TEXASWATERDEVELOPMENTBOARD

Report 169

GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OFRAINS AND VAN ZANDT

COUNTIES, TEXASApril 1973

TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD

REPORT 169

GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF RAINS AND

VAN ZANDT COUNTIES, TEXAS

D. E. WhiteUnited States Geological Survey

This report was prepared by the U.S. Geological Surveyunder cooperative agreement with the

Texas Water Development Board

April 1973

TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD

J o h n H . M c C o y , C h a i r m a n Marvin Shurbet, Vice Chairman

R o b e r t B . Gilmore W. E. Tinsley

Milton T. Potts Carl lllig

Harry P. Burleigh, Executive Director

Authorization for use or reproduction of any original material contained inthis publication, i.e., not obtained from other sources, is freely granted. The Boardwould appreciate acknowledgement.

Published and distributed

by theTexas Water Development Board

Post Office Box 13087Austin, Texas 78711

i i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ABSTRACT .

INTRODUCTION..................................................................... 3

Purpose and Scope of the Investigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Location and Extent of the Area 3

Methods of Investigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Previous Investigations 3

Climate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . .. . . . . .. . 4

Physiography and Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Population and Economy 5

Well-Numbering System 6

Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

GEOLOGY AS RELATED TO THE OCCURRENCE OF GROUND WATER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

General Stratigraphy and Structure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Physical Characteristics and Water-Bearing Properties of the Geologic Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Midway Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Wilcox Group 10

Claiborne Group 10

Carrizo Sand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Reklaw Formation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Queen City Sand 19

Weches Greensand and Sparta Sand 19

Alluvium ........•..................................................... 19

Hydrologic Units. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

GROUND-WATER HYDROLOGY 19

Hydrologic Cycle 19

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd.)

Page

Hydraulic Properties of the Aquifers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Use of Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Municipal and Rural Supply 29

Industrial Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Irrigation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Changes in Water Levels in Wells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

WELL CONSTRUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Industrial and Public-Supply Wells 30

Rural-Domestic and Livestock Wells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

QUALITY OF WATER.... .. 33

Standards for Water Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Quality of Surface Water. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Quality of Ground Water 35

Water-Quality Problems 36

Disposal of Oil Field Brine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Grand Saline Salt Dome. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

AVAILABILITY OF GROUND WATER , 40

NEED FOR CONTINUING MEASUREMENTS OF WATER LEVELS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

REFERENCES CITED. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

TABLES

1. Geologic and Hydrologic Units and Their Water-Bearing Properties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

2. Reported Use of Water, 1965-69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

3. Source and Significiince of Dissolved-Mineral Constituents and Properties of Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

4. Records of Wells in Rains and Van Zandt Counties and Adjacent Areas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

5. Chemical Analyses of Water From Wells in Rains and Van Zandt Counties and Adjacent Areas. . . . . . 73

6. Chemical Analyses of Water From Lakes and Streams inRains and Van Zandt Counties and Adjacent Areas .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

FIGURES

1. Map of Texas Showing Locaton of Rains and Van Zandt Counties. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd.)

Page

2. Graph Showing Annual Precipitation at Wills Point, 1905-69 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

3. Graph Showing Average Monthly Precipitation and Temperature atWills Point and Average Monthly Gross Lake-Surface Evaporation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

4. Graphs Showing Populations of Rains and Van Zandt Counties and the State of Texas, 1850-1970 . . . 6

5. Diagram Showing Well-Numbering System 7

6. Geologic Map 11

7. Chart Showing Correlation of Geologic Units Along Line A-A' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

8. Chart Showing Correlation of Geologic Units Along Line B-B' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

9. Map Showing Approximate Altitude of and Depth to the Top of the Midway Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

10. Generalized Diagram of the Hydrologic Cycle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

11. Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Te::.t inWell UX-34-10-602 in the Wilcox Group 21

12. Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test inWell YS-34-17-901 in the Wilcox Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

13. Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test inWell YS-34-18-602 in the Wilcox Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

14. Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test inWell YS-34-19-408 in the Wilcox Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 24

15. Graph Showing Results of Aquifer Tests in Wells Tapping theWilcox Group at Grand Saline 25

16. Graph Showing Results of Aquifer Tests inWells YS-34-19-413 and YS-34-19-414 in the Wilcox Group 26

17. Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test inWell YS-34-19-415 in the Wilcox Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

18. Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test inWell XH-34-28-405 in the Wilcox Group 28

19. Graph Showing the Source and Amount of Water Reported Used, 1965-69 30

20. Water-Level Profiles in the Heavily-Pumped Sands in theWilcox Group Between Grand Saline and Edgewood 31

21. Graphs Showing Municipal and Industrial Pumpage and Declines in WaterLevels in the Vicin ity of Grand Saline 32

22. Map Showing Chemical Quality of Ground Water andRelationship of Specific Conductance to Dissolved Solids 37

23. Map Showing Quality of Water Sampled From Five Sites in theUpper Neches River Basin, June 1970 39

v

TABLE OF CONTENTS (Cont'd.)

Page

24. Map Showing Quality of Water Sampled From Four Sites in theGrand Saline Creek Basin, February 1963 39

25. Map Showing Estimated Potential Yields of Wells Tapping the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer 41

26. Map Showing Locations of Wells and Surface-Water Sampling Sites in Rains andVan Zandt Counties and Adjacent Areas 81

vi

G R O U N D - W A T E R R E S O U R C E S O F R A I N S A N D

V A N Z A N D T C O U N T I E S , T E X A S

BY

D. E. WhiteUnited States Geological Survey

ABSTRACT

Rains and Van Zandt Counties in northeast Texashave abundant water resources and comparatively littlewater demand. The water is derived from the heavyprecipitation (about 43 inches annually), which fills thenumerous lakes and reservoirs, and recharges thefresh-water aquifers.

One of the aquifers in the area, the Carrizo-Wilcox,has been appreciably developed. During 1969, thisaquifer supplied a reported 1,500 acre-feet of water formunicipal supply, industrial use, and rural water systemsin the two counties.

The Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer contains an estimated50 million acre-feet of fresh to slightly saline water instorage. About 10 percent of this amount, or 5 million

acre-feet, is thought to be available to wells. In additionto the water in storage, the Carrizo-Wilcox aquiferannually receives an estimated 5,000 acre-feet ofeffective recharge from precipitation.

Yields of wells tapping the Carrizo-Wilcox aquiferare reported to range from less than 5 to as much as 600gpm (gallons per minute). Most of the municipal andindustrial wells are equipped to pump at rates of 100 to250 gpm. Yields exceeding 250 gpm normally cannot besustained during extended periods of pumping.

A second aquifer, the Queen City Sand, insoutheastern Van Zandt County, which is currentlytapped solely for rural domestic and livestock supply,probably is capable of yielding as much as 150 gpm offresh water to properly constructed wells.

GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OF RAINS AND

VAN ZANDT COUNTIES, TEXAS

INTRODUCTION

Purpose and Scope of the Investigation

The ground-water studies in Rains and Van landtCounties began in the spring of 1969, as a cooperativeproject of the U.S. Geological Survey and the TexasWater Development Board. The purpose of theinvestigation was to determine and evaluate theground-water resources of the two counties. Theinvestigation encompassed the collection, compilation,and analysis of data related to ground water. Thelocation and extent of the water-bearing formations,their hydraulic properties, and the chemical quality ofthe water, were determined. The quantity of groundwater withdrawn was estimated and the effects of thesewithdrawals on the water level were evaluated. Thequantity of ground water available was estimated. Theresults of the investigation, as presented in this report,include an analytical discussion of the occurrence andavailability of the ground-water supplies, together with atabulation of basic data obtained during this andprevious investigations.

Location and Extent of the Area

Rains and Van landt Counties are in northeastTexas (Figure 1). Rains County is bordered by HuntCounty on the north and west, Hopkins County on thenorth and east, Wood County on the east, and Vanlandt County on the south. Van landt County isbordered by Hunt, Rains, and Wood Counties on thenorth, Kaufman County on the west, Henderson Countyon the south, and Smith County on the east. Canton, theVan landt County seat. is 73 miles east-southeast ofDallas, and 37 miles west-northwest of Tyler. Emory,the Rains County seat, is 23 miles north of Canton. Thereport area includes 1.090 square miles; 235 square milesin Rains County and 855 square miles in Van landtCounty.

Methods of Investigation

The following methods were used during theinvestigation:

- 3 -

1. All moderate- to large-capacity wells and arepresentative number of small-capacity wells (a total of308 wells) were inventoried. Records of wells are givenin Table 4; locations of wells are shown on Figure 26.

2. Electrical and drillers' logs were collected forcorrelation and evaluation of subsurface characteristicsof the aquifers. A map was prepared showing the depthto and the altitude of the top of the Midway Group(Figure 9). Subsurface correlation of the geologic unitsare shown on Figures 7 and 8.

3. The quantities of ground and surface waterused for municipal, rural, and industrial supply wereinventoried (Table 2, Figure 19).

4. The resu Its of 10 aqu ifer tests (F igures 11-18)were used to determine the hydraulic characteristics ofthe principal aquifer.

5. Water levels were measured, and availablerecords of past fluctuations of water levels werecompiled (Table 4; Figures 20 and 21).

6. Climatological records were collected (Figures2and 3).

7. Chemical analyses of water samples collectedfrom wells, streams, and lakes during this and previousinvestigations (a total of 337 analyses) were compi led(Tables 5 and 6).

8. A map showing the specific conductance,hardness, and the concentration of sulfate and chloridein water from wells and a graph showing the relation ofdissolved solids to specific conductance of water wereprepared (Figure 22).

9. The hydrologic data were analyzed todetermine the quantity and quality of ground wateravailable for development. A map was prepared to showthe areas most favorable for future development(Figure 25).

Previous Investigations

The geologic formations in Rains and Van landtCounties were described by Sellards and others (1932).

Broadhurst (1943) compiled records of 57 wells and onespring in Rains County and tabulated eight drillers' logsand 45 chemical analyses of water from wells.Sundstrom and others (1948) compiled data regardingthe public water supplies of Canton, Edgewood, GrandSaline, and Wills Point in Van landt County. Baker andothers (1963) briefly described the aquifers in Rains andVan landt Counties as part of a reconnaissance of theground-water resources of the Sabine River Basin.

Figure 1.- Location of Rains and Van Zandt Counties

Detailed ground-water investigations have beenmade in two counties adjacent to the report area-WoodCounty (Broom, 1968) and Smith County (Dillard,1963).

Hughes and Leifeste (1965 and 1967) describedthe quality of surface waters in the Sabine and NechesRiver Basins. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperationwith the Texas Water Development Board and otherFederal and local agencies, is currently (1969)maintaining two quality-of-water, one reservoir-stage,and two streamflow stations in the report area.

Climate

The climate in Rains and Van landt Counties ischaracterized by heavy rainfall and high humidity,particularly during the spring; by moderately hightemperatures during the summer; and by relatively mildwinters.

The records of the National Weather Service(formerly, the U.S. Weather Bureau) for Wills Point innortheastern Van landt County provide the most

- 4 -

complete climatological data for the report area. Theannual precipitation at Wills Point for the period1905-69 is shown on Figure 2. The records areincomplete or missing for the period 1922-39. Duringthe 47 years of complete records, precipitation rangedfrom a maximum of 64.93 inches in 1905, to aminimum of 24.96 inches in 1910; the annual averagewas 44.39 inches. The average annual rainfall for the 30years of continuous record beginning in 1940 was 43.16inches. During 1969, when field studies for thisinvestigation were being carried out, precipitation was43.74 inches, which is about normal.

Generally, April is the wettest month, with anaverage precipitation of 5.86 inches, and August is thedriest month, with an average precipitation of 2.16inches (Figure 3). The highest monthly precipitationrecorded at Wills Point was 21.90 inches in April 1966.

The average monthly temperature at Wills Pointranges from 45°F (7°C) in January to 85° F (29°C) inJuly and August (Figure 3). The recorded extremes are_1°F (-18°C) and 115°F (46°C). The growing season isabout 250 days. The approximate dates for the first andlast killing frosts are November 21 and March 16,respectively.

The average annual gross lake-surface evaporationfor the area is approximately 49 inches (Kane, 1967).This exceeds the 1940-69 average rainfall at Wills Pointby about 6 inches. Evaporation rates are highest duringthe summer months when precipitation is lowest and thesoil-moisture demand of plants is greatest.

Physiography and Drainage

Rains and Van landt Counties are in the WestGulf Coastal Plain of east Texas (Fenneman, 1938). Theland surface is generally flat along the flood plains of themajor streams, but is gently rolling in most other partsof the two counties. The minimum altitude at theconfluence of Grand Saline Creek and the Sabine Riverin the northeast corner of Van landt County is about320 feet above mean sea level. The maximum altitude,about 3 miles south-southwest of Canton, is about 690feet above mean sea level. The maximum relief is in thesoutheast corner of Van landt County, where six hillscapped by the Sparta Sand rise as much as 200 feetabove the interven ing stream valleys.

All of Rains County is in the drainage basin of theSabine River (Figure 26). The northeastern part of thecounty is drained by Lake Fork Creek, which flowssoutheastward through Rains and Wood Counties. Theremainder of the county is drained by eight small creeksthat flow directly into the Sabine River or into LakeTawakoni.

Van landt County is in the drainage basins of theTrinity, Sabine, and Neches Rivers. The northern half of

1969196519601955195019451940192019151910

10

50

enIJJ::I:U~ 40~

Z0

EiI-

30a-uIJJa:a-

20

6017"'1-----+----+----+------+----+----+----+-----+-----+-----1

Figure 2.-Annual Precipitation at Wills Point, 1905-69

the county is drained by the Sabine River; its principaltributaries are McBee, Mill, Caney, Grand Saline, andVillage Creeks.

(2,283), Van (1,593), Edom (201), and Fruitvale (206)in Van Zandt County. The State and county populationsfor the census years 1850-1970 are shown on Figure 4.

An area of 222 square miles in west-southwesternVan Zandt County is drained by tributaries of theTrinity River; Cedar, Allen, Caney, Twin, and PurtisCreeks and Lacy Fork. Cedar Creek, which has adrainage area of 93 square miles within the county, isthe principal tributary.

The Neches River drains 242 square miles in thesoutheastern quarter of Van Zandt County. The riveroriginates near the community of Colfax, 8 mileseast-southeast of Canton. The principal tributaries of theNeches River are Browning, Horsley, Kickapoo,Alligator, Cream, Slater, and Murchison Creeks.

Population and Economy

The population trends shown on Figure 4 reflect apronounced change in the area's economy. The peak inthe population was reached in the 1920's and 30's. Untilthat time, the production of cotton was the chiefindustry; since the 1930's, the cotton acreage hassharply declined and has been replaced by a flourishingcattle industry, which requires a much smaller laborforce.

Oil was discovered in Van Zandt County in 1929(Van Field). As of January 1, 1968, sl ightly over 2million barrels of crude oil had been produced in thecounty (Railroad Commission of Texas, 1968). Of thisamount, 1,378,823 barrels were produced in the VanField. The production of oil, gas, and hydrocarbonliquids in the report area during 1967 was as follows:

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Rains andVan Zandt Counties had populations of 3,752 and22,155, respectively in 1970. The communities that hada population of 200 or more were: Emory (693) andPoint (419), in Rains County; Wills Point (2,636),Edgewood (1,176), Grand Saline (2,257), Canton

VAN ZANDT RAINSCOUNTY COUNTY

Oil (barrels) 108,899 0

Gas (million cubic feet) 18,882 4,296

Hydrocarbon liquids (barrels) 3,685 0

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State annexeda::J In 1846-J

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AVER ..:IGE MONTHLY GROSS LAKE - SURFACE EVAPORATION

AVERAGE MONTHLY TEMPERATURE AT WILLS POINT, 1905-69

AVERAGE MONTHLY PRECIPITATION AT WILLS POINT, 1940-69

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Figure 3.-Average Monthly Precipitation and Temperatureat Wills Point and Average Monthly Gross

Lake-Surface EvaporationFigure 4.-Populations of Rains and Van Zandt Counties

and the State of Texas, 1850-1970

In 1929, the Morton Salt Company excavated a700-foot shaft into the Grand Saline Dome in Van ZandtCounty and began mining salt by the room and pillarmethod. Currently (1969), an estimated 270,000 tons ofsalt are being mined annually at Grand Saline.

addition to the seven-digit number, a two-letter prefix isused to designate the county.

The prefixes for Rains, Van Zandt, and adjacentcounties are as follows:

COUNTY PREFIX

Well-Numbering SystemHenderson LT

Thus, well YS-34-19-407 which is owned by the city ofGrand Saline, is in Van Zandt County (YS), in the1-degree quadrangle 34, in the 7'Y2-minute quadrangle 19,in the 2'Y2-minute quadrangle 4, and was the seventh well(07) inventoried in that 2'Y2-minute quadrangle(Figure 5).

The well-numbering system used in this report wasadopted by the Texas Water Development Board for usethroughout the State (Figure 5). Under this system, each1-degree quadrangle in the State is given a numberconsisting of two digits; Rains and Van Zandt Countiesinclude parts of quadrangles 33 and 34. These are thefirst two digits in the well number. Each 1-degreequadrangle is divided into 7'Y2-minute quadrangles whichare given 2-digit numbers from 01 to 64. These are thethird and fourth digits of the well number" Each7'Y2-minute quadrangle is subdivided into 2'Y2-minutequadrangles given a single digit number from 1 to 9. Thisis the fifth digit of the well number. Finally, each wellwithin a 2'Y2-minute quadrangle is given a 2-digit numberin the order in which it was inventoried, starting with01. These are the last two digits of the well number. In

Rains

Smith

Van Zandt

Wood

ux

XH

YS

ZS

- 6-

Location of Well 34-19-407

~~ I - degree quadrangle

19 71/2 - minute quadrangle

4 21/2 - minute quadrangle

07 Well number within 21/2­minute quadrangle

94°97°100°103°106°~-

01 02 03 04

01-----f---08 07 06 05

09 10 II 12 13 14 15

- '---- ~25 24 23 22 21 20 19",""II~ 17-""

~26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

4\ 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36

~ l~50'1\ 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 117'l". 73 V ~70 69 68 67 66 65

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33

30

36

I - degree Quadrangles

3~ C2

01

09 10

17 18

25 o;e

33 ''''

41 42

49 50

57 58

03 04 05 06 07 08

II 12 13 14 15 16

19 20 21 22 23 24

27 28 29 30 31 32

35 36 37 38 39 40

43 44 45 46 47 48

511

52 53 54 55 56

59 60 61 62 63 64

19 2 3

1

4 5 6

+-07

7 8 9

7 112 - minute Quadrangles 2 1/2 minute Quadrangles

Figure 5

Well-Numbering System

- 7 -

Acknowledgments

This investigation was completed largely through

the cooperation of well owners and county, city, andindustrial officials, who allowed access to their propertyand permitted the examination of pertinent records.Most of the aquifer-test data shown on Figures 11

through 18 were obtained from the files of William F.Guyton and Associates, Consulting Hydrologists, Austin,Texas; the Layne-Texas Company, Dallas, Texas; andEdington Drilling Company, Shreveport, Louisiana. A

considerable amount of information about ground-waterconditions in the vicinity of Grand Saline was furnishedby the Morton Salt Company. The Farmers HomeAdministration at Canton supplied data about the rural

water systems in Van Zandt County.

GEOLOGY AS RELATED TO THEOCCURRENCE OF GROUND WATER

General Stratigraphy and Structure

Geologic units of Eocene age are the principal

sources of ground water in Rains and Van ZandtCounties. The thickness, lithology, and water-bearingproperties of these units are discussed in the followingsection and are summarized in Table 1. The areal extent(outcrops) of the formations are shown on Figure 6; the

subsurface relationships of the geologic units are shownon Figures 7 and 8.

In general, the units crop out in belts that trendnortheastward; however, in the vicinity of Van, upward

movement of the rocks and subsequent erosion hascaused the outcrops to be offset about 5 miles southeastof the regional trend.

The contacts between the geologic units above the

Midway Group often are difficult to determine fromdrillers’ and electrical logs; consequently, the contactsshown on Figure 8 and the thicknesses of the unitsshown on Table 1 are only approximate. The top of the

Midway Group is the approximate base of fresh toslightly saline water in the report area. The altitude of

and depth to the top of the Midway are shown onFigure 9. The Wilcox Group, which is the lowermostunit containing fresh water, contains nearly all of thewater-bearing sands.

The Claiborne Group, which overlies the Wilcox

Group, includes in ascending order, Carrizo Sand,

R e k l a w Format ion , Q u e e n C i t y S a n d , WechesGreensand, and Sparta Sand.

The general southeast dip of the geologic units

result from structural down-warping of the East Texase m b a y m e n t . T h e e m b a y m e n t i s t h e t r o u g h l i k e g e o l o g i cbasin in which the long axis trends northeastwardthrough the counties east of the report area.

-8-

The faults and folds in the area account for the

entrapment of abundant quantities of oil and gas. Theamount of displacement along the faults and thesteepness of the folds generally decrease upward. Few of

the faults extend upward to the water-bearing units, butlocally, the folds are reflected at the surface, as on the

flanks of the Van Dome.

Physical Characteristics and Water-BearingProperties of the Geologic Units

In the description of the water-bearing propertiesof the geologic units, the yields of wells are describedaccording to the following rating:

DESCRIPT ION

Smal l

Moderate

L a r g e

Y I E L D(GALLONS PER MINUTE)

Less than 50

5 0 t o 5 0 0

M o r e t h a n 5 0 0

In general, the chemical quality of the water isclassified as follows:

DESCRIPT ION

Fresh

S l i g h t l y s a l i n e

Modera te ly sa l ine

V e r y s a l i n e

B r i n e

D ISSOLVED-SOLIDS CONTENT(MILLIGRAMS PER LITER)

Less than 1 ,000

1 , 0 0 0 t o 3 , 0 0 0

3 , 0 0 0 t o 1 0 , 0 0 0

1 0 , 0 0 0 t o 3 5 , 0 0 0

M o r e t h a n 3 5 , 0 0 0

Midway Group

The Midway Group crops out in western Rains andVan Zandt Counties (Figure 6). The top of the Midway

dips southeastward at rates of about 40 to 45 feet permile (Figures 7 and 8), and reaches a depth of more than1,500 feet below the land surface in southeastern VanZandt County.

Primarily marine in origin, the Midway Groupconsists largely of calcareous clay; but locally theformation contains thin stringers of limestone andglauconitic sand. At the outcrop, the Midway weathersto grayish-brown or gray sandy loam and clay loam soils.The soil and plastic clay subsoil have very lowpermeabilities. Consequently, most of the rainfall eitherruns off or collects in surface depressions where itevaporates or transpires.

During this investigation, 16 wells tapping the

Midway Group were inventoried. All of the wells wereon the outcrop of the Midway. Six of the wells were not

--

co

Table 1.--Geologic and Hydrologic Units and Their Water-Bearing Properties

APPROXIMATEMAXIMUM

GEOLOGIC THICKNESS CHARACTER OFSYSTEM SERIES GROUP UNIT (FT) SEDIMENTS WATER-BEARING PROPERTIES

Holocene Sand, silt, clay and minor Not known to yield water to wells in theQuaternary and Alluvium 50 amounts of gravel report area. The th icker deposits would

Pleistocene probably yield small to moderate quantitiesof water.

Cap hills in southeastern Van Zandt County.Sparta Sand 50 Sand and clay Not known to yield water to wells in the

report area.

Weches Glauconite, glauconitic Not known to yield water to wells in theGreensand 60 clay and sand report area.

Sand, silt, and ciay with Yields small quantities of fresh water toQueen City 400 stringers of I ign ite and domestic and stock wells in southeastern

Sand bentonitic clay Van Zandt County.

MarquezClaiborne Shale Not known to yield water to wells in the

c:Member 40 Silty shale report area.0

Eocene.;;

of StenzelIII

E (1938)0 70

Tertiary u.. Newby Yields small quantities of fresh water to~ Sand large - diameter wells on the outcrop. WellsIII

~ Member 30 Glauconitic sand tapping the Newby and Carrizo Sand inGl

of Stenzel southeastern Van Zandt County yieldII:(1938) moderate quantities.

Carrizo Sand and minor amount Yields small to moderate quantities of freshSand 150 of silt and clay water to wells in southeastern Van Zandt

County.

Lenticular beds of sand, Yields small to moderate quantities of waterWilcox 960 with sandy clay, shale, to wells in Rains and Van Zandt Counties.

sandstone and lignite Large quantities have been pumped duringaquifer tests in a few·wells near Grand Saline.

-I--.

Calcareous clay with Yields very small quantities of water to aPaleocene Midway Not measured stringers of limestone few wells in western Rains and Van Zandt

and glauconitic sand Counties.

in use or had been abandoned, the rest had very smallyields and would be called “dry holes” by most drillers.A l t h o u g h t h e M i d w a y G r o u p d o e s n o t y i e l d a p p r e c i a b l equantities of water to wells in the report area, it ishydrologically significant downdip from its outcropwhere it forms a basal confining layer for water stored in

the overlying Wilcox Group.

Wilcox Group

The Wilcox Group, the principal source of ground

water in Rains and Van Zandt Counties, crops outdiagonally a c r o s s southwestern, central, a n d

northeastern Van Zandt County and eastern RainsCounty. The outcrop in Van Zandt County ranges fromabout 7 miles to about 22 miles in width (Figure 6).

The Wilcox Group has a maximum thickness of

about 960 feet in southeastern Van Zandt County.Lithologically, the unit is a heterogeneous accumulationof sandy clay and shale; crossbedded, micaceous,ferruginous sandstone; lignitic shale, and lignite. Mediumto very fine quartz sand constitutes about half of the

W i l c o x . Individual layers of sand are generally

thin-bedded, although some beds have a thickness of asmuch as 70 feet (Figure 17). The layers of sand arelenticular; few, if any, can be correlated for anysignificant distance.

At the outcrop, the Wilcox weathers to slightlyundulating or hilly terrain that is well drained. The soilsare dominantly grayish-brown, sandy loam near the

surface, and mottled red, yellow and gray acidic clay orsandy clay 6 to 12 inches below the surface. The Wilcoxsoils are generally lighter textured and more permeablethan soils on the Midway outcrop.

In general, wells tapping the Wilcox near its up-dip

limit yield 25 gpm (gallons per minute) or less. Yields

exceeding 500 gpm have been obtained from wells thatscreen most of the water-bearing sands in and near thecity of Grand Saline (Figures 14 and 17). However, theseyields were obtained during short-term aquifer tests. In

most wells, yields exceeding 250 gpm cannot besustained without lowering the water level below the

casing perforations, thereby creating turbulence anddecreasing purnp efficiency. With only a few exceptions,all wells tapping the Wilcox in the report area pumpfresh water (Figure 22, Table 5). However, the chemical

composition and physical properties of the water arevariable, and some water is not suitable for its presentuse. (See section entitled, “Quality of Water”.)

Claiborne Group

Carrizo Sand

The Carrizo Sand, the lowermost unit in the

Claiborne Group, crops out in an irregular and

discontinuous band that trends diagonally across thesoutheastern part of Van Zandt County (Figure 6).Because of irregularities in the depositional surface andbecause of post-depositional upwarping and faulting, thethickness of the Carrizo and the width of the outcrop

are variable. The maximums are about 150 feet and 2.5miles, respectively.

The Carrizo consists largely of white to gray, fineto medium quartz sand. However, minor amounts of siltand clay are present in the upper part of the formation.

The Carrizo weathers to a pale or grayish-brown sandyloam soil. Although the soil is easily worked, it does not

support a dense growth of vegetation.

The Carrizo yields small to moderate quantities offresh water to wells in Van Zandt County. In thesoutheast part of the county, the Carrizo supplies two

rural water systems. Well YS-34-36-701, which suppliesthe Edom system, reportedly had a drawdown of 57 feet

while pumping 75 gpm during a 24-hour developmenttest by the driller. This well was screened opposite 40feet of interbedded sand and shale in the Carrizo. WellYS-34-36-901, which supplies the R.P.M. water system,

had a drawdown of 78 feet while pumping 130 gpm for24 hours. This well was screened opposite 20 feet ofmassive sand in the Carrizo, and 30 feet of interbeddedsand and shale in the Carrizo and overlying ReklawFormat ion .

Reklaw Formation

The Reklaw Formation, which is 50 to 70 feetthick, was divided into a lower member (the NewbySand) and an upper member (the Marquez Shale), byStenzel (1938) in Leon County. The member names

have not been adopted by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The Newby Member is gray to green, fine to veryfine glauconitic sand, 20 to 30 feet thick. At theoutcrop, the sand weathers to hard, ledge-forming, red

sandstone that is easily identified. However, in thesubsurface, it cannot be readily distinguished from thesand in the underlying Carrizo.

The Marquez Member is black to chocolate brown,silty, carbonaceous shale, 30 to 40 feet thick. In thesubsurface, the shale is easily identified on well logs andis an important marker horizon for drillers. More

importantly, the shale provides a persistent hydrologicboundary that prevents or at least retards the verticalmovement of water between the overlying Queen CityFormation and underlying Newby Sand Member of theReklaw Formation and the Carrizo Sand.

The Newby Sand Member yields small quantitiesof fresh water to large-diameter dug or bored wells in the

outcrop. The upper part of the Reklaw, the MarquezShale Member, is not known to yield water.

-lO-

-- _---.- ---

AI

400'

400'

200'

Sealevel

200'

l600'

1771.·.··.·.·.DEXPLANATION

Mud resistivity3.1 at 90°F

Oohms m2/m

2 mv 0 20-H+~

~

ott-,D'

& {t;-:-:((j ~t>,'

,"" it:-.~t>, ~J

~+

Wi/""0-t

G"Ollf)

0',~

:"Pt>,'

~+~

0',~~

t>,'

~~~

WOOD COUNTY-RAINS CO-UNTY!

surface I'v- .....~

Vertical scale greatly exaggerated

o 2 4 6 MilesE

A

~4.

~~ A....4.vO ~~

/'vO

t-~'5 ~C:>~~

I

I

A --------1/~-:n~ \

( ~~A\, RAINS \

\.. COUNTY I

"--r- -\,. \'--... I

'v....

600',I

400'

200'I.-I

CN

Sealevel

200'

400'

Sand

Figure 7

Correlation of Geologic Units

Along Line A-A'

~~

Clay or shale

Queen City Sand

The Queen City Sand crops out in southeasternVan Zandt County in moderately rolling to hilly terraint h a t i s w e l l d r a i n e d . T h e h i l l s a r e m a n t l e d b ygrayish-brown, fine sandy-loam soils that are loose andeasily tilled. In the subsurface, the Queen City consistsmostly of thick-bedded to massive crossbedded sand thatis interbedded with silt and clay. Stringers of lignite andbentonitic clay occur in the upper part of the formation.From the edge of the outcrop, the formation dips andthickens southeastward. The maximum thickness, about400 feet, occurs in the hills near the southeast corner of

Van Zandt County (Figure 8).

The Queen City Sand yields small quantities of

fresh water to domestic and stock wells at the outcrop.On the basis of the results of aquifer tests in Smith

County (Dillard, 1963, p. 25), moderate yields (150 gpmor more) could probably be obtained from properlyconstructed wells in areas where the thickness ofsaturated sand is sufficient to allow a water-level

drawdown of 100 feet.

Weches Greensand and Sparta Sand

T h e W e c h e s G r e e n s a n d a n d t h e o v e r l y i n g S p a r t a

Sand crop out as small outliers that cap the hills insoutheastern Van Zandt County (Figures 6 and 8). TheWeches, which is about 60 feet thick, consists principallyof interbedded glauconite, glauconitic clay, and sand;secondary deposits of limonite are common at theoutcrop. The Weches weathers to a fertile, but rocky soilthat supports a thick growth of grass and pines. TheSparta Sand consists of poorly cemented sandstone andlight-colored clay that weathers to a white, sandy soil.

Neither the Sparta Sand nor the Weches Greensand

are known to yield water to wells in the report area.

Alluvium

Alluvial deposits underlie the flood plains of the

rivers and their principal tributaries. The deposits consistof clay, silt, sand, and minor amounts of gravel. The

deposits are thin, normally less than 10 feet thick along

the tributaries, but are as much as 50 feet thick alongthe rivers.

The alluvium is not known to yield water to wellsin the report area, but small to moderate quantities of

water probably could be obtained from wells tapping the

thicker deposits.

Hydrologic Units

An aquifer is a formation, group of formations, ora part of a formation that is capable of yielding usable

quantities of water. The formations described in the

previous section of this report comprise two aquifers andtwo confining units.

The principal aquifer in Rains and Van ZandtCounties consists of saturated deposits in the WilcoxGroup, Carrizo Sand, and Newby Sand Member of theReklaw Formation, all of which are hydraulicallyconnected. To facilitate discussion, these deposits will becalled the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer in this report.

Water in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer is storedbetween the Midway Group at the base and the MarquezShale Member of the Reklaw at the top. Both arepersistent and effective hydrologic boundaries within the

report area.

The second aquifer in the report area, the QueenCity Sand, is absent in Rains County; it is present, butvirtually untapped in southeastern Van Zandt County. It

is an important source of water in Henderson, Smith,and Wood Counties south and east of the report area.

GROUND-WATER HYDROLOGY

T h e g e n e r a l p r i n c i p l e s o f g r o u n d - w a t e r h y d r o l o g yas applied to the study area are discussed in the

following section of this report. For additionalinformation on these and other hydrologic principles,the reader is referred to: Meinzer (1923a, 1923b);Meinzer and others (1942); Todd (1959); Tolman

(1937); Wisler and Brater (1959); Leopold and Langbein(1960); and Baldwin and McGuinness (1963).

Hydrologic Cycle

The hydrologic cycle, which is the exchange ofwater between the earth and the atmosphere, is showndiagrammatically on Figure 10. The processes within thecycle that are effective in Rains and Van Zandt Countiescan be summarized as follows: Water vapor in theatmosphere condenses and precipitates to the landsurface (43 inches annually as an average, Figure 3). The

rain infiltrates the soil and collects in ponds, lakes, andstreams. Normally, about 12 inches of precipitation

leaves the area as runoff; most of the remaining water,about 30 inches, returns to the atmosphere through

evapotranspiration.

An unknown, but probably small percentage ofthe precipitation percolates downward to the water

table, which is normally only a few feet below the landsurface. Below the surface, water moves laterally and

vertically through the lenses of sand and over or aroundthe layers of shale. Most of the water migrates laterallyto topographic lows where it is discharged through seepsa n d e v a p o t r a n s p i r a t i o n . Less than 1 inch each yearmoves downdip to the deeper sands in the aquifers.

-19-

Evaporationand

Figure 10.-Generalized Diagram of the Hydrologic Cycle

Hydraulic Properties of the Aquifers

Aquifer tests have been made in a few wells inRains and Van landt Counties to determine thehydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, and coefficient ofstorage. ThesE! properties reflect the capacity of theaquifers to transmit, yield, or store water.

The hydraulic conductivity is the flow of water incubic feet per day, at the prevailing water temperature,through a cross section of 1 square foot of the aquiferunder unit hydraulic gradient. The transmissivity is therate of flow in cubic feet per day, at the prevailing watertemperature, through a vertical strip of aquifer 1 footwide under unit hydraulic gradient. The hydraulicconductivity and transmissivity can be converted to theunits formerly used by the U.S. Geological Survey(coefficients of permeability and transmissibility) bymultiplying by the factor 7.48.

The specific capacity of a well, which is the ratioof the discharge to the drawdown or recovery of waterlevels during a given time interval, provides a generalindex of the water-yielding capability of an aquifer.Specific capacities are largely dependent upon thehydraulic conductivity of the aquifer; high specificcapacities denote high conductivity, and low specificcapacities denote low conductivity. However, thespecific capacity of a well decreases as the length ofpumping time increases. Also, the manner in which awell is completed affects the specific capacity. Otherfactors being equal, wells that are properly sCrE!ened tominimize entrance losses have larger specific capacitiesthan those that are improperly completed.

The results of 10 aquifer tests in wells tapping theWilcox Group are shown on Figures 11 through 18.Eight of the tests were in Van landt County; one was inRains County; and one was in Smith County. The tests

shown on Figure 15 were conducted by William F.Guyton and Associates, ground-water consultants inAustin, Texas. The Layne Texas Company in Dallas,Texas, made four tests (Figures 11, 12, 17, and 18); twotests were made by the Edington Drilling Company,Shreveport, Louisiana (Figures 13 and 14); and anadditional test was made by the U.S. Geological Survey(Figure 16). The test data were analyzed by one or moreof the following methods: The Theis nonequilibriummethod (Theis, 1935); the Cooper and Jacobstraight-line method of approximation (Cooper andJacob, 1946); and the Theis recovery method (Wenzel,1942).

The maximum, minimum, and averagetransmissivities; hydraulic conductivities; and 24-hourspecific capacities were as follows:

HYDRAULIC SPECIFICTRANSMISSIVITY (T) CONDUCTIVITY (K) CAPACITY

(FT PER DAY) (FT PER DAY) (GPM PER FT)

1,200 12 4.9

80 1.9 .4

600 6.3 2.4

A storage coefficient for sands in the Wilcox Groupwas determined by an aquifer test in three wells atGrand Saline. During this test, well YS-34-19-403 waspumped 48 hours at an average rate of 130 gpm. Waterlevels were measured in the pumped well and in twoobservation wells, YS-34-19-412 and YS-34-19-407,approximately 1,000 and 3,000 feet respectively fromthe pumped well. At the end of the 48-hour pumpingperiod, the water levels had declined 118 feet in thepumped well, 6.4 feet in well YS-34-19-412, and 1.7 feetin well YS-34-19-407 (Figure 15).

An average storage coefficient of 0.00038 wascalculated from water-level measurements in the twoobservation wells. This value is within the artesian range,which can be expected in the deeper sands of theWilcox. Larger storage coefficients would undoubtedlybe obtained in tests of the upper sands where water isstored under slight confining pressure.

The results of the aquifer tests in Rains and Vanlandt Counties compare favorably with those obtainedby Broom (1968, Table 2) in Wood County where thetransmissibilities (transmissivities) of the Carrizo-Wilcoxaquifer averaged about 5,700 gpd (gallons per day) perfoot (760 ft2 per day). According to Broom, the averagepermeability of the aquifer is lion the order of 50 gpdper square foot", or a hydraulic conductivity of 6.7 footper day.

Little is known about the hydraulic properties ofthe Queen City aquifer, which is absent in Rains Countyand is generally untapped in southeastern Van landtCounty. However, in Smith County, Dillard (1963,

- 20-

o

5 ~WlL.

65

60

a::35 w

t-

40 ~~

45 z'i:o

50 03:«

55 ~

20

25 .-Sw>

30 ~

5

o

3 4

STOPPED, IN MINUTES

24/0 2

TIME SINCE PUMPING

20

IN HOURS

I;~ 16

PUMPING BEGAN,

4 S

TIME SINCE

~Static ~ater leve"-

~ before test 56.5 ft -

--- -~~

-I

/ -I

f -

-

Date of test· -Mar. 25- 26, 1966 -

Transmissivity (T) -- =SO It 2/day -

Hydraulic conductivity (K) -- = I. 9 ft Iday -

-- Specific capacity (24-hourl_

-\ =0.4 gpm/lt -

~

E-~ V ~ -<>-'-o--u- -

~

./Y-" 1------ \ r -

- \/ ~- Pumping stopped -

>----'- -

I

--'~--l------

~ j lffA~;~~

V/ 7/ /f/;/ 7/ /1/;/ 7 /,~Y / <0~~~~24-hour average discharge 21 gpm// '/':

~;~;j~~~~jmaW;;~~oo

10

20

30

125

~ 100CLwo 105

110

55

115

70

65

120

60

t- 75wwlL. SO

~

a:: S5w

~ 90'i:

o 95t-

f=:::J

~ ~:;;

W19 a::a:: w« u..I

if'U(/) Z

00-.J-.J«19

Water- supply well

Under reamedto 20" diameter96' to 162'and gravel packed

Stalic waterlevel 56.5 ftMar. 29, 1966

6 5/S" ca5 1ng

Test hale pluggedback to 162'

Screen102' to 147'

DSand

~G:J

Sha Ieor clay

10 3/4" casingcemented towall of well

EX PLANATION

Mud re51stlvily845 at 70° F

Te5t hole

10mv

-H+

0

.;::0

wu 501fa::::J(/)

0100 -z

«-.J

~0-.J

150wCD

t-WWu-

200~

It-CL

250w0

300

Figure 11

Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test In Well

UX-34-10-602 in the Wilcox Group

- 21 -

140

80

100I-WWl!..

~120

a::wl­e::(;:ol-

II-Cl.W

o 160

k....... . I I -Static water levelbefore test 85 ft.

~~

/r -

Date of test:

/ -June 11-12, 1968

I Transmissivity (T) [I -

I =420 ft 2/day ,I

Hydraulic conductivity (K) I -

I= 8.3 ft/day

-

~Specific capacity (24-hour) I

= 1.6 gpm 1ft I -~""'- I I

~ ~ -T

~

jverage discharge (0)= 130 gpm ~Pumping stopped -I I I I I

0

10 I-Ww

20 l!..

~

30 ..iw>

40w...J

a::50 w

l-e::(;:

60~

70z;:00

80 ;:e::(a::

900

4 8 12 16 20

TIME SINCE PUMPING BEGAN, IN HOURS

24/0 10 20 30

TIME SINCE PUMPINGSTOPPED, IN MINUTES

Test hole

10mv-H+

Mud resistivity9.15 at 64°F

ohms m 2/mo!

50I

Water-supply well

EXPLANATION

,.:.. .. -.:. .--.,

6 5/8" casing

Static water~~--Ievel 85 ft.

June 11,1968

o 3/4" casingcemented towall of well

.0 Underreamed to0°'

20" diameter0° 200' to 300'

and gravel packed00

°0

°0

°0

-, :

245' - 270'--I~l:::=::j

208'- 233' --I~~::::J

[]Sand

~~ Shale or clay-----­Lignite

?300

;:gw 150CD

I-WWl!..

~200

II-Cl.Wo

250

w 50u~a::::::l(f)

~ 100e::(...J

Figure 12

Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test In WellYS-34-17-901 in the Wilcox Group

- 22 -

I II I I I

:--Static water level -before test 120 ft.

-

-- Dote of test:Feb. 12-13,1964

Transmissivity (T) -=400 ft 2 /day

Hydraulic conductivity (K) -Not determined

t Specific capacity (12-hour)= 1.9 gpm 1ft -

-"-~ -

, .--<l. -

I~ --

~~ --...........

Average discharge (0) =455 gpm

I I I--

I I I I I I I J -

100

150

I-W 200wu...~

0::wI-

250<t~

0l-

II-a.. 300wa

350

400o 2 4 6 8 10 12

TIME SINCE PUMPING BEGAN, IN HOURS

14 16

0

25

50 I-WWu...

75 ~

Jw

100 >W...J

125a::wI-<t

150~

z

z175 ~

0a

200~<ta::a

225

250

275

18

Test hole Water-supply well

EXPLANATION

500 -

Underreamedto 30" diameter90' to 480'and grovel pocked

20" casingcemented towall of well

12 3/4" casing

Static waterlevel 120 ft.Feb. 12, 1964

~~-- 10 3/4" casing

"'--Test hole pluggedbock to 480'

90'- 214' -1+':'''1===1

236'-326' 4-!~==I

372'- 396' -t-:!-F==l

444'-480'-t-+::--.E3

D·':'.<:Sand

E3~

Shale or clay

.': .

.::: .....

.::.".::.. ,:.- -

c.:.::. :.:....... :

a.::>o~

100 I--

a.::>

200 ~ e~

)(

0

~

~

300 I--

wU<tu...a::::::>(J)

az<t...J

~o...JW(Il

I-WWu...z 400-

:£I-a..wa

600 '--

Figure 13

Log, Materia I Settin g, and Resu Its of an Aq ui fer Test In Well

YS-34-18-602 in the Wilcox Group

- 23 -

50 ~oo

75 ~0:::o

00

-l75 w

>W-l

0:::W

!;t25 ==

~

200

225

a

25 f­wWI.L.

50 z

40363212 16 20 24 28

TIME SINCE PUMPING BEGAN, IN HOURS

84

I I I I I I I I I I

--Static water levelbefore test 115 ft.

-

Date of test:Feb. 20-21,1964

.. Transmissivity (T)

D =400ft 2 /day

\Hydraulic candue tivity (K)

Average discharge (0)= 565 gpm Not determined ISpecific capacity (24-hour)

= 2.7 gpm 1ft.I

~I

~I

'-'0P-o-o-o~~ rv r'"~ ~- -

~I I I I I I I I I I

100

300

350

a

150

f­WWI.L.

~ 200

0:::W

~~ 250

If­a..wo

Test hole Water - supply well

EXPLANATION

: --20" casing cemented• to wall of well

LTest hole plugged back to 531'

12 3/4" casing

JI+-~l---Static water level liS' Feb. 20, 1964

• Screen

~~:~==Ifo.lr,,+---160' - 200'0·'0'.oO'~==II-ri+--224'- 234'g:o 242'-250'0 0 '...0

·~.:1===~-1;';'&+---2651-365 1

:0:..,."0"•• 0...Underreamed to--- '0·:30"diameter :. ~ aln-nf--400' - 434'160' - 531' .0.:and gravel packed '. ~ • 10 3/4" casing

• 00

o .'

::0:·SIh-~--488'-518'DODO'ODD l

r~LdSand

[~Shale or clay

_0_--'--=:-

g-o

<9)(

~ _.- -

==--

500

100

wU<t0:::;:)eno 200z<t-l

~-l

~ 300

f-WWI.L.

~ 400r~.

a..wo

600

Figure 14

Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test In WellYS-34-19-408 in the Wilcox Group

- 24-

:1~-4-~ I ~± 1·1 L~

200 I I Iii iii i I I I I

400

gpm/ft.

800

o 1000 feetI I

4 00012 000M

000038

800

760YS-34 -19- 407

8 000 1200 400N

Dec 18,1954

Drawdawn

40001200M

800

Dec 17, 18,19,1954 YS-34-19-403

8000 1200 4 000N

Dec 17, 1954

40012 000M

Dec 16, 1954

OV'T I I IWell YS-34-19 412 ~

"'"rRELATIVE POSITION

OF WELLSI

•,

YS-34-19-407Type and

Ii

Length Observation Transmissivity CoeffiCient I

Dote of Test Pumped Well of Test Well (T) ft2/day of Storage (S)

AO 1.._ .. _ V~ "::I'" In AI""

I II I I I I

Well YS-34-19-403 Dec. 19, 1954 YS-34-19-4036 1/2- hour

YS-34-19 -403 970 - YS-34-19-412Recovery •0--- \

I Dec. 19, 1954 YS-34-19-4122 112- hour

YS-34-19-412 290 - p..moex>, Recovery~Average 670 000038 YS-34-:-403d,

I I I I I T, i1bA. I

I ~ J. 48- hr. specific~ I capacity =If gpm/ft.

~

o I I Wff@,,/4?'/ff#/ho/&###N//fiWP/'##ff&ffffff//#ffff/('l//#//iX'l#///ff)0"#//#/f;/U?'#//@/r/ffi I rb gpm, V/A I4 000 800

70

90

50

60

70

80

150

170

140

180

1001 I I ~ ~#$)?p~~~ I I

Wf-::::>

. zw -f- ::i:«Ct: Ct:

W<.') Cl.

~ enCl. z::i: 0::::> ...JCl. ...J«

<.')

~

f-WWU.

~

~z0Cl.

<.')

~Ct:::::>en«w::i:

;!:0...JWCD

Ct:Wf-«;!:

0f-

:r:f-

I\)

Cl.w

0'1

0

Figure 15

Results of Aquifer Tests in Wells Tapping the wilcox Group at Grand Saline

II 5 ~-'T"""""'-""T"'""--r---r--~-~---'--""---'T"""""'-"T"""--r--.....,...-...,...---r----,r--r--"T"""--r--.,

Static water levels March 27, 1969

-119.2' in well YS-34-19-413

125 ----124.4' in well YS-34-19-414

Transmissivity (T) =700 ft. 2/day

Hydraulic conductivity (K) =4.3 ft. /day

-----Extrapolatedrecovery curves

~---i---___ Started pumping well YS-34-19-413

at 9:00 ~. M., July 21,1969 IAverage discharge (Q) =195 GPM

~ ".~YS-34-19-413______ A\t:;) Pumped and

0-- observed

Well YS-34-19-414Observed

Wells were shut downJuly 18, 1969 at 2:00 PM.

155

I.....a.. 145 ~-------::l""""""'-+-C::-­Wa

.....ww 135l--------t-------------I·--------=±=""'r""--..~==~r_-------__llJ..

~

ci"w.....<!:i:

6 12 6 12N M

July 23, 1969

6 12 6 12N M

July 22, 1969

12M

6 12 6N

July 21, 1969

12M

6 12 6N

July 20, 1969

165 L..-_""'--_...L--_...J.-._...J.._--'-_--L_---l__.L.-_""'--_...L-_...I-_...J.._--'-_--L_---lI.-_.L.-_""'--_...L-_.....

6 12 6 12N M

July 19, 1969

Figure 16

Results of Aquifer Tests in Wells YS-34-19-413and YS-34-19-414 in the Wilcox Group

- 26-

20

40

60

o

20

00

tiw"-~

..Jw>W.J

a:w

~~

z~o

80 ~<l:a:o

II I I

/Static water levelbefore test 197 ft -

~-

./ -

/ -

-

fLDote of test: -May 24-25,1967Transmissivity (T)

= 1200 fl2 /day -Hydraul ic conductivity (K)

\=12fl/day -

Specific capacity (24- hour)

Average discharge (0) =474 g pm = 4.9 gpm 1ft-

~ I-

~ ----tumping stapped -I

~ --'h -

36 hours

I6 hours

I I -I

220

300

280

320

200

180

~ 240c£w

~~ 260

:x:~ll.Wo

10

May 26, 1967

412Noon

May 25, 1967

OLL.<LLJ~L-<l.L.dCL.I'-LLLLlL..d..LJ.'-LI<'-LLL<l.L.L.LI<-LU:.LL"-L ....L -L.. --l- ..L.- -L-__--.J

4 12

May 24,1967

200

400 i:h'Y7~~-n<-h'Y7~~-n<-h'Y7~-YlI---PqIJ/,,*----+----+-----+----+----+-------1

Mud resistivityTest hole 1.6 Jt 70"F

ohms m2/m10mv 0 50-H+ L------l

Water-supply well

EXPLANATION

0~~~ 0 16" casing

Sand cemented to

Uwall of well

100C~

Shale or clay

w •u i> 10 3/4" casingi't. L Lignitea::;) Static waterCIl 200 level 197 ft.0

~May 24, 1967z

<l:.J

3: (>

~ 300 CL-eo ~

~ 330'- 385'

Underreamed~ 400 c::::::::. to 30" diameter:x:-

~460'-470' and

~ grovel packedw 460'-470'0

500474'-515'

:-==600 Figure 17

Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer TestYS-34-19-415 in the Wilcox Group

In Well

- 27-

85

60

285

I- 110wwlJ.. 135

~

.J"w>W.....J

I­WWlJ..

00 ~I-

25 ~~

50 z:t

75 g~ex:o200

75

50

25

o

4232/0282420161284

Static ~ater level I I- before test 69 ft. ..r>dXJo

Date of test:

I~>"'"

Nov. 11-13, 1964Transmissivity (T)

(\=590 ftz/dayHydraulic conductivity (K) U"

=5.0 ft /day -Specific capacity (24-hour)

=2.3 gpm/ft '--Pumping stopped I

~I

'"""- r-o.-,. r!>-o' -I~-........

1\/ I

PA IV/~ij§/~~«0[0//~l'l7~o/M~W~~~~~~CW~

1V V / / / / / / / /1/ / / / /1/ / / / /1/ / / / /v / / //

~v(/ / / / A24-hour average discharge 385 g~m/ / A / / / /

W~~M~~~~I~o

100

200

500

400

300

oc 160w~ 185:t

~ 210

i= 235Q.

wo 260

WI-::>

~z~

WCl ex:ex: w~ Q.

J:l/)U

l/) Z

0 0.....J.....J~Cl

Water-supply well

TIME SINCE PUMPING

Mud resist 'vity9.4 at 80°F

Test hole

ohms m2;m10mv. 0 50-H+ I -I

0

\100 ..:::-

- -- ~:=::::oo=---

w

~u

t/:·Ltex:::> 200l/)

0 '-;:::::-z

~~.....J

:t300 c:=:::;:

g cwCD

I- 400wWlJ..

~

~

~I 500I-

~Q.

W0

~600

700 -- - (>-Q.

! e~Cl

BEGAN, IN HOURS

EX PLANATION

[]Sand

~Shale or cloy•lignite

411'-461'

479'_499'

529'-579'

TIME SINCE PUMPING

STOPPED, IN HOURS

Stat ic water1I;r-__-Ievel 69 ft.

Nov. II, 1964

16" casingcemented towall of well

10 3/4" casing

Underreamedto 36" diameter400' to 589'and gravel packed

Test hole pluggedback to 589'

Figure 18

Log, Material Setting, and Results of an Aquifer Test In WellXH-34-28-405 in the Wilcox Group

- 28 -

p. 24) reported that coefficients of transmissibility andpermeability of 3,200 gpd per foot (430 ft2 per day)and 30 gpd per square foot (4.0 ft per day) wereprobably representative of the Queen City aquifer.

Use of Water

Since 1913, the Texas Water Rights Commissionand its antecedent agencies have inventoried the annualsurface-water diversions within the State. In 1965, theTexas Water Development Board (then Texas Board ofWater Engineers) initiated a similar statewide survey ofground-water pumpage for municipal and rural watersystems, and industrial supply.

Table 2 shows the reported 1965-69 pumpage formunicipal supply and industrial use in Rains and Van

Zandt Counties. The table also shows the source ofwater. Figure 19 summarizes the reported 1965-69pumpage according to the sources and uses of water.Table 3 and Figure 19 do not include water that ispumped from privately owned wells or from earthentanks used for domestic supply and livestock, orirrigation.

The reported use of water in Rains and Van ZandtCounties during 1969 was small, totaling only 779million gallons or 2,391 acre-feet (Figure 19). However,the demand for water has increased by nearly 36 percentsince 1965. If the trend continues, the annual demandmay be as much as 2,000 million gallons or about 6,000acre-feet by 1979.

Table 2.-Reported Use of Water, 1965-69

USE OF WATER

RAINS COUNTY

1965PUMPAGE IN MILLION GALLONS

1966 1967 1968 1969

Municipal (includes ruralwater-supply corporations)

Industrial

Source

Ground water

Surface water

COUNTY TOTALS

VAN ZANDT COUNTY

Municipal (includes ruralwater-supply corporations)·

Industrial

Source

Ground water

Surface water

COUNTY TOTALS

20.23

10.86

9.37

20.23

279.47

274.48

358.55

195.40

553.95

20.93

10.89

9.94

20.93

284.21

320.09

410.15

194.15

604.30

20.72

3.65

14.35

10.02

24.37

333.35

295.05

433.94

194.46

628.40

22.88

3.66

16.70

9.84

26.54

364.30

331.94

466.54

229.70

696.24

26.15

.96

14.96

12.15

27.11

415.27

336.84

477.66

274.45

752.11

Municipal and Rural Supply

The reported municipal and rural pumpage in1969 was 26.15 million gallons in Rains County and415.27 million gallons in Van Zandt County; a total of441.42 million gallons (1,354 ac-ft). In addition, the cityof Van pumped 4,485,000 gallons from wellXH-34-28-405 and 84,170,193 gallons from a municipallake, both of which are 2 miles northeast of the citylimits in Smith County. Another well in Smith County,XH-34-28-202, supplied water for a few residents in

northeastern Van Zandt County. Two wells drilled for awater-supply corporation in Hopkins County reportedlysupplied 30 families in northern Rains County in 1969.

Part of the water pumped from well YS-34-36-901in southeastern Van Zandt County is piped to rural areasin Henderson and Smith Counties. A very large quantityof water, nearly 50,000 acre-feet, was piped from LakeTawakoni to the city of Dallas in 1969.

- 29 -

------ Approximate 1969 gradient

t Top of caprock 171'below land. surface

Top of salt 212'below land surface

-~ .. IV V/"'"

nf .~

c\.. \Grand

Jsa~~ Ii~:me .~

" \

City ofGrand Saline

Saltt marsh

.. G JJLjo

............

-.

~?--

i> c:., ~ r:t-~'6 ,../ ~~ ',~ d ~fo,,"'J ~<o "'J'J~ /.?::>~ v"~ ~~ "'Jco ~t; ~ ~

,.0/,,, ~ 0'1<,,), ']., ~ ~~4,rb'<J~'~""" R;)fO o-"~~~~~ 0)'/~......~ ;;.

C(' ?::> "-,,,;v ", ~ S;,,"J "'J"'J 0<:' 'of <o0op.-:?O)fo "'Jc( -:-.0) ~ ,,<0° v:::- ~ , r>: ~ ,,' ,v) ?::> "'J~

""' ~' ...,;;. 4,,0 ~ ~~ .....'\v 4,,0 ~ ~~ '].,(:;)'l; ~v ~q ~'l; 'J ~q ~~ 0-

CJO <:i v'" <:i v'" (l;':i ':i ,'l,,~

fo~O,/?::>~l)i

<0//'1\.':> ' ';!P, t-~,v-o, r;:.°",0V)

,"'J~ <oV) c.,C> n, ?::>~ 6'-4,,':i ~v:::- -<~~ V)0 ,~" '].,<0

(:;)~q ,~, if-~'l,?::>,"'J~ "'J"'J°...,o"'o

4,,':i ~ q~(:;)'l,q,~o,

CJoo,

land surface

432'· . . . . 660'

July 9, 1969 April 8,1969-------------"If.tic41. 0-t

IQ-Is-. "OllOy Q ',0

"-°ll.o

V)~

C)~/~~~-:-.'?> t>l/&'~'>0, ,

-:?rX (, o,$' ~<o,o ") vO l>i 0""' ~,v:::- .~~ ~0"'J. ,,,?::>'l:. ,,0

(:;)~ -<.. rb~' <00,,,-,, Ci?::>"'J~ 0° ~,~

4,,0 ~~ ~o(:;)~q ;;.~o,

CJO

EXPLANATION

119.2' Water level, in feet below land surface

••• • •• • • • • • • • Estimated pre-development gradient

March 27, 1969 Date measured

100'

Sealevel

500'

200·

400·

300·

w-"

lodo I 2 miles, I I

Vertical scale greatly exaggerated

20d

Figure 20

Water-Level Profiles in the Heavily-Pumped Sands in the Wilcox Group

Between Grand Saline and Edgewood

4001200

Aquifer: Wilcox GroupAccumulative pumpage, 1955-69:

C/)3111 million gallons (9546 acre-feet)

1000z .....0 300 w.....J W.....J LL« 800 I

(!) Wa:::z 136 million gallons average u

0 «.....J 200 600 ~.....J

~ w-

~(!)

«400 Cl.

W ~(!) 100 :::>

a: Cl.

~ 200:::>Cl.

REPORTED MUNICIPAL AND INDUSTRIAL PUMPAGE

2 Miles

r-~-I YS 34-18-501 Grand_.L ~ Fruitvale .. ---.I\ Saline---"'-. \",. I '\.

·~~-_J--~~:;~i ru-j-:---1----f-----~:::-------1YS 34-18-602 • (--YS-i4-19- 403

YS34-19 -413

June, 1936 tYS 34-19 -403

60 December 1954 Depth: 318 feet -+-------------+-"=--_=-------1

120f--J------------+-----""o~--__lII~-_+-------.....____i

YS 34 -19-4123: 1001--+--------"""""'"':-- Depth: 311 feet +--==~--

o.....JWCD

.....WWLL

Z

ffi 140t-;t===================t:============:::;---~~~'-----I.....«3:

g 160::c.....Cl.Wo

wu«LLa:::~ 801--t----'~---------+----------_+--------____i

oz«.....J

180

1955 1960 1965 1969

WATER LEVELS IN FIVE WELLS TAPPING THE WILCOX GROUP

Figure 21

Municipal and Industrial Pumpage and Declines In

Water levels in the Vicinity of Grand Saline

- 32-

Once a site is selected, the wells are usually completedthrough procedures summarized below:

1. Surface casing, 10 to 20 inches in diameter, isset to the top of the producing zone, and the annularspace between the casing and the wall is filled withcement.

2. The well is underreamed to 20 or 30 inches indiameter from the base of the surface casing to thebottom of the well.

3. Six- to 12.inch production casing with screensand back-pressure valves are lowered through the surfacecasing. The screens are set in the water-bearing sandsthat were logged in the test hole; the back-pressure valveis set at the bottom.

4. Gravel is placed between the wall of the welland production casing. The gravel minimizes head lossand prevents sand from clogging the ,welI anddistribution system.

5. A test pump is installed and the well isdeveloped by pumping at varying rates to remove thedrilling mud, silt, and clay from the aquifer. Additionalgravel is added as the fine material is removed and theeffective well diameter is increased.

6. After the well is developed, a pumping test ismade to determine the hydraulic properties of theaquifer.

7. The well is equipped with a pump and columnpipe commensurate with the permeability of the aquifer,required production, and pumping lifts.

8. Equipment to chlorinate, fluoridate, andsoften the water may or may not be installed, dependingupon the quality of the raw water and its intended use.

The industrial and public-supply wells areequipped with either turbine or submergible pumps. Thepump motors and column pipes generally range in sizefrom 5 to 30 horsepower and 4 to 6 inches in diameter,respectively.

A few of the older industrial wells in Van ZandtCounty are equipped with 50 to 100 horsepowerturbines and 8-inch column pipes. However, these wellsare pumped for only short periods because of the largedrawdowns in water levels. If smaller pumps and columnpipes were installed, the same amount of water could beproduced more economically by pumping these wellsmore continuously. Some of the industrial wells werescreened at or near the static water levels (Figures 13and 14). When these wells are pumped, and the waterlevel in the wells decline below the upper sands, watercascades into the well and creates turbulence, therebyreducing pump efficiency.

Rural-Domestic and Livestock Wells

Prior to 1940, most of the shallow domestic andstock wells in Rains and Van Zandt Counties were dugby hand. The wells were generally curbed with brick orrock; the diameters generally ranged from 3 to 4 feet.Since 1940, most of the shallow wells have been boredby bucket-type augers whose operating depths arelimited to about 50 feet. Concrete tile, about 30 inchesin diameter, is used for curbing. Gravel is packed in thebottom of the well and is placed outside the tile tocontrol sand entry and prevent caving.

Although wells of this type are relativelyinexpensive and are capable of storing considerablequantities of water, they are subject to contaminationfrom sewage and from stockyards. Some of the shallowwells go dry during droughts, or fail when they areheavily pumped during the summer.

In recent years, an increasing number of livestockand domestic-supply wells have been drilled to thedeeper water-bearing sands. These wells are generallycased with 2- to 5-inch diameter steel or plastic pipe andare finished with 2- to 3-inch diameter screens orperforated liners, which project upward a few feet intothe casing. Because corrosive water is frequentlyencountered in sands at intermediate depths, mostdrillers set a packer above the perforations and cementthe casing to the wall of the well. This procedure isrecommended for all wells drilled to depths greater than100 feet.

Most of the domestic and stock wells are equippedwith water-jet, cylinder, centrifugal, or submergiblepumps powered by one-quarter to one-half horsepowerelectric motors. However, ropes and buckets remain inuse in some of the rural areas.

QUALITY OF WATER

The suitability of a water supply is controlledlargely by the restrictions imposed by the contemplateduse of the water. Various standards have beenestablished for dissolved solids; bacterial content; andphysical properties such as temperature, odor, color, andturbidity. Bacterial content and undesirable physicalproperties may warrant concern, but generally the watercan be treated by simple and inexpensive processes. Theremoval of dissolved solids, however, may be difficultand expensive.

The source and significance of dissolved solids inwater is summarized in Table 3. Chemical analyses ofwater from wells are given in Table 5. The specificconductance, hardness, sulfate, a n d chlorideconcentrations in water from wells is shown on Figure 22.Analyses of water from lakes and streams are givenin Table 6. The locations of the wells, lakes, and streamsfrom which water was sampled are shown in Figure 26.

- 33 -

Table 3.-Source and Significance of Dissolved-Mineral Constituents and Properties of Water

CONSTITUENTOR

PROPERTY

Silica (SI02)

Iron (Fe)

Calcium (Ca) andmagnesium (Mg)

Sodium (Na) andpotassium (K)

Bicarbonate (HC03)and carbonate (C03)

Su Ifate (SO 4)

Chloride (CIl

Fluoride (F)

Nitrate (N03)

Dissolved solids

Hardness as CaC03

Specific conductance(micromhos at 25 0 C)

Hydrogen ionconcentration (pH)

SOURCE OR CAUSE

Dissolved from practically allrocks and solis, commonly lessthan 30 mg/I. High concentra­tions, as much as 100 mg/'. gener­ally occur In highly alkalinewaters.

Dissolved from practically allrocks and salls. May also bederived from iron pipes. pumps.and other equipment. More than1 or 2 mg/l of iron In surfacewaters generally indicates acidwastes from mtne drainage orother sources.

Dissolved from practically all soilsand rocks, but especially fromlimestone, dolomite. and gypsum.Calcium and magnesium arefound in large quantities in somebrines. Magnesium is present inlarge quantities in sea water.

Dissolved from practically allrocks and soils. Found also inancient brines, sea water, indus­trial brines. and sewage.

Action of carbon dioxide in wateron carbonate rocks such as lime­stone and dolomite.

Dissolved from rocks and soilscontaining gypsum. iron sulfides,and other sulfur compounds.Commonly present in mine watersand in some industrial wastes.

Dissolved from rocks and solis.Present in sewage and found inlarge amounts in ancient brines,sea water. and industrial brines.

Dissolved in small to minutequantities from most rocks andsolis. Added to many waters byfluoridation of municipal sup­plies.

Decaying organic matter, sewage,fertilizers, and nitrates in soil.

Chiefly minerai constituents dis­solved from rocks and soils.Includes some water of crystalli­zation.

In most waters nearly all thehardness is due to calcium andmagnesium. All the metalliccations' other than the alkalimetals also cause hardness.

Mineral content of the water.

Acids. acid-ger.erating salts. andfree carbon dioxide lower the pH.Carbonates, bicarbonates, hydrox­ides. and phosphates, silicates.and borates raise the pH.

- 34-

SIGNIFICANCE

Forms hard scale In pipes and boilers. Carried over in steam ofhigh pressure boilers to form deposits on blades of turbines.Inhibits deterloretion of zeollte-tvpe water softeners.

On exposure to air, iron in ground water oxidizes to reddish­brown precipitate. More than about 0.3 mg/I stains laundry andutensils reddish-brown. Objectionable for food processing, tex­tile processing, beverages. ice manufacture, brewing, and otherprocesses. U.S. Public Health Service (1962) drinking-waterstandards state that iron should not exceed 0.3 mg/1. Largerquantities cause unpleasant taste and favor growth of ironbacteria.

Cause most of the hardness and scale-forming properties ofwater; soap consuming (see hardness). Waters low in calcium andmagnesium desired in electroplating, tanning. dyeing, and intextile manufacturing.

Large amounts, in combination with chloride, give a salty taste.Moderate qu;mtities have little effect on the usefulness of waterfor most purposes. Sodium salts may cause foaming in steamboilers and a high sodium content may limit the use of water forirrigation.

Bicarbonate and carbonate produce alkalinity. Bicarbonates ofcalcium and magnesium decompose in steam boilers and hotwater facilities to form scale and release corrosive carbon dioxidegas. In combination with calcium and magnesium, cause carbon­ate hardness.

Sulfate in water containing calcium forms hard scale in steamboilers. In large amounts. sulfate in combination with other ionsgives bitter taste to water. Some calcium sulfate is consideredbeneficial in the brewing process. U.S. Public Health Service(19621 drinking-water standards recommend that the sulfatecontent should not exceed 250 mg/I.

In large amounts in combination with sodium. gives salty taste todrinking water. In large quantities. increases the corrosiveness ofwater. U.S. Public Health Service (1962) drinking-water stan­dards recommend that the chloride content should not exceed250 mg/1.

Fluoride in drinking water reduces the incidence of tooth decaywhen the water Is consumed during the period of enamelcalcification. However, it may cause mottling of the teeth.depending on the concentration of fluoride. the age of the child.amount of drinking water consumed. and susceptbility of theindividual. (Maier, 1950)

Concentration much greater than the local average may suggestpollution. U.S. Public Health Service (1962) drinking-waterstandards suggest a limit of 45 mg/l. Waters of high nitratecontent have been reported to be the cause of methemoglo­binemia (an often fatal disease in infants) and therefore shouldnot be used in infant feeding. Nitrate has been shown to behelpful In reducing inter-crystalline cracking of boiler steel. Itencourages growth of algae and other organisms which produceundesirable tastes and odors.

U.S. Public Health Service (1962) drinking-water standardsrecommend that waters containing more than 500 mgll dissolvedsolids not be used if other less mineralized supplies are available.Waters containing more than 1000 mgll dissolved solids areunsuitable for many purposes.

Consumes soap before a lather will form. Deposits soap curd onbathtubs. Hard water forms scale in boilers, water heaters, andpipes. Hardness equivalent to the bicarbonate and carbonate iscalled carbonate hardness. Any hardness in excess of this iscalled non-carbonate hardness. Waters of hardness as much as 60ppm are considered soft; 61 to 120 mg/I, moderately hard; 121to 180 mg/l. hard; more than 180 mgll. very hard.

Indicates degree of mineralization. Specific conductance is ameasure of the capacity of the water to conduct an electriccurrent. Varies with concentration and degree of ionization ofthe constituents.

A pH of 7.0 indicates neutrality of a solution. Values higher than7.0 denote increasing alkalinity; values lower than 7.0 indicateincreasing acidity. pH is a measure of the activity of thehydrogen ions. Corrosiveness of- water generally increases withdecreasing pH. However. excessively alkaline waters may alsoattack metals.

Standards for Water Quality

The U.S. Public Health Service has established andperiodically revises the standards for drinking water tobe used on common carriers engaged in interstatecommerce. The standards are designed to protect the

traveling public and may be used to evaluate domesticand public water supplies. According to the U.S. PublicHealth Service ( 1962), dissolved-mineral constituentsshould not be present in a public water supply in excesso f c o n c e n t r a t i o n s s h o w n i n t h e f o l l o w i n g t a b l e , e x c e p twhere more suitable water is not available or cannot be

made available at reasonable cost.

CONSTITUENT

I r o n ( F e )

S u l f a t e (SO4)

C h l o r i d e (Cl)

N i t r a t e (NO3)

D i s s o l v e d s o l i d s

CONCENTRATION IN(MILLIGRAMS PER LITER)

0 . 3

250

250

4 5

500

Iron in concentrations of more than 0.3 mg/l

(milligrams per liter) will cause reddish-brown stains on

clothes and porcelain fixtures and encrustations or scalein pipes or other water conduits and containers. Sulfatein excess of 250 mg/l may produce a laxative effect.Chloride in excess of 250 mg/l in combination withsodium will give a salty taste and will increase corrosion.Nitrate in excess of 45 mg/l may be pathologicallyd e t r i m e n t a l . W h e r e e x c e s s i v e c o n c e n t r a t i o n s o f n i t r a t e

occur locally, it is frequently the result of organicpollution from sewage facilities.

Chemical requirements for industrial uses of water

vary according to the industry, but they are fairly rigidwhere water is used in food, paper, and somechemical-process industries. T h e m o s t c o m m o n

industrial uses of water in Rains and Van Zandt Counties

are for cooling, boiler feed, and water-flooding of oilreservoirs. Excessive concentrations of dissolved solids is

a problem in water used for cooling because they tend toaccelerate corrosion (California State Water PollutionControl Board, 1963).

The use of water for boiler feed requires strict

limits on the amount of dissolved-solids and silica,

because scale may form in boilers. High-pressure

systems, operating at a pressure of more than 400 psi(pounds per square inch), require a dissolved-solidscontent of 50 mg/l or less, and a silica content of notmore than 1 mg/l; low-pressure systems, less than 150

psi, can use water having as much as 3,000 mg/ldissolved solids and 40 mg/l silica (Moore, 1940).

According to the U.S. Salinity Laboratory Staff

(1954), some of the principal factors that determine thequality of water for irrigation are the concentrations of

dissolved solids, sodium, and boron. The relativeimportance of the dissolved constituents in irrigationwater is dependent upon the degree to which theyaccumulate in the soil.

Sodium is a significant factor in evaluatingirrigation water because a high SAR (sodium-adsorption

ratio) may cause the soil structure to break down. TheRSC (residual sodium carbonate) is another factor usedin assessing the quality of water for irrigation. Accordingto Wilcox (1955), water containing more than 2.5 me/l

(milliequivalents per liter) RSC is not suitable forirrigation; 1.25 to 2.5 me/l is marginal; and less than 1.25

me/l probably is safe. However, the suitability of waterf o r i r r i g a t i o n c a n n o t b e e v a l u a t e d o n c h e m i c a l c o n t e n talone. The type of soil, adequacy of drainage, salttolerance of crops, and frequency and amount of rainfall

must also be considered.

Quality of Surface Water

Table 6 shows 164 analyses of water sampled fromstreams and lakes in Rains and Van Zandt Counties andadjacent areas. Most of the samples (151) were from sixlakes and seven streams in the Sabine River Basin; 12

were from the Neches River and its tributaries, and onewas from Cedar Creek in the Trinity River Basin. The 21surface-water sampling sites are shown on Figure 26.

With only a few local exceptions, the streams andlakes supply water that is chemically suitable for allpurposes. The dissolved solids are normally less than 500

mg/l.

Analyses of 17 samples of untreated water fromLake Tawakoni and five municipal lakes showed that

dissolved solids ranged from 33 to 230 mg/l andaveraged 126 mg/l (Table 6). Hardness ranged from 16to 102 mg/l and averaged 58 mg/l. All of the water maybe classed as soft or moderately hard. The sulfate and

chloride c o n c e n t r a t i o n s were well b e l o w the

recommended limits of 250 mg/l.

These analyses are considered to represent the

quality of surface water used within the report area.Locally, however, the quality of water has been

degraded through natural processes or by man’sactivities. Consequently, some of the water is unfit forhuman consumption. (See section on Water-QualityProblems.)

Quality of Ground Water

Table 5 shows 173 analyses of water from 165

wells in Rains and Van Zandt Counties and adjacentareas. Most of the samples (145) were from wells tapping

the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer, 13 were from the Queen Cityaquifer, 12 were from the Midway Group, two were

-35- -

from the Reklaw Formation, and one was from the

Carrizo Sand and the Reklaw Formation. Figure 22shows the specific conductance, hardness, sulfate, andchloride content in water from 164 wells. The depths ofthe wells are given to show both lateral and vertical

changes in water quality. A graph illustrating the relationbetween specific conductance and dissolved solids isincluded on the figure. Using this graph, it is possible toestimate the dissolved solids from the specificconductance.

The chemical analyses shown in Table 5 andFigure 22 are considered to represent the quality ofwater pumped from wells in and near the report area.Most of the samples collected, about 90 percent of thetotal, contained less than 1,000 mg/l dissolved solids;

approximately 93 percent contained less than 250 mg/lchloride or sulfate, about 90 percent contained less than45 mg/l nitrate, 53 percent contained less than 0.3 mg/l

iron, and 63 percent were either soft or moderately

hard.

During the investigation water was sampled from

four wells (YS-34-17-903, YS-34-27-801, YS-34-34-801,and YS-34-33-404) for pesticide analyses. No measurableconcentrations of either insecticides or herbicides werefound in these samples.

Water-Quality Problems

Although surface and ground water in Rains andVan Zandt Counties normally contain small or moderateamounts of dissolved solids, some of the water hasexcessive concentrations of one or more chemical

constituents which may require treatment or maypreclude its use for certain purposes.

Excessive iron and acidity is frequently a problemin wells completed in sands at intermediate depths. Theextent and position of this intermediate zone varieswithin the report area. However, the problem appears tobe most pronounced in wells screened opposite sands 50to 100 feet below the surface.

Hardness exceeding 120 mg/l was measured in 37percent of the ground-water samples. However, both

hardness and iron can be removed through chemicaltreatment and filtration. Consequently, neither isconsidered to be a serious problem.

O f m o r e c o n c e r n a r e t h e l a r g e c o n c e n t r a t i o n s o f

nitrate in the water from some of the shallow wells.Table 5 shows that eight of the 87 wells sampled fornitrate had concentrations exceeding 45 mg/l. The wells,their depths, and the nitrate concentrations are listed

below. Probably most of the wells have beencontaminated by sewage effluent or by seepage from

stockyards.

W E L L

U X - 3 4 - 0 3 - 7 0 1

U X - 3 4 - 1 I - 2 0 2

Y S - 3 4 - 1 7 - 5 0 1

Y S - 3 4 - 1 7 - 6 0 1

Y S - 3 4 - 2 7 - 5 0 2

Y S - 3 4 - 2 7 - 8 0 1

Y S - 3 4 - 3 3 - 4 0 4

Y S - 3 4 - 3 6 - 6 0 4

D E P T H N I T R A T E(FEET) (MG/L)

2 5 3 0 5

4 5 5 2 5

3 6 120 est.

3 5 3 9 6

3 1 1 0 0

6 0 2 4 3

4 2 7 3

2 3 1 2 9

Because the shallow wells are highly susceptible toboth organic and inorganic contamination, periodicbacterial and chemical analyses are recommended if the

water is used for drinking. These analyses can be madeby the Smith County Health Department in Tyler.

Disposal of Oil Field Brine

Disposal of brine in earthen pits in the Van oilfield has degraded the quality of water in streams that

drain the field. In compliance with a statewide “no-pit”

order issued by the Railroad Commission of Texas, theuse of salt-water disposal pits in the field wasdiscontinued in 1968. Evidence cited below indicates

that much of the brine that was placed in pits prior to1968 was washed into streams that drain the oil field.However, a substantial amount has saturated the soils,

and some has probably percolated downward to thewater table.

The disposal of brine produced in the Van oil fieldhas been described by Liddle (1936, p. 70), who wrote:

“Salt water is collected by gravity

gathering lines from tank batteries andlocal pits and is delivered into at w o - m i l l i o n b a r r e l e a r t h e n s t o r a g e p i t

which has been excavated just northeasto f t h e f i e l d . W a t e r i s h e r e i m p o u n d e dand a considerable amount evaporates

during the dry season. When SabineRiver is in flood, salt water from the

storage pit is turned into it through adry creek. The distance from the pit tothe river is 7 miles.”

The northern half of the Van oil field is drained bytributaries of Dry and Village Creeks (Figure 26).Residents in the area report that fish cannot survive in

these creeks in and near the field. However, they alsoreport that the quality of water has markedly improvedsince pit disposal was discontinued, and that fish are

gradually migrating upstream.

- 36 -

the gaging station near Mineola (site 11 on Figure 26).Daily sampling of the flow at this station during theperiod October 1967 through September 1968 (Table 5)showed a discharge-weighted average concentration ofdissolved solids of 131 mg/I, which is about normal forlakes and streams within the report area. However, thedissolved solids exceeded 500 mg/I in seven of the 56composite samples, and was 2,350 mg/I in one sample,which indicates that during this period abnormally highsalt loads were flushed from the drainage area upstreamfrom this station.

AVAILABILITY OF GROUND WATER

The quantity of ground water available for futuredevelopment is limited mainly by the low rate at whichthe aquifers transmit (conduct) water. An estimated5,000 acre-feet could be annually withdrawn from theCarrizo-Wilcox aquifer without depleting water that is instorage. This is the amount that is effectively rechargedto the aquifer, assuming the following physical andhydrologic properties:

1. Hydraulic conductivity of 6.3 feet per day

2. Sand thickness of 50 percent

3. Hydraulic gradient of 5 feet per mile

4. Contributing recharge area of 700 square miles

The 5,000 acre-feet of recharge comparesfavorably with the 3,000 acre-feet of recharge reportedby Broom (1968, p.13) for the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer inWood County. In contrast to the small amount of waterthat is perennially available (5,000 ac-ft), a very largequantity of ground water is in storage. Assuming a 30percent porosity, about 50 million acre-feet of water isstored in sands in the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer.Approximately 17 million acre-feet is stored within adepth of 400 feet. Due to the low permeability of theaquifer, it is estimated that ten percent of the water instorage, or about 5 million acre-feet is economicallyretrievable through pumping wells.

Figure 25 shows areas in Rains and Van landtCounties that are favorable for future development ofthe Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer. The relative degrees offavorability-most favorable, favorable, and leastfavorable-are based on the yields and specific capacitiesof wells and the transmissivity of the water··bearingsands. The chemical quality of the water was not acriterion in determining areas of favorability.

The map shows that the most favorable area foradditional development is in the southeastern half of thereport area. Properly drilled and completed wells in this

- 40-

area can be expected to yield between 100 to 250 gpm.A few large-capacity wells in this area have pumped asmuch as 600 gpm during aquifer tests. However, theseyields cannot be sustained during extended periods ofpumping.

NEED FOR CONTINUINGMEASUREMENTS OF WATER LEVELS

Additional development of the water resources ofRains and Van landt Counties is both feasible andinevitable. To record the changes in the water levelswhich will result from this development, a program ofwater-level measurements is needed.

The 20 wells listed below are recommended formeasuring annual changes in levels in Rains and Vanlandt Counties. Seventeen of the wells tap the WilcoxGroup (Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer) and three tap the QueenCity Sand. Water levels were measured in all of the wellsduring this investigation; eight of the wells havehistorical records (Table 4).

WELL NO. WELL NO. WELL NO.

UX-34-03-101 YS-34-19-412 YS-34-34-201

UX-34-03-702 YS-34-19-413 YS-34-34-502

U X-34-1 0-501 YS-34-20-40 1 YS-34-34-503

UX-34-11-203 YS-34-25-602 YS-34-35-501

YS-34-17-903 YS-34-25-603 YS-34-36-103

YS-34-18-101 YS-34-28-102 YS-34-36-402

YS-34-18-501 YS-34-33-101

The Carrizo-Wi Icox aqu ifer has been extensivelydeveloped for municipal and industrial supply in andnear the city of Grand Saline. Because of the resultinglarge declines in water levels, as much as 100 feet(Figures 20 and 21), additional development in this areashould be avoided.

The area least favorable for development of theaqu ifer is along the feather edge of the Wilcox Group inwestern Rains and Van landt Counties. However, mostof the residents in that area are, or soon will be, suppliedby rural water systems which obtain water from LakeTawakoni.

The Queen City aquifer has not been developedwithin the report area except for domestic and stocksupplies. This aquifer is probably capable of yielding asmuch as 150 gpm to properly constructed wells. Becauseof its small extent, however, additional development willbe restricted.

'0''''''''COUNTY HOPKINS COUNTY

., '~\ '" J~"'4-~;l'III ~-

~~~~1,~I,' '~X~~~'E'M~~~;O,y~,/ ,}~ i

--_._,,_.,,"-"-'~---T'''''~'__'''''---~"<'2' ~ ,~

EXPLANATION

Least favorable0-25 gollons per minute

Favorable25-100 gallons per minute

Most favorable100-250 gallons per minute

Area of large ground waterwithdrawal. Not recommended for

additional development because ofexcessive decline in water levels

Von t-­, '!?r_

~"':'"'---....,

; r~f~n '""',\i'\eele, "'-

/' ,. "

l'I

CAN rON-+--4

Figure 25

Estimated Potential Yields of Wells Tapping

the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer

89" from U, S. fb(:tn9icol awn)'topographic q.. c4r)f1qJ••

- 41 -

REFERENCES CITED

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Baldwin, H. L., and McGuinness, C. L., 1963, A primeron ground water: U.S. Geol. Survey Misc. Pub., 26 p.

Broadhurst, W. L., 1943, Records of wells, springs,drillers' logs, and water samples in Rains County,Texas: Texas Board Water Engineers duplicated rept.,13 p.

Broom, M. E., 1968, Ground-water resources of WoodCounty, Texas: Texas Water Deve\. Board Rept. 79,84 p.

California State Water Pollution Control Board, 1963,Water-quality criteria: California State WaterPollution Control Board Pub. 3A, 548 p.

Cooper, H. H., and Jacob, C. E., 1946, A generalizedgraphic method for evaluating formation constantsand summarizing well-field history: Am. Geophys.Union Trans., v. 27, no. 4, p. 526-534.

Darton, N. Y., Stephenson, L. W., and Gardner, J. A.,1937, Geologic map of Texas.

Dillard, J. W., 1963, Availability and quality of groundwater in Smith County, Texas: Texas Water Comm.Bul\. 6302, 124 p.

Doll, W. L., Meyer, Gerald, and Archer, R. J., 1963,Water resources of West Virginia: West Virginia Dept.Nat. Resources, Div. of Water Resources, 134 p.

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Gillett, P. T., and Janca, I. G., 1965, Inventory of Texasirrigation, 1958 and 1964: Texas Water Comm. Bul\.6515,317 p.

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Hughes, L. S., and Leifeste, D. K., 1965, Reconnaissanceof the chemical quality of surface waters of theSabine River Basin, Texas and Louisiana: U.S. Geo\.Survey Water-Supply Paper 1809-H, 71 p.

__1967, Reconnaissance of the chemical quality ofsurface waters of the Neches River Basin, Texas: U.S.Geo\. Survey Water-Supply Paper 1839-A, 63 p.

- 43-

Kane, J. W., 1967, Monthly reservoir evaporation ratesfor Texas, 1940 through 1965: Texas Water Deve\.Board Rept. 64. 111 p.

Leopold, L. B., and Langbein, W. E., 1960, A primer onwater: U.S. Geol. Survey Misc. Pub., 50 p.

Liddle, R. A., 1936, the Van oil field, Van ZandtCounty, Texas: Texas Univ. Bull. 3601,82 p.

Maier, F. J., 1950, Fluoridation of public water supplies:Am. Water Works Assoc. Jour., v. 42, pt. 1, p.1120-1132.

Meinzer, O. E., 1923a, Occurrence of ground water inthe United States, with a discussion of principles:U.S. Geo\. Survey Water-Supply Paper 489,231 p.

__1923b, Outline of ground-water hydrology withdefinitions: U.S. Geo\. Survey Water-Supply Paper494, 71 p.

Meinzer, O. E., and others, 1942, Physics of the earth,v. 9, Hydrology: New York, McGraw-Hili Book Co.,Inc., 712 p.

Moore, E. W., 1940, Progress report of the committee onquality tolerances of water for industrial uses: NewEngland Water Works Assoc. Jour., v. 54, p. 261-272.

Railroad Commission of Texas, 1968, Annual report ofthe Oil and Gas Div., 1967: Railroad Comm. Texas,627 p.

Sellards, E. H., Atkins, W. S., Plummer, F. B., 1932, Thegeology of Texas, v.l, Stratigraphy: Univ. Texas Bull.3232, Bur. Econ. Geology, 1007 p.

Stenzel, H. B., 1938, The geology of Leon County,Texas: Univ. Texas Bull. 3818, Bur. Econ. Geology,295 p.

Sundstrom, R. W., Hastings, W. W., and Broadhurst, W.L., 1948, Public water supplies in eastern Texas: U.S.Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 1047,285 p.

Theis, C. V., 1935, The relation between the lowering ofthe piezometric surface and the rate and duration ofdischarge of a well using ground-water storage: Am.Geophys. Union Trans., v. 16, pt. 2, p. 519-524.

Todd, D. K., 1959, Ground-water hydrology: New York,John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 336 p.

Tolman, C. F., 1937, Ground water: New York,McGraw-Hili Book Co., Inc., 593 p.

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U.S. Salinity Laboratory Staff, 1954, Diagnosis andimprovement of saline and alkali soils: U.S. Dept.Agriculture Handb. 60, p. 69.

University of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology,Geologic atlas of Texas: Tyler (1956) and Dallas (inpress, 1969) sheets.

-44-

Wenzel, L. K., 1942, Methods of determiningpermeability of water-bearing materials with specialreference to discharging-well methods: U.S. Geol.

Survey Water-Supply Paper 887, 192 p.

Wilcox, L. U., 1955, Classification and use of irrigationwaters: U.S. Dept. Agriculture Circ. 969, 19 p.

Wisler, C. O., and Brater, E. F., 1959, Hydrology: NewYork, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 408 p.