TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD REPORT 195 GROU D-WATER RESOURCES OF PART OF CE TRAL TEXAS WITH EMPHASIS ON THE A TLERS AND TRAVIS PEAK FORMATIONS VOLUME 1 November 1975 Ily William B. K!cmt, Rnbert D. I>crkins. and Henry J. Alvarez Published .md di~tributcd b\ (he TCH~ Water I:k:vclopmcnt Board TEXA WATER DEVEI.OPMEm BOARD I)mt Offit:c Box 1311R7 Au~tin. TC"dS 7H711 John H. McCoy, Chairman Robert B. Gilmore. Vice Chairman \"tJ'I.!';:.It;Otl JI" lI~l or nprl,dlldi"" of (ltI" ori,,!jllo1J m,JI(·,;.l1 cont,'il/cd ill this public,aio"_ W. E. Tinsley Mihon POttS i.t' /I()( ob,.,it,ul frum ("lrt'r"oll,n~, i$ Jft·ely gr.l/1tcd. TlJt' Ho.ml fI'iJl/ld .lJ'11rni.lu· c..d 11I;g A. L. Black .lCk 110I/'/("(~I!/''"I "t. Harry P. Burleigh. E:\ccutivc Director DEDICATION This report is dedicated to the memory 01 Robert D. Perkins, one of Its author". Bob, his wife, and two daughters were victims of a plane crash near Temple. Texas on November 17, 1972. Another employee of the Texas Water Development Board. Joe Henry, was also lost in this unfortunate accident. Bob, a native of Stephenville In Erath County. was born December 8,1940. He attended Tarleton State College, and in 1966 received a Bachelor of Science Degree In Geology from TCKas Tech University. While at Texas Tech, he was President of the Geology Club In 1962-63 and a member of the Sigma Gamma Epsilon honorary geology fraternity. Bob joined the staff of the Water Development Board In February 1966 and worked in the Waco field office until December 1971 when he transferred 10 El Paso 35 head of the regional field office of that city. The Board and Its staff pay tribute here to Bob Perkins' fine work and express our deep feeling over the very tragic loss of this highly skilled professional. iii GROUNO-WATER RESOURCES OF PART OF CENTRAL TEXAS WITH EMPHASIS ON THE ANTLERS AND TRAVIS PEAK FORMATIONS ABSTRACT The area covered by this report Includes aU or parts of Bell, 1,200 acre-feel from the Glen Rose Formation, 1,060 acre-leet Bosque, Brown, Burnel, Callahan, Comanche. Coryell. Eastland, from the Paluxy Formation, and 580 acre feet from the Ellis, Erath, Falls, Hamilton. Hill, Hood, Johnson, Lampasas, Woodbine Group. In 1967. the Antlers and Travis Peak lllnestone. Mclennan, Milam, Mills, Navarro, Somervell. Travis, Formahons Yielded about 16,800 acre-feet of watet" for public and Williamson Counties In the central part of Texas. It has It supply, about 16,100 acre· feet for IrrlgaUon, about population of about 846,000 (19701 and an area of 5,900 acre·feet for rural domestiC use and livestock, and about 13,888 square miles. The economy of this region IS supported 3,700 acre· feet for Industrial USll!. principally by Ii!tlt industry, governmental agencIes, and a{P'ieulture. The Cities of Waco and Temple are important Water levels of the pnncipal Cretaceous aqUifers in the manufacturing centers. Irngatlon from grourxhvater SOllrces is study region are generally declining. The amount of decline practICed In Comanche. Eastland. Erath, and adjacent countIes ranges from a few feet to 450 feet in 1967 III the Waco area The productIon of oil and gas also conmbutes to the economy in where the supply IS from the TraVIS Peak Formation. The amount the northwest and eastern areas. Ground water. used extensively of fresh water being withdrawn from the Hensell and Hosston for peanut irrigatIOn, public supply. ,mel mdustry. IS essential to aquifers in parts of Bell, Coryell, Hill. and Mclennan CountIes the present and future welfare of the region. exceeds the estimates of reenacge, and the ground-water supply IS being depleted by removal 01 water from storage. Digital The geologic units of Ihe study region gpnerally consist of a computer aquifer Simulalion studies of the Travis Peak Formation southeast-dipping sequence of Cretaceous rocks which 10 the year 2020 IIld'cate that tremendous water-level declines uncomformably overlies a complell of Paleozoic and older rocks. should occur downdlp In the existlllg areas of heavy pumpage as a The principal aquifers are of Cretaceous age and consist of sand result of projected pumpage, Small water·level declines have been and limestone unl1$_ The Antlers lind Travis Peak Formations, noted in the Paluxy Formation and the Woodbine Group, while which are hydrologically connected in Brown, Comanche, and only seasonal waler-Ie...el fluctuations have been observed In the Eastland Counties, are the most important aquifers. These Glen Rose Formation and the Edwards and associated IimestOfles. formations extend on the surface or In the subsurface through essentially the entire study region. The Travis Peak Formation large quantities of ground water of good Quality are contains the Hensell and HOS5ton Members which are the two available for development in the study region. Approximately most important water bearing units. Other important 87,000 acre-feet 01 ground waler could be pumped annually until water-bearing units are the Glen Rose FormatIon, Paluxy the year 2020 Irom the Antlers and Travis Peak Formations Formation, Edwards and associated limestones, and the under optimum condilions. Based on estimated recharge III lhe Woodbine Group. outcrop and a digital computer simulation of pumpage and water level declines. this would nOI lower water levels to a depth Fresh ground water containing less than 1,000 milligrams greater than 400 to 500 leet below the surface of the ground or per liter lmg/Il dissolved solIds is available from the Cretaceous below the top 01 the water-bearing sands until the year 2020. An aquifers throughout most of the study regIon. The Travis Peak estimated 1,836 acre-feet of water IS available from Ihe Woodbine Formation generally yields water of good chemical Quality wnh Group and apprOlClmately 930 acre· feet is available from the an approximate dissolved solids range of 300 to 3,000 mg/l Paluxy Formation. These amounts can be pumped annually within the region. In general, the water becomes more saline With without lowering the static water levels below the top of the depth. Ground water suitable for irrigation is produced from the aquifer or below 400 feet below land surface. More detailed Antlers and Travis Peak Formations in Comanche, Eastland, mformation is needed to determine the quantity of water Erath, and adjacent countIes. Most of the water from the Travis iJIIallable Irom (he Glen Rose FormatIOn and the Edwards and Peak Formation, with proper treatment, will meet industrial associate<! Ilmestones_ requirements. Water from the TraviS Peak Formation is generally suitable for public supplies throughout most of the region. Continuing programs are needed to collect basic data such as fluctuations of water levels. chemical analyses of water Approximately 48,600 acre-feet of ground water in the samples, and inventory of pumpage. In addition, pumping tests study region was pumped from the pnllClpal Cretaceous aquifers and recharge studIes are needed in the OUtcrop areas. Data from in 1967_ Of this amount, about 42,500 acre·feet was from the these continuing programs, pumping tests, and recharge studies Antlers and Travis Peak Formations With additional Withdrawals can be used to provide a basis for any needed ad/ustments to the of 3,290 acre-feet from the Edwards and associated limestones, digital computer model of the Hansell and Hosston aquifers. .... Pa.. TABLE OF CONTENTS Calcareous Factes of the Travis Peak Formation. 7 Glen Rose Formation 20 Glen Rose Formation 7 Paluxy Formation 20 Page Paluxy Formation 8 Edwards and Associated Limestones 21 ABSTRACT Edwards and Auoclau~d limestones 8 Woodbine Group 22 INTRODUCTION 3 Woodbine Group 8 WELL CONSTRUCTION 24 Purpose and Scope 3 GENERAL GROUND·WATER HYDROLOGY. 8 GROUND-WATER PROBLEMS 24 location and Extenl 3 HydrologiC Cycle. 8 Improper Well Constructlon and Complellon 24 Topography. SOlis. and Vegetation 3 Source and Occurrence 8 Rapid Decline of Wat~r Levels 24 Chmate 3 Recharge, Movement, and Discharge 8 Contamination of Ground Water 24 Population 3 Hydraulic CharacteristIcs . 8 CONCLUSIONS . 24 Economy 3 Fluctuations of Water Levels 9 RECOMMENDATIONS 25 Previous Investigations 4 CHEMICAL QUALITY OF GROUND WATER AS RELATED TO USE 9 SElECTED REFERENCES 25 Acknowledgements 4 General Chemical Quality of Ground Water 9 Method of Investigation 4 TABLES Public SUPllly and Domestic and Livestock 10 Personnel 4 1. Stratigraphic Units and Their Water· Bearing Characteristics 6 Irrigation 10 Well·Numbermg System 4 2. Source, SIgnificance, and Concentration of Dissolved·Mineral Industrial 10 Constituenu and ProPertIeS of Water ,, 9 Definitions of Terms 4 OCCURRENCE AND AVAILABILITY OF GROUND WATER 11 3. Water-Quality Tolerances for Industrial Applications 11 GEOLOGY AS RElATED TO THE OCCURRENCE OF GROUND WATER 5 Antlers and Travis Peak Formations 11 4 Results of Pumpmg Tests .,, 12 GeologIC History . 5 Source and Occurrence. 11 5 Range of Constituents and Propenies of Ground Water From Precambnan 5 RepresentatIve Wells in t~ Antlers and Travis Peak FormatIons Recharge, Movement, and Discharge 11 in the Northwest Outcrop and Adjacent Are~ 14 PaleoZOIC 5 Hydraulic Characteristics 12 6. Range of Constituents and Propenies of Ground Water From TriaSSIC and Jurassic. 5 ReprMentatIVe Wells m and Adjacent to the Calcareous Changes in Water Levels 12 Facies of the Travis Peak Formation 16 Cretaceous 5 ChemIcal Quality 13 7. Range of Constituents and Properttes of Ground Water From Tertiary and Quaternary 5 Rej)fesentatlvc Wells In the Hensell Member of the Travis Utilization and DevelOPffil'nt 15 Peak Formation , 17 Stratigraphy 5 Public Supply 15 B. Range of Conslltuents and Properties of Ground Water From Structure 5 RepresentatIve Welts in the Hosston Member of the Travis Industrial 16 Peak Formauon .