Water Levels

The District currently measures aquifer water levels in about fifty wells. This program is expanding to include more diverse locations within the Seymour Aquifer Pods as well as adding coverage in the newly designated Cross Timbers Aquifer.

Water levels and their change over time are the central piece of data utilized in the District for groundwater management. Water levels drop as a result of being pumped out for use by people. Spring flow may also cause a drop in water levels near the spring, particularly near the edge of the Seymour Aquifer Pods. Water levels rise primarily due to recharge from precipitation.

The District’s database contains water level data collected by the District as well as data reported from state and federal agencies. Much of that data pre-dates the District’s existence. The long-term information spans several major droughts as well as wetter periods and provides a wealth of information on how the aquifers respond to changes in climate over time.

While in the field, you may find a sticker near a well that looks like the one below. This sticker has numbers punched out for the tens, ones, and tenths as well as the month and year of the site visit. To determine the water level at that time, put together the punched numbers and it will equal the depth to water from the top of the well casing. For instance, if the January, 2024, 20, 7, and 0.6 are punched, the water level was 27.6 feet below the top of the casing in January of 2024.