Hydrogeology and groundwater availability in southwest Maclean and southeast Tazewell counties, part 1: aquifer characterization

The confluence of the buried Mahomet and Mackinaw Bedrock Valleys, underlying southwest McLean and southeast Tazewell Counties, contains part of one of the largest sand and gravel aquifers in Illinois - the Sankoty-Mahomet Sand aquifer. This groundwater resources study was undertaken to estimate the quantity of water the Sankoty-Mahomet Sand aquifer can safely yield and to determine potential locations from which a supply of 10-15 million gallons of groundwater per day could be developed. New data were generated from a surface geophysical survey, test drilling, mass measurements of water levels, aquifer tests, water quality samples, rain gauges, and stream measurements. These data show that, although the Sankoty-Mahomet Sand aquifer is more complex than previously thought, it is very prolific in this area. -from Authors