Groundwater Information
Please note: The following is information related to groundwater. Some web sites to which these materials provide links are not managed by the University of Kentucky. The University does not review, control or take responsibility for the content of those sites. Many of the resources are in PDF format. This list is by no means complete and is frequently updated.
What is groundwater?
Groundwater is water beneath the earth's surface. As rain and other forms of precipitation filter into the ground, the water may be absorbed by plant roots or may seep down in cracks and openings found in soil and rocks.
Why is groundwater important to Kentucky?
Almost two million Kentuckians use groundwater as their drinking water source. Many of these Kentuckians are served by public water systems that depend on groundwater, while others use private wells and springs for their drinking water.
What is karst topography?
For more information on groundwater visit the Kentucky Division of Water's Groundwater Awareness Website.
- Educational Materials
- Enviroscape/Nonpoint Source Pollution Model : this model demonstrates different sources of nonpoint source pollution that can occur in a watershed and effect water bodies and groundwater. A model is available for loan. Contact Ashley Osborne for more information.
- Groundwater model: these models show how water moves underground and through karst topography. Two separate models are available for loan, one focuses on groundwater movement while the other looks at how groundwater moves in a karst area. Contact Ashley Osborne for more information.
- Publications
- University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service: IP-1 Understanding the Water System
- Various publications are available which address wells, cisterns, and septic tanks. For more information visit the ENRI Publications Website.
This page is maintained by Ashley Osborne.
Email questions or comments to ashley.osborne@uky.edu.
Last updated: 08/27/2007