WGCD well report shows only La Salle had water table rise

By Marc Robertson - Editor | April 13, 2023

MONITORING SITES OVER CARRIZO-WILCOX AQUIFER…

The Wintergarden Groundwater Conservation District has issued its quarterly water well monitoring report, indicating that sites across the region have seen a drop in the water table with one county’s exception.
Measuring water levels at a select number of wells in Dimmit, La Salle and Zavala counties on Saturday, March 25, the WGCD found that only the two sites in La Salle showed water at a higher level than at the last measurement on December 31.
Situated at 465 feet above sea level and eight miles west of Cotulla, the Hinojosa well showed water at 510.68 feet below ground in March. The December reading showed water several feet deeper, at 534.43 feet.
At the September 25 measurement last year, the Hinojosa well showed water at 530.71 feet below ground.
Eight miles north-northeast of Los Angeles and 402 feet above sea level, La Salle County’s second well being monitored by the WGCD, the Echols well, showed water at 371.386 feet below ground on March 25. On Dec. 31, the well had water several feet deeper, at 388.936 feet below ground.
September’s reading at the Echols well showed water at 378.707 feet below ground.
The WGCD monitors water wells at three sites in Dimmit County, the first at Dixondale, three miles west of Brundage and 549 feet above sea level. Water was measured there at 466.339 feet below ground on March 25, a few feet lower than on Dec. 31, when water was found at 459.719 feet. The September reading showed water considerably deeper, at 484.746 feet below ground.
Eighteen miles southwest of Carrizo Springs and 799 feet above sea level, the Shape well indicated water at 188.846 feet below ground on March 25. The December reading for that site showed water only slightly higher, at 188.002 feet below ground.
September’s reading at the Shape well showed water at 187.737 feel below ground, also indicating a gradual drop in the water table at that site since last summer.
The Barrier well is situated 6.7 miles southwest of Carrizo Springs and stands at 683 feet above sea level. Water was measured there at 309.631 feet below ground on March 25. The December reading for that site showed water slightly higher, at 308.978 feet below ground. The readings are similar to September 2022, when water was measured at 308.747 feet below ground.
In Zavala County, the Hargrove well stands at 624 feet above sea level, 12 miles northeast of Crystal City, and showed water at 434.015 feet below ground on March 25. The reading represents a drop in the water table since December, when water was measured there at 427.797 feet below ground. September’s reading showed water considerably deeper, at 470.268 feet below ground. The readings indicate that the water table at Hargrove has risen since earlier in 2022 but dropped slightly in the past three months.
Two miles south of La Pryor, the Cargil well is situated 737 feet above sea level and showed water at 433.36 feet below ground on March 25, several feet lower than its December reading of 423.12 feet below ground.
The September reading at Cargil showed water within a foot of the most recent reading, at 434.97 feet below ground.
The WGCD monitors the Rutledge well in Zavala County, eight miles north of Batesville and 785 feet above sea level, where water was measured at 47.526 feet below ground on March 25. The December reading showed water a few feet higher, at 43.491 feet below ground.
September’s reading at Rutledge showed water at 43.435 feet below ground.
All of the wells monitored by the WGCD are positioned above the Carrizo Wilcox Aquifer, which spans a wide swath of south central and south Texas.
District representatives are asking residents of Dimmit, La Salle and Zavala counties with Carrizo aquifer wells who would like to be added to the monitoring list to call (830) 876-3801 for registry information. To be considered for monitoring by the WGCD, a well should be furnished with or have easy access to electricity and wifi services, and landowners will be asked to grant district staff access to visit the site.