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Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Numerous publications, posters and maps have been prepared regarding groundwater quality in Kentucky. The scope and detail of these reports vary with the specific topics and regions discussed.


​Groundwater Maps

The Kentucky Karst Atlas Maps show karst spring basins that were determined primarily by groundwater tracer studies.  These maps are designed for regional and preliminary hydrogeologic investigation, and can be used to quickly identify karst basins and the springs to which a site may drain.  The maps also serve as a geographic index to literature on karst investigations in each area.  All tracer data displayed are available as GIS files that can be downloaded from the Kentucky Geography Network.

​Groundwater Sensitivity Regions of Kentucky [7.99 MB]
     Authors: Joseph A. Ray, James S. Webb and Phillip W. O'dell
     Release Year: 1994
     Authors: Joseph A. Ray, retired, and Robert J. Blair (Division of Water) and James C. Currens, retired (Kentucky Geological Survey)
     Release Year: 2018

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Corbin 30 x 60 minute quadrangle [22.9 MB]
     Authors: James C. Currens and Randall L. Paylor (Kentucky Geological Survey), Robert J. Blair (Division of Water), and William (Bill) Walden
     Release Year: 2018

     Authors: James C. Currens and Randall L. Paylor (Kentucky Geological Survey), Robert J. Blair (Division of Water), and William (Bill) Walden
     Release Year: 2018

     Authors: James C. Currens (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Robert J. Blair (Division of Water)
     Release Year: 2016

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Hopkinsville 30 x 60 minute quadrangle [12.3 MB]
     Authors: James C. Currens (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Joseph A. Ray, retired, Phillip W. O’dell and Robert J. Blair (Division of Water)
     Release Year: 2015

     Authors: James C. Currens and Randall L. Paylor (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Joseph A. Ray, retired, and Robert J. Blair (Division of Water)
     Release Year: 2011

     Authors: Joseph A. Ray, retired, Jack R. Moody, retired, and Robert J. Blair (Division of Water) and James C. Currens and Randall L. Paylor (Kentucky Geological Survey)
     Release Year: 2009

     Authors: James C. Currens and Randall L. Paylor (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Joseph A. Ray (Division of Water)
     Release Year: 2003

     Authors: James C. Currens and Randall L. Paylor (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Joseph A. Ray (Division of Water)
     Release Year: 2002

     Authors: Joseph A. Ray (Division of Water) and James C. Currens (Kentucky Geological Survey)
     Release Year: 2000

     Authors: James C. Currens (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Joseph A. Ray (Division of Water)
     Release Year: 1998

     Authors: James C. Currens (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Joseph A. Ray (Division of Water)
     Release Year: 1998

     Authors: Joseph A. Ray (Division of Water) and James C. Currens (Kentucky Geological Survey)
     Release Year: 1998

     Authors: Joseph A. Ray (Division of Water) and James C. Currens (Kentucky Geological Survey)
     Release Year: 1998

​Groundwater Studies


​Report on the Condition of Ambient Groundwater in Kentucky: Analysis of the Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network Data [3.6 MB]
     Authors: Caroline Chan, PhD and Robert J. Blair, P.G.
     Release Year: 2018

Investigation into Sinkhole & Depression Flooding, Oak Grove, Kentucky [1.5 MB]
     Authors: Rob Blair and John Shuttleworth
     Release Year: 2002

     Release Year: 1998


 
​

Nonpoint Source Groundwater Studies

Many of these reports generally attempt to distinguish between naturally occurring constituents in groundwater and manmade impacts.  However, there is an overlap of manmade and naturally occurring contaminants.  These include, but are not limited to, bacteria, nitrogen compounds and suspended solids. 

Several projects were administered in order to assess nonpoint source pollution impacts to groundwater in Kentucky.

Map of Kentucky Basin Management Units
BMU1​
     Authors: James S. Webb, Jolene M. Blanset and Robert J. Blair
     Project Period: Oct 1996 - Oct 2004

     Authors: Robert J. Blair, Joseph A. Ray, James S. Webb, Jolene M. Blanset and Peter T. Goodmann
     Project Period: Nov 2003 – Jun 2009
BMU2​
     Authors: James S. Webb, Jolene M. Blanset and Robert J. Blair
     Project Period: Dec 1998 - Jun 2002

     Project Period: Apr 2004 - Mar 2009
BMU3​
     Project Period: Jul 2005 – Oct 2007

     Authors: Robert J. Blair, Joseph A. Ray, Phillip W. O’dell, Bryan S. Marbert and Peter T. Goodmann
     Project Period: Jan 2008 – Oct 2013
BMU4
Expanded Groundwater Monitoring For Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment in the Green and Tradewater River Basins [4.1 MB]
     Authors: Phillip W. O'dell, Jolene M. Blanset, Robert J. Blair and James S. Webb
     Project Period: Dec 2000 – Oct 2006

     Authors: Robert J. Blair, P.G., Joseph A. Ray, P.G. (ret), Phillip W. O'dell, P.G., Bryan S. Marbert and Peter T. Goodmann
     Project Period: Jan 2005 – Oct 2010
​BMU5
 ​Groundwater Quality in Watersheds of the Big Sandy River, Little Sandy River, and Tygarts Creek (Kentucky Basin Management Unit 5) [6.3 MB]
     (see also https://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/olops/pub/kgs/RI19_12.pdf)
     Authors: R. Stephen Fisher and O. Barton Davidson (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Peter T. Goodmann (Division of Water)
     Project Period: Nov 2002 - Sep 2003

     Authors: Phillip W. O'dell, P.G., James S. Webb, P.G., Jolene M. Blanset, Caroline Chan, PhD
     Project Period: Jan 2006 - Dec 2010
​Multi- Basin
 ​Summary and evaluation of Groundwater Quality in Kentucky Basin Management Unit 3 (Upper Cumberland, Lower Cumberland, Tennessee, and Mississippi River basins) and 4 (Green and Tradewater River basins) [2.2 MB] 
     Authors: R. Stephen Fisher and O. Barton Davidson (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Peter T. Goodmann (Division of Water)
     Project Period: Mar 2000 - Jun 2004

     Authors: R. Stephen Fisher and O. Barton Davidson (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Peter T. Goodmann (Division of Water)







​
​Identification and Prioritization of Karst Groundwater Basins in Kentucky for Targeting Resources for Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention and Abatement [12.2 MB]
     Authors: Joseph A. Ray, Phillip W. O'dell, Jack R. Moody, Jolene M. Blanset and Robert J. Blair
     Project Period: Jan 1997 - Dec 2004
​Assessment of Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts on Groundwater in the Headwaters of the North Fork of the Kentucky River Basin [4.1 MB]
     Authors: Phillip W. O'dell, James S. Webb and Peter T. Goodmann
     Project Period: Jan 1998 - Jun 2004
​Sources and Occurrences of Nonpoint-Source Chemicals in Groundwater, Jackson Purchase Region, Kentucky [1.9 MB]
     Authors: R. Stephen Fisher and E. Glynn Beck, (Kentucky Geological Survey)
     Project Period: Apr 2005 - Oct 2005
​Karst Groundwater Tracer Tests and Basin Delineation, Wayne and Clinton Counties, South Central Kentucky [6.3 MB]
     Authors: Robert J. Blair​, P.G., and Sean M. Vanderhoff
     Project Period: Oct 2013 - Apr 2017

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