Geologic and geophysical investigation of a small water retention structure, Salado, Tx

Abstract

There are numerous farm ponds and stock tanks in Texas. Most of these are built and maintained without any significant problems. Occasionally however, some of these structures do have some serious problems such as leakage, silting, or piping erosion. Although such problems do not pose a significant risk to life or property, they do pose a financial liability to the landowner. For those whose ponds are undergoing such problems, a basic geological and geophysical investigation can help to identify the causes of the problems and educate the landowner on possible remediation solutions. This research was focused on such an investigation at Rogers' Pond, a small pond in Bell County, Texas that was having leakage problems with water losses as high as one foot or more per week. The investigation was designed to work within limited budgetary and time constraints. Map and aerial photo analysis, hydrologic investigations, geologic investigations, and geophysical investigations were incorporated to identify the causes of the water losses in the pond. The presence of a spring identified during field investigations, the identification of the creek as a lineament, and the indication of a subsurface linear conductive feature by the geophysical surveys all seem to indicate the presence of a fault underlying Rogers' Pond. However, these are not definitive and one or a number of other mechanisms may be causing the water losses at Rogers' Pond.