Development of limestone reservoirs in Comal County, Texas

Abstract

The Edwards limestone, and to a lesser extent the Comanche Peak limestone and the lower part of the Glen Rose limestone below, all of Lower Cretaceous age, form one of the most extensive ground‐water reservoirs in Texas. As a result of normal faulting, these formations are connected by underground channels to form a hydrologic unit which is partly artesian and partly unconfined. Observations in Comal County show that the development of the reservoir by solution is closely related to the geologic history, in which complex faulting and the disconformity between the Edwards and Georgetown limestones are important factors. Various phases of development are shown in different fault blocks, depending upon length of exposure at the surface. The Edwards limestone, which contains the main channels of underground drainage, is almost uniformly permeable from top to bottom, whereas the older, but more recently exposed lower part of the Glen Rose limestone is generally relatively impermeable except where exposed by mature streams.