Characterization of the shallow groundwater system in an area with thin soils and sinkholes

Abstract

Door County, Wisconsin, is a region of karst topography underlain by Silurian dolomite bedrock. Numerous sinkholes intercept much of the surface runoff and act as sites for direct groundwater recharge. The clay-rich and impermeable Upper Ordovician Maquoketa formation separates the dolomite aquifer from the deeper aquifers and appears to be a factor in groundwater circulation and karst formation Thin glacial drift and Quaternary materials overlie the dolomite and are hydrologically connected with it

The interactions of surface and groundwater, and the role of solution features in water interchange were studied in a small drainage basin. This basin contains several large sinkholes and a nearby spring complex Mapping identified many additional sinks and swallets in surface drainage routes Water flowing into two sinks was traced and found to have a residence time of several hours. Water flowing into sinkholes and from the spring was sampled to identify the quality and seasonal trends in composition of the shallow groundwater Water quality parameters monitored include magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorous, nitrate and ammonia, nitrogen, alkalinity, pH, turbidity, and specific conductance. Nitrate levels were found to increase 5 to 6 times during periods when there was zero input through sinkhole recharge sites. Nitrate levels approached the 10 mg/l NO₃ ⁻-N limit set by the U.S. Public Health Service for drinking water

In this basin sandy soils are most susceptible to sink development, whereas clay-rich soils have a lesser number of sinks. It appears, however, that a network of bedrock solution features exists under all soils The loss of soil into sinkholes has impacted groundwater quality and reduced agricultural productivity through a reduction in tillable acreage and water retention capacity.