WELLS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. 781 



glacial drift. Where drainage lines are not well developed, the excess of 

 rainfall is largely disponed of by evaporation. The pooresl drainage is 

 found in the northwest part of the county, where there is an extensive plain 

 standing but a few feet above the level of Big Muddy River. In this 

 portion of the county wells usually obtain water without entering rock, hut 

 in the eastern and southern portions the majority enter rock. 



INDIVIDUAL WELLS. 



In the vicinity of Marion wells are obtained in sand below till at 

 about 20 feet. They penetrate 5 or 6 feet of white clay, then enter a 

 yellow till which extends to the water-bearing sand. In a few cases blue 

 till is entered at about 20 feet. These conditions prevail over the portion 

 of the county north and west from Marion. 



In the portion of the county south and west from Marion low hills with 

 rock nucleus rise above the level of the drift filling, but the plain tracts 

 among these hills are filled to a depth of 50 to 75 feet or more with glacial 

 drift. A well near Cottage Home, in the southwest township of the count} r , 

 within 3 miles of the glacial boundary, jienetrated 68 feet of drift, mainly 

 blue till, and obtained water without entering rock. Several wells in that 

 vicinity are 30 to 40 feet in depth without entering rock. 



In the eastern part of the county there are low hills with rock nucleus 

 on which the drift coating is only a few feet in depth, but among these hills 

 the wells often reach a depth of 30 feet without entering rock and are largely 

 through a brown till. 



In the unglaciated portion on the south border of the county there are 

 few residents, and these depend chiefly upon cistern water or springs. 



SALINE COUNTY. 

 GENERAL STATEMENT. 



Saline County is situated east of Williamson and has an area of 380 

 square miles, with Harrisburg as the county seat. It is drained by Saline 

 River, whose south fork passes eastward across the southern portion of the 

 county and whose north fork crosses the northeast corner. The portion of 

 the county south of the south fork is an elevated and hilly region, largely 

 unglaciated ; the remainder of the county is a low district with small hills 



