Gazetteer of coal-mine lakes in southwestern Indiana

Abstract

This gazetteer is a catalog of lakes formed by surface coal mining in southwestern Indiana that are 0.5 acre or larger and in nonactive mine areas. Approximately 1,000 of the lakes are listed by 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic-map name, lake-identification number, latitude and longitude, and county. Other data given are shape of lake, maximum length, mean width, length and development of shoreline, surface area, orientation, presence of a stream inlet or outlet, and geologic data (geologic formation of area surrounding the lake and the mined coal-bed member). Field data (sampling date, pH, specific conductance, apparent color of lake, and general vegetation along the shoreline) were collected for 287 of the lakes. Two hundred eighty-seven lakes were sampled once for pH and specific conductance. Vegetation along the shoreline and apparent color of each lake were identified at the same time. Although these data are not sufficient to quantify the water quality of the lakes, they do illustrate the variability of these characteristics. The pH of the 287 lakes ranged from 2.5 to 10.0; however, the pH of 80 percent of them ranged from 6 to 9. Specific conductance ranged from 99 to 3,800 micromhos per centimeter at 25? Celsius. Specific conductance for approximately 70 percent of the lakes in the Staunton and Brazil formations was less than 500 micromhos per centimeter at 25? Celsius, but for approximately 65 percent in the Dugger and Petersburg Formations it was greater than 1,000 micromhos per centimeter at 25? Celsius. The apparent colors of the lakes observed were varying shades of aqua, blue, brown, lime green, red, and green. Eighty percent of the lakes sampled were green. Lake sizes ranged from a chosen minimum of 0.5 acre to a maximum of 344 acres. Maximum length ranged from 0.1 to 2 miles, and the mean width was generally less than 0.8 mile.