Water availability and geology of Hale County, Alabama

Abstract

Geologic units that underlie and crop out in Hale County include the Tuscaloosa Group, Eutaw Formation, and Selma Group of Late Cretaceous age, and terrace deposits and alluvium of Quaternary age. The Cretaceous units dip southwest about 35 feet per mile and strike northwest. They consist chiefly of deposits of sand, gravel, chalk, and clay. Potential sources of large supplies of ground water are major aquifers in the Coker, Gordo, and Eutaw Formations; expected yields are 1.5 mgd (million gallons per day per well). Aquifers in the Eutaw Formation are the shallowest source of ground water in most of the county. The average annual runoff originating in Hale County is about 17 inches or 0.82 mgd per square mile. The Black Warrior River, largest potential source of surface water in the county, has an average flow of 5,800 mgd at gaging station 2-4660 near Eutaw and a median annual 7-day low flow of 349 mgd. Elliotts, Fivemile, Big Brush, and Big Prairie Creeks also are potential sources of surface water. These creeks have average flows ranging from 35 to 210 mgd and median annual 7-day low flows in excess of 2 mgd at their lower reaches. Water from most streams in the county contains less than 10 mg/l (milligrams per liter) chloride and ranges from soft to hard. The mineral content of water from Big Brush Creek is affected by salty water from a flowing well. Ground water from the major aquifers contains less than 250 mg/l chloride, except in the extreme northwestern and west-central parts of the county, and ranges from soft to very hard. Water from the aquifers generally contains iron in excess of 0.3 mg/l except in the southern part of the county. Water use in Hale County in 1968 was about 3.9 mgd, most of which was ground water. Less than one percent of the potential water resources is being utilized.