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In the Louisville area, the principal water-bearing formations are the glacialoutwash sand and gravel and, in places, the underlying limestone. During the period 1949 through 1955 pumpage from the two aquifers averaged about 30 mgd (million gallons per day). The pumpage was approximately in balance with the normal net recharge to the area but was only about 8 percent of the estimated potential supply of ground water, including induced infiltration from the river. In the Louisville area, ground water is used chiefly for air conditioning and for industrial cooling. In the part of the area southwest of the city, ground water is used also for public supply. High ground-water levels in 1937 resulted from the greatest flood of record. Subsequently, water levels generally declined in the entire Louisville area. In downtown Louisville, where ground water is used for air conditioning, the water level fluctuates seasonally in response to variations in the rate of pumping. In the heavily pumped industrial areas, where ground water is used for cooling, water-level fluctuations correlate with changes in rates of pumping caused by variations in production schedules. Levels were lowest during the years of World War II. During the period 1952-55, relatively low levels throughout the area reflected the effects of less than normal rainfall, summer drought, and sustained pumping. Ground water in the Louisville area is very hard and generally of the calcium bicarbonate or calcium sulfate type. It is high in iron and sulfate content but is moderately low in chloride content. In water of the sand and gravel aquifer, the concentration of sulfate has increased gradually during the period 1949-54. INTKODUCTION The purpose of this report is to present currently available information on the ground-water resources of the Louisville area in a form that will be useful to persons concerned with the development and use of those resources. The correlation of water-level data with hydrologic and geologic factors affords a means of predicting waterlevel trends; thus, users of ground water may be informed of areas where ground-water problems may be expected because of low water levels. PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS Data on ground water in the Louisville area before 1937 are fragmentary, although ground-water problems were recognized before that time. In February 1937, after the great flood of the Ohio River, ground-water studies relative to overloaded sewers and flooded basements in the area were begun by Woolsey M. Caye, technical engineer for the Commissioners of Sewerage of Louisville. The recession of ground-water levels after the flood was accelerated by increased 1 2 GROUND-WATER RESOURCES, LOUISVILLE AREA, KENTUCKY withdrawals for air conditioning and industrial use. Recognizing the need for continuing records of water-level fluctuations, the director of works of the city later in 1937 requested the Commissioners of Sewerage to continue the investigation begun by Mr. Caye, including periodic measuring of water levels in 15 observation wells. In 1941 the work was transferred to the Louisville Engineering Department. In 1943 the Louisville Area Development Association requested the U.S. Geological Survey to begin an investigation of the ground-water resources in the Louisville area. During the period 1943-51 the work was done under cooperative agreements with the Geological Division of the Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals, Jefferson County, and the City of Louisville. In 1952 ground-water investigations in the Louisville area were incorporated in the Statewide ground-water program in cooperation with the Kentucky Agricultural and Industrial Development Board. In 1956 the Kentucky Department of Economic Development superseded the Agricultural and Industrial Development Board as the cooperating agency. Special projects have been financed by the Rubber Reserve Company, an agency of the Federal Government; by Federal research funds; and by cooperation between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Louisville Water Company, an agency of the city. Twenty-two reports, in addition to annual water-level reports for 1944-55 that have been prepared as a result of those investigations are included in the list of references at the end of this report. Those reports describe the geology, hydrology, and availability of ground water in the area. Of special importance as the background for this report are the following reports: 1. Guy ton, W. F., Stuart, W. T., and Maxey, G. B., 1944, Progress report on the ground-water resources of the Louisville area, Kentucky. 2. Hamilton, D. K., 1944, Ground water in the bedrock beneath the glacial outwash in the Louisville area, Kentucky. 3. MacCary, L. M., 1955, Map of the Louisville area, Kentucky, showing contours on the bedrock surface. 4. Rorabaugh, M. I., 1949b, Progress report on the ground-water resources of the Louisville area, Kentucky, 1945-49. 5. Rorabaugh, M. I., Schrader, F. F., and Laird, L. B., 1953, Water resources of the Louisville area, Kentucky and Indiana. METHODS OF INVESTIGATION AND PRESENTATION OF DATA In the Louisville area during the period 1949-55, a continuing program was maintained for the purpose of measuring water levels and temperatures and collecting water samples for chemical analysis. Data on pumpage, artificial recharge, and climate were compiled, and the net recharge to the sand and gravel aquifer was estimated annually. Information on new wells was furnished by owners and drillers. INTRODUCTION 3 In this report, hydrographs show water levels in feet above mean sea level (based on adjustment of 1912 as described by Rorabaugh, Schrader, and Laird, 1953, p. 5) in selected wells, and piezometric maps show water-level conditions existing in December 1949, 1952, and 1955. Maximum and minimum temperatures of ground water are shown on a map of the area. The chemical quality of the ground water and a summary of ground-water pumpage in the area are shown in tables and graphs. Well records (table 1) not previously published are included also. All the basic data, except confidential pumping records for some companies, are available in the open files at the office of the U.S. Geological Survey, Ground Water Branch, Louisville, Ky. The ground-water investigation on which this progress report is based was supervised by G. E. Hendrickson, district geologist of the U.S. Geological Survey, Louisville, who, in 1954, succeeded M. I. Rorabaugh, district engineer. Chemical analyses of water samples were made in the laboratory of the U.S. Geological Survey, Columbus, Ohio, under the supervision of G. W. Whetstone, district chemist. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many of the organizations, industries, and individuals that supplied ground-water data during the period 1943^49 continued to do so during the period 1949-55. Among these were the Corps of Engineers of the U.S. Army, the U.S. Weather Bureau, the Louisville Water Company, the Louisville Extension Water District, the Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, and many industries, consulting engineers, and well drillers. WELL-NUMBERING SYSTEM The Louisville area lies between 85° and 86° west longitude and 38° and 39° north latitude. The area has been subdivided into quadrangles by a grid of 1-minute meridians of longitude and 1minute parallels of latitude. The wells hi each of the quadrangles are numbered in the order inventoried. A well is designated by a composite of three numbers: the first indicates the minutes of longitude; the second, the minutes of latitude; and the third, the number of the well in that quadrangle. Thus, well 43-15-1 is the first well inventoried in the 1-minute quadrangle west of longitude 85°43' W and north of latitude 38°15' N. LOCATION OF WELLS Locations of observation wells, of wells where samples were taken for chemical analysis, and of wells inventoried hi the Louisville area 1945 through 1955 are shown on plate 1. Records for those wells inventoried are listed in table 1. Records of wells inventoried previously are included hi reports by Hamilton (1944), U.S. Geological Survey (1946), and Rorabaugh (1946 and 1956). TA B LE 1 . D es cr ip ti on o f w el ls n ot p re vi ou sl y pu bl is he d, i nv en to ri ed i n th e L ou is vi ll e ar ea , K en tu ck y, 19 45 -5 5 [I te m s m ar ke d w ith a st er is k (* ) i nd ic at e sl ot te d pi pe ] T yp e of w el l: D n, d ri ve n; D r, d ril le d. Pr in ci pa l w at er -b ea ri ng m at er ia l: SO , g la ci al -o ut w as h sa nd a nd g ra ve l; JS , J ef fe rs on vi lle a nd S el le rs bu rg li m es to ne s; L , L ou is vi lle li m es to ne . U se : D , do m es tic ; In , i nd us tr ia l; Ir , i rr ig at io n; 0 , ob se rv at io n; P s, p ub lic s up pl y. L ilt : A l, ai rli ft; G C , g as ol in e en gi ne , c en tri fu ga l; JE , j et , e le ct ric ; P E , p is to n, e le ct ric , PS , p is to n, s te am ; T E , t ur bi ne , e le ct ric . E le va tio n: L SD , l an dsu rf ac e da tu m . W el l 41 -1 65 42 -1 53 42 -1 642 43 -1 530 31 44 -1 35 44 -1 529 30 31 32 33 34 Lo ca tio n B iv er B d. a nd To rn A ve .

Progress report on the ground-water resources of the Louisville area, Kentucky, 1949-55