Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts Texas Groundwater Summit Brackish Groundwater Availability James Beach, PG LBG-Guyton Associates August 27, 2015
Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts
Texas Groundwater Summit
Brackish Groundwater Availability
James Beach, PGLBG-Guyton AssociatesAugust 27, 2015
OutlinePractical side of brackish developmentBrackish groundwater volumesManagement issues and brackish groundwater
production zonesThings to watch
~40,000 wellsDeep saline units not included
Texas BrackishGroundwater
West Texas
“ The complex nature of solution trough………..
The base of the formation is often difficult, if not impossible, to determine.”
“It is not uncommon to encounter a significant accumulation of clay in some wells. However, correlation of individual lithologic units over large distances is, at best, tenuous.”
-BRACs Pecos Valley Aquifer report
TWDB BRACs
Boring Location
BRACs Report: Base of Pecos Valley Alluvium
Base of Alluvium
Base of Alluvium
“The technique of using geophysical well log correlation was inherently biased toward a signature that indicated a coarse, unconsolidated geological unit overlying a more uniform siltstone or shale unit. This bias may have precluded us from including basal fine-grained deposits in the Pecos Valley Alluvium that are almost indistinguishable from the underlying Triassic and Permian units.”
-BRACs Pecos Valley Aquifer report
Characterization QuestionsOn a limited budget………….How many wells?How deep?Desired water quality for treatment?
Law of Diminishing Returns
Field InvestigationsTest DrillingWater Quality AssessmentAquifer Pumping Tests
Brackish ConsiderationsAreal extent and productivity of brackish
aquifer
Cost of treatment
Methods of concentrate management
Practical ConsiderationsBrackish groundwater should be
considered as an alternative new supply in some areas
Significant portion of brackish may not be in BGPZ
Feasibility and cost depend on many site-specific factors
Financial, regulatory, hydrogeologic and engineering issues should be considered simultaneously during all phases of the project
Take Home on Practical IssuesIn many places, brackish groundwater still requires
significant characterization
Typical groundwater development concepts still apply
Significant investment is generally required to develop a brackish project
Brackish Volumes
Estimated Brackish Volumes in Texas
2.7 Billion AF !!
2.7 Billion AF
Unconfined
Confined
Brackish Groundwater Availability
Region
Total Estimated Volume of Brackish Groundwater “In Place”
in all Aquifers (acre/feet)
Total Minimum Confined Volume of Brackish Groundwater
(acre/feet)
A- Panhandle 19,072,000 27,600 B- Region B 14,528,000 7,000 C- Region C 84,864,000 84,900 D- Northeast Texas 55,712,000 71,300 E- Far West Texas 125,004,800 377,600 F- Region F 371,548,800 1,299,500 G- Brazos 195,113,600 426,800 H- Region H 192,912,000 470,500 I- East Texas 195,432,000 437,400 J- Plateau 8,515,200 122,600 K- Lower Colorado 201,080,000 872,200 L- South Central Texas 416,576,000 1,191,200 M- Rio Grande 394,848,000 1,220,900 N- Coastal Bend 331,040,000 1,368,800 O- Llano Estacado 91,611,200 151,600 P- Lavaca 7,800,000 25,900 Total 2,705,657,600 8,155,800
Brackish Volumes in Texas
23
Balancing test
Highest Practicable
Level of Groundwater Production
Conservation, Preservation, Protection, Recharging,
and Prevention of Waste of
Groundwater, and Control of
Subsidence
Brackish Groundwater Production Zone Issues
Balancing desire to use brackish with long-term impacts
“significant” impact?extent of BGPZHow to implement production in BGPZWhat if BGPZ does have significant impact on
freshwater suppliesDetails of BGPZ in non-district areas
Pecos Valley MAGs
Looking Forward for BrackishMore Characterization NeededTrue value of water will be better identifiedLocal economies play important roleStrongly held viewpoints and beliefs (and water
still flows toward money)More Proactive Mitigation?Petitions and lawsuitsMore clarity with time….