f B, Descriptive Geology, 114 "Water-Supply and Irrigation Paper No. 191 \ 0, Underground Waters, 68 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CHARLES D. WALCOTT, DIRECTOR THE GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES WESTERN PORTION OF THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS CHARLES 1ST. WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1907 CONTENTS. Page. Introduction................................................................ 7 Area covered........................................................... 7 Sources of data. ......................................................... 7 Topography.................................................................. 7 General features....................................................... 7 High Plains.......................................................... 8 Valleys and canyons................................................... 9 Canadian River valley............................................. 9 Palo Duro Canyon.'................................................ 10 Minor stream valleys.............................................. 11 Beaver Creek valley............................................ 11 Coldwater Creek valley......................................... 11 Palo Duro Creek valley.......................................... 12 Carriso and Perico Creek valleys................................. 12 Big Blue Creek valley.......................................... 12 Tierra Blanca Creek valley...................................... 12 Geology.................................................................. 12 General statements..................................................... 12 Permian.............................................................. 14 Greer formation................................................... 14 Quartermaster formation............................................ 15 General description............................................. 15 Saddlehorse gypsum lentil..................................... 16 Alibates dolomite lentil........................................ 17 Triassic................................................................. 21 General relations................................................... 21 Tecovas formation.................................................. 23 Trujillo formation................................................. 26 Cretaceous rocks....................................................... 29 Tertiary and Quaternary rocks.......................................... 31 General relations......................:............................ 31 Character of the Tertiary rocks..................................... 32 Origin of the Tertiary rocks........................................ 34 Sand dunes...................................-,.................... 35 Alluvium.......................................................... 35 Water resources............................................................ 36 Underground waters................................................... 36 General conditions................................................ 36 Water from the Permian red beds.................................... 36 Water from the Triassic red beds.................................... 37 Water from Cretaceous rocks....................................... 37 3 4 CONTENTS. Water resources Continued. Page. Underground waters Continued. Water from Tertiary rocks........................................... 37 Occurrence.................................................... 37 Sources........................................................ 40 Windmills........................................................ 41 Deep-seated waters. ........................f...................... 42 Springs............................................................... 43 General character................................................. 43 Red-beds springs.................................................. 44 Cretaceous springs.................................................. 45 Tertiary springs....................................................... 45 Streams............................................................... '47 North Fork of Canadian River....................................... 48 Canadian River................................................... 48 Red River........................................................ 49 Drainage of the High Plains............................................ 50 Irrigation............................................................. 51 Necessity for irrigation.............................................. 51 Sources of water supply............................................ 52 Streams....................................................... 52 Springs....................................................... 53 Storm waters. .................................\............... 54 - Wells......................................................... 54 Future........................................................... 55 Water conditions by counties............................................ 55 General statement.................................................. 55 Sherman County.................................................. 56 Topography................................................... 56 Geology........................................................ 56 Water supply.................................................. 56 Dallam County..................................................... 57 Topography................................................... 57 Geology...................................................... 57 Water supply.................................................. 57 Hartley County............... ................................... 58 Topography................................................... 58 Geology...................................................... 58 Water supply.................................................. 58 Moore County...................................................... 59 Topography...................\ ............................... 59 Geology...................................................... 59 Water supply.................................................. 60 Potter County..............'........................................ 61 Topography................................................... 61 Geology...................................................... 61 Water supply.".................................'................ 61 Oldham County................................................... 62 Topography................................................... 62 Geology....................................................... 62 Water supply.................................................. 63 Deaf Smith County................................................ 64 Topography................................................... 64 Geology...................................................... 64 CONTENTS. 5 Water resources Continued. Page. Water conditions by counties Continued. Deaf Smith County Continued. Water supply.................................................. 64 Randall County................................................... 65 Topography................................................... 65 Geology ..................................................... 65 Water supply.................................................. 66 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. PLATE I. Map showing location of area..................................... 7 II. A, Triassic sandstone above red clay, showing characteristic erosion; B, Falls in Palo Duro Canyon, due to a hard ledge of Triassic sand­ stone. ......................................................... 10 III. Geologic map of the western part of the Panhandle of Texas........ 12 IV. Geologic sections................................................. 14 V. A, Erosion of Quartermaster- formation in Palo Duro Canyon; B, Typical occurrence of Greer gypsum in Palo Duro Canyon........ 16 VI. A, Hill capped by Dakota sandstone; B, Bluffs on Canadian River, Potter County, showing gypsum lentil at base and dolomite lentil at top........................................................ 20 VII. High Plains windmills............................................ 42 FIG. 1. Ideal Tertiary structure............................................. 32 2. Ideal Tertiary structure, showing water-bearing beds at different levels. 40 3. Ideal section of Tertiary springs..................................... 46 U S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER NO. 191 PL. I Scale \AREA TREATED IH THIS REPORT 100 miles \AREA TREATED IN WS.PAPfft 2.5 50 J NO. 154- LOCATION OF AREA DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT. GEOLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES OF THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE PANHANDLE OF TEXAS. By CHARLES NEWTON GOULD. INTRODUCTION. Area covered. The area described in this report lies in the western part of the Panhandle of Texas and includes Sherman, Moore, Potter, Randall, Dallam, Hartley, Oldham, and Deaf Smith counties. The region is 120 miles long and 78 miles wide and contains approxi­ mately 9,360 square miles. It extends from 101° 35' to 103° west longitude and from 34° 45' to 36° 30' north latitude, and is bounded on the north by Oklahoma and on the west by New Mexico. Its location is shown in PL I. Sources of data. During the summer of 1903 the writer, accom­ panied by several students from the University of Oklahoma, made a reconnaissance across the Panhandle of Texas, noting the general geologic and hydrographic features of the region. The greater part of the field work which forms the basis of this report was done, how­ ever, during