English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Free Plan

The kinds and quantities of minerals dissolved in the surface water of the Neches River basin result from such environmental factors as geology, streamflow patterns and characteristics, and industrial influences. As a result of high rainfall in the basin, much of the readily soluble material has been leached from the surface rocks and soils. Consequently, the water in the streams is usually low in concentrations of dissolved minerals and meets the U.S. Public Health Service drinking-water standards. In most streams the concentration of dissolved solids is less than 250 ppm (parts per million). The Neches River drains an area of about 10,000 square miles in eastern Texas. From its source in southeast Van Zandt County the river flows in a general southeasterly direction and empties into Sabine Lake, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. In the basin the climate ranges from moist subhumid to humid, and the average annual rainfall ranges from 46 inches in the northwest to more than 52 inches in the southeast. Annual runoff from the basin has averaged 11 inches; however, runoff rates vary widely from year to year. The yearly mean discharge of the Neches River at Evadale has ranged from 994 to 12,720 cubic feet per second. The rocks exposed in the Neches River basin are of the Quaternary and Tertiary Systems and range in age from Eocene to Recent. Throughout most of the basin the geologic formations dip generally south and southeast toward the gulf coast. The rate of dip is greater than that of the land surface; and as a result, the older formations crop out to the north of the younger formations. Water from the outcrop areas of the Wilcox Group and from the older formations of the Claiborne Group generally has dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 100 to 250 ppm; water from the younger formations has concentrations less than 100 ppm. The northern half of the basin has soft water, with less than 60 ppm hardness. The southern half of the basin has very soft water, usually with less than 30 ppm hardness. The chloride concentrations are less than 20 ppm in surface water in the southern half of the basin and usually range from 20 to 100 ppm in the northern half of the basin. Concentrations greater than 100 ppm are found only where pollution is occurring. Al A2 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HYDROLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES The Neches River basin has an abundance of surface water, but uneven distribution of runoff makes storage projects necessary to provide dependable water supplies. The principal existing reservoirs, with the exception of Striker Creek Reservoir, contain water of excellent quality. Chemical-quality data for the Striker Creek drainage area indicate that its streams are affected by the disposal of brines associated with oil production. Sam Rayburn Reservoir began impounding water in 1965. The water impounded should prove of acceptable quality for most uses, but municipal and industrial wastes released into the Angelina River near Lufkin may have a degrading effect on the quality of the wate'r, especially during extended periods of low flows. Water available for storage at the many potential reservoir sites will be of good quality; but, if the proposed salt-water barrier is to impound acceptable water, the disposal of oilfield brine into Pine Island Bayou should be discontinued. INTRODUCTION The investigation of the chemical quality of the surface water of the Neches River basin, Texas, is part of a statewide reconnaissance study. This report is the second in a series presenting the results of the study, as well as summaries of available chemical-quality data. The first report, on the Sabine River basin, Texas and Louisiana, has been published (Hughes and Leifeste, 1965). A report on the San Jacinto River basin is in preparation, and a report is planned for each major river basin in Texas. Knowledge of the quality of water that will be available is essential in planning any water-use project, because the chemical character of the water determines its suitability for domestic, irrigation, or industrial purposes. For public supply, of course, water must serve all three of these purposes. If raw water is not satisfactory for a specific use, then chemical analyses are necessary to determine the type or extent of treatment needed. In addition to determining the suitability of water for specific uses, chemical-quality data are needed for the (1) inventory of water resources, (2) detection and control of pollution of water supplies, (3) study of techniques for preventing salt-water encroachment into coastal streams and aquifers, (4) planning for reuse of water, and (5) demineralization of water. A network of daily chemical-quality stations on principal streams in Texas is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board (formerly Texas Board of Water Engineers and Texas Water Commission) and with Federal and local agencies. However, this network has not been adequate to inventory completely the chemical quality of the surface water of the entire State. To supplement the information being obtained by the network, a cooperative statewide reconnaissance study by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Texas Water Development Board was QUALITY, SURFACE WATERS, NECHES RIVER BASIN, TEXAS A3 begun in September 1961. In this study, samples for chemical analyses have been collected periodically at numerous sites throughout the State so that quality-of-water information would be available for locations where water-development projects are likely to be built. These data aid in the delineation of water-quality problem areas and in the identification of probable sources of pollution; thus they indicate areas in which more detailed investigations are needed. During the period September 1961 to June 1964, water-quality data were collected for the principal streams, the major reservoirs, a number of potential reservoir sites, and many tributaries in the Neches River basin. Agencies that have cooperated in the collection of chemical-quality and streamflow data include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lower Neches Valley Authority, Upper Neches Elver Municipal Water Authority, the City of Tyler, and the Texas State Department of Health. NECHES RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN GENEBAL DESCBIPTION The Neches Eiver drains an area of about 10,000 square miles in eastern Texas (fig. 1). The basin is about 200 miles long, averages about 50 miles wide, and includes all or part of 21 counties. From its source in southeast Van Zandt County (fig. 2), the Neches Eiver flows generally southeastward and empties into Sabine Lake, an arm of the Gulf of Mexico. Low divides separate the Neches Eiver basin from the Sabine Eiver drainage basin on the north and east and from the Trinity Eiver drainage basin on the west and southwest. The basin slopes from an altitude of about 600 feet to sea level. The northwestern third of the basin has rolling hills and grassy plains. The area from central Cherokee County southward to southern Hardin County consists of heavily forested low hills and wide flat flood plains along the Neches Eiver and its major tributaries. Southern Hardin County and Jefferson County have prairies and poorly drained flatlands. The Neches Eiver basin is drained by two major streams and many tributaries. The Angelina Eiver heads in southwest Eusk County and, at Dam B Eeservoir, joins the Neches River. Upstream from their confluence, the Neches Eiver drains 3,808 square miles and the Angelina Eiver drains 3,556 square miles. Village Creek and Attoyac and Pine Island Bayous, with drainage areas of 1,113, 670, and 657 square miles respectively, are the only other tributaries that drain more than 500 square miles. A4 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE HYDROLOGY OF THE UNITED STATES FIGURE 1. Map of Texas showing major river basins. The climate in the Neches River basin ranges from moist subhumid to humid. The average annual precipitation, about 49 inches, exceeds the average for the State of Texas by 60 percent. Within the basin, the average annual precipitation ranges from about 46 inches in the northwest to more than 54 inches in the southeast. At Rockland, in Tyler County, annual rainfall for the period 1931-60 averaged 49.85 inches. Mean annual precipitation, average (normal) monthly precipitation of four Weather Bureau stations, and annual precipitation for 1910-63 at one station are shown on figure 2. Runoff is defined as that part of the precipitation appearing in surface streams, and is the same as streamflow unaffected by artificial storage or diversion (Langbein and Iseri, 1960, p. 17). Streamflow in the Neches River basin has been affected only slightly by diversions or storage. Temperature, seasonal distribution of rainfall, storm intensity, infiltration rates, and types and density of vegetation also affect the amount of runoff from a drainage basin. QUALITY, SURFACE WATERS, NECHES RIVER BASIN, TEXAS A5 Runoff data plotted on figure 2 show that average runoff from subbasins during the period 1940-63 has ranged from 8.9 to 13.1 inches annually. Runoff from the entire basin measured at the lowermost gaging station, Neches River at Evadale, averaged 11.0 inches annually for the period 1921-63. Annual runoff, expressed as mean discharge in cubic feet per second and inches per year, in shown for the Evadale station on figure 2. Precipitation and runoff in the Neches River basin are subject to much greater variations than indicated by the annual and monthly averages. The yearly mean discharge of the Neches River at Evadale has ranged from 994 to 12,700 cfs (cubic feet per second), as shown in figure 2, but instantaneous flows have varied much more widely. Normal monthly rainfall at Rockland ranges from 2.88 inches for August to 5.39 inches for January (fig. 2), but in 1963 the monthly rainfall ranged from 0.00 inches in October to 8.10 inches in September. Thus, in spite of relatively high averages, precipitation so unevenly distri

Reconnaissance of the chemical quality of surface waters of the Neches River basin, Texas