Running along the eastern edge of Texas' border with Oklahoma, the Blossom Aquifer provides water to Lamar, Red River, and Bowie Counties. Compared to the Trinity and Woodbine aquifers, the Blossom is relatively minor; together with the Nacatoch Aquifer, it provides roughly 5 percent of the water supply for northeastern Texas. The aquifer's water is not considered suitable for irrigation or industrial purposes, so most of it is harvested for municipal supply. The two entities that use this aquifer the most are the city of Clarksville and the Red River County Water Supply Corporation. The aquifer is also a common source for private wells, most of which are dug for domestic or livestock supply purposes. The aquifer is located within the Upper Cretaceous Austin Group, a geological formation made of thick, chalk-like deposits.

Composition

The Blossom Aquifer is part of the Blossom Sand Formation, which is made up of alternating sections of shale, clay, chalk, marl, and fine- to medium-grained sand. In thickness, the aquifer ranges from zero feet to nearly 400, though about a third of this is filled with sand. The portions of the aquifer that are actually saturated with fresh water average 25 feet in thickness.

The water from this aquifer is mildly alkaline, meaning that it can neutralize some of the acid that enters the aquifer as a result of rain or pollution. It ranges from fresh to moderately saline, with a median value of 850 milligrams of total dissolved solids for every liter of water. Salinity is higher in the downdip portions of the aquifer located in the middle of Red River County. The water has a high sodium adsorption ratio and ranks high on the residual sodium carbonate index, which is why it is not suitable for irrigation. It also contains high levels of iron and fluoride.

Water Conservation

At the height of its use in 1985, the Blossom Aquifer supplied over a million gallons of water per day. This, it turned out, was not sustainable. In 1990, Texan officials reported a severe water decline in the northwestern region, which they began trying to reverse. In 2009, the state established the Red River Groundwater Conservation District to reduce water use around the Blossom Aquifer and its neighbors. The district began to monitor the area's wells, encouraging residents to use less water and to take what water they used from surface sources. As a result, water level decline has slowed down, or even stabilized, in many parts of the aquifer.

Do you have plans to drill for water in the Blossom Aquifer? Talon/LPE Drilling Services offers hollow stem auger drilling, air rotary drilling, and a variety of other drilling services and products to meet your water needs.