T19 GSA Environmental and Engineering Geology Division Student Research Competition (Posters)

Sunday, 9 October 2022
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Exhibit Hall F

HOW RAINFALL IMPACTS WATER QUALITY IN BARTON SPRINGS, AUSTIN, TX

Paper number: T19-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Authors

Abstract

Rainfall, surface water bodies, and groundwater are important components of aquatic ecosystems and human societies This study focuses on Barton Creek, which is a 7.9-mile-long creek, and the spring-fed Barton Springs Pool, which are valuable water resources for recreation and water supply in the Austin, TX area. Both Barton Springs and Barton Creek are monitored by The United States Geological Survey gauging stations as well as the city of Austin. Properties of the water such as pH, conductivity, temperature, E.coli, and dissolved oxygen provide information about water quality. By comparing annual precipitation gathered by the National Weather Service from 2014-2021 with the rainfall data from the same time period, we characterized relationships between rainfall and the water quality in Barton Creek and Barton Springs. The data shows higher levels of dissolved oxygen in the water at lower water temperatures and higher conductivity levels at warmer water temperatures. Our findings show increases in pH, conductivity, E.coli, and dissolved oxygen values, are associated with increases in rainfall. These results suggest that the water quality of Barton Springs and Barton Creek is dependent on rainfall amount and is likely to be impacted by future changes in climate in the Austin area.

Year

Rainfall (in)

pH

Conductivity (µs/cm)

Temperature °C

E.Coli (CFU/100 mL)

Dissolved Oxygen (mg/L)

2014

35.53

7.15

634.17

21

132.3

6.63

2015

59.96

7.26

651.25

19.69

156.9

7.04

2016

38.85

7.07

625

23.43

208.3

5.42

2017

34.72

6.78

635.38

21.57

45.9

6.33

2018

40.52

6.5

655

21

165.9

5.6

2019

31.86

7.2

636.67

21.2

53.67

6.1

2020

35.08

7

660

21.25

7.137

6.85

2021

37.73

7.25

614

22.5

73.67

6.89

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 54, No. 6

doi: 10.1130/abs/2022AM-383938

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