--> Abstract: Groundwater Availability Modeling in South Texas, by Cindy Ridgeway and Robert E. Mace; #90032 (2004)

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Groundwater Availability Modeling in South Texas

Cindy Ridgeway and Robert E. Mace
Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas

South Texas is home to several important aquifers that supply water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses. These aquifers include the San Antonio segment of the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone), the Edwards-Trinity (Plateau), the Hill Country part of the Trinity, the Carrizo-Wilcox, the Sparta, and the Queen City. As population and demand for water grows, groundwater is often called upon by cities for the supply of future water.

Numerical groundwater flow models, or groundwater availability models, are good tools for investigating ways to better manage groundwater resources and to assess the possible effects of both pumping and drought impacts on aquifers. Groundwater availability models have been or are being developed for the aquifers of South Texas by Texas Water Development Board staff, their contractors, or the United States Geological Survey through the Edwards Aquifer Authority. Models of the Hill Country part of the Trinity aquifer and the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer have been completed. Models of the other aquifers in the area are expected to be completed by the end of 2004. Once completed, these models will be used by groundwater conservation districts, regional water planning groups, and others to assess the general dynamics of the aquifers. They will be used to assess future water levels in response to future groundwater demands and for possible water management strategies such as new well fields. In the case of the San Antonio segment of the Edwards (Balcones Fault Zone), the Edwards Aquifer Authority plans to use the model to assess different ways to manage the aquifer.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90032©2004 GCAGS 54th Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas, October 10-12, 2004