Soil Types in Hopkins County

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ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENT
Goal: Encourage development to be sensitive to
specific
environmental
resources
and
constraints and the general surrounding
natural conditions.
Goal: Promote energy efficiency
conservation on a community-wide basis.
and
Goal: Comply with Phase II of the National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
(NPDES) storm water program.
Hopkins County is located within the Western
Kentucky Coal Field, an important natural region
in Kentucky (Environmental [ENV] Map 1). The
County encompasses 554 square miles of
intermingled rolling hills and broad alluvial
valleys. Elevations range from 400 feet to 700
feet atop some of the ridges.
GEOLOGY AND GEOLOGIC RESOURCES
1
The bedrock layers of Hopkins County consist of
Pennsylvanian age limestones, sandstones, shales,
and a few sandstone conglomerates which range
from middle Lower Pottsville, through Allegheny,
up to the upper Conemaugh series. Alluviums,
clays and silts from Pleistocene and Recent age,
ranging in depth to over 100 feet, fill the valley
floors.
A monocline can be found tilting northeast toward
the Western Kentucky Geo-syncline’s trough, and
a number of faults strike across the county in a
northeast direction (ENV Map 2). These are part
of the Central and Pennyrile Fault Systems. The
Central Fault System extends about 50 miles
across the County and into neighboring McClean
and Caldwell counties. Individual faults in this
system rarely extend over a few miles. These
faults are high-angle normal faults with maximum
displacement of 600 feet.
The Pennyrile Fault System represents the
southern boundary of the Western Kentucky Coal
1
Information obtained from the Kentucky Geological
Survey and from the Hopkins County Comprehensive
Plan 1993.
Field. The faults of this system are present in the
extreme southern portion of the County.
Bifurcating (dividing into two branches) is
common with mildly southward convexing,
intersecting bands. These bow-shaped bands are
usually no more than two miles wide.
Major geologic outcroppings include the
Caseyville Formation, the Tradewater Formation,
the Carbondale Formation, and the McCleansboro
Group. The Caseyville Formation shows up as
outcrop in the southwestern most edge of the
County. According to the Kentucky Geologic
Survey, the Caseyville Formation’s upper
boundary is not clearly defined in Hopkins
County due to the absence of Bell and Hawesville
coals and the lack of development of a thick,
upper Caseyville sandstone. The thickness of the
Caseyville Formation is highly variable due to the
irregularity of the surface on which it was
deposited. It may range from greater than 600
feet to less than 400 feet thick. Its sandstones
have been important sources for natural gas, oil,
tar sands, and water. This formation contains the
following named units: Kyrock sandstone, Nolin
coal, Breckinridge coal, Battery Rock sandstone,
Battery Rock coal, and Bee Spring and Pound
sandstones.
The Tradewater Formation outcrops along the
southern and western portion of Hopkins County.
Its upper boundary is located at the base of the
Davis coal bed and on top of the Yeargins
Limestone.
While this formation ranges in
thickness from less than 400 feet to more than 600
feet, it is less variable than that of the Caseyville
Formation.
The rocks of the Tradewater
Formation are of a transitional nature between the
Caseyville
and
Carbondale
Formations.
Limestones of the Tradewater are important as
aquifers and as sources for the production of
hydrocarbons. It is not uncommon to find
limestone beds above coal beds in the Tradewater
Formations. The following units are present in
the Tradewater Formation: Bell coal, Hawesville
coal, Deanfield coal, Finnie and Grindstaff
sandstones, Ice House coal, Amos and Foster coal
zone, Aberdeen coal and sandstone, Elm Lick
coal, Dunbar/Lead Creek coal, Lead Creek
Limestone
Member,
Empire
coal,
Manning/Mining City/Lewisport coal, Curlew
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ENV Map 1
http://www.uky.edu/KentuckyAtlas/kentucky-atlasp.html
ENV Map 2
Geologic Faults
Hopkins County Area
EB
WK
Legend
Faults
Prepared by:
HCJPC
December 2003
Source: http://kygeonet.ky.
gov/metadataexplorer/
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Limestone Member, and Yeargins Limestone
Member.
The Carbondale Formation outcrops in Hopkins
County in the area just north of the Tradewater
Formation.
The lower boundary of the
Carbondale is at the base of the Davis coal in the
Madisonville District and at the top of the
Yeargins Limestone where the Davis coal is not
present. The upper boundary is at the base of the
Providence Limestone and at the top of the Herin
coal when the Providence Limestone is not
present. The Carbondale formation exceeds 400
feet in a fairly uniform thickness throughout the
formation. It contains the following geologic
units:
Davis coal, Dekoven coal, Sebree
sandstone, Colchester coal, Survant coal, Houchin
Creek coal, Springfield coal, Briar Hill coal, and
Herin coal.
The Sturgis Formation, now referred to as the
McCleansboro Group, is found outcropping
throughout the majority of the County. The upper
boundary is located at the base of the Mauzy
Formation. A large amount of the McCleansboro
Group has been eroded, but the Kentucky
Geological Survey reports that the original
thickness was more than 2,650 feet. This group
contains four formations: Shelburn Formation,
Patoka Formation, Bond Formation, and Mattoon
Formation.
The upper boundary of the Patoka formation is the
Carthage Limestone and the lower boundary is the
West Franklin Limestone.
The following
geologic units are present in the Patoka
Formation: W. Ky. No. 15 coal, W. Ky. No. 16
coal, and W. Ky. No. 17 coal.
The Bond Formation’s upper boundary is the base
of the Carthage Limestone, and its lower
boundary is the top of the Livingston Limestone,
which is discontinuous in Kentucky. The Bond
Formation contains the following geologic units:
Carthage Limestone Member, Mt. Carmel
sandstone, Lisman coal and Livingston
Limestone.
The location of the upper boundary of the
Mattoon Formation is the base of the Mauzy
Formation and its lower boundary is the top of the
Livingston Limestone. The subsequent geologic
features exist in the Mattoon Formation; Geiger
Lake coal, Dixon sandstone, Vanderburg
sandstone, Mt. Gilead sandstone, and Sulfur
Springs coal.
Hopkins County’s primary geologic resource is
bituminous coal that has been mined extensively.
The primary seams of importance are as follows:
Nos. 9, 11, 12, and 14. A secondary geologic
resource is residual and transported clay suitable
for brick making. Other geologic resources such
as oil have been found in the northern area of the
county while outcrops of low-grade bituminous
coals that may be useful as road surfacing material
have been found in southern Hopkins County.
SOILS
The U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service
divides the soils of Hopkins County into nine
major associations by three groups: soils formed
in alluvium on flood plains and stream terraces,
soils formed in loess on uplands, and soils formed
mainly in a loess mantle and in the underlying
material from sandstone and shale. ENV Map 3
displays the general location of these associations.
Soils Formed in Alluvium on Flood Plains and
Stream Terraces
This class of soils associations contains nearly
level soils located in broad valleys and includes:
Belknap-Waverly,
Karnak-McGary-Belknap,
Bonnie-Steff-Stendal, and Bonnie-Karnak. These
soils are predominantly formed in water deposited
material that range from silty clay to silt loam.
The Belknap-Waverly association makes up about
4% of the County. These soils are located on the
floodplains of Deer, Drakes, Elk, Flat, Otter, and
Weirs Creeks in the mid to southern section of the
County. They are deep, medium-textured, and in
general, poorly drained. Wetness is the main
limitation in farming this area, and most of the
poorer drained areas are left wooded. Most of the
rest of the association is used for farming, and
artificial drainage is used in many areas to
alleviate the wetness problem. Corn and soybeans
are the main cash crops grown here.
The Karnak-McGary-Belknap association is
dominant in about 10% of the County. These
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ENV Map 3
Soils
EB
Legend
Soils
Belknap-Waverly (21,514 Acres)
Bonnie-Karnak (7,859 Acres)
WK
Bonnie-Steff-Stendal (15,207 Acres)
Karnak-McGary-Belknap (42,812 Acres)
Loring-Frondorf-Zanesville (44,716 Acres)
Loring-Grenada-Calloway (63,445 Acres)
Strip mine-Frondorf (43,168 Acres)
Zanesville-Frondorf-Belknap (93,002 Acres)
Zanesville-Sadler (23,193 Acres)
Prepared by:
HCJPC
December 2003
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soils are deep and poorly drained to somewhat
poorly drained and range in texture from fine to
medium. This association is located along the
eastern edge of the County bordering the Pond
River and has a width of approximately onequarter mile in the southern section and
approximately four mile in the northern section.
The predominant soils of this association form in
loamy alluvium, high in silt content, and in
clayey, slack-water. Wetness is the main inhibitor
to utilization of the area of this association.
Artificial drainage is being used to make land
useful for farming. Over half of this association is
being used for farming, mainly cash-grain farming
with corn and soybeans as the major crops.
Wetness and flooding prohibit most nonfarm uses
with the exception of a tile and brick factory
which uses clay from the subsoil.
The Bonnie-Steff-Stendal association accounts for
about 3% of the County’s soils and contains deep,
poorly drained to moderately well drained soils
and is located along the flood plain of the
Tradewater River and the upper reaches of Caney
and Clear Lick Creeks in the Midwest and
southern part of the County. More than 50% of
this association is woodland, some of which is
ponded year-round and much of which is flooded
during the winder and spring. The wetness of the
area is very inhibiting, and little artificial drainage
is being done due to a lack of suitable outlets.
Due to the severity of the wetness problem, most
of the area is suitable only as woodland, or
wetland habitat.
The Bonnie-Karnak association makes up about
1% of Hopkins County and are fine to medium
textured soils. It is located mainly on flood plains
in alluvium and clayey slack-water deposits in the
westernmost portion of Hopkins County. This
association is dominantly marshy, ponded, and
wooded and is characterized by late winter and
spring flooding.
Most of this area is not
favorable to artificial drainage, thus only a small
portion has been cleared for crops and pasture.
Soils Formed in Loess on Uplands
This class of soil association contains nearly level
to sloping soils which are located on uplands and
are predominantly formed in wind-deposited
material which is high in silt content.
The Loring-Grendada-Calloway association is
dominant in about 19% of Hopkins County in a
broad, inconsistent band across the lower northern
half of the County. These soils are located in
gently rolling areas characterized by broad
ridgetops, short sideslopes, and nearly level
valleys and are more than four feet thick. These
deep soils are moderately well drained to
somewhat poorly drained with most having a
layer that restricts water and air movement. These
nearly level to sloping soils are well suited for
most of the crops grown locally, such as corn,
soybeans, hay, and tobacco. This is the most
densely populated and industrialized area of the
County.
Soils Formed Mainly in Loess Mantle and in
the Underlying Material from Sandstone and
Shale
This group of soil associations includes: LoringFrondorf-Zanesville, the strip mine-Frondorf, the
Zonesville-Sadler, and the Zanesville-FrondorfBelknap associations. The soils of these upland
associations range from nearly level to steep.
Although most of these soils are formed in the
thin areas indicated by the title given to this group
of associations, some of the soils are formed in a
deep loess layer more than four feet thick.
The Loring-Frondorf-Zanesville association is
composed of moderately deep to deep soils that
range from moderately well drained to well
drained. These gently sloping to steep soils are
located mainly in the northern portion of the
County along wooded hills that are characterized
by narrow ridges and valleys. This association
covers approximately 20 percent of Hopkins
County with medium-textured and moderately
fine textured soils.
The Loring-Frondorf-Zanesville is mostly wooded
with a few ridges and valleys being utilized for
crops, such as corn, soybeans, hay, and pasture.
The main limitation to agriculture is erosion due
to the steep slopes. Nevertheless, these areas can
be utilized for limited homesites, wooded parks,
picnic areas, and other recreational uses, as well
as for timber production.
The Strip Mine-Frondorf associations make up
about 9% of the County.
This association
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contains moderately deep to deep soils that are
well drained and moderately steep to steep and is
characterized by knolls of spoil material from
strip mine sprawling across the landscape
intermingled with narrow wooded bands. These
soils are formed by weathering acid sandstone and
shale material. This association is mainly used for
coal mining with a few farms that are mostly used
as part-time general farms. The majority of this
association is wooded or spoil slopes that support
timber production and woodland wildlife habitat.
treated and managed according to acceptable
farming methods, including water management.
These lands have an adequate and dependable
water supply from precipitation or irrigation, a
favorable temperature and growing season,
acceptable acidity or alkalinity, acceptable salt
and sodium content, and few to no rocks. They
are permeable to water and air, are not excessively
erodible or saturated with water for a long period
of time, and they either do not flood frequently or
are protected from flooding.” 2
The Zanesville-Sadler association contains deep,
medium textured soils. These soils are gently
sloping to moderately steep and are moderately
well drained to well drained. This association
covers approximately 8% of Hopkins County and
is located in gently rolling areas such as broad
ridgetops, short sideslopes, and nearly level
valleys. A major use for this association is
farming with corn, soybeans, tobacco, hay, and
pasture being the main crops. Limitations in this
association include the hazard of erosion and
wetness. Artificial drainage may be utilized to
curtail these limiting effects. Many of these areas
are adequate for homesites; however, much of this
association is utilized for strip mining and deep
mining.
Approximately 25% to 49% of Hopkins County is
classified as prime farmland, making it one of
thirty-six counties in this classification. Prime
farmland is becoming increasingly rare in
Kentucky. In an effort to protect prime and other
farmland in Kentucky the state has passed the
Agricultural District Act in 1982. As a result, 159
districts have been formed in 42 counties.
Hopkins County’s farmers have taken advantage
of the opportunity to protect their farmland by
creating or joining sixteen agricultural districts
within the County. (Agriculture districts are
outlined in the Land Use Element).
The Zanesville-Frondorf-Belknap association
covers about 26% of the County and is composed
of moderately deep to deep soils of medium
texture. These soils are located on long narrow
ridges, on moderately steep to steep wooded hills,
and in narrow valleys. This association is mostly
wooded, but some ridges and valleys have been
cleared for cultivation of crops such as corn,
soybeans, hay, and pasture. A large portion of the
association is owned by coal companies, and coal
is mined here. The sloping to gently sloping soils
are suitable for homesites and industry. The area
also has potential for timber production, wildlife
habitat, and recreational purposes-the western
Kentucky 4-H Camp is located at Dawson
Springs.
PRIME FARMLAND
According to the Department of Agriculture,
prime farmland has “the soil quality, growing
season, and moisture supply needed to produce
economically sustained high yields of crops when
Other Protection
Conservation Districts, a subdivision of the state
government, support and develop projects which
promote conservation. There are 121 districts in
the state, including Hopkins County, which elect
seven volunteer supervisors. These supervisors
provide the district with leadership in farmland
conservation practices.
WILDLIFE AND VEGETATION
Wildlife
The USDA NRCS classifies three types of
wildlife in Hopkins County: openland wildlife,
woodland wildlife, and wetland wildlife.
Openland wildlife in Hopkins County includes the
following: quail, meadowlark, field sparrow,
dove, cottontail rabbit, red fox, and woodchuck.
Croplands, pastures, meadows, lawns, and areas
overgrown with shrubs and grasses are the
preferred homes of these birds and mammals.
Woodland wildlife includes birds and mammals
such as thrush, woodcock, scarlet tanager, vireo,
2
SSM, USDA Handbook No. 18, October 1993
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gray squirrel, red squirrel, white-tailed deer, gray
fox, raccoon, and wild turkey. The woodlands
provide these creatures with food and shelter.
Some examples of these are autumn-olive, Amur
honeysuckle, Tartarian honeysuckle, crabapple,
multiflora rose, and silky cornel dogwood.
Wetlands such as ponds, marshes, and swamps
provide a habitat for several types of wildlife as
well.
Birds, amphibians, vertebrates, and
mammals that usually make their home in the
wetlands of Hopkins County include ducks, geese,
rails, and herons, as well as shore birds and
muskrat. The Kentucky Department of Fish and
Wildlife Resources manages 61 wildlife
management areas in 72 Kentucky Counties under
its statutory authority to protect and conserve
wildlife for future generations.
Coniferous plants are cone-bearing evergreens,
including both trees and shrubs, which provide
cover and some nourishment for wildlife. Among
the species in this category are Norway spruce,
Virginia pine, loblolly pine, shortleaf pine, white
pine, Scotch pine, and red cedar.
Vegetation
The USDA NRCS has divided the vegetation of
Hopkins County into six major groups: grains and
seed crops, domestic grasses and legumes, wild
herbaceous plants, hardwoods, coniferous plants,
and wetland plants. The major crops of the grain
and seed category include corn, sorghum, wheat,
popcorn, and soybeans. Tobacco is also a major
crop.
Domestic grasses and legumes present in the
County consist of perennial grasses and
herbaceous legumes which are established by
planting and which provide food and shelter to
wildlife. Some examples are fescue, timothy,
orchard grass, clover, and lespedeza.
Wild herbaceous plants are native or introduced
perennial grasses and weeds. Indiangrass, little
bluestem, big bluestem, quackgrass, goldenrod,
wild carrot, nightshade, and dandelion are the
major types of wild herbaceous plants found in
Hopkins County.
Hardwood trees are nonconiferous trees, shrubs,
and wood vines which bear fruit, nuts, buds,
catkins, twigs, or foliage that is edible by wildlife
and are usually naturally established. Hardwoods
present in Hopkins County are oak, cherry, maple,
poplar, apple, dogwood, hawthorn, sweetgum,
hickory, sassafras, persimmon, black walnut, and
sumac. Other hardwoods present are bayberry,
blueberry, huckleberry, blackshaw, viburnum,
grape, and briers. This category also includes
several fruit-bearing shrubs raised commercially.
The wetland plants category consists of wild,
herbaceous, annual, and perennial plants which
grow in moist areas but are not submerged or
aquatic. Among the wetland plants in Hopkins
County are smartweed, wild millet, pondweed,
duckweed, duckmillet, sedges, barnyard grass,
bulrush, arrow-arum, pickerelweed, phragmites or
common reed, water willow wetland grasses,
wildrice, cattails, water lilies, and sweet flags.
Other Habitats
Shallow water areas, usually not over five feet in
depth, provide cover and food for wetland
wildlife. These areas may be natural or created
such as when marshes and streams are subjected
to dams, levees, and water-control devices. They
include areas such as beaver ponds, muskrat
ponds, wildlife ponds, waterfowl feeding areas,
and wildlife water developments.
Endangered Species
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife
Resources has compiled a list of threatened and
endangered species within Kentucky. This listing
is from the federally identified species list and is
outlined in ENV Table 1.
ENV Table 1
“E” represents Endangered; “T” represents Threatened; “PE”
represents Proposed Endangered; “PT” represents Proposed
Threatened
TYPE
Plant
Plant
Plant
Plant
Plant
Plant
NAME
Price’s potatobean
Braun’s rock
cress
Cumberland
rosemary
Eggert’s
sunflower
Cumberland
sandwort
White-haired
goldenrod
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SCIENTIFIC NAME
STATUS
Apios priceana
T
Arabis perstellata
var. perstellata
Conradina verticillata
E
T
Helianthus eggertii
T
Minuartia
cumberlandensis
Solidago albopilosa
E
T
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Plant
Mussels
Short’s
goldenrod
Virginia
Spiraes
Running
buffalo clover
Cumberland
elktoe
Fanshell
Cumberlandian
combshell
Oyster mussel
Mussels
Catspaw
Mussels
Fish
Morthern
riffleshell
Pink mucket
Ring pink
Little-wing
pearly mussel
Orgnae-foot
pimpleback
Clubshell
Rough pigtoe
Fat pocketbook
Cumberland
bean
Mammoth cave
shrimp
American
urying beetle
Relict darter
Fish
Fish
Fish
Duskytail darter
Palezone shiner
Blackside dace
Fish
Reptiles
Pallid sturgeon
Copperbelly
water snake
Bale eagle
Plant
Plant
Mussels
Mussels
Mussels
Mussles
Mussels
Mussels
Mussels
Mussels
Mussels
Mussels
Mussels
Crustaceans
Insects
Birds
Birds
Birds
Red-cockaded
woodpecker
Interior least
tern
Virginia bigeared bat
Solidago shortii
E
Spiraea virginiana
T
Trifolium
stoloniferum
Alasmidonta
atropurpures
Cyprogenia stegaria
Epioblasma
brevidens
Epioblasms
capsaeformis
Epioblasma obliquata
obliquata
Epioblasms torulosa
rangiana
Lampsilis abrupta
Obovaria retusa
Pegias fibula
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
Plethobasus
cooperianus
Pleurobema clava
Pleurobema plenum
Potamilus capax
Villosa trabalis
E
E
E
E
Palaemonias ganteri
E
Nicrophorus
americanus
Etheostoma
chienense
Duskytail darter
Notropis albizonatus
Phoxinus
cumberlandensis
Scaphirhynchus albus
Nerodia erythrogaster
neglecta
Haliaeetus
leucocephalus
Picoides borealis
E
Sterna antillarum
athalassos
Mammals
Corynorhinus
townsendii
virginianus
Mammals
Gray bat
Myotis grisescens
Mammals
Indiana bat
Myotis sodalist
Source: KY Dept of Fish and Wildlife
E
E
E
E
T
E
PT
T
E
E
E
E
E
HYDROLOGY
The eastern part of the County is drained by Pond
River and its tributaries-East Fork Deer Creek,
Otter Creek, Narge Creek, Elk Creek, Earle
Creek, Flat Creek, and Drakes Creek. The
western portion of the county is drained by the
Tradewater River and its tributaries-Caney Creek,
Lick Creek, and Clear Creek. The water from
Pond River flows into the Green River, and the
water from Tradewater River flows into the Ohio
River. Major lakes within the County are Loch
Mary, Grapevine Lake and Lake Pewee. 3
Within the Green River basin and the Tradewater
River basin areas that encompass Hopkins
County, some of the streams that contain
pollutants have had those sources of pollutants
identified. Kentucky’s report to Congress on
water quality, as referenced in the Green and
Tradewater Basins Status Report, dated March
2001, lists streams and their sources of and
pollutants.
ENV Table 2
Stream Name
Source of Pollutants
Pollutants
Resource Extraction, acid
Cane Run
mine drainage
pH
Collection system failure,
package plants, municipal
Clear Creek
point sources
Pathogens
Acid mine drainage, resource
Craborchard Creek
extraction
pH
Acid mine drainage,
industrial point sources,
Drakes Creek
resource extraction
pH, PCBs
Elk Creek
Collection System Failure
Pathogens
Resource Extraction, acid
mine drainage, collection
pH,
Flat Creek
system failure
Pathogens
Acid mine drainage, resource
Pleasant Run
extraction
pH
Surface mining, resource
Sugar Creek
extraction
pH
Source: Green and Tradewater River Basins Status Report, March
2001
ENV Map 4 depicts the watersheds of Hopkins
County.
WETLANDS/FLOODPLAINS
Wetlands
Wetlands are areas which contain a predominance
of hydric soils and are inundated or saturated for a
sufficient time to allow the development of a
predominantly hydrophytic community. These
wetlands are seasonally flooded or ponded and
frequently provide water to the Green River and
Tradewater River stream flows. Wetlands play a
critical role in flood control by slowly releasing
water to the rivers after a rain event. During
droughts, wetlands help maintain flow levels for
fisheries and drinking water supplies, as well as
providing critical habitat for wildlife, filtering out
pollutants and helping to sustain watershed health.
3
Kentucky Division of Water
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ENV Map 4
Watersheds
EB
Legend
Watersheds
Lambs Creek
Brooks Creek
Lick Creek
Brown Creek
McFarland Creek
Buffalo Creek
Morgan Creek
Bull Creek
Narge Creek
Cany Creek
Otter Creek
Castleberry Creek
Pieburn Creek
Clear Creek
Pitman Creek
Copper Creek
Pleasant Run
Craborchard Creek
Pogue Creek
Deer Creek
Pond Creek
Donaldson Creek
Pond River
Drakes Creek
Reed Creek
Earle Creek
Richland Creek
East Fork Deer Creek
Rose Creek
East Fork of Bull Creek
Sugar Creek
East Fork of Hurricane Creek
Towery Branch
Elk Creek
Trace Branch
Flat Creek
Trace Creek
Greasy Creek
Tradewater River
Green River
Tyson Branch
Hurricane Creek
Weirs Creek
Isaacs Creek
West Fork of Bull Creek
Jennings Creek
West Fork of Pond River
WK
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All applicants for federal permits for an activity
which may result in the discharge of a pollutant
into any regulated state wetland must obtain a
Section 401 water quality certification from the
Division of Water and 404 permit from the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. The state must certify
that the materials to be discharged comply with all
effluent limitations, water quality standards, and
other applicable laws and regulations. Types of
discharges included under this requirement are
dredged spoil, solid waste, garbage rock, and soil
but is not limited to those listed. General 404
permits can be issued to allow nationwide, state,
or regional blanket authorization in instances
where the adverse impacts would be minimal.
Under a general permit, individual permits are not
required unless the project exceeds the conditions
set by the general permit, except in Kentucky
where a Section 401 water quality permit is
required if the activity involves discharging into
an acre or more of wetland. 4
Floodplain
Hopkins County contains several low-lying areas
subject to flooding. The floodplain limits are
identified in ENV Map 5. The eastern portion of
the County contains a significant number of
floodplains along Pond River and its tributaries,
including Elk Creek and Otter Creek. In the
western half of the County the floodplains are
located along Clear Creek and its major
tributaries. In the southwestern portion of the
County the floodplains are located along
Tradewater River’s tributaries, mainly along
Caney Creek up to the eastern and western city
limits of Dawson Springs. Surface drainage is a
significant problem in Hopkins County which
contributes to the problem of flooding during and
after storm events.
The Floodplain Management Section of the
Kentucky Division of Water has the primary
responsibility for the approval or denial of
proposed construction and other activities in the
100-year floodplain of all streams in the
Commonwealth. Typical activities permitted are
dams, bridges, culverts, residential and
commercial buildings, placement of fill, stream
4
Kentucky Division of Water
alterations or relocations, small impoundments,
and water and wastewater treatment plants.
The process for obtaining a permit begins with the
submittal of a completed application with a
location map, plans of the proposed construction,
and the addressing of public notice. If there is
existing flood data on the proposed site (i.e.,
National Flood Insurance Program flood maps,
Corps of Engineers flood studies, or previous
permit data), then a permit review may begin. If
there is no existing data, the submittal of survey
information is required in order to perform an inhouse flood study of the area.
For more
information on permit requirements, please visit
http://www.water.ky.gov/wr/dwflood.htm.
As more and more development occurs, land
becomes a premium. Unfortunately, land for
farming and development is often located in the
floodplain. When development occurs there,
several problems arise:
 Risk to people, animals and property
during a flood event.
 Loss of life.
 Loss of dollars.
 Increased flooding problems.
 Lack of availability of insurance.
Hopkins County is located within both the Green
River basin and the Tradewater River basin.
Within these two regions are thirty-four counties,
of which thirteen have no adopted floodplain
management programs (although some individual
municipalities have enacted ordinances for their
citizens).
Throughout Kentucky, ninety-six
counties and close to three hundred municipalities
have established a floodplain management
program that tries to protect the floodplain and
minimize threats to people and property. ENV
Table 3 identifies the adopted flood hazard
prevention ordinances within Hopkins County.
ENV Table 3
Jurisdiction
Hopkins County
Dawson Springs
Earlington
Hanson
Madisonville
Mortons Gap
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Adopted
October 1991
March 1996
June 1991
January 1999
April 1992
March 1994
ENV Map 5
Floodplains
EB
Legend
WK
Floodplain
A-SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREAS-No base flood elevations determined.
AE-SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREAS-Base flood elevations determined.
Area Not Included.
X-Areas determined to be outside 500-year flood plain.
X500-Areas of 500-year flood.
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Nebo
Nortonville
St. Charles
White Plains
No ordinance adopted
August 1991
No ordinance adopted
No ordinance adopted
Source: Kentucky Division of Water
THREATS TO THE GROUNDWATER
The federal Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 and
its amendments regulate the nation’s public
drinking water to ensure it is safe for
consumption.
An estimated 3,516,272
Kentuckians (87 percent) now have access to
public drinking water provided by 656 public
drinking water systems. But access to pubic
drinking water varies greatly by county. About
90 percent of the water offered for drinking is
supplied by streams, lakes, and reservoirs, with
the remainder coming from groundwater sources.
Pollutants can enter raw drinking water sources in
a number of ways and come from a variety of
sources.
In Kentucky, polluted runoff from
farmlands, coal mines and discharges from
wastewater treatments plants are the greatest
sources of water pollution. Other pollution
sources include failing septic systems, sewage
straight pipes, waste sites, urban runoff, combined
sewer overflows, and toxic spills.
Threats to the groundwater in Hopkins County
include 9 landfills, and a minimum of 6,795 septic
tanks, 6,120 unplugged wells, 499 underground
storage tanks, 20 potential hazardous waste sites,
and 40 underground injection wells (State of
Kentucky’s
Environment,
Kentucky
Environmental Quality Commission).
Septic tank systems are the most frequent source
of bacterial contamination in groundwater.
According to the Kentucky Department of Health
Services, about half of the private drinking wells
in Kentucky are contaminated with bacteria due to
sewage. On-site sewage disposal systems, many
of which were installed prior to 1985 under
conditions that would now be prohibited, are
potential sources of groundwater contamination in
Hopkins County.
The Kentucky Department of Mines and Minerals
estimates that there are some 120,000 unplugged
oil and gas wells in the state of Kentucky, but
there is no way to know for certain since records
were previously not required.
Industrial
contaminants, municipal wastewater, pollutants
from farm and mine sites, and other pollutants can
find their way directly into the underground water
system through unplugged oil and gas wells.
The U.S. EPA has estimated that approximately
25% of the underground storage tanks in
Kentucky are leaking contaminants. Since 1988,
the state has been making efforts to detect
underground petroleum storage tank leakage, and
many have been replaced throughout the state.
However, underground farm fuel tanks and
heating oil storage tanks are exempt from the
detection and replacement program.
Based on total population and population density,
Madisonville has been designated as being
required to comply with the National Pollution
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase 2
Storm Water Management Program. Therefore, a
storm water management entity must design a
local program to reduce the discharge of
pollutants, protect water quality, and satisfy the
appropriate water quality requirements of the
Clean Water Act. This local program must have:
a comprehensive plan for regulating storm water
discharges within their watershed; educate and
involve the public in its administration; and
produce evidence that storm water discharges are
meeting the standards of the Clean Water Act.
The local storm water management entity will
have the first five-year cycle (from the Spring of
2003) to develop, implement, and refine its
program. Requirements of the second five-year
cycle have not yet been specified.
Drinking water comes from groundwater (wells
and springs) or surface water supplies which are
subject to contamination from discharge and
disposal of pollutants from recreational boats,
leaching from landfills, illegal and unregulated
dumping
areas
and
non-point
source
contaminants.
Approximately 2,300 people in Hopkins County
rely on private domestic water supplies: 1,200
wells and 1,100 other sources. Public water is
provided to over 18,500 homes and about 140
homes will be added to this system through lines
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According to the Kentucky Division of Water,
Groundwater Branch, Hopkins County has areas
of low-moderate to moderate-high sensitivity to
groundwater pollution.
CLIMATE OF HOPKINS COUNTY
The most widely used and accepted system for
presenting the world patter of climates is the
Koppen classification. The location of Hopkins
County places it within the humid-subtropical
region of the Koppen classification, designated as
a Cfa climate. The average temperature of the
coldest month is below 64.4 degrees Fahrenheit
but above 30.8 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmest
monthly average is over 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit
and at least four months of the year have averages
of over 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature
The following graphic and table illustrates the
temperature summary from 1971 to 2000 from
station 155067 in Madisonville, provided by the
Western Kentucky University Climate Center.
The hottest month in the year is July, which has a
29 year average of 79.3 degrees Fahrenheit.
ENV Graphic 1
1971-2000 Temperature Summary
Station 155067, Madisonville, KY
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Max °F
Min °F
Mean °F
JA
N
FE
B
M
AR
AP
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M
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N
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extensions by 2020. 5 Public drinking water
utilities are concerned with the quantity and
quality of the supply, of which both are greatly
affected by droughts and upstream activities.
Public water is treated prior to distribution, but the
raw water that comes from the well, lake, or river
must be of high enough quality to allow safe
treatment. The Safe Drinking Water Act requires
that all community water systems annually report
to water users information about the quality of the
water delivered by the system.
ENV Table 4: Mean Record Temperatures, 19492001, Station 155067, Madisonville, KY
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
High
Mean F
44
47
55
64
73
81
83
82
77
65
55
48
Year
1950
1954
1973
2001
1962
1952
1999
1983
1998
1984
1999
1984
Low
Mean F
19
24
33
52
62
70
74
71
65
53
40
27
Year
1977
1978
1960
1950
1954
1955
1967
1967
1949
1988
1976
1989
Precipitation
Hopkins County has a mean annual rainfall total
of 48.31 inches. ENV Graphic 2 illustrates the
average precipitation totals by month for years
1971 through 2000. The month of May has the
greatest average precipitation total of 4.95 inches.
April has the second greatest with 4.85 inches,
and November comes in third with 4.22 inches
average precipitation total. The month with the
least amount of rainfall is August with 3.23 inches
average precipitation over the twenty-nine year
period.
5
Information taken from Ground-Water Resources of
Hopkins County, Kentucky, Kentucky Geological
Survey, D.I. Carey and J.F. Stickney, 2001
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ENV Graphic 2
1971-2000 Precipitation Summary
Station 155067, Madisonville, Kentucky
FEB
5
3
2
MAR
3 .6 9
3 .7 8
4 .5 1
4 .8 5
4 .9 5
3 .8 0
4 .2 1
3 .2 3
3 .3 6
3 .2 6
4 .2 2
4 .2 1
4
JAN
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
1
SEP
OCT
0
Precip (in)
NOV
DEC
Source: WKU Climate Center
ENV Table 5: Precipitation Extremes, 1948-2001,
Station 155067, Madisonville, KY
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
High (in)
11.94
12.82
17.65
12.32
11.08
13.86
8.30
14.09
8.54
7.73
12.05
10.25
Year
1950
1989
1997
1983
1983
1969
1958
1959
1950
1970
1957
1990
Low (in)
0.64
0.86
1.18
1.07
0.60
0.56
0.95
0.45
0.07
0.00
0.68
0.63
Year
1963
1980
1966
1959
1987
1988
1966
1953
1956
1963
1954
1976
Source: WKU Climate Center
Heating Degree Days
Heating degree days (HDD) are a useful index of
heating fuel consumption. When the daily mean
temperature is lower than 65 degree Fahrenheit,
most buildings require heat to maintain
comfortable indoor temperatures. The daily mean
temperature is one half of the sum of the
maximum and minimum temperature of the day.
Each degree of deviation of the daily mean
temperature below 65 degrees Fahrenheit is
counted as one heating degree day.
As daily heating degree days increase, more
energy is consumed to maintain a certain
comfortable indoor temperature. The amount of
heat required to maintain a certain comfort level is
directly proportional to the number of heating
degree days per year. Twice as many heating
degree days means twice the amount of energy
consumed for heating.
ENV Table 6: Heating Degree Days
Month
Madisonville
Chicago
Indianapolis
Memphis
Birmingham
Jan
938
1288
1221
840
691
Feb
706
1017
977
635
514
Mar
484
805
770
435
339
Apr
202
462
422
190
154
May
66
203
179
53
31
Jun
1
28
23
1
1
Jul
0
4
1
0
0
Aug
0
11
14
0
0
Sep
23
67
77
16
11
Oct
203
352
361
165
133
Nov
484
726
681
430
359
Dec
812
1120
1057
726
590
Annual
3919
6083
5783
3491
2823
Source: 1971-2000 Climate Normals, National Climatic Data Center
Cooling Degree Days
The cooling degree day statistic is the summer
equivalent of the winter heating degree day and is
an index of air conditions requirements. It is a
comparison to 65 degrees Fahrenheit at which
temperature no air conditioning is assumed to be
needed. The greater the number of cooling degree
days, the more energy that is required to maintain
a comfortable inside temperature. It should be
noted that the relationship between cooling degree
days and energy consumption is less precise than
the one between heating degree days and energy
consumption. Cloudiness, humidity, and wind
speed influence the amount of energy required to
cool a building. However, no precisely defined
relationship has evolved.
ENV Table 7: Cooling Degree Days
Month
Madisonville
Chicago
Indianapolis
Memphis
Birmingham
Jan
0
0
0
0
1
Feb
0
0
0
0
3
Mar
4
0
0
5
16
Apr
24
4
2
32
51
May
149
82
81
171
167
Jun
318
199
198
368
351
Jul
443
330
29
500
476
Aug
400
279
250
448
455
Sep
218
95
98
253
280
Oct
49
12
14
56
69
Nov
3
0
0
5
9
Dec
0
0
0
0
3
Annual
1608
1001
942
1838
1881
Source: 1971-2000 Climate Normals, National Climatic Data Center
Growing Season
The relationship between climate and agriculture
is easily understood. Data such as first fall freeze
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and last spring freeze dates are directly applicable
to crop planting. Using the definition of “growing
season” as the number of days from the last freeze
in spring to the first freeze in fall, one can classify
growing season as a temperature factor. In
Kentucky the growing season varies from
approximately 200 days in the west to around 170
days in the highland regions of eastern Kentucky.
The Spring mean freeze occurs around April 11th
for Hopkins County while the first fall mean
freeze occurs around October 18th. This gives an
average of 189 mean days in the length of the
growing season for Hopkins County. Though 189
days is the mean length of the growing season, a
difference of 30 to 40 days from one year to the
next is not uncommon (WKU Climate Center).
ENV Graphic 3 portrays the growing degree day
averages from the Madisonville station for 19712000.
ENV Graphic 3:
Growing Degree Day Averages,1971-2000
Station 155067, Madisonville, KY
1400
1200
1000
Base 40
800
Base 45
600
Base 50
400
Base 55
200
Base 60
N
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The Kentucky Division for Air Quality operates a
network of 98 air monitoring stations in 34
counties. These stations provide data used by the
Environmental Quality Commission to track
yearly average concentrations of air pollutants in
Kentucky. At this time, Hopkins County is in
compliance with air quality standards. Further
information may be obtained from the State of
Kentucky’s Environment 2000-2001: A Report on
Environmental Trends and Conditions.
EARTHQUAKE POTENTIAL
The earthquake history of the Central United
States is dominated by a series of earthquakes that
ruptured the New Madrid fault in the winter of
1811-1812. On December 16, 1811, there were
three very large earthquakes on the southern
branch of the fault in eastern Arkansas, extending
from a point 25 miles northeast of Memphis to
Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee. Together
these three earthquakes ruptured the entire
southern segment of the fault, a length of about 90
miles. The largest of the earthquakes, with an
estimated magnitude of about 8.8 Richter (some
scientists claim a Richter of 8.3) occurred on
February 7, 1812 near the town of New Madrid,
Missouri. Over 189 earthquakes above 5.0 on the
Richter Scale occurred in the New Madrid fault
zone during 1811 and 1812. (Crawford 1989).
There is a thirty percent probability of a 7.6
Richter earthquake at the New Madrid site
sometime within the next fifty years.
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ecosystems and consequently are the primary
focus of federal and state air pollution programs.
Source: WKU Climate Center
AIR QUALITY
There are numerous sources of air pollution,
including point (smokestack), mobile (automobile
and off-highway vehicle exhaust), and area
sources (small paint shops, gas stations, open
burning). The federal Clean Air Act (CAA) of
1970, along with modifications in 1977 and
amendments in 1990, has significantly improved
the quality of air Kentuckians breathe. The CAA
specifies controls for six criteria pollutants that
can cause serious threats to human health and
Seismologists express magnitudes of earthquakes
using the Richter Scale. Each step on the scale
represents an increase in amplitude by a factor of
ten.
The vibrations of an earthquake with a
magnitude of two are ten times greater than those
put out by a quake of one, and a quake with the
magnitude of eight are one million times greater
in amplitude than those of an earthquake with a
magnitude of two (Hamblin 1982). With a 7.6
event at the New Madrid Fault site, Hopkins
County falls within the VIII destructive zone of
the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMS)
which measures damage intensity to man-made
structures.
ENV Table 6 lists the damage
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intensity of the earthquake zone within which
Hopkins County falls.
ENV Table 6: Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale
(1931), Hopkins County zone
VIII
General fright, alarm approaches panic: strong shaking of
trees; temporary to permanent changes in flow and
temperature of springs; dry wells renewed; considerable
damage to structures not built to withstand earthquake;
falling of walls; twisting, falling of chimneys, columns,
monuments, smoke stacks, towers, etc.
impairment to water quality and the economic
and cultural needs of residents.
 Better educate and inform so people will
understand the importance of leaving streams
alone – avoiding the temptation to channelize
them, clear their vegetation, straighten them
out, dig up their gravel bars and control their
flows.
 Advocate
RECOMMENDATIONS
 Each individual jurisdiction should be
encouraged to adopt flood prevention
ordinances for their jurisdiction.
 Prepare a Floodplain Management Program
for all jurisdictions through their combined
effort.
a
strong,
regional
recycling
program.
 Treat all groundwater supplies to eliminate
bacterial contamination.
 Test residential groundwater at least once a
year.
 Ensure features of Hopkins County are
 Re-evaluate regulations to stop permanent
construction within designated flood hazard
areas, within wetland areas, on slopes over
15% grade, and within areas directly adjacent
to creeks and streams.
preserved as development occurs, such as:
rolling hills/woodlands/wildlife, well-defined
urban areas bound by rural landscapes,
significant environmental features, and natural
look along roadways.
 Homes and buildings in Hopkins County
 Aggressively provide means to identify and
should have earthquake insurance. Many
homeowners believe that their homeowner’s
insurance policy covers their home in the
event of earthquake damage. The policy does
not unless the owner has paid extra for
earthquake protection.
 Actively seek to preserve and enhance scenic
 Fortify the building code for Hopkins County.
protect areas of endangered species in
Hopkins County.
and natural features in development review.
 Identify roads and areas that serve as valuable
scenic assets to the County.
 Support, encourage and assist farmers, loggers
 Identify and implement strategies to conserve
and developers to adopt erosion and sediment
control measures.
distinctive natural features in designated
scenic corridors.
 Preserve soils within prime agricultural areas.
 Require farmers, homeowners, and golf
course managers to reduce amount of
fertilizers and chemicals they apply to the
land.
 Develop Karst-sensitive Best Management
Practices (BMPs) that strive to strike a
balance between the need for minimized
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