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GROUND WATER QUALITY SURROUNDING LAKE TEXOMA DURING DROUGHT CONDITIONS
Citation:
Kampbell*, D H., Y. An, AND G W. Sewell*. GROUND WATER QUALITY SURROUNDING LAKE TEXOMA DURING DROUGHT CONDITIONS. Presented at Amer. Geophysical Union 2001 Fall Mtg, San Francisco, CA, 12/10-14/2001.
Description:
Water quality data from 55 producing monitoring wells during drought conditions surrounding Lake Texoma, located on the border of Oklahoma and Texas, was compared to assess the influence of drought on groundwater quality. The main water quality parameter measured was nitrate, and others were nitrite, ammonia, orthophosphate, sulfate, and chloride. During the drought month of August and Mid-October 2000, groundwater levels were affected substantially in most of study areas. Water table levels were three feet lower compared to several months earlier under predrought climate conditions (June and July 2000). Detection frequencies of nitrate (>0.1mg/L), orthophosphates (>0.1 mg/L), chlorides (>MCL), and sulfates (
Water quality data was also compared to the effects of land use on groundwater quality during drought. Largest increases in concentration were nitrate under both agriculture lands and in septic tank areas, followed by recreation areas and lowest in oil production land. The frequent occurrence of nitrate in agriculture and septic tanks areas had a direct relationship with the existence of the possible stressors in each area. An increase in ammoniumnitrogen was only detected in the septic tank area. In addition, both concentration and detection frequency of nitrate were higher in sandy soils than clayey soils. Overall, this study demonstrated that stressors such as nitrates that were more widespread and total salts could potentially become a health or environmental problem during drought conditions.