Sparta Aquifer, East Texas: Brackish Groundwater Study

Report Summary: Brackish Groundwater in the Eastern Portion of the Sparta Aquifer

Study Summary:

The Eastern portion of the Sparta Aquifer (East Sparta aquifer) study area investigated for this report is a subset of the Upper Coastal Plains East study area designated by the BRACS program. The Upper Coastal Plains East study area will be split into three separate studies: 1) East Sparta aquifer, 2) East Queen City and Carrizo-Wilcox a quifers, and the 3) East Yegua-Jackson aquifer

The goals of the study are to (1) map and characterize the East Sparta aquifer of the study area 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 flow models to estimate aquifer productivity to estimate the volumes of groundwater in as many as five salinity classes. The study area includes all or part of 29 counties in east Texas.

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 Sparta Aquifer and the bounding aquitards: Weches and Cook Mountain;
  • map the distribution of total dissolved solids in the aquifers;
  • map the distribution of key chemical parameters of interest to desalination;
  • map the net sand distribution in the aquifers;
  • estimate the volume of fresh and brackish water in the aquifers;
  • incorporate newly created information into the publicly available BRACS Database and study GIS datasets;
  • prepare and publish study findings in a TWDB report.
Study Team Members:
Kristie Laughlin, Sydney Weitkunat, and Olga Bauer
Study Start Date:
Summer 2020
Study Completion Date:
Fall 2023
Benefits:
The study will develop data and a report that will be available to researchers and decision-makers to assist in the site selection of future groundwater desalination and aquifer storage and recovery projects. The Upper Coastal Plains East study area will be split into four separate studies: 1) Sparta Aquifer, 2) Queen City and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifers, and the 3) Yegua-Jackson Aquifer.

Study Details

Participants

Study Investigators:

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

Kristie Laughlin, P.G.
Kristie.Laughlin@twdb.texas.gov
512-475-1748

Sydney Weitkunat, P.G.
Sydney.Weitkunat@twdb.texas.gov
512-475-1853

Olga Bauer
Olga.Bauer@twdb.texas.gov
512-475-1611

Engaged Stakeholders:

Stakeholder Meetings

Event Date
Presentation on data collection efforts to the Groundwater Management Area 11 remote meeting February 9, 2021
Presentation on data collection efforts to the Groundwater Management Area 12 remote meeting February 12, 2021

Presentations

Final Report