Ground-water development in East St. Louis area, Illinois. Urbana, IL ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Csallany, W. H. Walker, T. A. Prickett, Jack Bruin, J. P. Dorr, R. E, Aten, H. G. Rose, and O. E. Michaels. J. W. Brother prepared the illustrations. This report would have been impossible without the generous cooperation of officials of municipalities and industries, consulting engineers, water well contractors, and irrigation and domestic well owners who provided information on wells, water levels, and pumpage. GEOGRAPHY The East St. Louis area, known locally as the "American Bottom," is in southwestern Illinois and includes portions of Madison, St. Clair, and Monroe Counties. It encompasses the major cities of East St. Louis, Granite City, and Wood River, and extends along the valley lowlands of the Mississippi River from Alton south beyond Cahokia as shown in figure 1. The area covers about 175 square miles and is approximately 30 miles long and 11 miles wide at the widest point. Included is an area south of Prairie Du Pont Floodway containing Dupo and East Carondelet. Topography and Drainage Most of the East St. Louis area lies in the Till Plains Section of the Central Lowland Physiographic Province (Fenneman, 1914; and Leighton, Ekblaw, and Horberg, 1948). The extreme southwestern part of St. Clair County and the western part of Monroe County lie in the Salem Plateau Section. Much of the area lies in the flood plain of the Mississippi River; the topography consists mostly of nearly level bottomland. Along the river channel the flood plain slopes from an average elevation of 415 feet near Alton to 405 feet near Dupo. In the northern part of the area, terraces stand above the flood plain. A terrace that extends from East Alton to Roxana is at an elevation of 440 to 450 feet or about 25 to 35 feet above the flood plain. North of Horseshoe Lake much of the area is above the flood plain at elevations ranging from 420 to 435 feet. The elevation of the land surface near the eastern bluff is 30 to 50 feet higher than the general elevation of the valley bottom. The bluff, along the eastern edge of the valley bottom, rises abruptly 150 to 200 feet above the lowland. The topography immediately east of the bluff consists of rather rugged uplands. Monks Mound, which rises 85 feet above the flood plain, is the largest of a group of mounds just east of Fairmont City. The shape of the mounds indicates an artificial origin; however, some of them may be remnants of an earlier higher flood plain (Bergstrom and Walker, 1956). Drainage is normally toward the Mississippi River and its tributaries; Wood River, Cahokia Diversion Channel, Cahokia Canal, and Prairie Du Pont Floodway. The tributaries drain much of the flood plain and the uplands bordering the flood plain. The valley bottom is protected from flooding by a system of levees that fronts the Mississippi River and the Chain of Rocks Canal and flanks the main tributaries. However, flooding does occur in parts of the area because drainage facilities which convey and store major flood runoff from the flood plain and the upland watersheds are inadequate (Illinois Division of Waterways, 1950). The southeastern part of the area near Cahokia, Centreville, and Grand Marais State Park is particularly affected by flooding. Figure 1 shows areas flooded after heavy rainfall on May 5, 6, 7, 8, and 19, 1961. Prior to settlement of the East St. Louis area, floodwaters from the Mississippi River and its tributary streams, Wood River, Cahokia Creek, Canteen Creek, Schoenberger Creek, and Prairie Du Pont Creek, frequently inundated large sections of the valley bottom. The water table was near the surface and poorly drained areas were widespread. Development of the area led to a system of drainage ditches, levees, canals, and channels. According to Bruin and Smith (1953) the natural lake area between 1907 and 1950 was reduced by more than 40 percent and 40 miles of improved drainage ditches were constructed during the same period; this had an effect of lowering ground-water levels by an estimated 2 to 12 feet. The present drainage system is shown in figure 2. Much of the flow from the upland areas east of the bluff is diverted into four channels that traverse or flank the valley bottom, thence flow to the Mississippi River. The four channels are Wood River, Cahokia Diversion Channel, Prairie Du Pont Floodway, and Canal No. 1. Wood River carries flow from the confluence of the East and West Forks of Wood River north of East Alton south-southwest to the Mississippi River. Much of the channel of Wood River is leveed. The Cahokia Diversion Channel intercepts flow from Cahokia and Indian Creeks in sec 7, T4N, R8W, Madison County, and diverts it westward to the Mississippi River. Prairie Du Pont Floodway is a relocated and improved channel of Prairie Du Pont Creek and conveys runoff from Canal No. 1 and Prairie Du Pont Creek near Stolle westward to the Mississippi River. In addition it carries flow from the valley bottom drainage area north of Prairie Du Pont Creek and from Harding Ditch. Canal No. 1 intercepts flow from several small upland 3
4 Figure I. Location of Easf St. Louis area showing areas flooded during May 1961
Page 2 and 3: REPORT OF INVESTIGATION 5I Ground-W
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTS PAGE Abstract Introduction
Page 6 and 7: FIGURE PAGE 47 Water levels in Gran
Page 8 and 9: Ground Water Development in East St
Page 12 and 13: Figure 2. Drainage system and locat
Page 14 and 15: at St. Louis was 421.26 feet and oc
Page 16 and 17: Figure 5. Thickness of the valley (
Page 18 and 19: Table 6 (Continued) Sand, very coar
Page 20 and 21: An aquifer test was made October 25
Page 22 and 23: elief wells 137 and 139. Water leve
Page 24 and 25: is intercepted and the cone is deep
Page 26 and 27: straight line per log cycle and the
Page 28 and 29: Figure 20. Time-drawdown data for w
Page 30 and 31: Table 15. Specific-Capacity Data fo
Page 32 and 33: Table 17. Pumping center Pumping Ce
Page 34 and 35: wells contain slotted pipe screens.
Page 36 and 37: city of Wood River is given in figu
Page 38 and 39: a test hole near Monsanto. The coef
Page 40 and 41: Figure 35. Estimated pumpage, Alton
Page 42 and 43: dition, industrial and urban expans
Page 44 and 45: River stages were higher in June 19
Page 46 and 47: of the drought and changes in river
Page 48 and 49: The general pattern of flow of wate
Page 50 and 51: Table 23 (Continued) Water level ch
Page 52 and 53: Figure 54. Approximate elevation of
Page 54 and 55: RECHARGE FROM INDUCED INFILTRATION
Page 56 and 57: Table 27. Results of Aquifer Tests
Page 58 and 59: Potential recharge by the induced i
Page 60 and 61:
The model was developed on the prem
Page 62 and 63:
tions 26 and 28 which relate electr
Page 64 and 65:
Figure 62. Areas of diversion in No
Page 66 and 67:
water levels due to the changes in
Page 68 and 69:
Table 35. Potential Yield of Aquife
Page 70 and 71:
Table 37. Chemical Analyses of Wate
Page 72 and 73:
Table 37 (Continued) Sodium Alka- H
Page 74 and 75:
Table 39 (Continued) Total Laborato
Page 76 and 77:
REFERENCES Ahrens, T. P. 1957. Well
show all

Ground-water development in East St. Louis area, Illinois. Urbana, IL ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?