?? Question ??
What is an Aquifer and what Aquifers are located under Rusk County?
Aquifers are geological formations that can store, transmit and yield water to a well or spring. There are two basic types of aquifers: confined and unconfined. The two kinds of aquifers respond differently to pumping.
A confined aquifer, also called an artesian aquifer, is basically a layer of water that is under pressure and is held between two layers of clay. The recharge area is limited to the land surface where the aquifer’s geologic material is exposed to the land surface. When a well is drilled into a confined aquifer, the water that is under pressure in it will rise in the well casing and may reach the surface. Wells with water flowing to the surface are often called free-flowing artesian wells. In most cases, wells drilled in artesian aquifers do not flow.
An unconfined aquifer is a layer of water that has a confining layer on the bottom and a layer of permeable soil above it. The recharge area is all of the land area above the unconfined aquifer. The water level in wells drilled into an unconfined aquifer will be at the same elevation as the water table. The water table will rise or fall in response to recharge and pumping.
"Questions about Groundwater Conservation Districts in Texas"
Texas Cooperative Extension
Two aquifers are located under Rusk County, the Carrizo-Wilcox major aquifer and the Queen City minor aquifer which touches the western edge.
