THE GEOHYDROLOGY OF BEN HILL IRWIN. TIFT. TURNER. AND WORTH
COUNTIES, GEORGIA
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES THE GEOLOG IC AND WATER
RESOURCES DIVISION
Figure 1. THICKNESS OF THE NEOGENE FORMATION
A ~
B - . ,.-:--. _,
•
I •
Scale I :250,000
E5
========~O=======:::i'c:===:==:==:==:==:==:;:i'[:o=======::i"E===:==:==:==:c:===:=320
Statute Miles E5
3::::E3::::::E30====::::i'=::==::==::==::=3'10=====1E5
c:=c:=c:==::=320====:::::i"~====330 Kilometers
SELECTED REFERENCES
1. Cooke, C. W., 1943, Geology of the Coastal Plain of Georgia:
U. S. Geol. Survey Bull. 941 , 121 p.
2. Hem, J . D., 1970, Study and Interpretation of the Chemical
Characteristics of Natural Water: U. S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply
Paper 1473 (2d ed.), 363 p.
3. Herrick , S. M., 1961 , Well Logs of the Coastal Plain of
Georgia: Ga. C:eol. Survey Bull. 70 , 462 p.
4. Herrick, S.M., and Vorhis, R. C., 1963, Subsurface Geology of
the Georgia Coastal Plain : Ga. Geol. Survey In f. Circ. 25, 78
p.
5. Herrick, S. M., and Wait, R. L., 1956, Ground Water in the
Coastal Plain of Georgia: Am. Water Works Assoc. Jour. ,
Southeastern Sec., v. 20 , no. 1, p. 73-86.
6. Krause, R. E. , and Gregg, D. 0., 1972, Water from the
Principal Artesian Aquifer in Coastal Georgia: Ga. Div. Earth &
Water, Hydrologic Atlas 1.
7. Owen, Vaux, Jr., 1963, Geology and Groundwater Resources of
Mitchell County , Georgia: Ga. Geol. Survey Inf. Circ. 24, 38
p.
8. Sever, C. W., Jr., 1965, Ground Water Resources of
Bainbridge, Georgia: Ga. GeoL Survey lnf. Circ. 32, 10 p.
9. _ _ 1966, Reconnaisance of the Ground Water and Geology of
Thomas County, Georgia : Ga.
10.
11.
12.
Geol. Survey lnf. Circ. 34, 14 p.
__ 1969, Hydraulics of Aqu ifers at Alapaha, Coolidge,
Fitzgerald, Montezuma, and Thomasville, Georgia: Ga. Geol. Survey
lnf. Circ. 36, 16 p.
Stiff, H. A., Jr., 1951, The Interpretation of Chemical Water
Analysis By Means of Patterns: Jour. of Petroleum Technology , v.
3, no. 10, p. 15-17.
Stringfield, V. T., 1966, Artesian Water in Tertiary Limestone
in the Southeastern States: U. S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 517 ,
226 p.
13. U. S. Dept. of Comm., 1963-72, Climatological Data of
Georgia: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
Environmental Data Service.
14. U. S. Public Health Service, 1962, Drinking Water Standards:
Public Health Service, Pub. 956.
160 •
140
L---
320 •
500
mean sea level
500
THOMAS W. WATSON
90
B 500
mean sea level
500
) I
;
EXPLANATION
I
'-'\. 83°
/
'._...-.._fl I
100 ______...,..
150------ D Denotes arc;~ where Neogene formations arc found ai
or ncar the surface Equal-thickness Contour
Shows Uric/mess o( Neogene formation ouerfying the l'rindpal
Artesian Aqrli(er. Con lour intr~rua/ is 50 {t!ei
• Control Point
WORTH CO. TURNER CO.
Denol.cs area where Principal Artesian A(JUifer i~ found at or
near the .~urfacc
TURNER
CRISP co. I TURNER co.
c 500
I I I
~ e • ~ N
~
co. IRWIN co.
~ ~
>
• "' ~ u 0 £ ~
0 ~
0 0 0 ~ • c' o·- -" . .:; ~0::: E 0 ; ·o
"' • 0 "' ::; 500
mean ua level·r~~~~~~@~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~g§~~~g~~tmean sea
level PRINCIPAL ARTESIAN AQU I FER 500 500
Figure 2. GEOLOGIC SECTIONS
HYDROLOGIC ATLAS 2
SHEET 1 OF 3
GEORG IA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TH E GEOLOGIC AN D
WATER RESOURCES DI V ISION
I I
I
r-
172
'
zoo --- -
• - 55
THE GEOHYDROLOGY OF BEN HILL. IRWIN. TIFT. TURNER. AND WORTH
COUNTIES. GEORGIA
THOMAS W. WATSON
Figure 3. CONFIGU RATION OF THE TOP OF TH E PRI NCI PAL A RTESI
AN AQUI FE R
. 164
\ 188
r-- f
EXPLANATIO N
~------100 ____.......-
- - ---125------------
Structure Contour Map
Conn ects p o in ts o n lop o( tlw Pr incipal Artesia n A qui f
er, w/Jic/J are o{ equal e levation a bove m ean sen le vel. Co n
to ur interval is 5 0 feet
in areas be lo w M.!a le vel and 25 fee t in m·eas above sea
level.
• Control Point
I _]31°45 '
I
,.
1 2
r-----------------------------------------------------------------~
I I f-
10 f-
8 1- 1\
7-
6-
5 ~
1- 240
v N _ 230 2 _ • •••• LEV EL .. ..... . - 220 . . .... .. . .. .
. . .. 1 -
v - 210 II
J•o' I I ' J~l I I I I Jj" I I I I J~ l I I Jj" I I J"l 1 I I I
I Jj" I I I J~ l I I I I J•o I I J' l I I I I I
oL,_~~LL~~LL~1_L~~LL~_LLL~1_L~~_L~~LL~1 _LLL~LL~_LL~1 _LLL~_LLL~L~1
200 1968 1969 /970 1971 1972
Figure 5. Chart comparing monthly fluctuation in rainfall with
water level fluctua t ion in a n observation well in Tifton,
Georgia.
SCALE 1:250,000
w > 0
.Q 0
_j
w > w _j
''E=r:=:E==r= ::E=30= ====
==::::i':=:=::=o:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:===::=ii0========1E5:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:==:==:=320
Statut e Mi les
''Ecao=3°====::::1=:==:==:==:=310====::i"=:==:==:==:=~'I::o====="E=:==:==:==330
Kilo meters
" --- ·-- - -L_~ Figure 4. WATE R L EV EL IN TH E PRINCIPAL A
RTESIAN AQUIFER
RAINFALL
Rainfall in southwest Georgia averages approximately 46 inches
per year. An examination of rainfall data, however, shows that
rainfall is not
evenly dist ributed throughout the year (U. S. Dept. of Comm.,
196 2). Wet months ca n be followed by extremely dry months during
which water
sources at or near the surface are depleted by evaporation. A
fract ion of the rainfall is not returned directly to the
atmosphere but is absorbed by the earth and percolates downward
into the layers of rock and sediment. This water is stored
underground in a natural water supply system that is the principal
artesian aquifer. Since evaporation has only a small effect on
ground water levels in the report area, deep wells generally
maintain ade-
quate water levels during periods of drought. Figure 5 shows the
water level record of a U. S. Geological Survey ob-
servat ion well in Tift on, along with rainfall records for the
same time period. It can be seen that the monthly rainfall
variation is rather high, whereas the
water level in the well fluctuates much less .
WATER LEVEL
The water level map of the principal artesian aquifer is
constructed from measurements of water levels in wells known to tap
this aquifer. Geologic conditions in the report area are such that
the ground water is under pressure, causing it to rise in a cased
well, above the level at which it is first encountered in drilling.
The aquifer in the study area is thus an artesian aquifer. The
water level map can be used to predict the unpumped water level in
a proposed well by subtracting the elevation of the ground water
level from the elevation of the land surface at the well site. The
remainder will be the approximate distance from the land surface to
the static water level in the completed well. It should be
emphasized that this is strictly an
estimate of static water level. Actual levels may vary some
what. Generally, the contours are more reliable where data points
are closely spaced.
To date, pumping has not caused any obvious changes in water
levels of the principal artesian aquifer in the study area. Heavy
dependence upon ground water from deep wells is comparatively
recent. This office, in co-
operation with the U. S. Geological Survey will continue to
monitor water levels and ground water quality in this area to
detect any changes which
might affect gr0:
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES TH E GEOLOGIC AND WATER
RESOURCES DIVISION
THE GEOHYDROLOGY OF BEN HILL, IRWIN, TIFT, TURNER, AND WORTH
COUNTIES, GEORGIA
23
36
33
30
21
22
35
I
31°45' [ I
( ' I
~ l_ 42
I
45
C---~
4 16
\
49
\ \
I
I
32.
\
38
90
39
---,
II
II ...._____ , IRWIN
15
ar-----___ J 7 I
I
I '_j
,.-J rj 49
,__I
I· rj
48
46
Fitzgerald
BEN HILL COUNTY r.=-------43 , IRWIN COUNTY
II- __ j
Ocilla
COUNTY ~ ------~
51 I
) I
I I
j31°30' I
51
---- - -, ~- __L T IFT COUNTY 2. --------- ___ ,_ - _r' ,-------
---,----------, L- - -' 8 3° 30'
7
31 10 9
SCALE 1=250,000
'"-==r::=:E3:::=:JEolO=======:}'=:==_::=:==:==:==:==;=iJ:IO===:::====i"~=:==:==:==;;;=;~20
Statui~ Miles t:: 0 10 15 20 25 30 Kilometers
B==B==~~~==~~~==~~~
Figure 6. Map showing Stiff Diagrams of selected wells in study
area.
Concentration in Milliequivalents Per Liter
5 4 3 2. 0 2. 3 4 5
;;11-----------+--I --+---. -+------l