Bedrock consists of interbedded limestones, siltstones, and shales.
Soils are generally clay-rich loams.
Agricultural practices include growing corn, soybeans, and tobacco, and pasturing beef cattle. Shallow ground water in the epikarstic zone was the major focus of this study. The sites were then subdivided into fracture zones and interfracture zones. The epikarstic zone tends to be thicker in fracture zones than in interfracture zones, and wells located in fracture zones were found to produce more shallow ground water than those located in interfracture zones. Triazines and metolachlor were found only at the crop site, whereas nitrate, found in higher concentrations at the crop site, was detected at both sites.