Groundwater Information
The Groundwater Foundation has made available the Source Water Assessment and Protection Workshop Guide, 2nd Edition
In cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture Farms Service Agency, the National Rural Water
Association announces a new Source Water Protection initiative in 33 states.
Current Groundwater News
- Texas Water Resource Institute publishes four newsletters on water-resources-related topics.
- Ground Water Protection Council has national groundwater-related news.
Photo courtesy of Texas Water Resources Institute
Groundwater Basics
- The Groundwater Foundation's Groundwater Basics
- US Geological Survey's Groundwater Information Pages
Groundwater Management
Groundwater issues are often about water quality, water quantity or both. State agencies such as the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ), the Railroad Commission of Texas, and others have regulatory responsibilities for activities relating to groundwater quality protection. The TCEQ is the state's primary environmental regulatory agency. State law authorizes the TCEQ to establish the level of water quality to be maintained, and to control sources of pollutants that may affect the quality of water in the state, including groundwater.
However, state law does not provide the TCEQ or any other state agency the authority to manage or regulate groundwater pumpage and use, which affect groundwater quantity. Groundwater conservation districts are units of local government with the authority to regulate the spacing and production of water wells and are the state's preferred method for the management of groundwater resources. For more on groundwater management, see TGPC's Management of Groundwater.
Groundwater Classification
The Texas Groundwater Protection Committee and its member agencies recognize that
groundwater classification is an important tool to be used in the implementation of the groundwater policy contained in Section
26.401 of the Texas Water Code. Through classification, the groundwaters in the state can be categorized and protection or
restoration measures can then be specified by member agencies according to the quality and present or potential use of the
groundwater.
This classification system is intended to be implemented by member agencies as integral part of their groundwater quality
programs. In addition to its response setting function, the classification system can also serve as a common basis among the
various programs to foster consistency. It can also be used as a mapping tool to delineate specific areas in need of more detailed
groundwater quality management. Towards this end, the committee recognizes the important contributions of all agencies that compile
such data and supports the continuing efforts to enhance the statewide database.
Photo courtesy of Alan Cherepon (TCEQ)
Groundwater in Texas
Maps
- Texas Water Development Boards's (TWDB) Texas Aquifer Maps
Water Well Databases
- Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) Water Information, Integration, and Dissemination (WIID) System includes both the TWDB Groundwater Database and Submitted Driller's Reports.
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Water Well Report Viewer allows users to geographically locate and view PDF (Portable Document Format) copies of scanned Water Well reports.
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) State of Texas Well Report Submission and Retrieval System
Reports
- TCEQ's Surface Water Quality Monitoring (see the current Texas Integrated Report for the current Groundwater Assessment)
- TGPC's Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report (see the TGPC Publications webpage for the current version)
- TWDB has Groundwater Reports for each county.
- State Water Plan
- Regional Water Plans
- TWDB's Water Information Integration & Dissemination (WIID)
- UT-Bureau of Economic Geology Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in Texas (2005)
- UT-Bureau of Economic Geology Evaluation of Arsenic Contamination in Texas (2005)
- UT-Bureau of Economic Geology Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer Study - Final Contract Report (2011)
- Texas Water Commission (now TCEQ) Report 89-01 Ground Water Quality of Texas - An Overview of Natural and Man-Affected Conditions (1989)
White Papers
- Influences of Natural and Man-Made Sources of Contamination on Water Quality Trends in the Seymour Aquifer: A 2007 Status Report
- Research into the Characterization of Brackish Water and Disposal of Desalination Reject Water in Saline Aquifers and Depleted Oil and Gas Reservoirs
Monitoring and Data
- TGPC's Joint Groundwater Monitoring and Contamination Report (see the TGPC Publications webpage for the current version)
- TWDB's Water Information Integration & Dissemination (WIID)
- TWDB's Well Information and Groundwater Data
- National Water Quality Monitoring Council
- TWRI's Seymour Aquifer Water Quality Improvement Project
US Geological Survey Data
- Real-Time Data for Texas: Ground Water, organized by county
- USGS Groundwater Programs in Texas
- National Water Quality Assessment Data Warehouse
Presentations
Photo courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Agricultural Resources
- EPA's Agricultural Management Practices for Water Quality Protection
- USDA's Agricultural Research Magazine
Photo courtesy of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Resources for Small Communities
- Texas STEP Program (Small Town Environment Partnerships) helps small communities acquire water and wastewater infrastructure.
- National Small Flows Clearinghouse helps small communities with wastewater issues
- Texas Rural Water Association
- USGS Publication - Groundwater and the Rural Homeowner
National Groundwater Awareness Week in Texas
- March 13 - 17, 2006 (PDF)
- March 11 - 17, 2007 (PDF)
- March 9 - 15, 2008 (PDF)
- March 8 - 14, 2009 (PDF)
- March 7 - 13, 2010 (PDF)
- March 6 - 12, 2011 (PDF)
- March 11 - 17, 2012 (PDF)
- March 10 - 16, 2013 (PDF)
- 2013 Flyer (PDF)
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Groundwater Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
