DELINEATION OF CONTRIBUTING AREAS TO A MULTI-OUTLET SPRING SYSTEM: SAN SOLOMON SPRINGS SYSTEM, TEXAS, USA

The San Solomon Springs system is situated in a karst landscape in West Texas and provides an example of a multi-outlet spring system with potentially different source areas for each spring. The conceptualization of each spring’s source area is poorly understood, which raises concern as demand for water in this semi-arid environment continues to increase. A geochemical investigation of spring water is employed to refine the delineation of spring-sheds of this multi-outlet spring system. The approach includes field sampling to collect water samples from six different spring outlets to analyze for major and minor ion concentrations and isotopes including, but not limited to, Tritium and Boron-11. Thermodynamic modeling using PHREEQC, principal component analysis, and Schoeller diagrams are used to highlight differences in each spring’s water chemistry. When coupled with an assessment of the structural framework of the region, the hydrochemical data and modeling suggest there are at least two sources of water to the San Solomon Spring system.