So I show up to the Austin Geological Society's yard sale to support the tribe and bump into Patricia "Pat" Bobeck, who happens to be an expert on Henry Darcy, the father of hydrogeology and namesake of Darcy's Law. Pat and I chitchat, and she asks "Any vacation plans this summer?" "Yes!" I reply. "The … Continue reading darcy in dijon →

Ever since Peter Lake, chairman of the Texas Water Development Board, told me about Chuck Norris' water some three years ago, I've searched high and low for it (at least when I was passing through the area). Lo and behold, on a random pit stop, there he was in all his roundhouse kick glory: C-Force! … Continue reading c-force: chuck norris punched the ground and made the earth cry! →

postcard from my collection The most famous flowing artesian well in (mostly forgotten) history is the Grenelle Well in Paris. It wasn't the first artesian well in the world: that honor probably goes to the Egyptians circa 2000 BC. It wasn't the first in Europe: that honor probably goes to the Carthusian monks near Lille … Continue reading the grenelle well →

Neat postcard I have of an Ogallala well west of Plainview, Texas. It appears to be a flowing well, but that is surely a pumphouse behind that gush of water. I estimate the card to be from around 1910. I poked around TWDB's water-well database and found a well (11-15-504) owned by C.S Ebeling noted … Continue reading ebeling well near plainview →

In April 1757, a Spanish contingent of soldiers, settlers, and Franciscan fathers established Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas on the left bank of the spring-fed San Saba near present-day Menard. The fathers built Mission Santa Cruz de San Saba on the opposite bank four miles downstream to avoid frightening the Lipan Apache they hoped … Continue reading history (and surface water/groundwater interaction) on the san saba →

Water management [There's been a mild rash of groundwater articles concerning Texas relating to oil and gas, and they almost always muff up how we regulate groundwater in Texas...] "Texas has a “Rule of Capture,” where landowners basically can pump water from below their properties and pump as much as they like. So, it’s easier … Continue reading texas groundwater news oct-nov 18 →

In New Mexico, Move to Reuse Fracking Water Stirs Cry for Transparency [I include this article because there's some interest in Texas on this same topic.] "The state formed a working group, with the blessing of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to find ways to reuse wastewater from natural gas fracking wells. " "...representatives from … Continue reading texas groundwater news september 2018 →

Focused on watersheds (with a wee waggle of groundwater): 2018-0921 Mace -- watersheds  

2018-0911 Mace AWF Pretty much the same presentation I gave last night but to a different group in a different bar (German this time instead of British).

2018-0910 Mace AWFc This is a presentation about Austin's draft 100-year water plan. Where will Austin's water come from over the next 100 years when we grow from 1 million to 4 million people and feel the heat from climate change? I have an academic interest in this, but I also serve as a member … Continue reading presentation for the save barton creek association →