Land-Cover, Surface-water, and Streambed-sediment data Collected Upstream from and Within an Area of Oil and Natural-Gas Production, South Texas, 2008-17

The extensive development of oil and natural-gas resources in south Texas during the past 10 years has led to questions regarding possible environmental effects of processes associated with oil and natural-gas production, in particular the process of hydraulic fracturing, on water and other natural resources. Part of the lower San Antonio River watershed intersects an area of oil and natural-gas production from the sedimentary rocks that compose the Eagle Ford Group. The rapid expansion of infrastructure associated with oil and natural-gas production increases potential pathways for inorganic and organic contaminants to enter surface-water systems. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio River Authority, analyzed geospatial data from different years (2008 and 2015) to evaluate changes in land cover associated with oil and natural-gas production activities in the lower San Antonio River watershed. Additionally, during 2015-17 surface-water samples collected from 5 sites and streambed-sediment samples collected from 17 sites in the lower San Antonio River watershed were analyzed for a broad range of constituents that might be associated with oil and natural-gas production.