Where is Edwards Aquifer recharge zone?

Where is Edwards Aquifer recharge zone?

Located in the heart of south central Texas, the Edwards Aquifer is the natural water resource that supports approximately 2 million of us. It is part of a much larger system that spans approximately 8,800 square miles. The Edwards Aquifer Authority manages the San Antonio segment of the Balcones Fault Zone.

What is the recharge zone of an aquifer?

The recharge zone of an aquifer is the area where geologic layers of the aquifer are exposed at the surface, and water infiltrates into the aquifer through cracks, fissures, caves, and other openings throughout these layers. In this zone, contaminants in surface water can readily enter the aquifer.

Where is the recharge zone located?

Recharge zones most often lie in topographically elevated areas where the water table lies at some depth. Aquifer recharge can also occur locally where streams or lakes, especially temporary ponds, are fed by precipitation and lie above an aquifer.

What is the Edwards Aquifer transition zone?

There is a thin strip of land south and southeast of the recharge zone from San Antonio to Austin where limestones that overlie the Edwards are faulted and fractured and have caves and sinkholes, so it is possible that surface water can still go into the Edwards limestone below. This area is called the transition zone.

What is the J 17 index well used for?

It is on a major Edwards flowpath and responds quickly to pumpage and recharge, so it has been used for many decades to record changes in the level of the Aquifer in the San Antonio area. The level of the J-17 well has ranged from 612 feet during the 1950’s drought to 703 feet after historic rains in 1991 and 1992.

Which aquifer recharges faster?

Most aquifers take thousands of years to refill, relying on snowmelt and rain to quench depleted reservoirs. But with climate change and drought pressuring parched communities, agriculture, and energy grids, reliance on groundwater is increasing, draining aquifers faster than natural systems can replenish them.

Why Aquifer recharge zone is sensitive?

The recharge zone is an area in which water travels downward to become part of an aquifer. Recharge zones are environmentally sensitive areas because any pollution in the recharge zone can also enter the aquifer.

How do I protect my Aquifer recharge zone?

Designating an area as an aquifer recharge area, designating aquifer recharge areas as environmentally sensitive, classifying aquifers based on their use or susceptibility to contamination, and restricting land use activities which involve materials that could contaminate an aquifer can be useful in protecting ground …