| Groundwater management in semi-arid regions is critical for sustainable development. Refugio County is located on northeast portion of the Coastal Bend region of South Texas. Recently a Ground Water Conservation District (GCD) has been formed in Refugio County to manage aquifer resources in a sustainable manner. As historical data is rather sparse in Refugio County, TX, assessments of groundwater recharge and water quality characteristics are not readily possible. Several field monitoring and sampling studies were conducted to characterize groundwater quantity and quality. Field studies included measurements of infiltration and eight standard water quality parameters. The hydrological and geochemical data obtained in these studies were coupled with other data available in the literature to create a comprehensive database for hydrological characteristics in the county. Several geochemical hypotheses pertaining to the impacts of land use/land cover on groundwater quality were evaluated. The results indicated that certain water quality differences exist between the shallower Chicot formation and the deeper Evangeline formation. In general, land use and land cover alterations have a greater impact on water quality in the Chicot formation. The chemical parameters---pH, chloride and phosphorus can serve as suitable indicators for monitoring changes in groundwater quality in the county. |
