Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in Hancock County, Ohio (1959-1988).
Gary W. Wilson
Larry C. Brown
Water is a resource often taken for granted. In recent years, water availability and quality have become important public concerns in Hancock County. Approximately 30 percent of Hancock County's residents (1980 census population was 64,581) depend upon private ground-water wells to supply their domestic and agricultural needs. Residents who understand where water is obtained and how it is used in the county gain a better appreciation for their water. This fact sheet provides a brief overview of Hancock County's water resources, such as rivers, streams, ponds, reservoirs and ground water. Its intent is to increase public awareness and understanding of water resources in Hancock County. Water resources terminology used in this publication is included in Surface and Ground Water Terminology, Fact Sheet AEX-460, which provides a listing of generally accepted water resource definitions. This publication is available through your county Extension office.
Records of precipitation for Hancock County have been maintained since 1894. Figure 1 illustrates the average monthly precipitation for Hancock County for the period 1959 to 1988. Based on this precipitation data, there was an average of 35.2 inches per year for this 30-year period. The monthly average is 2.93 inches, with February (1.86 inches) typically being the driest month and June (3.91 inches) the wettest. There can be, however, extreme differences in some years and in certain months within a year. Extremes of seasonal and yearly variability are not often seen when considering long-term precipitation information.
Figure 1. Average monthly precipitation (in inches) in Hancock
County, Ohio (1959-1988).
Hancock County is part of two major river basins in northwestern Ohio: the Portage River Basin (the upper 1/3 of the county) and the Blanchard River Basin (the lower 2/3 of the county). Both river basins are important because they drain into Lake Erie, a major source of surface water in the northern portion of the state. The Portage River Basin is approximately 602 square miles in size and stretches from the Village of McComb, in Hancock County, to Lake Erie. The Blanchard River Basin is approximately 762 square miles in size and is part of the 6,608-square mile Maumee River Basin that reaches north into Michigan, south into the northern one-third of Shelby County, and west into Indiana. A generalized surface-water map of Hancock County is given in Figure 2.
Of the county's total area of 340,480 acres, 2,239 are covered by water: upground water reservoirs, lakes, ponds and streams. The water acreage consists of approximately 1446 acres of reservoirs and lakes. The remainder is contained in approximately 120 linear miles of streams and rivers and nearly 500 small ponds ranging from 1/3 to 1/2 acre in size. The land acreage is 97 percent rural and has a geology of water-bearing bedrock covered by a thin layer of glacial till. It is important to note that much of northwest Ohio was once a lake bed, so the terrain is relatively flat and many of the soils are high in clay content.
The major ground-water source is the carbonate aquifer of limestone and dolomite bedrock that underlies all of Hancock County. Limestone mainly consists of calcium carbonate; dolomite is very similar but contains magnesium carbonate, as well as calcium carbonate. Both are commonly referred to as limestone, which is familiar to most Ohioans as a construction material.
Many wells drilled in this aquifer yield water in the range of 100 to 500 gallons per minute at depths of less than 250 feet. Farm and domestic supplies are obtained at depths of less than 100 feet. Ground water offers a steady supply of water, but actual yields may differ at specific locations. The yield of a well will vary considerably depending on the age and depth of the well and its construction, diameter of the casing, pump capacity and age, and more importantly, properties of the geologic formation. Some of the older wells, at shallow depths, produce only a few gallons per minute, while some newer wells drilled to a greater depth may yield several hundred gallons per minute.
Because of the limestone and dolomite geologic formation, the water in this aquifer has a natural mineral content, sometimes requiring softening before domestic use. In some areas of the county, well contractors will drill less than 50 feet in an attempt to obtain water free of hydrogen sulfide, which is a gas that smells of rotten eggs.
An overview of the ground-water resources in Hancock County is given in the publication Hancock County Ground-Water Resources. This publication is available through your county Extension office. Specific information on ground-water availability and wells in Hancock County can be obtained by contacting the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water.
Based on long-term weather records, Ohio receives an average of 38 inches of precipitation per year. These 38 inches move through a complex path called the hydrologic cycle. Of these 38 inches, about 10 inches become runoff, which moves immediately to surface-water bodies like streams and lakes. Two inches are retained at or near the ground surface and evaporate back into the atmosphere in a relatively short period of time. Twenty-six of the 38 total inches enter the soil surface through infiltration. Twenty of these 26 inches go into soil storage and later are returned to the atmosphere by the combination of evaporation and transpiration (evapotranspiration). The remaining 6 inches recharge the ground-water supply. Two of these 6 inches eventually move to springs, lakes or streams as ground-water discharge. The remaining 4 inches either return to the atmosphere by evapotranspiration or are withdrawn to supply water needs.
From statewide averages, about 26 percent of the 38 inches becomes runoff and about 16 percent has the potential to recharge aquifers (values for particular locations will differ according to local conditions). Statewide averages applied to Hancock County's average annual precipitation produces a rough estimate of how many inches may result in runoff and how many inches have the potential to reach aquifers. Based on the statewide averages of runoff and ground-water recharge, Hancock County's 35 inches of annual precipitation result in about 9 inches of runoff, and almost 6 inches of the 35 have the potential to recharge the aquifers annually. For more information, refer to Fact Sheet AEX-461, Ohio's Hydrologic Cycle, which is available through your county Extension office.
Public water use for each of Hancock County's public water supply systems is given in Table 1. This table provides an estimate of population served, water source, estimated daily water usage and treatment plant capacity.
The largest public water system in the county is the water treatment plant in Findlay, which utilizes surface water from the Blanchard River. This water is pumped into upground reservoirs with an estimated 836 acres of surface area and an estimated total capacity of approximately 6.5 billion gallons. Findlay also has a well field 10 miles east of the city, near Carey. This well field is used only when there is a water shortage, such as the drought of 1988. Water planners have predicted that the Findlay water treatment plant will have adequate capacity to serve Findlay until the year 2000.
McComb is the second largest water supply system in the county and also uses upground reservoirs for storage. This reservoir system covers 26 acres and has an estimated capacity of 189 million gallons. Water is pumped from Rader Creek. Water planners projected in 1986 that by 1990 the McComb treatment plant would need to be enlarged.
The county's three other public water supply systems of Arlington, Mt. Blanchard and Rawson have adequate ground-water sources, but currently only Arlington has an adequate treatment facility. Arlington, whose plant obtains its water from three wells, has the third largest water consumption in the county. Mt. Blanchard and Rawson obtain their water from two wells each.
The City of Fostoria, in the northeast corner of the county, is located partially in three separate counties. Although its five reservoirs, consisting of approximately 297 acres of surface area, are located in Hancock County, water-resource facts for Fostoria will be included in the Seneca County publication.
| Table 1. Water Use in Hancock County, Ohio.1 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Water System | Population Served | Primary Water Source | Water Usage (GPD)2 | Treatment Plant Capacity (GPD) |
| Findlay | 40,000 | Surface Water3 | 6,730,000 | 9,000,000 |
| McComb | 1,900 | Surface Water | 232,000 | 230,000 |
| Arlington | 1,200 | Ground Water | 112,000 | 380,000 |
| Mt. Blanchard | 480 | Ground Water | 60,000 | 320,000 |
| Rawson | 450 | Ground Water | 40,000 | 140,000 |
| 1 Estimates abstracted from The Northwest Ohio Water Plan - Public Water Supply (1986) and adjusted using 1990 data provided by Gary Cutler, Ohio EPA, Division of Public Drinking Water, Columbus, OH. | ||||
| 2 GPD = Gallons per Day. | ||||
| 3 Secondary source is ground water. | ||||
Overall, Hancock County has a plentiful and safe supply of water. Questions often are raised about the quality of water from private wells, more specifically about the nitrate levels in local wells. In 1987, 226 wells in the county were tested for nitrate levels. The average nitrate level was found to be 0.61 mg/L nitrate-nitrogen, compared to the state average of 1.32 mg/L. Only four wells were higher than 10 mg/L, which exceeds the safe drinking water standard. Eight of the wells tested 3 mg/L to 10 mg/L, which is still within the safe drinking water standard, but levels in this range indicate the influence of human activity.
Water availability and quality are important public concerns. Water problems can be both costly and inconvenient to correct. While the present and future availability of water is excellent for Hancock County, water is a precious resource that must be conserved and protected. We must all work together to maintain an adequate supply of good quality water. This fact sheet is intended to provide information to the public on water facts for Hancock County. Contact the Hancock County Extension Office for more information.
Other agencies to contact for more information on these or other water resources topics in Hancock County include: the Hancock Soil and Water Conservation District Office; the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water (Fountain Square, Columbus, OH 43224, 614/265-6749); the U.S. Geological Survey (Ohio District, 975 W. Third Ave., Columbus, OH 43212); and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (1800 WaterMark Drive, Columbus, OH 43266). Your county Extension agent can help you determine which agency to call for your specific needs.
Many readers of this publication may have access to, or know of other Hancock County water resources information and facts not included in this publication. If you have accurate and factual information that you would like to pass along, please send copies of those materials to the lead author of this publication at the Hancock County Extension Office. These materials may help us update the current publication and provide interesting water facts about Hancock County to the public.
Findlay Water Pollution Control Center. 1990. Total monthly precipitation data, recorded for 1940-1988. Findlay, Ohio.
Gazetteer of Ohio Streams. 1960. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 12. ODNR Division of Water.
Groundwater. 1974. Staff Research Report No. 115, December 1974. Ohio Legislative Service Commission.
Ground-Water Resources of Hancock County. 1981. J.J. Schmidt. ODNR Division of Water. Map.
Hancock County, Ohio Soil Survey. 1973. USDA, ODNR, and OARDC.
Hydrologic Atlas for Ohio: Average Annual Precipitation, Temperature, Streamflow, and Water Loss for the 50-Year Period 1931-1980. 1991. L.J. Hartstine. Water Inventory Report No. 28. ODNR Division of Water.
Inventory of Ohio's Lakes. 1980. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 26. ODNR Division of Water.
Inventory of Municipal Water-Supply Systems by County, Ohio. 1977. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 24. ODNR Division of Water.
Nitrate In Drinking Water. 1987. K. M. Mancl. Bulletin No. 744. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
Nitrates & Pesticides in Private Wells in Ohio, June 1989. Water Quality Laboratory, Heidelberg College, Tiffin, Ohio.
Northwest Ohio Water Plan, Public Water Supply. 1986. ODNR Division of Water.
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. 1990. Personal communication. Division of Public Drinking Water, Facilities and Operations Section. 1800 WaterMark Drive, Columbus, OH. 43266.
Ohio Ground-Water Quality. USGS National Water Summary, Ohio. 1986. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2325.
Ohio Ground-Water Resources. USGS National Water Summary, Ohio. 1984. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2275.
Ohio Surface-Water Resources. USGS National Water Summary, Ohio. 1985. U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 2300.
Ohio's Hydrologic Cycle. 1990. L.C. Brown and K.M. Coltman. Fact Sheet No. AEX-461. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
Ohio's Natural Heritage. 1979. M.B. Lafferty (Ed.). Ohio Academy of Science, Columbus, Ohio.
Private Water Systems Handbook. 1987. MWPS-14, Midwest Plan Service, Ames, IA. (Available through Department of Agricultural Engineering, The Ohio State University).
Surface and Ground Water Terminology. 1990. L.C. Brown and L.P. Black. Fact Sheet No. AEX-460. Department of Agricultural Engineering, Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University.
The Northwest Ohio Water Development Plan. 1967. Ohio Water Commission, ODNR.
Water Inventory of the Maumee River Basin, Ohio. 1960. Ohio Water Inventory Report No. 11. ODNR Division of Water.
Water - Ohio's Remarkable Resource. 1982. ODNR Division of Water.
This publication was produced through the Water Resources Educational Materials Project funded by the Innovative Grant Program of the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service, The Ohio State University. Project Team: Larry C. Brown (Project Leader, OSU Extension), Ron Overmyer (Sandusky County, OSU Extension), John Hixson (Union County, OSU Extension), Gary Wilson (Hancock County, OSU Extension), Marcus Dresbach (Northwest District, OSU Extension), Glen Arnold (Putnam County, OSU Extension), Jay Johnson (Agronomy, OSU Extension), Robert Roth (School of Natural Resources, OSU), and Leonard Black and Margo Fulmer (ODNR, Division of Water).
The Project Team expresses appreciation to the following for review of this publication: Jim Raab and others (Division of Water, ODNR); Dave Schneider, Jan Whitcomb, Wayne Achor, and Gary Overmier (USDA-Soil Conservation Service); Tom Bean (Agricultural Engineering, OSU); Dick Swisshelm (U.S. Geological Survey, Ohio District); and Gary Cutler (Division of Public Drinking Water, Ohio EPA).
A special thanks is given to Doug Stuart (School of Natural Resources, OSU) for help in manuscript preparation, and Judy Kauffeld, Anne Mischo and Sandy Born (Section of Communications & Technology) for editorial and graphic production.
All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status.
Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag. Adm. and Director, OSU Extension.
TDD No. 800-589-8292 (Ohio only) or 614-292-1868