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TEXAS WATER DEVELOPMENT BOARD
REPORT 2
BASE-FLOW STUDIES
NUECES RIVER, TEXAS
Quantity and Quality, November 23-25, 1964
W . E . Reeves, P . B. Rohne, J. F. Blakey, and C. R. Gilbert United States Geological Survey
Prepared by the U . S . Geological Survey in cooperation with the
Texas Water Development Board
October 1965
Reprinted October 1969
FOREWORD
On September 1, 1965 the Texas Water Conmission (formerly, before February 1962, the S t a t e Board of Water Engineers) experienced a fa r reaching realign- ment of functions and personnel, directed toward the increased emphasis needed for planning and developing Texas' water resources and for administering water- r ights .
Realigned and concentrated i n the Texas Water Development Board were the investigative, planning, development, research, financing, and supporting func- tions, including the reports review and publication functions. The name Texas Water Ccormission was changed t o Texas Water Rights Commission, and responsibil- i t y for functions re la t ing t o water-rights administration was vested therein.
For the reader 's convenience, references i n th i s report have been altered, where necessary, t o r e f l e c t the current (post September 1, 1965) ass igwent of responsibi l i ty for the function mentioned. I n other words c red i t for a func- t ion performed by the Texas Water Commission before the September 1, 1965 rea l igwent generally w i l l be given i n t h i s report e i ther t o the Water Develop- ment Board or t o the Water Rights Camnission, depending on which agency now has responsibi l i ty for tha t function.
u ~ h i e f Engineer
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
............................................................ INTRODUCTION 1
.................................................... QUANTITATIVE RESULTS 1
Mile 0 t o Mile 2.8 ................................................. 1
Mile 2.8 t o Mile 9.4 .............................................. 3
.............................................. Mile 9.4 t o Mile 19.0 3
Mile 19.0 t o Mile 21.8 ............................................. 3
Mile 21.8 t o Mile 24.7 ............................................. 3
Mile 24.7 t o Mile 29.9 ........................................... 3
............................................ Mile 29.9 t o Mile 52.2. 3
..................................................... QUALITATIVE RESULTS 4
PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS ................................................. 4
SUMMARY ................................................................. 6
RECOMMENDATIONS ......................................................... 6
REFERENCES .............................................................. 7
TABLES
1 . Summary of d ischarge measurements. Nueces River base-flow inves t iga t ion . November 23.25. 1964 ............................... 2
2 . Chemical analyses and water discharge. Nueces River. November 23.25. 1964 ....................................................... 5
B A S E - F L O W S T U D I E S
N U E C E S R I V E R , T E X A S
Q u a n t i t y a n d Q u a l i t y
N o v e m b e r 2 3 - 2 5 , 1 9 6 4
INTRODUCTION
An i n v e s t i g a t i o n was made by t h e U.S. Geological Survey, under a coopera- t i v e agreement wi th t h e Texas Water Development Board, t o determine t h e changes i n quan t i ty and chemical q u a l i t y of t h e base flow of t h e Nueces River i n a 52.2- m i l e reach beginning a t U.S. Highway 90 and extending t o t h e c ross ing of Farm Road 1025 nor th of C r y s t a l City. Knowledge of t h e changes i n quan t i ty and chemical q u a l i t y of base flow i s necessary f o r any evalua t ion of t h e e f f e c t i v e - ness of t h e r i v e r channel i n conveying water r e l eased from p o t e n t i a l upstream r e s e r v o i r s . The i n v e s t i g a t i o n was made November 23-25, 1964, during a period when evapora t ion and t r a n s p i r a t i o n were smal l and t h e discharge p a s t t h e stream- gaging s t a t i o n , Nueces River below Uvalde, was cons tant . Floods of September 1964 cont r ibuted cons iderably t o the recharge of t h e alluvium i n t h e reach inves t iga t ed , r e s u l t i n g i n a higher than average base flow.
River mileage given h e r e i n was measured from U.S. Geological Survey topo- graphic maps: Hacienda, Pul l iam Ranch, and Sand Mountain Quadrangles; and, Corps of Engineers, La Pryor Quadrangle.
QUANTITATIVE RESULTS
Discharge was determined a t 10 s i t e s on t h e Nueces River and on a l l major t r i b u t a r i e s i n t h e 52.2-mile r each inves t iga t ed . Table 1 summarizes the per - t i n e n t da t a f o r each s i t e where d ischarge was determined. The following sub- sec t ions d iscuss t h e q u a n t i t a t i v e r e s u l t s i n those reaches where apprec iable change i n su r face flow or a s i g n i f i c a n t change i n geology occurred.
M i l e 0 t o Mile 2.8
The r i v e r was n o t flowing a t U.S. Highway 90 (mile 0), a l though t h e r e may have been a smal l amount of underflow through t h e g rave l a t t h i s s i t e . The geology i n t h e reach i s n o t w e l l enough known t o i d e n t i f y t h e o r i g i n of t h e 16.6 c f s (cubic f e e t per second) of flow a t mi l e 2.8 ( s i t e 2). It i s probable t h a t t h i s flow came from t h e al luvium and Ple is tocene Leona Formation a s a r e s u l t of having been forced t o t h e su r face by a r a p i d l y diminishing c ross - s ec t iona 1 area , above t h e underlying Upper Cretaceous Aust in Chalk.
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Mile 2.8 t o Mile 9.4
A d ischarge of 36.2 c f s was measured a t m i l e 9.4 ( s i t e 4), a ga in of 19.6 c f s i n t h i s 6.6-mile reach. A s i n t h e previous reach, t h i s ga in i n d ischarge i s a t t r i b u t e d t o seepage from the underlying alluvium and Leona Formation.
Mile 9.4 t o Mile 19.0
The minor changes i n su r face flow i n t h i s reach--from 36.2 c f s a t s t a r t t o 31.7 c f s a t mi l e 12.8 ( s i t e 7), 32.5 c f s a t mi le 18.4 ( s i t e 9), and 33.6 c f s a t mi l e 19.0 ( s i t e 11)--probably a r e the r e s u l t of changes i n amounts of underflow i n r e l a t i o n t o streamflow a t the measuring s i t e s . L i t t l e , i f any, interchange of su r face and ground wa te r occurs i n t h e f a u l t zones near t h e lower end of t h i s reach.
Mile 19.0 t o Mile 21.8
A l o s s i n su r face flow of 21.9 c f s was measured i n t h i s 2.8-mile reach. The Eocene Carr izo Sand unde r l i e s the Leona Formation i n most o f t h i s reach. Large amounts o f water a r e pumped from the Carr izo and t h e Leona i n the v i c i n - i t y . Although some o f the l o s s i n sur face flow can be assessed t o recharge of t h e Carr izo (Turner, e t a l . , 1960, p. 52-65), the major po r t ion is a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e ex tens ive underflow i n t h e alluvium and recharge of the Leona which unde r l i e s t h e alluvium a t mi l e 21.8 ( s i t e 13). A major f a u l t occurs along the c o n t a c t of t h e Carr izo Sand and the Eocene Mount Selman Formation a t about mi le 21. Some of the l o s s i n su r face flow i n t h i s reach could be a t t r i b u t e d t o t h i s f a u l t .
Mile 21.8 t o Mile 24.7
The r i v e r was not flowing a t mi le 24.7 ( s i t e 16) and apparent ly the re had been no flow a t t h i s s i t e s i n c e the l a s t flood flow i n September. The l o s s i n t h i s reach of t h e 11.7 c f s measured a t mi le 21.8 probably can be a t t r i b u t e d t o e i t h e r o r both o f t h e following f ac to r s : (1) recharge o f t h e alluvium and Leona Formation, which a r e pumped heavi ly i n t h e v i c i n i t y , and (2) a continued inc rease i n the l a r g e amounts of underflow a t t h e downstream measuring sec t ions
Mile 24.7 to Mile 29.9
A flow of 7.90 c f s was measured a t mi l e 29.9 ( s i t e 18) . This ga in of flow is a t t r i b u t e d t o t h e reappearance of some of t h e apparent ly l a r g e underflow i n t h e r i v e r gravel a t m i l e 24.7. A small increase i n the d i s so lved- so l ids con- c e n t r a t i o n of the water from t h a t measured a t mi l e 21.8 (see Table 2 ) i nd ica t e s t h e p o s s i b i l i t y t h a t p a r t of the ga in i n flow i s from i r r i g a t i o n upstream.
Mile 29.9 t o Mile 52.2
A d ischarge of 13.4 c f s was measured a s the outf low from a small channel dam a t mi l e 52.2 ( s i t e 21). Also, an i r r i g a t i o n pump, 400 f e e t upstream, was pumping about 1.3 c f s . The t o t a l su r face flow of 14.7 c f s found a t mi le 52.2
r e p r e s e n t s a ga in of 6.8 c f s i n t h i s reach. A s i n the above reach, t h e ga in can be a t t r i b u t e d t o a shallow water t a b l e probably influenced by a change i n th ickness of the alluvium.
QUALITATIVE RESULTS
Samples of water were co l l ec t ed f o r chemical analyses a t e i g h t s i t e s on the Nueces River; from the discontinued stream-gaging s t a t i o n near Uvalde (mile 2.8 and s i t e 2) t o t h e discontinued stream-gaging s t a t i o n near Cinonia (mile 5.2 and s i t e 21). Only minor changes were found i n t h e chemical q u a l i t y of samples c o l l e c t e d from mi le 2.8 ( s i t e 2) t o mi le 29.9 ( s i t e 18). (See Table 2.) For example, the d i s so lved- so l ids concent ra t ions ranged from 259 to 277 ppm (pa r t s pe r m i l l i o n ) i n t h i s reach, and more than three- four ths of the d isso lved s o l i d s were calcium and b icarbonate ions.
The s l i g h t i nc rease i n c h l o r i d e and n i t r a t e concent ra t ion (Table 2) and t h e increase i n noncarbonate hardness between mi le 21.8 ( s i t e 13) and mi l e 29.9 ( s i t e 18) could be t h e r e s u l t o f i r r i g a t i o n r e t u r n flow through the alluvium i n the reach.
A dam a t m i l e 52.2 ( s i t e 21) backs water almost t o mi l e 29.9 ( s i t e 18). Two samples were c o l l e c t e d below t h e dam, one below t h e concre te spi l lway and one below the ea r then dam. The s l i g h t d i f f e r e n c e i n q u a l i t y of the two samples probably r e s u l t e d from d i f f e rences i n t h e amount of seepage and underflow water mixing wi th t h e su r face water outflow. The d i s so lved- so l ids concent ra t ions of t h e two samples c o l l e c t e d below the dam were s l i g h t l y h igher than concent ra t ions o f the samples c o l l e c t e d a t upstream s i t e s , bu t percentages of indiv idual ions were about the same, except f o r s i l i c a and n i t r a t e . A decrease i n the concen- t r a t i o n of these two ions would be expected i n impounded water . S i l i c a may be p r e c i p i t a t e d , and s i l i c a and n i t r a t e a r e u t i l i z e d by aqua t i c p l a n t s and animals i n r e s e r v o i r s .
Samples of water c o l l e c t e d throughout the s tudy reach were o f good qua l i ty . However, the waters were a l l of the calcium bicarbonate type and the hardness (as calcium carbonate) was more than 220 ppm i n a l l samples. Hard water is ob jec t ionab le f o r domestic o r i n d u s t r i a l use because soap consumption and s c a l e formation i n water r ecep tac l e s inc rease p ropor t iona l ly w i t h water hardness. I f softened, the Nueces River water should be e x c e l l e n t f o r domestic and indus- t r i a l u ses , and the raw water i s s a t i s f a c t o r y f o r i r r i g a t i o n .
PREVIOUS INVESTIGATIONS
Other base-flow i n v e s t i g a t i o n s (Texas Board Water Engineers and U.S. Geo- l o g i c a l Survey, 1960, p. 113-125) have been made i n t h i s reach of the Nueces River. Although the re is some s i m i l a r i t y between the q u a n t i t a t i v e r e s u l t s of t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n and those of two of the t h r e e previous inves t iga t ions made under comparable c l i m a t i c condi t ions , no d i r e c t comparison i s attempted here, mainly because the d i f f e r e n c e i n pumping from the alluvium and Leona Formation would n u l l i f y any such comparison. The two previous inves t iga t ions wi th stream- flow t h a t was comparable t o t h a t found i n t h i s one were made i n November 1931 and January 1932.
8-1915. NUECES RIVER NEAR WALDE (Discontinued stream-gaging atatinn)
( A n r i y l i r r l results i n p T f s per milllo"., ercepe rr t n d i c r l ~ d )
6.1920. NUECES RIVER BEWW WALDE (Strem-gaging station)
C.1- eium
(C.1
Site NO.
-
M- dim.
(of61
Date
1964 -
0 . 2
NUECES RIVER AT MISSOllRl PACIFIC RAILWAY BRIDGE, 8 MILES NORTH OF LA PRYOR
Silk. ,SiO,j
0.3R 277
Ma*- -. , ,M,,
481
NUECE3 RIVER 0 . 2 MILE BEWW MOUTH OF LIVE OAK CREEK
N;.
(NO,]
7 . 3 238 7 . 3 2
NUECES RIVER CL4 MILE ABOVE MOlfPH OF LIVE OAK CREEK
0 . 3 6
451
6-1925. NUECES RIVER NEAR CINONIA (LEFT CHANNEL) (Discontinued stream-gaginR station)
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15 7
7 . 4 216
25 1 . 3
219 68
34 222 3 2 . 5 9
0 . 3
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6 12
12 N o v . 2 3
18 Nov. 24
218 I1
NUECES RIVER 0 . 6 MILE ABOVE MOlPllH OF MUSTANG CREEK
8-1925. NUECES RIVER NEAR CINONIA (RIGHT CHANNEL)
560
260
34 263 12
452 66
10 67 21
7 . 3 70 21
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74
31.7
7 . 2 36 N a y . 2 4
0 . 5 12 80
44
15 13
7 8 . 0 13
8 13
NUECES RIVER AT FARM ROAD 394
0 . 4
318 Nov. 25
15 Nov. 25
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33 .6
13
575 14
0 . 6 11
13
0 . 2 1.7
9 . 0 13
438 62 259
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312
Flu* rid. (Fl
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12
4 . 7
7 . 1 22
32 1 1 . 7
232
0 .42
222
1 3 14 12
244 73
33
26
210
43 0 . 2
15
18
28
20
12
18
212
12
40
266 0 .36
Data from low-flow inves t iga t ions genera l ly a r e q u a n t i t a t i v e l y comparable only when the c l imate , t h e contiguous water t ab le , and the propor t ion of su r - face flow and underflow a t measuring s i t e s a r e i d e n t i c a l .
SUMMARY
The amount of surface-f low l o s s t h a t can be a t t r i b u t e d t o recharge of the Carr izo Sand cannot be determined accura t e ly because of t h e probable underflow a t each measuring s i t e i n t h e 52.2-mile reach inves t iga t ed . However, owing t o t h e extremely heavy pumping from the Carr izo, and t h e l ike l ihood t h a t a s t eep hydraul ic g rad ien t e x i s t s t h a t would induce recharge, some of the indica ted l o s s of about 34 c f s i n a 5-mile reach probably goes t o recharge of the Carr izo . The indica ted q u a n t i t a t i v e changes i n base flow a t the seve ra l poin ts i n the reach a r e pr imar i ly due t o the changes i n depth of flow i n t h e alluvium and Leona Formation.
The consis tency of the chemical cha rac te r of the base flow along the reach i n d i c a t e s t h a t no s i g n i f i c a n t interchange of ground and su r face water takes p lace i n the numerous f a u l t zones. Inflow from sources o t h e r than the a l l w i u m o r t h e Leona Formation is not indica ted i n the reach. Some i r r i g a t i o n r e tu rn flow i s poss ib l e a t and below mi le 29.9.
Considerable recharge of t h e alluvium occurred during the extreme f loods of September 1964. Therefore, i f any of the su r face flow is being l o s t by recharge of the Carr izo, the recharge r a t e is h igher than when the alluvium i s dewatered and when a higher percentage of t h e streamflow en te r s t h e alluvium.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The r e s u l t s of t h e reconnaissance-type i n v e s t i g a t i o n presented i n t h i s r e p o r t emphasize t h e need f o r more comprehensive s tud ie s . These s t u d i e s a r e v i t a l f o r planning the e f f i c i e n t opera t ion of any r e s e r v o i r t h a t might be con- s t r u c t e d w i t h i n o r upstream from the reach inves t iga ted . Accurate base-flow d a t a a s t o o r i g i n , quan t i ty , q u a l i t y , and underflow i n the reach a r e necessary. To provide these d a t a the following recommendations f o r f u t u r e s t u d i e s a r e made:
1. A complete ground-water well inventory along the 52.2-mile reach covered by the i n v e s t i g a t i o n should be made i n conjunct ion with a s e r i e s of streamflow measurements a t s e l ec t ed s i t e s . Emphasis should be placed on w e l l s near the upper end of t h e reach and those near the reach cross ing t h e Carr izo Sand.
2. S u f f i c i e n t w e l l logs should be obtained f o r a geologic sec t ion along the reach inves t iga t ed , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n the outcrop a rea of the Carr izo Sand.
3 . Water samples should be obtained a t each well and streamflow measure- ment s i t e and analyzed f o r chemical composition.
4. An i n t e r p r e t i v e r e p o r t conta in ing the r e s u l t s of the s t u d i e s should be pub1 ished .
REFERENCES
Texas Board Water Engineers and U.S. Geological Survey, 1960, Channel ga in and l o s s inves t iga t ions , Texas streams, 1918-1958: Texas Board Water Engineers Bull . 5807-D.
Turner, S. F., Robinson, T. W., and White, W. N., 1960, Geology and ground- water resources of t h e Winter Garden d i s t r i c t , Texas, 1948: U.S. Geol. Survey Water-Supply Paper 1481.