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E
10.7
Dyr
DSWSC
2.5
0.8
E
EE
EE
+C
l
4
SO
TD 360
Scale
Depth (ft)
200
Sligo
(Ksl)
calcarenite, fossilierous;
35ft
Unit 3
Orbitolina
Sycamore/
Hosston (Ksy/Kho)
M
micritic limestone
gypsum/anhydrite
P1
Gypsum/anhydrite
Siliciclastic (silt, clay)
spring
Siliciclastic (sand, silt)
Sequence
ApSBPR1 boundaries
40
%
20
3
%
60
%
1. Results of this study indicate complex surface and groundwater interactions in the Onion Creek Watershed.
USGS
2. For the first time, flow losses are documented to occur along a creek reach underlain by the Upper Glen
Rose that has implications for recharge to the Middle Trinity Aquifer.
Recharge feature
Sky Ranch
Low Water
RR12
Crooked Oak
3. These losses combined with other hydrogeologic and geochemical data suggest Onion Creek provides
some recharge to the Middle Trinity Aquifer in those reaches.
4. A better understanding of the surface water and groundwater interactions along the creek is important for
groundwater and surface water management in an area undergoing significant population growth.
Camp
Ben
80
Burns Ranch swallet.
Future Studies
RR12
Camp
Lucy
40
Future studies being planned include dye tracing, establishing stream gages, groundwater head data, and geochemistry among
others.
BR8
slightly fossil.; 45 ft
Acknowledgments
Unit 1: Solution Zone
Corbula bed
Lower Glen
Rose
Puryear
Debo
100
Gamma Ray (CPU)
TD= 748 ft
Gatlin Creek
Creek Rd.
BR Swallet
400
25
Barber Falls
20
Antioch
15
10
5
skeletal
Flat Creek
frame builders
Jackson Br anch
boxwork; 25 ft
Limestone (reef)
Edwards Aquifer
Recharge Zone
Unit 2
Explanation
clay; 20 ft
Springs
grains
Take Aways
seeps
300
Limestone (micritic)
ep
silic
aqu iclastic
ifer
fossiliferous limestone,
20
Figure 6. Piper diagram showing groundwater and surface water geochemistry. DSWSC #3 indicated ion
chemistry similar to surface water (#2 perhaps a mixture). Isotopes of modern carbon of 102% and 73%, and
relatively high tritium, for the DSWSC wells indicate some portion of modern recharge to the wells.
De
Figure 3. Structural cross section A-A of Onion Creek showing elevation from west (upstream) to east (downstream). Note there is only a
very thin remnant of the Upper Glen Rose section of about 20 ft in the losing reach. A relatively thinner and fractured Upper Glen Rose may
enhance recharge to the Middle Trinity Aquifer in this area.
120
Conglomerate
of fossiliferous limestone,
Mustang Branch
Explanation
Shale/marl
dolomitic marls
Cl
TD 660
White Branch
Ca
TD 775
500
630 log TD
UNDIFFERENTIATED
PALEOZOIC
(Pz)
Dolomite
Lower
Glen
Rose
Hosston
Hensel
(Khe)
BERREMIAN-
1000
ifer
60
aqu
Loriolia rosana
900
%
ate
Pierce Branch
LOWER ALBIAN
# #
Hammett
(Kha)
800
1100
S
UPPER APTIAN
T R I N I T Y
G R O U P
C R E T A C E O U S
Thickness (feet)
L O W E R
700
l car
bon
40
Feet
20%
iona
600
Reg
Sligo
miles
# #
Mg
100
20
500
M S
20%
400
282
40%
Hammett
40
300
(regional aquifer)
80
TD 372
60%
200
40%
Upper
Glen Rose
confining formation
200
890
Basal carbonate
(local) aquifer
Hensel
Cow Creek
60%
SO4
Aquitard
1000
109
Onion Creek
Lower Glen Rose
TD 475
Lower
Trinity
1009
111
80%
TD 730
Hammett
80%
Mad. #1
well
125
ge
l Aquifer
DSWSC #2
DSWSC #3
60
Regiona
Sligo
313
Hensel
facies ch
an
OCw
well
Onion Creek
1052
591
1000
1121
200
dolomites &
DSWSC
wells
Hensel
gs &
seep
s
water level
Pfl.
well
Onion Creek
1128
unit 1
sprin
Middle
Trinity
Hosston
dolomitic clay; 25 ft
20
Lower
Glen Rose
Hnk.
well
12/1/15
Surface and
springflows
1320
unit
shallo s 4&5
w aq
uifer
unit 3
aquit
ard
6/1/15
40
Trinity Group
units 4 &
5 springs
& seeps
unit 3 O
rbitolina
60
Edwards1
(Ked)
Dyr.
well
units 6 &
7 Loriola
markers
12/1/14
80
Age
Upper
Trinity
6/1/14
Legend
DSWSC wells
1500
Cow
Creek
Alternatiing
12/1/13
Onion Creek
unit 1 gy
psum
Groundwater
+K
Lithostratigraphic
Edwards
Edwards
Fredericksburg Group
HAYS CO
Na
Period
1650
6/1/13
Mg
Edwards
Group
12/1/12
Oswald
well
Hydro-
Litho-
6/1/12
+
Ca
Stratigraphy
12/1/11
EAST
Paleozoic
(undif.)
100
6/1/11
%
80
WEST
Ceretostreon
texanum
12/1/10
EE
E
E
6/1/10
Figure 5. Hydrograph showing Onion Creek flows versus two Middle Trinity wells adjacent to Onion Creek.
Increased recharge in the vicinity of the losing reaches of Onion Creek may cause the higher water levels in
DSWSC#2 than in the upgradient Hanks well during periods of high creek flow.
E
E
E
12/1/09
Kyle
Kyle
Onion Creek and indicates the losing reaches. Geologic map modified from the GAT.
100
6/1/09
E
EE
Figure 2.ELocation map of study area with all streamflow results from the July 2015 synoptic
event. Map showing the main channel of
Divide Pass,
eastern Blanco Co.
880
EE Wimberley
Wimberley
EE
E
500
35
Cherty regolith
Walnut Fm.
Ked
80
Edwards
(regolith)
920
EE
E EE
Kun
DSWSC #2
(5756703)
%
40
Stratigraphic Column
& Geologic Features
32.1
960
20
Group or
Formation
32.3
JWS
miles
34.5
Hanks (5755607)
1000
80
1.5
11.5
8.4
EPVS
Comal
0C o u n t y
Buda
Buda
1.3
Kgrl
Mad.
37.8
1040
21.1 - 46.0
BLANCO CO
This study reveals complex surface and groundwater interactions in the Onion Creek watershed. For the first time, flow
losses are documented to occur along a creek reach underlain by the Upper Glen Rose that has implications for recharge
to the Middle Trinity Aquifer. This reach is highlighed in Figures 2, 3, and 4. These losses combined with other hydrogeologic and geochemical data suggest Onion Creek provides some recharge to the Middle Trinity Aquifer in those reaches.
A better understanding of the surface water and groundwater interactions along the creek is important for groundwater
and surface-water management in an area undergoing significant population growth.
28.7
Kgrl
4.3 - 21.1
1.2
0.1
Hays
Hays
E
E E
E
Kgru
0 - 0.1
0.1 - 4.3
10
%
60
The focus of the paper is on the results of two synoptic flow-measurement events during low and high flow conditions,
July and November 2015, respectively. Detailed geologic, hydrogeologic, and geochemical data were incorporated into
the evaluation to understand the hydrogeologic significance of the data.
EEE
E
Springs
21.1
Hays
County
45
S
T
Flow (cfs)
4.3
12.2
T
S
E
E
15.8
Driftwood
Driftwood
10.9
100
Faults
0.6
OCw
0.5
Kh/Kcc
This paper presents the results of a flow study in Onion Creek and its tributaries extending 46 miles from the headwaters
in Blanco County to downstream of the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone in Hays County. A total of 69 flow sites were established and 139 quantitative and 57 qualitative flow measurements were made from January through December 2015.
The quantitative measurements of streamflow were made using acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADV).
Despite the critical importance of Onion Creek to the community, until this study, no comprehensive gain-loss studies
have been conducted that characterize the surface and groundwater interactions across the Trinity (Upper Glen Rose)
and Edwards Aquifers.
E
E
E
E E
Bear
Bear Creek
Creek
20
Onion Creek is an important hydrologic link between two major aquifers in Central Texas. Multiple small springs discharging from the Trinity Aquifers sustain base flow in Onion Creek that in turn recharges the Edwards Aquifer, ultimately discharging at Barton and San Marcos Springs. The creek generally contains clear, low nutrient water with high ecological
and recreational value. This watershed is rapidly being developed and is experiencing significant population growth and
E
land use changes, thus increasing demand for water supplies and potentially affecting regional hydrology.
2 90
HC
1.9
7.4
3.2
Ked
E
E
E
County
Lower
Glen Rose (Kgrl)
40
%
Osw.
Kgru
Oswald geophysical
log, eastern Blanco
County
Pfl.
Travis
County
8.9
Regional Stratigraphy
Hnk
0.1
EEEDripping
Dripping Springs
Springs
E
0.9
E
9.3
E
10.1
1000
60
%
E1
0.3
1.1
2.9
1.1
2 90
0.4
Henly
Henly
Blanco
County
Abstract
Upper Cret.
E Undiv. (Kun)
E
2 90
B.B. Hunt, B.A. Smith, J.P. Camp, Barton Springs Edwards/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District
A.S. Broun, D.E. Smith-Salgado, Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
D.A. Wierman, Blue Creek Consulting, LLC, Dripping Springs
D.A. Johns, R. Hatch and F.Hernandez, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department
2 90
2 90
Kgru
EE
2 90
71
T
S
Legend
80
%
Streamflow (cfs)
Results
E
E
Preliminary Findings:
Surface and Groundwater Interaction Along Onion Creek, Hays
County, Central Texas
E
Figure 1. Regional (from Wierman et al., 2010) and local stratigraphy of the study area. The
Oswald well anchors the structural cross section (A-A) in the west, proximal to the headwaters
of Onion Creek. The Upper Glen Rose Member is 355 feet thick at Oswald and is subdivided
into eight informal lithologic units, which correlate to the classic work of Stricklin et al. (1971).
10
20
30
40
50
The Onion Creek Project was initiated in November 2014 with geoscientists from local groundwater districts, the City of Austin,
and independent hydrogeological consultants meeting to identify project goals. We extend our thanks to the cooperation and
support of landowners and other entities: Dripping Springs Water Supply Corporation, Les White, Browning Ranch, Burns
Ranch, Camp Lucy, Lyndon Smith Ranch, US Geological Survey, and the Texas Water Development Board.
Elements of the text and figures in this poster are part of a paper that is in review by the Gulf Coast Association of Geological
Societies (GCAGS) for publication at their fall 2016 meeting.
Select References
Stricklin, F.L., Jr., C.I. Smith, F.E. Lozo, 1971, Stratigraphy of Lower Cretaceous Trinity deposits of Central Texas: University of
Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, Report of Investigations no. 71, 63 p.
Figure 4. Flow versus distance in the main channel of Onion Creek. This study has documented consistent loses flow in the area of RR12
and over the Edwards recharge zone. This includes the direct observation of karst features and recharge.
Wierman, D.A., A. S. Broun, B.B. Hunt, 2010, Hydrogeologic Atlas of the Hill Country Trinity Aquifer, Blanco, Hays, and Travis
Counties, Central Texas: Hays-Trinity Groundwater Conservation District, United States. 15 plates.