Hydrogeology Science in Oklahoma and Texas - Overview
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By Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center
April 26, 2018
Hydrogeology is the study of how groundwater moves and is distributed. At the USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC), hydrogeologic studies focus on regional groundwater assessments, focused investigations, aquifer delineation, and inter-agency science support.
HYDROGEOLOGY SCIENCE CAPABILITIES
OTWSC has expertise in a wide variety of hydrogeology science applications, including, but not limited to:
- Delineating and characterizing aquifers
- Determining groundwater sources, recharge, discharge, and mixing zones.
- Mapping geology and hydrostratigraphy
- Characterizing the connection between surface water and groundwater
- Collecting, processing, and interpreting groundwater-level and aquifer-sediment-compaction data
- Modeling
- Parameter and predictive uncertainty
- Regional conceptual models of hydrogeologic frameworks
- Integrated surface-water/groundwater
- Groundwater flow
- Saline and brackish water flow and transport
Find out more about OTWSC groundwater science and karst science expertise in these printable information sheets.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
CURRENT HYDROGEOLOGY SCIENCE
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Aquifer Delineation and Characterization
Edwards Aquifer Groundwater Model Uncertainty Analysis
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Monitoring Network
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Surface-water and Groundwater Interaction
Hydrogeologic Atlas for Fort Bliss
Seismic and Geoelectric Characterization of the Precambrian Granite Gravel Aquifer
Hydrogeologic Investigations
Hydrogeologic Framework of Gaines, Terry, and Yoakum Counties
Hydrogeology of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers within Hays County
Regional Groundwater Assessments
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
Houston Area Groundwater Level and Subsidence Monitoring
National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Groundwater Activities
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program
Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study
Projects related to hydrogeology science 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...
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border have limited surface water supply and rely on transboundary aquifers for industry, agriculture, and drinking water; however, information on water needs, water quality, and the extent and functioning of these aquifers is incomplete. The Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP), established through a binational agreement between the United States...
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...
National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Surface Water Activities
The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project was established by Congress in 1992 to answer the following question: What is the status of the Nation’s water quality and is it getting better or worse? Since 1992, NAWQA has been a primary source of nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. Data and information obtained from...
Hydrogeology of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers within Hays County
The Texas Water Development Board classifies the karstic Edwards and Trinity aquifers as major sources of water in south-central Texas. To effectively manage the water resources in the area, detailed maps and descriptions of the geologic framework and hydrostratigraphic units of the aquifers in Hays County, Texas are needed. In 2016 and 2018, the Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC), in cooperation...
Houston Area Groundwater Level and Subsidence Monitoring
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 USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center Gulf Coast Program collects, processes, and interprets groundwater-level and aquifer-sediment-compaction data to understand the effects of...
Hydrogeologic Framework and Geochemistry of Gaines, Terry, and Yoakum Counties
In 2014, USGS, in cooperation with Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District , Sandy Land Underground Water District , and South Plains Underground Water Conservation District , began a multiphase project to develop a regional conceptual model of the hydrogeologic framework and geochemistry of the Ogallala, Edwards-Trinity, and Dockum aquifers. The Ogallala aquifer is the shallowest...
Hydrogeologic Atlas for Fort Bliss
Successful long term stewardship of Fort Bliss lands includes managing traditional hydrologic resources such as surface water and groundwater resources and increasingly, geologic resources such as geothermal reservoirs and deep well injection locations. The USGS Texas Water Science Center is developing a garrison-wide hydrogeologic atlas that describes the hydrology and hydrogeology of Fort Bliss...
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...
Edwards Aquifer Groundwater Model Uncertainty Analysis
USGS Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) is undertaking a 1.5-year study to assess parameter and predictive uncertainty in the Edwards Aquifer Authority MODFLOW Model using both linear and non-linear techniques. The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) uses two models simulating the periods from 2001 to 2015 (verification model) and the drought of record of 1947-1958 (drought of record model).
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 .
Hydrogeology is the study of how groundwater moves and is distributed. At the USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center (OTWSC), hydrogeologic studies focus on regional groundwater assessments, focused investigations, aquifer delineation, and inter-agency science support.
HYDROGEOLOGY SCIENCE CAPABILITIES
OTWSC has expertise in a wide variety of hydrogeology science applications, including, but not limited to:
- Delineating and characterizing aquifers
- Determining groundwater sources, recharge, discharge, and mixing zones.
- Mapping geology and hydrostratigraphy
- Characterizing the connection between surface water and groundwater
- Collecting, processing, and interpreting groundwater-level and aquifer-sediment-compaction data
- Modeling
- Parameter and predictive uncertainty
- Regional conceptual models of hydrogeologic frameworks
- Integrated surface-water/groundwater
- Groundwater flow
- Saline and brackish water flow and transport
Find out more about OTWSC groundwater science and karst science expertise in these printable information sheets.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
CURRENT HYDROGEOLOGY SCIENCE
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Aquifer Delineation and Characterization
Edwards Aquifer Groundwater Model Uncertainty Analysis
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Monitoring Network
Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Surface-water and Groundwater Interaction
Hydrogeologic Atlas for Fort Bliss
Seismic and Geoelectric Characterization of the Precambrian Granite Gravel Aquifer
Hydrogeologic Investigations
Hydrogeologic Framework of Gaines, Terry, and Yoakum Counties
Hydrogeology of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers within Hays County
Regional Groundwater Assessments
Coastal Lowlands Regional Groundwater Availability Study
Houston Area Groundwater Level and Subsidence Monitoring
National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Groundwater Activities
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program
Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study
Projects related to hydrogeology science 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...
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border have limited surface water supply and rely on transboundary aquifers for industry, agriculture, and drinking water; however, information on water needs, water quality, and the extent and functioning of these aquifers is incomplete. The Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP), established through a binational agreement between the United States...
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...
National Water-Quality Assessment Project in Texas - Surface Water Activities
The USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project was established by Congress in 1992 to answer the following question: What is the status of the Nation’s water quality and is it getting better or worse? Since 1992, NAWQA has been a primary source of nationally consistent data and information on the quality of the Nation’s streams and groundwater. Data and information obtained from...
Hydrogeology of the Edwards and Trinity Aquifers within Hays County
The Texas Water Development Board classifies the karstic Edwards and Trinity aquifers as major sources of water in south-central Texas. To effectively manage the water resources in the area, detailed maps and descriptions of the geologic framework and hydrostratigraphic units of the aquifers in Hays County, Texas are needed. In 2016 and 2018, the Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC), in cooperation...
Houston Area Groundwater Level and Subsidence Monitoring
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 USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center Gulf Coast Program collects, processes, and interprets groundwater-level and aquifer-sediment-compaction data to understand the effects of...
Hydrogeologic Framework and Geochemistry of Gaines, Terry, and Yoakum Counties
In 2014, USGS, in cooperation with Llano Estacado Underground Water Conservation District , Sandy Land Underground Water District , and South Plains Underground Water Conservation District , began a multiphase project to develop a regional conceptual model of the hydrogeologic framework and geochemistry of the Ogallala, Edwards-Trinity, and Dockum aquifers. The Ogallala aquifer is the shallowest...
Hydrogeologic Atlas for Fort Bliss
Successful long term stewardship of Fort Bliss lands includes managing traditional hydrologic resources such as surface water and groundwater resources and increasingly, geologic resources such as geothermal reservoirs and deep well injection locations. The USGS Texas Water Science Center is developing a garrison-wide hydrogeologic atlas that describes the hydrology and hydrogeology of Fort Bliss...
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...
Edwards Aquifer Groundwater Model Uncertainty Analysis
USGS Texas Water Science Center (TXWSC) is undertaking a 1.5-year study to assess parameter and predictive uncertainty in the Edwards Aquifer Authority MODFLOW Model using both linear and non-linear techniques. The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) uses two models simulating the periods from 2001 to 2015 (verification model) and the drought of record of 1947-1958 (drought of record model).
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 .