Regional flow system and ground-water quality in western Ohio

Most relatively deep wells drilled in the carbonate aquifers in western Ohio tap a recognizable regional flow system encompassing all or parts of several major basins. The principal recharge area includes the higher, central part of the region, where much of the terrane is hummocky to hilly glacial moraine. The principal discharge areas are the valleys of the major streams and lowlands along Lake Erie. Ground water moving through this system undergoes a progressive change in chemical quality, from a calcium bicarbonate type in recharge areas to a calcium sulfate type in discharge areas. Changes in selected chemical constituents are orderly and, within the observed parameters, predictable.