Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water Resources

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1 Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water Resources USGS Water Science Centers Arkansas Georgia OklahomA Sulfur water at Chickasaw National Recreation Area Sulphur, Oklahoma

Background and Problem Section 9507(c) of the SECURE Water section of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-11) signed by the President on March 30, 2009 calls for a brackish groundwater assessment.

2 Background and Problem Section 9507(c) of the SECURE Water section of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (P.L ) signed by the President on March 30, 2009 calls for a brackish groundwater assessment..growing competition for freshwater supplies has motivated interest in use of saline groundwater for water supply. U.S Bureau of Reclamation Sandia National Laboratories 2003

3 Groundwater Withdrawals, 2005 Data from USGS Circular 1344 Kenny and others, 2009

4 Saline-water Withdrawals 2005 Water Use Data Thermoelectricpower industry is biggest user. Data from USGS Circular 1344, Kenny and others, 2009

Background and Problem Historical studies by USGS of saline groundwater are summarized in USGS Fact Sheet 075-03 Unfortunately, little is known about the

5 Background and Problem Historical studies by USGS of saline groundwater are summarized in USGS Fact Sheet Unfortunately, little is known about the hydrogeology of saline groundwater compared to freshwater aquifers. USGS Fact Sheet (October, 2003) summarizes historical studies by USGS of saline groundwater.

6 Background and Problem Feth and others, 1965

7 Background and Problem SECURE Water section of P.L calls for an ambitious program with limited funding. We are seeking activities that would help prepare USGS to undertake such an assessment. USGS Internal Initiatives: demonstration projects for geophysical or other field assessment methods analysis of existing data pilot efforts to characterize basic features of the depth to saline groundwater and the hydrologic and water-quality properties of saline groundwater on a broad regional basis

8 Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water Resources - Some Issues Impact of Saline-Water Withdrawals on Freshwater Aquifers Deep-Well injection Practices for Disposal of Fluids Prospects for Subsurface Carbon Sequestration Others?

9 Concurrent Projects Southern Midcontinent Six-State Area Mississippi Embayment Cretaceous Nacatoch and Tokio Fms Southeastern US: Southeastern Coastal Plain and Floridan Aquifer Systems

10 Concurrent Projects Saline Water Aquifer Mapping in the Southeastern United States: Southeastern Coastal Plain and Floridan Aquifer Systems Contact: Lester Williams, Georgia WSC - lesterw@usgs.gov Salinity Concentration Mapping Using Geochemical, Geophysical, and Geostatistical Methods in the Cretaceous Aquifer System in the Mississippi Embayment Contact: Jonathan Gillip, Arkansas WSC - jgillip@usgs.gov Delineating and Assessing Saline Water Resources in the Southern-Midcontinent Contacts: Marvin Abbott, Oklahoma WSC - mmabbott@usgs.gov or Stan Paxton spaxton@usgs.gov

11 Saline Water Aquifer Mapping - Southeastern United States Digital database of borehole geophysical log data Map the regional extent of saline aquifer systems Delineate salinity variations at key well sites and along section lines

Salinity Concentration Mapping, Cretaceous Aquifer System - Mississippi Embayment Identify borehole geophysical logs in wells that penetrate

12 Salinity Concentration Mapping, Cretaceous Aquifer System - Mississippi Embayment Identify borehole geophysical logs in wells that penetrate the Nacatoch Sand and Tokio Formation Estimate TDS from geophysical logs, create concentration maps Repeat geophysical logging in selected wells

Delineating and Assessing Saline Water Resources

Rush Springs Ada- Vamoosa Central OK Ozark

Antlers Mississippi Embayment Mississippi River

13 Delineating and Assessing Saline Water Resources in the Southern-Midcontinent Dakota High Plains Rush Springs Ada- Vamoosa Central OK Ozark Plateau Mississippi Embayment High Plains Blaine Antlers Mississippi Embayment Mississippi River Valley Edwards- Trinity Coastal Uplands Coastal Lowlands

14 Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Objectives and Scope Develop Maps for Southern Midcontinent (1:250,000) > Volume > Spatial Distribution Target Slightly-to-Vary Saline Water (1,000-35,000 TDS, Robinove and others, 1958) Four Stages in Work Plan

15 Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Products Maps (1:250,000) Cross Sections Geodatabases Methodologies Scientific Investigations Reports, Fact Sheets

16 Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Objectives and Scope Develop Maps for Southern Midcontinent (1:250,000) > Volume > Spatial Distribution Target Slightly-to-Vary Saline Water (1,000-35,000 TDS, Robinove and others, 1958) Four Stages in Work Plan

17 Salinity Classification Class Total Dissolved Solids (Milligrams per liter) Fresh 0-1,000 Slightly Saline 1,000-3,000 Moderately Saline 3,000-10,000 Very Saline 10,000-35,000 Briny >35,000 From Robinove and others, 1958

18 Southern Midcontinent Saline Water - Objectives and Scope Develop Maps for Southern Midcontinent (1:250,000) > Volume > Spatial Distribution Target Slightly-to-Vary Saline Water (1,000-35,000 TDS, Robinove and others, 1958) Four Stages in Work Plan

19 Work Plan Stage 1 - Geodatabase Construction > Compile Extant Maps/Data; Identify Data Gaps > Map Base of Freshwater (BFW) Stage 2 - Mapping > Update Maps with Some New Data > Classify Origin of Salinity; Construct Cross Sections Stage 3 - Mapping + Validation > Map Top of Brine (TOB) > Map Saline-water Thickness > Calculate Volume of Saline Water Stage 4 - Document Regional Context > Incorporate Additional Data Types (Precipitation, Topography, Faults, Bedrock Types, Rock Properties)

20 Available Maps UPDATE: Number of Maps!!! Texas-38 Louisiana-11 Arkansas-11 Missouri-11 Oklahoma-3 Kansas-1

21 Well-Log Response Use of well-log resistivity to identify fresh to saline-water transition From Hart, 1966

22 Cross Sections Sandstone Shale Sandstone w/fresh water Sandstone w/saline water Shale Base of freshwater body From Hart, 1966 Top of Brine

Work Plan Stage 1 - Geodatabase Construction > Compile Extant Maps/Data; Identify Data Gaps > Map Base of Freshwater (BFW) Stage 2 - Mapping > Update Maps with Some New Data > Classify Origin of

23 Work Plan Stage 1 - Geodatabase Construction > Compile Extant Maps/Data; Identify Data Gaps > Map Base of Freshwater (BFW) Stage 2 - Mapping > Update Maps with Some New Data > Classify Origin of Salinity; Construct Cross Sections Stage 3 - Mapping + Validation > Map Top of Brine (TOB) > Map Saline-water Thickness > Calculate Volume of Saline Water Stage 4 - Document Regional Context > Incorporate Additional Data Types (Precipitation, Topography, Faults, Bedrock Types, Rock Properties)

24 Geological Context From U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library Gypsum bed in Best Brothers quarry, Kling, Barber County, Kansas, circa Photograph by E.F. Burchard.

25 Human Context Cimarron River bed operations in Cushing Oil Field looking southwest, Creek County, Oklahoma. December 2, Photograph by A.E. Fath. From U.S. Geological Survey Photographic Library

Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water Resources Saline Water Aquifer Mapping in the Southeastern United States: Southeastern Coastal Plain and Floridan Aquifer Systems Contact: Lester

26 Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water Resources Saline Water Aquifer Mapping in the Southeastern United States: Southeastern Coastal Plain and Floridan Aquifer Systems Contact: Lester Williams, Georgia WSC - lesterw@usgs.gov Salinity Concentration Mapping Using Geochemical, Geophysical, and Geostatistical Methods in the Cretaceous Aquifer System in the Mississippi Embayment Contact: Jonathan Gillip, Arkansas WSC - jgillip@usgs.gov Delineating and Assessing Saline Water Resources in the Southern- Midcontinent Contacts: Marvin Abbott, Oklahoma WSC - mmabbott@usgs.gov or Stan Paxton spaxton@usgs.gov THANKS

27 Tasks and Calendar Tasks Federal Fiscal Year Literature search Compile existent maps, datasets Compile geospatial data Merge geospatial data - Interpolate contours - Generate edge-joined map (base FW) - Identify data gaps Integrate USGS Produced Waters Database Infill base FW map w/data as needed Evaluate data integrity (QA/QC) Identify sources of salinity Generate top of brine map Generate saline-water thickness map Calculate water volumes Tabulate saline-water volumes by fm, strat Evaluate controls on salinity distribution - Topography - Precipitation - Bed rock / fractures / faults Write metadata for GIS layers Write reports to accompany maps Review maps / reports Publish maps / reports Stages Complete Documentation

28 Tasks: Year One Literature search Compile extant maps, datasets Compile geospatial data Merge geospatial data - Interpolate contours - Generate edge-joined map (target base FW) - Identify data gaps

29 Tasks: Year Two Integrate USGS Produced Waters Database Infill base FW map w/data as needed Evaluate data integrity (QA/QC) Identify sources of salinity Generate top of brine map Generate saline-water thickness map Calculate water volumes Tabulate saline-water volumes by fm, strat Evaluate controls on salinity distribution - Topography - Precipitation - Bedrock / fractures / faults Begin compilation of metadata for GIS layers Begin reports to accompany maps Begin review of maps / reports

30 Tasks: Year Three Evaluate data integrity (QA/QC) Evaluate controls on salinity distribution - Topography - Precipitation - Bed rock / fractures / faults Write metadata for GIS layers Write reports to accompany maps Review maps / reports Publish maps / reports

31 Delineating and Assessing Saline Ground Water Resources USGS Water Science Centers Arkansas Georgia Oklahoma Sulfur water at Chickasaw National Recreation Area Sulphur, Oklahoma

Regional Groundwater Availability Study of the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer in parts of Pecos, Brewster, Jeff Davis and Reeves Counties, Texas

Regional Groundwater Availability Study of the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer in parts of Pecos, Brewster, Jeff Davis and Reeves Counties, Texas Johnathan R. Bumgarner, P.G. Task Leads: Greg Stanton (Project