Map and Chart--KGS

Abstract

The purpose of this publication is to document karst springs in Fayette County and provide a resource to help the county's citizens avoid the geologic hazards associated with building near springs during future urban development. It may be used as an aid in locating potential groundwater discharge points in case of hazardous material spills, and to provide a foundation for future studies of the hydrogeology and karst geology of the Inner Bluegrass Region.

It is also a basic historical record of the springs of Fayette County. Although over 350 springs are reported here, this inventory is not exhaustive. At the time of publication, about one-third of Fayette County had not yet been systematically inventoried. Fortunately, many springs in the unvisited areas were already known and recorded in the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) database and are included in this publication.

The spring locations shown are mostly those discharging from karst conduits, but also included are a significant number of soil seeps or wet-weather springs (epikarstic), and some springs apparently discharging from fractures created by faults. The springs vary in size from seasonal seeps to perennial springs with base flows approaching 0.5 cubic foot per second.

As the rapid pace of urban development continues in Fayette County, some natural springs reported here will become buried, and the records used to compile this publication will be an important resource in the future for separating natural from man-made groundwater discharge points.

Publication Date

2002

Series

Series XII

Report Number

Map and Chart 28

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/kgs.mc28.12

Notes

© 2002 University of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey

Cartography by Terry Hounshell

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