Present and Future Water 

Supply for Mammoth Cave 

National Park, Kentucky

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1475-Q

Prepared in cooperation with 

the National Park Service
Present and Future Water 

Supply for Mammoth Cave 

National Park, Kentucky

?y R. V. CUSHMAN, R. A. KRIEGER, and JOHN A. McCABE

HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 147S-Q

Prepared in cooperation with 

'he National Park Service

JNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1965
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas B. Nolan, Director

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, D.C. 20402 - Price 25 cents (paper cover)
CONTENTS

	Page 

Abstract__________________________________ 601

Introduction..__________________________________________________ 602

Water requirements______________________________________ 602

Available water information___________________________________ 606

Summary of potential supplies._____________________________________ 606

Present water supply at Mammoth Cave: adequacy of present sources and

storage ___ _________ ______________________ _ __ 608

Hydrologic system___________________________________________ 610

Potential sources of water supply________________________-___________ 613

Green River____________________________________ 613

Quantity.________________________________________________ 613

Quality____________________________________ 616

Suspended sediment______________________________________ 619

Nolin River____________________________________ 620

Water from small streams_____________________________-_-______ 621

Description and discharge________________________-_________ 626

Buffalo Creek_____________________________ 626

Three Sisters Hollow__ _ __ _ _____ _ ___________ 626

Big Spring Hollow________-_________-_______--_-____-_- 626

Ugly Creek___________________________________________ 627

Big Hollow. _____________________________ 627

Floating Mill Hollow.____.___________________ 627

Styx and Echo Rivers_______________________ 627

Closed basin near Pig__________________________________ 627

Sal, McCoy, and Dry Hollows.--._______________ 627

Dog Creek__......________________________ 627

Bylew, First, and Second Greeks------------------------ 628

Beaver Dam Creek. _________________________ 628

Quality____________________________________ 628

Water in alluvium adjacent to Green River_____________________ 628

Ground water in bedrock__________________________________-_-_- 629

Basal ground water_______________________________________ 629

Perched ground water in bedrock____________________________ 632

Perched ground water in Haney Limestone Member of the

Golconda Formation on Flint Ridge_______________________ 633

Perched ground water in Big Clifty Sandstone Member of the

Golconda Formation and Girkin Formation _____________ 639

Evaluation of potential sources___________________________________ 640

Green River____________________________________ 640

Nolin River___________________________________ 641

Perched water in Haney Limestone Member of the Golconda Formation. __________________________________________--_-.- 641

Small streams______-____--___-___--_--__--___-----_-_-________ 643

HI
IV CONTENTS

Evaluation of potential sources Continued Page 

Basal ground water__________________________________________ 643

Water in alluvium adjacent to Green River_____________________ 647

Perched water in Big Clifty Sandstone Member of the Golconda Formation and Girkin Formation_______________________________ 647

Selected references_______________________________________________ 647

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page

FIGURE 71. Map showing physiographic features and location of 

streams, wells, and springs in the Mammoth Cave 

area, Kentucky______-___-___________-___________ 604

72. Graph showing that increasing numbers of visitors and 

increasing per-capita water use require additional 

water-supply development for Mammoth Cave National Park________________________________ 606

73. Block diagram showing how topography and geology 

control the occurrence and movement of ground water 

in the Mammoth Cave area______________________ 611

74-81. Graphs:

74. Duration curves of daily flow, Green River at Mammoth

Cave______________________._____ 614

75. Magnitude and frequency of low flows, Green River at

Mammoth Cave________________________________ 615

76. Frequency of annual floods, Green River at Mammoth

Cave_____________________________ 615

77. Chemical composition of water of highest salinity during

July-September, Green River at Munfordville_______ 619

78. The flow of Three Springs, Mammoth Cave National

Park, in September and October__________________ 637

79. Comparison of present water supply for 100-day period,

May 29-Sept. 6, 1962, with indicated demands-___ 644

80. Comparison of present water supply plus Blair and 

Adwell Springs for 100-day period, May 29-Sept. 6, 

1962, with indicated demands______________________ 645

81. Comparison of total known water supply on Flint Ridge 

for 100-day period, May 29-Sept. 6,1962, with indicated 

demands._________ ______________________________ 646
CONTENTS V

TABLES

Page

TABLE 1. Evaluation of potential sources of supply for Mammoth

Cave National Park___________________________.__ 607

2. Chemical quality of Green River at Munfordville, October

1, 1950-January 31, 1963________________________ 617

3. Oil production in the upper Green River and its effect on

the potability of Green River water.________________ 618

4. Chemical quality of water in Nolin River, Wet Prong

Buffalo, Dog, Bylew, and Beaver Dam Creeks.______ 621

5. Discharge measurements made in Mammoth Cave 

National Park area excluding Green and Nolin Rivers, 

Flint Ridge springs, and Pike Spring______________ 621

6. Chemical quality of Styx River, Echo River, and Pike

Springs. _____________________________ 632

7. Chemical analyses of water from wells and springs,

Mammoth Cave National Park___________________ 634

8. Observed weekly flows of Flint Ridge springs and 

Bransford well and surplus or deficiency for several 

demands during June-September 1962______________ 642

9. Storage needed for selected supplies_________________ 643

HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

PRESENT AND FUTURE WATER SUPPLY FOR MAMMOTH 

CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY

By K. V. CUSHMAN, E. A. KEIEGER, and JOHN A. McCABE

ABSTRACT

The increase in the number of visitors during the past several years at Mammoth Cave National Park has rendered the present water supply inadequate. 

Emergency measures were necessary during August 1962 to supplement the 

available supply.

The Green River is the largest potential source of water supply for Mammoth 

Cave. The 30-year minimum daily discharge is 40 mgd (million gallons per 

day). The chemical quality is now good, but in the past the river has been 

contaminated by oil-field-brine wastes. By mixing it with water from the 

existing supply, Green River water could be diluted to provide water of satisfactory quality in the event of future brine pollution.

The Nolin River is the next largest potential source of water (minimum releases from Nolin Reservoir, 97-129 mgd). The quality is satisfactory, but 

use of this source would require a 8-mile pipeline.

The present water supply comes from springs draining a perched aquifer in 

the Haney Limestone Member of the Golconda Formation on Flint Ridge. 

Chemical quality is excellent but the minimum observed flow of all the springs 

on Flint Ridge plus Bransford well was only 121,700 gpd (gallons per day). 

This supply is adequate for present needs but not for future requirements; it 

could be augmented with water from the Green River.

Wet Prong Buffalo Creek is the best of several small-stream supplies in the 

vicinity of Mammoth Cave. Minimum flow of the creek is probably about 300,000 

gpd and the quality is good. The supply is about 5 miles from Mammoth Cave. 

This supply also may be utilized for a future separate development in the 

northern part of the park.

The maximum recorded yield of wells drilled into the basal ground water in 

the Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis Limestone is 36 gpm (gallons per minute). 

Larger supplies may be developed if a large underground stream is struck. 

Quality can be expected to be good unless the well is drilled too far below the 

basal water table and intercepts poorer quality water at a lower level. This 

source of supply might be used to augment the present supply, but locating the 

trunk conduits might be difficult.

Water in alluvium adjacent to the Green River and perched water in the Big 

Clifty Sandstone Member of the Golconda Formation and Girkin Formation 

have little potential as a water supply.

601
602 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this progress report is to summarize the available 

information on the quantity and quality of all sources of water in the 

area and to evaluate the information for use by National Park Service 

engineers and planners. Specifically, the report presents information 

to answer the questions: (1) Where can additional water supplies be 

obtained, (2) what is the chemical quality and dry-weather yield of 

the potential sources, (3) what is the type and extent of present or 

potential pollution of the sources, (4) how are the several potential 

supplies interrelated, and (5) which of the potential supplies can be 

developed to meet present and future needs ?

Mammoth Cave National Park, in south-central Kentucky (fig. 71), 

is one of the best known national parks in the Eastern United States; 

it operates on a year-round basis for a steadily increasing number of 

visitors. For the past several years the water system of the park was 

not adequate to supply all the water needs during the period of peak 

visitor load (late July and August), and water-conservation measures 

or water hauling was resorted to during the critical period. Because 

of the increased water use and because the Mission 66 program includes 

plans for the expansion of the overall facilities at Mammoth Cave 

National Park, a water supply much larger than that now developed 

is needed.

At the request of the National Park Service, an investigation of the 

water resources of Mammoth Cave National Park was undertaken by 

the U.S. Geological Survey in 1961. In addition to an overall appraisal of the hydrology of the area, the study includes an evaluation 

of the dry-weather yield of the developed sources of supply and the 

quantity, quality, and dependability of all potential sources of supply

WATER REQUIREMENTS

The increase in the number of visitors to Mammoth Cave National 

Park in the past several years and the estimated range of attendance 

to 1980 under the Mission 66 program are shown in figure 72. Any 

water supply that is planned must be able to meet not only the present 

water needs of the park but also future needs.

The greatest demand for water is during June through September 

because of increased visits during the vacation months. Unfortunately, the period of greatest demand is also the period when the available supply is nearing its annual low. The maximum use recorded 

was 623,000 gallons during the week of July 25-31, 1962 (Perry E. 

Brown, Superintendent, Mammoth Cave National Park, written commun., 1963), or an average daily rate of 89,030 gallons. On a peak 

day, June 27, 1962, 97,000 gallons were consumed by park visitors
(Glenn C. Farrar 

commun., 1962).

The existing su 

1962, and it was n 

Blair Spring and 

Signs asking user

Long-term 

to evaluate the fr 

discharge of the 

measure of the s

several thousand

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 603

, Engineer, Mammoth Cave National Park, written

pply was inadequate during the drought of August 

pessary to supplement the supply by pumping from 

aauling water by truck from Adwell Spring (fig. 71). 

to conserve water were posted, 

records of the developed supply are not available 

quency of a drought of this magnitude. The mean 

jrreen River during August 1962 is an approximate 

.verity of the drought as it affects the park water

supply during tlia period of greatest demand. The disadvantage of 

using Green River flow as an indicator is that the flow represents an 

integrated resultant of that part of the hydrologic cycle occurring in

quare miles of central Kentucky, whereas the present supply of Mammoth Cave comes from a perched aquifer that has 

a recharge area of only a few square miles. An advantage of using 

the mean flow o: the Green River during August as an indicator is 

that the flow dur:.ng August not only reflects the precipitation during 

August but the carryover effect from antecedent precipitation. Records for the gaging stations on Green River at Munfordville, Brownsville, and Calhoim were correlated to give an estimated mean August 

discharge at Brownsville for each missing year of record during the 

years 1915-22.1925-62. This list of actual or estimated mean August

discharges of Gr 

that a mean Auj 

148 mgd (millio

ien River at Brownsville for the 46-year period shows 

;ust flow of about 230 cfs (cubic feet per second) or 

i gallons per day) has a recurrence interval of about

50 years, and that the 1962 mean August discharge of 367 cfs or 237

mgd has a recuri 

terval in no way 

occurs, it will n 

basis of past exj 

367 cfs or lower 

12 years. If the 

water supply at 

can be expected

tion only, owing

compared to the

small watershed

On the basis o

at least 200,000

768-585 6E

ence interval of about 12 years. This recurrence inmplies that, once an August mean discharge of 367 cfs 

t recur for another 12 years. It means that on the 

erience at Brownsville an August mean discharge of 

can be expected to occur on an average of once every 

flow at Brownsville is a valid indicator of the present 

Mammoth Cave, the deficiency experienced in 1962 

:o be equaled or exceeded every 12 years. However,

it must be emphasized that the use of this indicator is an approximate the large drainage area of the Green River being 

small recharge area of the perched aquifer and the 

in the park, 

f the estimated increase of visitors to the park to 1980

and the expanded facilities, the water consumption by 1980 will be

o 250,000 gpd (gallons per day) during the summer

season. The present supply is not capable of furnishing this amount 

of water during he summer seasons.
604 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

37°15'

86*15

FIOUEB 71. Physiographic features, streams, wells, and springs in the Mammoth Cave 

area, Kentucky. 1, Sand Cave Spring; 2, Echo Eiver; 3, Styx River; 4, Eaton 

Valley well; 5, Three Springs; 6, Bransford well; 7, Bransford Spring; 8, Blair
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 605

', '''"""

Spring; 9, 

Spring; 13, 

Chaumont

Ptt;e

well.

'""""V"'. ,o I "-1 

,,/ i » .-(* 

15. 5 / V

"'". = ^'

37°15'

Spring; 10, Spring at CCC No. 1; 11, Collins Spring; 12, Cooper 

Adwell Spring; 14, well at CCC No. 1; 15, Union City well; 16,
606 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

1100 

1000 

900 

800 

700 

600 

500 

a.nn

 IV axi 

97

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mur 

,OOC

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Na

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ni 

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ion

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,

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Sen,

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y 

ice

^

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Estimated maximum daily 

use 250,000 gallons ^S

^

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 X*

 ^

1955 1960 1970 1975 1980

FIGURE 72. Increasing numbers of visitors and increasing per-capita water use require 

additional water-supply development for Mammoth Cave National Park.

AVAILABLE WATER INFORMATION

In addition to the data obtained during the present investigation, 

this report is based in part on studies of the geology and hydrology 

of the area in 1953 by E. F. Brown.1 Also available are intermittent 

gage-height and discharge measurements of outlet streams of Mammoth Cave since 1953, daily staff-gage readings of Green Eiver at 

Mammoth Cave since 1938, continuous record of the water level in 

Mammoth Cave since 1958 and of Green Eiver since 1960, chloride 

determinations of water from Green Eiver at Munfordville since 1950 

and at Mammoth Cave since 1958, periodic and intermittent chemical 

analyses of water from Styx, Echo, and Green Eivers since 1953, and 

continuous record of water level in three deep wells at Mammoth Cave 

since 1953. Gaging-station records are published in reports of the 

U.S. Geological Survey for the Green Eiver at Munfordville (1915-22, 

1927-31, 1936-37, 1937-63), at Mammoth Cave (1938-50), and at 

Brownsville (1924^-31, 1936-37, 1938-63). The above data were obtained by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Kentucky 

Geological Survey and the National Park Service.

SUMMARY OF POTENTIAL SUPPLIES ,

The potential sources of water supply for Mammoth Cave National 

Park are listed in table 1. Quantity and quality of water and the advantages and disadvantages of each potential source are summarized 

and page references are given for more complete data on each source.

1 Brown, R. F., 1953, Reconnaissance of the geology and ground-water hydrology in the 

vicinity of Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky: U.S. Geol. Survey adm. rept. to Nat. 

Park Service, unpublished data, 16 p., duplicated.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 607

TABLE 1. Evaluation of potential sources of supply for Mammoth Cave

National Park

Potential sources 

of supply (listed 

in approximate 

order of value)

Green River __

Nolin River __

Perched water

in Haney

Limestone

Member (7

springs on 

Flint Ridge of

which 2

springs are

part of existing supply) . Wet Prong Buffalo Creek.

Small streams 

(other than

Wet Prong

Buffalo

Creek).

Basal ground

water.

Water in alluvium adjacent to Green

River.

Perched water

in Big Clifty

Sandstone

Member and

Girkin Formation.

Refer 

to 

page

613

620

633

626

621

629

628

639

Yield

30-year minimum daily

discharge, 40

mgd.

Minimum probable releases

from reservoir,

97-129 mgd.

Minimum observed flow,

101,500 gpd

(121,700 gpd

including 

Bransford

well).

Probable mini, 

mum discharge, 300,-

000 gpd.

Chemical quality

Chemical quality

good; has met

USPHS standards every day

since November

1961. Use

would require

chlorination

and removal of

suspended sediment.

Chemical quality 

good; moderately hard to hard,

but well within

USPHS standards. Use

would require

chlorination and

removal of suspended sediment.

Best quality of all

potential

sources; requires

only chlorination.

Quality good; soft 

to moderately

hard; requires

only chlorination.

Advantages

Large supply;

quality suitable

with ordinary

treatment;

could be used

as principal

supply or to

augment existing supply;

located near

area of consumption.

Large supply and 

suitable quality.

Minimum change

to existing

system; excellent quality;

recharge area 

located mostly

in park; minimum treatment

needed.

Adequate supply; 

suitable quality; most of

watershed within park; could

also be used as

a supply for future development in park

north of Green

River.

Disadvantages

Needs ordinary

surface-water

treatment and a

350-450 ft pump

lift. Possibility

of renewed pollution by oilfield brine.

Needs ordinary 

surface-water

treatment, a 350-

450 ft pump lift,

and long pipeline. Located

on north side of

Green River.

Inadequate quantity for future

use.

Needs ordinary 

surface-water

treatment and

long pipeline (5

miles) ; located

on north side of

Green River.

Similar to Wet Prong Buffalo Creek but not as valuable as a potential source 

because of smaller flows, greater distances from point of consumption, location

outside of park, or location at or near Green River flood level.

Minimum yield

of major

underground

streams not

known; maximum recorded yield

to drilled

wells, 35 gpm

unless well

taps a major

underground

stream.

Yields only

small supplies

to wells.

Yields only

small supplies

to wells.

Chemical quality

good; moderately hard to hard;

requires ordinary treatment.

Poor quality if

wells are drilled

too deep.

Similar to water

from Green

River.

Chemical quality

good; subject to

pollution.

Can be developed

near area of

use; could be

used to augment existing

supply. Quality good with

treatment.

Quality good; can

be developed

near area of use.

Good quality ___

Minimum yield

not known.

Requires high

pump lift and

treatment for

bacteria and

sediment.

Low yield; requires ordinary

surface-water

treatment and

350-400 ft pump

lift.

Low yield.
608 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

The sources are listed in their approximate order of value. It is recognized that any order of listing must take into consideration quantity, 

quality, and economics. In the listing the quantity is weighted heavily. In evaluating the several sources a maximum daily demand of 

250,000 gallons is used as a yardstick if possible growth to 1980 is 

considered. It reflects a two-fold increase in the estimated number of 

visitors during the period 1962 to 1980.

Combinations of these supplies might be used, such as the present 

supply augmented by Green Eiver during periods of peak demand. 

Another possibility is the use of one or more of these sources as a 

separate supply for a future development in another area of the park.

PRESENT WATER SUPPLY AT MAMMOTH CAVE: 

ADEQUACY OF PRESENT SOURCES AND STORAGE

The present water supply in Mammoth Cave National Park is 

obtained from a group of three springs (appropriately named Three 

Springs) on Flint Ridge about 6,000 feet northeast of park headquarters, from Bransford Spring about 2,500 feet northeast of Three 

Springs, and from a deep well at Bransford Spring (fig. 71). Blair 

Spring, located about 3,000 feet east of Bransford Spring, was used as 

an emergency supply for about 5 weeks in the summer of 1962 and 

during at least one other summer season. During the critical period 

in August 1962, additional water was hauled by truck from Adwell 

Spring, about 8,000 feet east of Three Springs. Three Springs and 

Bransford, Blair, and Adwell Springs, along with several other 

springs and seeps, drain the perched aquifer in the Haney Limestone 

Member of the Golconda Formation on Flint Eidge. The deep well at 

Bransford Spring obtains water from the basal aquifer at or near 

the level of the Green Eiver.

Minimum flows during the critical period in August 1962 and 

observed minimum flows of presently used sources of water are summarized in the following table.

Source

Developed supply: 

Three Springs __________

Blair Spring .. __ . ___ . _

Total. ...... ...............

Supplementary supply:

Minimum 

discharge 

during 

August 

1962 (gpm)

15

no

26

14

45

20

Minimum discharge observed

Gpm

12

7 

6

18

Date

1961

Sept. 20. 

Oct. 21. 

Sept. 6, 20.

Sept. 20; Oct. 25. 31; Nov. 8.

i Estimated by comparison with flow of Three Springs; may be high, Inasmuch as flow was 

reported as "about dry" Aug. 22,1962, §nd estimated as 3 gpm, Aug. 29, 1962. 

1 Estimated.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 609

The flow from the springs is piped by gravity to storage tanks at 

Three Springs and Bransford Spring. Water from the deep well is 

pumped into the storage tank at Bransford Spring. Water from Blair 

Spring was pumped from a basin at the spring through a plastic pipeline on top of the ground to the storage tank at Bransford Spring.

Each of the storage tanks at Three Springs and Bransford Spring 

has a capacity of 50,000 gallons. Water from these tanks is pumped 

to the 50,000-gallon tanks on top of Flint Eidge, about 7,000 feet northeast of park headquarters. Two additional tanks, each having a capacity of 500,000 gallons, have been constructed (1963) at this site 

to increase storage from 200,000 gallons to 1,200,000 gallons. From 

the storage tanks on Flint Ridge water is supplied by gravity flow 

to park headquarters, Mammoth Cave Hotel, staff living quarters, 

service station, and other facilities.

During August 19-25, 1962, 590,570 gallons (Perry E. Brown, 

Stipt., Mammoth Cave National Park, written commun., 1963) waa 

used at an average daily rate of 84,370 gallons. The major supply during the critical period in August was 45 gpm (gallons per minute) or 

64,800 gpd (the Bransford well was pumped 24 hours per day). This 

supply was supplemented by water hauled from Adwell Spring by tank 

truck at the rate of about 17,000 gpd; the total supply was thus 81,800 

gallons. The difference between the demand, 84,370 gpd, and the supply, 81,800 gpd, is 2,570 gpd that was obtained from storage in the four 

50,000-gallon tanks.

August 1962 was thus a very critical period for the present water 

system at Mammoth Cave National Park. Even with conservation 

measures, the demand exceeded the supply at the rate of nearly 3,000 

gpd. However, the problem could have been considerably worse if 

the drought had been more serious, if the pumping equipment had 

failed, or if a fire had occurred.

As shown previously, hydrologic conditions were not extreme during 

August 1962; there have been at least three more severe August 

droughts in the period 1915-22, 1925-62. A failure of equipment at 

Bransford well would reduce the supply by 14 gpm, or 20,160 gpd. 

The amount of water needed for fire fighting is difficult to estimate, 

but the Kentucky Inspection Bureau's rating for eighth-class protection is 500 gpm for 4 hours, or a total of 120,000 gallons.

The addition of the two 500,000-gallon storage tanks has partially 

alleviated the deficiency of the present water supply but additional 

supplies are still needed. With the same supply (Bransford Spring, 

Three Springs, and Bransford well) and demand that existed in MaySeptember 1962 but including the additional storage, the emergency 

sources (Blair and Adwell Springs) would still be needed. Average
610 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

daily use was estimated to increase from 60,000 gpd at the end of May 

to 85,000 gpd in the last week of July and remain constant thereafter 

to the end of the season. It was also assumed that Bransford well 

would be pumped continuously at the rate of 14 gpm unless storage 

was full. Storage decreased from 1,200,000 gallons June 26 to 136,000 

gallons August 22 and was completely depleted before August 29. 

This decrease means that some or all of the emergency methods would 

have to be initiated again so that either the supply would be increased 

or the demand would be decreased.

HYDROLOGIC SYSTEM

Mammoth Cave National Park is located on the Mammoth Cave 

plateau, which is underlain by a thick sequence of limestone formations capped by sandstone (fig. 73). The rocks dip gently northwestward toward the Western Coal Field. The Green River bisects the 

park in a general east-west direction and cuts deeply into the thick 

limestones. The limestones are soluble; and south of the Green River, 

in the vicinity of Mammoth Cave, extensive solution action has taken 

place to approximately the level of the river. Solutional features 

include the famed caverns of Mammoth Cave. In this area the flattopped plateau surface is deeply and irregularly dissected by northwest-trending closed valleys. Each valley consists of many sinkholes 

that coalesce to form a master valley. There is no surface flow in any 

of the valleys except during periods of heavy precipitation when some 

water may overflow from one sinkhole to adjacent ones. Subsurface 

channels carry all the drainage during normal flow. Only two permanent streams, Echo and Styx Rivers, enter the Green River from the 

south in the park. Both are very short streams emerging from caverns 

as springs.

Dendritic surface streams that are mostly perennial characterize the 

extreme western part of the general area south of the Green River. 

Drainage is generally northward via Beaver Dam Creek and short 

streams flowing into the Green River.

The Dripping Springs escarpment forms the southern boundary of 

the Mammoth Cave plateau and faces south to the lower Pennyroyal 

plain. Immediately below the escarpment, shallow sinkholes are especially numerous in an east-west belt about 2 miles wide. Elsewhere, 

the Pennyroyal plain is gently rolling and is drained by perennial 

streams that flow northwestward to the area of sinkholes. All streams 

terminate in one or more sinkholes and in solution channels under the 

Mammoth Cave plateau to the Green River.

Owing to the northwesterly dip, the insoluble Big Clif ty Sandstone 

Member of the Golconda Formation and younger formations north of
Mammoth Cave 

73.-Topography and geology control the occurrence and mo

Mammoth Cave area.
612 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

the Green River are much closer to the level of the river, and an extensive solution drainage pattern has not been formed. Short interrupted 

streams having steep gradients drain the area southward to the Green 

River.

All water that moves through or is stored in the Mammoth Cave 

area comes from precipitation. All surface and subsurface drainage 

from the Mammoth Cave plateau and Pennyroyal plain in the vicinity 

of the park is eventually into the Green River.

Precipitation in the area of Mammoth Cave National Park north of 

the Green River and in the extreme western part of the park south of 

the Green River runs off partly through surface streams and partly by 

subsurface drainage through the rocks. The larger surface streams 

that drain this area are the Nolin River and Beaver Dam, Bylew, Dog, 

and Buffalo Creeks (fig. 71).

Almost all precipitation on Mammoth Cave plateau south of the 

Green River in the vicinity of Mammoth Cave that does not evaporate 

or transpire moves downward through the rocks as ground water. It 

reaches the Green River as outflow from large springs such as Echo, 

Styx, Pike, and Sand Cave Springs and probably from numerous 

smaller springs and seeps. Downward movement through the rocks 

underlying the plateau is almost entirely in openings along joints and 

bedding planes, whose number and size control the rate of movement. 

Openings are numerous in the Hardinsburg Sandstone and Big Clifty 

Sandstone Member, but are few in number or nonexistent in the thin 

shale beds in the Girkin Formation and at the base of the Big Clifty 

and Haney Limestone Members. They are numerous and greatly 

enlarged by solution in the several thick limestone formations. Thus 

the rate of movement is rapid through the limestone, slower through 

the sandstone, and very slow through the shale beds. These differences 

in rate of movement have created several bodies of ground water 

beneath the plateau. A body of ground water is perched above the 

shale at the base of the Haney Limestone Member and is contained 

in solution openings in the limestone (fig. 73). It is this water that 

maintains the flow of Three Springs, Bransford Spring, and the 

several other springs on Flint Ridge. A second body of ground water 

is perched in the Big Clifty above the shale bed at its base. Some of 

this water discharges horizontally to the edges of the plateau and 

forms the "dripping springs" from which the escarpment is named. 

Other small and discontinuous bodies of ground water are perched 

above thin shale beds in the Girkin Formation.

Most of the water that falls on the plateau eventually finds its way 

down to the zone of basal ground water in the cavernous St. Louis 

and Ste. Genevieve Limestones. All rock openings below the water 

table or upper surface of the zone of basal ground water are filled
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 613

with water. Owing to the ease with which water moves through the 

large solution channels, the basal water table is nearly flat. It slopes 

gently northwestward and is continuous with Green River. The basal 

ground water is recharged by water that moves directly down from the 

surface through sinkholes or open shafts in the limestone, by water 

that discharges from the edges of the perched zones, and by water 

moving through solution channels from the Pennyroyal plain. When 

the stage of the Green Kiver rises faster than the level of the adjacent 

ground water, the flow of River Styx and Echo River is reversed and 

recharges the basal ground water in the immediate vicinity of the 

river.

A small part of the precipitation in the area and part of the runoff 

from the steep rock slopes flanking Green River move through and 

are temporarily stored in a narrow body of alluvium along the river. 

The body of water in the alluvium is connected hydraulically to the 

Green River. During periods of low flow, the water table in the alluvium slopes toward the Green River and water moves through the 

alluvium into the river. During periods of high flow, the alluvium is 

completely saturated.

POTENTIAL SOURCES OF WATER SUPPLY

GREEN RIVER

The Green River is the largest potential source of water supply for 

Mammoth Cave National Park. It drains 1,983 square miles of central 

Kentucky. The runoff from 444 square miles of this area does not 

reach the river through surface streams but drains into limestone sinks.

QUANTITY

Flow-duration curves for Green River at Mammoth Cave (fig. 74) 

show the percentage of time during which specified discharges are 

equaled or exceeded in a given period. For example, in the period 

1916-22,1928-31,1938-61 (water years), the daily mean flow of Green 

River (fig. 74) was at least 205 cfs, or 132 mgd, during 90 percent of 

the time. The curve for this period was obtained from the curve for 

the actual period of gaging-station operation, 1939-50 (water years) 

and from records for the gaging station at Munfordville.

Figure 75 shows low-flow frequency curves for Green River at Mammoth Cave. A low-flow frequency curve is defined (Langbein, 1960, 

p. 13) as a graph showing the magnitude and frequency of minimum 

flows for a period of given length. For example, the minimum 7-day 

flow is expected to be less than 150 cfs (97 mgd) at average intervals 

of 2 years (fig. 75).
614 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

7000

6000

4000 

> 

Q 3000

1000

Zi WO 

^ 300

70 - 

60 - 

50 -

rs 1939-50

Mean discharge

\

Water years 1916-22, 1928-31, 1938-61

I

\

001 0 05 0 1 0 2 0 5 1 20 30 40 50 60 70 SO 93 99 99 5 99 8 S9 9

PERCENT OF TIME DISCHARGE WAS EQUALED OR EXCEEDED

FIGURE 74. Duration curves of daily flow, Green Elver at Mammoth Cave, Ky.

The curves in figure 75 were obtained from the records at Mammoth 

Cave for the period 1939-49 (climatic years) and were extended to the 

longer period 1915-21, 1928-30, 1938-60 (climatic years) on basis of 

records at Munf ordville.

Flow-duration and low-flow frequency analysis thus shows that 

there is an ample quantity of water in the Green River at all times 

without storage for any present or future needs of Mammoth Cave 

National Park.

A frequency curve of annual floods is shown in figure 76. The 

curve was obtained from a regional flood-frequency analysis by 

McCabe (1962). The right ordinate scale is expressed in feet above 

the zero of the gage at Mammoth Cave Ferry and the left ordinate 

scale is expressed as discharge in cubic feet per second. For example, 

a flood having a recurrence interval of 20 years can be expected to 

reach a gage height of at least 51.0 feet and a discharge of at least 

70,400 cf s. This in no way implies that once a flood having a stage of
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 615

1.1 1 2 1 3 1.4 1 5 3 4 56789 10

RECURRENCE INTERVAL. IN YEARS

20 30 40 50

FIGURE 75. Magnitude and freauency of low flows, Green River at Mammoth Cave, Ky.

85.000 - 

80.000 

75,000 

70,000 

65,000 

60.000 

O

Z 55.000 

O

$ 50,000 -

o: 

m 45.000 DLJJ 40,000 -

u_ 

5 35,000 

0

 30,000 - 

a

I 25,000

5

20.000 

15,000

SO

1- 

z

X

a

a 

a 30

20

/

/

'

/

>

/

/

//

/

/

/

/

'

/

s/

,'

/

/

, 1962

Datum of gage is 420.11 ft above 

mean sea level, datum of 1929

11 1.2 1.3 14 15 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 20 30 40 50

RECURRENCE INTERVAL, IN YEARS

FIGURE 76. (Freauency of annual floods, Green River at Mammoth Cave, Ky.
616 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

51.0 feet and a discharge of 70,400 cfs occurs that it will not recur 

for another 20 years. The curve merely shows that on the basis of 

past flood experiences at gaging stations in this flood region and hydrologic area of Kentucky, a flood of 70,400 cfs, or higher, can be expected 

to occur on a long-term average of once every 20 years. This curve 

can be used for location and planning of water-supply structures above 

floods of selected frequencies.

Two reservoirs on the Green River are being considered by the 

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Green River Reservoir, 108 miles 

upstream from Mammoth Cave, is presently (1962) in the design stage. 

The reservoir is to be a flood control and water-quality control project. 

When built, the reservoir will augment low flows and reduce flood 

peaks in the Green River at Mammoth Cave. The other project, 

Mining City Reservoir, 93 miles downstream from Mammoth Cave, 

has been deferred for further study. Details of the design of the 

Mining City Reservoir are not known to the authors, but magnitude 

of flood flows or low flows at Mammoth Cave would not be affected.

QUALITY

Water in the Green River in the vicinity of Mammoth Cave prior 

to 1958 was suitable for nearly all uses with little or no treatment. 

From 1958 to 1961, however, the water was polluted by oil-field brine. 

Enforcement of pollution-control regulations and a decline in oil 

production has resulted in a marked improvement in water quality 

since that time. Since November 1961, the water in the Green River 

has met U.S. Public Health Service drinking-water standards every 

day in the year.

Since October 1, 1950, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation 

with the Commonwealth of Kentucky, has maintained a daily sampling station on Green River at Munfordville, Ky., about 29 miles 

upstream from the ferry at Mammoth Cave National Park. The sampling station is operated to provide chemical-quality, water-temperature, and sediment data for the upper Green River basin. The basic 

assessment of water-quality conditions of the Green River in the park 

is made primarily on the data collected at the Munfordville station. 

Data collected from the Green River in the park shows local conditions and dilution effects in the 29-mile reach. The reliability of the 

data collected from the Green River in the park is increased greatly 

by the long daily record collected at Munfordville.

The quality of water in the Green River is normally good. However, 

waste brine from oil production in the Greensburg field in Green and 

Taylor Counties was discharged into the Green River in large quantities and drastically changed the quality of the river. Later, these
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 617

practices were corrected. Some oil production also occurred in Metcalfe County, but it never reached the boom conditions characteristic 

of the Greensburg field. A summary of the chemical quality of Green 

River water is given in table 2. The 13 years of record summarized 

in the table are divided into four periods to show the drastic change 

in the quality of Green River water due to the increase and decrease in 

brine pollution. The effects of brine pollution were revealed principally in the analyses for dissolved solids, hardness, and chloride. 

Brine had little or no effect on the amount of bicarbonate (alkalinity), 

pH, color, or suspended sediment in the Green River.

The key to the potability of the Green River is the number of days 

each year the chloride concentration is within or exceeds U.S. Public 

Health Service drinking-water standards of 250 ppm (parts per 

million) chloride. Table 3 gives these days for both the long-term 

water-quality station at Munfordville and the short-term station at 

Mammoth Cave.

TABLE 2. Chemical quality of Green River at Munfordville, Ky., 

October 1, 1950-January 31, 1963

[Chemical analyses in parts per million]

Concentration

Dissolved

solid

Hardness

as CO3

(Ca, Mg)

Bicarbonate (HCOs)Chloride

(Cl) pH

Color

units

Before brine pollution, Oct. 1, 1950-Sept. 30, 1957

254

73

140

258

166

44

110

258

186

36

120

258

45

.5

6.0

257

8.6

6.9

258

32

1

5

253

Rising brine pollution, Oct. 1, 1957-Sept. 30,1960

5,830

86

655

130

1,220

60

133

186

60

117

133

3,250

2.0

351

756

8.1

6.5

133

38

|2

6

130

Decreasing brine pollution, Oct. 1, 1960-Dec. 31,1961

2,760

124

52

648

75

180

52

169

74

120

52

1,450

8.0

178

452

9.6

6.9

52

35

1

9

51

Present quality, Jan. 1, 1962-Jan. 31, 1963

376

82

37

181

48

109

35

150

49

102

36

1194

12.5

144

1421

8.3

7.1

11

36

55

0

12

35

i Jan. 1,1962-Feb. 28, 1963.
618 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

TABLE 3. Oil production in the upper Green River and its effect on the potability

of Green River water

Calendar year

1957..... .. __ .. _ . __ ....... _ .. _ ..........

1958 ______ _____ . _ _________ ...

1959........... . _ . _ ........................ ....

I960........-.. ............. _ ......... __ ...

1961... . . _ . _ ................... ___ ..

1962........ _ ........ _ ....... _ ...... _ ......

1963........ -.... . ___.._ _.. 

Oil production 

Green, Taylor, 

and Me.tcalfe 

Counties (barrels)

33,088 

1, 856, 390 

10, 839, 954 

4, 506, 096 

1, 393, 568 

567,819

Number of days chloride concentration exceeded USPHS drinkingwater standards

Green River at 

Munfordville

0 

50 

220 

153 

26 

0

20

Green River at 

Mammoth Cave

0 

119 

1170 

87 15 

10 

10

1 Estimated.

2 Jan.-May only.

Chloride measurements at Mammoth Cave Ferry and at Munfordville show considerable dilution caused by ground-water flow into 

Green River within the 29-mile reach. Consequently, the quality of 

water at Green River at Mammoth Cave was always better than at 

Munfordville. The dilution not only reduced the concentration of 

chloride but also reduced the number of days in which the water exceeded drinking-water standards for chloride at Mammoth Cave. The 

chloride content at Munfordville (fig. 77) has not exceeded 250 ppm 

any day since December 1961 and at Mammoth Cave, since November 

1961. Even the unusually low flows of the Green River in July-September 1962 did not produce chloride concentrations at Munfordville 

or at Mammoth Cave in excess of 250 ppm. Much of the brine currently appearing in Green River probably is due to drainage of residues 

of brine that polluted fresh-water aquifers previously. The data show 

that some oil production with proper disposal of waste oil brine does 

not seriously affect the quality of Green River water. There is every 

reason to believe that Green River water could be used to augment the 

water supply of Mammoth Cave National Park. Use of the river 

water would require chlorination and the removal of suspended sediment, which could be done with commercially available water-treatment systems.

The Green River basin upstream from Mammoth Cave National 

Park contains only eight towns having a combined population in 1960 

of 18,137. Not all of these towns have adequate sewage collection and 

treatment systems; however, this condition is being corrected rapidly. 

Columbia, Campbellsville, and Greensburg have modern sewage-treatment plants. Munfordville began construction of a collection system 

and treatment plant in the summer of 1963. Horse Cave, Cave City, 

Edmonton, and Liberty have plans and construction grants approved 

or pending. It appears that collection and treatment of sewage in the 

upper Green River basin will be adequate in the near future. How-
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 619

20-

10-

0-

211 ppm 

Sept 11-21

195 ppm 

Aug 20-Sept 13

1957 1958 1959

EXPLANATION

Sodium

and 

potassium

Magnesium

Calcium

Chloride, fluoride, 

and nitrate

Sulfate

Bicarbonate

1610 ppm 

Sept 12-14

575 ppm 

Aug. 23-24

376 ppm 

Aug 15-20

1960 1961 1962

FIGURE 11. Chemical composition of water of highest salinity during July-September, 

Green River at Munfordville, Ky. Number at top of bar is concentration of dissolved 

solids, in parts per million, of composite sample. Date at top of bar shows days in 

composite sample.

ever, any surface water source would need chlorination to be acceptable for public use.

SUSPENDED SEDIMENT

In contrast to ground-water sources, the Green River contains appreciable amounts of suspended sediment. Sediment characteristics 

of the river have been studied by the Geological Survey at the Mun768-585 65 4
620 HYDEOLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

fordville sampling station for more than 12 years. The sediment in 

the Green River is almost entirely suspended because there is very little 

bed load. The sediment is fine, as shown by the following table. Consequently, the Green Eiver carries a smaller volume of sediment than 

its muddy appearance would indicate.

Suspended-sediment characteristics of the Green River since April 1950

Particle Approximate

 percentage of

Class Size (mm) total amount

Clay______________________ <0. 0039 50-65

Very fine silt_____.______.._ .0039-0.0078 15

Fine silt________ ___________ .0078- .0156 15

Medium silt._________________ . 0156- . 0313 9

Coarse silt___________________ . 0313- . 0625 2-6

Sand______________________ >.0625 <2

Suspended-sediment concentration varies widely during the year. 

On the basis of the measurements at Munfordville, concentrations of 

suspended sediment in the Green Eiver are distributed as follows:

Occurrence (percent of time) 

Concentration of suspended sediment July-Sept. Entire year

^10ppm_____________________ 10 25

^25 ppm__.______________________ 50 51

<!50ppm_____________________ 63 68

^100ppm____________________ 78 80

Surprisingly, the period of July-September contains about the same 

proportion of days of low concentration as the entire year.

NOLIN RIVER

The Nolin Eiver drains 727 square miles of central Kentucky. 

Water from about 223 square miles of this area does not drain into the 

Nolin Eiver through surface streams but into limestone sinks. The 

Nolin Eiver flows into the Green Eiver near the western edge of Mammoth Cave National Park and 8 miles west of Mammoth Cave. Above 

Nolin Eiver Dam, 8 miles upstream from the mouth of the river and 

10 miles northwest of Mammoth Cave, the river drains 707 square 

miles (of which about 223 square miles does not contribute directly 

to surface runoff). Storage of water in the reservoir behind the dam 

started in March 1963. Minimum releases from the reservoir will 

probably be about 150 to 200 cfs (97 to 129 mgd).

The Nolin Eiver water is moderately hard to very hard but is generally well within the limits of drinking-water standards. A summary 

of chemical quality is given in table 4. Nblin Eiver water would require chlorination and probably removal of sediment or turbidity.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 621

TABLE 4. Chemical quality of water in Nolin River, Wet Prong Buffalo, Dog, 

Bylew, and Beaver Dam Creeks

[Chemical analyses in parts per million]

Concentration Analyses Iron

(Fe)

Chloride 

(01)

Dissolved 

solids

Hardness 

as CaCOs

pH Color Turbidity

Nolin River

Maximum... ___ i is 1 13

( L1

{ .00

1 1Q

42 

1.9

10

267 

116

180

205 

91

1 4.Q

8.1 

6.7

J7.6

16 

2

6

160 

>8

Wet Prong Buffalo, Dog, Bylew, and Beaver Dam Creeks

Minimum.. _ . _ i « 19

1 0.53

\ .05

1 91

6.4

1.0

9 7

110

29

68

8.3

6.8

S7.8

1 Based on four analyses only.

2 Median value.

1 Total of from two to five analyses at each of five sampling points.

WATER FROM SMALL STREAMS

A reconnaissance of small streams was made in the Mammoth Cave 

National Park area during the period August-November 1961. 

Measurements or estimates of flow and observations of no flow were 

made at many points. Additional measurements of flow were made 

at selected locations during the period June-December 1962. The 

results are summarized in table 5.

TABLE 5. Discharge measurements made in Mammoth Cave National Park area 

excluding Green and Nolin Rivers, Flint Ridge springs, and Pike Spring

Stream

Do.. .. 

Wilson Cave 

Hollow.

Green River 

tributary.

Three Sisters 

Hollow.

Fishtrap Hollow.

Tributary toGreen River. _ 

 -do.- 

_ do.- 

 do.. 

 do.. 

 do.. 

 do-. 

Location

Lat 37°14'52", long 86°01'15", at 

mouth, 2.6 mi northwest of Northtown, Ky., and 6.2 mi northeast of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°16'09", long 86°02'16", at ford, 

0.1 mi north of Mammoth Cave 

National Park boundary, 2.8 mi 

southeast of Cub Run, Ky., and 6.8 

mi northeast of Mammoth Cave Ky. 

Lat 37°15'01", long 86°01'40", at 

mouth, 4.2 mi south of Cub Run, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°14'14", long 86°02'18", at 

mouth, 2.6 mi northwest of Northtown, Ky., and 5 mi northeast of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°13'28", long 86°02'39", at 

mouth, 2.5 mi west of Northtown, 

Ky . , and 4.1 mi northeast of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°13'03", long 86°03'38", at 

mouth, at head of Three Sisters 

Island and 3.2 mi northeast of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°13'26", long 86°03'56", at 

mouth, 3.3 mi northeast of Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Drainage 

area 

(sq mi)

Measurements

Date

10- 5-61 

8-24-61

10-5-61 

10- 5-61

10- 5-61 

9-7-61 

10- 5-61

Discharge

(cfs)

0 

0

0 

0

0 

0 

0

See footnotes at end of table.
622 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

TABLE 5. Discharge measurements made in Mammoth Cave National Park area 

excluding Green and Nolin Rivers, Flint Ridge springs, and Pike Spring Con.

Stream

Big Spring Hollow.

Ugly Creek 

tributary

spring.

Ugly Creek __ .

Do.. - 

Big Hollow.. ....

Do- ... 

Green River

tributary.

Floating Mill

Hollow.

Styx River. __ _

Tributary to 

Green River. .

Ugly Creek 

tributary.

Green River..

- do... 

. _ _do____ ....

_ _ _do____ _ .

__ .do.... _ .

 -do.. 

 -do.. 

Location

Lat 37°13'39", long 86°04'27", just

below right bank spring, 200 ft above

mouth and 3.3 mi northeast of

Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°14'20", long 86°06'41", on north 

side of road, 0.15 mi soutn of Wilkens

Cemetery and 3.8 mi north of Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°14'01", long 86°06'19", at ford,

1.3 mi above mouth and 3.4 mi

north of Mammoth Cave, Kv.

Lat 37°13'26", long 86°05'42", at

mouth, 2?4 mi north of Mammoth

Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°13'12", long 86°07'41", at telephone line, 0.35 mi south of lookout

tower and 2.8 mi northwest of Mainmoth Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°12'38", long 86°06'27", at

mouth , 1.7 mi north of Mammoth

Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°12'01", long 86°06'30", at

mouth, at head of Floating Mill

Island and 1.1 mi north of Mammoth

Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°11'44", long 86°06'13", at

mouth, % mi north of Mammoth

Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°11'15", long 86°06'30", at

Mammoth Cave, Ky., 50 ft below

cave outlet and 0.1 mi above mouth.

Drainage 

area 

(sq mi)

Measurements

Date

9- 8-61

8-22-61

8-22-61

9- 6-61

11- 2-61

9- 6-61

9- 6-61

9- 6-61

4-30-53

12-15-58

6-23-59

9-10-59

5- 8-60

6- 3-60

6- 8-60

6-10-60

6-17-60

7- 7-60

7-20-60

7-22-60

7-29-60

8- 5-60

8-12-60

8-19-60

8-25-60

8-26-60

9- 2-60

9-21-60

10- 6-60

10- 7-60

11- 1-60

11-15-60

12- 7-60

2- 2-61

8-23-61

10-30-61

11-29-61

6-12-62

7-24-62

8-24-62

8-28-62

9-27-62

11-29-62

5- 2-63

Discharge

(cfs)

1.49

.004

0

1.5

.025

0

0

i.l

8.05

.14

.254

.13

0

.69

.214

.33

2.90

10.9

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

.75

1.18

.43

.10

.215

121

.13

.052

.095

.12

.45

.44

See footnotes at end of table.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 623

TABLE 5. Discharge measurements made in Mammoth Gave National ParJc area 

excluding Green and Nolin Rivers, Flint Ridge springs, and Pike Spring Con.

Stream

Green River tributary.

Runnin? 

Branch.

Cotton Gin 

Hollow.

Pishtrap HollowCarpenter 

Hollow.

Green River 

tributary. 3

Tributary 2_. _

Green River 

tributary.3

Do... .......

Stillhouse 

Hollow.

Blowing Spring 

Branch.

Morrison 

Hollow.

Sal Hollow __ ..

Tributary toGreen River 

.....do.........

. .do........

 . .do... ..... .

- -do ...

 .do.. ....

 do.........

Green River 

tributary .3

 ..do 

Green River!., 

 ..do. .

Green River.. 

.... -do 

.....do... ......

.. do 

Location

Lat 37°10'45", long 86°06'30", at Mammoth Cave, Ky., 50 ft below cave 

outlet and 0.2 mi above mouth.

Lat 37°11'03', long 86°07'22'f at mo uth, 

on left bank of Green River and 1.1 

mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lnt 37°11'20 ', Iong8 i°07'36', at mouth, 

on right bank of Green River and 

1.4 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°ll'2r, long 86°08'33", at mouth, 

on left bank of Green River and 2.2 

mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°11'19", long 86°08'43", at mouth, 

on right bank of Green River and 

2.4 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Kv. 

Lat 37°09'58", long 86°09'21", at mouth, 

at Turnhole Bend of Green River, 

3.2 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°08'44, long 86'11'04", at culvert, 

0.3 mi north of Kentucky 259 and 1.2 

mi northwest of Pig, Ky. 

Lat 37°08'38", long 86°11'04", at culvert, 

0.2 mi north of Kentucky 259 and 1.1 

mi northwest of Pig, Ky. 

Lat 37°08'46", long 86°10'49", at mouth, 

1,100 ft east of north-south road and 

1.1 mi northwest of Pig, Ky. 

Lat 37°08°46", long 86°10'48", 100 ft 

downstream from right bank tributary, 1,309 ft east of north-south road 

and 1.1 mi northwest of Pig, Ky. 

Lat 37°09'29", long 86°09'46", 1.8 mi 

north of Pig and 3.9 mi southwest of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat37°ll'09", Iong86°10'll", at mouth, 

at Stice Island and 3.7 mi west of 

Mammoth Cave. Ky. 

Lat 37°11'12", long 86°10'13", at mouth, 

at Stice Island and 3.8 mi west of 

Mammoth Cave, Kv 

Lat 37°11'13", long 86°11'03", at mouth, 

1.2 mi upstream from Buffalo Creek 

and 4.5 mi west of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°11'23", long 86°11'13", at mouth, 

1.0 mi upstream from Buffalo Creek 

and 4.7 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Drainage 

area 

(sq mi)

Measurements

Date

4-30-53 

8-29-55 

11-11-55 

6-12-56 

9-25-56 

5- 7-57 

8-13-57 

2-25-58 

5-27-58 

8-20-58 

11- 3-58 

12-15-58 

6-23-59 

9-10-59 

6- 8-60 

7-20-60 

8-25-60 

10- 6-60 

10- 7-60 

8-21-61 

11- 2-61 

11-29-61 

6-12-62 

7-24-62 

8-24-62 

8-28-62 

9-27-62 

11-27-62 

5- 2-63 

11- 2-61

11- 2-61 

11- 2-60

11- 2-61 

11- 2-61 

10-30-61 

10-30-61 

10-30-61 

10-30-61

9- 7-61 

11- 2-61 

11- 2-61 

11- 2-61

11- 2-61

Discharge

(cfs)

72.4 

1.40 

1.10 

2.12 

1.02 

4.28 

1.61 

5.19 

4.30 

2.57 

1.29 

1.68 

2.06 

.89 

12.5 

13 

11 

2.22 

.99 

2.28 

1.11 

12 

15.5 

1.37 

1.02 

.48 

.25 

12 

.55 

0

0

0 

0 

0 

1.2 

1.2 

11 

0

0 

9 

0 

0

1.02

See footnotes at end of table.
624 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

TABLE 5. Discharge measurements made in Mammoth Gave National Park area 

excluding Green and Nolin Rivers, Flint Ridge springs, and Pike Spring Con.

Stream

Poteet Hollow...

Wet'Prong Buffalo Creek.

Do .

Raymond Hollow tributary.

Raymond 

Hollow.

Raymond Hollow tributary.

Good Spring. 

Dry Prong Buffalo Creek.

Buflalo Creek. ..

Buflalo'Creek 

tributary 

spring 1.

Buflalo Creek 

tributary 

spring 2.

McCoy Hollow..

Dry Branch 

tributary.

Do..........

Little Dog 

Creek.

Dog Creek.. ..

Tributary toGreen River.. 

Buflalo Creek- 

 ..do-..... 

Raymond 

Hollow.

Dry Prong 

Buflalo 

Creek.

Raymond 

Hollow.

MiUIBranch...

Dry Prong 

Buflalo 

Creek. 

Buflalo Creek.

Green River. - 

Buflalo Creek.

 do 

Green River. - 

 . do...... ...

Dry Branch ... 

Nolin River 

 do.. . 

Dog Creek... . 

Nolin River ...

Location

Lat 37°11'29', long 86°11'20", at mouth, 

0.8 mi upstream from Buflalo Creek 

and 4.8 mi west of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°13'47", long 86°10'24', 10 ft upstream from Chicken Hollow and 5 

mi northwest of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°13'21', long 86°11'10", 500 ft 

downstream from Pigeon Hollow 

and 5.3 mi northwest of Mammoth 

Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°15'05", long 86°09'12", at Collie 

Ridge Road, about 0.4 mi south of 

Lincoln School and 5.4 mi northwest 

of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°14'56", long 87°09'06", at Collie 

Ridge Road, 2.3 mi east of Ollie and 

5.2 mi northwest of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°14'48", loug 86°09'ir, at Collie 

Ridge Road, about 800 ft above 

mouth, 2.2 miles east of Ollie and 5.1 

mi northwest of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°12'35", long 86008'52", about 300 

ft northeast of Cemetery at Good 

Spring Church, 3.1 mi northwest of 

Mammoth Cave, Kv. 

Lat 37°12'58", long 86°09'30', at mouth, 

3.8 mi northwest of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°12'58", long 86°09'30", at (including) Mill Branch, 3.8 mi northwest of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°12'29", long 86°11'26", at confluence of Wet Prong and Dry Prong, 

% mi above mouth and 5.2 mi west 

of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°12'25", long 86°11'25", on left 

bank, several hundred feet below 

confluence of Wet Prong and Dry 

Prong and 5.2 mi west of Mammoth 

Cave, Kv. 

Lat 37°12'10", long 86°11'34", on right 

bank of and about 500 ft above 

mouth of Buflalo Creek, and 5.2 mi 

west of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°12'13", long 86°12'25", at 

mouth, 3.0 mi east of Brownsville 

and 6.0 mi west of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky. 

Lat 37°12'08", long 86°14'11", 300 ft 

above mouth, 1.5 mi east of 

Brownsville and 7.5 mi west of Mammoth Cave. Ky. 

Lat 37°12'08", long 86°14'11", at 

mouth, about 300 ft above mouth of 

Dry Branch and 7.5 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Kv. 

Lat 37°16'47", long 86°07'05", at culvert, 0.1 mi below Pine Branch and 

6.6 mi north of Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°18'39", long 86°08'03", 400 ft 

above Little Dog Creek and 8.8 mi 

north of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°18'43", long 86°08'03", 50 ft 

above mouth and 8.9 mi north of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°19'12", long 86°08'02", at bridge, 

0.6 mi below Little Dog Creek and 

9.4 mi north of Mammoth Cave, 

Ky.

Drainage 

area 

(sq mi)

2.26

12.4

8.12 

14.0

19.8

Measurements

Date

11-2-61

1-12-62 

7-26-62 

9-26-62 

12- 7-62 

11- 1-61

9-8-61 

9- 8-61 

9- 8-61

8-21-61

8-21-61 

8-21-61 

8-23-61

8-23-61

8-23-61 

11- 2-61

8-23-61 

9- 5-61 

9- 5-61

8-22-61 

11- 1-61 6-13-62 

7-26-62 

8-28-62 

12- 7-62 

8-22-61

8-22-61

8-22-61 

6-13-62 

7-26-62 

9-28-62 

12-7-62

Discharge 

(cfs)

0

2.04 

1.53 

1.42 

1.43 

U.5

0 

0

1.005

1.02

0 

0

0

1.2

12.5 

2.31

1.1

1.001 

1.2

4.51 

4.83 

4.20 

3.10 

2.65 

3.35 

5.04

1.29

6.76 

8.34 

7.42 

4.34 

6.19

See footnotes at end of table.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 625

TABLE 5. Discharge measurements made in Mammoth Cave National Park area 

excluding Green and Nolin Rivers, Flint Ridge springs, and Pike Spring Con.

Stream

Bylew Creek . 

Do ... 

First Creek 

Lake 

tributary.

Do. -

First Creek ......

Beaver Dam 

Creek tributary 1.

Beaver Dam 

Creek tributary 1 tributary springs. 

Beaver Dam 

Creek.

Beaver Dam 

Creek tributary 2. 

Do... __ 

Beaver Dam 

Creek.

Do.. 

Do 

Beaver Dam 

Creek 

tributary.

Beaver Dam 

Creek.

Tributary to 

Nolin River ... 

... ..do ....

..... do 

 ..do .

First Creek 

Lake.

 ..do ....

Nolin RiverBeaver Dam 

Creek.

Beaver Dam 

Creek tributary 1.

Green River..

Beaver Dam 

Creek.

.....do.

Green River.. 

... ..do.. 

.....do ... 

Beaver Dam 

Creek.

Green River. .

Location

Lat 37°15'40", long 86°13'07", 600 ft 

below Jones Branch and 8.3 mi northwest of Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°15'30", long 86°14'18", 800 ft 

above mouth and 9 mi northwest of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°14'13", long 86°14'17", at 

mouth, 8J£ mi west of Mammoth 

Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°13'30", long 86°13'32", at point 

of inflow to First Creek Lake, 7.4 mi 

west of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°13'36", long 86°13'36", 100 ft 

above right bank tributary, 300 ft 

above mouth and 7.5 mi west of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°13'35", long 86°13'37", 100 ft 

above mouth and 7.5 mi west of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°13'28", long 86°13'41", at First 

Creek Lake outlet, 7.5 mi west of 

Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°07'14", long 86°10'18", upstream 

from springs on right bank, 0.4 mi 

upstream from mouth, 1.0 mi west 

of Cedar Spring and 5.2 mi north of 

Smiths Grove, Ky. 

Lat 37°07'15", long 86°10'18", 500 ft 

upstream from mouth of springs' 

run, 1.0 mi west of Cedar Spring and 

5.2 mi north of Smiths Grove, Ky. 

Lat 37°07'01", long 86°11'10", at bridge 

on county road, 1.4 mi southwest of 

Pig and 4.6 mi north of Smiths 

Grove, Ky. 

Lat 37°07'38", long 86°10'48", at culvert, 0.7 mi southwest of Pig, Ky.

Lat 37°07'24", long 86°11'38", at culvert, 0.5 mi east of Cole School, 1.5 

mi southwest of Pig and 5 mi 

north of Smiths Grove, Ky. 

Lat 37°07'19", long 86°11'48", at bridge, 

0.4 mi southeast of Cole School, 1.7 

mi southwest of Pig and 4.8 mi 

northwest of Smiths Grove, Ky. 

Lat 37°07'22", long 86°12'18", 0.2 mi 

southwest of Cole School, 2.1 mi 

southwest of Pig, and 4.9 mi north of 

Smiths Grove, Ky. 

Lat 37°09'18", long 86°13'35", at bridge 

on StateHighway 101 , at Rhoda and 

7.2 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Lat 37°09'34", long 86°13'33", at bridge 

on State Highway 259 (formerly 65), 

at Rhoda, 0.3 mi above mouth, and 

7.1 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky. 

Lat 37°09'22", long 86°13'41", at 

Rhoda, 0.15 mi below right bank 

tributary, and 7.3 mi west of Mammoth Cave, Ky.

Drainage 

area 

(sqmD

5.16

6.10 

2.25

10.9

Measurements

Date

9- 8-61 

10-31-61 

6-12-62 

7-25-62 

9-27-62 

12- 7-62 

8-24-61

8-24-61 

8-24-61 

8-24-61

8-24-61 

8-24-61 

10-31-61

10-31-61 

10-31-61

10-31-61 

10-31-61

10-31-61 

10-31-61

9- 5-61 

10-30-61 

6-13-62 

7-25-62 

8-23-62 

9-27-62 

12- 6-62 

4-23-63 

9-9-61

9-5-61

Discharge 

(cfs)

1.14 

1.68 

3.62 

1.77 

1.10 

1.45 

1.56

1.5 

1.2 

0

i.l 

1.35

0

.11 

.1

1.2

1.005 

0

.24 

1.25

1.27 

1.06 

3.04 

.76 

.505 

.80 

1.33 

2.06 

1.01

.67

i Estimated.

8 Reverse flow.

3 No surface connection to Green River.
626 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Many streams in the area are wet-weather streams; that is, they 

carry storm runoff only and are dry most of the time. However, an 

observation of no flow at one point on a stream does not necessarily 

mean that the stream does not have flow in it somewhere upstream 

or downstream. (See below.) Therefore, the results of the reconnaissance made in 1961 are not complete. A complete reconnaissance 

would necessitate observing each stream channel from the divide to 

the mouth; however, it is believed that the most important perennial 

surface flows have been observed. All references to streamflow are 

under dry-weather conditions.

Wet Prong Buffalo Creek is probably the best potential supply 

from a small stream. A discussion of the perennial streams and information not included in table 6 follows. Because of its importance 

Buffalo Creek is discussed first, followed by the remaining small 

streams.

DESCRIPTION AND DISCHARGE

Buffalo Greek. Wet and Dry Prongs of Buffalo Creek are aptly 

named. The flow of several small springs in the Dry Prong Buffalo 

Creek basin is suitable for small local supplies, but the flow disappears 

into the streambed at some point downstream. Wet Prong Buffalo 

Creek is fed by springs in the headwater tributaries. The Wet Prong 

is a perennial stream to some point between Pigeon Hollow and the 

confluence with Dry Prong. At the confluence both prongs are dry. 

Flow from two springs (see table 5) enters Buffalo Creek between the 

confluence of the two prongs and the mouth of the creek. Presumably 

the flow that disappeared into the streambed of Wet Prong downstream 

from Pigeon Hollow reappears in the larger of the two springs 

tributary to Buffalo Creek. However, the Buffalo Creek tributary 

springs are near Green River level. Data collected to date indicates 

that the minimum flow to be expected in Wet Prong is probably about 

300,000 gpd. This supply is ample for present or future needs of Mammoth Cave. Most of the drainage area of Wet Prong lies within the 

park, which will assist pollution control of the watershed. The principal disadvantage of this source is that it is 5 miles from Mammoth 

Cave and on the north side of the Green River.

Three Sisters Hollow. The interruption of streamflow is evident in 

Three Sisters Hollow. On September 7, 1961, no flow was observed 

in the westernmost tributary and in the main stem throughout its 

length, but Blair Spring, a tributary of Three Sisters Hollow, was 

undoubtedly discharging some water that never reached the main 

stem.

Big Spring Hollow. The flow of Big Spring Hollow was 1.49 cfs 

(963,000 gpd) September 8, 1961. However, this flow was from a
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 627

spring on the right bank of the hollow about 200 feet upstream from 

the mouth of the hollow. Because the spring is at Green River level 

and the hollow is on the north side of the Green Eiver, its potential 

as a source of water supply for Mammoth Cave National Park is 

negligible.

Ugly Creek. A small tributary spring of Ugly Creek is near the 

north boundary of the park. Flow on August 22,1961, was less than 

3,000 gpd. The spring could be used as a small local supply but is 

too small to be considered for any other purpose. The discharge from 

the spring disappeared into the streambed at some point upstream 

from a ford over Ugly Creek, 1.3 miles upstream from its mouth. 

On September 6, 1961, a discharge of 0.5 cfs (323,000 gpd) was estimated at the mouth of Ugly Creek, but most of this flow was from 

a spring on the right bank 800 feet upstream from the mouth of Ugly 

Creek and near Green River level.

Big Hollow. Thz flow was 0.025 cfs (16,200 gpd) November 2, 

1961, in the headwaters of Big Hollow. This water disappeared into 

the streambed a short distance downstream, and the streambed was 

dry from this point to the mouth. This water could be a local source, 

but the supply is too small and the distance too far to be a source for 

Mammoth Cave.

Floating Mill Hollow. Several local people reported the existence 

of a "large" spring in the upper part of the drainage basin of Floating 

Mill Hollow. No spring was found except at a point 150 feet upstream 

from the mouth of the hollow and below Green River flood level; 

thus its potential as a source of water supply is negligible.

Styx and Echo Rivers. Discharge measurements made since 1953 

are listed in table 5. These streams are discussed on page 631.

Closed basin near Pig. A closed basin of about 4 square miles northwest of Pig has a well-defined drainage pattern. The runoff from 

this basin probably enters the Green River through underground 

passages at or near Turnhole Bend. A total of about 0.5 cfs (323,000 

gpd) was estimated in several branches of this tributary about 1 mile 

northwest of Pig on October 30, 1961. However, this combined flow 

disappeared into the streambed a short distance downstream, and the 

tributary was dry from this point to its end at a sinkhole. Its 

distance from Mammoth Cave (about 5 miles) and its location outside the boundary of the park precludes considering the tributary as 

a potential source of water supply.

Sal. McCoy, and Dry Hollows. Small flows were observed at or 

near the mouths of Sal, McCoy, and Dry Hollows. However, these 

supplies are below Green River flood level.

Dog Creek. The drainage area of Dog Creek, a tributary of the 

Nolin River, lies outside the park to the north. Quantity and quality
628 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

of the water are satisfactory, but the distance of the tributary from 

Mammonth Cave and its location outside the park and north of the 

Green River probably precludes its use for a source of water supply 

for Mammoth Cave. Results of measurements of flow of Dog and 

Little Dog Creeks are shown in table 5.

Bylew, First, and Second Creeks. Three streams Bylew, First, 

and Second Creeks tributary to the Nolin River are perennial, but 

their distance from Mammoth Cave and proximity to the Nolin River 

with its larger flow would dictate that the Nolin River be used as a 

possible source. However, these smaller streams might be used to 

supply local areas within the undeveloped part of the park. Discharge measurements or estimates are listed in table 5.

Beaver Dam Creek. Beaver Dam Creek, a tributary of the Green 

River, is 6-8 miles southwest of Mammoth Cave. It is a perennial 

stream, but its distance from Mammoth Cave and location outside the 

park probably preclude its use as a potential source of water supply 

for Mammoth Cave. See table 5 for results of discharge measurements.

QUALITY

A summary of the chemical quality of water from four of the small 

streams is given in table 4. Water from the four small creeks is of 

better quality and very similar to that from Three Springs. Water 

from Wet Prong Buffalo Creek is soft, and that from the other three 

small creeks is moderately hard. The small creeks usually are clear 

except after a storm. These small streams would probably require 

only chlorination most of the time.

WATER IN ALLUVIUM ADJACENT TO GREEN RIVER

Ground water in the alluvium adjacent to the Green River is a 

potential source of water supply for Mammoth Cave National Park. 

However, the permeability and water-yielding capacity of the alluvial 

material is low, and the potential is probably small. The development 

of a municipal supply of adequate yield from sand and gravel in the 

Green River alluvium at Brownsville, about 18 miles downstream from 

Mammoth Cave, prompted the exploration of this source at Mammoth Cave. Eight exploratory test holes were augered into the alluvial terrace on the bank of the Green River between the Styx and 

Echo Rivers in October 1961. All test holes were bottomed on resistant material, probably limestone, at depths ranging from 25 to 35 

feet below land surface. All penetrated compact yellowish-brown silt 

and clay but no sand or gravel.

The alluvium in the bed of the river in this area, as at Cave Island 

upstream from the mouth of Styx River, may be coarser and more
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 629

permeable, but it was not tested. If found to consist of coarse sand 

and gravel, this alluvium, which undoubtedly would have hydraulic 

continuity with the river, could yield substantial supplies of water to 

properly constructed wells. Development of this source by vertical 

wells or a horizontal collector well would necessitate that the well be 

constructed to a level above the highest flood stage of the river.

Water obtained from wells in the alluvium would consist, in part, of 

water infiltrated from the Green Kiver, and thus would be similar in 

quality to the river water. Water pumped from the aforementioned 

well at Brownsville, for example, contains an undesirable concentration of iron and, during the period when the Green Kiver was 

contaminated bv oil-field brines, contained a high concentration of »/ / o

chloride.

GBOUND WATER IN BEDROCK

BASAL. GROUND WATER

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

The basal ground water in the Mammoth Cave area is contained in, 

and moves through, a thick sequence of limestones, the Ste. Genevieve 

and St. Louis Limestones. The occurrence of water in these limestones is described in detail by Brown. (See footnote 1, p. 606.)

The storage and movement of ground water in limestone in the 

Mammoth Cave area is confined to numerous openings along interconnected joints and bedding planes. Most openings have been enlarged by solution, and large quantities of ground water move through 

them at relatively high velocities. The body of basal ground water, 

although confined to random openings, is continuous and is controlled 

by the Green River. The upper surface is continuous with the level 

of the Green River, and all openings below this level are completely 

saturated.

Recharge to the basal ground-water body comes from several 

sources: (1) The sinking streams that drain the surface of the Pennyroyal plain and disappear into sinkholes before they reach the Dripping Springs escarpment, (2) local precipitation on the Mammoth 

Cave plateau, which moves rapidly downward through sinkholes or 

vertical shafts or percolates slowly downward along innumerable 

conduits of different diameters and shapes, and (3) recharge from the 

Green River in time of flood. No information on the total amount 

of recharge or the amounts from the several sources is available. Except for the part that is lost by evapotranspiration (about 50 percent), 

most of the precipitation ultimately reaches the basal water body. 

Thus, 24 inches of the annual precipitation, or an equivalent of about 

420 million gallons per year for each square mile, recharges this body.
630 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Recharge from the Pennyroyal plain is continuous throughout the 

year and is greatest in the winter. Recharge from the Mammoth 

Cave plateau is intermittent; it is large in winter but is negligible 

during the late summer and fall.

The general movement of basal ground water in the area is northwestward from the Pennyroyal plain to the Green River. The water 

table slopes in this general direction from an altitude of about 570 

feet on the Pennyroyal to 420 feet at Green River level. The 

water probably moves in several large conduits or drains trending 

generally northwestward. Large conduits probably underlie the Mill 

Hole-Cedar Sink area and the Mammoth Cave plateau. Their specific 

location and the location of other large conduits will have to await the 

results of further exploration and tests. The large conduits are adjoined by numerous smaller cross conduits of many diameters and 

shapes.

The large and small conduits discharge to the Green River through 

such springs and underground streams as Pike and Sand Cave Springs 

and the Echo and Styx Rivers. The magnitude of the low flow from 

these points of discharge is indicated by flow data of the Echo and 

Styx Rivers listed in table 5.

DEVELOPMENT

Basal ground water in the Mammoth Cave area can be developed 

by deep drilled wells or by direct pumping from known large conduits, 

such as the underground parts of Echo River in Mammoth Cave. The 

basal ground water in the vicinity of the developed area of the park 

is contained in the Ste. Genevieve and St. Louis Limestones.

The success of a drilled well depends on its intersecting a trunk 

conduit or one of the numerous cross conduits at an altitude equivalent 

to that of the basal water table. The conduits are controlled by the 

systems of joints and by bedding planes, and their locations are difficult to predict in advance of drilling. In fact, drilling into the larger 

water-filled conduits requires considerable luck. The few wells in the 

area of Mammoth Cave plateau that have been drilled to the basal 

ground water all yielded water, but none yielded significantly large 

supplies. The test well in Eaton Valley, pumped for 8 hours at an 

average rate of 36 gpm, is probably the largest-yielding well penetrating the basal water in the plateau area. The well at Bransford 

Spring was pumped throughout the summer of 1962 at an average 

rate of 14 gpm. The depth to water is usually great; wells on the 

Mammoth Cave plateau generally reach water at about 400 feet below 

land surface.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 631

Basal ground water also can be developed by pumping it directly 

from known flooded underground passages, such as Echo Eiver in 

Mammoth Cave and the flooded passage in the lower level of Great 

Onyx Cave. The dry-weather yield of these sources, if no water is 

taken from storage, is probably equal to the low-flow data of Echo 

River and Pike Spring given in table 5. Withdrawals greater than 

the low flows would be from storage in the submerged passages below 

the water level. Little is known of the configuration and volume of the 

submerged parts of the passages, and no estimate can be made of the 

amount of water in storage, but the amount is probably large. However, withdrawals greater than the low flow at known points of outflow 

would cause a lowering of the water surface. Such lowering may induce recharge of water from the Green River, which would maintain 

the yield but would probably change the quality of the water.

QUALITY

Styx River, Echo River, and Pike Springs drain the basal water 

table at about the same level as the Green River. They become flooded 

whenever the Green River is in flood, and consequently can yield water 

that is either basal ground water or Green River water and at times a 

mixture of the two waters. Sediment concentration, chloride, and 

pollution depend to a large extent on the stage of the Green River, 

but these effects are usually diluted by the normal water of the springs. 

The Green River seems to back up into Pike Spring and Styx River 

Spring more readily and frequently than into Echo River Spring. 

The daily analyses of Echo River and Styx River Springs show that 

the quality of water flowing from Echo River Spring is not influenced 

by the Green River nearly as much as the other two springs. A summary of the quality of water from the three springs is shown in table 6. 

With the improvement in quality of the Green River water, the three 

springs are acceptable sources of water. Echo River Spring, however, is the best of the three. In Mammoth Cave, suspended-sediment 

concentrations are usually less than 20 ppm at low flows of the Green 

River. At higher flows concentrations of 40 ppm have been measured 

several times, and much higher concentrations probably occur.

The chemical quality of water from wells tapping the basal groundwater body generally is similar to that from Echo, Styx, or Pike 

Springs when the latter are draining into the Green River (see table 

7). Because the wells tap the basal water distant from the Green 

River, the chemical quality and turbidity are not affected by Green 

River flooding. However, the water from the Eaton Valley well (table 

7), is of poor and contrastingly different quality from the average 

quality of the basal ground water. This well was drilled considerably
632 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

TABLE 6. Chemical quality of Styx River, Echo River, and Pike Springs

[Chemical analyses in parts per million]

Concentration

Period of record

Iron Chloride HardnessPH

July-September data only

Iron Chloride Hardness

PH

Styx River Spring, Nov. 3, 1958-Sept. 27, 1962

1.5

.01

.14

.11

58

550

1.0

64

38

48

608

294

89

Mi

135

139

72

8.1

6.9

7.3

7.3

72

0.36

.01

.18

.15

.16

19

185

7.0

38

50

111

194

120

156

152

159

19

8.1

7.0

7.2

7.2

19

Echo River Spring, Aug. 29, 1955-S«pt. 29, 1962

Mode..... ______ _ _

0.88

.00

.13

.os

no ',0

18

5 9

6.0

721

200

86

134

78

8.3

6.8

7.5

7.4

0 50

01

13

08

10 °2

442

.5

20

8.1

10

138

153

110

131

136

133

22

7.8

6.8

7.4

7.4

22

Pike Spring, May 19, 1959-Sept. 21, 1962

Mode..... _______ ...

1.7

.04

.6

3

200

1 K

44

6.0

7

136

111

123

4

8.2

7.1

4

below the basal water table in an effort to increase its yield. It is 

believed that it penetrated deeper water of a poorer quality, and that 

this water is now moving upward in the bore and mixing with the 

upper basal ground water. To insure that it will yield good quality 

basal ground water, a well should not be drilled more than 20 to 30 

feet below the basal water table in the Mammoth Cave area.

PERCHED GROUND WATER. IN BEDROCK

The geology and topography of the Mammoth Cave plateau area 

combine to create conditions favorable to the formation of several 

zones of perched ground water. These zones are: (1) a generally continuous body of ground water in the Haney Limestone Member of the 

Golconda Formation (fig. 73) perched above shale beds in the lower 

part of the Haney, (2) a generally continuous body of ground water 

in the Big Clifty Sandstone Member of the Golconda Formation 

perched above a shale at the base of the Big Clifty, and (3) discontinuous bodies of ground water perched above local shale beds near 

the top of the Girkin Formation.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 633

PERCHED GROUND WATER IN HANEY LIMESTONE MEMBER OF THE 

GOLCONDA FORMATION ON FLINT RIDGE

The following discussion is concerned only with the occurrence of 

perched ground water in the Haney Limestone Member of the Golconda Formation on Flint Ridge. Similar conditions may occur 

elsewhere, as east of Ehoda and north of the Green Eiver, but all are 

distant from the area of present use.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Haney Limestone Member and the overlying Hardinsburg 

Sandstone and the underlying Big Clifty Sandstone Member are the 

so-called caprocks that form Flint Eidge. The thick Big Clifty forms 

the cliffs around the margin of Flint Eidge. The Haney, only about 

40 feet thick in this area, is exposed in places above the Big Clifty along 

the margin of the ridge at an altitude of about 740-760 feet. The caprocks are broken by numerous j oints. The openings along j oints in the 

Hardinsburg Sandstone and Big Clifty Sandstone Member are small. 

The openings along joints in the Haney are enlarged by solution, and 

the limestone is cavernous.

Almost all the precipitation 011 Flint Eidge either sinks into the 

permeable surface rocks or runs off in short intermittent streams to the 

edge of the ridge and is diverted downward in underground drainage 

channels in the Girkin Formation to the basal water table. Probably 

more than 50 percent of the precipitation is disposed of in this manner; 

the remainder is evaporated or transpired. Water penetrating the 

permeable surface rocks on Flint Eidge moves downward until it 

reaches the relatively impermeable shale at the base of the Haney 

Limestone Member and then moves laterally in solution channels in 

the limestone to emerge as seeps or springs along the margin of the 

ridge. This outflow also sinks to the basal water table via the solution 

channels in the Girkin Formation. Some of the lateral flow probably 

never appears at the surface along the margin but is abruptly diverted 

downward in places where the impermeable shale is breached by joints.

The solution openings in the Haney may have considerable reservoir 

capacity, and thus may sustain the flow of the visible springs during 

dry periods longer than those previously experienced. Several test 

wells drilled in April 1961 on the surface of Flint Eidge to the base 

of the Haney penetrated a body of ground water, the upper surface of 

which was in the overlying Hardinsburg Sandstone. Thus, at these 

locations in April 1961 the Haney Limestone Member was completely 

saturated. At the lowest observed decline of this water surface in 

October 1962, about 20 feet of the Haney was saturated.
TABLE 7. Chemical analyses of water from welts and springs, M

[Dissolved constituents given in parts per mill

Date

Tempera-

/o 17 \

Iron

(Fe)

Bicarbonate

(HCOs)

Sulfate

(SO.)

Chloride

(Cl)

Fluoride

(F)

Nitrate

(NOs)

Hardness 

Calcium,

magnesium

Perched water in Haney Limestone Membe

Three Springs

Onf &. 10^7

Oct. 29..-- _________

Mar. 3,1960-. --- __

Oct. 13 

Jan. 11, 1961 ____ . __ -

Feb. 6.. 

May 31.. ... _ 

June 27... _ - _____

July 25- ____ ..... __

Aug. 30. _____ ._.-- _ -

Sept. 27 .... ..... 

Feb. 26, 1962... ...........

Bransford Spring 

Feb. 20,1958.. 

Feb. 26, 1962.. ..........

Blair Spring 

Jan. 31, 1962. ..... ......

Feb. 27... . .

Cooper Spring 

July 3, 1962 __ ............

48

55

56

54

57

54

53

54

54

55

55

56

57

56

49

56

46

47

52

59

0.04

.09

.06

.07

.10

.08

.16

.05

.04

.03

.05

.17

.11

.09

3.6

.10

.00

.05

.07

.02

.02

.00

.00

126

55

48

27

114

30

115

48

44

23

24

25

59

59

73

102

106

40

49

64

28

30

22

86

4.6

1.4

2.0

.0

2.8

2.4

1.2

4.8

3.2

4.4

6.2

6.0

2.8

2.6

2.4

5.4

3.6

8.6

4.8

1.8

6.6

4.5

5.8

.0

3.0

4.0

1.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

1.5

.5

3.5

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

2.0

1.0

1.0

2.0

2.0

3.0

2.0

2.0

0.1

.2

.0

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.1

.0

.1

.1

.1

.0

.1

.2

.0

.0

.0

.0

0.5

.4

.1

.2

.6

.3

.8

.3

.1

1.3

.0

.1

.4

.4

.5

2.8

.8

.6

.4

.6

1.1

3.3

.5

.6

99

37

40

23

93

25

96

41

34

20

21

25

46

49

59

85

86

32

42

48

22

26

18

67
Adwell Spring

Jan. 31, 1962 __ 

Feb. 27 

MayS. 

JulyS 

Flint Ridge test well 2

May 7, 1962 _ . ... 

Flint Ridge test well 4

May 7, 1962 

49

51

60

61

56

55

.00

.00

.00

.05

.00

.38

50

32

54

72

96

112

4.1

3.7

2.0

2.9

6.4

2.5

2.0

3.0

3.0

6.0

3.0

3.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.0

.6

.8

.3

1.0

.3

.2

36

26

42

60

73

90

Basal ground water

Bransford well

Oct. 14 ._ -__

May 13, 1961 . 

July 3, 1962 

Crystal Cave well 

Oct. 19, 1961.. 

Apr. 16,1962 

Well at CCCNo.2 

Apr. 7, 1959.. 

Eaton Valley well 

July 20, 1961 - 

Pike Spring 

May 19, 1959 _

Feb. 18, I960 

Sept. 21 __ . ..... . 

Oct. 5, 1961 - __ _ _ 

Sept. 21, 1962. ._

Spring in Cedar Sink 

Oct. 9, 1962 

62

58

55

57

54

60

58

55

56

58

1.2

.02

1.1

.03

1.0

.97

1.7

.04

.06

.11

170

120

138

84

156

138

126

108

160

134

174

1,390

202

45

45

44

626

8.4

10

5.6

13

10

9.0

9.6

2.0

4.0

3.0

3.0

2.0

95

1.5

47

6.0

50

200

2.5

4.0

15

0.3

1.2

.6

.8

1.4

3.2

.2

.2

.1

.2

0.4

.4

2.6

5.8

.1

1.1

3.3

2.0

2.4

4.0

176

1,540

265

148

115

166

737

111

118

136

126

170
636 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

Part of the outflow probably emerges as slow seepage, along the 

margin of the ridge at the outcrop of the lower part of the Haney 

Limestone Member and is rarely seen. However, part of the outflow 

emerges as visible springs having flows ranging from several hundred 

gallons per minute in early spring to less than 10 gpm in late fall. 

Seven such springs are known on Flint Ridge. In addition to the 

springs already mentioned in the section on present water supply 

(Three Springs and Bransford, Blair, and Ad well Springs), there 

are also Cooper and Collins Springs and a spring at CCC No. 1. 

Typically, these springs emerge from small caverns in the Haney 

at the head of deep reentrants on the sides of Flint Ridge, flow down 

the surface of the Big Clifty Sandstone Member for short distances, 

and sink into openings in the surface.

DEVELOPMENT

The perched ground water in the Haney Limestone Member can 

be developed by collecting the flow from the seven springs, as has been 

done in part, or by means of wells drilled from the top of the ridge to 

solution channels near the base of the limestone.

The flow of CCC No. 1 Spring is small, 4 gpm or less, and the flow 

of Bransford and Blair Springs decreases to 7 gpm or less near the end 

of the dry season. The flow of the rest of the springs is remarkably 

similar, the dry-weather flow being about 14-16 gpm. The graph of 

the flow of a typical spring is shown in figure 78. All observed flows 

from the seven springs are furnished the Park Service in monthly 

reports. Minimum flows during the critical period in August 1962 

and minimum observed flows of all springs are summarized in the 

following table.

Spring(s)

Three __ - ______________ _

Blair....._. _ ... 

Adwell. __ ---- ._-

CCC No. 1 

Total-. ... . .-...

Minimum 

flow during 

August 1962 

(gpm)

15 

10 

6 

20 

14 

20 

3

88

Minimum flow observed

Gpm

12 

7 

6 

18 

11 

13.5 

3

70.5

Date

Sept. 20. 

Oct. 21. 

Sept. 6, 20. 

Sept. 20; Oct. 

Nov. 8. 

Nov. 8. 

Numerous.

1968 

25, 31; Nov. 8.

During the critical week of August 19-25,1962, the developed supply 

of 45 gpm, or 64,800 gpd (includes Bransford well), could have been 

supplemented by an additional flow of 57 gpm or 82,000 gpd, had the 

minimum August flow of the additional springs been utilized. If it 

is assumed that the minimum flows observed later in 1962 represent 

the August flows of an extremely dry year, this supplemental supply
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 637

yad sNcmvo NI '
638 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

would be reduced by 11.5 gpm to a supply of 45.5 gpm, or 65,500 gpd. 

Thus, during an extreme year, if the flow of the seven springs were 

collected and Bransford well were pumped 24 hours per day, the 

total available supply in August would be 84.5 gpm, or 121,TOO gpd.

It is possible that the flow of one or more springs could be diverted 

or captured by natural means and the spring dried up. An enlargement of an underground opening by solution or a slight shifting and 

opening of a previously tight joint could cause this change. However, 

the chance of this happening is remote, and long-time residents remember that these springs have always flowed at their present locations.

Wells drilled to water-bearing solution channels in the limestone 

from the top of Flint Eidge are a potential means of developing the 

perched water. The test wells drilled in April 1961 provide information on the feasibility of this method of development. Because the 

solution channels are controlled by joints, one might assume that 

the flow of water would be concentrated along these channels and 

could not be found elsewhere. Of the four test wells, all penetrated 

solution channels in the limestone immediately below the base of the 

Hardinsburg Sandstone, and all but one channel contained water. 

The yield from these wells was small, less than 10 gpm, and all wells 

had difficulty with sand and silt particles washing out from the channels or caving from the bottom of the Hardinsburg Sandstone. Thus, 

it is probable that ground water in the Haney Limestone Member 

would be difficult to obtain in sufficient quantity to be useful as a 

supply. Wells too close to existing springs might decrease the flow of 

the springs if pumped heavily.

QUALITY

Perched ground water in the Haney has the best quality and is the 

most suitable for use of all water in the Mammoth Cave area.

The chemical quality of 37 samples of water from Three Springs 

obtained during the period October 1954-May 1962 is summarized in 

the following table. Analyses are shown in table 7.

Concentration

Maximum. ___ __ .... _ ____

Minimum .. _________________

Mode... _____ ____ , . ____________

Median __ ___ .. ____________

Iron 

(ppm)

3.6

.00

.20

.06

.08

Chloride 

(ppm)

7.0

.0

2.1

2.6

2.0

Hardness 

(as CaCOs) 

ppm

100

20

56

36

49

pH

8.2

6.3

7.4

7.2

Specific 

conductance (micromhos)

203

50

124

8»

111

Water from Adwell, Bransford, Blair, Collins and Cooper Springs, 

and the spring at CCC No. 1 is similar in quality to water from Three 

Springs. Water from most of the springs seems to have a low iron
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 639

content, but this may not always be true because all water shows some 

variation in quality.

PERCHED GROUND WATER IN BIG CLIFTY SANDSTONE MEMBER OP 

THE GOLCONDA FORMATION AND GIRKIN FORMATION

A potential water supply is contained in a continuous body of ground 

water in the Big Clif ty Sandstone Member and in discontinuous bodies 

in the underlying Girkin Formation.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

The Big Clifty Sandstone Member caps a major part of the Mammoth Cave plateau and crops out in many places on the surface of 

the plateau and along the sides of many of the valleys. On Flint 

Ridge it is overlain by beds of shale, limestone, and sandstone. Where 

the Big Clifty is the surface rock, it absorbs large amounts of water 

from precipitation through pore spaces and openings along numerous 

joints. Where it is overlain by other rocks 011 Flint Ridge, the Big 

Clifty is largely protected from water infiltration and probably receives water only where the overlying rocks are breached by joints, 

principally near the margin of the ridge.

Percolating water from precipitation moves downward to the relatively impermeable shale at the base of the sandstone. A perched 

body of ground water which is nearly continuous throughout the formation is supported in the sandstone by this shale. Part of the water 

drains laterally to points of discharge along the sides of valleys and 

the Dripping Springs escarpment, and part drains downward and 

recharges the Girkin Formation where the shale bed is locally absent 

or where it is broken by joints. In the Girkin Formation water flows 

downward through solution channels of different sizes and shapes to 

the basal water table. In some places this water is perched in small 

solution depressions or above local thin beds of shale.

DEVELOPMENT

Perched water in the Big Clifty Sandstone Member and the Girkin 

Formation is developed by drilled wells; some water in the Big Clifty 

is obtained by dug wells. Most wells on the Mammoth Cave plateau 

obtain water from the Big Clifty. The depth from the surface to the 

water table in the perched body of water in the sandstone ranges from 

about 2 to 20 feet. Yields of wells are not large but are reported to be 

adequate for domestic use. Dug wells 2 to 3 feet in diameter yield 

adequate quantities for domestic and stock use.

Wells drilled into the Girkin Formation obtain small supplies of 

water at numerous levels. Water levels in these wells change rapidly 

with heavy rains and dry spells, and some wells go dry. In some wells 

the water supply may be only a gallon or two a day; in others it may,
640 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

with normal precipitation, be adequate for a domestic supply, although 

it will likely fail in dry summers. Commonly, none of the perched 

water bodies in the Girkin Formation are adequate for year-round 

domestic supplies with pressure systems installed.

QUALITY

The chemical quality of water from the Big Clifty Sandstone Member is suitable for most uses. It is soft and slightly acid but sometimes 

contains objectionable amounts of iron. Because of its widespread occurrence at the surface, water in the Big Clifty is subject to pollution 

from barnyard and other agricultural wastes. No samples of water 

were taken from wells obtaining water exclusively from the Girkin 

Formation. The water is probably similar in quality to that from the 

Haney Limestone Member, but it may be harder.

EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES

The purpose of this report is to evaluate the hydrology of alternative 

sources of water supply for the National Park Service. To evaluate 

the several potential sources of water, it is necessary to have a figure 

of water demand as a yardstick. A maximum daily demand of 250,000 

gallons during the period June-September is probably a reasonable 

yardstick to use if the projected growth to 1980 is considered. The 

sources are discussed in approximate order of value as potential sources 

of water supply for Mammoth Cave.

GREEN RIVER

The Green Eiver is the largest source of water available. The supply 

is more than enough for any future needs of Mammoth Cave National 

Park. The chemical quality is now suitable with normal treatment of 

surface-water supplies. Construction of Green Kiver Keservoir will 

increase the quantity and improve the chemical quality of low flows.

Use of this source will necessitate an intake structure, treatment 

plant, and high pump lift (350-450 ft). The principal disadvantage 

of the use of Green Kiver water is the possibility of renewed pollution 

by oil-field brine. As an insurance against this possibility, Green 

River water could be used to augment the present supply. In this 

event, the intake structure should probably be constructed near Great 

Onyx Cave and a pipeline (6,000-8,000 ft) run from this point to the 

reservoir at Bransford Spring or to the existing storage tanks on Flint 

Ridge. As added insurance, a remote-recording specific-conductance 

meter might be installed at the gaging station at Munfordville. This 

would provide operating personnel with advance warning of a change 

of chemical quality of Green River water that might be attributed to 

brine pollution.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 641

NOLIN BIVEB

The Nolin River is the second largest source of water available. Its 

water is moderately hard to very hard but well within the limits of 

drinking-water standards. Use of this source would necessitate a long 

pipeline, an intake structure, treatment plant, and high pump lift 

(350-450 ft). The chief disadvantage of this source is the length of 

the pipeline (about 8 miles).

PERCHED WATER IN HANEY LIMESTONE MEMBER OF THE 

GOLCONDA FORMATION

The existing water supply for Mammoth Cave is obtained from 

springs draining a perched aquifer in the Haney Limestone Member 

on Flint Ridge and a deep well at Bransford Spring. There are several 

additional springs draining this aquifer that could be incorporated 

into the present water-supply system.

The Haney is the best source of good quality water supply for 

Mammoth Cave now and in the near future. The chemical quality, 

except for Bransford well, is excellent, and the fact that the recharge 

area for the perched aquifer lies mostly within park boundaries facilitates pollution control.

The main disadvantage of this source as the ultimate supply for the 

park is the quantity available. The minimum total flow of all the 

known springs and Bransford well during the critical period in JulyAugust 1962 was 102 gpm, or 147,000 gpd, and occurred on August 22, 

1962. However, the absolute minimum total flow observed was 84.5 

gpm, or 122,000 gpd, on November 8,1962, and occurred after the end 

of the critical period. The average weekly measurement of flow of 

the springs plus Bransford well for the period May 29-September 6, 

1962, was 137 gpm, or 197,000 gpd.

The deficiency in quantity can be overcome by storage. Table 8 

shows observed or estimated flows for known springs on Flint Ridge 

and Bransford well and the surplus or deficiency for several demands. 

The observations were made every 7 or 8 days during the 100-day 

period, May 29-September 6, 1962. This represents a good study 

period for three reasons, namely: (1) The weekly observations give a 

good estimate of the available flow, (2) the period includes a drought 

that has a recurrence interval of about 12 years, and (3) the greatest 

use of water at Mammoth Cave is during the period from Memorial 

Day to Labor Day.

The data in table 8 were used to compile the storage requirements 

given in table 9 for indicated demands ranging from 50,000 gpd to 

250,000 gpd. Part of these computations are illustrated graphically 

in figures 79,80, and 81.
TABLE 8. Observed weekly flows of Flint Ridge springs and Bransford well and 

June-September 1962

[Data in gallons per minute]

Date

12_._ ______ __

9fi

July 3_ 

10. 

18. ___ ______

25.. ___________

Aug. 1__ 

1 K

22 . _ _

29.. .. 

Sept. 6-... _ _ __ 

Three 

Springs

26 

28 

24 

25 

21 

20 

21 

21 

18 

17 

17 

15 

15 

15 

15

Bransford 

Spring

18 

22 

21 

318 

14

314 

315 

315 

312 

312 

312 

310 

310 

310 

310

Blair 

Spring

13 

13 

13 

16 

13 

13 

9 

7 

27

>7

8 7 

*6

»6

26

6

Cooper 

Spring

26 

28 

26 

26 

26 

26 

18 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

14 

16 

16

Adwell 

Spring

37 

40 

40 

37 

34 

34 

26 

23 

23 

23 

23 

20 

20 

20 

20

Collins 

Spring

134 

136 

136 

134 

31 

31 

23 

23 

23 

23 

20 

20 

20 

20 

20

Spring at 

COO 

No. 1

36

27 

27 

2 6 

2 6

26

4 

M 

4 

*4 

4 

3 

3 

3 

3

gallo

T

17

i Estimated from comparison with flow of Adwell Spring.

8 Estimated.

3 Estimated from comparison with flow of Three Springs.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 643

TABLE 9. Storage needed for selected supplies "based, on 100-day period,

May 29-Sept. 6, 1962

Supply

Present supply: Three Springs, Bransford Spring,

Present supply plus Adwell and Blair Springs ___

Present supply plus Adwell, Blair, Cooper, and

Storage required (million gals) based on demand (gpd) of 

50,000

0 

0

0

100,000

3.09 

.10

0

150,000

8.09 

2.93

.03

200,000

13.09

7.72

2.24

250,000

18.09 

12.72

5.65

The computed figures do not provide a factor of safety for equipment 

breakdown, losses by evaporation, leakage, or a bailer-water line, or 

an unusual demand such as might be required for a fire.

SMALL STREAMS

Wet Prong Buffalo Creek is the best of the several small-stream supplies in the vicinity of Mammoth Cave. The advantages of this source 

are good chemical quality, adequate supply (minimum probably about 

300,000 gpd), and location of most of the watershed in the park for 

control of pollution. Disadvantages of this source are distance from 

park headquarters (about 5 miles) and the necessity for normal treatment of surface water.

BASAL GROUND WATER

Not enough is known about the recharge, movement, and discharge 

of the basal ground water to evaluate it properly as a potential supply. 

Development of the source by means of deep drilled wells appears 

to have low potential because of the low yields to existing wells and 

the difficulty of predicting the location of trunk conduits in advance 

of drilling. Development by pumping from known trunk conduits, 

such as the underground parts of Echo Eiver in Mammoth Cave or 

Pike Spring in Great Onyx Cave, has a greater potential, however. 

If the withdrawal is made relatively close to the Green River the 

greatest yields during the low-flow period, with no depletion of 

ground-water storage, would probably be equal to the observed low 

flows of Echo Eiver (162,000 gpd) and Pike Spring (1,250,000 gpd). 

Larger withdrawals during the low-flow period would decrease the 

storage, and thus cause a decline in water levels in the underground 

streams and an inflow of water from the Green River. The quality of 

the basal ground water is suitable with the normal treatment of surface-water supplies.

The chief disadvantages of the basal ground water as a potential 

source, in addition to the uncertainty of its yield, are the possibility
DISCHARGE, IN GALLONS PER 
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 645

200,000

180,000

200,000 gpd demand

Storage needed 2,930,000 gallons

May

FIOUBB 80. Comparison of present water supply plus Blair and Adwell Springs for 100- 

day, period, May 29-Sept. 6, 1962, with Indicated demands.
646 HYDROLOGY OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

280,000

260,000

Storage needed 5,650,000 gallons

140,000

120,000

FIGURE 81. Comparison of total known water supply on Flint Eidge for 100-day period, 

May 29-Sept. 6, 1&62, with indicated demands.
WATER SUPPLY, MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK, KENTUCKY 647

of pollution by oil-field brine from the Green River, the high pump 

lift, and the difficulty of introducing the water into the present water 

system. Use of this source would require a treatment plant and probably a long pipeline to the reservoirs on Flint Ridge. Basal ground 

water might be developed as an auxiliary supply for periods of peak 

demand or low flow, however.

WATER IN ALLUVIUM ADJACENT TO THE GREEN RIVER

Based on available data, the alluvium adjacent to the Green River 

at Mammoth Cave has little potential as a water supply owing to 

low yield. Possibilities of better yields exist upstream from the 

Styx River, but the yields have not been tested. However, the water 

would be similar in quality to Green River water, and thus offers no 

advantage over the use of Green River water.

PERCHED WATER IN BIG CLIFTY SANDSTONE MEMBER OF THE 

GOLCONDA FORMATION AND GIRKIN FORMATION

Based on available data, perched water in the Big Clifty Sandstone 

Member of the Golconda Formation and the Girkin Formation has 

little potential as a water supply owing to its low yield.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Langbein, W. B., and Iseri, Kathleen T., 1960, General introduction and hydrologic definitions: U.S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 1541-A, 29 p.

McCabe, John A., 1962, Floods in Kentucky, magnitude and frequency: Kentucky Geol. Survey Inf. Circ. 9, ser. 10,196 p.

U.S. Geological Survey, Surface-water supply of the United States, Part 3-A, 

Ohio River basin except Cumberland and Tennessee River basins: U.S. 

Geol. Survey Water-Supply Papers, published annually through 1960.

 1957, Compilation of records of surface waters of the United States 

through September 1950, Part 3-A, Ohio River basin except Cumberland 

and Tennessee River basins: U.S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 1305, 

652 p.

 1961, Surface water records of Kentucky: U.S. Geol. Survey open-file

report.

Hydrology of the 

Public Domain

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 1475

This water-supply paper was printed 

as separate chapters A-Q
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

STEWART L. UDALL, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

Thomas B. Nolan, Director
CONTENTS

[The letters in parentheses preceding the titles designate separately published chapters]

(A) Hydrologic data, Wind River and Fifteen Mile Creek basins, Wyoming, 1947-54, by Norman J. King___________________________ 1

(B) Hydrology of Cornfield Wash, Sandoval County, New Mexico,

1951-55, by F. W. Kennon and H. V. Peterson___________ 45

(C) Geology in relation to availability of water along the south rim,

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, by D. G. Metzger______ 105

(D) Geology and occurrence of ground water at Jewel Cave National

Monument, South Dakota, by C. F. Dyer__________________ 139

(E) Ground water in the western part of the Cow Creek and Soldier 

Creek Grazing Units, Malheur County, Oregon, by R. C. Newcomb..-. _________________________________________________ 159

(F) Ground water at Grant Village site, Yellowstone National Park, 

Wyoming, by Ellis D. Gordon, Richard A. McCullough, and 

Edwin P. Weeks_____________________________ 173

(G) Water-supply possibilities at Capitol Reef National Monument,

Utah, by I. Wendell Marine_________________________ 201

(H) Availability of additional water for Chiricahua National Monument,

Cochise County, Arizona, by Phillip W. Johnson-______________ 209

(I) Hydrology of small watersheds in western states, by H. V. Peterson__ 217

(J) Ground water in the Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments, Coconino County, Arizona, by Oliver J. Cosner__________ 357

(K) Ground-water reconnaissance at Pinnacles National Monument,

California, by R. E. Evenson______________________ 375

(L) Hydrology of stock-water development in the Ely Grazing District,

Nevada, by Charles T. Snyder___________________ 383

(M) Ground-water resources of the Bryce Canyon National Park area, 

Utah, with a section on The drilling of a test well, by I. Wendell 

Marine.___________________________________________________ 441

(N) Hydrology of stock-water development on the public domain of

western Utah, by Charles T. Snyder__________________________ 487

(O) Hydrologic and geologic reconnaissance of Pinto basin, Joshua Tree 

National Monument, Riverside County, California, by Fred 

KunkeL._____________..____________________ 537

(P) Hydrology of stock-water development in southeastern Idaho, by

Richard F. Hadley.._______.__________________ 563

(Q) Present and future water supply for Mammoth Cave National Park,

Kentucky, by R. V. Cushman, R. A. Krieger, and John A. McCabe. 601