Pecos Valley Aquifer, West Texas: Structure and brackish groundwater, September 2011 (3.08 MB)

John E. Meyer, Matthew R. Wise, and Sanjeev Kalaswad, TWDB

The report presents information on the geological structure of the Pecos Valley Aquifer and underlying geological units in West Texas and on the characteristics of the Pecos Valley Aquifer. Information from thousands of water wells and geophysical well logs was collected, analyzed, and interpreted to map the geologic units and establish stratigraphic relationships. Water chemistry, water levels, and aquifer tests were also gathered from a wide variety of sources to characterize groundwater in the aquifer. The study estimates that 85 million acre-feet of brackish groundwater (1,000 to 10,000 mg/L) is present in the Pecos Valley Aquifer. Although brackish water is present almost everywhere, it appears to be more prevalent in the central and western parts of the aquifer. These are also areas where the saturated thickness of the aquifer is the greatest.

Pecos Valley Aquifer GIS Datasets (92 MB)

The Pecos Valley Aquifer GIS data sets are described in Section 13, "Pecos Valley Aquifer, West Texas: Structure and brackish groundwater". The methodology used to prepare and assess this information is described in various sections of this report. Additional well control information can be found in the Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) Database.

Except where noted, all of the information provided is believed to be accurate and reliable; however, TWDB assumes no responsibility for any errors. Further, TWDB assumes no responsibility for the use of the information provided. PLEASE NOTE that users of these data are responsible for checking the accuracy, completeness, currency and/or suitability of all information themselves. TWDB makes no guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, currency, or suitability of the information provided via the BRACS Database. TWDB specifically disclaims any and all liability for any claims or damages that may result from providing BRACS data or the information it contains.

The Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) Database (8.3 MB) was designed to store well and geology information in support of projects to characterize the brackish groundwater resources of Texas. The BRACS database is fully relational, with self-documenting object naming consistent with the Hungarian style. The database design relies on extensive use of lookup tables. The BRACS database is a Microsoft Access 2007 format that has been compressed with the WinZip utility. This database will be updated periodically; the date of the last update is embedded in the filename.

This database was developed for use by TWDB staff in support of the BRACS program. The information changes on a daily basis and users should note the following disclaimer regarding the information:

Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System Database Data Dictionary, TWDB Open File Report 12-02, November 2012 (13.58 MB)

A data dictionary to accompany the BRACS Database is now available for download. The dictionary describes each primary table in the database. If you have any questions about the database, please contact John Meyer at 512-463-8010.

Assessment of Groundwater Modeling Approaches for Brackish Aquifers, November 2011 (9.21 MB)

Neil E. Deeds, Ph.D., P.E. and Toya L. Jones, P.G., INTERA, Inc.

The study conducted by INTERA provides guidance for selecting appropriate groundwater codes for simulating brackish aquifers, including variable density effects. With the help of a literature review and a high-level analysis of the hydrogeologic features of the brackish water aquifers in Texas, a spreadsheet-based decision matrix was developed to inform the selection procedure of a groundwater modeling code. With the background information provided in this work, and the straightforward code ranking approach, a modeler should be able to make an informed decision about choosing a code for brackish water resources problems.

Aquifer Code Selection Tool (to accompany the Assessment of Groundwater Modeling Approaches for Brackish Aquifers report), Zipped MS Excel 2007 (137 KB)

Aquifers of Texas Bibliography to Support the Brackish Resources Aquifer Characterization System (BRACS) Program, November 2011 (821 KB)

Steve Young, Ph.D., P.E., P.G. and Bridget Ronayne, INTERA, Inc.

To support the BRACS program, INTERA assembled a bibliography for the major and minor aquifers of Texas. Approximately 7,800 references were compiled from existing bibliographies developed for the Groundwater Availability Model (GAM) Program and other relevant literature published in journals, books, conference proceedings, government agency reports, theses and dissertations, journals, scientific magazines, and abstracts. The bibliography includes references to works on geology, geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, and other pertinent topics that are relevant to the goals of BRACS. The bibliography was developed in EndNote® and as a Microsoft Access database.

Database: Aquifers of Texas Bibliography, Zipped MS Access 2007 (1.59 MB)
Last updated: November 1, 2011

TWDB's Integrated Approach to Brackish Groundwater Desalination, 1.7 MB
Jorge A. Arroyo, John Meyer, Sanjeev Kalaswad, Saqib Shirazi, and Matthew Wise, TWDB
NGWA Conference on Emerging Issues in Groundwater, San Antonio, TX, February 27-28, 2012

BRACS: Mapping and Characterizing Texas' Brackish Aquifers, 2.05 MB
John Meyer, Matthew Wise, and Sanjeev Kalaswad, TWDB
Ground Water Summit and Ground Water Protection Council Meeting, Baltimore, MD, May 1-5, 2011