TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD REPORT 2 BASE-FLOW STUDIES NUECES RIVER, TEXAS Quantity and Quality, November 23-25, 1964 W. E. Reeves, P. B. Rohne, J. F. Blakey, and C. R. Gilbert United States Geological Survey Prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board October 1965 Reprinted October 1969
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TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD
REPORT 2
BASE-FLOW STUDIES
NUECES RIVER, TEXAS
Quantity and Quality, November 23-25, 1964
W . E . Reeves, P . B. Rohne, J. F. Blakey, and C. R. Gilbert United States Geological Survey
Prepared by the U . S . Geological Survey in cooperation with the
Texas Water Development Board
October 1965
Reprinted October 1969
FOREWORD
On September 1, 1965 the Texas Water Conmission (formerly, before February 1962, the S t a t e Board of Water Engineers) experienced a fa r reaching realign- ment of functions and personnel, directed toward the increased emphasis needed for planning and developing Texas' water resources and for administering water- r ights .
Realigned and concentrated i n the Texas Water Development Board were the investigative, planning, development, research, financing, and supporting func- tions, including the reports review and publication functions. The name Texas Water Ccormission was changed t o Texas Water Rights Commission, and responsibil- i t y for functions re la t ing t o water-rights administration was vested therein.
For the reader 's convenience, references i n th i s report have been altered, where necessary, t o r e f l e c t the current (post September 1, 1965) ass igwent of responsibi l i ty for the function mentioned. I n other words c red i t for a func- t ion performed by the Texas Water Commission before the September 1, 1965 rea l igwent generally w i l l be given i n t h i s report e i ther t o the Water Develop- ment Board or t o the Water Rights Camnission, depending on which agency now has responsibi l i ty for tha t function.
1 . Summary of d ischarge measurements. Nueces River base-flow inves t iga t ion . November 23.25. 1964 ............................... 2
2 . Chemical analyses and water discharge. Nueces River. November 23.25. 1964 ....................................................... 5
B A S E - F L O W S T U D I E S
N U E C E S R I V E R , T E X A S
Q u a n t i t y a n d Q u a l i t y
N o v e m b e r 2 3 - 2 5 , 1 9 6 4
INTRODUCTION
An i n v e s t i g a t i o n was made by t h e U.S. Geological Survey, under a coopera- t i v e agreement wi th t h e Texas Water Development Board, t o determine t h e changes i n quan t i ty and chemical q u a l i t y of t h e base flow of t h e Nueces River i n a 52.2- m i l e reach beginning a t U.S. Highway 90 and extending t o t h e c ross ing of Farm Road 1025 nor th of C r y s t a l City. Knowledge of t h e changes i n quan t i ty and chemical q u a l i t y of base flow i s necessary f o r any evalua t ion of t h e e f f e c t i v e - ness of t h e r i v e r channel i n conveying water r e l eased from p o t e n t i a l upstream r e s e r v o i r s . The i n v e s t i g a t i o n was made November 23-25, 1964, during a period when evapora t ion and t r a n s p i r a t i o n were smal l and t h e discharge p a s t t h e stream- gaging s t a t i o n , Nueces River below Uvalde, was cons tant . Floods of September 1964 cont r ibuted cons iderably t o the recharge of t h e alluvium i n t h e reach inves t iga t ed , r e s u l t i n g i n a higher than average base flow.
River mileage given h e r e i n was measured from U.S. Geological Survey topo- graphic maps: Hacienda, Pul l iam Ranch, and Sand Mountain Quadrangles; and, Corps of Engineers, La Pryor Quadrangle.
QUANTITATIVE RESULTS
Discharge was determined a t 10 s i t e s on t h e Nueces River and on a l l major t r i b u t a r i e s i n t h e 52.2-mile r each inves t iga t ed . Table 1 summarizes the per - t i n e n t da t a f o r each s i t e where d ischarge was determined. The following sub- sec t ions d iscuss t h e q u a n t i t a t i v e r e s u l t s i n those reaches where apprec iable change i n su r face flow or a s i g n i f i c a n t change i n geology occurred.
M i l e 0 t o Mile 2.8
The r i v e r was n o t flowing a t U.S. Highway 90 (mile 0), a l though t h e r e may have been a smal l amount of underflow through t h e g rave l a t t h i s s i t e . The geology i n t h e reach i s n o t w e l l enough known t o i d e n t i f y t h e o r i g i n of t h e 16.6 c f s (cubic f e e t per second) of flow a t mi l e 2.8 ( s i t e 2). It i s probable t h a t t h i s flow came from t h e al luvium and Ple is tocene Leona Formation a s a r e s u l t of having been forced t o t h e su r face by a r a p i d l y diminishing c ross - s ec t iona 1 area , above t h e underlying Upper Cretaceous Aust in Chalk.
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Mile 2.8 t o Mile 9.4
A d ischarge of 36.2 c f s was measured a t m i l e 9.4 ( s i t e 4), a ga in of 19.6 c f s i n t h i s 6.6-mile reach. A s i n t h e previous reach, t h i s ga in i n d ischarge i s a t t r i b u t e d t o seepage from the underlying alluvium and Leona Formation.
Mile 9.4 t o Mile 19.0
The minor changes i n su r face flow i n t h i s reach--from 36.2 c f s a t s t a r t t o 31.7 c f s a t mi l e 12.8 ( s i t e 7), 32.5 c f s a t mi le 18.4 ( s i t e 9), and 33.6 c f s a t mi l e 19.0 ( s i t e 11)--probably a r e the r e s u l t of changes i n amounts of underflow i n r e l a t i o n t o streamflow a t the measuring s i t e s . L i t t l e , i f any, interchange of su r face and ground wa te r occurs i n t h e f a u l t zones near t h e lower end of t h i s reach.
Mile 19.0 t o Mile 21.8
A l o s s i n su r face flow of 21.9 c f s was measured i n t h i s 2.8-mile reach. The Eocene Carr izo Sand unde r l i e s the Leona Formation i n most o f t h i s reach. Large amounts o f water a r e pumped from the Carr izo and t h e Leona i n the v i c i n - i t y . Although some o f the l o s s i n sur face flow can be assessed t o recharge of t h e Carr izo (Turner, e t a l . , 1960, p. 52-65), the major po r t ion is a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e ex tens ive underflow i n t h e alluvium and recharge of the Leona which unde r l i e s t h e alluvium a t mi l e 21.8 ( s i t e 13). A major f a u l t occurs along the c o n t a c t of t h e Carr izo Sand and the Eocene Mount Selman Formation a t about mi le 21. Some of the l o s s i n su r face flow i n t h i s reach could be a t t r i b u t e d t o t h i s f a u l t .
Mile 21.8 t o Mile 24.7
The r i v e r was not flowing a t mi le 24.7 ( s i t e 16) and apparent ly the re had been no flow a t t h i s s i t e s i n c e the l a s t flood flow i n September. The l o s s i n t h i s reach of t h e 11.7 c f s measured a t mi le 21.8 probably can be a t t r i b u t e d t o e i t h e r o r both o f t h e following f ac to r s : (1) recharge o f t h e alluvium and Leona Formation, which a r e pumped heavi ly i n t h e v i c i n i t y , and (2) a continued inc rease i n the l a r g e amounts of underflow a t t h e downstream measuring sec t ions
Mile 24.7 to Mile 29.9
A flow of 7.90 c f s was measured a t mi l e 29.9 ( s i t e 18) . This ga in of flow is a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e reappearance of some of t h e apparent ly l a r g e underflow i n t h e r i v e r gravel a t m i l e 24.7. A small increase i n the d i s so lved- so l ids con- c e n t r a t i o n of the water from t h a t measured a t mi l e 21.8 (see Table 2 ) i nd ica t e s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t p a r t of the ga in i n flow i s from i r r i g a t i o n upstream.
Mile 29.9 t o Mile 52.2
A d ischarge of 13.4 c f s was measured a s the outf low from a small channel dam a t mi l e 52.2 ( s i t e 21). Also, an i r r i g a t i o n pump, 400 f e e t upstream, was pumping about 1.3 c f s . The t o t a l su r face flow of 14.7 c f s found a t mi le 52.2
r e p r e s e n t s a ga in of 6.8 c f s i n t h i s reach. A s i n the above reach, t h e ga in can be a t t r i b u t e d t o a shallow water t a b l e probably influenced by a change i n th ickness of the alluvium.
QUALITATIVE RESULTS
Samples of water were co l l ec t ed f o r chemical analyses a t e i g h t s i t e s on the Nueces River; from the discontinued stream-gaging s t a t i o n near Uvalde (mile 2.8 and s i t e 2) t o t h e discontinued stream-gaging s t a t i o n near Cinonia (mile 5.2 and s i t e 21). Only minor changes were found i n t h e chemical q u a l i t y of samples c o l l e c t e d from mi le 2.8 ( s i t e 2) t o mi le 29.9 ( s i t e 18). (See Table 2.) For example, the d i s so lved- so l ids concent ra t ions ranged from 259 to 277 ppm (pa r t s pe r m i l l i o n ) i n t h i s reach, and more than three- four ths of the d isso lved s o l i d s were calcium and b icarbonate ions.
The s l i g h t i nc rease i n c h l o r i d e and n i t r a t e concent ra t ion (Table 2) and t h e increase i n noncarbonate hardness between mi le 21.8 ( s i t e 13) and mi l e 29.9 ( s i t e 18) could be t h e r e s u l t o f i r r i g a t i o n r e t u r n flow through the alluvium i n the reach.
A dam a t m i l e 52.2 ( s i t e 21) backs water almost t o mi l e 29.9 ( s i t e 18). Two samples were c o l l e c t e d below t h e dam, one below t h e concre te spi l lway and one below the ea r then dam. The s l i g h t d i f f e r e n c e i n q u a l i t y of the two samples probably r e s u l t e d from d i f f e rences i n t h e amount of seepage and underflow water mixing wi th t h e su r face water outflow. The d i s so lved- so l ids concent ra t ions of t h e two samples c o l l e c t e d below the dam were s l i g h t l y h igher than concent ra t ions o f the samples c o l l e c t e d a t upstream s i t e s , bu t percentages of indiv idual ions were about the same, except f o r s i l i c a and n i t r a t e . A decrease i n the concen- t r a t i o n of these two ions would be expected i n impounded water . S i l i c a may be p r e c i p i t a t e d , and s i l i c a and n i t r a t e a r e u t i l i z e d by aqua t i c p l a n t s and animals i n r e s e r v o i r s .
Samples of water c o l l e c t e d throughout the s tudy reach were o f good qua l i ty . However, the waters were a l l of the calcium bicarbonate type and the hardness (as calcium carbonate) was more than 220 ppm i n a l l samples. Hard water is ob jec t ionab le f o r domestic o r i n d u s t r i a l use because soap consumption and s c a l e formation i n water r ecep tac l e s inc rease p ropor t iona l ly w i t h water hardness. I f softened, the Nueces River water should be e x c e l l e n t f o r domestic and indus- t r i a l u ses , and the raw water i s s a t i s f a c t o r y f o r i r r i g a t i o n .
PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS
Other base-flow i n v e s t i g a t i o n s (Texas Board Water Engineers and U.S. Geo- l o g i c a l Survey, 1960, p. 113-125) have been made i n t h i s reach of the Nueces River. Although the re is some s i m i l a r i t y between the q u a n t i t a t i v e r e s u l t s of t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n and those of two of the t h r e e previous inves t iga t ions made under comparable c l i m a t i c condi t ions , no d i r e c t comparison i s attempted here, mainly because the d i f f e r e n c e i n pumping from the alluvium and Leona Formation would n u l l i f y any such comparison. The two previous inves t iga t ions wi th stream- flow t h a t was comparable t o t h a t found i n t h i s one were made i n November 1931 and January 1932.
8-1915. NUECES RIVER NEAR WALDE (Discontinued stream-gaging atatinn)
( A n r i y l i r r l results i n p T f s per milllo"., ercepe rr t n d i c r l ~ d )
6.1920. NUECES RIVER BEWW WALDE (Strem-gaging station)
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Site NO.
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Date
1964 -
0 . 2
NUECES RIVER AT MISSOllRl PACIFIC RAILWAY BRIDGE, 8 MILES NORTH OF LA PRYOR
Silk. ,SiO,j
0.3R 277
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481
NUECE3 RIVER 0 . 2 MILE BEWW MOUTH OF LIVE OAK CREEK
N;.
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7 . 3 238 7 . 3 2
NUECES RIVER CL4 MILE ABOVE MOlfPH OF LIVE OAK CREEK
0 . 3 6
451
6-1925. NUECES RIVER NEAR CINONIA (LEFT CHANNEL) (Discontinued stream-gaginR station)
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15 7
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25 1 . 3
219 68
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6 12
12 N o v . 2 3
18 Nov. 24
218 I1
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8-1925. NUECES RIVER NEAR CINONIA (RIGHT CHANNEL)
560
260
34 263 12
452 66
10 67 21
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74
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44
15 13
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8 13
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318 Nov. 25
15 Nov. 25
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222
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33
26
210
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15
18
28
20
12
18
212
12
40
266 0 .36
Data from low-flow inves t iga t ions genera l ly a r e q u a n t i t a t i v e l y comparable only when the c l imate , t h e contiguous water t ab le , and the propor t ion of su r - face flow and underflow a t measuring s i t e s a r e i d e n t i c a l .
SUMMARY
The amount of surface-f low l o s s t h a t can be a t t r i b u t e d t o recharge of the Carr izo Sand cannot be determined accura t e ly because of t h e probable underflow a t each measuring s i t e i n t h e 52.2-mile reach inves t iga t ed . However, owing t o t h e extremely heavy pumping from the Carr izo, and t h e l ike l ihood t h a t a s t eep hydraul ic g rad ien t e x i s t s t h a t would induce recharge, some of the indica ted l o s s of about 34 c f s i n a 5-mile reach probably goes t o recharge of the Carr izo . The indica ted q u a n t i t a t i v e changes i n base flow a t the seve ra l poin ts i n the reach a r e pr imar i ly due t o the changes i n depth of flow i n t h e alluvium and Leona Formation.
The consis tency of the chemical cha rac te r of the base flow along the reach i n d i c a t e s t h a t no s i g n i f i c a n t interchange of ground and su r face water takes p lace i n the numerous f a u l t zones. Inflow from sources o t h e r than the a l l w i u m o r t h e Leona Formation is not indica ted i n the reach. Some i r r i g a t i o n r e tu rn flow i s poss ib l e a t and below mi le 29.9.
Considerable recharge of t h e alluvium occurred during the extreme f loods of September 1964. Therefore, i f any of the su r face flow is being l o s t by recharge of the Carr izo, the recharge r a t e is h igher than when the alluvium i s dewatered and when a higher percentage of t h e streamflow en te r s t h e alluvium.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The r e s u l t s of t h e reconnaissance-type i n v e s t i g a t i o n presented i n t h i s r e p o r t emphasize t h e need f o r more comprehensive s tud ie s . These s t u d i e s a r e v i t a l f o r planning the e f f i c i e n t opera t ion of any r e s e r v o i r t h a t might be con- s t r u c t e d w i t h i n o r upstream from the reach inves t iga ted . Accurate base-flow d a t a a s t o o r i g i n , quan t i ty , q u a l i t y , and underflow i n the reach a r e necessary. To provide these d a t a the following recommendations f o r f u t u r e s t u d i e s a r e made:
1. A complete ground-water well inventory along the 52.2-mile reach covered by the i n v e s t i g a t i o n should be made i n conjunct ion with a s e r i e s of streamflow measurements a t s e l ec t ed s i t e s . Emphasis should be placed on w e l l s near the upper end of t h e reach and those near the reach cross ing t h e Carr izo Sand.
2. S u f f i c i e n t w e l l logs should be obtained f o r a geologic sec t ion along the reach inves t iga t ed , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n the outcrop a rea of the Carr izo Sand.
3 . Water samples should be obtained a t each well and streamflow measure- ment s i t e and analyzed f o r chemical composition.
4. An i n t e r p r e t i v e r e p o r t conta in ing the r e s u l t s of the s t u d i e s should be pub1 ished .
REFERENCES
Texas Board Water Engineers and U.S. Geological Survey, 1960, Channel ga in and l o s s inves t iga t ions , Texas streams, 1918-1958: Texas Board Water Engineers Bull . 5807-D.
Turner, S. F., Robinson, T. W., and White, W. N., 1960, Geology and ground- water resources of t h e Winter Garden d i s t r i c t , Texas, 1948: U.S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 1481.