Karst Aquifers: Madison Aquifer Active
The Madison aquifer underlies eight states in the U.S. and Canada. It is an important water resource in the northern plains states where surface water supplies are limited and population is increasing. Declining water levels are a major issue for many of the communities that rely on this aquifer.
The Madison aquifer underlies eight states in the U.S. and Canada: Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It is an important water resource in the northern plains states where surface water supplies are limited and population is increasing. Several of the larger communities and national parks in western South Dakota and Wyoming rely on water from the Madison aquifer. These include Rapid City, Spearfish, Hot Springs, and Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota and Gillette, Douglas, Sheridan, Buffalo, Devils Tower National Park, and the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. A growing population in western Montana may soon result in development of the Madison aquifer as a water supply. Declining water levels are a major issue for many of these communities. The response of Madison aquifer storage to changes in recharge rates is a critical issue because decreases in storage related to current drought conditions will continue if long-term climate change results in extended drought.
The Madison aquifer is part of a major aquifer system located in the northern Great Plains. During the U.S. Geological Survey investigations in this area, five major subdivisions of the aquifer system were recognized - the Cambrian-Ordovician, Madison, Pennsylvanian, Lower Cretaceous, and Upper Cretaceous aquifers. Each of these is an aggregate of permeable horizons and low-permeability, semiconfining material; each has been identified as an aquifer, primarily because vertical hydraulic-head differences within the unit tend to be smaller than those between it and the adjacent unit. To some extent, the division is arbitrary and was made to assist in analysis and discussion. Together, these five major aquifers comprise one of the largest confined aquifer systems in the United States.
Featured Studies and Datasets
Aquifer-scale studies and the datasets they produce are a key component to understanding how karst aquifers behave, and the quality of water within them.
- Source-water determination using water chemistry, near Wind Cave Nat. Park — A study to better understand groundwater flow through the Madison aquifer using end-member mixing models.
- Madison Aquifer Study in the Rapid City Area — A long-term group of hydrologic investigations to better understand the complex system that supplies water to Rapid City and the surrounding area.
Additional Information
The following websites are additional sources of information about this aquifer:
Below are other science projects associated with karst aquifers.
Karst Aquifers
Karst Aquifers: Valley and Ridge, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge Aquifers
Below are publications associated with this karst aquifer.
- Overview
The Madison aquifer underlies eight states in the U.S. and Canada. It is an important water resource in the northern plains states where surface water supplies are limited and population is increasing. Declining water levels are a major issue for many of the communities that rely on this aquifer.
The Madison aquifer underlies eight states in the U.S. and Canada: Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. It is an important water resource in the northern plains states where surface water supplies are limited and population is increasing. Several of the larger communities and national parks in western South Dakota and Wyoming rely on water from the Madison aquifer. These include Rapid City, Spearfish, Hot Springs, and Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota and Gillette, Douglas, Sheridan, Buffalo, Devils Tower National Park, and the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. A growing population in western Montana may soon result in development of the Madison aquifer as a water supply. Declining water levels are a major issue for many of these communities. The response of Madison aquifer storage to changes in recharge rates is a critical issue because decreases in storage related to current drought conditions will continue if long-term climate change results in extended drought.
The Madison aquifer is part of a major aquifer system located in the northern Great Plains. During the U.S. Geological Survey investigations in this area, five major subdivisions of the aquifer system were recognized - the Cambrian-Ordovician, Madison, Pennsylvanian, Lower Cretaceous, and Upper Cretaceous aquifers. Each of these is an aggregate of permeable horizons and low-permeability, semiconfining material; each has been identified as an aquifer, primarily because vertical hydraulic-head differences within the unit tend to be smaller than those between it and the adjacent unit. To some extent, the division is arbitrary and was made to assist in analysis and discussion. Together, these five major aquifers comprise one of the largest confined aquifer systems in the United States.
Featured Studies and Datasets
Aquifer-scale studies and the datasets they produce are a key component to understanding how karst aquifers behave, and the quality of water within them.
- Source-water determination using water chemistry, near Wind Cave Nat. Park — A study to better understand groundwater flow through the Madison aquifer using end-member mixing models.
- Madison Aquifer Study in the Rapid City Area — A long-term group of hydrologic investigations to better understand the complex system that supplies water to Rapid City and the surrounding area.
Additional Information
The following websites are additional sources of information about this aquifer:
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with karst aquifers.
Karst Aquifers
Karst terrain is created from the dissolution of soluble rocks, principally limestone and dolomite. Karst areas are characterized by distinctive landforms (like springs, caves, sinkholes) and a unique hydrogeology that results in aquifers that are highly productive but extremely vulnerable to contamination.Filter Total Items: 13Karst Aquifers: Valley and Ridge, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge Aquifers
The carbonate aquifers of the Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province, formed during Appalachian mountain building, have highly variable karst aquifer characteristics. The Valley and Ridge, Piedmont, and Blue Ridge Aquifers demonstrate karst features such as caves, sinkholes, sinking streams, and conduits. - Publications
Below are publications associated with this karst aquifer.