Dye Tracing for the Win!

Local Groundwater Protection in Action

This fall CHL worked with the City of Bowling Green Public Works Department to identify the source of soap suds in the Lost River Cave system beneath Bowling Green, Kentucky. For almost a decade heavy rains would result in a bubble bath (pictured right) at the cave entrance that stopped tours and threatened aquatic ecosystem health. Through collaboration with local partners to complete the dye trace, remediation is now underway and Bowling Green's groundwater a bit cleaner. You can read more from our local news station.

Fluorescent dye tracing is our specialty and is one of the best tools for determining groundwater direction and velocity. We have experience tracing in karst and non-karst settings as well as industrial applications. CHL celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act by assisting managers in projects like this one and others across the nation to keep our waterways healthy.

From Local to Global:

Scholarship and Conservation

CHL continues scholarship and collaborative research for improved water resource science and management both here at home and internationally.

This fall CHL students took their turn at the lectern and presented research at two regional conferences. WKU Mahurin Honors student and CHL student researcher, Katie Lane (pictured above) traveled to Purdue University in Indiana to discuss her work with local Mennonite communities and safe drinking water sources from karst groundwater.

In a partnership between CHL and the Bowling Green High School Science National Honor Society led by Chemistry teacher Cristen Olson, Elek Olson, Kathryn Harris, and Leah Groves (pictured below left to right) presented their research on karst hydrogeology of Mammoth Cave National Park last week at the Kentucky Junior Academy of Science Annual Meeting held at Morehead State University.

Both of these student opportunities were made possible by the generous contributions of Kay and Stan Sides, long-time donors to WKU's cave and karst programs.

Recently, CHL participated in an international assessment of dye tracing labs via the International Association of Hydrogeologists Karst Commission. Investigators will compare methods and explore ways to enhance dye detection techniques. This effort was organized in recognition of the 2022 International Year of Groundwater.

To keep the global groundwater party going , CHL in service to the Mammoth Cave Biosphere Region, hosted a series of webinars for the CaveMAB Network, a world network of cave/karst biosphere reserves. The series Best Practices in Managing and Protecting Cave and Karst Waters was comprised of four sessions ranging from urban karst issues to aquatic biodiversity and climate change.

Presented in the climate change session, the photo below shows cavers having to rig ropes 12 meters deeper than years prior due to melting ice in the caves of Tatra Transboundary Biosphere Reserve, Poland-Slovakia. You can view the recorded sessions on our Youtube channel.

Photo credit: Maria Palinska/Jan Barabach

Friends, Colleagues, CEUs

Speaking of long-time supporters, the Applied Science and Engineering team out of Tampa, Florida, led by Ken Czoer visited recently for a fun-filled weekend around the Mammoth Cave region and picked up some continuing education units (CEU) in hydrogeology while here. If you or your team are looking for new, unique opportunities for CEUs, give us a call. CHL offers in-person and virtual training in karst hydrogeology, dye tracing, and groundwater monitoring.

Hint, hint, check out the 2023 WKU Karst Field Studies schedule!

CHL and ASE discuss cave geology during a filed trip at Mammoth Cave National Park.

Winter Holiday Schedule

CHL will be closed November 23-25 and December 19-30, 2022,

in observance of the winter holidays. For details on services or supply orders during this time, please visit www.dyetracing.com or

feel free to contact us with questions.

From our team to you and yours, Happy Holidays!

Address: 1906 College Heights Blvd.

Bowling Green, KY, 42101

Phone: 270-745-9224