USGS and Bell County Cooperative Science

The USGS Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center, in cooperation with the Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District and Bell County Adaptive Management Coalition, is evaluating the hydrogeology and water quality of the surface water and groundwater resources in Bell County. The results provide regional water managers, who are responsible for regulation of water use and drought management strategies, with a more comprehensive understanding of their local streams and aquifers.

 

Data Collection Activities Federal Fiscal Years (October-September)

2012

Collected water quality samples from:

  • Salado Creek
  • 6 springs in Salado Springs complex
  • 2 Edwards aquifer wells (confined and unconfined)
  • 1 well in the upper Trinity aquifer

2013

Installed low-flow streamflow gage on Salado Creek

Collected paired water-quality samples during baseflow conditions and after light rain from:

  • Big Boiling Spring
  • Stagecoach Inn “cave” well

Collected additional unpaired water-quality sample from Big Boiling Spring

2014

Streamflow gage on Salado Creek expanded to full-range

Collected paired water-quality samples under varying hydrologic conditions from:

  • Big Boiling Spring
  • Stagecoach Inn “cave” well
  • Salado Creek

2015

Streamflow gage operation & maintenance

Collected water- quality samples from:

  • Big Boiling Spring during and after 2 rain events (4 samples total)
  • 3 wells in the upper, middle, and lower Trinity aquifer

Collected paired water-quality samples from:

  • Robertson Spring
  • Robertson well

Geophysical borehole logging of 1 well in the lower Trinity aquifer

2016

Streamflow gage operation & maintenance

Resampled the same 6 springs where water- quality samples were collected in 2012 but at a higher baseflow level

2017

Streamflow gage operation & maintenance

Geophysical borehole logging of 5 wells:

  • upper, middle, and lower Trinity aquifer

2018

Streamflow gage operation & maintenance

Geophysical borehole logging

  • 1 well in the upper Trinity aquifer
  • 1 well in the unconfined Edwards aquifer

Analysis of 20 archived samples collected by Baylor University and the Clearwater Underground Conservation District for nitrate and (or) nitrate isotopes

Collected water-quality samples from Salado Creek for

  • nutrients
  • bacteria
  • microbial source tracking

2019

Streamflow gage operation & maintenance

Geophysical borehole logging of 3 wells:

  • upper and lower Trinity aquifer

2020

Streamflow gage operation & maintenance

2021

Collected water- quality samples in June and August from three wells in the middle Trinity aquifer.

collecting water quality samples
 

USGS Data for Bell County, TX

Streamflow
Data

USGS Site ID 08104300 Salado Ck at Salado, TX

Data
Release

Water-quality data from Bell County, Texas, 1978-2017

Data
Release

Nutrients, Escherichia coli, and microbial source tracking markers in surface-water samples collected during May to August 2018 in Salado Creek at Salado, Texas

GeoLog
Locator

Geophysical logs from wells in Bell County

National Water
Dashboard

Real-time water data in context with weather data
 

USGS Science in Bell County

2019 Salado Creek Presentation to Clearwater Underground Water Conservation District Board of Directors

Salado Creek Nutrients, Bacteria, and Microbial Source Tracking.

See the Presentation

2016 Bell County Water Symposium Presentation

Geochemistry of the Northern Segment of the Edwards Aquifer in Relation to Salado Springs and Trinity Aquifer Water Quality

See the Presentation
 

Partners

Contact Us

Jennifer Wilson
Supervisory Hydrologist
512.927.3527
jenwilso@usgs.gov