Report 377 Hill Country
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Groundwater Availability Model: Hill Country Portion of the Trinity Aquifer of Texas by Ian C. Jones, Ph.D., P.G. • Roberto Anaya, P.G. • Shirley C. Wade, Ph.D., P.G. Report 377 Texas Water Development Board June 2011 www.twdb.texas.gov Texas Water Development Board Report 377 Groundwater Availability Model: Hill Country Portion of the Trinity Aquifer of Texas by Ian C. Jones, Ph.D., P.G. Roberto Anaya, P.G. Shirley C. Wade, Ph.D., P.G. June 2011 Geoscientist Seal The contents of this report (including figures and tables) document the work of the following licensed Texas geoscientists: Ian C. Jones, Ph.D., P.G. No. 477 Dr. Jones was the project manager for this work and was responsible for oversight of the project, organization of the report, the modeling approach, and the steady-state and transient model calibration. The seal appearing on this document was authorized on June 22, 2011 by Ian. C. Jones Roberto Anaya, P.G No. 480 Mr. Anaya changed the map projection of the model and assisted with revising the structural geology. The seal appearing on this document was authorized on June 22, 2011 by Roberto Anaya Shirley C. Wade, Ph.D., P.G. No. 525 Dr. Wade revised the structural geology used in the model. The seal appearing on this document was authorized on June 22, 2011 by t-.u>~J2 Cover photo: Jacob's Well ©Todd Seibel Edited by Susann Doenges n Texas Water Development Board Edward G. Vaughan Chairman, Boerne Joe M. Crutcher Vice Chairman, Palestine Thomas Weir Labatt III Member, San Antonio Lewis H. McMahan Member, Dallas Billy R. Bradford, Jr. Member, Brownsville Monte Cluck Member, Gruver Melanie Callahan Interim Executive Administrator The Texas Water Development Board freely grants permission to copy and distribute its materials. The agency would appreciate acknowledgment. Published and distributed by the Texas Water Development Board P.O. Box 13231, Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711-3231 June 2011 (Printed on recycled paper) iii This page is left intentionally blank iv Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................ 1 2.0 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 2 3.0 Study Area .......................................................................................................................... 3 3.1 Physiography and Climate .......................................................................................... 10 3.2 Geology ....................................................................................................................... 16 4.0 Previous Work .................................................................................................................. 22 5.0 Hydrogeologic Setting ...................................................................................................... 23 5.1 Hydrostratigraphy ....................................................................................................... 24 5.2 Structure ...................................................................................................................... 24 5.3 Water Levels and Regional Groundwater Flow .......................................................... 32 5.4 Recharge ..................................................................................................................... 43 5.5 Rivers, Streams, Springs, and Lakes ........................................................................... 45 5.6 Hydraulic Properties ................................................................................................... 54 5.7 Discharge .................................................................................................................... 57 5.8 Water Quality .............................................................................................................. 80 6.0 Conceptual Model of Regional Groundwater Flow in the Aquifer .................................. 89 7.0 Model Design .................................................................................................................... 91 7.1 Code and Processor ..................................................................................................... 91 7.2 Layers and Grid........................................................................................................... 91 7.3 Model Parameters ....................................................................................................... 95 7.4 Model Boundary Conditions ....................................................................................... 96 8.0 Modeling Approach ........................................................................................................ 104 9.0 Steady-State Model ......................................................................................................... 105 9.1 Calibration................................................................................................................. 105 9.2 Sensitivity Analysis .................................................................................................. 116 10.0 Transient Model .............................................................................................................. 117 10.1 Calibration............................................................................................................... 118 10.2 Sensitivity Analysis ................................................................................................ 141 11.0 Limitations of the Model ................................................................................................ 155 11.1 Input Data................................................................................................................ 155 11.2 Assumptions ............................................................................................................ 156 11.3 Scale of Application ................................................................................................ 157 12.0 Future Improvements ...................................................................................................... 157 13.0 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 158 14.0 Acknowledgments........................................................................................................... 158 15.0 References ....................................................................................................................... 160 v List of Figures Figure 3-1. Location of the study area relative to major cities and towns. .................................. 4 Figure 3-2. Map of outcrop of the major aquifers in the study area.. .......................................... 5 Figure 3-3. Regional water planning groups in the study area .................................................... 6 Figure 3-4. Groundwater conservation districts in the study area ............................................... 7 Figure 3-5. Groundwater management areas in the study area. .................................................. 8 Figure 3-6. Major perennial and intermittent rivers and streams and river authorities in the study area .................................................................................................................. 9 Figure 3-7. Physiographic provinces in the study area .............................................................. 10 Figure 3-8. Land surface elevation in the study area. ................................................................ 11 Figure 3-9. Average annual rainfall distribution for the period 1960 through 1996 ................. 12 Figure 3-10. Historical annual precipitation for three rain gage stations in the study area ......... 13 Figure 3-11. Average monthly precipitation for three rain gages in the study area .................... 14 Figure 3-12. Average annual maximum temperature for 1971 through 2000 ............................. 15 Figure 3-13. Average annual gross lake evaporation for 1950 through 1979 ............................. 16 Figure 3-14. Stratigraphic and hydrostratigraphic column of the Hill Country area. .................. 17 Figure 3-15. Main geologic structures in the study area ............................................................. 18 Figure 3-16. Surface geology of the study area ........................................................................... 19 Figure 3-17. Geologic cross sections through the study area ...................................................... 21 Figure 4-1. Approximate extents of previous model grids for models ...................................... 23 Figure 5-1. Elevations of the top and the base of the Edwards Group ...................................... 25 Figure 5-2. Elevations of the top and the base of the Upper Trinity Aquifer. ........................... 26 Figure 5-3. Elevations of the top and the base of the Middle Trinity Aquifer .......................... 27 Figure 5-4. Elevations of the top and the base of the Lower Trinity Aquifer ........................... 28 Figure 5-5. Approximate thickness of the Edwards Group in the study area. ........................... 30 Figure 5-6. Approximate thickness of the Upper Trinity Aquifer in the study area ................. 30 Figure 5-7. Approximate thickness of the Middle Trinity Aquifer in the study area ...............