SHORT TERM INVESTIGATION OF SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL CHANGES IN WATER QUALITY FOR THE AREA AROUND NORA, IL

The geologic landscape around Nora, Illinois is comprised of Galena Limestone, overlaid by thin Quaternary deposits. The weathering of the Galena Limestone has created a karst terrain. Because of this, the area's groundwater is very susceptible to contamination. The groundwater is at an increased risk for contamination because of the high degree of connectivity between the surface water and subsurface water as a result of the exposed bedrock and mantled epikarst. Recently, construction of a new large dairy operation, was initiated southwest of Nora. The dairy operation is composed of two facilities, Traditional North and Traditional South. The dairy operation will house about 13,000 head of cattle. Each facility will have storage lagoons for cattle manure. Since there are several private wells in the area, and because of the increased risk of contamination as a result of the karstified area, the surface water and groundwater characteristics of the area will be monitored over a period of a year in an attempt to achieve a better understanding of how the water characteristics change spatially and temporally. Six surface streams, in close proximity to the dairy operation, were selected for monitoring. Baseline water chemistry will be established through monitoring the concentrations of major anions and cations, specific conductance, carbon dioxide, alkalinity, hardness, and dissolved oxygen. The preliminary results indicated that there are seasonal and temporal changes at each of the streams. The data indicate that the water characteristics are not stable, and an understanding of the background chemistry will be needed in order to assess any future impact of the dairy operation.