Effects of Ground-Water Development on the Proposed Palmetto Bend Dam and Reservoir in Southeast Texas (open access)

Effects of Ground-Water Development on the Proposed Palmetto Bend Dam and Reservoir in Southeast Texas

Abstract: Ground water continues to discharge into the Navidad and Lavaca Rivers by seepage out-flow even though large amounts of ground water are pumped for irrigation. Although a reduction in streamflow probably has occurred, a complete loss of the low flow of the streams by infiltration to a lowered water table seems remote. The large ground-water withdrawals will continue to cause land-surface subsidence, which will range from 0.012 foot to more than 0.026 foot per year. A minimum of about 0.013 to 0.015 foot of annual subsidence at the upper ends of the proposed reservoir and a maximum of about 0.019 foot near the dam site can be expected. Structural failures of manmade features have not occurred from the subsidence, but regional changes in the land slope have occurred and will continue . Numerous fault traces have been mapped in the area, but most of the faults are inactive. If movement along the fault planes should occur, the vertical displacement probably will not exceed the total subsidence.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Baker, E. T., Jr. & Follett, C. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Artificial-Recharge Experiments and Operations on the Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico (open access)

Artificial-Recharge Experiments and Operations on the Southern High Plains of Texas and New Mexico

Abstract: Experiments using highly turbid water from playa lakes for injection into the Ogallala Formation have resulted in greatly decreased yield of the recharge wells. Recharge of ground or surface water of good quality has indicated, however, that injection through wells in an effective method of recharging the aquifer. Water that is slightly turbid can be successfully injected for a period of time, but generally results in constantly declining yields and capacity for recharge. Redevelopment through pumping and surging significantly prolongs the life of recharge wells under some conditions. Surface spreading is little practiced on the High Plains, but locally may be a feasible means of artificial recharge.
Date: May 1973
Creator: Brown, Richmond F. & Signor, Donald C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effects of Urbanization on Floods in the Dallas, Texas Metropolitan Area (open access)

Effects of Urbanization on Floods in the Dallas, Texas Metropolitan Area

From abstract: The analyses indicate that in a fully-developed residential area, the flood peaks with be 1.2 to 1.4 times those from an undeveloped area; and the annual direct runoff will be about double that from an undeveloped area. Data were not sufficient to determine the increase in runoff from a highly industrialized area where the effective imperviousness approaches 100 percent.
Date: January 1974
Creator: Dempster, George R., Jr.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Land-Surface Subsidence at Seabrook, Texas (open access)

Land-Surface Subsidence at Seabrook, Texas

Abstract: Removal of water, oil, and gas from the subsurface in Harris and Galveston Counties, Texas, has caused a decline in fluid pressures, which in turn has resulted in subsidence of the land surface. Subsidence of the land surface at Seabrook is due principally to the removal of water. Significant subsidence of the land surface probably began after 1920, and a minimum of about 3.3 feet (1.0 m) and a maximum of about 4.3 feet (1.3 m) of subsidence had occurred at Seabrook by 1973. Probable future subsidence was calculated by two different methods for each of two different loading situations. In the first loading situation, case I, the artesian heads in the Alta Lorna Sand (Rose, 1943) and Evangeline aquifer would continue to decline at the respective rates of 8 feet (2.4 m) per year and 7 feet (2.1 m) per year until 1980 and then cease. In the second loading situation, case II, the artesian heads in the Alta Lorna Sand and Evangeline aquifer would continue to decline at rates of 8 and 7 feet (2.4 and 2.1 m) per year until 1990 and then cease.
Date: October 1976
Creator: Gabrysch, R. K. & Bonnet, C. W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Land-Surface Subsidence in the Area of Burnett, Scott, and Crystal Bays Near Baytown, Texas (open access)

Land-Surface Subsidence in the Area of Burnett, Scott, and Crystal Bays Near Baytown, Texas

Abstract: Subsidence in the Baytown area is becoming critical because much of the area is subject to inundation by high tides. Withdrawals of water from industrial wells and declines in artesian pressures began about 1918. As much as 280 feet (85.3 meters) of artesian-head decline has occurred in the Evangeline aquifer, and as much as 320 feet (97.5 meters) of decline has occurred in the Alta Lorna Sand. Subsidence of the land surface began about 1920, and as much as 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) of subsidence had occurred by 1973. Future subsidence was calculated for two loading situations. Case I provided that the artesian heads in the Alta Lorna Sand and Evangeline aquifer would continue to decline at a rate of 6 feet (1.8 meters) per year until 1980. Case II provided that artesian head in the Alta Lorna Sand and Evangeline aquifer would continue to decline at a rate of about 6 feet (1.8 meters) per year until about 1995. The ultimate subsidence expected for the assumed conditions of case I and case II is 11.4 feet (3.47 meters) and 15.1 feet (4.60 meters), respectively.
Date: September 1974
Creator: Gabrysch, R. K. & Bonnet, C. W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Land-Surface Subsidence in the Area of Moses Lake Near Texas City, Texas (open access)

Land-Surface Subsidence in the Area of Moses Lake Near Texas City, Texas

Abstract: Removal of water, oil, and gas from the subsurface in Harris and Galveston Counties has caused declines in fluid pressures, which in turn have resulted in subsidence of the land surface. Subsidence of the land surface at Moses Lake is due principally to the removal of ground water in adjacent areas. Significant subsidence of the land surface at Moses Lake began after 1900, and as much as 1.8 feet (0.55 meters) of subsidence had occurred in the area by 1973. Probable future subsidence was calculated by two methods for two loading situations. In the first loading situation, case 1, the artesian head in the middle Chicot aquifer, in the Alta Lorna Sand (Rose, 1943), and in the Evangeline aquifer would continue to decline at respective rates of 1, 3, and 3 feet (0.3, 0.9, and 0.9 meters) per year until 1980 and then cease. In the second loading situation, case 2, the artesian head in the middle Chicot aquifer, in the Alta Lorna Sand, and in the Evangeline aquifer would continue to decline at respective rates of 1, 3, and 3 feet (0.3, 0.9, and 0.9 meters) per year until 1990 and then cease.
Date: October 1976
Creator: Gabrysch, R. K. & Bonnet, C. W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Effects of the Urbanization on Floods in the Houston, Texas Metropolitan Area (open access)

Effects of the Urbanization on Floods in the Houston, Texas Metropolitan Area

Abstract: Rainfall and runoff data from drainage basins in the Houston metropolitan area and a 60-year rainfall record for the National Weather Service station, Houston-City, were used to simulate 60 annual flood peaks at 26 sites. Selected frequency characteristics, based on these simulated annual peaks are related to drainage area and percentage of impervious area. These relations which may be used to estimate the flood characteristics at ungaged sites, indicate that in the Houston metropolitan area, complete urbanization increases the magnitude of a 2-year flood nine times and increases the magnitude of a 50-year flood five times.
Date: April 1973
Creator: Johnson, Steven L. & Sayre, Douglas M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Interpretation of Well Logs in a Carbonate Aquifer (open access)

Interpretation of Well Logs in a Carbonate Aquifer

This report uses log analysis methods to analyze and compare "geologic and hydrologic data obtained from well tests and core studies," focusing specifically on the Edwards aquifer in Texas. It contains maps, tables, and figures.
Date: July 1978
Creator: MacCary, L. M.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Digital Model for Simulated Effects of Ground-Water Pumping in the Hueco Bolson, El Paso Area, Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico (open access)

Digital Model for Simulated Effects of Ground-Water Pumping in the Hueco Bolson, El Paso Area, Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico

From abstract: The Hueco Bolson provides a substantial part of the municipal and industrial water supply of the El Paso area of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico. Although the supply of fresh ground water in the bolson is large, about 10.6 million acre-feet (13,070 hm^3) in 1973 in the Texas part of the bolson alone, the supply is being depleted.
Date: April 1976
Creator: Meyer, W. R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Method of Estimating Natural Recharge to the Edwards Aquifer in the San Antonio Area, Texas (open access)

Method of Estimating Natural Recharge to the Edwards Aquifer in the San Antonio Area, Texas

This report examines the annual recharge to the Edwards Aquifer in San Antonio, Texas and how to collect annual recharge data. It includes maps and tables.
Date: April 1978
Creator: Puente, Celso
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Quality of Surface Waters in Texas (open access)

The Quality of Surface Waters in Texas

Abstract: The discharge-weighted average concentrations of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate for many of the principal streams in Texas are less than 500 mg/1 (milligrams per liter), 250 mg/1, and·250 mg/1, respectively. At 65 of 131 sites on streams that were sampled at least 10 times, the biochemical oxygen demand of at· least half the samples exceeded 3,0 mg/1. At 20 of the sites, the dissolved-oxygen content of at least !half the samples was less than 5.0_ mg/1. The higher concentrations of minor elements usually were detected in waters from urban areas, indicating a relation to man's activities. Small amounts of some pesticides are widely distributed in low concentrations. The higher concentrations usually were detected in waters from urban areas. Small amounts of some of the pesticides studied are widely distributed in surface waters in Texas. Some of the more widely distributed pesticides were 2,4,5-T at 96 sites, diazinon at 80 sites, 2,4-D at 78 sites, dieldrin at 77 sites, Silvex at 47 sites, DDT at 67 sites, lindane at 59 sites, DDD at 51 sites, DDE at SO sites, and chlordane at 38 sites.
Date: July 1974
Creator: Rawson, Jack
System: The UNT Digital Library
Technique for Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency of Floods in Texas (open access)

Technique for Estimating the Magnitude and Frequency of Floods in Texas

Abstract: Drainage area, slope, and mean annual precipitation were the only factors that were statistically significant at the 95-percent confidence level when the characteristics of the drainage basins were used as independent variables in a multiple-regression flood-frequency analysis of natural, unregulated streams in Texas. The State was divided into six regions on the basis of the distribution of the residuals from a single statewide regression of the 10-year flood. Equations were developed for predicting the magnitude of floods with recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years in each of the six regions. These equations are applicable to unregulated rural streams with drainage basins ranging in area from 0.3 square mile to about 5,000 square miles in some regions. Regression equations were not developed for several areas, particularly in south Texas, because of the lack of definition of the flood-frequency characteristics.
Date: 1977
Creator: Schroeder, E. E & Massey, B. C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Use of the STORM Model for Estimating the Quantity and Quality of Runoff from the Metropolitan Area of Houston, Texas (open access)

Use of the STORM Model for Estimating the Quantity and Quality of Runoff from the Metropolitan Area of Houston, Texas

From introduction: The purpose of this study, made in cooperation with the Texas Department of Water Resources, was to adapt an existing model to utilize available streamflow and water quality data to compute runoff from the Houston area and to compute the concentrations and loads of selected water-quality constituents contained in the inflow to Galveston Bay.
Date: November 1979
Creator: Waddell, Kidd M.; Massey, Bernard C. & Jennings, Marshall E.
System: The UNT Digital Library