EXAMINING THE HYDROLOGY OF CARROLL CAVE AND TORONTO SPRINGS, MISSOURI THROUGH GROUNDWATER TRACING AND GEOCHEMISTRY

In a karst area the relationship between activities occurring on the surface and the overall health of the subsurface environment are highly interconnected. However the complex nature of karst flow systems can often make identification of these connections difficult. Carroll Cave a large stream cave system, located in the central Missouri Ozarks, is known for its biological and speleological significance. A project to delineate a recharge area for Carroll Cave, through groundwater tracing, was initiated in Fall of 2009. As a result of this work a preliminary recharge area of roughly 13 km² has been delineated. The water from Thunder River, within Carroll Cave, was positively traced to eight springs at a distributary spring system known as Toronto Springs. However, at least five other spring outlets at Toronto Springs appear to have independent sources not associated with Carroll Cave. Through examination of the geochemical properties of the individual springs, differences in water chemistry between the various outlets has become evident. Additional work with YSI Sonde dataloggers and water analysis of ion and bicarbonate seek to further define the variations in water chemistry, thus aiding in identifying other potential sources. Sources thought to contribute water to the spring system include Carroll Cave, local surface streams, and other losing streams in the vicinity. By using dye tracing and creating geochemical fingerprints for the individual springs, the source waters and pathways for the springs at Toronto Springs are being identified.