Remote Sensing of Fractures and Karstic Infiltration Features in the Kankakee River Basin near Bourbonnais, Illinois

Abstract

The Kankakee River in Illinois is structurally influenced and not channelized as it is in Indiana. Therefore, structural data taken from outcrops along the river basin and from remote sensing data can be used to infer the groundwater flow direction along the river. Karst topography is associated with the Kankakee River Basin near Bourbonnais, Illinois. It it thought that the recharge and discharge of the river segment is probably dependent on rainfall and thus, the karst conduits in the region. Pollutatns can also be distributed through karst conduits and enter the river this way. Identifying the relationship and orientation of fracture strikes, hydrophilic trees, and other vegetation, provides a constraint on the groundwater flow directions and possible areas of contamination. Therefore it is important to determine the location and extent of these karst conduits to prevent the flow of pollutants throughout the area. Structural data collected from the Kankakee River Basin showed trends of N84E, N40E and N55W. Lineaments mapped on digital elevation models showed trends of N61E, N54W and N30W. The vegetation collected along what are possibly karst conduits that were oriented similarly to the other data. trended between N45E and N60E. The vegetation identified along the potential karst conduits is also indicative of soil moisture.