments to........ 26

cited.................................. 144,167,

172,177,188,194-195,198,204,225,230,231,

245-246,251,252,261,262,263,264,269,276,

280-281,286,288,289,294,307,308,324,326,

330,331,332,337,358,367,396-397,398,405,

408,418,444,452-453,459,463,464,466-467

McDuffie County, topography and geology of. 321

water resources of..................... 321-322

Mclntosh County, topography and geology

of............................ 322-323

water resources of...................... 323-328

McNulty, F. W., acknowledgment to........ 417

Macon, log of well south of................... 149

section from a locality near, to the mouth

of St. Marys River, plate showing 52 

water supply of.................... 148,150-151

Macon County, topography and geology of.. 328-329 

water resources of...................... 329-334

McPhaul, J. C., acknowledgment to......... 467

McRae (Montgomery County), artesian wells

at............................. 347-348

McRae (Telfair County), water supply of.. 413,414 

Magnesium in water, effects of..... 481-482,485-486

Magnolia Spring, description of............ 397-398

Manassas, artesian well at................. 405-406

Manta, railroad cut at, plate showing Cusseta sand member in............. 65

Mardre, W. L., acknowledgment to.......... 386

Marion County, topography and geology of. 334-335 

water resources of...................... 335-338

Marks Head marl, distribution and character

of............................... 98-99

plate showing............................ 90

Marshall, C. D.,acknowledgment to......... 417

Marshallvflle, artesian wells at............. 332,333

Marshes, salt, nature of...................... 37

Mauk, wells near.......................... 409,410

Mears, water supply of............. 380-381,382-383

Medicinal use, waters for.................. 487-489

Meldrim, artesian wells at................. 252-253

Midville, water supply of.............. 168,169-170

Midway formation, distribution and characterof.......................... 67-70

water in................................. 127

composition of..................... 514-515

Mflledgeville, water supply of................ 139
INDEX. 537

Mfllen, water supply of................ 293,295,296

Miller County, topography and geology of. 338-339

water resources of...................... 339-341

Mfllhaven, artesian wells at............. 380,382-383

Milltown, water supply of................. 144,145

Mineral substances found in water......... 470-471

Miocene series, formations of................ 98-100

general features of....................... 97-98

water in............................... 131-132

Miona Springs, description of................ 332

Mitchell County, topography and geology

of.............................. 341-342

water resources of...................... 342-344

Montezuma, flowing well of E. J. Wilson at,

plate showing................... 330

water supply of........ 330-332,333-334

Montgomery, artesian wells south of....... 190-191

Montgomery County, topography and geology of......................... 344-345

water resources of...................... 345-348

Morven, water supply of................... 155-156

Morgan, water supply of............... 173,174-175

Moultrie, water supply of.............. 206-207,208

Mount Pleasant, artesian wells at.. 451-452,454,455 

Mount Vernon, water supply of........ 346,347-348

Munn, J. P., acknowledgment to............ 336

Murphy, H., acknowledgment to............ 438

Muscogee County, topography and geology

of.............................. 348-350

water resources of...................... 350-355

N.

New Lacey, artesian well at................. 135

Newton, water supply of.................... 137

Nixon, S. J., acknowledgment to............ 463

Norman Park, water supply of............ 207-208

0.

Oakfield, artesian wells at................. 467-468

Ochwalkee, artesian well at................ 347-348

Ocilla, water supply of..................... 280-281

Ocmulgee River, analyses of water from..... 499

Oconee, artesian well at............... 445-446,447

Oconee River, analyses of water from........ 503

Offerman, water supply of................. 357-358

Oglethorpe, artesian wells at........... 330,333-334

public flowing well at, plate showing.... 330

Okefenokee formation, distribution and

character of.................... 103-107

in Columbus-Lumpkin road, plate showing.............................. 106

sand used in the manufacture of glass,

plate showing................... 106

Okefenokee plate, description of............. 35-36

Okefenokee Swamp, description of........... 40-42

Old Danville, artesian well at.......... 398,399-400

Oligocene beds, weathered phase of, plate

showing......................... 94

Oligocenerseries, formations of............. 83-97

water in............................... 129-131

composition of..................... 520-526

Oligocene to Pleistocene series, undifferentiated materials of................. 94-97

water in................................. 132

composition of..................... 526-527

Omaha, artesian wells at.............. 387,389-390

Oos+anaula River, analyses of water from.... 501

Organic matter in water, eft*ects of........... 483

Ossabaw Island, artesian wells at.......... 160-161

Ostrea georgiana, plate showing.............. 74

P. .

Parrott, water supply of................... 418,419

PataulaCreek, narrows of, plate showing.... 64

waterfall on, plate showing.............. 64

Paullin, J. E., acknowledgment to........... 198

Pavo, artesian well at....................... 423.

Pelham, water supply of................... 343,344

Pembroke, water supply of............... 159-161

Perkins, water supply of............... 293,295,296

Perry, water supply of................. 276,277-279

Philema, artesian wells at............. 308,309,310

Piedmont Plateau, description of........... 27-28

Pierce County, topography and geology of. 355-356

water resources of...................... 356-359

Pinehurst, water supply of................ 231,232

Pineview, artesian wells at................ 460,461

Pitts, artesian well at...................... 460,461

Plains, artesian wells at............... 397,399-400

Plants, growth of, in water................ 483-484

Pleistocene series, formations of............ 102-111

water in............................... 132-133

See also Oligocene. 

Pliocene series, distribution and character

of.............................. 100-102

water in................................. 132

Poisonous substances in water............... 485

Ponds, use of water from.................... 118

Pooler, water supply of.................... 189-191

Poor Robin Spring, description of........... 460

Poulan, water supply of............... 466,468,469

Preston, artesian well at................... 456-457

Pretoria, water supply of.............. 240,241-242

Providence sand member of the Ripley formation, plate showing r.......... 65

Provinces, geologic, rocks of................. 52

Pulaski County, topography and geology of. 359-360

water resources of...................... 360-362

Purification of water, objects sought in.... 489-490

processes employed in................. 490-497

Putnam, spring near........................ 338

Putney, artesian wellat............... 240,241-242

Q.

Quitman, water supply of............. 154-155,156

Quitman County, topography and geology

of.............................. 362-363

water resources of..................... 363-365

R.

Rainfall, disposition of..................... 116-118

mean annual............................ 116

Randolph County, topography and geology

of.............................. 365-366

water resources of...................... 366-368

Recent deposits, distribution and character

of.............................. 111-112

Red hills, nature of.......................... 30

Reidsville, water supply of............ 403-404,406

Rentz, artesian well at..................... 303-304

Reynolds, artesian well at................. 408,410

dug wellat.............:.......-.. 408-409,410
538 INDEX.

Rhine, artesian well at.................... 226,227

Riceboro, artesian wells at................. 315-316

Richland, water supply of............. 386,389-390

Richmond County, topography and geology

of.............................. 369-370

water resources of...................... 370-375

Richwood, water supply of................ 231,232

Ripley formation, distribution and character

of................................ 64-66

members of, plates showing.............. 64,65

water in............................... 125-126

composition of..................... 510-513

River waters, average composition of........ 504

Rochelle, artesian well at.................. 459,461

Rocks, water combined with................ 117

Rockyford, artesian wells at........... 380,382-383

Roding, artesian wells at.................... 160

Rogers, water supply of.................... 294,295

Run-off, influences affecting............... 116-117

S.

Saffold, artesian wells near................. 246,247

St. Catherines Island, artesian wells on....... 314,

315-316 

St. Marys, water supply of............. 177,179-180

St. Simons Island, artesian wells on....... 261-263,

265-267 

mudfrom, analysis of.................... ill

Sandersville, artesian wells at.......... 444,446,447

Sand hills, nature of..................... 30,34,114

Sand stream near Tazewell, plate showing... 34 

Sands, surficial gray, of the upland, distribution and character of................... 112-115

Sapelo Island, artesian well on............. 525-526

Sasser, artesian wells at.................... 418,419

Satilla coastal lowland, description of........ 36-38

Satilla formation, distribution and character

of.............................. 107-111

on Altamaha River, plate showing........ 100

Satilla terrace plain, plate showing.......... 35

Savannah, water supply of........ 185-189,190-192

Savannah River, analyses of water from..... 500

Scale, formation of, in boilers.............. 471-472

Scarboro, artesian well at.................. 294,295

Schley County, topography and geology of.. 375-376 

water resources of...................... 376-377

Scotland, artesian wells at................. 413,414

Screven County, topography and geology of. 377-378 

water resources of...................... 378-383

Shamrock Springs, artesian wells at........ 414,415

Shelhnan, record of well at................... 71

water supply of........................ 367-368.

Sink in limestone, near Recovery, plate showing.............................. 34

Slichter,C.S., cited....................... 185-188

Slick Bluff, Chattahoochee River, plate showing.................:............ 63

Sloan, Earle, cited........................... 77

Smith, E. A., cited.................... 194,364,365

Smith, J. A.,cited........................... 277

Smith-vine, water supply of................ 307,309

Sodiumin water, effect of.................... 483

Softening water, methods of............... 494-495

Somerville, artesian wells at........... 372,374-375

Soperton, artesian wells at................. 347-348

Southern lime-sink region, description of.... 34-35

Page. 

Southland, well near....._..._........ 409,410

Sparks, water supply of............... 144,145,146

Spencer, J.W.,cited................. 214,220-221,

237-238,240,367,422 

Spread, water supply of............... 289,290,291

Springfield, water supply of....... ^.... 251,252-253

Springs, water supplies from................. 123

Statesboro, water supply of................ 163-164

Stephens, C. V., acknowledgment to......... 389

Stephenson, L. W., work of................. 25-26

Stevens Pottery, artesian well at............ 140

Stewart County, topography and geology of 383-385

water resources of...................... 385-390

Streams, water supplies from................ 118

Strickland, J. O.,cited.................... 159-160

Sulphates in water, effects of.............. 482,486

Sumter, artesian well at............... 398,399-400

Sumter County, topography and geology of. 391-392

water resources of...................... 392-400

Suspended matter in water, effects of....... 480

Sylvania, water supply of......... 379-380,382-383

Sylvester, water supply of............. 466,468,469

Swamps, fresh-water, nature of.............. 40-43

tidal, nature of.......................... 37

upland, nature of........................ 37

T.

Tague, James, acknowledgment to........... 286

Talbot County, topography and geology of.. 401

water resources of...................... 401-402

Tarboro, artesian wells at.............. 178,179-180

rice and lumber mill at, plate showing.. 152 

Tattnall County, topography and geology of 402-403

water resources of...................... 403-406

Taylor, D. M.,cited......................... 372

Taylor County, topography and geology of. 406-407

water resources of...................... 407-410

Tazewell, spring near...................... 337-338

Telfair County, topography and geology of. 411-412

water resources of...................... 412-415

Tennile, artesian wells at.............. 445,446,447

Terrace deposits, coastal, description of... 104-105,

107-110

fluviatile, description of...... 105-107,110-111

Pleistocene, plate showing............... 106

Terrace plain bordering St. Marys River,

plate showing................... 35

west of new Savannah Bluff, plate showing.............................. 35

Terrell County, topography and geology of. 415-416

water resources of.................... 417-420

Thalman, artesian well at............. 261,265-267

Thomas Bluff, on Chattahooehee River,

plate showing.................... 60

Thomas County, topography and geology of 420-421

water resources of..................... 421-424

Thomasville, water supply of.............. 422,423

Thompson, artesian well at................ 321-322

Tift, C. W., acknowledgments to...... 236,237,238

Tift County, topography and geology of. 424-425

water resources of...................... 425-428

Tifton, water supply of................ 426-427,428

Tingle, artesian well at................ 303,304,305

Toombs County, topography and geology of 428-429

water resources of...................... 429-413

Toomsboro, artesian wells at............... 463-464
INDEX. 539

Towns, artesian wells at................... 413,414

Tufts Springs, location of.................... 150

Turner County, topography and geology of. 432-433

water resources of...................... 433-434

Twiggs County, topography and geology of. 434-435

water resources of........................ 435

Tybee Island, artesian wells on........ 189,190-192

U. 

Ulrich, E. O., fossil identified by............ 395

UnadUla, water supply of.............. 230,232,233

Underground storage of water............... 118

V.

Valona, artesian well at................ 325,327-328

Valdosta, water supply of................. 318-320

Van Buren, J. K., acknowledgment to....... 300

Vaughan, T. W., acknowledgments to....... 26

fossils identified by....................... 69,

72,76,88,99,100,102,109,236,293,304,394 

Vaughn, S. B., acknowledgment to.......... 371

Veatch, J. O., work of....................... 25-26

Vegetation, water taken up by.............. 117

Vicksburg formation, distribution and character of.......................... 83-86

flint and limestone of, plate showing..... 78

water in.............................. 129-130

composition of..................... 520-523

Vidalia,watersupplyof................... 430-431

Vienna, water supply of........... 229-230,232,233

W.

Wade Spring, plate showing................. 152

Wadley, artesian wells at.............. 288,290,291

Walden, T. W., acknowledgment to......... 257

Walden, artesian wells at.................. 148-149

Walker, J. P., acknowledgment to........... 330

Walton, G. L., acknowledgment to.......... 388

Walton, M., acknowledgment to............. 386

Ware County, topography and geology of.. 435-436

water resources of..................... 436-440

Warren County, topography and geology of.. 441

water resources of....................... 441

Warwick, G. W., acknowledgment to....... 307

Warwick, artesian well at................. 467,468

Washington County, topography and geology

Of............................. 442-443

water resources of..................... 443-448

Page. 

Water, chemical character of:............. 470-532

quality of......................... 119,530-531

requirements of, for manufacturing.... 478-479

uses of................................... 471

Water table, position of..................... 119

Waters, ground, chemical composition of.. 505-530

surface, chemical composition of....... 497-505

Waycross, water supply of............ 437-439,440

Wayne County, topography and geology of. 448-449

water resources of..................... 449-455

Waynesboro, water supply of...... 166-167,169-170

Ways, artesian wells at................ 158,160-161

Webster County, topography and geology

of............................. 455-456

water resources of..................... 456-457

Wells, artesian, conditions requisite for.... 120-121

artesian, definition of.................... 120

importance of....................... 120

possibilities of, In the Coastal Plain. 121-122 

water supplies from............... 123-124

shallow, water supplies from............ 123

Wheeler County set off from Montgomery

County.......................... 457

Whigham, water supply of................ 269-270

White Elk Spring, description of.......... 149-150

Wilcox County, topography and geology of. 457-458

water resources of..................... 458-461

Wilcox formation, distribution and character

of..........i.................... 70-73

water in................................. 127

Wild Kose Mineral Spring, description of.. 226,228 

Wilkinson County, topography and geology

of............................. 461-462

water resources of..................... 462-464

Willacoochee, water supply of............. 204-205

Wilson, E. J., acknowledgments to........ 331,336

Wind, deposition of sands by................ 115

Windsor Spring, description of.............. 373

Wingfield, Nlsbet, acknowledgment to...... 371

Withlacoochee anticline, description of...... 59

Wolf Island, artesian well at........... 326,327-328

Wood, N. W., acknowledgment to........... 351

Worth, artesian wells at................... 433-434

Worth County, topography and geology

of............................. 464-465

water resources of..................... 466-469

Wrens, artesian well at................ 289,290,291

Wrightsville, water supply of.......... 297-298,299

O