U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2014–3117

December 2014

Data and Spatial Studies of the USGS Texas Water Science Center

Printed on recycled paper

Introduction 

Hydrologists, geographers, geophysicists, and geologists 

with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Texas Water 

Science Center (TXWSC) work in the USGS Water Mission 

Area on a diverse range of projects built on a foundation of 

spatial data. The TXWSC has developed sophisticated data 

and spatial-studies-related capabilities that are an integral part 

of the projects undertaken by the Center; these capabilities 

include

• Web design, mapping, and services

• Computer programming/custom tool development

• Hydraulic, hydrologic, and groundwater modeling

• Data mining and statistical analysis

• Database development and data management

• Spatial data production, analysis, modeling, 

and visualization

• Watershed delineation and characterization

• Publication-quality cartography

• Land cover/land use mapping and analysis

The following are a few examples of USGS work 

incorporating programming, modeling, and spatial analysis to 

facilitate scientific studies in Texas and throughout the Nation; 

most of the projects incorporate several different data and 

spatial analysis capabilities. The descriptions of project-specific 

activities are presented including project images, Web links, 

and Quick Response (QR) codes that can be followed to obtain 

additional project information and related publications, articles, 

and datasets. 
• USGS Web application: 

http://nevada.usgs.gov/

walkerbasinhydromapper/

• USGS Streamer Web application: 

http://nationalmap.gov/streamer/

• USGS myScience Web 

application: 

http://txpub.usgs.gov/myScience/

Walker Basin Hydro Mapper

In cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Fish and 

Wildlife Foundation, the USGS produced the Walker Basin Hydro Mapper, 

an interactive map and Web site for showing a visual and quantitative 

summary of daily and historical streamflow conditions and waterbody 

storage in the Walker River Basin in Nevada and California. The purpose 

of the Web application is to provide a common tool for water users in the 

Walker River Basin and to help monitor changes to instream flows associated 

with the Walker Basin Restoration Program.

myScience

The USGS is continually striving to find new ways to engage the public 

in its scientific research. The TXWSC helped to develop the myScience 

public engagement and project discovery Web-based application as a way 

to engage the public. Questions that the myScience application helps to 

answer include

• What science projects that encourage public participation in scientific research are active within the 

USGS?

• How can members of the public support and participate in projects featured on the myScience Web 

application?

The myScience Web application addresses these questions by enabling open, public access to USGS citizenscience project information.

NWIS Web Services Snapshot Add-In for ArcGIS

The National Water Information System (NWIS) Web Services Snapshot Tool 

for Esri ArcGIS enables rapid access to NWIS, the USGS database that 

contains hydrologic information for more than 1.5 million surface-water, 

groundwater, and atmospheric monitoring sites throughout the United States, 

including many with periods of record that began more than 100 years ago. 

The NWIS Web Services Snapshot Tool helps scientists to efficiently explore 

hydrologic data within the Esri ArcGIS framework. Design and functionality 

of the NWIS Web Services Snapshot Tool are driven by the data integration 

and management needs of USGS scientists to answer questions about hydrology, hydrogeology, climate, the 

environment, wildlife, and other integrated science topics.

• USGS NWIS Web Services 

Snapshot Tool: 

http://txpub.usgs.gov/snapshot/

Streamer

In cooperation with the National Atlas of the United States and the 

National Map, the USGS produced Streamer, a Web-based mapping 

application for tracing major rivers in the United States upstream and 

downstream. Streamer uses digital hydrographic data for the United States 

at a 1:1,000,000 scale. Additional features include search and identify 

tools, locations of USGS streamflow-gaging stations symbolized with near 

real-time streamflow data, weather radar, a choice of base maps, and an 

option to generate a report with a map of the trace and descriptive 

information about the area covered by the trace. 

• USGS publication: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/

sir/2012/5051/

Simulation of Streamflow and the Effects of Brush Management on Water Yields in the 

Upper Guadalupe River Watershed, South-Central Texas, 1995–2010

The USGS, in cooperation with the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation 

Board and the Upper Guadalupe River Authority, developed and calibrated a 

Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) watershed model of the upper 

Guadalupe River watershed in south-central Texas to simulate streamflow 

and the effects of brush management on water yields in the watershed and to 

Canyon Lake for 1995–2010. Model development was driven by 

semiautomated spatial analysis workflows to generate sophisticated model 

input datasets. Model simulations quantified potential changes in water yield 

from individual subbasins in the upper Guadalupe River watershed in 

response to replacement of Juniperus ashei (Ashe juniper) with grasslands. The simulation results will serve 

as a tool for resource managers to guide brush-management efforts.
• USGS publication for phase 1: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/678/

• USGS publication for phase 2: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/

sir/2012/5124/

• USGS publication for phase 3: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/

sir/2013/5228/

Simulation of Groundwater Flow in the Edwards-Trinity and Related Aquifers in the Pecos County Region, Texas

The USGS, in cooperation with the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District, Pecos County, City 

of Fort Stockton, Brewster County, and Pecos County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, 

completed a comprehensive, integrated analysis of available hydrogeologic data to develop a numerical 

groundwater-flow model of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in parts of Brewster, Jeff Davis, 

Pecos, and Reeves Counties, Tex. The first phase of the study focused on collection of groundwater, 

surface-water, geochemical, geophysical, and geologic data in the study area and development of a 

geodatabase of historical and collected data. Data compiled in the first phase of the study were used to 

develop the conceptual hydrogeologic model in the second phase of the study. The third phase of the study 

involved the development and calibration of a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Edwards-Trinity 

aquifer to simulate historical groundwater conditions, as well as to project future conditions based on various groundwater-withdrawal 

scenarios.

• USGS publication: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/

sir/2013/5210/

Fish Assemblage Composition and Mesohabitat Use of the Rio Grande Silvery 

Minnow in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte, Big Bend National Park, Texas, 

2010–11

The USGS, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 

National Park Service, evaluated the physical characteristics and fish 

assemblage composition of mapped river mesohabitats at four sites on the Rio 

Grande/Rio Bravo del Norte in and near Big Bend National Park, Tex. The four 

sites used for the river habitat study were colocated with sites where the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service has implemented an experimental reintroduction of 

Hybognathus amarus (Rio Grande silvery minnow), a federally listed 

endangered species, into part of the historical range of this species. In-channel 

river habitat was mapped at the mesohabitat scale over a range of seasonal streamflows. River habitat was 

mapped in the field by using a mobile geographic information system (GIS) platform and a differentially 

corrected Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. Physical-habitat characteristics were collected at the 

sites along with selected water-quality properties and fish assemblage composition. 

Spatially Pooled Depth-Dependent Reservoir Storage, Elevation, and Water-Quality 

Data for Selected Reservoirs in Texas, January 1965–January 2010

The USGS, in cooperation with Texas Tech University, constructed a sourceaggregated, spatially pooled, depth-dependent dataset of selected reservoir 

storage (daily and instantaneous values), reservoir elevation (daily and 

instantaneous values), and water-quality data from 59 surface-water reservoirs 

and lakes throughout Texas. Data were acquired from existing databases, 

spreadsheets, delimited text files, and hardcopy reports. Reservoir selection 

was based on various criteria including the availability of water-quality 

properties that might affect the trophic status of the reservoir and could also be important for 

understanding possible effects of climate change in the future. 

• USGS publication and data: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/594/
Geodatabase and Characteristics of Springs Within and Surrounding the Trinity 

Aquifer Outcrops in Northern Bexar County, Texas, 2010–11

The USGS, in cooperation with the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation 

District, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, and the San Antonio River Authority, 

developed a geodatabase of springs within and surrounding the Trinity aquifer 

outcrop in a 331-square-mile study area in northern Bexar County, Tex. The data 

used to develop the geodatabase were compiled from existing reports and 

databases, along with supplementary field data collected by the USGS between 

October 2010 and September 2011. Characteristics including the location, 

discharge, and water-quality data for known springs were stored in the geodatabase. 

• Related journal article: 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)

HE.1943-5584.0000715

Characterizing Drainage Area Watersheds of USGS Stream Gages in Texas To Build 

a Measurement Database for Empirical Flow Parameters

The USGS, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, 

evaluated the utility of different types of GIS-derived stream channel slopes 

for enhancing the prediction of mean velocity or discharge values from 

historical USGS discharge measurements associated with direct-runoff 

conditions in Texas. Semiautomated workflows involving custom Python 

programming language tools, GIS, and spatial datasets were used for deriving 

the physical characteristics of 437 gaged streams in Texas by delineating total 

drainage area watersheds in addition to main channel slope, proximal slope, 

main channel sinuosity ratio, stream order, land cover proportions, drainage 

density, and basin circulatory ratio. 

• USGS publication: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/522/

Geodatabase Design and Characteristics of Geologic Information for a 

Geodatabase of Selected Wells Penetrating the Austin Group in Central Bexar 

County, Texas, 2010

The USGS, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, developed 

a geodatabase of geologic and hydrogeologic information for selected 

wells penetrating the Austin Group in central Bexar County, Tex. The 

geologic and hydrogeologic information pertains to a 377-square-mile 

study area that encompasses central Bexar County. Data were compiled 

primarily from drillers’ and borehole geophysical logs from Federal, 

State, and local agencies and published reports. 

• USGS publication and 

geodatabase: 

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/750/

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only 

and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

—By Thomas E. Burley

For additional information contact: 

Director, Texas Water Science Center 

U.S. Geological Survey 

1505 Ferguson Lane 

Austin, Texas 78754–4501 

http://tx.usgs.gov/

2327-6916 (print)

ISSN 2327-6932 (online)

http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/fs20143117

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