Geophysical and Geochemical Delineation of...Saline-Water...Canadian River, New Mexico...Texas. Digital Download

RI0225D. Geophysical and Geochemical Delineation of Sites of Saline-Water Inflow to the Canadian River, New Mexico and Texas, by J. G. Paine, A. J. Avakian, T. C. Gustavson, S. D. Hovorka, and B. C. Richter. 73 p., 58 figs., 4 tables, 1 appendix, 1994. doi.org/10.23867/RI0225D. Downloadable PDF.

To purchase this publication in book format, please order RI0225.

 

ABSTRACT
Lake Meredith, which supplies water for domestic use to all major Texas cities on the Southern High Plains, exceeds State of Texas limits for chloride and sulfate content. Locating sources of these solutes along the Canadian River, which supplies Lake Meredith, marks the first step toward a remediation effort to reduce river salinity and improve the water quality of Lake Meredith.

Our approach was to use surface-water conductivity and flow measurements, geological observations, and previous studies to identify areas where highly saline water enters the Canadian River, then complete detailed ground-conductivity studies in the probable inflow areas to locate discharge points.

Our measurements of conductivity and salinity of Canadian River waters indicated that the most important saline ground-water discharge areas are concentrated in two river segments between Ute Reservoir and Rana Canyon, New Mexico: one between the reservoir and a point 14 to 16 km downstream, and the other 32 to 64 km downstream from the reservoir. Chemical analyses of surface water and subsurface log data suggest that saline water in the Canadian River valley evolved by the mixing of fresh water derived from meteoric precipitation and highly saline water derived from dissolution of halite from the Permian San Andres Formation and the Artesia Group. Modern dissolution occurs along a front that lies about 335 m beneath the Canadian River in the Ute Reservoir area and that extends about 16 km south of the river at depths of 305 m.

Analysis of near-vertical joints in bedrock along the river valley indicates that the primary joints are oriented east-west and may be dilated and open to ground-water flow, whereas the secondary joints are oriented north-south, commonly terminate against the primary joints, and are not dilated. These observations are consistent with a hypothesis that saline water from depth preferentially flows into Canadian River alluvium through open bedrock joints, either directly beneath the Canadian River valley or indirectly beneath tributary valleys, and subsequently flows into the river.

Electromagnetic surveys, consisting of more than 2,200 ground-conductivity measurements along seven segments of the Canadian River and its tributaries, reveal that apparent conductivities in alluvium within the Canadian River valley range from a few to nearly 300 millisiemens per meter. Three broad high conductivity zones, ranging from 1.6 to 4.2 km long, were detected between Ute Reservoir and Revuelto Creek; a fourth high-conductivity zone, 2.7 km long, was located 35 km downstream in the Dunes area. Each zone spans a number of individual conductivity peaks that range from 60 to 320 m across and may represent discrete brine discharge sites in Canadian River alluvium. Many of these peaks are located where tributary drainages enter the main Canadian River valley. Conductivity profiles computed from vertical electromagnetic soundings show increasing conductivity with depth at most sites.

Keywords: Canadian River, eastern New Mexico, electromagnetic methods, induction methods, New Mexico, salt dissolution, soil conductivity, Texas, Texas Panhandle, water chemistry, water quality, water salinity

CONTENTS

Abstract

Introduction
Problem

     Objectives

     Previous Studies

     Geologic and Environmental Setting

Methods

     Subsurface Stratigraphy and Evaporite Dissolution

     Joint Analysis

     Surface-Water Quality Survey

     Electromagnetic Surveys

     Lateral Ground-Conductivity Surveys

     Vertical Ground-Conductivity Surveys

          Multiple-Coil-Separation Soundings
          Time-Domain Soundings

Results and Interpretations

     Evaporite Dissolution Patterns in Permian Salt-Bearing Strata

     Halite (NaCl) Dissolution

     Anhydrite (CaSO₄) and Gypsum (CaSO₄*2H₂O)Dissolution

     Joint Analysis

          Orientation 
          Dilation

          Distribution

     Surface-Water Conductivity and Flow Survey

     Surface-Water Chemistry

     Lateral Ground-Conductivity Surveys

           Ute Reservoir to beyond Revuelto Creek

           Revuelto Creek

          Claer Well Area
          Jones Well Area

          Dunes Area

          Rana Canyon Area, Canadian River

          Rana Arroyo

    Vertical Ground-Conductivity Surveys

          Multiple-Coil-Separation Soundings

                Ute Reservoir to Revuelto Creek, Site MI40

               Ute Reservoir to Revuelto Creek, Site M263

               Ute Reservoir to Revuelto Creek, Site M412
               Jones Well Area, Site M25

          Time-Domain Soundings

                Upland near Ute Reservoir, Sites PN and PS Ute Reservoir to Revuelto Creek, Sites P331, P388, P421, and P500

                Revuelto Creek, Site P8

                Dunes Area, Sites P2, P53, PP102, P122, P164, and P230

Discussion
     Evaporite Dissolution and Water Flow, Conductivity, and Chemistry

     Joints and Ground-Water Flow Paths

     Ground-Conductivity Surveys

     Drilling in Jointed Dockum Group Strata

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

References

Appendix: Wells Used in Structural Cross Sections A-A' and B-B'

Figures

1. Regional structural elements and simplified geologic map of the Canadian River valley

2. Lake Meredith historical water storage and chloride concentration

3. Stratigraphic nomenclature of rocks beneath the Canadian River valley

4. North-south structural cross section A-A' through the Ute Dam
5. East-west structural cross section B-B' through the Ute Dam area

6. Canadian River canyon at the confluence of the Canadian River and Revuelto
7. Maps of the Canadian River between Ute Reservoir, New Mexico, and Lake Meredith, Texas

8. White efflorescence along the Canadian River in the Dunes area, New Mexico

9. Comparison between field-measured and laboratory-measured chloride concentrations
10. Relationship between surface-water conductivity measurements at sample sites and chloride concentrations determined in the laboratory

11. Generalized geologic map of the Canadian River valley and adjacent areas in eastern New Mexico showing areas selected for electromagnetic surveys

12. Effective penetration depth of various coil separations and coil orientations of the Geonics EM34-3

13. Topographic map of the Ute Reservoir to Revuelto Creek area of the Canadian River canyon showing key station locations, test sites, and sounding sites

14. Topographic map of the Claer well area of the Canadian River canyon showing key station locations and axes of prominent tributary canyons

15. Topographic map of the Jones well area of the Canadian River canyon showing key station locations, sounding sites, and approximate outline of surface-collapse feature

16. Topographic map of the Dunes area of the Canadian River canyon showing key station locations and sounding sites

17. Topographic map of the Rana Canyon area of the Canadian River canyon showing key station locations

18. PROTEM 47/S transmitter input and receiver response

19. Decay of transient secondary electromagnetic field and time distribution of measurement gates for the PROTEM 47/S

20. Instrument configuration of PROTEM 47/S sounding

21. Simplified topographic map of the Canadian River valley between Ute Reservoir and Revuelto Creek showing locations of joint measurements

22. Simplified topographic map of the Jones well area along the Canadian River showing location of joint measurements

23. Simplified topographic map of the Dunes area along the Canadian River showing locations of joint measurements

24. Primary through-going joints and secondary joints terminating against primary joints in Dockum Group sandstone

25. Joint distributions along north-south and east-west lines southeast of station 423 on the Canadian River

26. Joint distribution southeast of station 423 on the Canadian River

27. Joint distributions at the foot of Ute Dam. southeast of station 388 along the Canadian River between Ute Reservoir and Revuelto Creek, and at the intersection of Revuelto Creek and the Canadian River

28. Conductivity and flow along the Canadian River between Ute Reservoir, New Mexico, and Lake Meredith, Texas

29. Conductivity and flow along first 16 km of the Canadian River below Ute Reservoir, New Mexico

30. Chloride concentrations in river-survey samples collected between Ute Reservoir, New Mexico, and Lake Meredith, Texas

31. Plots of calcium versus chloride, magnesium versus chloride, and potassium versus chloride for surface-water samples

32. Plots of calcium versus sodium, calcium plus magnesium versus sulfate, and sulfate versus chloride for surface-water samples

33. Plots of sodium versus chloride and bromide-to-chloride weight ratio versus chloride

34. Comparison of water samples from well producing from Permian strata, wells producing from Triassic strata, and Revuelto Creek, Yemi, Mexico

36. Plots of calcium versus chloride, sulfate versus chloride, and calcium versus sulfate for surface-water samples

37. Relative concentrations of chloride and sulfate in the Canadian River and its tributaries, Texas and New Mexico

38. Piper diagram showing proportions of major cations and anions in surface-water samples collected along the western part of the Canadian River

39. Piper diagram showing proportions of major cations and anions in surface-water samples collected along the eastern part of the Canadian River

40. Apparent conductivity along the Canadian River from Ute Reservoir to a point 1.5 km downstream from Revuelto Creek

41. Comparison of apparent ground conductivities in zone A, Ute Reservoir to Revuelto Creek

42. Apparent ground conductivities along three parallel EM34-3 transects at peak B4 in zone B

43. Apparent ground conductivity along the Canadian River in the Claer well area

44. Apparent ground conductivity along the Canadian River in the Jones well area
45. Apparent ground conductivity along the Canadian River in the Dunes area

46. Apparent ground conductivity along the Canadian River in the Rana Canyon
47. Apparent ground conductivity along Rana Arroyo

48. Multiple-coil-separation soundings at sites M140, M263, and M412 between Ute Reservoir and Revuelto Creek

49. Apparent ground conductivity versus penetration depth and best-fit computed conductivity model for multiple-coil-separation soundings at sites M140, M263, and M412, Ute Reservoir to Revuelto Creek
50. Multiple-coil-separation sounding near center of surface-collapse feature at Jones well site M25

51. Apparent ground conductivity versus penetration depth and best-fit computed conductivity model for multiple-coil-separation sounding (horizontal dipole orientation) near center of surface-collapse feature at site M25, Jones well area

52. Time-domain soundings at sites PN and PS on the upland near Logan, New Mexico

53. Time-domain soundings at sites P331, P388, P421, and P500 along the Canadian River between Ute Reservoir and Revuelto Creek

54. Time-domain sounding at site P8 along Revuelto Creek

55. Time-domain soundings at sites P2, Pj3, P102, P122, P164, and P230 along the Canadian River in the Dunes area

56. Comparisons of sodium versus chloride, calcium versus chloride, magnesium versus chloride, and sulfate versus chloride data from February 1992 river survey and previous investigations

57. Comparisons of sodium versus chloride, calcium versus chloride, magnesium versus chloride, and sulfate versus chloride data from February 1992 river survey and from riverbed piezometers from previous investigations

58. Potentiometric surface of lower Dockum Group ground water

Tables

1. Results of chemical analyses of water samples collected during the February 1992 conductivity survey of the Canadian River between Ute Reservoir, New Mexico, and Lake Meredith, Texas

2. Best-fit conductivity models for EM34-3 multiple-coil-separation soundings along the Canadian River between Ute Reservoir and Revuelto Creek and in the Jones well area

3. Best-fit resistivity models for PROEM 47/S time-domain soundings along the Canadian River between Ute Reservoir and Revuelto Creek and in the Dunes area

4. Annualized salt loading in Canadian River, Ute Reservoir, New Mexico, to Lake Meredith, Texas



Citation
Paine, J. G., Avakian, A. J., Gustavson, T. C., Hovorka, S. D., and Richter, B. C., 1994, Geophysical and Geochemical Delineation of Sites of Saline-Water Inflow to the Canadian River, New Mexico and Texas: The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology, Report of Investigations No. 225, 73 p. doi.org/10.23867/RI0225D.