--> Abstract: The Quest for a Comprehensive Understanding of Storage and Flow Patterns Within the Edwards Aquifer, San Antonio Area, Texas, by Bob Maclay; #90078 (2008)

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The Quest for a Comprehensive Understanding of Storage and Flow Patterns Within the Edwards Aquifer, San Antonio Area, Texas

Bob Maclay
n/a, San Antonio, TX

The Edwards aquifer is the main source of water within the San Antonio area, Texas. A more comprehensive understanding of storage characteristics and flow patterns within the unconfined area is essential to characterize the potential of the Edwards aquifer to act as a water source, to sustain springflow, and to protect the resource from contamination. Future water management decisions undoubtedly will be dictated by social or political constraints, however, these decisions will be hopefully guided by our understanding of the hydrology of the system. Current management practices are based on knowledge derived from many previous investigations that determined the extent of the aquifer and hydrologic relationships among springflow, pumpage, and recharge. The most challenging management objective is to sustain discharge from Comal and San Marcos springs at or above the prescribed, mandatory rates. This objective is typically attained by controlling pumpage, however this objective is becoming more elusive with increasing water demands. A refined concept of the groundwater flow paths within the Edwards Aquifer unconfined zone and estimates of how long water is retained before entering the confined zone are needed. Current data on the hydrogeology of the Edwards Aquifer are not adequate to refine our present conceptualizations. Needed data include mapping of the surface geology that identify hydrostratigrahic units, identifying karstic features including all known caves, better maps of water-level and the saturated thickness, more water chemistry data, and tracer tests to determine direction and rate of flow. These data need to be incorporated into new models so that the proposed plans can be evaluated with greater assurance of the success for their intended purposes.

 

AAPG Search and Discover Article #90078©2008 AAPG Annual Convention, San Antonio, Texas