Mace’s

RobertE.Mace,Ph.D.,P.G.TexasWaterDevelopmentBoard

presentedtoTexasAllianceofGroundwaterDistricts’

LeadershipTrainingOctober27,2016

BIZARRETEXASGROUNDWATERFACTS!

ThefollowingpresentaHonisbaseduponprofessionalresearchandanalysiswithinthescopeoftheTexasWaterDevelopmentBoard’sstatutoryresponsibiliHesandprioriHesbut,unlessspecificallynoted,doesnotnecessarilyreflectofficialBoardposiHonsordecisions.

BelieveitorNot!

40%ofallwaterusedinTexascomesfromtheOgallala

Aquifer!

*anditusedtobe50%!

WaterlevelsarerisinginpartsoftheOgallala!

ThelongesttransportofwaterinTexasisbythe

CanadianRiverMunicipalWater

Authority!(ifyoudon’tcountShinerBock…)

CanadianRiverMunicipalWaterAuthority

OgallalaAquifer

• 322miles(+LakeMeredithwhenavailable…)

There’smorerechargetotheOgallala

thantheEdwards!

Ogallala:~1,100,000AFYEdwards:~640,000AFY

but…

ThewatertableisprobablydroppingfasterintheOgallalaaquifer

thanrecharge!

TexasalmostbroughttheMississippiRivertotheHighPlainstosolvethe“OgallalaProblem”!

TexasWaterDevelopmentBoard1968

DellCityhadTexas’first(andthenafon’sfigh)desalinafonplant

in1967!

1961

Youcangofishinginthe

EdwardsAquifer!

TheDNAofthesecriPerscanbetraced

backto~Cretaceous

Hmes!

World’slargestfreshwatershrimpwasfedbyspringsfromthe

EdwardsAquifer!GiantFreshwaterPrawnBigClawRiverShrimp

CaughtintheDevil’sRiver!

Yum!

Houstonhassunkupwardsof10feetdue(inlargepart)to

groundwaterpumping!

GULF OF MEXICOGULF OF MEXICO

GALVESTON

BAY

GALVESTON

BAY

HOUSTONHOUSTON

95º96º

97º 31º

30º

29º

N

1.0

3.04.0

5.06.0

4.0

2.03.0

9.0

8.0

7.06.0

5.0

2.0

1.0

6.0

5.04.0

7.0

8.0

10.09.0 9.0

8.0

7.0

1906-1995MeasuredLand-SurfaceSubsidence

fromUSGS

land subsidence

photos from USGS’s Circular 1182

ElPasohassunktoo!

2.5to5inchesalongtheRioGrande

OneofthefirstthingsIdealtwithattheTWDBwasadrive-bywaterwitching!

TheSeymourAquiferisa

man-madeaquifer

ThetownofBurkburnek(nearWichitaFalls)uses

93wellsforwatersupply!

NumberofgroundwaterconservaHondistrictsthroughthedecades…

9797

currently99districts(+twosubsidencedistricts)

972,914districtsby2060

Mybookshelf

ofgroundwaterreferencesisorganizedbycolor!

Thereusedtobe

astumpwellnearGlenRose!

WacousedtobeknownasGeyserCity!

Bell’sWelldestroyedtheschool!

DrPepperusedtobecalledtheArtesianMfg

andBoklingCo!

Folksonceproposeddrilling270artesian

wellstoturnDallasintoaseaporttown!

•  Drilledfirstwellin1887•  The“DallasGeyser”:1,000,000gallonsperday•  “Well,Iswar:I’drathergotoseethatthanahanging!”

Dallas:1887

YoucansfllvisitthewellheadatBigRed!

ThediscoveryofartesianwaterinTexasleddirectlytothe

developmentoflargebreweriesinTexas!

TexasBrewingCompany,FortWorth,circa1900

FortWorthakemptedtocircumvent

decliningwaterlevelsintheTrinityAquiferby“followingthewater”!

1903,DallasMorningNews

•  13-feetindiameter,172feetdeepshag•  Overamileintunnels•  13wells•  Abandonedby1910•  AnearlyFreese&Nicholsproject!