Big Bend

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Fresh Water Sources
Surface Water
Groundwater
Rivers, Streams, and Lakes
Aquifers and Springs
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In a state so rich in diversity, regional water
issues are as broad and variable as the Texas
terrain.
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BIG BEND REGION
Water Supply

• Groundwater
• Hueco-Mesilla Bolson Aquifer

Surface water Rio Grande River
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BIG BEND REGION
Water Demand
Surface water supplies 60 of the regions needs.

• 75 goes to irrigation.

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BIG BEND REGION
Characteristics

• Rugged Terrain

Springfed creeks and cienegas
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BIG BEND REGION
Threats
Water-hungry invasives

Long term drought
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BIG BEND REGION
Challenges

• Sharing the Rio Grande with Mexico
• Declining water supply
• Population exploding

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GULF COAST REGION
Water Supply
Groundwater Gulf Coast, Carrizo-Wilcox
Aquifers Surface Water San Jacinto, Trinity,
Brazos, Nueces, San Antonio Rivers
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GULF COAST REGION

Water Demand

• Mid-North Coast Surface water meets 67 of the
  regions needs.
• South Coast
• Surface water meets 75 of the regions needs
  and about half goes for municipal uses.

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GULF COAST REGION
Characteristics

• Supports 60-90 of fisheries in the entire
  U.S.

Saltwater fishing nets billions of dollars
annually.
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GULF COAST REGION
Threats

• Wetland habitats are disappearing at an alarming
  rate.
• Pollution from upstream prevents new life from
  surviving.
• Water supplies may be insufficient to meet the
  demand.

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GULF COAST REGION
Challenges

• Upstream demands for water restrict the flow into
  coastal wetlands.
• Increases in population cause increase in water
  demand.

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HILL COUNTRY REGION
Water Supply

• Groundwater
• Edwards and Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifers
• Surface water
• Colorado, Guadalupe and Nueces Rivers

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HILL COUNTRY REGION
Water Demand

• Surface water
• supplies 61 of
• the water demand.
• More than half of
• that goes to cities.

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HILL COUNTRY REGION
Characteristics

• Cascading streams
• Deep blue reservoirs
• Bubbling springs
• Plants and animals found nowhere else

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HILL COUNTRY REGION
Threats

• Many Springs have dried up or stopped flowing.
• Rainwater is diverted away from recharge zones.

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HILL COUNTRY REGION
Challenges

• Population is expected to increase by 70.

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PANHANDLE PLAINS
Water Supply

• Groundwater
• Ogallala, Seymour, Cenozoic Pecos Alluvium,
  Edwards-Trinity Aquifers
• Surface Water
• Red, Pecos, Canadian, Colorado and Brazos
  Rivers

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PANHANDLE PLAINS
Water Demand
Groundwater from the Ogallala aquifer supplies
97 of the water demand.

While most is for irrigation, the Ogalalla
provides drinking water for millions.
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PANHANDLE PLAINS
Characteristics

• 25,000 playa lakes provide habitat for ducks,
  geese and migratory birds.

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PANHANDLE PLAINS
Threats

• Poor agricultural practices can destroy playa
  lakes.
• Groundwater can be contaminated by abandoned oil
  fields.

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PANHANDLE PLAINS
Challenges

• Managing groundwater in a right of capture
  state is a challenge.
• Pumping from the Ogallala Aquifer exceed the
  rate of recharge. Over time, the aquifer level is
  dropping.

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PINEYWOODS REGION
Water Supply

• Groundwater
• Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer
• Surface Water
• Sabine, Cypress, Sulphur and Red Rivers

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PINEYWOODS REGION
Water Demand

• Surface water meets 88 of the demand.

More than half of that is used by manufacturing.

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PINEYWOODS REGION
Characteristics

• Pine forests with seasonally wet hardwood forest
  bottoms.

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PINEYWOODS REGION
Threats

• Redistribution of water to other regions of the
  state.
• Loss of bottomland hardwoods.

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PINEYWOODS REGION
Challenges

• Appropriating fresh water for future demands
  while balancing requests for water from other
  regions.

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PRARIES AND LAKES
Water Supply
Groundwater Trinity Aquifer Surface Water
Trinity, Red, Brazos Rivers
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PRARIES AND LAKES
Water Demand
Groundwater supplies 92 of the water for DFW. A
combination of groundwater and surface water
supply the rest of this region.
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PRARIES AND LAKES
Characteristics

• Known for its reservoirs and record-making
  fishing.

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PRARIES AND LAKES
Threats

• Widespread pollution affects waters across the
  region.

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PRARIES AND LAKES
Challenges

• Maintaining
• water quality in
• highly populated
• areas.

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SOUTH TEXAS REGION
Water Supply

• Surface Water Guadalupe, San Antonio, Nueces,
  Lavaca and Rio Grande Rivers
• Groundwater
• Edwards, Trinity, Carrizo-Wilcox and Gulf
  Coast Aquifers

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SOUTH TEXAS REGION
Water Demand

• Groundwater
• Source for 76 of San Antonios water. About
  half of the groundwater pumped in South Texas
  goes for irrigation.
• Surface water
• Source for 98 of the water used in the Lower
  Rio Grande Valley primarily for irrigation.

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SOUTH TEXAS REGION
Characteristics
Plains of thorny shrubs and trees dotted with
deep blue-water lakes. Scattered patches of
palms and subtropical woodlands in the Rio Grande
Valley.
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SOUTH TEXAS REGION
Threats

• Population in Lower Rio Grande to increase by
  175
• Future Surface water rights are already taken

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SOUTH TEXAS REGION
Challenges

Competing with Mexico for water resources.
Restoring regular flow to the mouth of the Rio
Grande.
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Keep Texas Wild!