A gazetteer of surface-mine lakes, Eastern Interior Coal Province, Illinois

Hundreds of lakes have been formed as a result of surface mining in Area 35 of the Eastern Interior Coal Province in Illinois. This gazetteer contains physical and chemical data from 107 surface-mine lakes sampled from June through August 1983. Information collected includes location, morphology, and vertical profile measurements of water quality of the lakes. Sampled lakes range in size from 8.8 to 210 acres, and are from 4.0 to 92.0 feet deep. Maximum widths range from 0.03 to 0.35 mile, and maximum lengths range from 0.27 to 3.08 miles. Some lake waters were stratified, whereas others were completely mixed. General water quality differed widely among the lakes. Specific conductances ranged from 130 to 7,800 micromhos per centimeter (at 25 degrees Celsius). Specific conductances of 2 ,000 to 5,000 micromhos per centimeter were most prevalent. The pH values ranged from 1.8 to 9.6 at the surface, whereas bottom measurements ranged from 2.0 to 8.5. Water temperatures near the surface ranged from 22.5 degrees Celsius in June to 34.5 degrees Celsius in August. Dissolved-oxygen concentrations differed greatly among the lakes; concentrations near the surface ranged from 6.0 to 13.2 milligrams per liter. Transparencies ranged from 0.3 to 35.4 feet. (USGS)