The Groundwater Resources of the Dockum Aquifer in Texas
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Texas Water Development Board Report 359 The Groundwater Resources of the Dockum Aquifer in Texas by Robert G. Bradley, P.G., and Sanjeev Kalaswad, Ph.D., P.G. December 2003 Geoscientist Seal The contents ofthis report (including figures and tables) document the work ofthe Following Licensed Texas Geoscientists: Robert Bradley, P.G. No. 707 Robert Bradley prepared the original illustrations, data assimilation, and draft reports, all ofwhich were subsequently modified and updated by Sanjeev Kalaswad. The seal appearing on this document was authorized on May 19, 2009 by J @4~,-----/ RobertB~O __ Sanjeev Kalaswad, P.G. No. 478 Sanjeev Kalaswad wrote the report, prepared the illustrations including the geological cross-sections and chemical plots, and helped develop the groundwater estimates in the aquifer. The seal appearing on this document was authorized on May 19, 2009 by /- ~/,-;r Sanjeev Kalaswad Report 359 - The Groundwater Resources ofthe Dockum Aquifer in Texas, 2003 Texas Water Development Board E. G. Rod Pittman, Chairman, Lufkin Thomas Weir Labatt III, Member, San Antonio Jack Hunt, Vice Chairman, Houston Wales H. Madden, Member, Amarillo Dario Vidal Guerra, Jr., Member, Edinburg William W. Meadows, Member, Fort Worth J. Kevin Ward, Executive Administrator Authorization for use or reproduction of any original material contained in this publication, i.e., not obtained from other sources, is freely granted. The Board would appreciate acknowledgment. The use of brand names in this publication does not indicate an endorsement by the Texas Water Development Board or the State of Texas. Published and distributed by the Texas Water Development Board P.O. Box 13231, Capitol Station Austin, Texas 78711-3231 December 2003 Report 359 (Printed on recycled paper) iii This page intentionally blank. iv Table of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary.............................................................................................................1 2.0 Introduction..........................................................................................................................2 3.0 Study Area...........................................................................................................................2 3.1 Physiography............................................................................................................5 3.2 Climate.....................................................................................................................5 4.0 Geology................................................................................................................................8 4.1 Stratigraphy..............................................................................................................8 4.2 Depositional Environment .....................................................................................20 4.3 Structure.................................................................................................................23 5.0 Water Levels and Regional Groundwater Flow.................................................................23 5.1 Recharge................................................................................................................28 5.2 Aquifer Properties..................................................................................................30 5.3 Chemical Quality...................................................................................................34 5.4 Discharge...............................................................................................................48 6.0 Estimate of Groundwater in the Dockum Aquifer.............................................................50 7.0 Summary and Conclusions ................................................................................................52 8.0 Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................53 9.0 References..........................................................................................................................54 List of Figures 2-1 Lateral extent of the study area and the Dockum Group in southwestern United States.....3 2-2 Areal extent of study area and the Dockum aquifer in Texas..............................................4 3-1 Historical annual precipitation.............................................................................................7 4-1 Index map of geologic cross sections ..................................................................................9 4-2 Geologic cross section A-A’..............................................................................................10 4-3 Geologic cross section B-B’ ..............................................................................................11 4-4 Geologic cross section C-C’ ..............................................................................................12 4-5 Geologic cross section D-D’..............................................................................................13 4-6 Geologic cross section E-E’...............................................................................................14 4-7 Geologic cross section F-F’ ...............................................................................................15 4-8 Geologic cross section G-G’..............................................................................................16 4-9 Geologic cross section H-H’..............................................................................................17 4-10 Geologic cross section I-I’.................................................................................................18 4-11 Approximate elevation of the bottom of the Dockum Group............................................21 4-12 Approximate elevation of the top of the Dockum Group ..................................................22 5-1 Approximate water-level elevations in the Dockum aquifer, 1981 through1996..............24 5-2 Selected hydrographs from the northern part of the study area.........................................25 5-3 Selected hydrographs from the central part of the study area............................................26 5-4 Selected hydrographs from the southern part of the study area.........................................27 5-5 Hypothetical regional flow paths of groundwater in the Dockum aquifer ........................29 5-6 Range of well yields in the Dockum aquifer by county.....................................................33 5-7 Distribution of total dissolved solids (TDS) in the Dockum aquifer, 1981 through 1996.36 v 5-8 Concentrations of total dissolved solids (TDS) detected in Dockum aquifer water samples, 1981 through 1996 ..............................................................................................37 5-9 Range of hardness in groundwater samples obtained from the Dockum aquifer, 1981, through 1996 ......................................................................................................................38 5-10 Trilinear diagrams for the northern and central parts of the study area, and for areas overlying the Edwards Plateau region and the Pecos River valley....................................39 5-11 Range of sulfate ion concentrations in groundwater samples obtained from the Dockum aquifer,1981 through 1996.................................................................................................42 5-12 Percent sodium in groundwater samples obtained from the Dockum aquifer, 1981, through 1996 ......................................................................................................................44 5-13 Range of sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values in groundwater samples from the Dockum aquifer, 1981 through 1996.................................................................................45 5-14 Residual sodium carbonate (RSC) values in groundwater samples obtained from the Dockum aquifer,1981 through 1996..................................................................................46 5-15 Salinity hazard for areas overlying the Dockum aquifer ...................................................47 5-16 Historical water use from the Dockum aquifer, 1994 through 2000 .................................49 List of Tables 3-1 Geologic Formations in the Texas Panhandle and West Texas and Their Water-Bearing Characteristics......................................................................................................................6 4-1 Development of Upper Triassic Stratigraphic Nomenclature in Texas.............................19 5-1 Summary of Dockum aquifer properties............................................................................31 5-2 Summary of Specific Capacities of Wells in the Dockum Aquifer...................................34 5-3 Gross Alpha, Gross Beta, and Radium Isotope concentrations detected in groundwater samples obtained from the Dockum aquifer, 1981 through 1996......................................40 5-4 Elements Detected at Concentrations above Their Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) in Groundwater Samples Collected from the Dockum Aquifer, 1981 through 1996....................................................................................................................................41 5-5 Estimated volume of water in the Dockum aquifer ...........................................................51 Appendix I List of wells with geophysical