Geology topics

Research about Texas

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Texas.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources

USGS2001

Reconnaissance for trace metals in bed sediment, Wright Patman Lake, near Texarkana, Texas

Many contaminants can be introduced into the environment by urban and industrial activities. The drainage area of Wright Patman Lake is influenced by these activities. Among the contaminants associated with urban and industrial activities are trace metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and zinc. These contaminants are relatively insoluble in water and commonly are found in stream, lake, and reservoir bottom sediment, especially the clays and silts within the sediment. Wright Patman Lake serves as the major potable water supply for the city of Texarkana and surrounding communities. Texarkana, located in the northeastern corner of Texas and the southwestern corner of Arkansas, had a population of about 56,000 in 1998, which reflects an increase of about 3.4 percent from the 1990 census (Ramos, 1999). Texarkana Water Utilities, which manages the water-treatment facilities for Texarkana, proposes to dredge the lake bed near the water intake in the Elliot Creek arm of Wright Patman Lake. It is possible that arsenic, lead, mercury, and other trace metals might be released into the water if the bed sediment is disturbed. Bed sediment in the Elliot Creek arm of the lake, in particular, could contain trace metals because of its proximity to Red River Army Depot and because industrial land use is prevalent in the headwaters of Elliot Creek. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Reconnaissance for Trace Metals in Bed Sediment, Wright Patman Lake, Near Texarkana, Texas In cooperation with the Texarkana Water Utilities conducted a reconnaissance of Wright Patman Lake to collect bed-sediment samples for analysis of trace metals. This report presents trace metal concentrations in bed-sediment samples collected at six sites along the Elliot Creek arm of the lake, one site each in two adjacent arms, and one site near the dam on June 16, 1999 (fig. 1). One bed-sediment sample was collected at each of the nine sites, and one sediment core was collected at each of two of the sites. Trace metal concentrations are compared to sediment-quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life and to screening levels based on historical trace metal concentrations in bed sediment of Texas reservoirs.

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USGS2001

Effects of oil and gas production on Lake Meredith sediments, 1964-99

Lake Meredith lies on the dry and windswept High Plains of the Texas Panhandle and is a popular recreation area for the region. Oil and gas exploration and extraction have been ongoing at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area since about 1930. More than 250 wells, including those abandoned or relocated, are within the boundaries of the recreation area. Oil and gas wells in the watershed of Lake Meredith number in the thousands.

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USGS2001

Water budget for the Nueces Estuary, Texas, May-October 1998

The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), and Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) are charged by the Texas Legislature with determining freshwater inflows required to maintain the ecological health of streams, bays, and estuaries in Texas. To determine required inflows, the three agencies collect data and conduct studies on the needs for freshwater inflows to Texas estuaries. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the TWDB, conducted a study in the Nueces estuary (fig. 1) during May–October 1998 to provide water-budget data for calibration of a TWDB model that will be used to estimate the effects of different freshwater inflow volumes on circulation and salinity in the estuary. The water budget (inflows and outflows) for the Nueces estuary was estimated by using (1) data collected during this study, (2) data collected at two upstream streamflow-gaging stations previous to this study, and (3) evaporation and return-flow data obtained from other agencies. This fact sheet describes the data-collection methods and the results of the water-budget estimates for the Nueces estuary.

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USGS2001

Discharge between San Antonio Bay and Aransas Bay, southern Gulf Coast, Texas, May-September 1999

Along the Gulf Coast of Texas, many estuaries and bays are important habitat and nurseries for aquatic life. San Antonio Bay and Aransas Bay, located about 50 and 30 miles northeast, respectively, of Corpus Christi, are two important estuarine nurseries on the southern Gulf Coast of Texas (fig. 1). According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, “Almost 80 percent of the seagrasses [along the Texas Gulf Coast] are located in the Laguna Madre, an estuary that begins just south of Corpus Christi Bay and runs southward 140 miles to South Padre Island. Most of the remaining seagrasses, about 45,000 acres, are located in the heavily traveled San Antonio, Aransas and Corpus Christi Bay areas” (Shook, 2000). Population growth has led to greater demands on water supplies in Texas. The Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission have the cooperative task of determining inflows required to maintain the ecological health of the State’s streams, rivers, bays, and estuaries. To determine these inflow requirements, the three agencies collect data and conduct studies on the need for instream flows and freshwater/ saline water inflows to Texas estuaries. To assist in the determination of freshwater inflow requirements, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, conducted a hydrographic survey of discharge (flow) between San Antonio Bay and Aransas Bay during the period May–September 1999. Automated instrumentation and acoustic technology were used to maximize the amount and quality of data that were collected, while minimizing personnel requirements. This report documents the discharge measured at two sites between the bays during May–September 1999 and describes the influences of meteorologic (wind and tidal) and hydrologic (freshwater inflow) conditions on discharge between the two bays. The movement of water between the bays is controlled primarily by prevailing winds, tidal fluctuations, and freshwater inflows. An adequate understanding of mixing and physical exchange in the estuarine waters is fundamental to the assessment of the physical, chemical, and biological processes governing the aquatic system.

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USGS2001

Index of stations— Surface-water data-collection network of Texas, September 1999

As of September 30, 1999, the surface-water data-collection network of Texas (table 1) included 321 continuous-record streamflow stations (D), 20 continuous-record gage-height only stations (G), 24 crest-stage partial-record stations (C), 40 floodhydrograph partial-record stations (H), 25 low-flow partial-record stations (L), 1 continuous-record temperature station (M1), 25 continuous-record temperature and specific conductance stations (M2), 17 continuous-record temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH stations (M4), 4 daily water-quality stations (Qd), 115 periodic water-quality stations (Qp), 17 reservoir/lake surveys for water quality stations (Qs), 85 continuous or daily reservoircontent stations (R), and 10 daily precipitation stations (Pd). Plate 1 identifies the major river basins in Texas and shows the location of the stations listed in table 1. Table 1 shows the station number and name, latitude and longitude, type of station, and office responsible for the collection of the data and maintenance of the record. An 8-digit permanent numerical designation for all gaging stations has been adopted on a nationwide basis; stations are numbered and listed in downstream order. In the downstream direction along the main stem, all stations on a tributary entering between two main-stem stations are listed between these two stations. A similar order is followed in listing stations by first rank, second rank, and other ranks of tributaries. The rank of any tributary, with respect to the stream to which it is an immediate tributary, is indicated by an indention in the table. Each indention represents one rank. This downstream order and system of indention shows which gaging stations are on tributaries between any two stations on a main stem and the rank of the tributary on which each gaging station is situated.

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USGS2001

Water-level altitudes in wells completed in the Jasper aquifer, greater Houston area, Texas, Spring 2000

This report, prepared in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents a map showing the approximate water-level altitudes in spring 2000 in wells completed in the Jasper aquifer (back of page). The most recent previously published water-level-altitude map for the Jasper aquifer in the region is by Popkin (1971). The study area includes Montgomery County and parts of Harris, Waller, Grimes, and Walker Counties.

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USGS2001

Water-level altitudes 2001 and water-level changes 1990-2001 and 2000-2001 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Fort Bend County and adjacent areas, Texas

This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes since 1990 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in Fort Bend County and adjacent areas, Texas. The report, prepared in cooperation with the Fort Bend Subsidence District, presents maps for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers showing the approximate water-level altitudes in wells in 2001 (figs 1,4) and approximate water-level changes in wells from 1990 to 2001 and from 2000 to 2001 (figs 2,3,5,6). The most recent previously published water-level-altitude maps and water-level-change maps for the Chicot aquifer are by Wesselman (1972). The first maps of water-level altitudes and water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers are by Locke (1990).

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USGS2001

Water-level altitudes 2001, water-level changes 1977-2001 and 2000-2001, and compaction 1973-2000 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes since 1977 and compaction since 1973 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report, prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents maps for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers showing the approximate water-level altitudes in wells in 2001 (figs 1,4) and approximate water-level changes in wells from 1977 to 2001 and from 2000 to 2001 (figs 2,3,5,6), a map showing extensometer site locations (fig. 7), and graphs showing measured compaction of subserface material at selected sites from 1973 to 2000 (fig. 8). The most recent previously published water-level-altitude maps and water-level-change maps for the two aquifers in the region are by Coplin and Santos. (2000). The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

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USGS2001

Water resources data Texas, water year 2000, volume 1. Arkansas River basin, Red River basin, Sabine River basin, Neches River basin, and intervening coastal basins

Water-resources data for the 2000 water year for Texas are presented in six volumes, and consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and canals; stage, contents, and water-quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. Volume 1 contains records for water discharge at 68 gaging stations; stage only at 3 gaging stations; stage and contents at 37 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 39 gaging stations; and data for 9 partial-record stations comprised of 6 flood-hydrograph and 3 low-flow stations. Also included are lists of discontinued surface-water discharge or stage-only stations and discontinued surface-water-quality stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies in Texas. Records for a few pertinent stations in the bordering States also are included.

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USGS2001

Water resources data Texas, water year 2000, volume 2. Trinity River basin

Water-resources data for the 2000 water year for Texas are presented in six volumes, and consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and canals; stage, contents, and water-quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. Volume 2 contains records for water discharge at 49 gaging stations; stage only at 3 gaging stations; stage and contents at 24 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 34 gaging stations; and data for 3 partial-record stations comprised of 2 flood-hydrograph and 1 crest-stage stations. Also included are lists of discontinued surface-water discharge or stage-only stations and discontinued surface-water-quality stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies in Texas. Records for a few pertinent stations in the bordering States also are included.

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USGS2001

Water resources data Texas, water year 2000, volume 3. San Jacinto River basin, Brazos River basin, San Bernard River basin, and intervening coastal basins

Water-resources data for the 2000 water year for Texas are presented in six volumes, and consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and canals; stage, contents, and water quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. Volume 3 contains records for water discharge at 84 gaging stations; stage only at 9 gaging stations; stage and contents at 32 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 25 gaging stations; and data for 43 partial-record stations comprised of 18 flood-hydrograph, 8 low-flow, 14 crest-stage, and 3 miscellaneous stations. Also included are lists of discontinued surface-water discharge or stage-only stations and discontinued surface-water-quality stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies in Texas. Records for a few pertinent stations in the bordering States also are included.

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USGS2001

Water resources data Texas, water year 2000, volume 4. Colorado River basin, Lavaca River basin, and intervening coastal basins

Water-resources data for the 2000 water year for Texas are presented in six volumes, and consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and canals; stage, contents, and water-quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. Volume 4 contains records for water discharge at 58 gaging stations; stage only at 2 gaging stations; stage and contents at 14 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 30 gaging stations; and data for 13 partial-record stations comprised of 5 flood-hydrograph, 5 low-flow, 1 crest-stage, and 2 miscellaneous stations. Also included are lists of discontinued surface-water discharge or stage-only stations and discontinued surface-water-quality stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies in Texas. Records for a few pertinent stations in the bordering States also are included.

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USGS2001

Water resources data Texas, water year 2000, volume 5. Guadalupe River basin, Nueces River basin, Rio Grande basin, and intervening coastal basins

Water-resources data for the 2000 water year for Texas are presented in six volumes, and consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and canals; stage, contents, and water-quality of lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality of ground-water wells. Volume 5 contains records for water discharge at 71 gaging stations; stage only at 4 gaging stations; stage and contents at 4 lakes and reservoirs; water quality at 29 gaging stations; and data for 23 partial-record stations comprised of 3 flood-hydrograph, 10 low-flow, 6 crest-stage, and 4 miscellaneous stations. Also included are lists of discontinued surface-water discharge or stage-only stations and discontinued surface-water-quality stations. Additional water data were collected at various sites, not part of the systematic data-collection program, and are published as miscellaneous measurements. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies in Texas. Records for a few pertinent stations in the bordering States also are included.

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USGS2001

Water resources data Texas, water year 2000, volume 6. Ground water

Water-resources data for the 2000 water year for Texas consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; stage and contents in lakes and reservoirs; and water levels and water quality in wells. Volume 6 contains water levels for 898 observation wells and 145 water-quality data for monitoring wells. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating Federal, State, and local agencies in Texas.

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USGS2001

Influence of stream habitat and land use on benthic macroinvertebrate indicators of stream quality of selected above-tidal streams in the Houston-Galveston Area Council service area, Texas, 1997–98

During 1997–98, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council, collected stream-habitat and benthic macroinvertebrate data for 31 reaches on abovetidal streams in the Council service area near Houston, Texas. Stream-habitat, land-use and population, and benthic aquatic insect metrics were determined for the 31 reaches. Statistical analyses were used to determine the stream-habitat, land-use and population, and aquatic insect variables that are strongly intercorrelated and that explain the greatest amount of variation between the reaches. Comparison of stream-habitat and biological integrity scores computed for each of the 31 reaches indicated (1) reaches generally had larger stream-habitat integrity scores in drainage areas that were heavily forested and had fewer people per square mile, (2) larger biological integrity scores were significantly correlated with larger stream-habitat integrity scores, and (3) urban reaches generally had more simplified streamhabitat conditions and smaller biological integrity scores. Seven reaches in the study area were selected as reference reaches on the basis of high streamhabitat integrity and high biological integrity. The reference-reaches median biological integrity score was equaled or exceeded by three reaches (one on Spring Creek and two on Cypress Creek) that are on the State of Texas 303(d) list of threatened or impaired waters with respect to aquatic life. This indicates that direct measures of biological integrity could be used to supplement surrogatebased designations of biological integrity such as the State list. A statistically significant multipleregression model was developed that uses independent variables that can be obtained without fieldintensive studies to predict the biological integrity score for a reach. The deviation from the model’s predicted score with the score based on biological sampling can be used to interpret the degree of biological impairment in a reach. Data from reaches outside the group of reaches used in this study are needed to test the validity of the multipleregression model.

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USGS2001

Indications and potential sources of change in sand transport in the Brazos River, Texas

Changes in the capacity of the Brazos River to transport sand can be identified within the context of Lane’s relation through changes in channel geometry, changes in the characteristics of suspended loads, and changes in discharge. The Brazos River channel has been undergoing continual adjustment since the 1940s. For a discharge of 5,000 cubic feet per second, the watersurface altitude has decreased 2 to 4 feet at the Hempstead and Richmond streamflow-gaging stations between 1940 and 1995. The characteristics of suspended-sediment samples at the Richmond streamflow-gaging station have changed between the periods 1969–81 and 1982– 95. The amount of sand-size sediment transported in suspension has decreased. The distribution of both daily and annual-peak discharges has changed. However, the computed annual loads of suspended sand indicate no statistically significant change in the median annual load. The transport of sand in the Brazos River depends on a complex set of factors, most of which are continually changing. Potential sources of change in sand transport in the Brazos River include the effects of reservoir construction, changes in land use, and instream sand and gravel mining. Extensive reservoir construction in the Brazos River Basin has reduced sand transport by trapping sediment and by reducing the magnitude of peak discharges. However, reductions in sand transport associated with reservoir construction apparently are compensated for by increases associated with tributary sediment inflow and localized bank erosion. The total area of harvested acres of non-hay crops in the lower Brazos River Basin during 1924–92 decreased more than 75 percent from about 32 percent to about 8 percent of the total area. Correspondingly, erosion potential has decreased substantially. Several sand and gravel mining sites are located on the Brazos River between Hempstead and Rosharon. The quantity of sediment extracted by instream sand and gravel mining operations could represent from 11 to 25 percent of the total sand transported by the Brazos River. The effects of mining on sand transport could not be quantified.

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USGS2001

Hydrologic conditions and water quality in an agricultural area in Kleberg and Nueces Counties, Texas, 1996-98

During 1996–98, rainfall and runoff were monitored on a 49,680-acre agricultural watershed in Kleberg and Nueces Counties in South Texas. Nineteen rainfall samples were analyzed for selected nutrients, and runoff samples from 29 storms were analyzed for major ions, nutrients, and pesticides. Loads of nutrients in rainfall and loads of nutrients and pesticides in runoff were computed. For a 40,540-acre part of the watershed (lower study area), constituent loads entering the watershed in rainfall, in runoff from the upper study area, and from agricultural chemical applications to the lower study area were compared with runoff loads exiting the lower study area. Total rainfall for 1996–98 averaged 25.86 inches per year, which is less than the long-term annual average rainfall of 29.80 inches for the area. Rainfall and runoff during 1996–98 were typical of historical patterns, with periods of below average rainfall and runoff interspersed with extreme events. Five individual storms accounted for about 38 percent of the total rainfall and 94 percent of the total runoff. During the 3-year study, the total nitrogen runoff yield from the lower study area was 1.3 pounds per acre per year, compared with 49 pounds per acre per year applied as fertilizer and 3.1 pounds per acre per year from rainfall. While almost all of the fertilizer and rainfall nitrogen was ammonia and nitrate, most of the nitrogen in runoff was particulate organic nitrogen, associated with crop residue. Total nitrogen exiting the lower study area in surface-water runoff was about 2.5 percent of the nitrogen inputs (fertilizer and rainfall nitrogen). Annual deposition of total nitrogen entering the lower study area in rainfall exceeded net yields of total nitrogen exiting the watershed in runoff because most of the rainfall does not contribute to runoff. During the study, the total phosphorus runoff yield from the lower study area was 0.48 pound per acre per year compared with 4.2 pounds per acre per year applied as fertilizer and 0.03 pound per acre per year from rainfall. Twenty-one pesticides were detected in runoff with varying degrees of frequency during the study. The herbicide atrazine was detected in all runoff samples. All of the most frequently detected pesticides (atrazine, trifluralin, simazine, pendimethalin, and diuron) exhibited higher concentrations during the pre-harvest period (March–May) than during the post-harvest period (August–October). During 1996–98, an average of 0.37 pound per acre per year of atrazine was applied to the lower study area. During the same period, 0.0027 pound per acre per year of atrazine and its breakdown product deethylatrazine exited the lower study area in runoff (about 0.7 percent of the total atrazine applied to the cropland). During 1997, when heavy rainfall occurred during the months of April and May, the atrazine plus deethylatrazine exiting the lower study area was 1.8 percent of the applied atrazine. The 1996–98 average sediment yield was 610 pounds per acre per year. Sediment loads from the study area are associated with large storm events. Of the 45,300 tons of sediment transported from the study area during 1996–98 about 87 percent was transported during the three largest runoff events (April 1997, October 1997, and October 1998). Runoff-weighted average concentrations were computed for selected nutrients and pesticides. The 1996–98 runoff-weighted concentrations for total nitrog

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USGS2001

Evaluation of the streamflow-gaging network of Texas and a proposed core network

The U.S. Geological Survey streamflowgaging network in Texas is operated as part of the National Streamgaging Program and is jointly funded by the Geological Survey and Federal, State, and local agencies. This report documents an evaluation of the existing (as of October 1, 1999) network with regard to four major objectives of streamflow data; and on the basis of that evaluation, proposes a core network of streamflowgaging stations that best meets those objectives. The objectives are (1) regionalization (estimate flows or flow characteristics at ungaged sites in 11 hydrologically similar regions), (2) major flow (obtain flow rates and volumes in large streams), (3) outflow from the State (account for streamflow leaving the State), and (4) streamflow conditions assessment (assess current conditions with regard to long-term data, and define temporal trends in flow). The network analysis resulted in a proposed core network of 263 stations. Of those 263 stations, 43 were discontinued as of October 1, 1999, and 15 were partial-record stations. Fifty-five of the proposed core-network stations meet two of the four major objectives, 16 stations meet three objectives, and 1 station meets all four. One-hundred eighty-five stations with a median record length of 33 years were selected to meet the regionalization objective. Ninety-two stations with a median record length of about 62 years were selected to meet the major-flow objective. Twenty-six stations with a median record length of 59 years were selected to meet the outflow from the State objective. Fifty stations with a median record length of 53 years were selected to meet the streamflow conditions assessment objective.

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