CONTROL OF NATURAL BRINE SPRINGS IN BRAZOS RWER BASIN PART I: RECOVERY SYSTEM1

ABSTRACT: The water quality in the Brazos River in Texas is seriously degraded by natural salt pollution in the upper Brazos River. Controlling the natural salt springs and seeps in the Dove Creek area will reduce the chloride concentration in the Brazos River by nearly 45 percent. The brine that is discharged as natural springs and seeps in the Dove Creek area is from two sources: (1) local recharge and (2) deep-basin. A preliminary design of the brine recovery system was developed in this phase of the study. A three-dimensional, finite element model to simulate groundwater flow in anisotropic and heterogeneous media under steady state conditions was developed to assist with the design and evaluation of brine recovery systems in the Dove Creek area. Model simulations indicate that a shallow-well brine recovery system pumping about 56 l/s (2 cfs) of brine will eliminate approximately 45 percent of chloride discharging into the upper Brazos River.