TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES REPORT 269 OCCURRENCE, AVAILABILITY, AND CHEMICAL QUALITY OF GROUND WATER IN THE CRETACEOUS AQUIFERS OF NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS VOLUME 1 Phillip L. Nordstrom, Geologist April 1982 TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES Harvey Davis, Executive Director TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD Louis A. Beecherl Jr., Chairman John H. Garrett, Vice Chairman George W. McCleskey W. 0. Bankston Glen E. Roney Lonnie A. “Bo” Pilgrim TEXAS WATER COMMISSION Felix McDonald, Chairman Dorsey B. Hardeman, Commissioner Lee B. M. Biggart, Commissioner Authorization for use or reproduction of any original material contained in this publication, i.e., not obtained from other sources, is freely granted. The Department would appreciate acknowledgement. Published and distributed by the Texas Department of Water Resources Post Office Box 13087 Austin, Texas 78711 ii __ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 1 INTRODUCTION . .. 3 Purpose and Scope . 3 Location and Extent . 3 Physiography . 3 Climate . 4 Population . 4 Economy . 4 Previous Investigations . 4 Acknowledgements . 7 Method of Investigation . 7 Well-Numbering System . 7 Metric Conversion . 8 GEOLOGY AS RELATED TO THE OCCURRENCE OF GROUND WATER . 9 Geologic History . 9 Paleozoic . 9 Cretaceous . 9 Tertiary and Quaternary . 9 General Stratigraphy . 9 Structure . 10 STRATIGRAPHY OF THE WATER-BEARING FORMATIONS . 12 Paleozoic Rocks . 12 Antlers . 13 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS – Continued Page Twin Mountain Formation . 13 Paluxy Formation . 14 Woodbine Group . 14 Blossom Sand . 15 Nacatoch Sand . 15 CHEMICAL QUALITY OF GROUND WATER AS RELATED TO USE . 15 General Chemical Quality of Ground Water . 15 Quality Criteria or Standards . 16 Municipal . 16 Primary Standards . 20 Secondary Standards . 21 Domestic and Livestock . 21 Industrial . 22 Irrigation . 22 OCCURRENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF GROUND WATER . 25 Antlers Formation . 25 Twin Mountains Formation . 36 Paluxy Formation . 39 Woodbine Group . 46 Blossom Sand . 52 Nacatoch Sand . 54 AVAILABILITY OF GROUND WATER . 54 Methods Used to Determine Availability . 54 Steady-State Flow Methods . 54 Rate of Depletion of Ground-Water That is Recoverable From Storage . 55 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued Page Circumstances Requiring Geohydrological Judgments Or Assumptions . 55 Trinity Group . 55 Woodbine Group . 56 Nacatoch and Blossom Sands . 56 WELL CONSTRUCTION . 56 SELECTED REFERENCES . 59 TABLES 1. Stratigraphic Units and their Water-Bearing Properties . 11 2. Source, Significance, and Range in Concentration of Dissolved Mineral Constituents and Properties of Water . 17 3. Water–Quality Tolerances for Industrial Applications . 23 4. Results of Pumping Tests . 26 5. Estimated Use of Ground Water for Irrigation, 1970-77 . 32 6. Estimated Use of Ground Water for Public Supply and Industrial Purposes from the Antlers Formation, 1955-76 . 33 7. Power-Yield Tests From Selected Irrigation Wells . 34 8. Range of Constituents in Ground Water From Selected Wells in the Antlers Formation . 35 9. Estimated Use of Ground Water for Public Supply and Industrial Purposes From the Twin Mountains Formation , 1955-75 . 38 10. Range of Constituents in Ground Water From Selected Wells in the Twin Mountain Formations . 40 11. Estimated Use of Ground Water for Public Supply and Industrial Purposes From the Paluxy Formations, 1955-76 . 44 12. Range of Constituents of Ground Water From Selected Wells in the Paluxy Formation . 45 13. Estimated Use of Ground Water for Public Supply and Industrial Purposes From the Woodbine Group, 1955-76 . 51 14. Range of Constituents in Ground Water From Selected Wells in the Woodbine Group . 53 v TABLE OF CONTENTS-Continued Page FIGURES 1. Map Showing Location of Study . 3 2. Average Annual Precipitation, 1900-76, and Average Monthly Precipitation for Period of Record at Selected Stations . 5 3. Well-Numbering System . 8 4. Map Showing Major Structural Features From the Llano Uplift to the Red River . 12 5. Diagrams of chemical Analyses of Ground Water and a Typical Oil-field Brine . 19 6. Diagram for the Classification of Irrigation Waters . 24 7. Hydrographs of Water Levels Under Water-Table Conditions . 30 8. Hydrographs of Water Levels in Wells Completed in the Antlers and Twin Mountains Formations Under Artesian Conditions . 31 9. Hydrographs of Water Levels in Wells Completed in the Paluxy Formation Under Artesian Conditions . 43 10. Hydrographs of Water Levels in Wells Completed in the Woodbine Group Under Artesian Conditions . 48 11. Graph Showing Public Supply Ground-Water Pumpage From the Woodbine and Trinity Group Aquifers, 1955-76 . 50 12. Graph Showing Industrial Ground-Water Pumpage From the Woodbine and Trinity Group Aquifers, 1955-76 . 50 13. Diagram for the Classification of Irrigation Waters Showing Quality of Water From Wells Completed in the Outcrop of the Woodbine Group . 52 14. Diagrammatic Cross Section Through a Confined Aquifer Showing Depletable Artesian Ground-Water Storage . 55 15. Diagrams of Well Construction . 57 16. Geologic Outcrop Map . 63 17. Map Showing Approximate Altitude of the Bas of Cretaceous Rocks . 65 18. Map Showing Approximate Altitude of the Top of the Paluxy and Antlers Formations . 67 19. Map Showing Approximate Altitude of the Top of the Twin Mountains Formation . 69 vi TABLE OF CONTENTS- Continued Page 20. Map showing Approximate Net Thickness of Sand Containing Fresh to Slightly Saline Water in the Paluxy Aquifer . 71 21. Map Showing Approximate Altitude of the Top of the Woodbine Group . 73 22. Map Showing Approximate Net Thick ness of Sand Containing Fresh to Slightly Saline Water in the Woodbine Aquifer . 75 23. Map Showing Sulfate, chloride, and Dissolved-Solids Content in Water From Selected Wells . 77 24. Map Showing Approximate Altitude of Water Levels in the Antlers and Twin Mountains Aquifers, About 1955 . 79 25. Map Showing Approximate Altitude of Water Levels in the Antlers and Twin Mountains Aquifers, About 1976 . 81 26. Map Showing Location of Aquifer Tests and Approximate Coefficients Of Transmissibility and Permeability . 83 27. Map showing Approximate Net Thickness and Sand Containing Fresh to Slightly Saline Water in the Antlers Aquifer . 85 28. Map Showing Approximate Change in Water Levels in the Antlers.