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Ground Water, continued
Utilization of Water
Ground water in Marshall County is used chiefly for domestic and stock purposes and for public supplies. A small quantity of ground water is used by small industries and by railroads. No ground water is used in Marshall County for irrigation, except for occasional lawn sprinkling and watering of small vegetable gardens. Ground water is used to air condition several buildings in Marysville.
Domestic and Stock Supplies
Nearly all-domestic supplies and many of the stock supplies in rural areas are obtained from wells. In parts of Marshall County, streams and ponds are used to some extent to supply stock water. The domestic use of water generally includes drinking, cooking, washing, and in some cases, the disposal of sewage. Water supplies for those schools not served by public-supply systems are considered domestic. In some areas of the county, farmers commonly have a shallow well yielding a small quantity of good quality water for domestic use and a deeper well having a larger yield but more highly mineralized water for stock supplies.
Public Supplies
Nine municipalities in Marshall County have public water supplies obtained from wells. The City of Marysville, which obtains its water from Big Blue River, is the only city in the county using surface water. Each municipal supply is described briefly in the following paragraphs. The geology and the water-bearing properties of the aquifers are discussed in the section on geologic formations and their water-bearing properties.
Blue Rapids--The City of Blue Rapids, in Big Blue River Valley, obtains water from two wells (4-7-20cd1 and 4-7-20cd2) in the city park in the western part of the city. Both wells extend into sand and gravel deposits underlying the terrace surface upon which they are located. Well 4-7-20cd1 is 46 feet deep, is cased with 18-inch tile and well screen, and is gravel packed. The well has a reported static water level of 21 feet below the land surface and yields 285 gallons a minute with a drawdown of 3 to 4 feet. This well is equipped with a turbine pump powered by a 40-horsepower electric motor. A chemical analysis of water from this well is given in Table 3. Well 4-7-20cd2, which is 42 feet deep and 20 feet in diameter, is walled with brick. The normal static water level is reported to be 18 to 20 feet below the land surface, and the yield is estimated at 350 gallons a minute with a drawdown of 8 feet. This well is equipped with a centrifugal pump and a 50-horsepower electric motor.
The water from the wells is pumped directly into the mains, and the excess flows into a 150,000-gallon concrete reservoir on a hill just south of the city. The average daily water consumption at Blue Rapids is reported to be about 95,000 gallons of which about 10,000 gallons is used by railroads.
Frankfort--The City of Frankfort in the valley of Black Vermillion River obtains its water supply from two drilled wells at the east edge of the city. One well (4-9-16aa1) is 117 feet deep and is gravel packed. It is cased with 18-inch steel casing and is equipped with a turbine pump and a 25-horsepower electric motor. This well is reported to have a static water level of 60 feet below the land surface, and a yield of 250 gallons a minute with a drawdown of 50 feet. Well 4-9-16aa2, 104 feet deep, is cased with 18-inch steel casing. It is equipped with a turbine pump and a 40-horsepower electric motor. This well is reported to have a static water level of 60 feet below the land surface, and a yield of 250 gallons a minute with a drawdown of 30 feet. The principal aquifer in both wells is a bed of coarse chert gravel resting upon Permian shale. A chemical analysis of water from well 4-9-16aa2 is given in Table 3.
Water is pumped from the wells directly into the mains, and the excess flows into a 90,000-gallon elevated steel tank. The average daily consumption of water in Frankfort is about 100,000 gallons, of which about 33,000 gallons is used by the Union Pacific Railroad.
Waterville--Waterville is supplied with water from two drilled wells on the flood plain of Little Blue River north of town. Both wells (4-6-16dd1 and 4-6-16dd2) are reported to be 55 feet deep and are cased with 18-inch steel casing. They are both gravel packed, and well 4-6-16dd1 is equipped with a turbine pump and a 20-horsepower electric motor, well 4-6-16dd2 is equipped with a turbine pump and a 30-horsepower electric motor. An old well in the east part of town is maintained on a stand-by basis for use in emergencies. An analysis of water from well 4-6-16dd1 is given in Table 3.
Water is pumped from the wells directly into the mains; the excess is stored in a 100,000-gallon concrete tank on a hill south of town. The average daily water consumption at Waterville is about 40,000 gallons.
Axtell--Axtell obtains its water supply from two drilled wells in the south part of town. Both wells have 24-inch concrete casing and are equipped with turbine pumps and electric motors. The wells tap a bed of coarse glacial gravel and yield about 95 gallons a minute each. Well 2-10-24bc1 is 59 feet deep and well 2-10-24bc2 is 57 feet deep; the static water level is reported to be 43 feet below land surface in both wells. An analysis of the water is given in Table 3.
The water is pumped from the wells directly into the mains, and the excess flows into a 50,000 gallon elevated steel tank. The average daily water consumption at Axtell is about 37,000 gallons.
Beattie--The water supply of Beattie is obtained from two wells tapping glacial sand and gravel. Well 2-9-21ac is dug to a depth of 80 feet, and a drilled portion extends to a depth of 106 feet. The dug part of the well is walled with concrete and the drilled part is cased with 8-inch steel casing. This well has a reported static water level of 76 feet, is equipped with a cylinder pump and 5-horsepower electric motor, and is reported to have a low yield. Well 2-9-21ab is a drilled well 80 feet deep, cased with 6-inch steel casing, and equipped with a cylinder pump and electric motor. It has a reported static water level of 30 feet. An analysis of a composite sample of water from both wells is given in Table 3.
The average daily water consumption at Beattie is 30,000 gallons. Storage is in a 50,000-gallon elevated steel tank near the north edge of town.
Summerfield--The water supply of Summerfield is obtained from a drilled well (1-9-1db) about a quarter of a mile south of town. The well is 83 feet deep and is cased with 6-inch galvanized iron casing; the static water level is reported to be about 40 feet below the land surface. A turbine pump, powered by a 5-horsepower electric motor, is installed on the well. A complete log of this well was not available, but Permian limestones are the principal water-bearing beds. An analysis of the water is given in Table 3.
The water is pumped from the well directly into the mains, and the excess flows into a 50,000-gallon elevated steel tank. The average daily water consumption at Summerfield is 8,000 gallons.
Vermillion--Vermillion obtains its water from one drilled well (4-10-11da) in the southeast part of town. The well is 50 feet deep, cased with 12-inch steel casing, and has a reported static water level of 4 feet below the land surface. It has a reported yield of 70 gallons a minute with a drawdown of 19 feet. The well is equipped with a centrifugal pump and 5-horsepower electric motor. Glacial sand and gravel is the principal water-bearing material. An analysis of the water is given in Table 3.
The average daily water consumption at Vermillion is 30,000 gallons. Storage is in a 35,000-gallon elevated steel tank.
Irving--Two closely spaced wells (5-7-11aa1 and 5-7-11aa2) on the west side of town supply the City of Irving with water. Both wells tap gravel deposits underlying the terrace surface upon which the wells are located. Well 5-7-11aa1 is 80 feet deep, is cased with 12-inch steel casing, and is equipped with a turbine pump and a 7 1/2 horsepower electric motor. Well 5-7-11aa2 is 80 feet deep, is cased with 14-inch steel casing, and is equipped with a cylinder pump and a 7 1/2 horsepower electric motor. The static water level in both wells is reported to be 50 feet below the land surface. An analysis of a composite sample of the water from both wells is given in Table 3.
The average daily water consumption in Irving is 10,000 gallons. Storage is in a 30,000-gallon elevated steel tank.
Oketo--The water supply of Oketo is obtained from one drilled well (1-7-l4ab) on the flood plain of Big Blue River. The well is 32 feet deep and is cased with 10-inch steel casing. ÔWhen the well was constructed in 1937, the static water level was 17 feet below the land surface, and the well had a yield of 87 gallons a minute with 3 1/2 feet of drawdown. It is equipped with a turbine pump and electric motor. An analysis of the water is given in Table 3.
Water is pumped from the well directly into the mains; the excess flows into a 25,000-gallon elevated steel tank. The average daily water consumption at Oketo is about 3,000 gallons.
Industrial Supplies
A record of only one well (4-7-20aa) that supplies water principally for industrial use was obtained in Marshall County. The Certainteed Products Company of Blue Rapids has a drilled well on the flood plain of Big Blue River near its gypsum mine and plant. The well is 29 feet deep and derives water from alluvium. It is cased with 16-inch steel casing and is equipped with a centrifugal pump and electric motor. This well has a reported static water level of 12 feet below the land surface and an estimated yield of 85 gallons a minute. The water from this well is used principally in the manufacturing of gypsum products.
Air-conditioning Supplies
The three wells in Marysville that are used exclusively for air-conditioning supplies obtain water from the alluvium of Big Blue River. Well 2-7-33ba in the basement of the Pacific Coffee Shop, is 41 feet deep, and is cased with 8-inch steel casing and well screen. This well is equipped with a turbine pump having a capacity of 55 gallons a minute. Well 2-7-33bb, owned by the Howell Lumber Company, is 27 feet deep and is cased with 6-inch galvanized iron casing. It is equipped with an electrically powered turbine pump having a capacity of 250 gallons a minute. The average summer temperature of the water from this well is reported to be about 58° F. A third air-conditioning well in Marysville in the basement of the Brunswick Recreation Parlor, had not been put into service at the time field work was being done for this report. Complete information on this well was not available and it is not included in Table 11.
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Kansas Geological Survey, Geologic History of Kansas
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Web version March 2004. Original publication date March 1954.
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