Cones of Influence Developed in the Silurian‐Devonian Aquifer, Maumee River Basin, Ohio

Abstract

AbstractIn the Maumee River Basin of northwestern Ohio the principal source of ground water is the Silurian‐Devonian carbonate aquifer. The use rate of ground water from this aquifer could rapidly increase many fold in the near future. This situation demands quantitative information on the resource potential of the aquifer, if proper development is to be encouraged.A relationship between ground‐water use and recharge rates through an analysis of the cones of influence is demonstrated in this paper. Computed recharge rates for the cones of influence vary from 6,800 to 75,300 gpd/sq mi, and the variation is systematic in that the higher recharge rates correlate with the higher pumpage rates. Recharge rates appear to have an upper limit of approximately 100,000 gpd/ sq mi, which corresponds to a maximization of the vertical hydraulic gradient. Although maximization of the vertical hydraulic gradient is impossible to achieve for a given cone of influence, it can be approached by lowering the piezometric surface of the aquifer by increasing the pumpage rate.Assuming that the safe yield of an aquifer is equivalent to the rate of recharge, this study demonstrates that development of an aquifer can increase many times its potential.