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( TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD REPORT 129 RECONNAISSANCE OF THE CHEMICAL QUALITY OF SURFACE WATERS OF THE RED RIVER BASIN, TEXAS By Donald K. Leifeste, James F. Blakey. and Leon S. Hughes Prepared by the U.S GeologH;.1 Su..... ey in c:oope,-"on wIth the TellllS Waler Development Board M~ 1971 TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD W. E. Tinsley, Chairman Marvin Shurbet. Vice Chairman Robert B. Gilmore John H. McCoy Milton T. Potts earl Illig Harry P. Burleigh. EXl!QJtive Director ( Authorization for use or reproduction of any material contained in this publication, i.e., not obtained from other sources, is freely granted without the n«:essity of securing permission therefor. The Board would appreciate acknowledgement of the source of original material so utilized. ( ( Published and distributed bV the Texas Water Development Board ( Post Office Box 13087 Austin, Texas 78711 ( ( ii i :;.oC , ~no <.. ... qa 1)0 lal TABLE OF CONTENTS Pogo ABSTRACT .... _.... INTRODUCTION . 3 RED RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN 3 General Description 3 Population and Municipalities 5 Agricultural and Industrial Development ...............•... 9 Development of Surface·Water Resources . 9 CHEMICAL QUALITY OF THE WATER 9 Chemical·Quality Records ....................••............••......•.. 9 Streamflow Records . 10 Environmental Factors and Their Effects on the Chemical Quality of the Water ...............•...........................•. 10 Geology ..................••.••..••.••..••••...•..•....•••..•...•. 10 Streamflow . 12 Actillities of Man ., 12 Relation of Quality of Water to Use 17 Domestic Use 17 Industrial Use 19 Irrigation .. 19 Geographic Variations In Water Quality ............•.................... 19 Dissolved Solids ... 21 Chloride . 22 Hardness ...........••.••..•••••..•••••..•••••.••••••..•••••.•••.. _ 22 Other Constituents .......•.........•.••••.....•......•......•...••.•. 22 Water Quality in Reservoirs 22 Buffalo Lake . 22 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS IConl'd.) p,.. Bivins Lake 22 Baylor Creek Reservoir .........•...•..••.•••..••.••.••......••........ 23 Greenbelt Reservoir .................•...........•......•.......••.... 23 lake Kemp and Diversion Lake . ..............................•........... 23 Santa Rosa Lake .............................................•...... 23 ( North Fork Buffalo Creek Reservoir ................•...•...•..•...••••.... 23 Lake Wichita ....................•...•..••..••.............•....... ­ 23 Lake Kickapoo .......••...........................•......•.......•. 23 I Lake Arrowhead ............••......••.••..•..•...•................. 23 Fanners Creek Lake ..........•......•.....................•......•... 23 Hubert H. Moss Lake ........•......••.....••.•••.••..... - •......•.... 23 ( Lake Texoma ...................................................... 23 Lake Randall . 2. Brushy Creek Reservoir and Coffee Mill Creek Lake ........•.....••..•.......... 2. Pat Mayse Reservoir ...............................................•.. 2. Lake Crook . ...................•..•...•...•.....•..••.............. 29 Water Quality at Potential Reservoir Sites ..........•.............•...••••........ 29 Mackenzie . ....... ....... .. ........ ...... .... .... 29 Buck Creek .. 29 Lelia Lake Creek .................................................... 29 Dozier Creek . .................................... 29 Lower McClellan Creek ............••..•......•............•....... 29 Sweetwater Creek ..........................•.........••..•..•...•.... 29 Ringgold . - . 29 Timber Creek and Bois d'Arc Creek .......................••.•...•......... 29 Big Pine ........................•..........................•..••.. 29 ~~B~ _ · ·.··················· . 29 Barkman Creek .....•.....•...................••........•..••... -. 29 I TABLE OF CONTENTS (Conrd.) Pogo Present and Future Water-Quality Problems . 30 SELECTED REFERENCES 31 TABLES 1. Reservoirs in the Red River Basin in Texas Having a Capacity of 5,000 Acre-Feet or More 11 2. Source and Significance of Dissolved·Mineral Constituents and Properties of Water .. 16 3. Water-Quality Tolerances for Industrial Applications ..............•......•...... 20 4. Index of Surface-Water Records in the Red River Basin, Texas 34 5. Summary of Chemical Analyses of Water at Daily Stations on Streams in the Red River Basin, Texas . 38 6. Chemical Analyses of Water From Streams and Aeservoin; at Sites Other Than Daily Stations in the Red Riller Basin, Texas 45 7. Chemical Analyses of Water From Streams at Selected Sites in the Red River Basin. Oklahoma . 62 FIGURES 1. Index Map Showing River Basins in Texas and Physiographic Sections of the Red River Basin 4 2. Map and Graphs Showing Precipitation and Runoff _ __ •........•...•• _. .. 7 3. Geologic Map and Chemical Composition of low-Flow of Streams 13 4. Map Showing location of Natural Bnne Emissions and Areas of Petroleum Production _. 15 5. Diagram for Classification of Irrigation Waters 21 6. Duration Curve of Dissolved Solids for Red River Near Gainesville, Texas. 1953-63 .........•••••..••.••.••. _....•...•..•.. 21 7. Graph Showin9 Dissolved-Solids Con lent and Quantity of Water in lake Texoma, 1945·67 24 8. Map Showing Sampling Sites in lake Texoma 26 9. Vertical Profiles of Specific Conductance. Dissolved Oxygen. and Temperature of lake Texoma 27 10. longitudinal Profiles of lake Texoma Showing Water Quality. July 25-27. 1967 ..... _ .. _. 26 ( TABLE OF CONTENTS (Conrd.) Page 11. Map Showing Location of Streamflow and Olemical·Quality Data-Collection Sites, Major Existing Reservoirs, and Potential Reservoir Sites in Texas . 69 ( 12. Map Showing Dissolved-Solids Concentrations of $urtace Water 71 13. Map Showing Chloride Concentrations of Surface Water 73 14. Map Showing Hardness of Surface Water. 75 ( ( ( ( ( r RECONNAISSANCE OF THE CHEMICAL QUALITY OF SURFACE WATERS OF THE REO RIVER BASIN, TEXAS ABSTRACT The Red River, from its point of origin in eastern numerous seeps and springs in Permian rocks that crop New Mexico to the northeast corner of Texas, drains an out in this part of the basin account for much of the salt area of about 48,000 square miles. The total area in load in the Red River above Lake Texoma. The water Texas is 24,500 square miles. From west to east the quality of the main stem has been further degraded by topography changes from the nearly flat surface of the oil·field brines. The eastern part of the basin is in an area High Plains, to a gently eastward-sloping plain dissected of high rainfall and well·leached rocks and soils. by prominent systems of drainage in the Osage Plains, to Ground,water effluent is generally low in dissolved the low relief and gently gulfward slope of the West Gulf minerals, and the dissolved·solids content of streamflow Coastal Plain. varies only slightly with discharge. The climate of the basin ranges from semiarid 10 The highly mineralized waters from salt sources in humid; mean annual precipitation is less than 18 inches the western part of the basin cause the water of the Red in the far western part and more than 46 inches in the River to be undesirable for public supply throughout extreme eastern part. Runoff increases from about 50 most of its reach in Texas. Storage of good-quality water acre-feet per square mile at the 100th meridian to more in existing and proposed reservoirs on tributaries to the than 800 acre·feet per square mile in the northeast Red River will increase degradation of water quality in corner of the State. the main stem, especially above Lake Texoma. Evefl if releases are made from tributary impoundments in the The dissolved·mineral content and chemical western part of the basin, evaporation during character of waters in the Red River basin vary widely impoundment and waste water from various uses of the from place to place and from time to time. Geologic reservoir waters will degrade the tributary waters factors. runoff and streamflow characteristics, and entering the main stem. For any plan to be effective in activities of man largely determine the nature and the improvement of water quality of Red River through. amount of dissolved material transported by the Red out its reach in Texas. large amounts of natural brine River and its tributaries. In the semiarid western part of must be prevented from entering water courses of the the basin. base flow is usually nonexistent. However. basin. l RECONNAISSANCE OF THE CHEMICAL QUALITY OF SURFACE WATERS OF THE RED RIVER BASIN, TEXAS INTRODUCTION During the period September 1961 to September 1967. water·quality data were collected on the principal The investigation of the chemical quality of the streams. on the major reservoirs, at a number of surface waters of the Red River basin, Texas. is part of a potential reservoir sites, and on many tributaries in the statewide reconnaissance. Each major river basin in the basin. State is being studied and a report is being prepared to present the results of the study and to summarize the Quality-of·water information for the Oklahoma available chemical-quality data. Reports that have been part of the Red River basin was collected by the U.S. published afe included in the list of references. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Water-quality data in Texas ancl The purpose of this report is to summarize Oklahoma have been collected also by the U.S. Public information on the quality of surface water in the Red Health Service and the Federal Water Quality River basin, and to present it in a form that will aid in Administration. the proper development. control, and use of water resources
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