UPDATES TO KENTUCKY’S KARST DYE TRACE DATABASE: A RESOURCE FOR MANAGERS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE PUBLIC

In the Commonwealth of Kentucky, over half of the landscape is underlain by soluble rocks that form karst terrain. In karst, where close connections between the surface and groundwater result in high vulnerability to contamination, it is critical to have as much data on groundwater flow as possible. Dye traces are one type of data used extensively to provide critical information on flow paths and groundwater basins. From 1998–2003, the Kentucky Geological Survey published a map and chart series of the karst groundwater basins in Kentucky, based on the compilation of results from dye tracer studies performed throughout the state. The maps (7 total), published at a 1:100,000 scale, provided the first comprehensive, statewide assessment of karst groundwater basins. These maps were cutting edge at the time, created using a geographic information system (GIS) to digitize existing data and input new data. However, the coarse resolution of the maps limited the scale of analysis and interpretation, reducing their use as a geospatial dataset.

This project, funded by two USGS National Geological & Geophysical Data Preservation Program grant awards, updated the geospatial dataset to create a publicly accessible dataset that provides the most up-to-date information on karst groundwater flow behavior. The resulting Kentucky Dye Trace Database complies with the FAIR Principles of Data Management, establishes linkages to other related state and national datasets, and now contains the associated metadata needed for reuse by other researchers and resource managers. Version two of the dataset provides scans of primary source material for each trace. This updated digital dataset provides stakeholders with important information for use in understanding, managing, and protecting karst groundwater in the Commonwealth.