Brian A. Smith, Ph. D., P.G. Brian B. Hunt, P.G. Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Texas Groundwater 2004: Towards Sustainability November 18-19 GROUNDWATER AVAILABILITY MODELING OF THE BARTON SPRINGS SEGMENT OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, CENTRAL TEXAS
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Brian A. Smith, Ph. D., P.G. Brian B. Hunt, P.G. Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District Texas Groundwater 2004: Towards Sustainability November.
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Brian A. Smith, Ph. D., P.G.
Brian B. Hunt, P.G.
Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
Texas Groundwater 2004: Towards Sustainability
November 18-19
Austin, Texas
GROUNDWATER AVAILABILITY MODELING OF THE BARTON SPRINGS SEGMENT OF THE
EDWARDS AQUIFER, CENTRAL TEXAS
FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM
What are the impacts to discharge from Barton Springs and water levels under a recurrence of 1950’s drought conditions and increasing pumping?
1950’s drought
(7-year drought)
+Pumping
IMPACTS?=
OUTLINE• Hydrogeologic Setting• 2000 and 2001 Groundwater
Availability Models (GAM)• Recalibration of GAM to 1950’s
Drought Conditions• Impacts to Barton Springs
Discharge• Impacts to Water Levels and Wells• Conclusions• Future Studies
Barton Springs Aquifer
Conceptual Aquifer Model
Trinity
Edwards
•Most of the recharge to the aquifer occurs via surface streams in discrete (karst) recharge features.
•Limited contribution from the Trinity Aquifer and saline-water zone.
Contributing zone
Barton Springs Aquifer
• Sole source of drinking water to more than 50,000 people
• Home to endangered species at springs
• Important source of recreation for Austin
Barton Springs Aquifer
• Sole source of drinking water to more than 50,000 people
• Home to endangered species at springs
• Important source of recreation for Austin
Barton Springs Aquifer
• Sole source of drinking water for more than 50,000 people
Drought of record potentiometric map (feet above msl)
Drought of record saturated thickness map (feet)
Drought of Record: Water Levels
GAM is an initiative by TWDBto develop state of the art, publicly available, numerical groundwater flow models to provide reliable information of groundwater availability in Texas.
Barton Springs GAM:•Scanlon et al., 2000 and 2001•Recalibrated to better-match 1950’s drought conditions
Groundwater Availability Model
• Raymond Slade- Retired, USGS• Rene Barker- Retired, USGS• Nico Hauwert- City of Austin• David Johns- City of Austin• Jack Sharp- UT Dept. of Geosciences• Bridget Scanlon- UT BEG• Robert Mace- TWDB• Eric Strom- USGS
Groundwater Model Advisory Team
Zones of Hydraulic Conductivity
GAM SimulatedSpring Flow
Simulated spring flow under 1950’s drought andvarious pumping rates
Drawdown Due to Drought
•Stratigraphy and geologic structures
•Measured water levels
•Specific capacity and pumping test data
•Well construction data
•Simulated pumping drawdown from GAM
Evaluation of Hydrogeologic Data to Quantify Impacts to Wells
Cross Section
RESULTS: impacts to wells
• 7% of wells may be negatively impacted under 1950’s drought conditions alone.
Current permitted pumpage
• 19% of the wells in the District may be negatively impacted under 1950’s drought and 10 cfs pumping.
• For each 1 cfs of groundwater pumped from the aquifer under 1950’s drought conditions, discharge from Barton Springs will diminish by about the same rate.
• At current permitted pumping levels (10 cfs), Barton Springs discharge is predicted to decrease to about 1 cfs on a monthly average, although may temporarily cease at times.
CONCLUSIONS:Spring Flow
CONCLUSIONS:Impacts to Wells
• At current permitted pumping levels (10 cfs), as many as 19% of wells in the District may be negatively impacted. Most of the impacts are to wells that only partially penetrate the aquifer.
• The southwestern portion of the aquifer is most threatened from low water levels and increased pumping rates during a recurrence of 1950’s drought conditions.