INVESTIGATING SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTIONS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN APPALACHIAN KARST REGION

Karst features such as caves, loosing streams, sinkholes, springs, and stream sinks are wide spread in the southeastern Appalachian region especially in active karst areas in eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. Many streams in this region were listed as impaired water bodies due to contaminations and siltation. Tracer tests were applied in areas where active surface water and groundwater interactions exist. Extensive studies in the Dry Creek - Rock House Cave – Salt Peter Cave - Buffalo Creek area in Cater County, northeastern Tennessee revealed dendritic conduit flow patterns during different flow conditions. Rapid conduit flow velocity (> 1 km/day) was consistent with dye tracing test during high flow seasons.

Morril’s cave (aka Worley's Cave) is one of the longest caves in northeastern Tennessee with an active conduit flow system at the lower level of the cave and emerges as Morril’s spring at the lower entrance of the cave. Dye tracing test in the area indicated that this is a highly dendritic conduit flow system with groundwater flow velocity greater than 3000 m/day during baseflow recessions in 2012. Groundwater flow converges to Morril’s spring, which merges into South Holston River eventually. Outcrops and major joints were mapped in this area. Dye tracing tests and orientation of bedding and fractures demonstrate that groundwater flow is probably controlled by major joints and faults in this region.