Status of groundwater-level altitudes and long-term groundwater-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas, 2020

Since the early 1900s, most of the groundwater withdrawals in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, have been from the three primary aquifers that compose the Gulf Coast aquifer system—the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers. Withdrawals from these aquifers are used for municipal supply, commercial and industrial use, and irrigation. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports depicting the status of groundwater-level altitudes and long-term groundwater-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. This report contains regional-scale maps depicting approximate 2020 groundwater-level altitudes (represented by measurements made during December 2019 through March 2020) and long-term groundwater-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers.

In 2020, groundwater-level-altitude contours for the Chicot aquifer ranged from 150 feet (ft) below the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (hereinafter referred to as “datum”) to 200 ft above datum. The 1977–2020 groundwater-level-change contours for the Chicot aquifer depict a large area of decline in groundwater-level altitudes (120 ft) in northwestern Harris County. The largest rise in groundwater-level altitudes in the Chicot aquifer from 1977 to 2020 (200 ft) was in southeastern Harris County.

In 2020, groundwater-level-altitude contours for the Evangeline aquifer ranged from 250 ft below datum to 200 ft above datum. The 1977–2020 groundwater-level-change contours for the Evangeline aquifer depict broad areas where groundwater-level altitudes either declined or rose. The largest decline in groundwater-level altitudes (280 ft) was in southern Montgomery and northern Harris Counties. The largest rise in groundwater-level altitudes in the Evangeline aquifer from 1977 to 2020 (240 ft) was in southeastern Harris County.

In 2020, groundwater-level-altitude contours for the Jasper aquifer ranged from 200 ft below datum to 250 ft above datum. The 2000–20 groundwater-level-change contours for the Jasper aquifer depict groundwater-level declines throughout most of the study area where groundwater-level-altitude data from the Jasper aquifer were collected, with the largest decline (220 ft) in southern Montgomery County.