Dockum Aquifer: Structure and Brackish Groundwater

Study Summary:

The goals of the study are to (1) map and characterize the brackish parts of the Dockum Aquifer in greater detail using existing water well reports, geophysical well logs, and available aquifer data and (2) build datasets that can be used for groundwater exploration and replicable numerical groundwater models to estimate the volumes of groundwater in as many as five salinity classes. The study area includes all or parts of the following counties: Andrews, Armstrong, Bailey, Borden, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Cochran, Coke, Crane, Crockett, Crosby, Dallam, Dawson, Deaf Smith, Dickens, Ector, Fisher, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Glasscock, Hale, Hartley, Hockley, Howard, Irion, Kent, Lamb, Loving, Lubbock, Lynn, Martin, Midland, Mitchell, Moore, Motley, Nolan, Oldham, Parmer, Pecos, Potter, Randall, Reagan, Reeves, Scurry, Sherman, Sterling, Swisher, Terry, Tom Green, Upton, Ward, Winkler, and Yoakum.

The objectives of the study are to:

  • collect, analyze, and interpret thousands of water well and geophysical well logs;
  • map the geological boundaries of the Dockum Aquifer;
  • map the distribution of total dissolved solids in the aquifer;
  • map the distribution of key chemical parameters of interest to desalination;
  • map the water bearing lithologic units in the aquifer;
  • estimate the volume of fresh and brackish water in the aquifers;
  • incorporate all information into the publicly available database and GIS datasets;
  • present study findings in a peer-reviewed TWDB report.
Study Manager:
On hold
Study Team Members:
On hold
Approximate Study Start Date:
Spring 2017
Estimated Study Completion Date:
On hold
Benefits:
The team anticipates that the publicly available data and report produced by this study will aid researchers and decision-makers in the selection or elimination of locations for site specific studies on groundwater desalination and aquifer storage and recovery. As stipulated by the 84th Texas Legislature in House Bill 30, it will also enable the process of evaluating the Dockum Aquifer for the designation of brackish groundwater production zones and submitting a report to the Texas Legislature by December 1, 2032.

Study Details

Participants

Study Investigators:

Texas Water Development Board
1700 N. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78711

Engaged Stakeholders:

This list is not yet available.

Study Milestones

Event Date
Stakeholder meeting held at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Center for Energy and Economic Diversification, located at 1310 N. FM 1788, Midland, Texas 79707 August 16, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
Presentation on preliminary data collection efforts at the Llano Estacado (Region O) Regional Water Planning Meeting in Lubbock, Texas November 15, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
Presentation at the West Texas Geological Society 2018 Fall Symposium in Midland, Texas September 26, 2018

Presentations

Meetings

Final Report

  • The final report has not yet been produced.
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