£ fe 0 / /\ Ui DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DiKKCTOB WATEE-STJPPLY PAPER 317 GEOLOGY AID UNDERGROUND WATERS OF THE WICHITA REGION, NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS BY C. H. GORDON WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1913 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY GEORGE OTIS SMITH, DIRECTOR WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 317 GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS OF THE WICHITA REGION, NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS BY C. H. GOEDON WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1913 CONTENTS. Page. Introduction_........................................................... 5 Location and area..................................................... 5 Purpose of the investigation............................................ 5 Field work and acknowledgments...................................... 6 Literature................................................................ 6 Physiography............................................................... 7 Climate.................................................................. 8 Surface waters............................................................ 9 Deep waters.............................................................. 10 Occurrence............................................................ 10 Relation to rock structure.............................................. 11 Quality of underground water........................................... 11 Fluctuating wells............. ................. ........................ 12 Geologic formations and their water-bearing capacity......................... 13 General relations....................................................... 13 Carboniferous system.................................................. 14 Pennsylvanian series............................................... 14 Classification.................................................. 14 Strawn formation.............................................. 15 Geology.................................................. 15 Water resources............................................ 15 . Canyon formation.............................................. 16 Geology.................................................. 16 Water resources............................................ 17 Cisco formation................................................ 17 Geology.................................................. 17 Water resources............................................ 21 Permian series....................................................... 21 Classification.................................................. 21 Wichita formation............................................. 22 Geology.................................................. 22 Character................................................. 22 Fossils.................................................... 23 Copper.................................................... 25 Oil....................................................... 25 Conditions of sedimentation............................... 26 Thickness................................................. 27 Water resources............................................ 27 Clear Fork and Double Mountain formations..................... 28 Geology.................................................. 28 Water resources............................................ 29 Cretaceous system..................................................... 29 Comanche series.................................................. 29 3 4 CONTENTS. Geologic formations and their water-bearing capacity Continued. Page. Quaternary system..................................................... 30 Pleistocene series................................................. 30 Seymour formation........................................... 30 Geology...................................................... 30 Water resources................................................ 32 Recent series...................................................... 32 Geology...................................................... 32 Water resources................................................ 34 Summary and recommendations........................................... 34 Description by counties.................................................... 35 Montague County..................................................... 35 Clay County.......................................................... 44 Wichita County........................................................ 50 Archer County......................................................... 55 Wilbarger County...................................................... 57 Hardeman and Foard counties.......................................... 60 Knox County......................................................... 63 Haskell County........................................................ 64 Baylor County........................................................ 67 Throckmorton County................................................. 70 Young County......................................................... 72 Jack County.......................................................... 78 Index.................................................................... 87 ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. PLATE I. Geologic sketch map of the Wichita region, north-central Texas...... 5 II. A, Outcrop of gypsum at Acme, Tex.; B, Spring from the Canyon formation at Jacksboro, Tex..................................... 60 U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 317 PLATE I LEGEND Strawn formation (Alternating beds of sandstone and clay, with some conglomerate and shale; the lower 1000 feet sandstone, or sandy shale, and at the top a coal seam) Base compiled from R. T. Hill's map of Texas 50 Miles in Topographic Folio 3, U. S. Geological Survey, and U. 5. Post Route map of Texas -, Contour interval 250 feet 1912 GEOLOGIC SKETCH MAP OF THE WICHITA REGION, NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS. GEOLOGY AND UNDERGROUND WATERS OF THE WICHITA REGION, NORTH-CENTRAL TEXAS. By C. H. GORDON. INTRODUCTION. Location and area. The region considered in this report is a part of north-central Texas. Red River forms its northern boundary, and it comprises Montague, Clay, Wichita, Wilbarger, Hardeman, Foard, Knox, Baylor, Archer, Jack, Young, Throckmorton, and Haskell counties. Its area is approximately 11,139 square miles, and its pop­ ulation, according to the census of 1910, is 158,046, an increase of 78,215 over the population in 1900. The United States Geological Survey has prepared atlas sheets cov­ ering Montague County and the tier of counties bordering the Wichita region on the south (Palo Pinto, Stephens, Shackelford, and Jones), but for the remaining portion no accurate base maps are available. Plate I is based chiefly on Hill's map of Texas. Purpose of the investigation. This region depends for its water sup­ plies almost wholly on surface waters, which are insufficient, so that the problem of finding underground sources of potable water in sufficient quantities is of great importance. The field investigations were directed to the determination of the geologic conditions with a view to locating water-bearing formations that might be available sources of water. The region is one of interest to geologists because of the stratigraphic problems occurring within its boundaries. On these problems numerous papers have been published, in which wide differ­ ences of opinion are expressed concerning the stratigraphic relations of the beds. The explanation of the discordant views concerning the stratigraphy of the region is found (1) in the diverse character of thet formations and the lack of satisfactory exposures, which render the tracing of formations and their correlation even at points not far distant from each other difficult or impossible; (2) in the lack of detailed investigation and of accurate maps; and (3) in the lack of knowledge in regard to the life and relations of the American Permian. 5 6 UNDEKGEOUlirD WATERS OP WICHITA REGION, TEXAS. Field work and acknowledgments. Portions of the field seasons of each of the years 1906 and 1907 were devoted to investigations for this report. During the first season the work was done by the writer alone. During the second season he was assisted by Messrs. Leon F. Russ, of the University of Texas, and Frank Brock, of the University of Kansas, to whose efficient services he is much indebted. The necessity for rapid work in a region so difficult of study makes the adequate treatment of the stratigraphic problem impossible, but it is believed that the results of the investigation constitute an impor­ tant if small contribution to the solution of the problem connected with the much-discussed "Red Beds" of Texas. LITERATURE. Much of the literature relating to this region is widely scattered, and no attempt is made to present here a complete bibliography of it. The effort has been made, however, to compile a list of the writings of chief importance on the problems involved in the preparation of this report. For a more exhaustive record of the publications relating to the geology of Texas the reader is referred to the excellent bibliog­ raphies of Hill 1 and Simonds.2 ADAMS, G. I., StratigrapMc relations of the Red Beds to the Carboniferous and Permian in northern Texas: Bull. Geol. Soc. America, vol. 14, 1903, pp. 191-200. BEEDE, J. W., Invertebrate paleontology of the upper Permian Red Beds of Oklahoma and the panhandle of Texas: Sci. Bull. Kansas Univ., vol. 4, No. 3, March, 1907, pp. 115-172. CASE, E. C., New or little-known vertebrates from the Permian of Texas: Jour. Geology,