Reports
Geology and water resources of Garrett County
1954, Amsden, T.W., Singewald, J.T., Jr., Overbeck, R.M., and Martin, R.O.R.
Bulletin 13
Preface
In 1902 the Maryland Geological Survey published a topographic map, geologic map, and a report on the physical features of Garrett County. The topographic map had long been out of date and the accuracy of the topography was far below present standards. The geologic map had long been out of print. The accounts of the mineral and water resources in the county report were brief. Much more information had been collected and much more was needed on the geology, mineral resources and water resources.
The first requirement for a restudy of the geology, mineral resources, and water resources of Garrett County was a satisfactory topographic map. A resurvey of the County in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey was started in 1946, and a new topographic map published in 1949. Through presentation of the need for exploration of the lower coal seams in the Maryland coal-bearing formations, the United States Bureau of Mines carried on core-drilling explorations in the Georges Creek and Upper Potomac coal basins in 1945 and 1946 and in the Castleman Basin in 1947 to 1949. The Bureau of Mines reports on these explorations are cited in the list of references at the of this report. While these explorations were being carried on the Department of Geology, Mines and Water Resources in cooperation with the United States Geologic Survey investigated the refractory clays of the coal basins and cooperated with the Bureau of Mines in the interpretation and utilization of the drill cores, especial attention being directed to the fire clays of the Castleman Basin. The results of the fire clay investigation were published in 1950 as Bulletin 9. Remapping of the geology of Garrett County was started upon the completion of the new topographic base map in 1949, and a new geologic map of Garrett County was published in 1953. In 1950, the Department in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey began an investigation of the ground-water resources of Garrett County. In the same year the geologic remapping of Garrett County was started, the discovery well of the Mt. Lake Park gas field was brought in, so that the restudy of the geology of Garrett County was opportunely tied in with the investigation of the structure and stratigraphy of the gas field. In the preparation of the geologic section of this report full use was made of the information derived from the exploratory borings of the United State Bureau of Mines, the logs of the gas wells, and the cooperative investigations with the United States Geological Survey of the fire clays of the coal basins and of the groundwater resources and the surface water resources of the County. The results of the water resources investigations are published in this report with the consent of the United States Geological Survey. The report is the concluding presentation and interpretation of explorations and investigations of the geology, mineral resources, and water resources carried on in Garrett County during the period 1946 to 1953 by the Department of Geology, Mines and Water Resources, the United States Geological Survey and the United States Bureau of Mines.
The section on the geology, geologic structure, and gas development was prepared by Dr. Thomas W. Amsden of the Department of Geology, Mines and Water Resources; the section on the ground waters by Dr. Robert M. Overbeck of the Department of Geology, Mines and Water Resources on the cooperative ground-water staff in Maryland; and the section of surface water resources by Mr. Robert O. R. Martin of the United States Geological Survey on the cooperative surface water staff in Maryland.
-Joseph T. Singewald, Jr., Director
