Groundwater Publications

Groundwater Quality in Kentucky

Division of Water staff have prepared numerous publications, posters and maps 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 hydrogeological 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 KYGovMaps Open Data Portal, searching with keywords "DOW", "groundwater", or "karst".

Regional Maps

Groundwater Sensitivity Regions of Kentucky

Authors: Joseph A. Ray, James S. Webb and Phillip W. O'dell
Release Year: 1994

Karst Atlas

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Louisville 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

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

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Tompkinsville 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Elizabethtown 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

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

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Somerset 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Tell City and part of the Jasper 30 x 60 minute quadrangles

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

Mapped karst groundwater basins in the Harrodsburg 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped Karst Groundwater Basins in the Lexington 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped Karst Ground-Water Basins in the Bowling Green 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped karst ground-water basins in the Harrodsburg 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped karst ground-water basins in the Somerset 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped karst ground-water basins in the Beaver Dam 30 x 60 minute quadrangle

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

Mapped Karst Ground-Water Basins in the Campbellsville 30 x 60 Minute Quadrangle

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

Groundwater Studies

At times, the Division will take a closer look at what is happening with groundwater in the state. These studies may look at groundwater suitability for drinking water supply, general trends, sinkholes or particular areas of interest. These reports give everyone a better understanding of this essential natural resource.

Misc Groundwater Reports

Report on the Condition of Ambient Groundwater in Kentucky: Analysis of the Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring Network Data

Authors: Caroline Chan, PhD and Robert J. Blair, P.G.
Release Year: 2018

Investigation into Sinkhole & Depression Flooding, Oak Grove, Kentucky

Authors: Rob Blair and John Shuttleworth
Release Year: 2002

Investigation of Laura Spring in the Raven Run Watershed, Fayette County, Kentucky

Authors: Gary A O'Dell
Release Year: 1998

An Inventory of Public and Semipublic Water Supply Springs

Release Year: 1991

Water Well Study of the Calvert City Area, Kentucky: Marshall, Livingston, and McCracken Counties

Release Year: 1988

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 studies were undertaken to better understand the impacts of nonpoint source pollution on groundwater in Kentucky.

Map of Basin Management Units (BMUs)

Map of Kentucky depicting its 5Basin Management Units

NPS GW Basin Reports (by BMU)

BMU1	Expanded Groundwater Monitoring for Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment in the Kentucky River Basin Authors: James S. Webb, Jolene M. Blanset and Robert J. Blair Project Period: Oct 1996 - Oct 2004 Assessment of Nonpoint Source Impacts on Groundwater Quality in South Elkhorn Creek Basin, Central Kentucky Authors: Robert J. Blair, Joseph A. Ray, James S. Webb, Jolene M. Blanset and Peter T. Goodmann Project Period: Nov 2003 – Jun 2009
BMU2	Expanded Groundwater Monitoring for Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment in the Salt and Licking River Basins Authors: James S. Webb, Jolene M. Blanset and Robert J. Blair Project Period: Dec 1998 - Jun 2002 Groundwater Assessment for Nonpoint Source Pollution Impacts and Spring Basin Delineations within Sub-watersheds of the Salt River Basin: Beargrass Creek and Sinking Creek Authors: Robert J. Blair and Joseph A. Ray Project Period: Apr 2004 - Mar 2009
BMU3	Regional Groundwater Quality in Watersheds of the Upper Cumberland, Lower Cumberland, and Lower Tennessee Rivers, and the Jackson Purchase Region ( Kentucky River Basin Management Unit 3) Authors: R. Stephen Fisher and Bart Davidson (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Peter T. Goodmann (Division of Water) Project Period: Jul 2005 – Oct 2007 Integrated Surface Water and Groundwater Assessment of Large Springs in the Western Pennyrile Karst Region of Kentucky 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 Authors: Phillip W. O'dell, Jolene M. Blanset, Robert J. Blair and James S. Webb Project Period: Dec 2000 – Oct 2006 Integrated Surface Water and Groundwater Assessment of Large Springs in the Green River Basin (BMU4, Round 2) 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) (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: Expanded Groundwater Monitoring for Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment in the Elkhorn Creek Sub-basin of the Big Sandy and Tygarts Creek River Basins 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) (see also https://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/olops/pub/kgs/of_04_04.pdf) Authors: R. Stephen Fisher and O. Barton Davidson (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Peter T. Goodmann (Division of Water) Project Period: Mar 2000 - Jun 2004 Summary and Evaluation of Groundwater Quality in Watersheds of the Kentucky River, Salt River, Licking River, Big Sandy River, Little Sandy River, and Tygarts Creek (Kentucky Basin Management Units 1, 2, and 5) (see also https://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/olops/pub/kgs/RI16_12.pdf) Authors: R. Stephen Fisher and O. Barton Davidson (Kentucky Geological Survey) and Peter T. Goodmann (Division of Water) Project Period: Feb 2001 - Jun 2004

NPS GW Other Reports

Identification and Prioritization of Karst Groundwater Basins in Kentucky for Targeting Resources for Nonpoint Source Pollution Prevention and Abatement

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

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

(see also https://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/olops/pub/kgs/water/RI23_12.pdf)
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

Authors: Robert J. Blair, P.G., and Sean M. Vanderhoff
Project Period: Oct 2013 - Apr 2017

Groundwater Data

Groundwater data collected across Kentucky are available through several viewers and databases. These resources provide access to ambient monitoring results, well records, and karst investigations allowing users to explore groundwater quality, location, and hydrogeologic conditions statewide. Whether you are a researcher, regulator, consultant, or member of the public, the viewers and portals below offer multiple ways to search, visualize, and download groundwater information to meet your needs.

Search for Groundwater Data

Ambient Groundwater Monitoring Network (GWMN) Viewer

The Kentucky Division of Water has systematically sampled ambient groundwater for more than 20 years through its statewide monitoring network.

Explore sampling locations and analytical results from the GWMN using an interactive map.

Kentucky Groundwater Data Repository

KRS 151.035 designates the Kentucky Geological Survey as the Commonwealth's "official repository for all information relating to the occurrence and quality of groundwater." All related data from the Kentucky Division of Water is sent to the repository every 3 months and made available to the public on their website. Search for groundwater quality data or records and location information on their site.

Kentucky Karst Dye Trace Database

Dye trace studies and maps provide groundwater flow information in karst terrane areas. Find downloadable dye trace maps and study data on the UKnowledge portal.

KYGovMaps Open Data Portal

Search the Open Data Portal using keywords "DOW," "groundwater," or "karst" for various downloadable GIS datasets and map services related to groundwater resources.

Well Record Information Map

This interactive map is maintained to provide well drillers with the location information they need to submit a well record to the Kentucky Division of Water. After clicking on a location of interest a pop-up window provides the quadrangle, county, region and elevation. The map is also useful for viewing the number of wells present within a site of interest.

Groundwater Programs

Driller Certification Groundwater Protection Monitoring and Assessment Wellhead Protection

Additional Resources

Drinking from Roadside SpringsPrintable Infographic Drinking from Roadside SpringsADA Accessible Version Nonpoint Source Pollution Open Records Request Technical Assistance

For more information contact:

Adam Smith
Groundwater Section Supervisor
502-782-6453

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Groundwater Quality in Kentucky

​Groundwater Maps

​Groundwater Studies