Barton Springs Aquifer

Figure 6. The Barton Springs aquifer and contributing zone and location of sampling sites.

Hauwert, N.M, Johns, D. A., and Aley, T. J., 1998, Preliminary Report on Groundwater Tracing Studies Within the Barton Creek and Williamson Creek Watersheds, Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer, prepared by the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District and the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, May 1998. 

Hauwert, N. and Vickers, S., 1994, Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Hydrogeology and Groundwater Quality, submitted by the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer Conservation District to the Texas Water Development Board. 

Slade, R. M., Jr., Dorsey, M., and Stewart, S., 1986, Hydrology and Water Quality of the Edwards Aquifer associated with Barton Springs in the Austin Area, Texas, U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 86-4036. 

Although in general water quality at Barton Springs is good, there have been occurrences of contamination across the aquifer. Petroleum hydrocarbons, arsenic, lead, pesticides, and other compounds have been identified from aquifer wells (Hauwert and Vickers, 1994). Many of these compounds sorb onto solid surfaces in much higher concentrations than their concentration in water. 

Most caves in the Edwards Limestone do contain a clay suite very similar to the clays found in the suspended sediment discharged from Barton Springs. The I/S in the cave clays is identical to the BS I/S (Fig. 5). The presence of laminations in some cave clay deposits indicates that, like the terra rossa, the clastic material was washed into caves and was not derived from dissolution of the Edwards Limestone (Kastning, 1986 Ellis, 1986 Flavorka et ak, 1996). Similarity of clay suites in the caves and in the discharged sediment implies that the source area for the clays, and the processes leading to its deposition in caves or transport through the aquifer, have been the same for an extended period of time. 

Small, T. A., Hanson, J. A., and Hauwert, N. M., 1996, Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards aquifer outcrop (Barton Springs segment), NE Hays and SW Travis Co., Texas, United States Geological Survey, WRl 96-4306. 

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