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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER

RESOURCES OF THE BALMORHEA AREA

WESTERN TEXAS

Prepared in cooperation with the 

TEXAS BOARD OF WATER ENGINEERS

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 849-C
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Harold L. Ickes, Secretary

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

W. C. Mendenhall, Director

Water-Supply Paper 849-C

GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER

RESOURCES OF THE BALMORHEA AREA

WESTERN TEXAS

BY

WALTER N. WHITE, HOYT S. GALE, AND S. SPENCER NYE

Prepared in cooperation with the 

TEXAS BOARD OF WATER ENGINEERS

Contributions to the hydrology of the United States, 1940 

(Pages 83-146)

UNITED STATES

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

WASHINGTON : 1941

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Washington, D. C. ....... Price 15 cents
CONTENTS

Abstract____.______________________________________ 83

Introduction ______________________________________________________ 84

Purpose and scope of the investigation__________________________ 84

Acknowledgments ______________________________________ _ ____ 85

Topography and drainage._________________________________________ 86

Climate. _______________________________________________ 87

General geology___________________________________________________ 90'

Lower Cretaceous rocks________________________________________ 90

Upper Cretaceous rocks._______________________________________ 91

Tertiary volcanic rocks_______________________________________ 9£

Late Tertiary, Pleistocene, and Recent alluvial deposits.__________ 94

Geologic structure and its relation to the occurrence of the ground water. _ ' 94

Springs_______________________________________________________ 97

Artesian springs.______________________________________________ 98

Gravity springs______________________________________________ 102

Shallow ground water._____________________________________________ 104

Records of wells_______________________________________________ 107

Depth to water level_________________._________________________ 108

Intake of ground water.____________________________________________ 112

Areas of intake______-_________________________________________ 112

Intake from streams.__________________________________________ 113

Limpia Creek.____________________________________________ 114

Madera Canyon.__________________________________________ 116

Cherry Canyon__________________________________________ 117

Big Aguja Canyon_______________________________________ 117

Little Aguja Canyon_______________________________________ 118

Discharge of ground water__________________________________________ 118

Conclusions.______________________________________________________ 119

Records of discharge and seepage__________-_____________------______ 121

Index__________________________________________________________ 145

ILLUSTRATIONS

Page 

PLATE 11. Geologic map and section of Balmorhea area, Tex., showing the

relations between the large springs and the geologic structure. 94 

FIGURE 3. Map of the vicinity of Balmorhea, Tex., showing wells and

springs and approximate shape and slope of water table.___ 105 

4. Map of part of Toyah Basin, Tex., showing the springs and

areas of ground-water intake near Balmorhea _____________ 113-
GEOLOGY AND GROUND-WATER RESOURCES OP THE 

BALMORHEA AREA, WESTERN TEXAS

By WALTER N. WHITE, HOYT S. GALE, and S. SPENCER NYE

ABSTRACT

Balmorhea is the center of a thriving farming community, the landa of which are 

irrigated with water derived chiefly from large springs but partly from the storm 

flow of Toyah Creek. The storm flow of the creek and a part of the winter flow 

of the springs is stored in a reservoir near Balmorhea and used later to supplement 

the flow of the springs. The present investigation was made to determine the 

geologic and hydrologic relations of the springs, whether additional water can be 

obtained from wells, and what effect the withdrawal of large amounts of water from 

wells would have upon the discharge of the springs.

Balmorhea is situated near the foot of the Davis and Barrilla Mountains and 

along the southwestern margin of the Toyah Basin. The mountains and adjacent 

basin are drained by Toyah and Limpia Creeks. The group of springs around 

Balmorhea occur in the floor of the valley of Toyah Creek. They have been 

divided into artesian springs Phantom Lake, Giffin and San Solomon Springs; 

and gravity springs Toyah Creek, Saragosa, East Sandia and West Sandia 

Springs. The combined discharge of the springs during dry years is about 23,000 

gallons a minute, of which amount the artesian springs supply more than 90 percent.

The underground reservoir which supplies the artesian springs is the fractured and 

cavernous Lower Cretaceous limestone. This limestone, about 500 feet thick, is 

underlain by impermeable rocks, probably of Permian age, and is overlain by 

impermeable Upper Cretaceous strata that have a maximum thickness of about 

500 feet. These are in turn overlain in the mountains by Tertiary lava and on the 

plains by gravel and other surficial deposits. The Lower Cretaceous limestone is 

at the surface or covered by a thin layer of gravel in a belt that lies athwart the 

stream channels and extends from Gomez Peak southeastward along the foothills 

of the Davis Mountains. In this belt all the streams suffer heavy seepage losses. 

From this belt the limestone dips gently northeastward to the axis of a northwestward-trending syncline and then rises to the surface in the vicinity of Phantom 

Lake, where a part of the water is discharged. About 1,000 feet northeast of this 

lake is a northwestward-trending fault of small displacement, on the northeast side 

of which the limestone is downthrown. Northeastward from this fault the limestone rises gently and appears at the surface about a mile to the northeast, where 

it is again downfaulted, but the throw is not sufficient to affect the movement of 

the water. For several miles to the north the water-bearing Lower Cretaceous 

limestone is covered by 400 to 500 feet of impermeable Upper Cretaceous strata.

It is believed that the Lower Cretaceous rocks are again near the surface and 

covered by only a thin mantle of gravel and other surficial deposits at San Solomon 

and Giffin Springs and that just northeast of the springs a fault crosses the valley 

along which the impermeable Upper Cretaceous rocks are faulted into a position 

opposite the Lower Cretaceous rocks, thus obstructing further northward movement of the water in the Lower Cretaceous limestone and forcing it to issue as large 

springs.

83
84 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

Between this fault and Brogada the Lower Cretaceous rocks are believed 

to lie at a depth of about 500 feet and are overlain by Upper Cretaceous strata and 

& blanket of gravel and other surficial deposits, which are the source of the water 

of Toyah Creek, Sandia, and Saragosa Springs. Northeast of Brogada the Lower 

Cretaceous lies at a greater depth, and the mantle of gravel is much thicker.

Wells put down to the limestone in the vicinity of San Solomon and Giffin 

Springs would decrease the flow of the springs. The effect of wells in limestone 

between the fault near these springs and the Brogado Hills on the flow of the 

springs would depend on the completeness with which the fault cuts off northward 

movement of ground water in the limestone. If the movement of water across the 

fault has been prevented, the limestone may be nearly impervious and the water 

in it may be highly mineralized. Wells in the surficial gravel near Balmorhea 

may yield a few second-feet of water, but such wells may deplete the flow of Toyah 

Creek, Saragosa, or Sandia Springs. Wells in the Saragosa district, north of 

Brogada Hills, would probably encounter the limestone at 1,000 to 1,200 feet. 

The yield of such wells cannot be predicted but they would not be expected to 

interfere with the springs.

INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION

Balmorhea is the center of a thriving farming community the lands 

 of which are irrigated with water derived, for the most part, from large 

springs. During prosperous years the total area under irrigation has 

been about 10,000 acres. In 1932, a year of depression and low prices, 

the area irrigated was estimated at about 7,000 acres. The Reeves 

County Water Improvement District No. 1, a cooperative organization, 

made up of the owners of most of the farms in the area, has a reservoir 

(see pi. 11 and fig. 3) that is used to store a part of the winter flow of the 

springs, together with floodwaters of Toyah Creek when such waters 

are available. The reservoir originally had a capacity of about 6,000 

acre-feet, but silting has reduced its capacity, so that a considerable 

part of the floodwater and of the winter flow of the springs passes the 

reservoir. As a result there is a shortage of water during the late 

summer and fall in years when the irrigated acreage is large. The 

shortage is not serious enough to result in destruction of the crops, but 

it is sufficient to reduce the yield from some of the lands.

The community would be materially benefited if water could be 

withdrawn by wells from the natural underground reservoirs without 

depleting the flow of the springs. The shortage during the later part 

of the irrigation season would thereby be relieved, and additional 

lands might be irrigated. On the other hand, if the operation of wells 

should materially reduce the flow of the springs the community would 

suffer serious loss a loss that might be irreparable if the wells were 

put down by outside interests for the irrigation of new lands and the 

owners of the springs had no recourse.

The chief purpose of the investigation in the Balmorhea district, 

therefore, was to obtain information that will throw light on this
BALMORHEA AREA, TEKAS 85

problem. A necessary part of the investigation was the compiling of 

an authoritative record of the flow of the springs, which will serve as 

evidence, if necessary, to protect the rights of the owners of the springs.

The field work was done chiefly in the years 1931-33. The geology 

of the Davis and Barrilla Mountains and the Bahnorhea district was 

studied. Weirs and automatic water-stage recorders were maintained 

for about 2 years on Phantom Lake, San Solomon, Gifiin, West Sandia, 

and East Sandia Springs, by means of which continuous records were 

obtained. Gages were installed on Limpia Creek and the streams in 

Cherry, Madera, Big Aguja, and Little Aguja Canyons, and a waterstage recorder was maintained hi Madera Canyon. Several series of 

measurements were made with current meters along these streams in 

order to determine losses by seepage and gains by ground-water inflow 

in several relatively short stretches. Discharge measurements were 

made to determine losses by seepage from the main canal and laterals 

of the Reeves County Water Improvement District No. 1. The water 

table in the valley of Toyah Creek near Bahnorhea was mapped. The 

depths to the water levels in 13 selected shallow wells were measured 

monthly and sometimes weekly for nearly two years, and a water-stage 

recorder was maintained on one of the wells for about 1% years. 

Analyses were made of the waters of the large springs.

In general, the parts of this report dealing with geology were prepared by Hoyt S. Gale, and the parts dealing with ground water conditions by Walter N. White and S. Spencer Nye. Preliminary studies 

of the geology and ground water conditions of this area and the 

suiTounding region were made by S. S. Nye. Most of the measurements of the flow of the springs and streams were made by V. W. 

Rupp. The investigation was conducted under the general direction 

of O. E. Meinzer, geologist in charge of the Ground Water Division 

of the Geological Survey.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The writers are indebted to H. P. Bybee, of the University of Texas, 

and to P. B. King, of the Geological Survey of the United States 

Department of the Interior, for geologic data supplied by them and for 

their helpful criticism, and to J. J. Bayles, in charge of the Texas 

Agricultural Farm near Bahnorhea, for climatologic and other data. 

Special acknowledgments are due the board of directors of the Reeves 

County Water Improvement District No. 1 for their cooperation. 

Mr. A. C. Shreyer gave valuable assistance and advice. Mr. Edgar 

George and Mr. T. M. Delaiiey gave efficient assistance in the field 

and otherwise expedited the investigation.
86 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940 

TOPOGRAPHY AND DRA NAGE

Balmorhea has an altitude of about 3,200 feet. It is situated on 

the southwestern margin of the Toyah Basin outwash plain, on 

Toyah Creek, near the foot of the Davis and Barrilla Mountains (see 

fig. 3). These mountains are characterized by flat tops, steep slopes, 

and narrow V-shaped canyons. Most of the summits of the Davis 

Mountains are 5,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level, but Star Mountain 

and Timber Mountain, two of the most conspicuous flat-topped 

mountains in this part of the range, rise to 6,350 and 6,442 feet, 

respectively. The highest peak in the Barrilla Range reaches an 

altitude of 5,560 feet. The surface between the mountains and 

Balmorhea and around Balmorhea is broken by several low ridges or 

isolated hills. These include a ridge or line of low hills between 

Balmorhea and the Davis Mountains, which is parallel to the front 

of the mountains, and a narrow northwest-southeast ridge about 3 

miles long east of Balmorhea, which is known as the Brogada Hills. 

The mountains and adjacent plain are drained by Toyah Creek, 

which is formed about 6 miles southwest of Balmorhea by the junction of streams flowing from Big Aguja, Little Aguja, and Madera 

Canyons. Toyah Creek at times carries great quantities of storm 

water, but generally it is dry except for a short stretch of about 4 

miles near Balmorhea, in which there is a perennial flow of spring 

water. Most of the storm water is diverted near Balmorhea into a 

reservoir belonging to the Reeves County Water Improvement District No. 1. During heavy floods a part of the water passes the 

reservoir diversion dam and either seeps into the gravels of the outwash plain or empties into Toyah Lake, which is about 30 miles to 

the north. The adjacent area on the north is drained by a creek 

flowing from Cherry Canyon and that on the south by Limpia Creek, 

which in part of its course is called Barrilla Draw. Both have perennial flow in the mountains but lose their water soon after reaching 

the foothills. Both carry large amounts of floodwater at times.

The Toyah Basin is noted for its two groups of large springs, one 

of which is located near Bahnorhea and the other near Fort Stockton. 

The Balmorhea group consists of six springs, or groups of springs, 

that appear at irregular intervals in the floor of the valley of Toyah 

Creek, called Phantom Lake, San Solomon, Giffin, Saragosa, West 

Sandia, and East Sandia Springs, and another minor group of springs 

and seeps that rise in the bed of Toyah Creek. The location of all 

these springs is shown on plate 11 and on figures 3 and 4. San Solomon Spring, Phantom Lake Spring, and Giffin Spring rise from a 

vast reservoir in cavernous limestone. The others have their source
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS' 87

in relatively shallow sand and gravel and are essentially water-table 

springs.

The springs have a combined discharge of about 23,000 gallons a 

minute during dry years and a much larger discharge during wet 

years. Measurements of the discharge of all the springs are given 

on pages 121-144.

CLIMATE

The climate of Balmorhea and the adjacent region is semiarid, and 

in most years farming cannot be carried on successfully without 

irrigation. In summer the days are hot but the nights are cool. 

The winters are comparatively mild, but killing frosts are not uncommon between November and March.

The United States Weather Bureau has obtained records of precipitation at the State Agricultural Experiment Station, near Balmorhea, since 1923; at Fort Davis, 30 miles south of Balmorhea, during 55 years since 185.7; and at Fort Stockton, 50 miles east of Balmorhea, during 60 years since 1870. The average annual precipitation during the periods of observation down to 1936, inclusive, was 

as follows: Balmorhea, 13.43 inches; Fort Davis, 16.51 inches; and 

Fort Stockton, 14.89 inches.

In most years between 1924 and 1936 the precipitation at the 

three stations showed a similar trend, but there were exceptions to 

that general rule. For example, in 1933 the precipitation was about 

the average at Fort Stockton, but it was much below the average at 

Balmorhea and at Fort Davis; in 1936 it reached well above the 

average at Fort Davis and about the average at Balmorhea, but it 

was below the average at Fort Stockton. If the long-time records 

at Fort Davis and Fort Stockton are accepted as a basis for estimate, 

it would appear that the average annual precipitation at Bahnorhea 

from 1924 to 1936 did not differ materially from the long-time average 

in that vicinity but that the proportion of very dry years, namely 4 

out of 13, was unusually high. Exceptional years in the Balmorhea 

record were 1932, with a precipitation of 28.15 inches; 1933, with only 

6.43 inches, and 1934, with 3.89 inches.

The precipitation in the Davis Mountains averages considerably 

higher than that at Bahnorhea, but no accurate information is available from which a comparison can be made. Some pine timber is 

found on the tops of the mountains, notably on Timber Mountain, but 

the mountain vegetation in general consists of cedars and brush and 

shrubs that are common to semiarid regions. The rain storms, particularly in summer, are erratic. Rain often falls in the mountains 

when none falls at Balmorhea, and sometimes the opposite occurs.

260849-41-
88 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

At times rain falls on a part of the mountains and produces a run 

of storm water in one canyon, while in adjacent areas the canyon 

streams remain dry.

The following tables, taken from the records of the United States 

Weather Bureau, give the annual precipitation at Fort Davis from 

1855 to 1860, from 1870 to 1890, and from 1902 to 1936; the annual 

precipitation at Fort Stockton from 1870 to 1886 and from 1894 to 

1936; the monthly precipitation at Balmorhea from October 1923 to 

December 1936; and the daily precipitation at Balmorhea from 

September 1931 to September 30, 1933.

Annual precipitation, in inches 

Fort Davis, Jeff Davis County, Tez.

Year

1855....................

1856.. ............... ...

1857........ ...... ......

1858...................

1859 -_.--- - 

I860.. __ _-. ..........

1870- .- - -

1871 .................

1872... . .............. ..

1873-.-..-........-...

1874........ ............

1875.. ................ ..

1876...... ..............

1877- ..............

1878 - 

1879 

1880.. ...............

1881 ...... ...... ..

1882 .................

Precipitation

21.21

14.12

8.52

12.67

6.78

10.01

16.29

20.10

27.68

23.92

16.16

15.43

21.41

23.48

27.54

20.22

Year

1883.... ............ ...

1884 .

1885.... ... ............

1886... ...... ........ -

1887 . .......... ....

1888. . .........

1889. 

1890-...... .........

1902.. ........ ......

1903. _ . _ _._

1904...... ___ .... _ .

1905. . ............

1912. 

1913 . 

1914. 

1915 

1916 

1917 

1918 .

Precipitation

14.22

22.56

14.22

12.64

18.50

18.11

11.34

18.34

14.95

12.39

20.19

23.13

12.93

18.82

23.95

11.98

10.10

9.35

14.30

Year

1919 

1920 

1921. 

1922 

1923.... .... 

1924 

1925 . 

1927 

1928 ..........

1929. 

1930...... ..... ...... ..

1931. 

1932.- .-. 

1933 .

1934... ... ...... .

1935... ... _ .......

1936 

Precipitation

20.22

12.33

18.17

14.14

16.65

13. Oft

14.30

14.03

15,80

15.54

25.56

9.40

10.87

20.37

16.51

Fort Stockton, Pecos County, Tez.

Year

1870 

1871 

1872 

1873 

1874 

1875 

1876 ..

1877 

1878 

1879 ... 

1880 

1881 

1882 . 

1883 ...

1884 ..

1885........ ............

1886 . __ .......

1894 

1895- __ .... _ .......

1896 . ___ ........

1897- ____ ...........

Precipitation

18.58

5.88

19 QQ

11.20

13.90

16.78

12.45

13.00

12.47

5 19

33.76

12.65

25.56

27.39

24.07

9.84

10.73

27.70

16.33

11.21

Year

1898. . 

1899 . 

1900 .. ..

1901 

1902... ........ ..._..._

1903.-..- .- __ ..

1904. ... 

1905 ...... ...

1906. ... 

1908 . 

1909 ..

1910 . 

1911 - 

1912. ..

1913. .. .......

1914....... .... ...... ..

1915 ..

1916. . 

1917 

1918 . 

Precipitation

7.29

10.22

19.58

10.17

11.42

12.00

15.97

20.65

19.27

12.01

12.31

11.27

4.07

20.24

10.31

13.11

22.88

13.92

7.95

5.68

14.54

Year

1919 . 

1920 . 

1921....... ............

1922. ...... .. .

1923 

1924. 

1925. . . 

1926. ..

1927 

1928 

1929 

1930. . 

1931........ ...........

1932 ............

1933 

1934... . 

1935. 

1936........... ........

Precipitation

24.79

21.39

10.32

12.11

18.83

9.82

20.43

18.32

12.12

18.80

16.30

9.00

24.61

14.63

6.87

10.12

12.75

14.89
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 89 

Monthly precipitation, in inches, at Balmorhea, Reeves County, Tex., 1923-36

Year

1923__ _

1924 

1925__ ___ _.

1926 

1927__ . _ ____

1928 -

1929__._ _-

1930 

1931 

1932____-___ __

1933____ 

1934_. . 

1935 

1936 - 

Jan.

Tr.

Tr.

.60

.13

.01

.00

.32

1.13

.48

.08

.39

Tr.

.54

.28

Feb.

i. 98

.00

.00

.44

.12

.77

.16

.90

3.79

.61

.07

.71

.00

.73

Mar.

0.33

1.68

.63

.03

.93

.47

.89

.58

Tr.

.29

Tr.

.82

.55

Apr.

6.46

Tr.

.39

84

1.50

3.47

.45

.03

.32

.45

.09

.85

May

0.02

1.43

1.50

.37

1.33

1.28

.93

1.35

2.19

.22

.23

1.58

2.65

1.16

June

Tr.

10

.54

.66

4.87

1.69

.48

.42

.97

.48

1.07

July

1.50

2.13

.94

4.97

EQ

.72

1.25

1.55

.60

.52

.50

.95

1.45

Aug.

0.21

3

70

2.68

.46

4.62

Q9

2

QO

1.47

3.60

1.09

.81

3.20

.59

2.01

Sept.

0.90

2.64

2 97

o no

3 7d

3.06

2.13

.47

.43

11.64

.92

.14

2.57

5.15

2.72

Oct.

1.48

1.74

2.65

2.69

.37

.93

1.81

1.98

.21

1.20

2.20

Tr.

1.06

.56

1.34

Nov.

1.48

Tr.

Tr.

.74

.00

.64

.33

.85

.86

Tr.

.23

.08

.34

1.81

.52

Dec.

2.17

0.23

.09

.58

.12

.23

.73

2.25

2.19

.03

.01

1.95

.11

.87

Annual

9.11

18.31

81 20

16.88

15.90

28.15

6.43

3.89

12.43

13.75

13.43

Rainfall, in inches, at Balmorhea, Tex., Oct. 1, 1931, to Sept. 30, 1933

1931 

Oct. 11. ....

Oct. 12-. 

Oct. 13... 

Total..

Nov. 16 

Nov. 17... ... 

Nov. 25 

Nov. 26.

Total.

Dec. 1 .

Dec. 7_ 

Dec. 17.. .

Dec. 18-. -

Total..

irioo

Jan. 22

Total. .

Feb 14

Feb. 15 -

Feb. 17. _.

Feb. IS. __..

Feb. 19. 

Feb.20._.._.

Feb. 23 

Total..

Mar. 4_._... 

Mar. 5 ._

Total..

Inches 

0.06

.09

.06

.23

.03

.21 

.01

.05 

.56

.86

.92

.15

.47

.12

15 '.44

2. 25

.03

.34

.08

.03

.48

13

.37

.03

.17

.40

.75

l.Ofi

.80

.08

3.79

.01

.38 

.14

.05 

.58

1932 

Apr. 26__. ___.

Apr. 27

Total 

May 11. ......

May 14. ______

Mav 16 . _ _.

Mav 25. ______

May 27 .

May29 _.__.

Total...

Tnno 1Q

July3_. .____.

July4. .__.__. 

July 7. .____._

Julys. 

Julv9 .......

July 22. 

July 26. ......

A nor Q

Aug. 18 ..

A 11 pr OQ

Aug. 30. 

Total .-

Sept. 2.- _ 

Sept. 3__.____

Sept. 4__._ 

Sept. 5. ..... 

Sept. 6.. 

Inches 

0.27

.18

.45

qq

.34

.14 

.03

.48 

.35

.10

.40

2.19

.20

OQ

48

.17

.14 

.70

.08

.03

.07

.26

.05 

.05

1.55

.04

19

.20

.07

03

.05

2.72

3.60

1.03 

.05

2.63 

.10 

.39

1932

Sept. 22__. 

Sept.23-- 

Sept. ?5_ ______

Sept. 26 

Sept. 27. _____

Total____

Oct. 1. .

Oct. 2. -

Oct. 10_. ------

Oct. 13_ _...._

Oct 14

Oct. 15. ._-_--

Oct. 21. 

Oct. 25.. ...

Nov _ . _ --._

T^on Q

Dec. 10 

Dec. 14-. __ __

Dec. 15 

Dec. 17 -

Dqp. 22 

Dec. 23 ___ _.

Dec. 29_._._.._

Dec. 30 -

Total1933

Jan. 7...... ...

Total 

Inches 

1.83

.44

.01

.26

.16 

.03

.13

.44 

.02

.35 

3.30

.47

11.64

.07

.07

.05

.39

.19

.01

.28

.05

1.20

(')

.13

.05

.34

.13

.07

.07

.91

.03

.46

2.19

.06 

.02

.08

1933 

Feb. 8- -----

Feb. 25 ... __

Feb. 26 ...

Total.

Mar ..

Apr. 25 ..

May 17 

Mav 24.. .

May 25 ........

Total 

TrinA 1Q

TUTIA 9Q

Total....

July 17.. ......

July 18.... 

July 19. 

July 31.. ...

Total... .

Aug. 2__ .....

Aug. 16.. ..

Aug. 27 

Aug. 29 . ....

Aug. 30 .

Aug. 31 -

Total 

Sept. 1_ ..--.- 

Sept. 2. ------

Sept. 9_ .-._-_ 

Sept. 13- 

Total.. __

Inches 

0.05

.28

.28

.61

0)

.03

.08

.04

.10

.22

.13

.05

f\K

1Q

.42

.09

.27

.18

.06

.60

.02

AQ

.04

.08

.04

.06

.04

.58

.13

.01

!.<#

.75 

.01

.05 

.04

.07 

.92

i Trace.
90 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940 

GENERAL GEOLOGY

The rocks exposed in the vicinity of Balmorhea comprise Lower and 

Upper Cretaceous marine sediments, Tertiary volcanic deposits and 

lava flows, and Quaternary alluvial deposits. The Cretaceous sediments are probably underlain by a succession of Triassic, Permian, 

and older strata that are exposed in adjoining areas, particularly in 

the Delaware and Guadalupe Mountains to the northwest and in the 

Glass Mountains and Marathon area to the southeast. The occurrence of these rocks has been extensively studied in recent years by 

geologists working for the various oil companies, and a large amount 

of information has been published concerning them. This material 

and field study centering in the Toyah Basin, including the Balmorhea 

area, made by Mr. Gale in the spring and fall of 1932 and a part of 

the spring of 1933 provide the basis for the following summary of 

the geology of the area.

LOWER CRETACEOUS ROCKS

The big springs of Balmorhea and Fort Stockton are believed to 

have their source in an extensive network of fissures and solution 

passages in limestones of the Comanche series of Lower Cretaceous 

age, which are the oldest strata exposed near Balmorhea. The 

Comanche section includes, besides the limestones, interbedded 

calcareous shale and a basal unit composed of sand or sandstone, at 

places containing gravel, which, although not exposed near Balmorhea, 

is found in outcrops near Kent to the northwest and in the foothills of 

the Glass Mountains near Hovey to the southeast. The limestones 

are mainly massive, thick-bedded, and very fossiliferous. They 

weather characteristically to dark-colored craggy or solution-rounded 

ledges and low rolling to hilly topography.

The total thickness of the Lower Cretaceous at Balmorhea is not 

known, because the base of the series is not exposed near that place 

and, so far as is known, none of the wells that have been drilled in the 

area have penetrated the series. Near Fort Stockton, east of Balmorhea, it has been shown that the maximum thickness of the series is 

about 600 feet, and near Limpia postoffice, 16 miles due south of 

Balmorhea, a deep well passed through about 700 feet of Lower 

Cretaceous rocks. It is believed that the Lower Cretaceous thins 

toward the northwest and that in the vicinity of Balmorhea the series 

is approximately 500 feet thick.

The uppermost limestone of the Lower Cretaceous series is well 

exposed near Phantom Lake Spring in a ridge that extends northwest 

from the spring along the south side of the Old Spanish Trail Highway. 

This limestone contains several "sinks" or deep, cavernous channels 

and crevices in this general vicinity, and from one of these crevices 

emerges the water that feeds Phantom Lake. The section is repeated
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 91

in a parallel ridge on the north side of the highway by a fault that 

passes near the spring (see pi. 11). This area of outcrop of the Lower 

Cretaceous extends almost continuously from these exposures to and 

beyond the Texas & Pacific Railroad at San Martine in a gradually 

broadening band that is structurally a faulted anticline plunging 

toward the southeast. A second faulted anticline, parallel to the 

front of the Davis Mountains and to the first-mentioned anticline, 

passes through the summit of Star Mountain and brings the limestone 

to the surface again in a large area in the hills at the foot of the steep 

slope east of Gomez Peak (see fig. 4). This anticline has been carved 

by ierosion into a broad valley, which is adjacent to the steep front of 

the mountains and lies athwart the courses of all the streams from 

Cherry Creek to Aguja Creek. The anticline plunges to the southeast, and the Lower Cretaceous limestone finally disappears beneath 

the stream deposits that underlie the surface in most places in thevalley. The southeasternmost exposure of the Lower Cretaceous 

along this anticline is found in a small outcrop in the channel of 

Madera Creek 5 or 6 miles southwest of Phantom Lake Spring, where 

the: creek crosses the axis of the anticline. Cherry, Madera, Aguja, and 

Little Aguja Creeks and other smaller streams that cross the anticline lose much of their water or disappear altogether into the gravel. 

It is believed that this water passes through the gravel and enters the 

Lo^er Cretaceous rocks that doubtless immediately underlie the gravel 

a part of the way across the anticlinal valley.

There is an extensive exposure of Lower Cretaceous limestone 

southeast of Balmorhea and east and southeast of the Barrilla Mountains in an area that is crossed by Limpia Creek and other streams 

from the north slope of the Davis Mountains. Limpia Creek disappears entirely during moderate or low stages in that part of its 

course and in a stretch underlain by gravels immediately above the 

outcrop. The Lower Cretaceous is also exposed in an area in the 

center of the main anticline of the Barrilla Mountains southeast of 

Balmorhea and may take in considerable water there.

UPPER CRETACEOUS BOCKS

The Upper Cretaceous rocks in this area are mostly of clayey composition, but they include some limestones in the lower part of the series 

that may be subject to solution channeling. On the whole, the rocks 

of this series are relatively impermeable and serve as an effective 

confining layer for the water that gets into the underlying Lower 

Cretaceous strata. In localities where they have been dropped down 

by faulting and lie against the Lower Cretaceous rocks they may serve 

as a barrier and cause the water to rise to the surface as springs. It 

appears that such structure is responsible for the large springs near 

Balmorhea.
92 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

The Upper Cretaceous series in this region has a thin-bedded flaggy 

or hard platy limestone at the base, which weathers to a noticeably 

rusty-red and yellow color on exposure. When freshly broken most 

of this limestone is chalky-white in color, and most hillsides formed 

on it are covered by dense, flaggy slabs that ring when struck with a 

hammer. Somewhat higher in the section these beds become more 

thinly stratified and shaly, and some of the massive limestone weathers 

into chips like a shale but retains in the chips the firmness of a dense 

white limestone.

Above the limestones of Upper Cretaceous age near Balmorhea is a 

considerable thickness of clay, described as blue clay by drillers when 

it is fresh and below the zone of weathering. In some exposures the 

weathered surface is soft and ochre yellow in color. This material, 

being nonresistant to erosion, forms featureless valleys in places 

where it is unprotected by a capping of harder rocks. It is usually 

covered in the valleys by an overwash of later detritus and on steep 

hillsides by talus and landslides from the hard rocks above.

Exposures of Upper Cretaceous strata that are relatively limited in 

area may be seen at several places between Balmorhea and the Davis 

Mountain front. The beds are most prominently exposed immediately beneath the lavas on the steep front of the Davis Mountains 

and in the foothills, and there are several extensive exposures in the 

broad anticlinal valley extending from Star Mountain nearly to 

Gomez Peak. An exposure in which the Upper Cretaceous series in 

normal sequence is most nearly complete is found high on the slope 

on the east side of Gomez Peak under the steep escarpment, but 

even here the soft clay beds are much obscured by slides and talus 

of the hard rock from the ledges above. Another exposure of these 

beds is found in the west half of sec. 15, block 13, H. and G. N. R. R. 

survey, a little more than a mile northeast of Phantom Lake, but 

this section is far from complete. A good exposure of the clay that 

overlies the limestone in the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous is 

found in a cut on the north bank of Toyah Creek about a mile and 

a half west of Balmorhea.

The thickness of the Upper Cretaceous series has not been determined in the vicinity of Balmorhea. The section exposed on the 

steep front of Gomez Peak indicates that the series is probably at 

least 500 feet thick, and it may be thicker beneath some of the 

valleys. Two wells, each approximately 400 feet deep, at Balmorhea, 

are reported to have penetrated clay and shale to their full depth. 

A well 600 feet deep about 20 miles southeast of Balmorhea, in the 

valley of Limpia Creek at the east end of the Barrilla Mountains, is 

reported to have gone through blue clay, probably all of Upper 

Cretaceous age, all the way. The east end of these mountains, 

however, has a synclinal structure, and the Upper Cretaceous beds
BALMOKHEA AREA, TEXAS 93

may be uncommonly thick in the area. The evidence suggests a 

thickness of at least 500 or 600 feet in most places, but it may be 

considerably more than 600 feet in other places.

TERTIARY VOLCANIC ROCKS

After the deposition of the Cretaceous rocks in this region there 

was a withdrawal of the seas and slight folding of the previously 

deposited strata, then the rocks were subjected to considerable 

erosion.

Volcanic rocks having a total thickness of 1,500 to 2,000 feet were 

laid down on the eroded surface of the Upper Cretaceous rocks 

during early Tertiary time. These rocks form the capping of the 

Davis iaiid Barrilla Mountains and of many ridges and hills on their 

flanks. They were probably originally spread far beyond their present 

area of outcrop but have been removed from many parts of the area 

by erosion. The lowest bed of the volcanic succession is generally 

white tuff or ash, indicating that the first volcanic eruptions were of 

the explosive type. Above the basal tuffs is a widespread bed of 

volcanic breccia, composed of angular fragments of the volcanic 

rock in a matrix of lava. The breccia is overlain by lava flows of 

rhyolitic composition. Above these are beds of tuff and at least 

two flows of lava, which are of trachytic composition. The different 

parts of the series are so closely related that they are probably the 

product of a single cycle of volcanic activity.

As the volcanic rocks form the summits of the Davis and Barrilla 

Mountains, they occupy a belt that receives rainfall greater than that 

of the adjoining lowlands. Much of the lava is exceedingly porous, 

because it is fractured and jointed, and some of it is slaggy and 

naturally full of cavities. It tjhus absorbs much of the water that 

falls on it. Some of the layers of tuff are claylike and impermeable, 

so that water descending through the overlying permeable lavas 

does not pass through them but flows along their surfaces to emerge 

in springs along their outcrops. In general, the volcanic rock rests 

on the impervious clays of the Upper Cretaceous, and where this 

contact lies above the gradient of the main drainage channels, as it 

does in many places, most of the water absorbed by the volcanic 

rocks is again fed into the surface drainage or stream and terrace 

gravels within the mountain area. The volcanic series dips below 

stream gradients in certain structurally depressed areas, and it is 

likely that where this occurs the porous lava forms large reservoirs 

for the accumulation and storage of ground water below the level of 

the streams. The water thus stored is probably prevented from 

penetrating directly to the Lower Cretaceous limestone by the 

relatively impermeable basal volcanic tuff and Upper Cretaceous 

clay. In some localities, however, it may eventually reach the lime-
94 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

stone by first rising into the streams or into the gravels underlying 

them and then moving downstream to structurally high areas hi 

which the gravels lie directly on the limestone. The largest of these 

structural depressions near Balmorhea is on the axis of a long syncline 

extending from Limpia Creek, at the place where the creek flows 

between the Davis and Barrilla Mountains, northwestward beyond 

the valley of Cherry Creek.

After fche extrusion of the lava in the Davis Mountain region, and 

presumably while its surface was being eroded, the region was.subjected to gentle deformation, which produced a series of broad folds 

involving the lavas and underlying rocks. The area of the volcanics 

seems to have been depressed somewhat, perhaps hi a partial compensation for the weight of the lava masses. This deformation took 

place in mid-Tertiary, and perhaps in Miocene time.

LATE TERTIARY, PLEISTOCENE, AND RECENT ALLUVIAL

DEPOSITS

Gravels and alluvial deposits overlie the bedrock hi the lowlands 

northeast of the Davis Mountains. Available records of water-well 

drilling in the Balmorhea area show that the gravels in a few places 

are 50 feet deep or slightly deeper but that in most places they are 15 

to 25 feet deep. In places the Cretaceous bedrock is exposed at the 

surface and the gravel is absent.

GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE AND ITS RELATION TO THE 

OCCURRENCE OP THE GROUND WATER

In the foregoing summary of the geology references have been 

made to the distribution of the rock formations about Balmorhea and 

to the geologic structures in which 'these formations are involved. 

The accompanying areal geologic map and profile showing the 

structure (see pi. 11) are drawn to the same vertical and horizontal 

scales, and if the interpretations are correct they should give a true 

picture of the position and attitude of these formations on the surface 

and underground.

The profile section follows a line drawn from the triangulation 

monument on the prominent lava hills about 2 miles southwest of 

Phantom Lake Spring in a northeasterly course approximately transverse to the main structural lines of the district.

The distribution of the rocks, which nearly eveiywhere are covered 

by gravels and other surface formations, is interpreted from the 

geologic map of the available outcrops and the structure indicated by 

them. The thickness of the Upper and Lower Cretaceous is taken as 

500 feet for each, which is probably within about 100 feet of their 

true thickness.
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER-SUPPLY PAPER 849 PLATE 11

EXPLANATION

Fault 

u upthrow 

D downthrow

Anticline and 

pitch of axis

Syncline Strike and dip

tyi 

' Tertiary volcanics <B'c cci

s A' ** 

^ Lower Cretaceous Ji A 

Hi 11 1 1 Lower Cretaceous/

I votcanics\_ 

-J __I;35Eb=

-3,000' 

- 2,OOO' 

- I,OOO'

Section along Ii

GEOLOGIC MAP AND SECTION OF BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS, SHOWING THE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE LARGE SPRINGS AND THE

GEOLOGIC STRUCTURE.
BALMOHHEA AREA, TEXAS' 95

There is an unconformity between the Upper Cretaceous series and 

the overlying lavas, the Cretaceous rocks having been folded into 

gentle anticlines and synclines and extensively eroded in the epoch 

between the withdrawal of the Upper Cretaceous sea and the deposition of the Tertiary lavas. Therefore it cannot be predicted which 

part of the Cretaceous series will be found immediately beneath the 

base of the lavas in any particular locality.

Both lava flows and Cretaceous strata were involved in folding 

subsequent to the distribution of the lava, but this is relatively 

insignificant in the small section of these beds included in the diagram. 

The faulting to which the whole section has been subjected and which 

is an important feature in the section is believed to have taken place 

in early Pleistocene time and to have affected all the rocks in the 

area except such Pleistocene gravels or alluvium as have accumulated 

since that deformation. Aside from the permeability of the strata 

themselves, the geologic structure is undoubtedly the controlling factor that determines the movement of the water underground and the 

existence and location of the big springs.

The principal area of intake of the water discharged by the springs 

is apparently in the anticlinal valley adjacent to the steep front of 

the Davis Mountains (see p. 91 and fig. 4), where a large part of the 

flow of the mountain streams disappears into Lower Cretaceous limestone or into stream gravels that overlie the limestone. The limestone 

dips to the northeast from the axis of the anticlinal valley to the 

axis of a major northwest-southeast trending syncline and then rises 

to the surface in the vicinity of Phantom Lake Spring. The axis of 

the syncline is marked by a range of volcanic hills, a part of which 

is shown in the lower left corner of plate 11. In this syncline 

the base of the Lower Cretaceous probably sinks to a depth of 1,000 

to 1,200 feet or more below the major stream grades. The water 

probably fills the limestone in this syncline to the height of its confining rim on the northeast and is brought to or near the surface at the 

outcrop of the reservoir beds in the vicinity of Phantom Lake. About 

1,000 feet northeast of Phantom Lake there is a clearly defined fault, 

on the south side of which the Lower Cretaceous strata have been 

tilted up steeply and on the north side of which the whole section 

has been dropped down, bringing relatively impermeable Upper Cretaceous strata against the Lower Cretaceous limestone. The Upper 

Cretaceous rocks on the north side of this fault may thus constitute 

an underground barrier to the passage of ground water at this place 

and cause the water to rise to the surface in Phantom Lake Spring. 

The spring emerges in a channel developed by solution along a fissure 

in the massive limestone that extends underground below the present 

water surface. Phantom Lake stands over a sink hole where the

250849 41 3
96 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

limestone has fallen in, but there is no evidence of faulting at the 

lake. The course of surface drainage below Phantom Lake is in 

approximately the same direction as the line of the structure section.

Immediately northeast of the Phantom Lake fault the strata rise 

gently toward the surface in the same manner as near Phantom Lake. 

This rise might have a general tendency to bring the water up again, 

or such part of it as sinks in this fault block, but it is again interrupted 

by a fault, the surface trace of which is obscured but is believed to 

lie almost a mile northeast of Phantom Lake (see pi. 11).

The structure is shown in conspicuous outcrops in the channel of 

the stream from Phantom Lake about 1% miles northeast of the 

spring and about 1,000 feet north of the Old Spanish Trail Highway. 

At this place the upper part of the Upper Cretaceous lies at the surface and is capped by a remnant of Tertiary lava. Therefore the 

area is structurally low.

No evidence of irregularities is known between this outcrop and 

the vicinity of Toyahvale and San Solomon and Giffiii Springs. The 

broad, relatively level alluvium-covered area that extends many miles 

both northwest and southeast from Toyah Creek in this part of the 

district is evidently eroded on the little-resistant clays of the upper 

part of the Upper Cretaceous section.

The valley within a radius of a mile of San Solomon and Giffm 

Springs is covered everywhere with a mantle of gravel or other detritus, 

but a clue as to the probable character of the structure in their vicinity 

is afforded by the evidence on the south slope of the lava hills that 

project into the valley about a mile east of the springs. It is believed 

that the straight line that bounds the southwestern side of the mass 

of volcanic rocks that extends northwestward from the Barrilla Hills 

marks the trace of a fault. On the southwest side of this fault the 

Lower Cretaceous limestone is believed to be near the surface, and on 

the northeast side the Upper Cretaceous clays are again faulted 

down against the water-bearing limestone. The springs themselves 

are fair evidence of this. The inferred relations are shown by the 

structure section.

The basin between the fault near San Solomon Spring and the 

Brogada Hills, which is the part of the valley in which Balmorhea is 

situated, is mostly if not entirely underlain at shallow depth by the 

clay of the Upper Cretaceous section. There is evidence of this 

fact in a number of outcrops, and this general structure is also indicated in the regional relations. In this part of the valley the top of 

the Lower Cretaceous rocks probably is about 500 feet below the 

surface. At the western foot of the Brogada Hills there is considerable 

disturbance of the beds, and the fact that they are composed of 

Tertiary lava indicates that these hills are a down-faulted block 

along the southwest side of which impermeable Upper Cretaceous
BALMOKHEA AREA, TEKAS1 97

rocks are faulted against the Lower Cretaceous limestone. If this 

assumption is correct the fault has produced a more or less effective 

barrier to the northeastward movement of underground water in the 

limestone in this area.

The extensive plains that-lie east of the Brogada Hills are developed, 

so far as present evidence shows, on a broad structurally depressed 

area that begins at tfte west with the syncline in the lava shown in the 

Brogada Hills. There is a reasonable probability that the fault line 

bounding these hills on the southwest separates the Balmorhea Basin 

from the ground-water basin east of the Brogada Hills. Evidence of 

this is seen in the fact that so much of the ground water of the upper 

basin has been brought to the surface above this line of displacement. 

The ground water in the lower or Saragosa Basin is probably derived 

in part from the overflow from the Toyah Creek drainage system, in 

part from the northern flanks of the Barrilla Mountains, and possibly 

in large part from the Lower Cretaceous limestone near the center of 

the Barrilla Mountains, where it may be close enough to the surface 

to receive water through the gravels from surface streams.

The blanket of gravel that underlies the Saragosa plains is thicker 

than the gravel in the Balmorhea Basin. According to general reports 

of water wells that have been drilled, it seems that this thickening 

takes place abruptly near the settlement of Brogada and increases 

eastward. The Saragosa Basin is filled with a coarse impermeable 

boulder conglomerate. Water wells sunk through this upper gravel 

find water in a loose and clean sand below it. Tests of this sand 

indicate that, in general, it does not yield enough water to warrant 

considering it as a possible source of adequate new irrigation supplies.

According to the foregoing interpretations of the structure, the 

Lower Cretaceous limestones in the Saragosa area should yield 

artesian water if they are as porous or as much channeled there as 

they are in many other places. These beds are structurally lower 

in the Saragosa Basin than they are either to the east or west of it, 

as they lie in the southern extension of the Toyah trough. There is 

little to indicate the depth at which the limestones would be encountered in this area, but it seems unlikely that they would be at a 

depth greater than 1,000 or 1,200 feet. It is probable that the ground 

water in this trough is derived largely from areas other than those 

that supply the springs near Balmorhea, and the Lower Cretaceous 

limestone in the Saragosa Basin east of Brogada may be, therefore, a 

promising source of additional water supply.

SPRINGS

The springs near Balmorhea are of two kinds artesian springs,, 

whose waters issue under artesian pressure, and gravity springs, whose 

waters flow because the water table is above the land surface at the
"98 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

site of the spring, so that water tends to drain from the water-bearing 

beds. The large San Solomon, Phantom Lake, and Giffin Springs 

belong to the first class, and the Saragosa, West Sandia, East Sandia, 

and Toyah Creek Springs to the second. The locations of these 

springs are shown on plate 11 and figures 3 and 4.

ARTESIAN SPRINGS '

The artesian character of Phantom Lake, San Solomon, and Giffin 

Springs is proved by the fact that they appear at the surface of the 

ground and would flow at the surface if they were permitted to do so. 

Phantom Lake Spring issues from an A-shaped opening in Lower 

Cretaceous limestone at the base of a ridge about 8 miles southwest 

of Balmorhea. It is located at the northwestern edge of a large 

depression apparently formed as the result of the collapse of the 

roof of a cavern in the limestone. The water flows into a small pond, 

^called Phantom Lake, and thence is carried through a canal to irrigated lands in the valley below.

San Solomon and Giflin Springs rise from gravel deposits in the 

floor of the valley near Toyahvale, about 4 miles southwest of Balmorhea. The water originally came to the surface, forming a swamp 

of considerable size, which drained into Toyah Creek. San Solomon 

Spring now issues from gravel in the bottom of a large well-built 

bathing pool. The water is beautifully clear, and the discharge at 

all times is that of a good-sized creek. It is not surprising, therefore, 

that this spring is one of the leading scenic attractions of the region. 

The Giffin Springs rise from gravel at or near the head of four short 

pits or trenches that finger out from a central outlet trench. When 

first used for {irrigation, the flow of the springs was diverted into 

canals that were cut only a few feet below the surface. Eighteen or 

twenty years ago in the hope of obtaining a large increase in flow, 

the points of discharge of San Solomon and Giffin Springs were 

lowered by trenches and pits of considerable depth excavated at both 

sites. Then new deeper outlet canals were constructed, the one 

at San Solomon Spring having a depth of about 20 feet and the one 

At Giffin Springs a somewhat lesser depth.

The high- and low-level canals at both springs are available for 

diversion, but the low-level canal from San Solomon Spring is used 

infrequently because its use does not increase the flow sufficiently to 

justify the inconvenience of distributing water from the lower level.

In the course of the investigation, efforts were made to determine 

the flow of San Solomon Spring both when discharging into the highlevel canal and when discharging into the low-level canal, but the 

demands for water for irrigation would not permit an accurate deter-
BALMORHEA ABBA, TEXAS' 99

mination of the flow at the respective levels. However, a few measurements were made. On November 10, 1931, the discharge through 

the high-level canal was 30.9 second-feet, and three measurements 

made 10 and 11 days later, on November 20 and 21, showed that the 

discharge through the low-level canal was 37.7, 37.6, and 38.0 secondfeet. These measurements indicate a difference in flow between the 

two levels of 6 to 7 second-feet. The spring had been discharging 

through the high-level canal for about a month prior to the measurement on November 10, and during that time the flow had not varied 

more than 1 or 2 second-feet. It had been discharging through the 

low-level canal for 8 or 9 days before the measurements at that canal 

were made. The computed difference in flow at the two levels, 

therefore, may have approximated closely the correct difference for 

the period. Whether or not the flow would gradually decrease if the 

outlet should be maintained at the lower level for a long time is not 

known. It appears probable that it might.

The discharge of all three springs was well sustained even during 

several successive dry years. Phantom Lake Spring has a somewhat 

wider variation in flow than the other two. The lowest discharge of 

San Solomon Spring recorded by the Geological Survey was 26.5 

second-feet on April 26, 1923 (p. 121), and the highest was about 71 

second-feet on October 7, 1932 (p. 131). The lowest recorded flow of 

Phantom Lake Spring was 10 second-feet on October 16,1931 (p. 142), 

and the highest 114 second-feet October 2 and 3,1932 (p. 127). The 

discharge of the Giffin Springs is relatively small, the smallest recorded daily flow being 2.9 second-feet March 4, 1925, and the largest 

between 6 and 7 second-feet in October 1932. Daily records of the 

discharge of the springs during a period of about 2 years, 1931-33, are 

given on the following pages: Phantom Lake Spring (pp. 127-128),. 

San Solomon Spring (pp. 130-131), Giflin Springs (pp. 129-130).

The flow of Phantom Lake Spring and San Solomon Spring increases 

very soon after heavy rains, the rise occurring more quickly and the 

rate of increase being greater in Phantom Lake Spring than in San 

Solomon Spring. For example: The discharge of Phantom Lake 

Spring had remained relatively constant at about 13 second-feet 

from December 21, 1931, to February 22, 1932. During the period 

February 20 to 22, 1932, 2.41 inches of rain was recorded at Balmorhea,. 

the heaviest fall occurring February 21, and as a result all the canyons had a substantial flow of storm water. The discharge of Phantom Lake Spring began to increase February 22 and reached 20 second-feet February 23 and 25 second-feet February 27. The flow of 

San Solomon Spring, which had remained constant at about 30 

second-feet for several weeks, began to increase on the afternoon of 

February 23, about 24 hours after the rise started at Phantom Lake.
100 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

The flow continued to increase gradually and reached a maximum of 

36 second-feet February 27, after which it gradually decreased.

The rainfall in this district from August 30 to September 30, 1932, 

amounted to 14.36 inches and was the heaviest on record. The first 

heavy fall, 2.72 inches, occurred August 30 and was quickly followed 

by large runs of storm water from the mountain canyons. The flow 

of Phantom Lake Spring, which had been relatively constant at 12 

to 13 second-feet for several months, began to increase on the evening 

of August 29 and reached about 46 second-feet September 11. It 

then gradually decreased to about 25 second-feet September 26, at 

which tune it again began to increase and continued until it reached a 

maximum of 114 second-feet October 3. The flow of San Solomon 

Spring, which had remained at 32 to 33 second-feet for several months, 

began to increase August 29 and continued until September 14, when 

it was about 65 second-feet. It then slowly decreased, reaching a 

minimum of about 54 second-feet September 27, when it again began 

to increase and continued until it reached a maximum of about 71 

second-feet October 7.

The temperature of Phantom Lake, San Solomon, and Giffin Springs 

is normally high. It was the same, 78° F., for all three in October 

1931. After the increase in flow in September 1932 the temperature was 71° in Phantom Lake Spring and 74° in San Solomon Spring. 

On March 11, 1933, it was 77}£° in Phantom Lake Spring and 73J£° 

in San Solomon Spring.

Ordinarily the water discharged from the springs is perfectly clear, 

but soon after the start of the abrupt increases in flow in August 

and September 1932 the water from Phantom Lake and San Solomon 

Springs became cloudy owing to the suspension in it of a very fine 

light-colored sediment.

Normally the water of the springs has rather a high mineral content, but it becomes quite fresh during periods of peak discharge. 

This is well illustrated by the table on page 101 which gives the comparative results of analyses of samples obtained during periods of 

moderate flow in the fall of 1930 and of high flow in the fall of 1932. 

When the samples were taken in 1930 the discharge was not measured, 

but it was known to be at a moderate or rather low stage. In the 

fall of 1932 the discharge of all the springs was abnormally high. 

When their waters were sampled on September 12 and 13, 1932, 

Phantom Lake Spring had a discharge of 45 second-feet and San 

Solomon Spring 64 second-feet. On October 7, 1932 when the waters 

were again sampled, Phantom Lake Spring had a discharge of about 

82 second-feet, San Solomon Spring 71 second-feet, and Giffin Springs 

6 second-feet. These samples show that the decline in the mineral
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 101

content of the water at high stages is remarkably large. The decline 

in the total dissolved solids is shown in the following table:

Total dissolved solids in waters from the large springs near Balmorhea at different

Phantom Lake Spring

Date

Oct. 28, 1930---...

Sept. 12, 1932.....

Oct. 7, 1932.......

Total dissolved solids 

(parts per 

million)

2,309 

723 

144

San Solomon Spring

Date

Oct. 28, 1930.--.-

Sept. 13, 1932.....

Oct. 7, 1932.......

Total dissolved solids 

(parts per 

million)

2,196 

875 

562

Giffln Springs

Date

Dec. 6, 1930 .

Oct. 7,1932... 

Total dissolved solids 

(parts per 

million)

2,098 

547

The most outstanding disclosure of this record is the change in the 

discharge at Phantom Lake Spring from a highly mineralized water 

to water containing probably very little more mineral matter than 

the Davis Mountain streams. The decline in the mineralization of 

the water from San Solomon and Giffin Springs, while large, was 

markedly less than the decline in Phantom Lake Spring.

Analyses of water from the large springs near Balmorhea, Tex. 

[Analyzed by M. D. Foster and L. A. Shinn; parts per million]

Spring

Phantom Lake .

Do 

San Solomon ....

Do.._._ ..

Do ......

Giffln... ...... ..

Do_ _...

Date of collection

Oct. 28,1930

Sept. 12, 1832

Oct. 7, 1932

Oct. 28,1930

Sept. 13, 1932

Oct. 7, 1932

Dec. 6, 1930

Oct. 7, 1932

13

"o

13

"o

5

"ol

0

EH

2,309

i 723

1144

2,196

1975

1562

i 2,098

1547

'o? 

0

~

 8

 3

0

191

81

244

190

102

288

189

2 gO

"So

"a

'i

a to

^

86

27

80

or

80

rrl

M 03 -2-3

-g!

gW

 3"o3

 O ^- »-'

473

i 10

448

1200

1437

U09

~

0 

0

W

O)

O 

o

 S

«

285

170

131

286

264

189

284

O

OQ

<O

a

a

act

691

205

220

651

270

2175

635

2140

O

<o

13

O

a

O

655

186

4

610

238

100

608

124

O

<o

03

b4

fc

0.55

1.4

.90

.38

^f=H

O

A

0.04

.04

0

OQ

fi

W

19

19

a

P» !§°

 3

Q

EH

830

1313

111

803

1398

276

1800

234

1 Calculated. 1 By turbidity.

The persistent discharge of great quantities of water by the large 

springs during months or even years of drought indicates that they 

are fed from a large reservoir or from a series of smaller reservoirs. 

Most of the water must be derived from rainfall and run-off that 

enters the reservoir at no great distance from the springs. This is 

indicated by the abrupt increase hi the discharge of Phantom Lake
102 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

and San Solomon Springs following heavy rains and large runs of 

muddy water from the mountain canyons, by the decrease in the 

dissolved minerals in the spring water, and by the lowering of the 

temperature of the water and its cloudy character at such times. The 

data all tend to substantiate the conclusions stated in the section on 

the geology of the area and the relation of the springs to the geologic 

structure.

GRAVITY SPRINGS

Saragosa, West Sandia, and East Sandia Springs rise from gravels 

in the bottom of shallow drainage channels near Balmorhea. The 

Toyah Creek Springs issue from gravel at many points in the bed of 

Toyah Creek in a stretch of 3 or 4 miles southwest and northeast of 

Balmorhea. The uppermost point of emergence of the Saragosa and 

Toyah Creek Springs shifts considerably up and down stream from 

year to year and from season to season. The position of the principal West Sandia Spring now appears to be fixed at a point in a 

shallow drainage channel on the southeastern border of Balmorhea, 

but it is reported that about 30 years ago this spring emerged more 

than half a mile southwest of Balmorhea, or about a mile up the 

valley from its present location. For a time after the heavy rains of 

August and September 1932, small seeps hi the channel above and 

below the spring were discharging more ground water than the spring 

itself. The East Sandia Spring appears at the base of the western 

slope of the Brogada Hills, and so far as could be learned it has 

always been where it is today.

As determined by instrumental leveling, the heads of the Saragosa 

and Toyah Creek Springs in November 1931 were a few feet below 

the water levels in nearby shallow wells that draw from the gravel; 

likewise, the outlet of the main West Sandia Spring was 1 to 2 feet 

lower than the water level in well 20, one of the shallow observation 

wells that are discussed later in this report. The outlets of the East 

Sandia Spring apparently are about at the level of the shallow water 

table immediately above the spring, but this was not exactly determined.

Saragosa Spring enters Toyah Creek and joins the ground-water 

discharge of that stream a few hundred feet above the Balmorhea 

bridge. The measured discharge of the spring in second-feet was as 

follows: November 6, 1932, 9.9; January 23, 1933, 8.2; March 14, 

1933, 6.7; May 16, 1933, 6.4; July 11, 1933, 5.6.

The inflow, in second-feet, of ground water into Toyah Creek from 

its head down to a point about 500 feet below the Balmorhea bridge, 

consisting of the combined flow of the Saragosa and Toyah Creek
BALMORHE'A AREA, TEXAS 103

Springs, was as follows: November 6, 1932, 30.7; January 23, 1933, 

12.8; March 14,1933, 9.4; May 16, 1933, 9.2; July 11, 1933, 8.3. 

According to records of the Reeves County Water Improvement 

District the combined discharge of the springs down to the same 

point ranged from 4.8 to 6 second-feet during December 1931 and 

January 1932 and from 5.8 to 8.3 second-feet in June, July, and 

August 1932. The rates of flow shown by the measurements made 

prior to the floods in August and September 1932 probably are much 

nearer the average long-time flow than the rates as shown by measurements made during the months succeeding the floods.

The daily discharge of West Sandia Spring from November 17,1931, 

to August 28, 1933, is given in the tables on pp. 136 and 137. According to one set of measurements made on October 17,1932, shortly after 

the heavy rains, the discharge of the principal spring amounted to 

0.6 second-foot, and the seepage inflow above it to 0.2 second-foot, 

while the inflow between the spring and the gaging station 4,000 feet 

below it amounted to 1.4 second-feet. A part of this was diverted 

above the gage and was not taken into account in the gaging records. 

The mean monthly discharge of East Sandia Spring, in second-feet, 

and the monthly run-off, in acre-feet, from November 23, 1931, to 

September 23, 1933, are given in the table on page 138.

The temperature of the water from Saragosa and East and West 

Sandia Springs is materially lower than the temperature of the water 

of any of the large springs. On March 14, 1933, the following 

temperatures (Fahrenheit) were recorded: Saragosa Spring, 67K°; 

West Sandia Spring, 63^°; East Sandia Spring 3 outlets 55°, 58°, 

and 64°.

The Saragosa, West Sandia, East Sandia, and Toyah Creek Springs 

clearly are gravity springs and have their source in the gravel. They 

appear at levels slightly below the water table hi the gravel. Their 

temperature is much lower than that of the large springs and is not 

materially different from the temperature of the water from shallow 

wells in the vicinity. The discharge of the Saragosa and Toyah Creek 

Springs' ^apparently increases and decreases and the position of their 

uppermost outlets shifts up and down the streams with the rise and 

fall of the water table. The position of East Sandia Spring is stationary and that of the main West Sandia Spring is nearly stationary. 

This may be due to the fact that these two springs are fed from 

solution channels in the cemented gravels and that these channels 

are not directly connected with the shallow water table. The basal 

conglomerate is encountered in nearly all the shallow wells hi the 

Balmorhea district and is known to be cavernous hi places. Irrigation 

streams amounting to a second-foot or more have been known to

250849 41 4
104 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

disappear into these passages. The map (fig. 3) indicates that the slope 

of the water table is in the same direction as that of the land and that 

the movement of the ground water in the gravel, with some variations, 

is directly down the valley. It shows further that the altitude of the 

Saragosa and West and East Sandia Springs conforms closely to the 

altitude of the water table in their vicinities.

As shown by the following analyses, the water from these springs 

is similar in character to the water from the artesian springs.

Partial analyses of water from gravity springs near Balmorhea, Tex. 

[Parts per million. Analyses by E. W. Lohr and L. A. Shinn]

Spring

Spring

Sodium 

and 

potassium 

(Na+K) 

(calculated)

584

631

Bicarbonate 

(HCOj

2

a

3

N

n

n

ffl

ra

19

Date of 

collection

ov. 13,1931

ec. 7, 1930

ec. 7, 1930

Sulphate 

(804)

705

868

992

Total 

dissolved 

solids

2,846

2,999

Chloride 

(Cl)

655

842

840

Calcium 

(Ca)

200

272

276

Nitrate 

(N03)

5.0

6.0

Magnesium 

(Mg)

81

102

101

Total 

hardness 

as CaCOs

832

1,098

1,104

SHALLOW GROUND WATER

Most of the water for domestic use and stock in this area is obtained 

from wells. A description of 41 of the wells is given in the table on 

page 107, and the location of each is indicated in figure 3 by a number 

that corresponds to the number assigned to it in the table. All the 

wells in the vicinity of Balmorhea terminate in the gravel, none are 

more than 60 feet deep, and most of them are less than 30 feet deep. 

The depth to water was measured in all the wells, and the measuring 

points at the top of most of them were connected by lines of levels and 

the altitude of these points referred to a common assumed datum. 

In this way the water-table map (fig. 3) was prepared.

Thirteen wells were selected for observation and were measured 

periodically over a period of several years. The records of these 

measurements are shown in the tables on pp. 108-111. They show that 

the water levels in the wells are, in general, moderately low but that 

the levels rise when heavy rams fall, when Toyah Creek is in flood, or 

when nearby lands are irrigated. It is evident, therefore; that the
Oq co O e+

' co E°

,* £

-SjP" 

1 
 &

CT- M *"

CD ^ crti-S PJ CD s.-r.p*

 ^ SS

p p

ft> fcl'

u uD ^ ^^

h->. P

co p

co ^

P so

EXPLANATION

*C,39-4O

WesfSandiaSpr. 

o«\

7?v .y ^/s->?

Lines of equal altitude of 

water levels in wells in

1930-1931 

(Assumed datum)

FIGURE 3. Map of the vicinity of Balmorhea, Tex., showing location of wells and springs and app

By Walter N. White.
106 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

S» "I

St^CTrH^COOOO^OoSr-IOSM 

500'Oi-ICOCOC5i-l(NCOi-HI5QO'*

1 «.3.

*x-\ OO

Ho

iQtOQlBC 

J

_u_ 

s

JS^

'?^^S'^S9S^S'?SS^ '

SoocoooSNoociooooc

o ^H b" *a "sM^ *""

0.0 II

fcS

NOf

' a'sW

r-l CO

^^cJcS 

a> 9}

QO
BALMORHEA AKEA, TEXASRECORDS OF WELLS

Records of wells in vicinity of Balmorhea, Tex.

107

No.

1

2 

3 

4 

5

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

18 A 

19 

20

21 

22 

23 

24 

25 

26 

27 

28 

29 

30 

31 

32 

33 

34 

35 

36 

37 

38 

39 

40 

41

Distance from 

Balmorhea 

(miles)

3MSW _

2SW__ __ ....

1MSW.. 

 ..do. ..... .

1MSSW... 

IJ^SSW ... 234 saw....... ikssw... 

1MSW- .

1SW. .........

MNW 

MW.. . ........

HSW. .. 

HS._ 

__ do. ....._..

 do .....

1SE...... ..

1M 8E.. .......

In Balmorhea. 

 do -_.- 

J^NE...... ...

1 NE.... ... ...

.-..do.. .......

IJiNE.... .

_..do__ ........

1NNE.- 

1MNE. . ......

IMNNE. 

IJ^N.. ........

1NW.. ........

1J-SNW. ...

_ _ _do . ....

 ..do. ........

1*4NNE 

3JiENE__..- 

4ENE.. 

6NE. .........

6MNE . 

ME............

In Balmorhea..

Owner

Balmorhea Livestock 

Co.

Charles Welnacht....- 

A. W. Wigley ...

Humble Oil & RefiningCo. 

S. Garcia _- ._. 

S. A. Sharpe.-.. __ ..

 -do ..... .........

Mrs. Nell B. Westerman. 

 Hffl.. ............

T. A. Odell.. 

A. W. Wigley.. ...... -

... ..do........ ...... 

Toyah Valley State 

Bank.

P. V. S. Ry .......

E.P. Stuckler.. .......

J.P. Cole.-- ..... .

W. E. Gould.. ....... _

.. do ....... ......

 ..do ..............

-....do .. .... ...

Mrs. W. E. Oould..--

A. H. Mills.. .........

G. F. Renz .... -

. do 

Reeves County Water 

Improvement District.

Water level

Depth 

(feet)

175

14 

15 

20 

14

20 

20± 

20± 

19 

17 

20

22 

15 

10 

9 

17 

11 

12 

20± 

Unknown 

7

24 

10 

Unknown 

13 

21.5 

17 

20 

18 

50 

36 

68 

63 

60 

19 

220 

117 

158 

158 

26 

18 

202

Below 

bench 

mark 

(feet)

16.29

13.99 

13.73 

14.39 

14.47

13.91 

12.86 

14.98 

11.65 

12.22 

11.61

11.70 

13.45 

7.95 

9.35 

6.89 

9.88 

4.20 

4.71 

5.53 

5.69

23.27 

5.56 

2.16 

11.68 

19.63 

14.65 

20.66 

16.60 

34.35 

26.88 

30 

41.51 

46.82 

16.52 

180± 

112.9 

139.2 

137.6 

9.80 

9.21 

5.56

Date

Nov. 10, 1931

Oct. 31,1930 

 do __

 do 

Nov. 13, 1931

Oct. 31,1930

 do 

 do. 

Nov. 13, 1931 

Nov. 1, 1930 

 -do...... ..

Nov. 3,1930 

Nov. 1,1930 

 -do........

 -do.... .

 ..do ...

 do........

Nov. 13, 1931 

 -do 

Nov. 6,1931 

Nov. I,'l930

... -do 

. do 

Oct. 31,1931 

Nob. 6,1930 

Nov. 1, 1930 

Nov. 3, 1930 

 ..do ....

Nov. 1,1930 

Nov. 3,1930 

Nov. 1, 1930 

Nov. 3,1930 

Nov. 1,1930. 

 do 

Nov. 3,1930 

Nov. 5,1930 

 ... do_ __._

Nov. 3,1930 

.... .do ...

Nov. 2, 1931

Nov. 1,1930

Altitude of 

bench mark i 

(feet)

3,349

3,286 

3,275

3,278 

3,272

3,266 

3,286 

3,263

3,265 

3,264 

3,251

3,234 

3,231 

3,228 

3,234 

3, 225 

3,233 

3,221 

3,211 

3,221 

3,214

3,208 

3,198 

3,194 

3,186 

3,188 

3,198 

3,190 

3,197 

3,204

3,188

3,210 

3,209

Use of 

water *

D,SD,S..

8 

D,S._

D,S..

D,SD.S.. 

D.S..

S 

N 

S.....

D.S.. 

D,S._

D.S..

N .

D,S._

S

/>::

N .

D.S..

N 

N 

D.S.. 

D.S.. 

D,S.. 

D,S_. 

D,S._ 

D.S.. 

D,S__ 

P....

N 

P....

N 

D,S..

N .

D 

D.S..

D,S.. 

D.S.-

Method 

oflift'

W.

W. 

W. 

W. 

H.

H. 

H. 

W. 

H. 

E. 

W.

H.

W. 

H. 

H. 

None. 

H. 

W. (4) 

None. 

None.

W. 

None. 

None. 

W. 

H. 

H. 

H. 

W. 

W. 

W. 

E. 

None. 

Q. W. 

W. 

W. 

W.

w. 

o.

8. 

None.

1 Assumed datum.

2 D, Domestic; S, stock; P, public supply; N, not used.

3 W, Windmill; H. hand; E, electric motor; G. gas engine; S, siphon. 

< Test hole.
108 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

DEPTH TO WATER LEVEL

Records of water levels in wells

[For location and description of wells see preceding table]

3. CHARLES WEINACHT

[Measuring point, top of edge of pipe clamp, on south side, at ground level]

Date

1930, Oct. 31 -----

1931, Mar. 8 . ._ 

Dec. 11 

1932, Jan. 19 

Feb. 15.. ._.._-.

Apr. 13... ------

May 30 

Aug. 4..-....--.

Aug. 21 

Sept. 17 -

Oct. 1__... . _

Oct. 15 

Oct. 22 ------

Oct. 30 _ 

Nov. 5-.. ------

Nov. 12 

Nov. 19 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

13.73

14.50

13.72

i 14. 26

15.00

^9.74

11.61

11.52

11.80

3 3. 56

5.96

6.18

6.58

6.61

6.91

5.49

Date

1932, Dec. 10_--__ ____

1933, Jan. 21__. .

Jan. 28-- .__. -

Feb. 4- _

Feb. ll__ 

Feb. 18. .- --

Feb. 25--.__ 

Mar. 11__ .-.

Apr. 1.... _.__

Apr. 9- _

Apr. 16. -

Apr. 23_ - .. .

Apr. 29.-. _.

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

7.77

7.95

8.12

8.16

8.18

8.30

8.48

4 8. 75

9.15

54.71

8.35

8.50

«8.20

8.40

8.45

9.00

Date

1933, May 19. _._.-_

^M.BV *^0

May 27 

July 8 

July27___-__._

A 110- 1 Q

Sept. 2_ 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

58.74

9 00

8.72

57.60

56.95

6 8. 85

8.68

11.17

'11.08

5. HUMBLE OIL & REFINING CO.

[Measuring point, bench mark in top of wood cover, 2 feet above ground level]

Date

1931, Nov. 13 ---

Feb. 15-. -_. 

Sept. 17 

Oct. 1 

 Oct. 15- 

Oct. 22 

Nov. 12 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

14.47

11.42

' i 12. 86

2 11. 04

10.08

11.11

11.50

38.61

6.79

6.72

6.54

6.77

6.92

7.01

7.24

Date

1932, Dec. 10 

1933, Jan. 10... ____ 

Jan. 14 

Jan. 28 

Feb. 4.. ._____..

Feb. 11__ ____..

Feb. 18-. 

Feb. 25__-______

Mar. 11 

Apr. 1 

Apr. 9__-_ .... ..

Apr. IB--

Apr. 23...- _-.-

Apr. 26... _ .__

May 7. 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

7.19

7.68

7.86

8.22

8.40

8.60

8.65

*8. 70

9.37

9.67

9.30

9.37

9.58

9.62

9.76

Date

1933, May 14 .._._.

May 20-- .

May 27 

June 10. 

June 24.. 

JulyS 

July 15 

July 29 .

Aug. 26 

Sept. 2 .

Sept. 23 - 

Depth

to water 

level 

(feet)

9.90

10.15

10.42

10.65

11.03

11.80

12.68

13.01

13.32

13.52

13.95

' 14. 10

7. S. A. SHARPE

[Measuring point, bench mark in plank, on north side, at ground level]

Date

Dec. 11- 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

12.86

a 10. 37

13.08

10.96

Date

1932, Jan. 19 ______

Feb. 15. .._--.__

Apr. 13 

May 30_ _ _ _ _

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

9.44

18.00

9.50

12.89

Date

1932, Aug. 4 

Aug. 20 ___ .,

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

I 1). 73

16.48

See footnotes at end of table.
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS1 109 

Records of water levels in wells Continued

10. W. A. KNAPP

[Measuring point, bench mark in east end and south side of middle cross beam, 1 foot above ground level]

Date

1930, Nov. 1.. ........

1931, May8..........

Nov. 4.... ....

Dec. 11-,.....-.

1932, Jan. 19 .. . .

Feb. 13. ........

Apr. 13_... ....

May 30.. .......

Aug. 20_ . -_

Oct. I..- .... .

Oct. 8_. _________

Oct. 15... .......

Oct. 22... ...... _

Oct. SO..........

Depth

to water 

level 

(feet)

12.22

11.00

9.89

13.02

1 12. 79

2 11. 00

11.00

10.80

10.85

11.59

3 4. 51

4.80

5.18

5.38

5.81

6.36

Date

1932, Dec. 12.. .......

1933, Jan. 10.. ....__..

Jan. 14-.-...-...

Jan. 21 

Jan. 28...... ....

Feb. 4..........

Feb. 11. .._.__..

Feb. 18... ......

Feb. 25.. .......

Mar. 4__ ........

TV/Tor 1 1

Apr. 1. .........

Apr. 9_..__ .....

Apr. 16. ..______

Apr. 23... ....

Apr. 29.. ...__._

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

6.08

7.18

7.47

7.30

7.45

7.60

7.98

8.16

8.35

* 8. 63

68.22

8.80

8.78

8.28

8.64

8.40

8.85

Date

1933, May 14.......

May20 

May 27 ...

JunelO.. _____

June 17. _ ...

June24..-__ __

July 8__. ______

July 15... 

July 29 _____

Aug. 12_._____

Aug. 19 

Aug. 26... ....

Sept. !-___ .

Sept. 23 .___

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

8.80

9.05

9.03

8.70

9.18

8.80

9.12

9.22

9.78

9.69

9.98

10.52

10.18

10.70

10.78

'7.58

12. HILL

[Measuring point, top edge of upper wood frame, on east side opposite cut in frame, at ground level]

Date

1930, Nov. 3____. ______

1931, Dec. 11 . ..

1932, Jan. 19...._ .....

Feb. 15 

Apr. 13- -

Aug. 20 -----

Sept. 17. ________

Oct. 15 - 

Oct. 22- 

Oct. 30-.. . ______

Nov. 5 

Dec. 10- -

1933, Jan. 10 - 

Jan. 14.... ______

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

11.70

11.89

i 13. 10

13.00

2 9. 23

11.42

9.98

10.72

5.79

= 5 46

5.79

6.18

6.46

7.0ti

7.86

7.93

Date

1933, Jan. 21---. 

Feb. 4__. ________

Feb. !!____ _-___

Feb. 14___-______

Feb. 25- ________

Mar. 11__________

Apr. 16 

Apr. 29__________

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

8.03

8.60

8.62

8.70

8.76

<9. 00

8.36

8. 68

6S.22

B 8. IS

8.68

8.47

8.22

8.75

8.S5

Date

1933, May 28 

June 18 

JulyS 

July 15- _______

July 29_. -_.___

Aug. 11________

Aug. 19 _____

Sept 23 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

8.85

9.13

8.90

9.20

9.45

9.05

9.08

9.50

9.82

«9.74

10.08

'9.32

8.66

See footnotes at end of table.
110 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

Records of water levels in wells Continued

16. A. W. WIGLEY

[Measuring point, southwest edge of concrete cross beam, opposite cut in concrete, at ground level]

Date

1930, Nov. 1 -

Nov. 12.... ......

Nov. 19 

Nov. 23_ . _ ..

Jan. 9-.- .. 

Jan. 16. ....... ..

Jan. 23.........

Jan. 28. .----.-..

Feb. 6. .

Feb. 11.--. - _ .

Feb. 13_. ...... _.

Feb. 20_._ ....

Feb. 23... .......

Feb. 27.. ........

Feb. 29 ....

Mar. 12_ _ . _ -

Mar. 19- 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

6.89

4.20

4.91

5.50

5.73

f. QQ

5.69

5.87

5.79

5.83

15.77

5.67

5.76

5.73

5.67

<l 7Q

4.93

*2.35

4.15

4.19

22.55

3.41

3.53

3.71

4.22

4.21

Date

1932, Mar. 21 

Apr. 2 

Apr. 12 

Apr. 16 ...... .

Apr. 23 

May 28...- _ ...

June30_- ___ ..

July 2-. ....

July 4...... ..

July9. .... ...

July 16.. ... ..

July 22. .........

Depth

to water 

level 

(feet)

s 2. 55

4.11

4.45

3.25

4.18

4.41

« 3. 25

3.87

4.P9

4.85

4.95

«3.45

3.86

4.50

« 3. 15

3.68

4.05

«3.72

4.24

4.66

5.45

«4.05

5.35

5.56

«3.35

Date

1932, July 23. ... .

Aug. 6 ... ..

Aug. 13- __ .

Aug. 16- _ .-.-

Sept. 3_. -----

Sept. 4-- -

Sept 10-...._-

Sept. 17..- 

Sept. 24---.--.

Oct. 1...... ...

Oct. 9__ .

Oct. 15-.-- .

Oct. 22--. 

Oct. 29. 

Nov. 5 -----

1933, July 29 

Aug. 26 .

Sept. 2 

Sept. 23.......

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

4.07

5.29

5.86

6.04

6.16

55.47

33.35

4.25

4.25

1.47

«.82

1.97

2.76

2.91

«1.03

2.37

2.17

1.89

2.15

2.73

4.45

«4-31

4.13

«3.23

3.65

20. TOYAH VALLEY STATE BANK

[Measuring point, cross in top of west brick in top row, at ground level]

Date

1930, Nov. 1- _ ......

1931, Mar. 8. .........

Nov. 10. _ .....

Dec. 11 . 

1932, Jan. 19. .

Feb. 15 

Aug. 20 ___ ...

Sept. 17. .....

Oct. 1... __ ...

Oft. 15. .........

Oct. 22..... .....

Oct. 30. .........

Nov. 5.. 

Nov. 12.- .

Nov. 19... 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

5.69

5.70

5.67

5.60

15.45

23.95

4.9

4.95

3.8

22.56

3.51

3.55

3.96

4.04

4.14

4.19

Date

1932, Dec. 10. __ ....

1933, Jan. 10 __ .....

Jan. 21.... .

Jan. 28_ _ .. _ .

Feb. 4- 

Feb. 11 

Feb. 18 ......

Feb. 25 ......

Mar. 11.. __ ,.

Apr. 1-.. ...

Apr. 16_, __ ...

Apr. 22.. ...... ..

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

4.28

3.98

4.09

4.00

4.08

4.08

4.10

4.00

<3.92

4.02

3.73

3.74

3.80

3.67

4.03

3.96

Date

1933, May 14 . 

May 20 ..........

May 27. ... ...

JulyS. _ ....

July 16..........

July 21... ... .

Aug. 11. 

Aug. 19 . 

Sept. 2....... ...

Sept. 25. ____

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

4.03

4.20

4.58

4.35

4.50

4.40

4.30

4.76

5.00

4.80

4.79

4.92

4.62

"4.72

4.04

3.36

22. PECOS VALLEY SOUTHERN RAILWAY

[Measuring point, copper-nail bench mark, on south side of well curb, 3 feet above ground level]

Date

1930, Nov. 1. ___

1931, Mar. 8. .....

Dec. 10 ......

1932, Feb. 15 __ ..

Apr. 13 

May 30. .....

Aug. 20 ......

Sept. 17. 

Oct. 1. ......

Water level 

above (+) 

or below ( ) 

measuring 

point (feet)

-5.56

-4.50

-1.65

2 1 00

-1.00 

-0.4 

-1.18

-1.80

«+1.3 

8+3.9

Date

1932, Oct. 15 ......

Oct. 22. .....

Oct. 20 ......

Nov. 5__ 

Nov. 10.. _ 

Nov. 19..... 

1933, Apr. 1 _

Apr. 16-. .... 

Apr. 23 

Water level 

above (+) 

or below ( ) 

measuring 

point (feet)

+1.92

+3.22

+0.15

-1.28 

 0.49 

-1.00

-1.10

-1.14 

-1.20

Date

1933, Apr. 29 

May 14 

May 28 

June 11 ....

T)n

June 25 ...

Water level 

above (+) 

or below ( ) 

measuring 

point (feet)

-1.18

-1.30

-1.32

-1.52

-1.65 

-1.78

-2.00

-2.00

See footnotes at end of table.
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 111

Records of water levels in wells Continued

23. ALONG EAST SIDE OF PECOS VALLEY SOUTHERN RAILWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY

[Measuring point, bench mark in top of board lining, on west side of well, about 2 feet below ground level]

Date

1931, Oct. 31 

Dec. 10 _

1932, Feb. 15......

Sept. 17. 

Oct. 1 ._

Oct. 15......

Oct. 30.. .

Water level 

above (+) 

or below ( ) 

measuring 

point (feet)

-2.16

-1.65

2-1.00

-0.04

-1.18 -1.8

8+1.3 (s)

+1.92

+3.22

+0.05

Date

1932, Nov. 5.- 

Dec. 10. ._

1933, Jan. 10 

Jan. 14......

Jan. 21. ..

Feb. 4.......

Feb. 11... ...

Feb. 18 -

Feb. 25... ...

Water level 

above (+) 

or below ( ) 

measuring 

point (feet)

-0.04

-0.69

-0.28

-0.38

-0.53

-0.58

-0.52

-0.54

-0.62

-0.65

Date

1933, Mar. 4.. .

Mar. 11.....

JulyS.......

July 15......

July 22......

July 29.. .

Aug. 19_. ...

Aug. 28 ......

Sept. 2......

Water level 

above (+) 

or below ( ) 

measuring 

point (feet)

-0.72

-0.83

-2.19

-2.34

-2.38-

-2. 5ft*

-2.52

-2.72 '-2.82

-0. 20-

26. J. P. COLE

[Measuring point, edge of concrete collar, on northeast side of well, opposite cut in collar, 1 foot above ground

level]

Date

1930, Nov. 3. - 

1931, Mar. 8..- 

Nov. 3.-- 

Dec. 11_. ........

Feb. 15 .

May 30 .

Aug. 20_. .

Sept. 17. 

Oct. 15.... ...

Oct. 22...... ....

Oct. 30... _ .

Nov. 5.. 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

14.65

* 12. 16

14.44

14.95

i 15. 96

2 14. 95

14.95

14.4

14.45

14.47

12.52

3 10. 21

10.25

10.12

10.44

11.51

Date

1932, Dec. 10 

1933, Jan. 10. ........

Jan. 14_. ........

Jan. 21. _..____..

Feb.4 __ 

Feb. 11 .... ...

Feb. 18... .......

Feb. 25. .....

Mar. 11........ .

Apr. 1.. .........

Apr. 16_. ...._...

Apr. 23 ... 

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

11.53

11.48

11.65

11.84

12.01

12.00

12.30

11.28

Ml. 60

13.18

«11.57

12.02

12.14

12.28

« 11. 20

11.05

Date

1933, May 7 .......

May 14__. . ......

May 20 .......

June 18 ....

June25_. __ ....

July 8... ........

July 15.. ........

July 29.... ......

Aug. 11-.....-..

Aug. 26... .......

Sept. 23. .......

Depth

to water 

level 

(feet)

11.91

12.20

12. 42

12.65

12.68

'12.23,

12.55

12.59

0 19 91

12.83

12.8ft

12.55

12.98

' 13. 22

12 68

19 91

34. MRS. W. E. GOULD

[Measuring point, bench mark in 1- by 12-inch plank, at south side of hole in plankv at ground level]

Date

1930, Nov. 3- ...

Nov. 3 

Dec. 11.. __ ...

Feb. 15.. 

Apr. 13 

May 30 ......

 Sept. 17 

Oct. 15 ......

Oct. 22 - 

Oct. 30. 

Dec. 3__. _______

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

16.52

»16.94

16.67

17.40

i 17. 43

17.62

217.00

16.63

16.3

17.05

311.80

8.31

9.05

9.74

10.22,

11.68

Date

1932, Dec. 10.. .-..-__

Jan. 14 

' Jan. 21 

Jan. 28... _._

Feb. 11.........

Feb. 18... 

Feb. 25.........

Mar. 4. ....___.

Mar. ll_ _ 

Apr. !_-.___ __.

Apr. 16 

Apr. 23-. ... .

Apr. 29_________

Depth 

to water 

level 

(feet)

11.85

12.88

13.00

13.11

13.22

13.24

13. 32

13.40

*13.48

13.30

13.31

13.42

13.48

13.60

12.62

12.90

Date

1933, May 7 ... ...

May 28. ...

June 25_. _ -._.

July 15.-. 

July 29. ... ...

Aug. 11 

Sept. 23__ ......

Depth

to water 

level 

(feet)

13.28

13.85.

13. 9»

14.18-

14. 3&

14.42-

14.60-

15.18

15.35

15. 70

15.81

16. 26

15.78

' 14. 65..

1 Rainfall from August 1931 to January 1932, inclusive, was about 27 percent below 13-year average.

2 Rainfall was 3.79 inches in February 1932, about 5 times the 13-year average.

» Rainfall was 15.24 inches in August and September 1932, more than 3 times the 13-year average.

1 Rainfall in January and February 3933 was only O.fi9 inch.

5 Adjoining field under irrigation.

« Adjoining Qeld recently irrigated. 

" Rainfall April to August 1933, ii 

s Water running over top of well

250849 41 5

nclusive, was about a third of 13-year average.
112 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

INTAKE OF GROUND WATER 

AREAS OF INTAKE

As has been pointed out in the section on the geology of this district 

(pp. 90-97), the principal area of intake or replenishment for the 

large springs at Balmorhea is within a long narrow anticlinal valley 

that parallels the eastern escarpment of the Davis Mountains west, 

northwest, and southwest of the springs. In this valley the beveled 

edges of the Lower Cretaceous limestones appear at the surface or lie 

beneath a mantle of stream and terrace gravel not far below the surface, and their honeycombed and cavernous members absorb and 

store a large part of the local rainfall and mountain run-off. The 

length of this intake area is not exactly known. It is believed, 

however, that the limestones may take hi water along the anticline 

«,!! the way from Big Aguja Canyon northwestward to the vicinity of 

San Martine, in Pecos County, a distance of about 35 miles. (See 

fig. 4.)

The creeks from Big Aguja, Little Aguja, Madera, and Cherry 

Canyons lose heavily between the mouths of their canyons and the 

downstream boundary of the anticline. The Lower Cretaceous rocks 

take in considerable water, also, in an area of outcrop along Limpia 

Creek about 20 miles southeast of Balmorhea. Practically all the 

discharge of Limpia Creek disappears during moderate and low 

stages in that locality.

The lavas of the Davis Mountains have an important part in the 

intake system. They absorb much of the mountain rainfall and 

run-off. The water moves downward through joints and crevices in 

the rocks until it reaches relatively impermeable layers of volcanic 

rock or tuff or underlying Upper Cretaceous clays. It then moves 

laterally and appears as springs or seeps in the mountain canyons 

and on the slopes of the eastern escarpment, where it is largely 

-dissipated by evaporation and transpiration. A part, however, 

reaches the canyon streams, in places maintaining a small perennial 

flow, or is absorbed by the gravels of the streams and adjacent 

tterraces. In at least one locality considerable stream water apparently is absorbed by the volcanic rocks in places where synclinal 

structure has brought them below stream level. This is on Limpia 

Creek near old Limpia post office, about 15 miles south of Balmorhea. 

The water that enters there may rise into the stream gravels below 

the lower limb of the syncline and through them eventually reach the 

.intake area of the Lower Cretaceous rocks, 15 to 20 miles below.

The gravels, also,'have an important part in the intake system. 

Much of the district between Balmorhea and the mountains is underlain by stream and terrace gravels, and in places tongues of these 

gravels extend a considerable distance into the mountains. The
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS'

gravels serve as both reservoir and conduit. They absorb a part of 

the water that is discharged by the mountain seeps and springs and a 

part of the rainfall and run-off on the escarpment of the mountain 

front and the belt between the escarpment and outcrop of the Lower 

Cretaceous rocks. This water moves slowly in the gravels in a downstream direction until it reaches the outcrop of the Lower Cretaceous 

rocks and gradually seeps into the reservoir in these rocks. The

 SanMartine

EXPLANATION

Spring Principal known areas of 

ground-water intake

FIGUEE 4. Map of part of Toyah Basin, Tex., showing the springs and areas of ground-water intake-near 

Balmorhea. By Walter N. White.

igneous rocks and gravels, therefore, constitute an essential part of the 

extensive storage and regulatory system by which the flow of the large 

springs is maintained during periods of drought lasting for months and 

even years.

The water that supplies the flow of the smaller springs at Balmorhea' 

is derived from the Toyah Valley gravels. It is replenished by rainfall on the valley floor and by seepage from Toyah Creek, from canals,, 

ditches, and irrigated lands, and to some extent from the large springs..

(See fig. 3.)

INTAKE FROM STREAMS

In 1932 and 1933 a program of stream measurement was undertakenon several of the mountain streams, including miscellaneous measurements on Limpia Creek, to obtain information both as to the volume of
114 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

run-off from the mountains and the extent of losses by seepage from 

the mountain streams in crossing the intake area of the Lower Cretaceous limestones. A permanent gaging station was established in Madera Canyon and equipped with a continuous water-stage recorder. 

Temporary staff gages were installed on the streams that issue from 

Cherry, Big Aguja, and Little Aguja Canyons and read daily or weekly 

for several months. Many miscellaneous measurements of the discharge of these streams and of Limpia Creek were made with a current 

meter, and several series of such measurements were made on each 

stream to determine seepage losses on the intake area of the Lower 

Oetaceous limestones and gains and losses in several other sections, 

mostly below the mouths of the canyons. Most of the "seepage 

measurements" were made on a declining stage and therefore tend to 

show losses in each section smaller than the true losses, or even a gain 

-when actually there may have been a substantial loss. However, in 

making the measurements, the stream gager moved in a downstream 

direction at a rate not much faster than the movement of the stream; 

in this way a large part of the error, due to changes in stage while the 

seepage measurements were in progress, can be eliminated, and 

reasonably accurate estimates can be made of the losses and gams in 

the sections during periods when the rates of stream discharge were 

'Comparable.

The records obtained at the gaging stations on Limpia and Barilla 

'Creeks and in Madera Canyon have been published in several reports 

of the Geological Survey on stream measurement. Most of the results 

of the measurements in 1932 and 1933 were published hi Water-Supply 

Paper 748 1 and are republished in this report (see pp. 121-144). These 

results are discussed below by streams,

LIMPIA CREEK

Two gaging stations have been maintained on Limpia Creek. 

The upper one, known as Limpia Creek, near Fort Davis, was near the 

site of the old Limpia post office, in the canyon about 16 miles south 

of Balmorhea. The lower one, known as Barrilla Creek, near Saragosa, was about 30 miles downstream, on the bridge at the crossing 

of State Highway 190 (Old Spanish Trail), where the stream is commonly known as Barrilla Creek or Draw. The site of the upper 

station is above any known outcrop of the Lower Cretaceous limestones, whereas the lower site is below a section in which the streams 

vcross several miles of outcrop of these limestones.

The upper station was established February 27, 1925, and maintained until August 30, 1932, when it was destroyed by flood. The 

lower station was installed December 6, 1924, and discontinued July

i Surface-water supply of the United States, 1933, parts, Western Gulf of Mexico basins: U. S. Qeol. Survey 

Water-Supply Paper 748, pp. 140-160,171-174,1935,
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 115

15, 1926. It was reestablished September 20, 1932, and a few days 

later, on September 29, was destroyed when the highway bridge was 

carried away by one of the largest floods that has occurred on this 

creek in tk& memory of residents in this part of Texas. Neither 

station was rebuilt. Funds were not available to meet the high cost 

of construction of the type of gaging station necessary to withstand 

large floods. Moreover, in the stretch of the creek in which the lower 

station is located, the shifting of the channel with each flood prevents 

the compilation of a satisfactory rating curve.

The flood of August 30, 1932, which destroyed the upper station, is 

estimated to have reached a peak discharge of about 14,000 secondfeet. During most of the period from December 6, 1924, to July 15, 

1926, there was no discharge at either station, but from March to 

September 1925 several runs of storm, water occurred, in which the 

discharge amounted to a total of about 4,800 acre-feet at the upper 

station and about 11,000 acre-feet at the lower station. The sites of 

the two stations are about 40 miles apart, and the drainage from about 

100 square miles of mountains, mostly less than 5,000 feet in altitude, 

enters the stream between them.

The yearly discharge of Limpia Creek at the upper station in Limpia 

Canyon is given below:

Discharge of Limpia Creek in Limpia Canyon 16 miles southwest of Balmorhea 

{Drainage area, 272 square miles. Water year October 1 to September 30]

Acre-feet 

1925, Feb. 27 to Sept. 30__.____. _..__.___.___... 4,080

1925-26__________-____.__.____._______--__--__-__---- 5, 770

1926-27----_____--_-_-_-_______-______---___--------- 661

1927-28__--___--_-_-_--__-____-___-__--_-_---_--_---- 7, 160

1928-29__._...__..__...._..__.....-_.___._._.---_._-- 839

1929-30___.___..._...__..__..._.__..__.-__.._-_______ 894

1930-31_-_-___-___---__-_-_-.-_--___-_--_____-.------ 1, 610

1931-32 (Oct. 1 to Aug. 27)...__.._.------------------- 2, 590

Five series of current-meter measurements were made on Limpia 

Creek to determine seepage losses and gains in several stretches above 

and below the site of the gaging station in Limpia Canyon. These 

measurements indicate that the volume of the stream is increased by 

the inflow of seepage from the vicinity of Fort Davis down to a point 

about 2 miles above the site of the gage. Below that point, the stream 

loses water in several stretches and disappears entirely during low and 

moderate stages before reaching observation points 19 to 22 miles below 

the station, that is, 9 to 12 miles below the Jeff ranch. (See fig. 3.) The 

loss in the vicinity of the gaging station was as follows: October 8, 

4.2 second-feet; November 1, 8.6 second-feet; November 21, 4.1 

second-feet; August 3, 1933, 12.6 second-feet. The loss between
116 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

the Jeff ranch and points of measurement half a mile to a mile 

downstream was 6.2 feet on November 1, 1932, and 2.4 second-feet 

on November 21, 1932. On October 8, 1932, a flow of 65.1 secondfeet disappeared between the Jeff ranch and the observation point 

12 miles downstream.

MADERA CANYON

The gaging station in Madera Canyon is located about threequarters of a mile above the mouth of the canyon. It was installed 

July 28, 1932, and has been in continuous operation ever since. As 

estimated from the topographic maps of the Fort Davis and Valentine 

quadrangles, the canyon drains about 54 square miles above the gage, 

the area consisting of the slopes of mountains most of whose summits 

are more than 5,500 feet above sea level. The daily records at the 

station have been published each year by the Geological Survey. 2 

These records are fairly accurate for low and moderate stages of stream 

discharge but much less accurate for high stages. The estimated total 

annual discharge for each of the years in the period 1932-36 is given 

in the following table:

Discharge of Madera Canyon, 1982-86

[Water year, Oct. 1 to Sept. 30]

Acre-feet 

1932, Aug. 1 to Sept. 30......__.._.__.___.____.___.... 14, 800

1932-33_. ____ ___________________________________ 6,000

1933-34_._............ _......__ . ___........_.. 244

1934-35._______ ................................... 637

1935-36.-__...._.._.__.__._.___.__________.__.___.__ 4, 200

According to the daily record, the discharge from August to October 

1932 amounted to about 17,000 acre-feet (see table, p. 122), or approximately two-thirds of the total recorded discharge in the period 1932- 

36. Altogether, in this period of 4 years and 2 months there were 64 

days on which the average discharge during the 24 hours was more 

than 25 second-feet. Of these days, 25 were in August, September, 

and October 1932, 18 in August and September 1933, 1 in July 1935, 

and 20 in May and September 1936. During most of the period the 

stream was dry or the daily discharge was less than 3 second-feet. 

The maximum discharge, somewhat more than 2,000 second-feet, occurred on September 29 and 30, 1932.

Nine series of discharge measurements were made to determine 

seepage losses from Madera Canyon between the gaging station and 

points 2 to 10 miles below it. The maximum flow at the gaging station during these studies was 67.5 second-feet, the minimum 5.2 secondfeet, and the average about 27 second-feet (see table, p. 123). None of 

the water reached Toyah Creek, about 12 miles below the station, and

2 See records for Madera Canyon near Toyah vale, Tex., in Water-Supply Papers 748, 763, 788, 808, 828, 

and 868.
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 117

most of it was lost within the first few miles. For example, on September 2, 1932, all but 2.2 second-feet of a discharge of 67.5 secondfeet was lost within 8.2 miles of the gage, and on October 6, 1932, a 

discharge of 37.3 second-feet disappeared entirely within 4 miles. 

On August 27, 1933, a loss of only 6.1 second-feet was indicated in a 

stretch of 6.2 miles below the gaging station, but these measurements 

were made during a rapidly declining stage and the true loss probably 

was much greater. No determinations of seepage losses were made 

during flood stages when the discharge amounted to several hundred 

second-feet, but at such times the loss must be heavy, as the water 

spreads over a wide expanse of gravel.

CHERRY CANYON

Cherry Canyon drains about 70 square miles of mountainous land, 

as compared with about 54 miles drained by Madera Canyon, and the 

two drainage areas are similar in ruggedness and altitude. A staff 

gage was installed on the stream about half a mile below the mouth 

of the canyon, on August 1, 1932, and was read daily until November 

13 of that year and again from August 30 to September 9, 1933. In 

the intervening period, the gage was read weekly. From this fragmentary record of gage heights, supplemented by miscellaneous 

measurements with a current meter, the conclusion is reached that 

the discharge of Cherry Canyon from August 1,1932, to September 30, 

1933, was materially greater than the discharge of Madera Canyon 

during corresponding periods. The seepage studies disclosed that the 

stream disappears within a relatively short stretch below the gaging 

station during low and moderate stages; for example, discharges of 13.5 

second-feet on September 15, 1932, and 31.2 second-feet on October 

7, 1932, were entirely lost within 2% miles of the gage. (See table, 

p. 138.)

BIG AGUJA CANYON

.Many measurements were made in 1932 and 1933 of the discharge 

of Big Aguja Canyon at or near the dam of the Texas & Pacific Railway; the largest discharge, computed at more than 4,000 second-feet, 

occurred September 7, 1932. (See tables, pp. 126, 142.)

A ftaff gage was installed in the canyon July 27, 1932, and read 

intermittently until September 1, 1933. The drainage area above the 

gage is about 47 square miles, as compared with 54 square miles above 

the gaging station in Madera Canyon. The two areas apparently 

are similar topographically. The records indicate that the discharge 

of Big Aguja canyon was greater than the discharge from Madera 

Canyon in the early part of September 1932 and somewhat less in 

the later part of that month, but the record in Big Aguja Canyon is too 

fragmentary and too short to justify any conclusions as to whether the 

run-off over a long period of time is comparable to that in Madera 

Canyon.
118 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

Seepage surveys were made on September 1, 3, and 13 and October 

6, 1932 (see table, p. 142) to determine losses between the gaging station and Toyah Creek, 9.6 miles below the gage. On September 1 

the entire flow, amounting to 18.7 second-feet, was lost before Toyah 

Creek was reached. Similarly, on September 13, the entire flow of 

8.6 second-feet was lost. On October 6, the loss was 18.4 second-feet, 

including the discharge at the station and the inflow from tributaries 

below. On September 3, only 26.6 second-feet was lost from a discharge of 45.4 second-feet, but the measurements 011 that date were 

taken on a rapidly declining stage and the actual loss probably was 

greater.

LITTLE AQUJA CANYON

Many measurements of the discharge of Little Aguja Canyon and 

of its South Fork were made in 1932 and 1933 (see table, p. 125), and 

the maximum discharge from the main canyon was estimated as 

2,640 second-feet on August 29, 1932. The stage of the stream was 

recorded daily for a few weeks in the later part of the summer of 1932 

at a temporary staff gage, set at a point in the canyon above which 

approximately 31 square miles is drained. From the gage-height 

record and a few current-meter measurments, it is estimated that the 

discharge of the canyon during July and August was about 8,000 

acre-feet, or a little more than half the discharge of Madera Canyon.

Seepage surveys were made on this stream August 17, September 

1,13, 14, and 20, and October 6, 1932. In these surveys, it was found 

that the entire discharge of the stream, ranging from 1.3 to 26.8 

second-feet, was lost before Toyah Creek was reached (see table, p. 125).

DISCHARGE OF GROUND WATER

The table below, compiled from the gaging records, gives the approximate mean discharge of Phantom Lake, San Solomon, Giffin, West 

Sandia, and East Sandia Springs for the period of record, October 1931 

to September 1933.

Mean discharge of Phantom Lake, San Solomon, Giffin, West Sandia, and East 

Sandia Springs, in second-feet

[For records of daily discharge see pp. 127-138]

Phantom Lake... ________ . ______ . ________ ______ . ...

Giffin

West Sandia-----..... __ ...-.-...........................-.....-. .- .

Total . - _ _-. .._... . 

1

13

33

4.7

1.1

1 1.1

63

2

35

60

5.6

1.7

1.3

104

3

18

40

5.0

1.3

1.2

65

1. October 1931; December 1931 to August 1932.

2. September to December 1932.

3. January 1933.
 BALMORHE'A AREA, TEXAS . 119

The total discharge of the five springs amounted to 53 second-feet, 

or about 23,800 gallons a minute, in the first period; 104 second-feet, 

or about 46,700 gallons a minute, in the second period; and 65 secondfeet, or about 29,300 gallons a minute in the third. In the first period 

the rainfall at Balmorhea was materially above the average, due to a 

fall of 2.25 inches in December 1931 and 3.79 inches in February 1932. 

In the second period the rainfall was abnormally high, amounting in 

the month of September alone to 11.64 inches, or about 85 percent of 

the average annual rainfall. In the third period, the rainfall was 

about 40 percent below the average. The total discharge during the 

three periods, aggregating almost 2 years, was at the average rate of 

about 48,000 acre-feet a year.

The records of the combined discharge of the Saragosa and Toyah 

Creek Springs are too few to warrant making an estimate of their 

mean discharge during the same periods, but the available measurements indicate that it may have been about 9 to 10 second-feet, or at 

the rate of 6,500 to 7,000 acre-feet a year. Thus the flow of all the 

springs from the fall of 1931 to the fall of 1933 probably averaged about 

54,000 to 55,000 acre-feet a year.

As approximately 25,000 acre-feet of the discharge occurred in the 

4 months September to December 1932, following abnormally heavy 

rains, the mean discharge of the springs during the period of record, 

must have been materially greater than their long-time average 

discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Phantom Lake, San Solomon, and Giffin Springs are fed from an 

extensive system of solution channels in Lower Cretaceous limestone, 

that constitute in the aggregate a very large reservoir. The Lower 

Cretaceous rocks are underlain by rocks of Permian age, which in 

other parts of the basin of Toyah Creek yield water that is rather 

highly mineralized. Water enters the Lower Cretaceous limestone 

along the front of the Davis Mountains, and probably all or nearly 

all of that water is discharged by the springs. The limestone is 

close to the surface along the northeast edge of a syncline at Phantom 

Lake Spring. A few hundred feet east of the spring relatively impermeable strata of Upper Cretaceous age are dropped down against 

the limestone on the northeast side of a fault, thereby creating a 

barrier which causes the water to rise to the surface in the spring. 

The throw of this fault is not great, and a large part of the underground 

water escapes over the crest of the barrier and continues underground 

toward San Solomon and Giffin Springs. In the vicinity of San 

Solomon Spring the limestone again comes nearly to the surface, and a 

short distance east of the spring the Upper Cretaceous strata crop out
120 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

in such a way that it seems necessary to assume that here, also, they are 

dropped down against the limestone on the northeast side of a fault. 

This fault presumably is of considerably greater throw than the one 

immediately below Phantom Lake Spring. It may create a practically complete barrier to the movement of the water in the limestone 

and bring all or nearly all of the flow to the surface in San Solomon 

and Giffin Springs.

Saragosa, West Sandia, East Sandia, and Toyah Creek Springs have 

their source in the relatively thin surficial gravel. In the valley between Toyah vale and the Brogada Hills the maximum depth of the 

gravel is not more than 60 feet, and in most places it is less than 40 

feet. Between the Brogada Hills and Saragosa the gravel and associated sand, silt, and clay are several hundred feet thick; there the 

deposits are not very permeable and the water table is low.

A well put down in the vicinity of Phantom Lake or San Solomon 

Springs above the faults might tap the limestone reservoir at shallow 

depth, but it would be practically certain to decrease the flow of the 

springs. Between the San Solomon Spring-Gifnn Springs fault and 

the Brogada Hills the water-bearing horizon in the Lower Cretaceous 

limestone is probably from 500 to 1,000 feet beneath the surface, 

perhaps between 700 and 800 feet. If the fault barrier just below the 

springs is very tight, the withdrawal of water from the limestone in 

this stretch by means of a well would not affect the flow of the springs. 

If the barrier is not complete, a well in that area would tend to decrease 

the flow of the springs. In this connection, the following possibility 

should be kept in mind: If the fault below the springs offers an effective 

barrier to the down-valley movement of the water underground, solution channeling may not have developed extensively in the limestone 

below the barrier because of lack of circulation. If the limestone between San Solomon Spring and the Brogada Hills is relatively tight 

the water in it may be comparatively highly mineralized.

Before a well is put down in this part of the valley the San Solomon 

and Gifnn Springs should be equipped with automatic measuring 

devices and an accurate continuous record kept of their flow. A similar record should be kept while the well is being operated to determine 

whether its operation affects the springs.

Shallow wells in the gravel in parts of the Balmorhea district may 

yield a few second-feet of water, but such wells, if improperly located 

or pumped too heavily, may deplete the flow of Toyah Creek, Saragosa, 

or Sandia Springs. The flow of these springs is effectively utilized 

only during the growing season, and in view of this and of the urgent 

need for an additional supply of water during the relatively short 

critical period of the growing season, an attempt to develop shallow
BALMOEHE'A AREA, TEXAS' 121

ground water would appear to be justified. If the wells were put down 

near the upper end of the district, 3 to 4 miles southwest of Balmorhea, 

it is possible that the withdrawal of water from them would not 

seriously affect the flow of the springs until after the critical period of 

the growing season. Then during the succeeding months the normal 

recharge to the shallow ground-water reservoir could be expected to 

replenish the supply stored in the gravel. Some water might also be 

obtained by means of shallow wells in the moist area subject to seepage 

from the Balmorhea irrigation reservoir, between the reservoir and 

Balmorhea. If wells are sunk in the gravel and pumped for irrigation, 

especially in the district near Balmorhea, the development should 

proceed cautiously, and in the meantime continuous accurate records 

should be kept of the flow of Saragosa, Sandia, and Toyah Creek 

Springs, and of the position of the water table.

In the district between the Brogada Hills and Saragosa the limestone 

is at greater depth, perhaps 1,000 to 1,200 feet. It is probable that 

any water that occurs in the limestone in that area is shut off from the 

reservoir that supplies the large springs at Balmorhea, and that it 

has its source partly in separate areas of intake and partly in the overflow that passes from those springs. A deep well in this district, therefore, would not be expected to interfere with the springs.

A deep well in the vicinity of Balmorhea, perhaps at 1,200 to 1,300 

feet, would probably reach a water-bearing horizon in the basal Lower 

Cretace6us sands or in the Permian rocks. The quality of the water 

that might be encountered in these rocks, however, is not known.

RECORDS OF DISCHARGE AND SEEPAGE

Records of the discharge of the streams and springs and of seepage 

gains and losses from the streams and canals of the Balmorhea district, 

taken from Water-Supply Paper 748,3 are given in the pages following.

Miscellaneous measurements of the discharge, in second-feet, of San Solomon, Giffin, 

Saragosa, and Toyah Creek Springs near Balmorhea, Tex.

Date

1923, Apr. 26.__.__

1924, June3-______

Sept. 6_______

Sept. 7-______

San 

Solomon 

Spring

34.7

37.0

26.5

35.0

32.3

33.4

34.4

35.4

Qiffin 

Springs

5.4

3.9

Saragosa 

and Toyall Creek 

_ Springs

4.8

5.9

Date

1935, Feb. 6_ ______

July 2 ____

1936, Apr. 15_ _ _ _ _

San 

Solomon 

Spring

38.2

36.3

34.3

30.4

32.8

30.4

Giffin 

Springs

2.9

0 A

Saragosa 

and Toyall Creek 

Springs

3 Surface-water supply of the United States, 1933, part 8, Western Gulf of Mexico basins; U. S. Geol. 

Survey Water-Supply Paper 748, 180 pp., 1935.
122 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940 

Discharge, in second-feet, of creek in Madera Canyon near Toyahvale, Tex., 19S%-S$

Day Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. June July Aug. Sept.

1932-33

16.

17.

18.

19. 

20-

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26-

27-. 

28_. 

29_ 

30- 

31.

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

27

321

810

94

21

34

85

38

42

87

659

351

138

138

54

30

14

14

14

14

9.0

5.1

6.1 

5.1 

9.0 

9.0 

9.0

9.0

9.0

134

2,190

2,040

530

141

108

51

40

40

30

22

16

11

16

16

11

7.5 

7.5

16

7.5 

7.5 

7.5 

7.5

7.5 

7.5 

7.5 

7.5 

7.5

7.5 

7.5 

4.4 

4.4 

4.4 

4.4

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1 

2.1

2.1 

2.1

1.4

1.4

1.2

1.1 

1.1 

1.1 

.9 

.7

.7

.8

2.3

2.1

1.8

1.6 

1.3 

1.3 

1.2 

1.6 

1.3

1.1 0.2 

.2 

.2 

.2 

.2

.2 

.2 

.2 

.2 

.2

.2 

.2 

.2 

.2 

.2

.2 

.2 

.2 

.2 

.2

.2 

.2 

.1 

.1 

.3

.4 

.5 

.5

0.5

.5 

.4 

.4 

.4

.4 

.3 

.3 

.3 

.3

.2 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1 

.1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

17

5.9

5.8

3.5 

2.6 

2.0 

.7 

.2

.1 

.1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

5.3

24

11

124

78

42

213

60

102

119

44

24

19

13 

9.1 

7.2 

6.»

103

104

67

58

70

39

27

19

15

81

139

28

18

11

7.9

5.6

4.4 

3.5 

3.0 

2.6 

2.1

Month Maximum Minimum Mean Run-off in 

acre-feet

July 28-31-. 

August . 

September.

1932

0

810 

2', 190

0

0

5.1

0

40.4

206

0

2,480

12,300

The period. 14,800

October....

November. 

December.. 

January. . 

February.. 

March.....

June..__. 

July.......

August. . 

September.

1932-33

530 4.4

1.1

.5

.5

17

3.5

213

139

.2

.1

0

0

0

0

2.1

37.6

1.S6

1.35

.47

.22

.16

.96

.30

18.0

38.3

2,310

93

83

29

12

9.8

67

18

1,110

2,280

The year. 630 6,000

NOTE. No flow during April and May 1933.
Discharge measurements in Madera Canyon to determine losses by seepage between a point 13.S 

> vale, Tex., 19S2-8S

Date

1988 

Sept. 1

1 

2 

2 

2 

2 

3 

3 

3 

3 

12 

12 

12 

12 

15 

15 

15 

21 

21 

21 

21 

21 

24 

24 

24 

24 

24 

Oct. 6 

6 

6 

6 

6

193S 

Aug. 27 

27 

27

Stream

Madera Canyon __________________

__ do. _ _________ . ....................

 - do........ ................... ................ .

.. do............... .............................

.....do............................................

 ..do............................................

.....do............................................

.....do................... . ......................

 ..do.. ....................... .............

- .do...........................................

.....do-.. ......................................

.....do __._._.. .... _.. ._.

.....do ... _ _

.....do ..........-..,.........................

.....do................... . ............. ........

.....do....... ............ ........................

 do......... ...................................

 .do............................................

 do..... .......................................

.....do . ...__.__ ...._......

 ..do............................................

. .do............................................

Side canyon, ____________________

Madera Canyon. ______ . . ..... . ......

do

. .do .......................................

 -do.. ...... . _ ___. ___

. .do ____ . _______________ ...-.-.

 do..... .......................................

 ..do............... .......... ...................

.....do . .

 do . . .. ..... ... .

Location

Gage

Mouth _ . __ . __ ___ . _______ .. __ .T 

1.5 miles below gage .......................................
Discharge measurements of Toyah Creek to determine losses by seepage between a point 1.2 mile

Tex., 1932-33

Date

19St 

Nov. 6 

6 

6 

fi 

6 

6

1933 

Jan. 23 

23 

23 

23 

23 

Mar. 14 

14 

14 

14 

14 

14 

14 

14 

May 16 

,16 

Ifi 

16 

16 

16 

16 

July 11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

11

Stream or diversion

'Pm-ah r^rftpb"

_ _do_. ... ... 

 do .

 do. 

do

 do. . .. ..

.. do 

do ... .

 .do. 

do

Location

do

fr
Discharge measurements in Little Aguja Canyon to determine losses by seepage between a poin

Toyahvale, Tex., 1932

Date

Aug. 17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

17 

Sept. 1 

1 

1 

13 

13 

13 

13 

14 

14 

20 

20 

20 

20 

20 

20 

Oct. 6 

6 

6 

6 

6

Stream

do

 .-do........- . ... . 

do

do

 ..do- . .

. do . . _

do

 do 

 do . _. 

do

- do 

... do .... ... .-

 do . ...I 

-.-do ......... ..-........ ...... ..... ..

... -do ... 

. do 

 do . ..

 do ... 

 do _. .

do

. -do.. __

-..-do. . .

"^^ct*W6ither SDrincrs

-.-do-_-._,--- ........ . -.. .............

Location

fiOfeet below mouth of South Fork. __ ___ _ _ ____ . _

600 feet below white bluff--.-.. __ .___ ___ .... __

200 feet below mouth of South Fork.- __ .__ _ _____

4,000 feet above mouth..-.- __ ... __ . _ . _ _ . ....
Discharge measurements in Big Aguja Canyon to determine losses by seepage between a point 

Toyahvale, Tex., 1932

Date

Sept. 1 

1 

1 

1 

3 

3 

3 

3 

13 

13 

13 

13 

13 

Oct. 6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6 

6

Stream

.-...do . - __ ------ _______ .

do

 do 

 ..do 

.. do .. 

Location

 -do.- __ 

Temporary staff gage ..... _ ..-. __ ... .. ________

-...do . ... 

... -do_. . _ 

Mouth _ ....... ________ . __ ___________

3 miles above mouth ______________________

Mouth. ________ . __________________ . _ 
BALMOEHEA AREA, TEXAS' 127 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Phantom Lake Spring near Toyahvale, Tex., 1931-33

Day

1931-32

1.. .............. .... .. ..

2............................

3- .. ...................

6....... ...................

6.............................

7.............................

S... ..........................

9.............................

W-... ............... ... .....

11.. ...........................

12............................

13- .........................

14..................

16. ... ..............

16. ....... ..... ..........

17. 

18. ... . ...............

19. .... .............

20 ......... _ .............

21............................

22. ________ .....

23 ........ ...........

24....... _ .................

26. . ..

26--................ .-......

27.- __

28-. . _ __

29...... ....................

30. 

31- .

Day

1932-33 

1 

2

3 - . ..

4 ...........

5 ...........

6 ........ . ..

7 ... ...... ..

8 .....

9 ..... -

10 

11 

12 . 

13 . 

14 ....... ....

16 

16 ...........

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 ..........

22 ...... .

23 

24 . .........

25 . 

26 

27 ..........

28 ...... 

29 

30 

31 . 

Oct.

104 

114 

114 

109 

102

88 

82 

75 

73 

70

67 

64 

63 

61 

60

57 

55 

53 

51 

49

46 

44 

43 

42 

39

38 

37 

35 

33 

32 

31

Nov.

31 

30 

30 

29

28

28 

27 

26 

26 

26

25 

25 

25 

24 

24

24 

24 

23 

23 

23

23 

23 

23 

23 

23

22 

22 

22 

21 

21

Dec.

213

»13

a 13 

»13 

13

Dec.

21 

21 

21 

21

21

21 

21 

21 

21 

20

20 

20 

20 

20 

20

19 

19 

19 

19 

19

19 

19 

19 

19 

19

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

18

Jan.

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

14 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

Jan.

18 

18 

18 

18 

18

18 

18 

18 

18 

18

18 

18 

18 

18 

18

18 

18 

18 

18 

18

18 

18 

18 

18 

18

18 

18 

17 

17 

17 

17

Feb.

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

15 

20 

19 

22

24 

25 

24 

22

Feb.

17 

17 

17 

17 

17

17 

17 

17 

17 

17

17 

17 

17 

17 

17

17 

17 

17 

17 

17

17 

17 

17 

17 

17

16 

16 

16

Mar.

20 

19 

17 

16 

16

18 

18 

20 

21 

22

22 

22 

22 

21 

20

20 

19 

19 

18

217

217 

217 

217 

216 

216

«16 

«16 

16 

16 

16 

16

Mar.

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

Apr.

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

15 

14 

14 

14 

14

14

214

. U4

Apr.

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

May

114 

US

May

16 

16 

17 

17 

17

17

217

217 

817

217

17 

17 

17 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

16 

16

16 

16 

16 

15 

15 

15

June

I U3

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

12 

12 

12 

12 

12

June

15 

16

216

»16

216

216 

216

16 

16 

16

16 

15 

15 

15 

15

15 

15 

15 

14 

14

14 

15 

15 

15 

15

15 

15

215 

215

a 15

July

12 

12 

13 

13 

13

12 

12 

»13 

13 

13

12 

12 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

»13 

13 

13

July

*15

215

15 

15 

15

15

215 

215 

215

15

14 

14 

14 

14 

14

14 

14 

14 

14 

14

14 

14 

14 

14 

14

14 

14 

14 

14 

14 

»14

Aug.

13 

12 

12 

12 

12

12 

12 

12 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

13 

13 

13 

13 

13

12 

12 

12 

12 

12

12 

12 

12 

13 

14 

17

Aug.

14 

14 

14 

14 

14

14 

14 

14 

14 

14

14 

14 

14

214

»14

214 

14 

14 

14 

14

14 

14 

14 

14 

314

214

a 14 

14 

16

[ «24

Sept.

a 18 

a 18 

18 

a 19 

123

»26 

34 

42 

45 

45

46 

45 

42 

40 

37

35 

34 

33 

»*32 

31

30 

29 

»26 

26 

26

25 

28 

34 

54 

89

Sept.

I 142

47 

46

46 

44 

43 

43 

42

42 

43 

43

136

»28

2 28 

228 

27 

26 

26

24 

22 

21 

21 

21

i Estimated. Partly estimated.
128 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

Discharge, in second-feet, of Phantom Lake Spring near Toyahvale, Tex., 1931-33 

Continued

Day Oct. Nov. Dec. Day Oct.

1933 1933 

1... 20 16 ) 11-. . 17

2-..---.-- 20 16 12... ______ 17

4_. _______ 19 16 14__. ______ 17

5-_-_-._-_ 19 16 15_________ 17

i 16 

6... --- 19 16 16-. 17

7. .. 19 16 17..-- - 17

9-- 18 16 19____ _ 17

10.-. 17 16 , 20___ ______ 16

Month

1931-32 

De<-kmber 21-31... _ _____ ._ ___ _____ .. _

April . 

July .... ._. 

Month

1932-33

July.. . -. . . 

1933

Nov. Dec

16 1

15

15

15

16

i 1 

16

16

16

16

16 ,

Maximum

14

25

22

13

13

17

89

Maximum

114

31

21

18

17

16

16

17

16

15

114

20

Day

1933 

21... 

22... 

23... 

24.- 

25___ 

5 

26-. 

27... 

28. 

19___.__

30... 

31... 

Minimum

13

13

16

12

12

12

18

Minimum

31

21

18

17

16

16

16

15

14

14

14

21

14

16

Oct.

16

16

16 \

16

16

16

16

16

16

16 , 16 .

Mean

13.0

13.0

15.3

18.3

14.4

13.5

12.8

12.8

12.7

34.3

Mean

62.3

24.8

19.7

17.9

16.9

16.0

16.0

16.3

15.2

14.3

14.7

35.1

22.5

17.2

15.9

16.0

Nov. Dec.

16 i 16

16 16

16

16

1 16 16

16

16

16

16

--_.. 16

Run-off in 

acre-feet

284

799

880

1,130

857

830

762

787

7S1

2,040

9,150

Run-off in 

acre-feet

3,830

1,480

1,210

1,100

939

984

952

1,000

904

879

904

2,090

16,300

1,060

946

984

2,990

Estimated.
BALMOBHEA AREA, TEXAS 129 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Giffin Springs at Toyahvale, Tex., 1931-88

Day

1931-32 

1 . 

2.... .... . .

3 . ......... .

4 

5 ...........

6......... .

7 ...........

8 .... .......

9-. ---

10... ...........

11.. __ -., ....

12 ...........

13 ...........

14- .. ...

15 __ .- _ -----

16-.. -- . ..

17- __ - _ .....

18 . .

19... ......

20 ...........

21 ... . ..-

22 ...........

23 ...........

24 ...........

25. ..........

26 ...........

27 .

28_ - -

29 

30 ...........

31 . ..

Day

1932-33 

I-.........*..

2 ..........

3_ ______

4... ........ __

5_ .....-

6_ ______

7 ...... __

8 . .....

9 .... . -

10... ...........

11 

12...... 

13...... 

14 

15 .....

16 

17...... ..

18 .._._

19 ..........

20__._ . _

21 ..

22........ ..

23......... ..

24 _ .

25.............

26- . ........ .

27... ...

28

29- ... ..

30- . .

31- ----- ....

Oct.

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.6

4.6

4.5

Oct.

> 6. 1

Nov.

4.3

4.2

4.3

4.1

4.1

14.1

4.1

'4.1

14.1

14.1

13.9

13.9

3.9

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.8

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.7

Nov.

5.9

Dec.

13.7

13.7

3.7

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

13.6

i 3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

Dec.

> 5.6

Jan.

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

3.6

4 1

4.2

4.3

4.3

4.3

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

Jan.

5.3

4.9

Feb.

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.5

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

Feb.

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

d Q

4.9

4 9

4.9

4 9

\ 5.0

Mar.

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

14.6

14.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.7

4.7

Mar.

\ 5.0

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

5.1

Apr.

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

Apr.

5.1

5.1

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

4 9

4.9

4 9

May

4.7

4.7

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4. .6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

May

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

June

4.6

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

}. 

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

June

i5.0

i 5.0

15.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

5.0

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4 9

4.9

4 9

4.9

4 9

A. Q

4.9

July

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

Ii4.6

July

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

i 4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.6

4.3

4.3

4.3

4.6

4.9

4.9

4.9

Aug.

14.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4,6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

14.7

14.7

4.7

Aug.

4.9

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4 7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.9

Sept.

14.7

4.7

4.7

'4.8

14.9

|i5.2

15.4

>15.3

Sept.

15.3

15.4

i Estimated, partly estimated, or interpolated.
130 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UFITED STATES, 1940 

Discharge, in second-feet, of Giffin Springs at Toyahvale, Tex., 1981-83 Continued

Month

1931-32 

October 25-31-. - . .

November...- _ _ __ __ _ - __ _ .. _ ...

February _ _____________________ ...

April----..----------.-.--......-.....................

May. ___________ . ______ . ______ ...

JUQ6- __________________________ . _________ ...

July... ....... 

September. __ _____ . ______ . ______ ...

The period. _. ___ . ______ . ______ ...

1932-33 

October. ______ ____ . ______ . ............

January ______________________ __ ________

April.--.. ____________________ ___ ...

July.... ........ .......................................

September 1-2 . ________ . __________ .

The period-. _ . __ _ __ ___ - __ ....

Maximum

4.7

4.3

3.7

4.5

4.6

4.7

4.7

4.7

4.7

S.I

5.0

5.0

4.9

5.4

Minimum

4.5

3.7

3.6

3.6

4.5

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.6

4.9

4.9

4.9

4.3

5.3

Mean

4.64

3.89

3.61

3.88

4.55

4.61

4.70

4.61

4.65

4.64

4.64

5.06

6.10

5.90

5.60

5.29

4.94

5.07

5.00

4.94

4.94

4.81

4.70

5.35

Run-on' in 

acre- feet

64

231

22?

239

262

283

280

283

277

285

285.

301

3,010

375

351

344

325

274

312

298

304

294

296

289

21

3,480

Discharge, in second-feet, of San Solomon Spring at Toyahvale, Tex., 1931-38

Day

1931-32 

1 ._

2. ... ... ... .

3.............

4..... ......

5_-.. .--.

6 ..... ......

7 ... .......

8-.. .......

9 .. ... ...

10.... ..........

11 . ....... ..

12.......... 

13.... .......

14.............

15... ...........

16.... .....

17..............

18 . .....

19 

20 .........

21.. -

22 

23 .... ......

24 

25. 

26 ........

27 

28.... ......

29 .......

30 

31 .......

Oct.

>32

32

32

32

32

32

32

32

132

>32

32

32

32

32

32

31

131

>31

Nov.

>31

31

31

31

30

30

30

'30

'30

'30

'30

*38

138

138

1 J38

J37

Dec.

J37

1 *36

«35

J35

135

«35

J35

Jan.

135

J32

I

s 30

*30

30

30

30

30

30

Feb.

30

30

on

30

30

30

30

30

30

on

30

30°j)

on

30

30

30

on

°.n

30

30

on

30

31 39

11

36

36

36

Mar.

136

36

36

36

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

134

134

134

34

34

34

OA

33

OO

3311

33

33 133

1 OO

33

1 O.9

133

33

33

Apr.

OA

34

«M

34

34

134

133

33

33

33

132

1 19

132

132

132

1 19

i 32

1 °.9 132 131

131

131

131

31

11

32

32

19

32

32

May

132

132

1 OO

i 32

32

32

32

33

33

33

32

32

32

oo

32

32

32

32

32

00

32

19

32

32

v>

QO

32

QO

^9

32

32

June

132

132

19

32

32

32

33

33 134

134

'34

133

133

133

133

133

133

OQ

133

1 00

132

1 19

132

^9

1 9.9 133

oo

99

32

July

32

32

132

133

'33

133

133

33 133

33

33

33 133

132

132

133

133

133

133

133

133

133

33

"33

133

133

133

133

134

34

134

Aug.

134

J33

32

32

32

32

132

i 32

i 32

32

132

32

32

32

32

19

32

00

32

OO

33

11

'33

33

133

33

33

32

132

"37

40

Sept.

142

143

45

'44

148

i 49-

154

158

'60

62

63

64

64

165

165

'64

164

164

'65

'62

'57

'56

56

56

5&

55>

54

i 54

i 60

 i 68

' Partly estimated or interpolated. * Estimated.
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 131

Discharge, in second-feet, of San Solomon Spring at Toyahvale, Tex., 1931-38

Continued

Day

1932-33 

1 

2. -

3 

4 -.. 

6 

7 .... 

8 ... . 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 -

14 

15 

16. 

17 

18 

19 

20. 

21 .

22 

23 

24 -

25. 

26 . 

27 

28 

29 -

30 

31 

Day

1933 

1.. 

2... 

3-. 

4.- 

5.. 

6- 

7.. . ......

8.. .

9.. ...... .

10... 

Oc

2

Oct.

66

168

169

170

70

170

171

171

171

170

170

170

170

170

70

70

70

70

69

69

69

68

68

68

68

68

67

67

67

66

66

t. No

50

Nov.

66

66

66

65

165

64

64

64

64

64

64

64

64

64

64

63

63

62

62

62

161

60

60

59

59

58

58

57

57

56

v. De

14 i

13 i

13

13 i

12

12

12

12

12

12

Dec.

56

55

55

54

54

54

53

53

53

52

52

52

52

52

52

51

50

49

48

47

47

47

46

46

146

146

146

146

146

146

146

c.

39 11

39 12

40 13

40 14

40 15

10 16

11 17

11 18

41 19

11 20

Jan.

146

146

145

145

145

U4

144

144

143

143

U3

143

143

143

142

142

142

U2

142

142

141

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

Day

1933

Feb.

41

41

41

41

4fl

140

40

40

40

4ft

40

4ft

40

40

40

40

40

40

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

40

Oct.

. t »50

46

46

46

- 146

. 146

46

46

Mar.

40

40

40

40

40

40

39

39

39

39

38

38

38

38

38

38

38

38

38

38

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

'37

136

136

136

Nov.

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

41

40

40

Apr.

36

36

36

36

36

136

36

36

136

136

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

36

136

136

36

36

136

36

36

36

36

36

Dec.

41

41

41

41

41

»40

May

136

i 36

136

136

«36

36

36

36

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

36

36

36

36

36

36

136

136

E

1 

21..

22..

23

24..

25-

26

27..

28..

29..

30..

31..

June

> *36

136

35

34

34

34 134

134

135

135

135

135

135

134

134

>ay

933

July

134

34 »34

*3o

»38

38

38

38

38

' 3737

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

37

137

138

138

138

137

37

*36

»35

34

34

Oct.

46

46

46

46

45

45

45

45

44

44

44

Aug.

134

34

35

34

34

34

34

34

34

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

135

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

35

40

41

44

Nov.

40

40

40

40

40

40

40

40

39

39

Sept.

48

51

54

55

55

55

55

55

55

155

56

56

56

56

56

56

56

55

55

55

55

56

56

55

55

155

I

»54

Dec.

»40

40

40

40

39

139

39

39

39

39

38

1 Partly estimated or interpolated. 2 Estimated.
132 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

Discharge, in second-feet, of San Solomon Spring at Toyahvale, Tex., 1981 88 

Continued

Month

1931-32

July_____-. ................ ..............^... .......

1932-33

December

July .- --- -- - - - - 

The year-- _ ___ -.. _ . __ _ __ ------ _ .--

1933

Maximum

32

36

36

34

33

34

34

40

66

71

66

56

46

41

40

36

37

38

44

71

44

41

Minimum

31

30

33

31

32

32

32

32

42

66

56

46

41

40

36

36

36

34

34

34

48

34

44

39

38

Mean

31.8

35.0

36.2

33.3

30.9

34.1

32.3

32.1

32.5

32.9

32.7

57.0

68.9

62.2

50.1

42.6

40.5

38.1

36.0

36.5

35.3

36.6

35.4

54.8

44.7

47.4

41.0

40.0

Run-off in 

acre-feet

1,140

2,080

2,230

2,050

1,780

2,100

1,920

1,970

1,930

2,020

2,010

3,390

24, 600

4,240

3,700

3,080

2,620

2,250

2,340

2,140

2,240

2,100

2,250

2,180

3,260

32,400

2,910

2,440

2,460

7,810
Discharge measurements of main canal of Reeves County Water Improvement District No. 1 to 

end, near Balm,orhea, Tex., 1931 and 1933

Date

1931 

Oct. 27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

28 

28 

28 

28 

28 

28 

28 

28 

28

1933 

Jan. 11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

11 

12 

12 

12 

Mar. 13 

13 

13 

13 

13

Stream or diversion

Walker take-out. ......... __ . ------

Highway ditch take-out_----.---___-.--

Siphon ditch take-out _ _ -

Gate leakage^. _--___ . .......

Main canal... _-.____ _ . ......

Main canal .. .... . ..... .... .....

North spill

Main canal. .......... . _ ......

Gate leakage. _ .. _ .................

West Sandia canal.... __ _ .. ___ _.

Main canal. ............ . .

Lateral diversion .... _ ........ _ .....

Main canal. . ..... . . _ ..

Gate leakage...... _ . . ...

Main canal.. _ . ..... . ..............

Siphon ditch. . ..... ------

Main canal.-- -------- ------ _ .

do

--- do ...

.. do. _ _-_-.-.-_._.________ .......

Gate leakage. - - ......... _ ... _ ....

Main canal

West Sandia canal..-. __._.__ .

Location

150 feet below Siphon ditch. ___- ...... _ . . __ .

500 feet below Giffin canal junction. _____ ... __ ..... ____ .

Totalof 2 leaks-... --.--______-__-----_-..._-...--...._...._____

Gage

Totalof Sleaks - _ -.__- - .........

50 feet above highway _ _ ................ _ _ - . ... ..

f
Discharge measurements of main canal of Reeves County Water Improvement District No. 1 to 

end, near Balmorhea, Tex., 1931 and 1933 Conti

Date

1933 

Mar. 13 

13 

13 

13 

13 

13 

14 

14 

14 

14

Stream or diversion

 do . . 

 do.- ... ............ ......

- do _ .. 

.....do........-.......... ...........

 -do... __________ _.--.

Location

 .do - . .-

400 feet above Highway Garage ______________ ........

f

Discharge measurements of laterals of Reeves County Water Improvement District No. 1 to determi

Date.

Oct. 27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

27 

28 

28 

Nov. 16 

16 

16 

16 

IS 

18

Stream or diversion

 do .. .. ......... .............. ......

.....do . .

 .do. - - . .. 

Location

 do . 

Weir ... ... .... .... .... ... .... ... .... ... ....... ... ... 

 do.... _ _.. 
Discharge measurements of reservoir outlet canal of Reeves County Water Improvement District 

release gate at reservoir and junction with main canal, near Balm

Date

19SH 

July 22 

22 

22 

26 

26 

26 

26 

26 

2fi 

Aug. 17 

17 

17

198S 

July 20 

20 

26 

26

Streamer diversion

do

do

 do __ -___ _ ._

.. do. ...... ... _ . .-. ...- .

 .. do..... . _ .._ .._ _._._ ._.

 . .do .-. __ _ _ . 

.....do . -_ _

.-___do-__ .. .. .__ ... ._.

do

-. do

.. do .... . . .. ... . ...

Location
136 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

Discharge, in second-feet, of West Sandia Spring at Balmorhea, Tex., 1931-SS

Day

1931-32 

1... ....... -

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 -- -

8 

9..... ........ -

10- 

11 

12 

13 

14 - 

15 ------

16 

17 

18 . 

19 

20 -

21 -

23 

24 ------

91

26 ------

97

28 

29 

30 

31 

Day

1932-33 

1.. --------

3. 

4... 

5. .--. -------

6.-- 

7- 

8-.. ----

9-. 

10-- 

11.- . -------

12 

13- 

14 

15-- 

16.. 

17 

18.. .

19. - 

20- 

21- 

23 

24 

25.. 

26. . 

27 - .

28..- 

29--- -

30

31--.- 

Oct. Nov.

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

Oct.

1 1. 0

[1 1.9

i 1.9

i 1.9

1.9

1.8

1.8

Dec.

'1.1

U.l

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

Nov.

1.8

1.8

1.8

1.8

1.8

1.8

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

i 1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

Jan.

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

.1

.1

i .1

i .1

i .1

.1

1.1

1.1

i 1.1

Dec.

1.7

1.7

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

'1.7

'1.7

i 1.7

Feb.

h.

1.1 1.1

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

i 1.2

U.3

U.3

'1.3

11.3

U.3

i 2 1.4

121.4

1.3

1.3

Jan.

11.7

11.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.5

1.5

1.5

i 1.5

1.6

1.7

1.7

1.8

1.8

1.7

Mar.

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.4

1.4

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

11.3

U.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

U.3

1.3

1.3

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.3

11.3

'1.3

11.3

Feb.

11.7

1 1.7

'1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

i 1.6

i 1.6

11.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

Apr.

1.3

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

11.2

' 1.2

'1.2

i 1.2

'1.2

'1.2

i 1.2

' U.3

' 2 1.3

21.3

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

Mar.

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.6

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.5

1.4

1.4

1.4

1.4

1.4

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

May

1.2

1.1

1.1

1. 1

1.1

1.0

1.0

1.0 1.0

il.O

}" >

11.2

>1.1

Apr.

U.3

il.3

U.3

i 1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

1.3

.3

.3

.3

.3

.3

1.3

1.3

i 1.3

1.3

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

June

il.l

U.l

U.I

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.1

May

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.3

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

U.2

July

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

U.l

U.l

U.l

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0 il.O

U.O

June

I U.2

U.2

U.2

U.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.2

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

Aug.

U.l

U.l

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

U.O

U.O

U.O

U.O

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

U.O

U.O

July

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

i 1.1

1.1

1.1

1. 1

U.l

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

U.l

U.l

U.l

Sept.

M.I

21.3

21.4

21.4

21.4

21.5

9 1 K

21.6

21.7

U.7

;

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

1.7

i 1.7

1.6

i 1.6

U.6

121.7

121.7

121.7

Aug.

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.0

U.O

U.l

U.l 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1

1.1 1.1 1.1

i Discharge estimated or partly estimated.

* May include some storm run-off or irrigation waste water.
BALMORHEA AKEA, TEXAS 137 

Discharge, in second-feet, of West Sandia Spring at Balmorhea, Tex., 1931-33 Con.

Month

1931-32 

November 17-30 _ _ . ____ .... _________

July ... ... .. -.-.- .... .-_._ -.-.-.._-_-.-...

The period.. __ ___ . ______ . _____

1932-33 

October ___ .. ____________________ ..

December __ . ______ . ______ . ______ ..

January. ___ . ______ . ______ ... ...........

June.... ..... _____ . ______ _ ______ _ .

July . - -. .- ..-. ....._ _

Theoeriod ____ ______ . ____ . .....

Maximum

1.1

1.2

1.1

1.4

1.4

1.3

1.1

1.1

1.7

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.3

1. 1

1.1

Minimum

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.2

1.2

1.0

1.0

1.1

1.7

1.6

1.3

1.2

1.1

1.0

Mean

1.10

1.13

1.10

1.21

1.29

1.21

1.11

1.12

1.06

1.03

1.61

1.89

1.72

1.68

1.66

1.63

1.47

1.28

1.20

1.15

1.10

1.06

Run-off in 

acre-feet

31

69

68

70

79

72

68

67

65

63

96

748

116

102

103

102

91

90

76

74

68

68

59

949

Discharge measurements of West Sandia Creek to determine losses by seepage between 

a point 4>000 feet above gage and gage 0.8 mile east of Balmorhea, Tex., Oct. 17, 

1932

Stream

West Sandia Creek....

Do . .....

Canal waste way _...... 

West Sandia Creek ....

Location

300 feet above West Sandia Spring. . . . 

80 feet below West Sandia Spring-. ... 

500 feet below West Sandia Spring....

Distance 

above 

gage 

(feet)

4,000 

3,620 

3 200 

0

Discharge (second-feet)

Main 

stream

0.2 

.6

2.2

Tributary

0.1

Gain or 

loss in 

section

+0.4

+1.5

Total 

gain or 

loss

+0.4

+1.9
138 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940 

Discharge, in second-feet, of East Sandia Spring at Balmorhea, Tex., 1981-88

Month

1931-32 

November 23-30 ______ . ______________ ...

April. ____________ . ______ . ............

July... .. ....... .....................................

August ___ . _____________ . ...............

The period _____________________

1932-33 

October __________________________

December ___ _____________________

January ____________________ . .........

April ____________________ . _ . .........

May _ . ___ .. __ . _____ . ______ . .........

June _______________ _ . ___ . .........

July....................................................

August __________________________

September 1-23 __ .... ____ . __ ... __ ..... .....

Maximum

1.1

1.1

1.1

1.2

1.3

1.4

1.0

1.1

Minimum

1.1

1.0

1.1

1.1

.9

1.0

1.2

1.2

1.0

.9

Mean

1.10

1.06

1.10

1.22

1.27

1.20

1.20

1.05

1.07

1.04

1.35

1.35

1.23

1.21

1.28

1.34

1.32

1.30

1.16

1.09

1.00

.92

1.10

Run-off in 

acre-feet

17

65

68

70

78

71

7462V

66

64

80

715

'83

73

74

79

74

81

77

71

65

61

57

50

845

Discharge measurement? of Cherry Canyon to determine losses by seepage between a 

point 1.5 miles above and a point 2.6 miles below gage near Toyahvale, Tex., 1932

Date

Sept. 15 

15 

21 

21 

Oct. 7 

7

Location

500 feet above Kingston line fence. _____ . .......

..-.-do...... _ _. _ . __________ . ..........

2.5 miles below gage ___ ..... ______ . .......

Distance 

from initial point 

(miles)

0 

2.0 

-1.5 

0 

0 

2.5

Discharge (second-feet)

Main 

stream

13.5 

0 

1.2 

5.0 

31.2 

0

Gain or 

loss in 

section

-13.5

+3.8

-31.2

Total 

gain or 

loss

-13.5

+3.8

 31.2

NOTE. Gage is JO miles above United States Highway 290 crossing.
Discharge measurements of Limpia Creek to determine losses by seepage between o point 12.3 miles a

Tex., 1982-88

Date

198% 

Oct. 8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

18 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

19 

Nov. 1 

1 

1

Stream or diversion

do

Limpia Creek _ ._

. .do. -... ..--...... ..

 do..... .... 

.. do .. . .. 

..... do.... _..__..._ ...

 - do ........ ... ...... .

 ..do ....... . .__ - 

 ..do... .. ..

..... do .... .._.. 

 do . ._.__ . .....

do . 

do

do

do

 do.... ......... _.. ___ _ 

 ..do . __ __ .

Location

. .do -. -. . _.. . _ ..- 

3.7 miles above old Fort Davis lane ______________

do .... .

...-do...-.--.............................. ..................

4.2 miles below old Fort Davis lane _ . ______________

10.2 miles below old Fort Davis lane ________________

Mouth _

Lower end of Wild Rose Canyon _________________

5.9 miles below old Limpia nost office ___________ .. .... .

Di

from 

p

(m
140 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

O

o

IS

fis

CON

rtcd 

+ 1

!- 

++ l 1 1 1

i-H * t~ OS CO -

t- I t- 

+1 1 '+1

CO O 

00-*

1 1

S2S

QrO -O -O -O -O -O 73 -O

 g to

"

I l£l

a .a>._, s
BALMORHEA AREA, TEXAS 141

Miscellaneous discharge measurements near Balmorhea, Tex., during the years ending 

Sept. 30, 1932, and Sept. 30, 1933

Date

1931 

Oct. 26

1932 

July 18

Sept. 2

2

7

29

1938 

Aug. 8

July 10

1981 

Oct. 26

1932

July 18

29

Aug. 16

17

29

Dec. 16

1933 

Jan. 26

Mar. 9

Apr. 10

July 10

May 18 

July 10

IQtt® liJOZ

Sept. 

mi

Oct. 26

1932 

Aug. 16

17

Sept. 1

Dec. 16

1933 

Jan. 26

Mar. 9

Apr. 10

May IS

July 10

Mar. 9

9

Stream

 do -

Toyah Creek _ ._--

 . -do..... ........ ..

- . do... ... .... .....

-....do........ .

 ..do . 

- do. . -

 do 

 do 

 do 

.. do-. ..... ... .

 do . 

... -do... ... ..... .

 -do 

 ..do ..... ... ....

 -do ...... ... -

 do 

South Pork of Little 

Aguja Canyon. 

... -do .... ... 

 . .do .... ... ...

 ..do ..... .... ..

 ..do ... ... ....

 ..do ..........

.. do... ..... .......

 ..do . ... ....

... -do ... .....

 ..do. ...

..... do... 

 do -

 do 

Big Aguja Canyon. -

.. do.. ..........

Tributary to or 

diverting from 

 do. . 

. do ... . .....

 - do ............

 -do .

 -do ... ....

 do ....

 do 

 do . -- 

 do . 

 do 

 do 

- -do _ - 

.. do ...

 -do - .....

 .do . .... -

- do.. - .

Little Aguja Canyon. 

 do .....

 -do . .... ....

 .do. ..........

---do ....... ...

- do -

- do 

 -do -- ... ...

 .. do .... ... ... .

 -do ... ..... ... .

 .do . ......

 -do 

- do . .

Toyah Creek- _ - ...

. do 

Locality

 do . ..

yah vale, Tex. 

__ do ________ . . 

Balmorhea, Tex. 

 .do 

of Hoban station and 14 miles below 

Saragosa, Tex.

vale, Tex. 

 do ... 

 .do 

 ..do 

 do.. .

 -do .... 

... -do . 

 do 

 -do . 

 ..do _ ... 

 do 

\y-L miles above mouth, near Toyahvale, Tex. 

. -do . .......

vale, Tex.

Tex. 

... -do -

 do 

 -do 

 -do 

 do 

__ do 

. -do . .. .......

..... do 

 do 

200 feet below spring, 3 mites above

Texas & Pacific Ry. Co. dam, 15.6 

miles above Toyahvale, Tex. 

500 feet above Texas & Pacific Ry. Co.

reservoir, 13.6 miles above Toyahvale. Tex.

Discharge

0

0

463

551

126,100

11,400

21.5

».05

0

0

0

0

1.32

12,640

».oe

».03

0

0

0

.47 

.24

1,410

2 .2

2.30

>.32

6.45

».33

».16

».13

».20

».15

0

1.02

1.69

Determined by slope-area method. 2 Estimated.
142 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY OF UNITED STATES, 1940

Miscellaneous discharge measurements near Balmorhea, Tex., during the years ending 

Sept. SO, 1982, and Sept. 80, 1988 Continued

Date

193S 

May 18

July 10

19S1 

Oct. 26

1938 

July 18

Aug. 16

6

7

13

20

Oct. 6

193S

Mar. 9

Apr. 10

May 18

July 10

May 18 

July 10

1931 Oct. 20

1938 

July 18

Aug. 16

T)a/» 1ft

1933 

Jan. 26

Mar. 9

Apr. 10

May 18

July 10

1938 

Aug. 1

17<tn

30

2

1931 Oct. 16

17

19

21

21

22

22

22

99

22

19

20

21

24

24

94

Stream

 do 

 ..do........ .......

.....do...............

 .do... .. 

..... do........ .......

.....do...............

.....do...............

 do 

.....do...............

 -do .... 

 .do 

 .do...............

 ..do...............

.....do... .... .... .

 do ......

 do 

.... .do........ .......

Dancan diversion ... 

 -do. .......

 do. - ...

-...do...............

 ..do...............

.....do..............

- .do..... .......

- .do ............

.-..do...............

 ..do...............

canal. 

.. do...... .........

 do....... ...

 ..do... ............

.....do ...........

.....do...............

Spring.

-.._do ............

 .do ..........

 ..do ............

.....do ...........

 .do......... ......

 .do .........

.....do... . .

-...do-. .........

 .do......... ......

-...do ....... ....

 do... 

 .do ...........

Tributary to or 

diverting from 

Toyah Creek 

..... do...... ... ..

.... .do.... ......... ..

 .do .... ..... ...

.....do ............

 do .... 

.... .do..... ..........

 do ... .... . .

 .do.... ..... .... -

... ..do.... ..... ... ...

..... do......... ......

.... .do. ... ...

.... .do. 

... ..do 

..... do. . -

 do.. 

..... do... ..... ... 

..... do.. ... 

Big Aguja Canyon.. 

 .do -

 - do ..... .. ...

 do.. .... -

 do.... ..... ..... .

.... .do ... ...... .

 - .do ..... 

 -do..... .... ......

 - do ..... 

 .do . ...... . ....

 -do 

 .do.. .....

 .do ..... 

 . .do... ... 

 do.. -

 - do......... ... 

..... do.....- 

 .do ...

 . do.... ..... 

 do 

 do 

 - do..... ... ....

-..-do ... ... .... .

 do 

 do......... ..... .

 do..... 

 do. .... .

..... do ..

 do.. 

- do 

 do. ...... ...

 do.. 

Locality

On spillway of Texas & Pacific Ry.

Co. dam 12.6 miles above Toyahvale, Tex. 

__ do __ . _____________ .

H mile below Texas & Pacific Ry. Co.

dam 11.8 miles above Toyahvale, 

Tex.

..... do .

 do .. 

..... do.... . . -

.....do.. .... .......

... . .do 

..... do... . ............

..... do ... .... .... ..... .... ... .

 do . 

 do 

.... . do .... ........... ... 

 do. .......... ....... .......

.....do ... .......

..... do .......... .......... ....

 do ... ..... ......... ......

 - do.... .. ........

Just below point of diversion, 11.8 

miles above Toyahvale, Tex. 

_ ..do. ______ . _ .... __ .....

south of Toyahvale, Tex. 

 do 

 .do . ..... ......

 do .... 

... -do ..... ..... ........ ... .....

.....do ...... ..... . ........ ..

.... .do .......

 do..... ........ ........ ..

.. do.... . ....... .........

Bridge on State highway 17, H mile

south of Toyahvale, Tex. 

.....do . .... _ ..

 -do .... ....... ... .........

.... .do ..... .......... .........

..... do. .... ... .

 do ... .... ..... ..

.... .do 

 do 

 do 

 do -- 

 do -

 do . . 

 do . . 

 do 

 do . 

 do. ....... ....

 .do 

 do 

.....do.. .......... ... .....

Discharge

Sec.-ft. 

JO. 14

J.25

«». 1

«3.32

J».3

818.7

»45.4 »151

M.360»8.6

»2.56

M0.3

M.13

»1.36 ».12

, ".15 J».09

'.17

1.05 

.95

».10

».13

*. 15 J.09

J.16

s.04

J.36

».09

J.14

'.34

8.19

1,930

1,650

3.22

. 81.2

U2.6

MO. 8

sil.3

«10.9

' 10. 0

 11.0

«10.9

 11.1

MO. 9

 11. 3

 4.26

'3.82

'3.64

M.07

M.03

M.15

J Estimated.

> Does not include J. C. Duncan diversion 25 feet below section.

* Lake level normal.

5 Lake level 1 foot above normal.

6 Flow in low ditch. 

' Flow in high ditch.
BALMORKEA AREA, TE'XAS 143

Miscellaneous discharge measurements near Balmorhea, Tex., during the years ending 

Sept. SO, 1982, and Sept. 80, 1988 Continued

Date

19S1 

Nov. 10

20

21

21

Dec. 29

19S2 

Jan. 28

19S3 

July 13

24

26

1932 

Nov. 6

1933 

Jan. 23

Mar. 14

July 11

29

29

1932 

Sept. 8

17

Oct. 1

Aug. 2

2

8

July 18

Aug. 27

27

Sept. 15

21

27

29

Oct. 7

Dec. 15

1933 

Jan. 25

Mar. 12

Apr. 10

May 18

July 7

29

19S2 

Aug. 5

5

6 

6

11

8

19SS

Stream

... ..do 

 -do. ..

 do 

... ..do.... .... ...

.... .do. .............

 ..do. ...... .

 do.. 

. .do..............

 .do..............

.....do.. ............

- do..... ......

Stock streams ._-_._

Sandia Creek.. .....

Reservoir north

spillway. 

. .do .. ___ ...

 do......... ......

Texas & Pacific

farm well No. 2.

farm well No. 1.

farm well No. 4. 

Cherry Canyon.....

 do

 do.. . ..

 do.... ...........

 ..do.. ......

.... .do ...........

 do.... ........ ..

.....do ...........

- do... .........

 .do ........ ...

.... .do .... .. .....

 do .... ......

 -do 

 .do..... ... .... ...

J. L. Moore stock 

stream.

Youngblood south

well. 

Youngblood north

well. 

J. H. Sudbrock well.

John Wendt well ....

Balmorhea Livestock Co. well. 

W. A. Gardner well.

Tributary to or 

diverting from 

 do....... ... ....

 .do....... ... .... .

 ..do. 

 . do.... . ...

... ..do.... .... ......

 .do...... _

... ..do....... ..... ..

 .do.... .......

do

 -do......... .....

do

 do....... .......

 do....... .......

 do... ...........

Sandia Creek. ... ...

 do....... .... ...

 do......... .....

Toyah Creek........

..... do...... ... .

. .do ....... ...

do

.... .do..... ...

 .do 

 .do........ .... ...

 .do...... ........ .

 do. 

... ..do ....... ...

... ..do... 

 ..do......... ... ...

 ..do..... .

do

do

 .do .... .......

 .do....... .... ...

Cherry Canyon. ....

... ..do ... ......

..... do.......... .... 

_ do

do

 do..... ... ... ....

Locality

do . . . _ __ .-

__ do... __ . ___ ... . 

 do... 

 ..do... 

 _do._. 

 -do-.... ... ... 

__ do-__. _____ ---. ..

J^ mile west of Balmorhea, Tex _ ....

 do... 

... ..do..... .... ... 

 -do 

 do... 

Released for stock water from Reeves

County Water Improvement District No. 1 canal system near Balmorhea, Tex. 

H mile east of State Experiment

Farm, near Balmorhea, Tex. 

2 miles southeast of Balmorhea, Tex..

 do... 

 do 

Hoban station, 16 miles south of

Pecos, Tex. 

.... .do.... ... 

 . do.... 

5 miles above Jeff Davis-Reeves

County line, near Toyahvale, Tex. 

.. _ do ... _ ....... _ .. ...

 do 

 do..... ... 

 . do ... ..... ... .... 

..... do . 

 do 

 do 

 .do.... 

 _do_ ... 

 -do 

 do........ .... 

 do.... ... .... 

 _do ~~ 

% mile above Balmorbea-Toyah road 

crossing, 6 miles northeast of Balmorhea, Tex.

75 feet east of Pecos Valley Southern

Ry. 13H miles south of Pecos, Tex. 

H mile east of Pecos Valley Southern

Ry. 13 miles sonth of Pecos, Tex. 

H mile west of Pecos Valley Southern 

Ry. 13H miles south of Pecos, Tex. 

150 feet east of Pecos Valley Southern

Ry. llH miles south of Pecos, Tex. 

1 mile east of Pecos Valley Southern

Ry., 8 miles south of Pecos, Tex. 

% mile west of Pecos Valley Southern

Ry., 4J^ miles south of Pecos, Tex. 

Lower end of Wild Rose Canyon, 14

miles below Fort Davis, Tex.

Discharge

Sec.-ft. 

?30.9

 37.7

«37.6

«38.0

 35.4

'31.2

'28.6

'37.6

'36.9

9.15

8.22

6.69

6.36

5.59

a. 89

'.45 

225

.72

1,450

2.26

1.86

1.95

0

3.10

1.37

13.5

4.98

5.66

15,320

31.2 >.10

«. 13 ».08

0

0

0

a. 16 

3.99

3.04

2.07 

2.77

.65

.95

*.3

i Determined by slope-area method. 

 Flow in low ditch.

2 Estimated.

' Flow in high ditch.
144 CONTRIBUTIONS TO HYDROLOGY (pF UNITED STATES, 1940

Miscellaneous discharge measurements near Balmorhea, Tex., during the years ending 

Sept. 30, 1932, and Sept. SO, 1933 Continued

Date

1932

Aug. 13

Oct. 28

Aug. 24

1933 

Aug. 18

1938 

Aug. 3

24

Sept. 14

Oct. 10

26

Nov. 10

22

1933 

Mar. 17

Apr. 11

July 2

19

27

10

14

18

193$ 

Oct. 28

28

28

28

26

Nov. 10

1933 

Jan. 13

Mar. 17

May 16

Stream

Co. flowing well. 

Humble Thompson

flowing well.

flowing wells, 

 do... ............

Comanche Springs.. 

 do_ .......

.....do__....... ......

.....do ...... .. ....

.....do ............

.....do...............

... __do_. ........... ..

.. do 

.....do.... .. .......

 ..do.. . .......

.....do...... . ...... -

- do... ...__- 

.....do..... ... ... ....

... . .do_. ........... _.

.-..do ......... .

.... .do..... ..... .....

..... do ....... . .

 do 

... ..do ... .

other flowing 

wells. 

Tourney No. 1 flowing well.

flowing well.

.... . do ....... ....

 - do ... ....... ..

..--do ...... ... ...

Tributary to or 

diverting from 

Barrilla Creek.... ...

 do..... .......

Leon Creek, .. .....

 do... ...........

 do..... ..........

Comanche Creek.... 

... ..do... ........ ....

 do... 

 - do........ ...... .

..... do.... .

..... do......... ...

..... do......... ...

..--do.... ...... .....

 .do ... .

.. do... .....

. .do .- .

..... do .... 

 -do... ... . .

_ -do .... .... ....

--.do ..- .

 -do ...... .

 .do .... ...

 do..... ....... ...

 do 

... ..do.... ...... ... ..

 do ...... ...

.... .do ...

 do ... 

Six Shooter Draw...

 do 

 do....... ... .....

_. do ....... .

 do .....

Locality

Old Limpia post office, 12 miles south

of Toyahvale, Tex.

Tex. 

9 miles west of Fort Stockton, Tex_ . .

Just above Leon Springs Reservoir, 7

miles west of Fort Stockton, Tex. 

_. do.. ...... ...................

Main canal }4 mile below diversion 

dam, at Fort Stockton, Tex. 

 ..do.... . ......

 .do... . _. _

 do... ... ...

 .do 

 .do . .... ...... .... ......

 .do . .. . .......

... ..do - -

 .do. .. . . . ......

 .do.... . ... ...

- do --- . .

..... do..... ... ..

 .do-, .... . ...........

 do 

_. do .. _ -

..... do... ...... . . 

. do .. ..... ... . ... ... .

 do... .... _

... . .do.... - ... .... ...... .... ...

11 miles east of Fort Stockton, Tex_ . .

12 miles northeast of Fort Stockton,

Tex. 

 -do... .- -

12J-2 miles northeast of Fort Stockton,

Tex. 

2 miles below Tunis Spring, 23 miles

east of Fort Stockton, Tex. 

21 miles east of Fort Stockton, Tex ...

 do ...... 

... ..do...... . .... 

 do 

Discharge

Sec.-ft. 

121

U.96

».33

16.0

18.0

40.9 

" 45. 0

44.3

46.7

47.7

48.6

50.0

49.1

1° 48. 2

47.8

47.0

48.0

» 47. 8

46.8

45.9

41.3

" 46. 0

45.1

11 43. 4

.37

1.39

5.23

.97

2.34

1.73

1.98

1.71

1.94

1.73

8 Well opened to full capacity 20 minutes before measurement was started.

»Well partly shut off.

10 Spring openings and channels being cleaned.

" Spring water backed up over spring openings by growth in creek channel.
INDEX

Page

Abstract. ___....__________.. 83-84 

Acknowledgments for aid___...._._..._. 85

Backus, E. W., well of..._________... 107 

Balmorhea, precipitation at..._--.-.._.__ 87,89 

springs near.. ._-____.____ 86,pl.ll 

Balmorhea Livestock Co., well of..._____ 107 

Barilla M ountains, features of__... _____ 86 

Big Aguja Canyon, discharge of and seepage

losses from....______ 117-118,126,141-142

Cherry Canyon, discharge of and seepage losses

from.. -.-..__._.___..._._. 117,138,143 

Climate of the .am..._.____________..__ 87-89

Cole, J. P., wellof 107,111

Comanche series, character of__________ 90 

Cretaceous rocks, character and distribution

of.....___.__.._.__.......__._.____ 90-93

water-bearing properties of..__._. 112-113,119

Davis Mountains, features of.__.._______... 86

Discharge measurements..._____........ 87,

98-100,102-103,114-119,121-144 

Downs, J. H., well of.___.._________ 107 

Drainage of the area_________.__.__ 86

East Sandia Spring, analyses of water from_ 104 

discharge of _..-_.----_______-__.. 118-119,138

effect of wells on flow of.____.____. 120-121

relation of, to ground-water level... 102,103,104 

source of_______________.__ 86-87,102,120

temperature of __--.._ ____________ 103

Field work____________._____.____. 85

Fort Davis, precipitation at_._--_._.----_____ 87,88

Fort Stockton, precipitation at__------_._ 87,88

Foster, M. D., analyses by___.________ 101

Garcia, S., well of......._.-___.._________.__. 107

Geology of the area...______________..____ 90-94

G iffln Springs, analyses of water from. _ _ _ _ _ 100

discharge of .... 99,118-119,121,129-130,142

effect of wells onflow of....___._...____ 120

relation of structure to...._____._... 119-120

source of_.________.....____ 86,98,119

temperature of.__ ..__...__._____ 100 

Gould, Mrs. W. E., well of.___ ............ 107,111

Gould, W. E., wells of. ..__________________ 107

Ground water, discharge of__. _.87,98-100,102-103, 

118-119, 121.127-132,136-137,138,142-143,144 

intake of.... 112-118,123-126,133-135,137,138-140

level of................................. 108-111

relation of springs to......_____. 102,103,104

relation of structure to occurrence of..__. 94-97, 

119-120, pi. 11

Page

Hill, , well of. - 107,109 

Humble Oil & Refining Co., well of. ... 107,108

Irrigation in the area..-_- --.- .... 84 

Jones, H. A., wells of._. 107

Knapp, W. A., well of.-.. 107,109

Limpia Creek, discharge of and seepage losses

from.... ..... 114-116,139-140,143-144

Little Aguja Canyon, discharge of and seepage

losses from. . 118,125,141

Location of the area...__--_-. -... .. 86

Lohr, E. W., analyses by.._ 104,106

Madera Canyon, discharge of and seepage

losses from.. 116-117,122-123,141 

Meier, J. F., well of.. . ...... 107

Mills, A. H., wellof 107

Odell.T. A., well of ----- - 107

Pecos Valley Sou them Railway, well of_..._ 107,110

Permian rocks, water-bearing properties of 119

Phantom Lake Spring, analyses of water from. 100

discharge of - 99-100,118-119,127-128,142

effect of wells on flow of.----------------- 120

relation of structure to.----------- -_. 95,119

sourceof- -- 86,98,119

temperature of_. --------- - 100

Pleistocene deposits, occurrence of. -.. 94 

Precipitation in the area ..-. - -- 87-89 

Purpose of the investigation... ----- - 84-85

Recent deposits, occurrence of .... _-_- 94

Reeves County Water Improvement District 

No. 1, canals of, discharge of and 

seepage losses from......-- - 133-135

reservoir of__-.-- -------- ------.- 84

well of -- -- 1°7

Renz, G. F., wells of.-. --------------------- 107

Renz, Mrs. Paul, well of...---------- ---- 107

Rosenbaum Co., wells ot.-------- - 107

San Solomon Spring, analyses of water from... 101 

discharge of.. 98-100,118-119,121,130-132,143 

effect of wells on flow of. _._- . 120 

relation of structure to _.---.. __ 119-120 

source of .-_--------- ---------- 86,98,119

temperature of--_-__ - 100 

Saragosa School, well of ------------ -- 107

Saragosa Spring, analyses of water from.... _. 104

discharge of. -- --- 102-103,119,121,143 

effect of wells on flow of. - - 120-121

145
146 INDEX

Page 

Saragosa Spring, relation of, to ground-water

level-._.__..______102,103,104

source of_______ _____.__ 86-87,102

temperature of-___.__-_-_.___. 103

Schreger, A. C., well of..._..____.... 107

Sharpe, S. A., well of......__............. 107,108

Shinn, L. A., analyses by....__.__. 101, J04,106

Springs, area of intake for..___..__ ._ 95,112-113 

discharge of.... 87, 98-100, 102-103, 118-119, 121,

127-132, 136-137, 138, 142-143, 144 

effect of wells on flow of................. 120-121

locationof_.___.......___.__.... 86,105

relation of, to ground-water level... 102,103,104 

relation of, to structure.... 95-97, 119-120, pi. 11

source of_.....---_._.-.._.___._____ 86-87,90,102

temperature of._.._.........___ 100,103

types of...._.......____..._____ 97-98

water from, analyses of.___.......... 101,104

State of Texas, well of...................__.. 107

Structure, relation of, to occurrence of ground

water-.--...-..... 94-97, 119-120,pl.ll

Stuckler, E. P., well of....................... 107

Tertiary rocks, character and distribution of.. 93-94 

Tesero, Mike, well of................._-...... 107

Timber of the area__._.__.-..._____ 87 

Topography of the area.____. _.____ 86 

Toyah Basin, springs in._.__...____ 86-87 

Toyah Creek, discharge of and seepage losses

from...._._._--.__......-....... 124,141

Page

Toyah Creek Springs, analyses of water from 104 

discharge of_........ ......... 102-103,119,121

effect of wells on flow of................ 120-121

relation of, to ground-water level...._ 102,103

source of.__._.__.--..._...._ 102

Toyah Valley State Bank, well of.......... 107,110

Vanderon, B. W., well of-.....-....... .. 107

Vegetation of the.area.. __._._. _.. .. 87

Water, analyses of_.____..-...---_.-... 101,104,106

See also Ground water. 

Water table, shape and slope of..,.......-.--. 105

Wegnon, Perry, well of_._-- . ._-..-..... 107

Weinacht, Charles, well of___.---._..._... 107,108 

WeUs, depth to water level in._...._.__.... 108-111

effect of, on flow of springs-.....-.-..-. 120-121

location of____... ----- ---------- 105

records of. . .___.---___--.-.__----.-.-- 107

water from, analyses of...___.__ __.. -. lOfi 

West Sandia Creek, discharge of and seepage

losses from --------------------- 137

West Sandia Spring, discharge of___.-.--.. 103,

118-119,136-137 

effect of wells on flow of_.............. 120-121

relation of, to ground-water level... 102,103,104 

source of.... .... 102,120

temperature of. _.._.----,._-----.....- 10&

Westerman, Mrs. Nell B., well of...._...-- 107

Wigley, A. W., wells of_-._ _. .---- 107,110

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