Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). Now called the Maverick Basin Aquifer, it is known to be at least 3,000 square miles in area and averages 1,000 feet thick in most places. Eastward-flowing streams during the Quaternary Period deposited discontinuous beds of poorly sorted gravel, sand, silt, and clay that were later dissected by erosion, resulting in the isolated remnants of the formation. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Texas has three ASR systems. Aquifers in carbonate rocks are most extensive in the eastern U.S. In the south, the Trinity includes the Glen Rose and underlying Travis Peak formations. These aquifers are located in El Paso and Hudspeth counties in far West Texas and occur in Tertiary and Quaternary basin-fill deposits that extend northward into New Mexico and westward into Mexico. 1700 North Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701 TEL: 512-463-7847 / FAX: 512-475-2053. 1700 North Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78701TEL: 512-463-7847 / FAX: 512-475-2053, Asset Management Program for Small Systems, State Water Implementation Fund for Texas (SWIFT), Guidance & References for Online Loan Application, State Water Implementation Fund for Texas, 6th Planning Cycle Information (2026 RWPs), 2021 Regional Water Plans & Previous Plans, Regional Water Planning Data Entry Application (RWP22) Training, District Information (O-Z and Other Districts), Extended Naturalize Flow and Reservoir Evaporation, Flood Planning Useful Links and Resources, Drought Response and Financial Assistance, Water Conservation Plan ~ Utility Profile, Historical Water Loss Audit and Conservation Annual Report Data, Industrial, Commercial & Institutional (ICI), Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System, Notice of Nondiscrimination and Reasonable Accommodation, Texas Natural Resources Information System (TNRIS), Texas Water Infrastructure Coordination Committee (TWICC). The Ogallala Aquifer is the largest aquifer in the United States and is a major aquifer of Texas underlying much of the High Plains region. 300--Sandstone aquifers. A major aquifer is generally defined as supplying large quantities of water in large areas of the state. The aquifer is primarily composed of sand locally interbedded with gravel, silt, clay, and lignite. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptrollers Data Analysis and Transparency Division. In general, groundwater is fresh but very hard in the outcrop of the aquifer. This aquifer underlies the Edwards Plateau, extending through 40 counties from the Hill Country of Central Texas westward to the Trans-Pecos region. Texas Water Development Board works best with JavaScript enabled. Proceeds benefit education in TX. The Ground Water Atlas of the United States is available onlineas anHTML website, asdownloadable PDFs, andoravailable for purchasethrough the USGS Store. The recharge zone of the aquifer in Burnet County is approximately 18,011 acres. The principal aquifer in Uvalde County is the Edwards and associated limestones of Cretaceous age. Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone) (San Antonio-oriented) This is an important step in planning for water in Texas and Bastrop County for the next 50 years. The information was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies during the course of many years of study. Irrigation, mainly in the northwestern portion of the region, accounted for about 79 percent of total aquifer use in 2008 and has resulted in significant water-level declines in Glasscock and Reagan counties. Water from the Antlers portion is used mainly for irrigation in the outcrop area of North and Central Texas. Aquifers are identified by a geohydrologic unit code-a three-digit number related to the age of the formation, followed by a 4 or 5 character abbreviation for the geologic unit or aquifer name. The pages below contain descriptionsand maps of these main aquifer types: These pages, formerly hosted at ourAquifer Basicswebsite,provide ageneral summary of information published in the Ground Water Atlas of the United States. Historically, Texas has had a wealth of fresh to slightly saline water, which underlies more than 81 percent of the state. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Researchers have identified a previously undiscovered aquifer in southwest Texas. Aquifers are shown in the States of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana. El Paso, however, has reduced its use of groundwater from the Hueco Bolson since 1989, and observation wells indicate that water levels have stabilized. Several agencies are investigating playa recharge and agricultural re-use projects over the aquifer. ; Metadata - The Edwards Aquifer maps were developed from official printed maps that contain regulatory boundaries based on geologic interpretations of the Edwards Aquifer zonesthat is, the recharge, transition, and contributing within the transition zones, as . About 55 percent of all water used in Texas was sourced through aquifers in 2019. Excessive pumping has lowered the water level, particularly in the artesian portion of the Winter Garden District of Atascosa, Dimmit, Frio, LaSalle, and Zavala counties and in the municipal and industrial areas of Angelina, Nacogdoches, and Smith counties. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Their combined freshwater saturated thickness averages about 600 feet in North Texas and about 1,900 feet in Central Texas. the largest aquifer For a deeper dive into principal aquifers:TheGround Water Atlas of the United States(USGS Hydrologic Atlas 730,published inchapters from 1990 to2000) describes the location, hydrologic characteristics, and geologic characteristics of the principal aquifers throughout thefiftyStates, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 1, Water table decline maps for the Ogallala Aquifer in South Plains UWCD, Water budget and total available storage for the Ogallala Aquifer in Garza County UFWCD, Water budget and total available storage for the Ogallala Aquifer in Mesa UWCD, Terry county water budget for the Ogallala Aquifer, Predictive simulations for the Ogallala and Edwards-Trinity (High Plains) aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 2, Management plan data for North Plains GCD, Groundwater Recharge in the Central High Plains of Texas: Roberts and Hemphill Counties, Revised management plan data for North Plains GCD, Management plan data for Garza County UWCD, GAM task - Total Estimated Recoverable Storage, Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 1, Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 2, Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 3, Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 6, Total Estimated Recoverable Storage for aquifers in Groundwater Management Area 7, Total Estimated Recoverable Storage by county for aquifers in High Plains UWCD No. The Edwards aquifer in the Balcones fault zone of southcentral Texas is one of the most permeable and most productive aquifers in the world. Irrigation used the largest amount of ground water, 56,900 million gallons per day, foll, PrefaceThe Ground Water Atlas of the United States presents a comprehensive summary of the Nation's ground-water resources and is a basic reference for the location, geography, geology, and hydrologic characteristics of the major aquifers in the Nation. Aquifers can contain fresh, brackish, or saline water; or, usually, all three There are several types of aquifers with very different characteristics Michael Conner: Understanding Aquifers 7 All the "science" about aquifers is a simplification, and it is frequently quite controversial. This website compiles USGS resources and data related to principal aquifers including Aquifer Basics, principal aquifers maps and GIS data, and the National Aquifer Code Reference List. We'd love to hear from you. The areal and vertical location of major aquifers is fundamental to the determination of groundwater availability for the Nation. Sulfate and chloride concentrations also tend to increase with depth. Please note that the maps do not show the entire extent of an aquifer, only itssubcropor outcrop area. Parts of the aquifer in the Winter Garden area and portions of Brazos County are slightly to moderately saline, with total dissolved solids ranging from 1,000 to 7,000 milligrams per liter. Freshwater saturated thickness averages 95 feet. Guadalupe runs dry with rainfall scarce. Major Aquifers of Texas [Map] Author: Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Year: 2006: Document Number: 1295: HCP EIS Reference: . Last fall while exploring for oil and gas deposits in southwest Texas, a driller instead found a huge freshwater deep aquifer. For the location tool click on the map to get coordinates for a particular location. Refer to the metadata for a complete description of the files and how they were generated. In 2019, more than 4.4 million acre-feet were pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer, accounting for 67 percent of the water sourced from all major Texas aquifers. In cooperation with Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, the City of Houston, Fort Bend County Subsidence District, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District, the U.S. Geological Survey Texas Water Science Center Gulf Coast . In 2008, almost 96 percent of the water pumped from the Ogallala was used for irrigation. Their combined freshwater saturated thickness averages about 600 feet in North Texas and about 1,900 feet in Central Texas. The Geologic Atlas of Texas illustrates the surface extent of geologic formations (and aquifers) across the state. Beets will help keep Bexar County roads from freezing this week. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The map layer was developed as part of the effort to produce the maps published at 1:2,500,000 in the printed series Ground Water Atlas of the United States. Because of the scar-city of measurable water-table wells, depth to the water table below land surface was estimated using There are 13 major and 20 minor aquifers; in the Hill Country, the major aquifers are the Edwards and the three water-producing zones of the Trinity. Declines continue in Ward County due to increased municipal and industrial pumping. For Geophysical Well Log assistance contact. The desired future conditions provide the foundation for estimating the amount of groundwater available to the region. This list of national principal aquifer codes and names are fixed values assigned by the National Water Information System(NWIS). Page Contact Information: Texas Water Data Maintainer Page Last Modified: 2023-02-25 01:14:50 EST Near the plateaus edge, flow is toward the main streams, where the water issues from springs. Anaquiferis a geologic formation, a group of formations, or a part of a formation that contains sufficient saturated permeable material to yield significant quantities of water to wells and springs. For the location tool click on the map to get coordinates for a particular location. Nearly 80 percent of the groundwater produced in 2008 was used for irrigating crops, especially in the Panhandle region. These aquifers are a critical source of water for Texas, supplying 55 percent of the 14.7 million acre-feet of water used in the state in 2020. Alluvial aquifers--consist of stream-valley aquifers and other aquifers of unconsolidated alluvial materials, not included in another named national aquifer, south of the limit ofQuarternarycontinental glaciation and east of the Rocky Mountains. Note that alluvial aquifers north of the limit of continental glaciation are included inSand and gravel aquifers (glaciated regions). January 31, 2023. (in error) Northern Great Plains aquifer system, Some revisions to the lists of valid States, this code, and reference list were added to the NWIS Site File and toNWISWebwith the release of NWIS 4.5 in 2005; see the WMA Technical Memo "NWIS 4.5 -- Assigning National Aquifer Codes in the Ground Water Site Inventory (GWSI) for the NWIS 4.5 Release.". The published maps contain base and cultural features not included in these data. However, some individual aquifers serve mostly municipal purposes. An official website of the United States government. Water Use. About 60 percent of the approximately 16 million acre-feet of water used yearly in Texas is derived from underground formations that make up 9 major and 22 minor aquifers (for map of minor aquifers, click). 1, Management plan data for Llano Estacado UWCD, Management Plan Information for Hemphill County UWCD, Management plan information for Mesquite GCD, Management plan information for High Plains UWCD #1, Management plan information for Hemphil County UWCD, Proportion of aquifer with groundwater conservation districts: 86 percent, Number of counties containing the aquifer: 49. The Hickory aquifer occurs in parts of 19 counties in the Llano Uplift region of Central Texas. The San Antonio River Authority also has a number of flood-control structures that effectively recharge the aquifer. This map, which was derived fromGround Water Atlas of the United Statesdata (published as part of the National Atlas in 1998, revised 2003) indicates the areal extent of the uppermost principal aquifers on a national scale. In scattered places in the United States, carbonate rocks are interbedded with almost equal amounts of water-yielding sandstone. U.S. Geological Survey 505 Ferguson Lane Austin, Texas 78754-4501 The Edwards and Trinity aquifers are classified as major aquifers by the Texas Water Development Board and are major sources of water in south-central Texas, where Hays County is located. 9999--Areas that are not a national aquifer. Presented by The name of N600NECRSN was changedfrom "New England crystalline-rock aquifers" to "New York and New England crystalline-rock aquifers" to better reflect the geographic extent (January 2015). A lock () or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. The aquifer consists of sand, gravel, clay, and silt and has a maximum thickness of 800 feet. Aquifers with this characteristic are common, although not exclusive, east and south of Interstate Highway 35. ASR is the process of capturing water from heavy rainfall and injecting it into underground water wells where it is stored for later use. Although referred to differently in different parts of the state, they include the Antlers, Glen Rose, Paluxy, Twin Mountains, Travis Peak, Hensell, and Hosston aquifers. Water Systems And so we've seen water levels drop in those aquifers and we've seen spring flows as a response also drop. geline aquifers near Houston, Texas. He got the county through the crisis, and thanks to some heavy rains in 2012, the aquifer rebounded a little. Surficial deposits of glacial origin (New Jersey) should be included in Sand and gravel aquifers (glaciated regions). We are the premier source for trusted information about Texas. 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