Seymour Aquifer interactive map | cross-section

Summary

The Seymour Aquifer is a major aquifer extending across northcentral Texas. The aquifer consists of Quaternary-age, alluvial sediments unconformably overlying Permian-age rocks. Water is contained in isolated patches of alluvium as much as 360 feet thick composed of discontinuous beds of poorly sorted gravel, conglomerate, sand, and silty clay.

Water ranges from fresh to slightly saline, containing from approximately 100 to 3,000 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids; however, moderately to very saline water, containing 3,000 to more than 10,000 milligrams per liter of total dissolved solids, exists in localized areas. Throughout its extent, the aquifer is affected by nitrate in excess of primary drinking water standards. Excess chloride also occurs throughout the aquifer.

Almost all of the groundwater pumped from the aquifer − 90 percent − is used for irrigation, with the remainder used primarily for municipal supply. Predictive groundwater availability modeling based on future estimates of pumping indicates that average water levels are not expected to change by more than several feet in the Seymour Aquifer, with or without a drought of record. Water levels in localized areas are predicted to decline in the Seymour Aquifer by as much as 30 feet. Actual water level declines have reduced the saturated thickness in some areas.

Reports