TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD REPORT 41 GROUND WATER IN THE FLOOD-PLAIN ALLUVIUM OF THE BRAZOS RIVER, WH ITNEY DAM TO VICINITY OF RICHMOND, TEXAS By James G. Cronin and Clyde A. Wilson United States Geological Survey Prepared by the U.S . Geological Survey in cooperation with t he Texas Water Development Board March 1967 Second Printing Mar ch 1976 TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD Mills Cox , Cha irman Marvin Shurbet, Vice Cha i rman Rober t B. Gilmore Groner A. Pitts Milton T. Potts W. E. Tinsley Joe G. Moore , Jr. , Executive Director Authorization for us e or r eprodu cti on of any mat e r i a l contained in this publication, i.e., not obtai ned from other sources, is freely gr a nt ed without the necess ity of s ecur i ng permission therefor . The Board wou l d appreciate acknowled ge­ ment of the s ource of original material so ut i l ized. Pub lished and distributed by the Texas Wa t er Development Boa r d Post Office Box 1238 6 Austin, Texas 787 11 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Pa ge ABSTRACT. • • ••.•• • ••••• .• ••••• • ••• • ••••••••• • • •• •• • •. • •• .. •••• • • • • ... • .• 1 I NTRODUCT I ON. •• • • • • •• • • •• • • • ••••••. • • • • • ••••• • •• • ••• • • • • ••• •• •. .. • • •• • 5 PHYSIO GRAPHY AND DRA INAGE ......... .. .. .. .. ......... .. ... .... .. 8 ECONOMIC DEVE LO PME NT ... .... ........... .. ....... .. .... ... .. .. .. 10 CLIMATE ...... ... ... ... .. ... .... .. .. ... .. .. .... ... .. .... .. ...... 12 GEOLOGY. • .•••• .• • •• .• •• •• ••••• •• •• • •• • • • • • •• • ••• ••. •••••• •• ••• • •• • . • • • • 12 Bedrock ... .. .•• . •. .•••. • •.• .. .. • . • . ••• . .•••. • . ••.. • • .. • •... .. • 12 Te rrace Alluvi um. .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ........... .... .... 13 F lood- PIa in Alluvium• . • •..... •... •.. .,• .• . • •. .. .• .•. .. •• •. .. .. 16 GROUND WATER I N THE FLOOD-PLAIN ALLUV IUM..... ... .. .. .. .. ... .. ......... 22 Hyd r olog i c Properties of t he Flood-Plain A lluvium...... .. ... ... .. 22 Occ urrenc e of Gr ound Water............. ..... ............. ........ 27 Ground-Wa t e r Movement. ... .. .. ......... .. .... .............. .. .. .. 28 Wa te r -Leve l Fluctuations. ..................................... ... 34 Re charge . .. .. ................ .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. 34 Discharge .. .. ....... .. .... .. .. .. .. ... .. .... .. ... .. .. ... 4 5 CONSTRUCTION AND PERFORMANCE OF WELLS.. ...... .... .. ................ .. 4 7 USE OF GROUND WATER FOR IRRI GATION.. ..... ... .. .. .. .. .. ...... .... 50 USE OF SURFA CE WATER FOR IRRI GATION.. .. .. .. .. .. ... ............. .. ... .. 52 QUALITY OF WATER. .... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .... ... ... .. 52 Definition o f Terms... ... ......... ............... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. 60 Compar ison o f Water in F l ood-Pl ain Al l uv i um wi t h Su rfa c e Wat er .. .. 62- iii TABLE OF CO NTENTS (Cont'd .) Pa ge Comparison o f Water i n Fl ood-Plain Al luv i um with Water i n Bedrock. .• . .. •.••. .. .. .... .• . .. .•• .. • . .• .. •.. .• • .. • . .• •. .. 63 Suitability o f Water f rom t he Flood-Pl ain Alluv i um.. .. .. ... .. ... 64 Dome s tic a nd Lives t ock Purposes ....... ,.,........ ..... .. .. 64 I r r i ga t i o n Purposes. .............. ...•.... ... ....... •. ... • 66 AVA I LA BILI TY OF GROUND WATER I N THE FLOOD-PLAIN ALLUVIUM. .. .. 70 REFERE NCES CITED ........... ..... ... ...... ...... .... ... ... ... .. ... 75 TABLES 1 . Maximu m a nd nuru.mum dai l y discharge a nd ins tantaneous gage-height read i ngs for severa 1 s ta t ions on the Brazos Rive r, Oc t obe r 1962 to September 1963, and average annual discha r ge. ..•. •. ••. .••• .•• •. ••• . .••. •• . ••• .. •• •. • •. .. • •..• . • 11 2. Particle- size distribution o f samples o f f lood-pla in alluvium of Brazos River from tes t ho les , bank o f riv er, a nd g rave l pit 23 3. Laboratory de terminations of hyd r o logi c properties of samp les of flood-pl ain a lluv ium of Brazos River. .. .. .. .. ... ... 26 4 . Annua l prec i pi t a tion, i n inche s , at Co llege Station, Suga r l a nd , Waco, a nd Wh itney Dam , 1957-64 , a nd departure from no rma l precipitation a t Suga r land a nd Waco. ... ..... .. ... .. 43 5. Spe cific ca paci t y a nd y ie ld o f irrigation wells i n t he flood-plain a l luv i um of t he Brazos Rive r between Whit ney Dam a nd Richmond , 196 3-64.. .. .. .. .. .... ..... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 48 6 . Summary o f pumpage from t he flood-plain alluvium for i r­ r i ga t i on, 1963- 64 , and acres irrigated wi t h ground wa t e r in 1964 on the floo d plain o f t he Brazos River be tween Wh itney Dam and Ri ch mond....... ................... .. .. .... .. .. .. 51 7. Chemica l ana lyses of s urf ac e wa te r in t he l ower Brazos River bas Ln , , •••• • •• •• •• ••• • ••• •• •• ••• •• ••• • •• •• ••• •• • • • • • •• • •• • •• •• • • • 59 8. Wa t e r in s torage in t he f lood- pla in alluvium o f the Brazo s River be tween Whitney Dam and Richmond, 196 3,......... .. ...... .. 73 9 . Re cords o f wel l s, spr ings, and t es t holes, Brazos River va lley, Whi t ney Dam t o Richmond............... ............. .. .. .. 79 iv TABLE OF CONTENTS (Con t 'd .) Page 10. Sample l ogs o f se lec ted t e st ho l e s in the Brazos Rive r va lley, Wh itne y Dam to Ri chmond 146 11. Wate r leve ls i n wells i n the Bra z os Rive r va l ley, Wh i t ney Dam to Ri chmo nd.. .. .. ... ... ...... ... .. .... ... .. ... .... .. 151 12 . Chemical ana lyse s of water f r om wel l s and springs i n t he Braz os Ri ve r val l e y , Whi t ne y Dam t o Ri ch mo nd •.. .•.. •• .. .•.. ..• . 195 I LLUS TRATIONS Figures 1 . Ma p of Texas Showing Ar ea Covered by Report .. ... ... .............. 9 2 . Pho t ogra phs Showi ng Type s o f Exposure s Al ong Br azos Rive r Between Wh i tney Dam and Richmo nd . .. ......... .. .. .. ... .. 14 3 . Map Showing Approximat e Altitude of Bas e of Flood- Pl a i n Al luv ium, Whi tney Dam t o Falls- Robe rts on County Line . .... .. .. .. 17 4. ~~p Showing Approx ima t e Al t i t ude o f Base of F l ood ­ Plain Al luvi um, Fa l l s -Robe r t so n County Line t o Wa shington Coun ty .. .. ..... .. ... ... .. .. .. .... ... .. ...... .. 19 5 . Pa rtic l e- Si z e Distr ibut i on Cu rves of Eigh t Samples of F l ood- Pl a i n Alluv i um o f Brazos Ri ve r.. .. .. ............ .. .. .. ... 24 6 .Wa t e r-Tab l e Co ntour Map, Vici ni t y o f Hi ghbank t o Wa shington County, 1962 - 63... ..... .... .. .......... .. ... .. .. .. .. 29 7. Wa ter - Tab le Cont our Ma p, Vi ci ni ty o f Suga rla nd, 1962-63 .... .. .. ... 31 8 . Pr ofiles of Wa t e r Tab le a l ong Fa r m Roa d 1373, Robe rts on Coun t y, Winte r o f 1940- 41 a nd Spring of 1963 . .. .. ... .. .. .. .. 33 9 . Hydrogra phs of Se lec ted We lls i n Burleson Coun t y ... •. ... • . .. • ..... 35 10 . Hydrogra phs o f Se l ec ted Wells in Robertson Cou nty • . • .•. •. .• • . • 38 11. Hydrogra phs o f Se lec ted We l l s i n Falls Cou nt y . ... .. •.. ..• . .•. .. 40 12 . Hyd r ogr a phs o f Selected Wells i n McLennan Count y ... .• •.. •.... .. 4 1 13 . Hyd r ogra phs of Se lec ted Wells in Bra zos Coun ty . ...•.. .. .. .. •. 42 14 . Gra ph Showing Theore t i cal Drawdown Caused by a We l l Pumpi ng Cont i nuous l y f or 30 Days . ... .. ... • .......... .. .. .. .. ... .. 49 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd.) Page 15 . Ma p Showing Chemical Quality of Water from Se lected Sites in t he Bra zos River Valley, Wh i tney Dam to Falls- Robertson County Line. .. .. ... ..... .......................... .. 53 16. Ma p Showing Chemical Qua lity of Water f rom Selected Sites in the Brazos River Va l ley, Falls-Robertson County Li ne to Wa shing ton County.......... ... .. ....... .. ... .. .. ........ ... 55 17 . Map Showing Chemical Qua lity of Wa t e r from Selected Sites i n the Brazos Ri ve r Val l e y, Wa shi ngt on County t o Richmond. .. ..... .. ... .................. .. .. ....... ..... ..... 57 18. Diagra m for Classification of Water Used for Irri gation...... .. ... 67 19 . Map Showing Saturated Thickness of t he Flood-Pla i n Al l uv i um, Vi cini ty o f Hi ghba nk to Washington County.... .. • ••.• • • . •• •. •. 71 20 . Map Showing Locati ons of We lls , Whitney Dam t o Falls-Robertson County Line.. ........ ..... ... ...................... ..... .... .. 207 21. Ma p Showing Locations of wel l s, Falls- Ro bertson County Line to Wa s hi ng ton County 0-. ... .. ..... 209 22. Map Showing Locations of Wells, Washington Count y to Richmond ••. •• 211 23 . Geologi c Map, Whitney Dam t o Fal l s-Robertso n Coun t y Li ne •... ••. ••• 213 24. Geologic Map , Falls-Robertson County Line t o Wa sh i ng ton County " .. .. .. 215 25 .Geo l ogic Map, Washington Count y t o Ri chmond 217 26. Geologic Section A-A', Profi le of Bed of Brazo s Rive r , and Cross-Valley Profil es 1 - 5, Whi t ney Dam t o Falls-Robertson Count y Line ..•• ••. •.• • •..• •. .••.• •..• •. •• ••• •. •. • •. •. •• •. •.. •. 219 27 . Geologi c Se ction B-B' ,Profil es of Bed of Braz os Rive r, and Cross-Valley Profiles 6 - 10, Fal ls-Robertson County Line to Was hington County 22 1 28. Geologi c Sect ion C-C ', Prof ile of Bed o f Bra zo s River, and Cr oss- Va lley Profiles 11 - 15, Washington County to Ri chmond. ... .. •. .• . .•. .• •.• . .• • . • •• •.• •.• • .• .• . •• . •.. 223 vi G R 0 U N D WA TER I N THE FLO OD -PLAI N A LLU V IUM o F THE B RAZ 0 S R I VER W HIT NEY D AM T 0 VI C IN IT Y o F RIC HMO ND , T E X A S ABSTRACT The flood plain of the Brazos River between Whitney Dam a nd Richmond, Texas , is u nderl ain by a l luvia l de posits that contain large quant i t ies o f ground wat e r .