RELATION BETWEEN SURFACE-WATER QUALITY AND THE COMPOSITION OF COAL IN PIKE COUNTY, KENTUCKY.

The quality of surface water in Pike County, Kentucky, seems to reflect the composition of coals in the county. Groundwater acquires mineral concentration characteristics of the rocks through which it moves. When groundwater is discharged to streams the mineral concentrations in streams, especially during low flow periods, are characteristic of several coal beds that are a part of the aquifier system contributing water to the streams. A regression analysis was also performed to develop statistical models to estimate the quality of surface water based on the composition of the coals. Twenty models consisting of 10 two-variable models and 10 three-variable models were developed for the maximum values.