Unified Interior Regions
Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf
Regions L2 Landing Page Tabs
InFRM Flood Inundation Mapping
The purpose of this flood inundation mapping effort will be to meet the needs of real-time emergency managers by bridging the gap between the NWS's river forecasts and FEMA's available hydraulic modeling and mapping.
Hydrologic Trends Analysis on selected Texas streams
The USGS provides technical advice or assistance to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
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...
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...
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 ...
Hydrogeologic and Geochemical Investigation of the Trinity and Northern Segment Edwards Aquifers
The USGS Texas Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District and Bell County Adaptive Management Coalition, is evaluating the hydrogeology and water quality of the Northern segment of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers in Bell County to provide regional resource managers responsible for regulation of water use and drought management strategies...
Geophysical Logging of Dockum Aquifer
To aid in the understanding of the Dockum aquifer, USGS will collect borehole geophysical logs at multiple Dockum wells. All geophysical logs will be reviewed to assess lithology and groundwater quality changes.
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...
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...
Post Hurricane Harvey Assessment
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey related flooding, the USGS Texas Water Science Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiated a cooperative study to evaluate the magnitude of the flood, determine the probability of occurrence, and map the extent of the flood in Texas.
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.
Dallas Lake Nutrients Study
The USGS Texas Water Science Center Nutrients Study for Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) provides discrete-depth data for nutrients, major ions, and other water-quality parameters in multiple source-water reservoirs used by DWU. The program is designed to assess nutrient and major ion occurrence, distribution, and concentration in waters by using established field and laboratory methods.
Annual and approximately quarterly series peak streamflow derived from interpretations of indirect measurements for a crest-stage gage network in Texas through water year 2015
In 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), incooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation,began collecting annual and approximately quarterly seriespeak-streamflow data at streamflow-gaging stations in smalltomedium-sized watersheds in central and western Texasas part of a crest-stage gage (CSG) network, along withselected flood-...
Asquith, William H.; Harwell, Glenn R.; Winters, Karl E.
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...
Ikard, Scott J.; Banta, J. Ryan; Stanton, Gregory P.
Status of groundwater-level altitudes and long-term groundwater-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas, 2018
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, industrial, and irrigation purposes. This report,...
Shah, Sachin D.; Ramage, Jason K.; Braun, Christopher L.
Characterization of peak streamflows and flood inundation of selected areas in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana from the August and September 2017 flood resulting from Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, on August 25, 2017, as a Category 4 hurricane with wind gusts exceeding 150 miles per hour. As Harvey moved inland, the forward motion of the storm slowed down and produced tremendous rainfall amounts over southeastern Texas, with 8-day rainfall amounts exceeding 60 inches in some locations,...
Watson, Kara M.; Harwell, Glenn R.; Wallace, David S.; Welborn, Toby L.; Stengel, Victoria G.; McDowell, Jeremy S.
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
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...
Opsahl, Stephen P.; Musgrove, MaryLynn; Mahler, Barbara; Lambert, Rebecca B.
New insights on scale-dependent surface-groundwater exchange from a floating self-potential Dipole
In south-central Texas the lower Guadalupe River has incised into the outcrop of the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. The river and the aquifer are hydraulically connected across the outcrop, although the connectivity is obscured at the surface by alluvium and surface-water and groundwater exchange dynamics are currently poorly understood. To investigate...
Ikard, Scott; Teeple, Andrew P.; Payne, Jason ; Stanton, Gregory P.; Banta, J. Ryan
Lakes and reservoirs—Guidelines for study design and sampling
The “National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data” (NFM) is an online report with separately published chapters that provides the protocols and guidelines by which U.S. Geological Survey personnel obtain the data used to assess the quality of the Nation’s surface-water and groundwater resources. Chapter A10 reviews limnological...
Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow in the Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington) Aquifer, Oklahoma, 1987 to 2009, and simulation of available water in storage, 2010–2059
The Central Oklahoma (Garber-Wellington) aquifer underlies about 3,000 square miles of central Oklahoma. The study area for this investigation was the extent of the Central Oklahoma aquifer. Water from the Central Oklahoma aquifer is used for public, industrial, commercial, agricultural, and domestic supply. With the exception of Oklahoma City,...
Mashburn, Shana L.; Ryter, Derek W.; Neel, Christopher R.; Smith, S. Jerrod; Correll, Jessica S.
Water quality, sources of nitrate, and chemical loadings in the Geronimo Creek and Plum Creek watersheds, south-central Texas, April 2015–March 2016
Located in south-central Texas, the Geronimo Creek and Plum Creek watersheds have long been characterized by elevated nitrate concentrations. From April 2015 through March 2016, an assessment was done by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, to...
Lambert, Rebecca B.; Opsahl, Stephen P.; Musgrove, MaryLynn Forecast first: An argument for groundwater modeling in reverse
Numerical groundwater models are important compo-nents of groundwater analyses that are used for makingcritical decisions related to the management of ground-water resources. In this support role, models are oftenconstructed to serve a specific purpose that is to provideinsights, through simulation, related to a specific func-tion of a complex...
White, Jeremy T. The importance of parameterization when simulating the hydrologic response of vegetative land-cover change
Computer models of hydrologic systems are frequently used to investigate the hydrologic response of land-cover change. If the modeling results are used to inform resource-management decisions, then providing robust estimates of uncertainty in the simulated response is an important consideration. Here we examine the importance of parameterization,...
White, Jeremy T.; Stengel, Victoria G.; Rendon, Samuel H.; Banta, John
Hydrogeology and simulated groundwater flow and availability in the North Fork Red River aquifer, southwest Oklahoma, 1980–2013
On September 8, 1981, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board established regulatory limits on the maximum annual yield of groundwater (343,042 acre-feet per year) and equal-proportionate-share (EPS) pumping rate (1.0 acre-foot per acre per year) for the North Fork Red River aquifer. The maximum annual yield and EPS were based on a hydrologic...
Smith, S. Jerrod; Ellis, John H.; Wagner, Derrick L.; Peterson, Steven M.
Water Quality Sampling on Lake Houston Following Hurricane Harvey
USGS scientist Lisa Ashmore services a water-quality monitor on Lake Houston. These instruments stayed afloat and collected data throughout the storm.
Image of the Week: Hurricane Harvey Inundates Gulf Coast
Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 25th. Over the next few days, record rain totals had devastated the area.
At the USGS EROS Center, we study land change, operate the Landsat satellites, and maintain the longest, continuously acquired collection of images of the Earth's land surface.
Collecting Water Quality Samples following Harvey
USGS scientists Lisa Ashmore and Lee Bodkin collect water-quality samples on Lake Houston in response to the high flow conditions that resulted from Harvey.
Servicing a Streamgage at Addicks Reservoir following Hurricane Harvey
USGS scientist Jimmy Hopkins repairs a streamgage downstream of Addicks reservoir at Buffalo Bayou after flooding from Hurricane Harvey. This gauge is normally accessed on land from a platform on the side of a bridge.
Servicing a water-quality monitor following Harvey
USGS scientist Lisa Ashmore services a water-quality monitor on Lake Houston. These instruments stayed afloat and collected data throughout Harvey.
Measuring Hurricane Harvey Flooding on the Guadalupe River
USGS scientist Alec MacDonald takes flood measurements on the Guadalupe River in Victoria, Texas.
Servicing the Streamgage at Addicks Reservoir
USGS scientist Tom Pistillo services the streamgage at Addicks Reservoir to ensure that accurate reservoir water-level data are being measured, which are critical for helping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Harris County Flood Control District make informed reservoir operation decisions.
Hurricane Harvey Flooding at Addicks Reservoir
USGS field crew measure reservoir water-level data at Addicks Reservoir, which are critical for helping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers make informed reservoir operation decisions.
Hurricane Harvey Flooding at Addicks Reservoir
USGS field crew measure reservoir water-level data at Addicks Reservoir, which are critical for helping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers make informed reservoir operation decisions.
Servicing a Streamgage at Barker Reservoir Following Hurricane Harvey
USGS scientist Tom Pistillo wades through the waters of Barker Reservoir to ensure accurate reservoir water-level data are being measured, which are critical for helping the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Harris County Flood Control District make informed reservoir operation decisions.
Planning Hurricane Harvey Response Efforts
Planning meeting at the USGS Gulf Coast Office.
Hurricane Harvey Flooding on Buffalo Bayou at Piney Point
USGS field crews made multiple record high flood measurements on Aug. 27, including downstream of Addicks and Barker dam. Flood measurements near Addicks and Barker dam are critical for making public safety decisions, as 1.2 million people live downstream.
USGS hydrologic technicians Eric Boeding and Robert Ellis measured the height and speed of
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A regional assessment of untreated groundwater in the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system in the southeastern United States is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey.
A new U.S. Geological Survey website provides important information about streamflow in the Comal and San Marcos Rivers and springflow at Comal and San Marcos Springs. This website was developed in collaboration with the Edwards Aquifer Authority.
This is the largest estimate of continuous oil that USGS has ever assessed in the United States.
Distant wastewater disposal wells likely induced the third largest earthquake in recent Oklahoma record, the Feb. 13, 2016, magnitude 5.1 event roughly 32 kilometers northwest of Fairview, Oklahoma. These findings from the U.S. Geological Survey are available in the online edition of Geophysical Research Letters.
Revisions follow standard USGS re-analysis
A new report by the U.S. Geological Survey shows, for the first time ever, detailed habitat information on the entire range of a federally listed endangered bird allowing officials to take a scientific approach to helping protect the species.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck in Oklahoma on September 3, 2016 at 12:02:44 UTC (7:02 am local time).
Climate Science Center Offers Semester-Long Course
Future groundwater replenishment in the Upper Colorado River Basin may benefit from projected increases in future basin-wide precipitation under current climate projections, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation.
Not all wildfires are bad, such as the one in this week's EarthView...
“From the mountains to the coast, the southeastern U.S. contains ecosystems that harbor incredible biodiversity. Many of those ecosystems are already highly at risk from urbanization and other human land-use change. Identifying the ecosystems at risk from climate change will help inform conservation and management to ensure we don’t lose that biodiversity.” (Jennifer Constanza, report author)
A new report about how groundwater quality and quantity has changed in and around Gaines, Terry and Yoakum counties, Texas is now available from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Contacts
Locations
Region 6: Arkansas-Rio Grande-Texas-Gulf
South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center
Texas Water Science Center
Phone: (512) 927-3500
Fax: (512) 927-3590
Oklahoma Branch Office
Phone: 405-810-4400
Fax: 405-843-7712
Tulsa Field Office
Phone: 918-254-6651
Woodward Field Office
Phone: 580-256-5031
Lubbock Field Office
Phone: (806) 993-0229
Fax: (806) 993-0235
Gulf Coast Branch (Houston) Office
Phone: (936) 271-5300
Fax: (936) 271-5399
Wichita Falls Field Office
Phone: (940) 397-4453
North Texas Branch (Fort Worth) Office
Phone: (817) 263-9545
Fax: (682) 316-5022
El Paso Field Office
Phone: (915) 534-6308
Fax: (915) 534-6299
San Angelo Field Office
Phone: (325) 944-4600
Fax: (325) 942-0495
Corpus Christi Field Office
Phone: (361) 825-2073
Fax: (361) 825-2025
South Texas Branch (San Antonio) Office
Phone: (210) 691-9200
Fax: (210) 691-9270