Northern Segment of the Edwards Aquifer Study S PRING 2014 Stephanie S. Wong and Joe C. Yelderman Jr. Baylor University, Geology Department Tuesday, 11 February, 2014

Outline 1.Summary of summer 2013 dye trace study 2.Spring 2014 priorities i.Proposed Salado Spring dye trace study ii.Instrumentation iii.Proposed Sanford Ranch dye trace study

Completed: Summer 2013 Salado Creek dye trace test July 31 st – August 1 st Injection at Stagecoach Inn Cave well – Uranine at 8:30 am – Eosine at 2:30 pm 15 monitoring sites along Salado Creek – Control: Robertson Plantation – Upstream: 2 sites – Downstream: 12 sites

URANINE

Findings There appears to be groundwater discharge across the creek from Big Boiling Spring. All the springs seem to be connected and function as an integrated system under low-flow conditions. – This supports the conclusion from USGS chemistry results. – Managing the springs using the flow gage below the springs appears reasonable. Flow from the Stagecoach Inn Cave well does not flow to Robertson Spring or upstream from Little Bubbly under low-flow conditions.

Proposed: Spring 2014 Salado Creek dye trace test P URPOSE : To study the Salado springs system under higher-flow conditions O BJECTIVES : – Replicate summer trace test under (injection point, monitoring locations) – Refine sampling and monitoring – Add monitoring locations

New monitoring locations Robertson Spring Little Bubbly Salado Patio well? Cemetery well Little Bubbly spring run (Jan. 2014)

Refine monitoring Refine amount of dye used – Less uranine, more eosine Two Isco automated samplers if possible – Big Boiling springs – one fracture – Anderson spring – Extend sampling time to catch tail Employ larger field teams Concentration Time TAIL PEAK F IRST ARRIVAL

North bank groundwater discharge Salado Creek Big Boiling Springs ? ? Source direction is unclear…… Inject dye from north bank – Different dye Injection point: – Existing point, OR – Auger new hole

Instrumentation Budgeted: – Weather stations (2-4) - $3000 – Rain gauges (15) - $450 – Data loggers (3) - $6000 – Flumes and weirs (2-4 as needed) - $6000

GaultSite Patterson’sCrossing Rest-Stopwell Cemeterywell Datalogger Weather station

Future: Sanford Ranch dye trace test P URPOSE : To study groundwater flow and connectivity in a wider study area in the Northern Segment of the Edwards Aquifer

Questions?