This report provides a data base for decisions about lignite mining and reclamation in the Wilcox Group of East Texas. Kaiser (1974, 1978) estimates that about 12.2 billion short tons of potentially strip-minable lignite resources occur in East and South Texas. About 8 billion tons of the lignite are within the Wilcox Group in the area of this study (Kaiser, 1978). Lignite production has grown from an estimated 2 million short tons in 1970 to 17 million tons in 1977 (Hawkins and Garner, 1978).

Hot springs and wells in West Texas and adjacent Mexico are manifestations of active convective geothermal systems concentrated in a zone along the Rio Grande between the Quitman Mountains and Big Bend National Park. Maximum temperatures are 47C and 72C for hot springs and wells in Texas and 90C for hot springs in Mexico within 5 km of the border.