Burgin Residents Learn About Proposal To Alleviate Flooding
The Harrodsburg Herald/Robert Moore
Charles J. “Chuck” Taylor, head of the Water Resources Section of the Kentucky Geological Survey with the University of Kentucky, discusses flooding mitigation in Burgin at a town hall meeting on Monday.
Robert Moore
Herald Staff
[email protected]
Burgin residents learned that work will begin soon on finding a solution to flooding in the friendly little city.
On Monday, July 7, the City of Burgin held a town hall meeting at the fire house.
“I know that it’s been a long time,” said Roger Recktenwald, the grants administrator with the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority. Recktenwald hosted the last town hall on flooding back in 2022.
“There have been promises made that could have not been kept,” Recktenwald said.
The Burgin Flood Mitigation Study, produced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2020, came up with four different alternatives. Due to the expense involved, officials elected to proceed with the second alternative, which involves boring two horizontal tunnels and pumps to control the water. Due to several factors, the Corps of Engineers could not determine that the project will totally handle the problem. Even if it works, flooding is still anticipated on the west side of the railroad tracks.
A different solution has been proposed by the Kentucky Geological Survey, a state supported research center and public resource within the University of Kentucky. The KGS is collecting hydro-geological data to understand the relation of Mercer County’s natural karst drainage system and assist in the selection and engineering design of flood mitigation measures.
Chuck Taylor, head of the Water Resources Section with the Kentucky Geological Survey, suggests using wells to extract groundwater during storms. According to the presentation, this is a commonly used method to control groundwater levels in underground mines, quarries, highway tunnels and building excavation sites.
The problem at Burgin is similar to a project he worked on in Indiana, Taylor said.
“It’s a unique problem,” he said. “It’s also a common problem.”
Burgin, like approximately 60 percent of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, sits on limestone bedrock. Limestone is brittle and water soluble. Over time, water will enlarge fractures in the limestone and create pathways—or conduits—Taylor said.
“Every area has its own little twist on how karst forms,” Taylor said.
The sinkholes in Burgin serve as natural storm drains. They empty into cave stream passages that run underground.
“Over time, it develops this natural storm runoff system,” Taylor said.
Researchers previously said there have been multiple dye tests conducted dating back to the 1970s. Taylor said dye tests emptied out at Burgin Spring. He said the drainage area being served by the natural storm runoff system is approximately four square mile, while the flood prone valley is approximately a mile in area.
“There is a lot of groundwater,” Taylor said.
The system can become blocked with obstructions such as sediment.
“Humans can do things that can cause that to happen,” Taylor said, listing blasting, excavation work and grouting, a common method used to repair and stabilize sinkholes.
Many Burgin residents blame blasting or digging connected to creation of the city’s sewer system with changing how the natural underground system drains, although at least one person at Tuesday’s meeting said flooding was a problem before the sewer was put in.
“I’m not saying this is a cause or a factor,” Taylor said.
Another contributing factor is the groundwater level. Water downstream can restrict water flowing and can even reverse flows, he said.
“It’s not just the surface flows, it’s the surface and groundwater combined,” Taylor said.
Taylor said the Corps of Engineers had to make assumptions. Taylor said he and his team are collecting data, looking to fill in gaps in their current knowledge. He said their main goal is to come up with a successful cost-effective solution.
In April, a geological team from UK installed high resolution resistivity sensors, which Taylor said was “sort of similar to an x-ray.” The sensors confirmed the presence of the cave stream valley.
One proposed method for alleviating flooding is drilling a drainage tunnel under the back end of the valley into Burgin Spring.
“It may be the best practical solution,” Taylor said.
In addition to the high resolution resistivity surveys, researchers want to install a continuous flow monitoring station at Burgin Spring and drill and evaluate test dewatering wells. The test wells will be at least 60 feet deep and eight inches in diameter. This will require getting access to suitable sites and contracting with a Kentucky certified water well driller.
Taylor said he hopes to have the monitoring station installed at Burgin Spring by the end of the month.
Burgin has been earmarked to receive $562,000 in federal government as well as $319,000 in state funding to alleviate flooding. The funding would pay for the drilling.
Ultimately, a couple of wells could be installed to draw down the water level in the aquifer. At least one person in the audience worried that drilling the wells could create other possible sinkholes. She said a utility crew lost a whole backhoe down a sinkhole near her home.
Taylor said his concern was that it might create a disruption.
“There could be some unintended consequences,” Taylor said. Drilling could redirect the water or break up the existing natural stream.
“Suddenly you’ve altered the flow of the groundwater,” Taylor said. “These are possibilities we have to consider.”
“You’re fighting Mother Nature,” he said. “There are only so many things you can do.”
As part of a separate FEMA-sponsored research project, the KGS is attempting to develop improved methods and simulating and mapping the effects of sinkholes and karst drainage features on storm water runoff.
They say they’re using the data collected on the Burgin flooding problem as a real-world test case to help develop and evaluate new modeling. According to the presentation, the project is in an early development phase, but they’re hopeful and anticipate it will provide additional useful information to help mitigate flooding problems.
Their work is being done voluntarily, as part of the organization’s mission to conduct research and provide unbiased information about geologic resources, environmental issues and natural hazards affecting Kentucky.
Taylor said they’d like to monitor water level changes during storm events. If the wells can pull water from a larger area, it’s a method that could prevent flooding. Taylor said he could not say how many wells would ultimately be necessary to alleviate flooding.
“That’s a puzzle we still have to solve,” Taylor said.
