Brackish groundwater data collection for users of Dockum Aquifer

A presentation on preliminary data collection efforts for a study mapping brackish groundwater in the Dockum Aquifer will be given at the Llano Estacado (Region O) Regional Water Planning Area meeting held on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. at the South Plains Association of Governments, located at 1323 58th Street, Lubbock, Texas.
In 2015, the 84th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 30 directing the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) to identify and designate brackish groundwater production zones in the state’s aquifers. Brackish groundwater is groundwater that is not fresh, ranging from 1,000 parts per million of total dissolved solids (the top end of fresh water) to 10,000 parts per million (seawater is about 35,000 parts per million).
The bill requires the TWDB to (1) determine the amount of brackish groundwater that a brackish groundwater production zone is capable of producing over 30- and 50-year periods without causing a significant impact to water availability or water quality, (2) provide recommendations for reasonable monitoring to observe the effects of brackish groundwater production, and (3) work with groundwater conservation districts and stakeholders in this effort.
Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend and participate. Presentation topics include:
·     Opening remarks by the TWDB mapping teams
·     Introduction to the Dockum Aquifer study, including:
·     Proposed study areas
·     Hydrogeology overview
·     Data collected and data gaps
·     Anticipated challenges
·     Questions, comments, and input from stakeholders
·     Summary of next steps
Because the state’s databases do not include all water wells, it is particularly important for us to hear how people may or may not be using brackish groundwater. We are also seeking information on water wells in the Dockum Aquifer with water quality measurements, known well construction, and a suite of geophysical logs including gamma ray, resistivity, and porosity logs.
The presentation from the meeting will be posted on the TWDB website. Additional information about the projects can be found at www.twdb.texas.gov/innovativewater/bracs/studies/Dockum/index.asp. For questions specific to the Dockum Aquifer study, contact Mark Robinson (512-463-7657; [email protected]).