BRACS studies

BRACS studies can be conducted in-house by BRACS staff or externally by a consulting firm under contract with TWDB and staff member managing the contract. A study typically consists of:

  • evaluating publically available water well records, geophysical well logs, and geologic reports,
  • entering information into the BRACS Database,
  • comparing top, bottom, and lateral extent of water-bearing geologic formations,
  • interpolating data points from BRACS Database to build new formation structures,
  • mapping the water-bearing portions of the aquifer and their hydraulic properties,
  • estimating salinity from water well records and geophysical well logs,
  • estimating volumes of brackish groundwater,
  • preparing geographic information system files, and
  • writing a report summarizing findings.

The TWDB has completed 14 studies on a portion of an aquifer or a whole aquifer and is currently working on 3 more studies.

BRACS Studies Status Map

BRACS Future Aquifers Map

Current Studies

Aquifer Start Date End Date Type Total Cost Keywords
Yegua-Jackson Aquifer Spring 2025 Summer 2026 Contract - Brackish, Groundwater
Ellenburger-San Saba and Hickory aquifers Spring 2025 Summer 2026 Contract - Brackish, Groundwater
Brackish Groundwater Exploratory Project Fall 2024 Summer 2026 Contract - Brackish, Groundwater
Yegua-Jackson Seismic Interpretation Summer 2023 Summer 2025 Contract $224,962.50 Brackish, Groundwater, Aquifers
Woodbine aquifer Spring 2022 Fall 2025 In-house - Brackish, Groundwater, Aquifers
Edwards-Trinity (Plateau) aquifer Spring 2017 Winter 2026 In-house - Brackish, Groundwater, Aquifers
Queen City and Carrizo-Wilcox aquifers - East Texas Summer 2022 Summer 2026 In-house - Brackish, Groundwater, Aquifers

Future Studies

Aquifer Start Date End Date Type Total Cost Keywords
Dockum Aquifer Spring 2017 TBD In-house - Brackish, Groundwater, Aquifers

Completed Studies

Complete Date Project Name Contract/Report Number Contractor Funding
2/2025 Maverick Basin aquifer report 2300012710-2 INTERA, Inc.
$61,981
8/2024 Core Analyses for Various Aquifers 2348302708 LRE Water, LLC
$175,000
9/2023 Core Testing and Numerical Simulation of Well Logs for the Upper Coastal Plains and Llano Uplift Aquifers 2248302663 UT Austin, Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
$130,000
8/2023 Sparta Aquifer, East Texas 390 In-house -
9/2022 Hill Country Trinity Aquifer and Trinity Group Formations 388 In-house -
2/2022 Develop Procedures and Tools to Delineate Areas Designated or Used for Class II Well Wastewater Injectate 2000012453 WSP USA
$500,000
1/2022 Sampling of High Salinity Groundwater in Texas 2000012445 U.S. Geological Survey
$222,300
1/2022 Data Entry for Upper Coastal Plain East Aquifers 2000012440 Allan R. Standen, LLC
$226,000
1/2022 Core Testing for Hill Country Trinity Aquifer 2000012440 Allan R. Standen, LLC
$219,710
8/2021 Brackish Groundwater Comingling 2000012442 INTERA, Inc.
$137,700
8/2021 Seismic Interpretation 2000012442 INTERA, Inc.
$150,000
8/2021 Drilling and Logging Ideal Well 2000012441 Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc.
$135,000
8/2021 Core Testing and Numerical Well Simulations for Edwards-Trinity (Plateau) Aquifer 2100012507 UT Austin, Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering
$90,736
12/2020 Wilcox, Carrizo, Queen City, Sparta, and Yegua aquifers, Central Texas 385 In-house -
4/2019 Carrizo-Wilcox, Queen City, and Sparta aquifers, GMA 13 1548301855 Contract $181,446
4/2018 Northern Trinity Aquifer - In-house -
1/2018 Trinity Aquifer 1600011950 Southwest Research Institute $400,000
12/2017 Brackish Groundwater in the Lipan Aquifer Area, Texas 384 In-house -
11/2017 Identification of Potential Brackish Groundwater Production Areas - Blossom Aquifer 1600011951 LBG-Guyton Associates $50,000
11/2017 Identification of Potential Brackish Groundwater Production Areas - Nacatoch Aquifer 1600011952 LBG-Guyton Associates $150,000
1/2017 Identification of Potential Brackish Groundwater Production Areas - Gulf Coast Aquifer 1600011947 INTERA, Inc. $500,000
11/2016 Identification of Potential Brackish Groundwater Production Areas - Blaine Aquifer 1600011948 Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc. $200,000
11/2016 Identification of Potential Brackish Groundwater Production Areas - Rustler Aquifer 1600011949 INTERA, Inc. $200,000
09/2014 Brackish Groundwater in the Gulf Coast Aquifer, Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas
Gulf Coast Aquifer GIS Datasets (128.0 MB) 		383 In-house -
05/2014 Queen City and Sparta Aquifers, Atascosa and McMullen Counties, Texas: Structure and Brackish Groundwater
Queen City and Sparta Aquifer GIS Datasets (23.6 MB) 		14-01 In-house -
09/2012 Geologic Characterization of and Data Collection in the Corpus Christi Aquifer Storage and Recovery Conservation District and Surrounding Counties 12-01 In-house -
06/2012 Pecos Valley Aquifer, West Texas: Structure and Brackish Groundwater
Pecos Valley Aquifer GIS Datasets (92 MB) 		382 In-house -
03/2012 Geophysical Well Log Data Collection Project 1100011198 Bureau of Economic Geology $300,000
11/2011 Brackish Groundwater Bibliography Project 1100011198 INTERA, Inc. $99,500
11/2011 An Assessment of Modeling Approaches to Brackish Aquifers in Texas 1100011196 INTERA, Inc. $50,000
1992 Borehole Geophysical Techniques for Determining the Water Quality and Reservoir Parameters of Fresh and Saline Water Aquifers in Texas 84-483-511 Collier Consulting, Inc. $356,991