Surface-Water and Groundwater Interaction Science in Oklahoma and Texas - Overview Active
Surface-water/groundwater interactions include the exchange of water, and the chemicals that may be present in the water, which can lead to issues with water supply and water quality. Groundwater can be a major contributor to streams, lakes, and wetlands while surface water can contribute recharge to groundwater. The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) uses geophysics and other techniques to study surface-water/groundwater interaction across the state. Visit the links below for more information on our data and science.
Streams interact with groundwater in all types of landscapes. The interaction takes place in three basic ways:
- streams gain water from inflow of groundwater through the streambed (gaining stream),
- streams lose water to groundwater by outflow through the streambed (losing stream), or
- they do both, gaining in some reaches and losing in other reaches.
For groundwater to discharge into a stream channel, the altitude of the water table in the vicinity of the stream must be higher than the altitude of the stream-water surface. Conversely, for surface water to seep to groundwater, the altitude of the water table in the vicinity of the stream must be lower than the altitude of the stream-water surface. Surface-water depletion is directly associated with chronic lowering of groundwater levels. The amount of water that is gained by a stream from groundwater is called baseflow. Several different methods of analyzing hydrographs have been used by hydrologists to determine the baseflow component of streamflow.
The movement of water between groundwater and surface water provides a major pathway for chemical transfer between terrestrial and aquatic systems. As chemicals are transferred between groundwater and surface water, the supply of carbon, oxygen, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and other chemical constituents that enhance biogeochemical processes on both sides of the interface can be affected. This transfer can affect the biological and chemical characteristics of aquatic systems downstream.
SURFACE-WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION SCIENCE CAPABILITIES
OTWSC has expertise in surface-water and groundwater interaction science applications, including, but not limited to:
- Using passive near-surface and frequency-domain electromagnetic induction methods profiling to identify where surface water and groundwater exchange occurs
- Using time-domain electromagnetic sounding (TDEM) and seismic refraction tomography (SRT) geophysical methods for mapping the contact between aquifers
- Providing qualitative information regarding surface-water and groundwater exchanges
- Characterizing the connection between surface water and groundwater
- Estimating surface-water/groundwater exchange as part of the water budget
- Numerical modeling of the integrated surface and groundwater system
- Estimating contributions of runoff and baseflow and evaluate trends in streamflow and baseflow over time
- Quantifying recharge rates to groundwater
Find out more about OTWSC surface-water science and groundwater science expertise in these printable information sheets.
CURRENT SURFACE-WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION SCIENCE
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
Estimating Potential Effects on Streamflow from Nearby Wells in the Lower San Antonio River Basin
Hydrologic Monitoring of Medina and Diversion Lakes, San Antonio Area
Streamflow and Springflow at Comal and San Marcos River
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program
Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study
Using Geophysics to Study Surface-Water/Groundwater Interaction
Seismic and Geoelectric Characterization of the Precambrian Granite Gravel Aquifer
Water Quality
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Monitoring Network
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Surface-water and Groundwater Interaction
Salado Creek Bacteria Source Tracking
Pecos River Basin Salinity Assessment
National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Groundwater Activities
More information about how surface-water and groundwater interact is available in USGS Circular 1139: Ground Water And Surface Water A Single Resource
Projects related to groundwater/surface-water interaction are listed below.
Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study
Investigation of Preferential Groundwater Seepage in the Ellenburger – San Saba Aquifer Using Geoelectric Measurements
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Surface-water and Groundwater Interaction
Red River Focus Area Study
Hydrologic Monitoring of Medina and Diversion Lakes, San Antonio Area
Geoelectric and Seismic Characterization of the Precambrian Granite Gravel Aquifer, Llano Uplift, Central Texas
Urban Waters Federal Partnership - Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Monitoring Network
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Publications related to groundwater/surface-water interaction are listed below.
New insights into surface-water/groundwater exchanges in the Guadalupe River, Texas, from floating geophysical methods
Water-quality observations of the San Antonio segment of the Edwards aquifer, Texas, with an emphasis on processes influencing nutrient and pesticide geochemistry and factors affecting aquifer vulnerability, 2010–16
Streamflow gains and losses in the Colorado River in northwestern Burnet and southeastern San Saba Counties, Texas
A multiphased approach to groundwater investigations for the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
A conceptual hydrogeologic model for the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
A conceptual model of the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
Streamflow, groundwater hydrology, and water quality in the upper Coleto Creek watershed in southeast Texas, 2009–10
Recent (2008-10) water quality in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer and its contributing zone, central Texas, with emphasis on factors affecting nutrients and bacteria
- Overview
Surface-water/groundwater interactions include the exchange of water, and the chemicals that may be present in the water, which can lead to issues with water supply and water quality. Groundwater can be a major contributor to streams, lakes, and wetlands while surface water can contribute recharge to groundwater. The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC) uses geophysics and other techniques to study surface-water/groundwater interaction across the state. Visit the links below for more information on our data and science.
Streams interact with groundwater in all types of landscapes. The interaction takes place in three basic ways:
- streams gain water from inflow of groundwater through the streambed (gaining stream),
- streams lose water to groundwater by outflow through the streambed (losing stream), or
- they do both, gaining in some reaches and losing in other reaches.
For groundwater to discharge into a stream channel, the altitude of the water table in the vicinity of the stream must be higher than the altitude of the stream-water surface. Conversely, for surface water to seep to groundwater, the altitude of the water table in the vicinity of the stream must be lower than the altitude of the stream-water surface. Surface-water depletion is directly associated with chronic lowering of groundwater levels. The amount of water that is gained by a stream from groundwater is called baseflow. Several different methods of analyzing hydrographs have been used by hydrologists to determine the baseflow component of streamflow.
The movement of water between groundwater and surface water provides a major pathway for chemical transfer between terrestrial and aquatic systems. As chemicals are transferred between groundwater and surface water, the supply of carbon, oxygen, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and other chemical constituents that enhance biogeochemical processes on both sides of the interface can be affected. This transfer can affect the biological and chemical characteristics of aquatic systems downstream.
SURFACE-WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION SCIENCE CAPABILITIES
OTWSC has expertise in surface-water and groundwater interaction science applications, including, but not limited to:
- Using passive near-surface and frequency-domain electromagnetic induction methods profiling to identify where surface water and groundwater exchange occurs
- Using time-domain electromagnetic sounding (TDEM) and seismic refraction tomography (SRT) geophysical methods for mapping the contact between aquifers
- Providing qualitative information regarding surface-water and groundwater exchanges
- Characterizing the connection between surface water and groundwater
- Estimating surface-water/groundwater exchange as part of the water budget
- Numerical modeling of the integrated surface and groundwater system
- Estimating contributions of runoff and baseflow and evaluate trends in streamflow and baseflow over time
- Quantifying recharge rates to groundwater
Find out more about OTWSC surface-water science and groundwater science expertise in these printable information sheets.
CURRENT SURFACE-WATER AND GROUNDWATER INTERACTION SCIENCE
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
Estimating Potential Effects on Streamflow from Nearby Wells in the Lower San Antonio River Basin
Hydrologic Monitoring of Medina and Diversion Lakes, San Antonio Area
Streamflow and Springflow at Comal and San Marcos River
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program
Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study
Using Geophysics to Study Surface-Water/Groundwater Interaction
Seismic and Geoelectric Characterization of the Precambrian Granite Gravel Aquifer
Water Quality
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Monitoring Network
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Surface-water and Groundwater Interaction
Salado Creek Bacteria Source Tracking
Pecos River Basin Salinity Assessment
National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Groundwater Activities
More information about how surface-water and groundwater interact is available in USGS Circular 1139: Ground Water And Surface Water A Single Resource
- Science
Projects related to groundwater/surface-water interaction are listed below.
Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study
USGS is undertaking a 3-year study of water use, availability, and change in the Upper Rio Grande Basin in one of several national “Focus Area Studies” in the Department of Interior’s WaterSMART initiative . The Upper Rio Grande study area runs 670 miles from its headwaters in Colorado through New Mexico and northern Mexico to Ft. Quitman, Texas. Along its river corridor, it is a primary source of...Investigation of Preferential Groundwater Seepage in the Ellenburger – San Saba Aquifer Using Geoelectric Measurements
The USGS Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) is completing a geophysical pilot study adjacent to Hamilton Creek in Burnet County, central Texas. The pilot study is intended to test whether electrical geophysical methods can provide information regarding the locations of dissolution cavities and preferential groundwater flow within in the Ellenburger San-Saba aquifer. Data from this study will give...Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Surface-water and Groundwater Interaction
The effects of urbanization across the recharge zone in Bexar County and potential impact on the water quality in the Edwards aquifer is a topic of specific concern for the City of San Antonio. The USGS Texas Water Science Center is simultaneously collecting water-quality data from surface-water runoff sites and paired shallow groundwater wells within the recharge zone of the Edwards aquifer to...Red River Focus Area Study
The USGS is undertaking a 3-year study of water use, availability, and change in the Red River basin in one of several national “Focus Area Studies” in the Department of Interior’s WaterSMART initiative . The Red River basin covers more than 93,000 square miles in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana with a population of about 4.3 million people. Water resources in the basin are...Hydrologic Monitoring of Medina and Diversion Lakes, San Antonio Area
In 2016, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, began a study to refine previously derived estimates of groundwater outflows from Medina and Diversion Lakes in south-central Texas near San Antonio.Geoelectric and Seismic Characterization of the Precambrian Granite Gravel Aquifer, Llano Uplift, Central Texas
The USGS Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) is testing the suitability of seismic refraction tomography (SRT) and time-domain electromagnetic sounding (TDEM) geophysical methods for mapping the contact boundary between the Granite Gravel aquifer and the underlying crystalline Town Mountain Granite bedrock in southwestern Burnet County. The Granite Gravel aquifer is anticipated to show a contrast...Urban Waters Federal Partnership - Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Monitoring Network
The USGS Texas Water Science Center is implementing a more complete and integrated monitoring network for the Edwards aquifer to improve the understanding of aquifer water quality and establish a baseline for measuring future water-quality changes.Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
USGS is undertaking a 5-year study to assess groundwater availability for the aquifers proximal to the Gulf of Mexico from the Texas-Mexico border through the panhandle of Florida, known as the Coastal Lowlands Aquifer System (CLAS). This study is one of several within the Regional Groundwater Availability Studies of the USGS Water Availability and Use Science Program .Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Transboundary aquifers are an essential source of water for United States – Mexico border communities. Declining water levels, deteriorating water quality, and increasing use of groundwater resources on both sides of the border raise concerns about the long-term availability of this supply. The U.S. – Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act (Public Law 109-448) of 2006 was enacted to conduct... - Publications
Publications related to groundwater/surface-water interaction are listed below.
New insights into surface-water/groundwater exchanges in the Guadalupe River, Texas, from floating geophysical methods
In south-central Texas, the amount of streamflow in the Guadalupe River is a primary concern for local and downstream communities because of municipal, agricultural, wildlife, and recreational uses. Understanding the flow paths and rates of exchange between the surface water in the river and the groundwater in the underlying Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer is vital for understanding the water budget and stAuthorsScott J. Ikard, J. Ryan Banta, Gregory P. StantonWater-quality observations of the San Antonio segment of the Edwards aquifer, Texas, with an emphasis on processes influencing nutrient and pesticide geochemistry and factors affecting aquifer vulnerability, 2010–16
As questions regarding the influence of increasing urbanization on water quality in the Edwards aquifer are raised, a better understanding of the sources, fate, and transport of compounds of concern in the aquifer—in particular, nutrients and pesticides—is needed to improve water management decision-making capabilities. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System,AuthorsStephen P. Opsahl, MaryLynn Musgrove, Barbara Mahler, Rebecca B. LambertStreamflow gains and losses in the Colorado River in northwestern Burnet and southeastern San Saba Counties, Texas
In October 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District, began an assessment to better understand if and where groundwater from the Ellenburger-San Saba aquifer is discharging to the Colorado River, and if and where Colorado River streamflow is recharging the Ellenburger-San Saba aquifer in the study area. Discharge measurements wAuthorsChristopher L. Braun, Scott D. GrzybA multiphased approach to groundwater investigations for the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
The Edwards-Trinity aquifer is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and public supply uses in the Pecos County region of western Texas. Resource managers would like to understand the future availability of water in the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Pecos County region and the effects of the possible increase or temporal redistribution of groundwater withdrawals. To provide rAuthorsJonathan V. ThomasA conceptual hydrogeologic model for the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
The Edwards-Trinity aquifer is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and municipal uses in the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas. A conceptual model of the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system in the 4,700 square-mile study area was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation DistrictAuthorsJonathan V. Thomas, Gregory P. Stanton, Johnathan R. Bumgarner, Daniel K. Pearson, Andrew Teeple, Natalie A. Houston, Jason Payne, MaryLynn MusgroveA conceptual model of the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas
A conceptual model of the hydrogeologic framework, geochemistry, and groundwater-flow system of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers, which include the Pecos Valley, Igneous, Dockum, Rustler, and Capitan Reef aquifers, was developed as the second phase of a groundwater availability study in the Pecos County region in west Texas. The first phase of the study was to collect and compile groundwatAuthorsJohnathan R. Bumgarner, Gregory P. Stanton, Andrew Teeple, Jonathan V. Thomas, Natalie A. Houston, Jason Payne, MaryLynn MusgroveStreamflow, groundwater hydrology, and water quality in the upper Coleto Creek watershed in southeast Texas, 2009–10
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District, Victoria County Groundwater Conservation District, Pecan Valley Groundwater Conservation District, Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, and San Antonio River Authority, did a study to examine the hydrology and stream-aquifer interactions in the upper Coleto Creek watershed. Findings of the studAuthorsChristopher L. Braun, Rebecca B. LambertRecent (2008-10) water quality in the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer and its contributing zone, central Texas, with emphasis on factors affecting nutrients and bacteria
The Barton Springs zone, which comprises the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards aquifer and the watersheds to the west that contribute to its recharge, is in south-central Texas, an area with rapid growth in population and increasing amounts of land area affected by development. During November 2008-March 2010, an investigation of factors affecting the fate and transport of nutrients and bacterAuthorsBarbara Mahler, MaryLynn Musgrove, Thomas L. Sample, Corinne I. Wong