Sample records for galveston counties texas

  1. DRAFT LANDSAT DATA MOSAIC: MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TEXAS; HARRIS COUNTY, TEXAS; FORT BEND COUNTY, TEXAS; BRAZORIA COUNTY, TEXAS; GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This is a draft Landsat Data Mosaic, which contains remote sensing information for Montgomery County, Texas Harris County, Texas Fort Bend County, Texas Brazoria County, Texas Galveston County, and Texas Imagery dates on the following dates: October 6, 1999 and September 29, 200...

  2. Estimating coastal wetland gain and losses in Galveston County and Cameron County, Texas, USA.

    PubMed

    Entwistle, Clare; Mora, Miguel A; Knight, Robert

    2018-01-01

    Coastal wetlands serve many important ecological services. One of these important ecological services is their use as storm buffers. Coastal wetlands provide habitat for migratory birds and aquatic species and can improve water quality. In the late 1990s, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a study outlining the trends of coastal wetlands from the 1950s to early 1990s. In the present study, wetland gains and losses were calculated for Galveston County and Cameron County, Texas, USA, between 2001 and 2011. Maps from the National Land Cover Database were used to determine wetland areas for the years 2001, 2006, and 2011. ArcGIS was used to compare land cover between the study periods to determine overall wetland losses and gains. A statistical analysis was performed between wetland loss and population data to determine whether increased population density led to a higher loss of wetlands. Our analysis indicates that wetland loss is still occurring, however at a lower rate of loss (0.14%-0.18% annually) than the USFWS study predicted earlier (2.7%). In addition, the majority of wetland losses were due to conversion to upland areas. We found a positive correlation between increased population density and decreased wetland area; however, the trend was not significant. The present study shows how the majority of wetland loss in Galveston and Cameron counties is occurring as a result of increased upland areas. In addition, the present study shows that the use of online mapping systems can be used as a low-cost alternative to assess land changes when field tests are not feasible. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:120-129. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  3. Houston, Galveston Bay, Texas, USA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1985-10-07

    51J-143-126 (5 Oct. 1985) --- The vertical stabilizer of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Atlantis serves to partially frame this scene of Metropolitan Houston. Hold photo with vertical tail at top so that north will be at top. America's fourth largest city, with its radiating highway network, lies at the junction between the East Texas piney woods, containing lakes Conroe and Livingston (near top center and top right, respectively), and the coastal prairie, now largely farmland (left side of frame). The coast stretches from the left at Freeport and the mouth of the Brazos River, past Galveston and Texas City, and the circle of the High Island Salt Dome (clearly seen at lower right near the Bolivar Peninsula), to Port Arthur on the Neches River (far right). Patterns of muddy and clear water are particularly well-displayed in Galveston and Trinity Bays, as well as in the Gulf of Mexico. With a close look, the Harris County Domed Stadium (Astrodome) can be recognized on Houston's south side. The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) and the Clear Lake City area are easily delineated some 25 miles southeast of downtown Houston. The scene was recorded on film by one of the STS-51J crewmembers using a handheld Hasselblad camera and 70mm film.

  4. Houston/Galveston, Texas, USA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1991-09-18

    In this view of Houston/Galveston, Texas, USA (29.5N, 95.5W), heavy spring rains emphasize the several bodies of water in the area. Even though partially cloud covered, the progressive nature of the Houston highway and freeway system can easily be observed in this highly detailed view. To the south, the NASA, Clear Lake area just off of Galveston Bay can easily be seen. In the center, is the downtown business district.

  5. The Future of Economic Development on the Galveston County Mainland: A Challenge Based upon Community Perceptions of Leadership Characteristics and Responsibilities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughan, Jerry L.

    A community survey conducted in Galveston County, Texas identified four attributes or characteristics of community leadership: problem-solving effectiveness; ability and willingness to accept responsibility; leadership cooperation; and leadership coordination of organizations. The leadership patterns found in Galveston County will effect the…

  6. Houston, Galveston Bay, Texas, USA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1985-10-07

    Long regarded as one of the best photo of Houston, Texas (29.5N, 95.0W), this view from space shows the entire greater Houston/Galveston region in remarkable detail and clarity. The dark north/south line in the water between Houston and Galveston is the Houston Ship Channel. NASA's Johnson Space Center and Mission Control is located on the north shore of Clear Lake west of the channel. The extensive road and highway network can be seen in great detail.

  7. Fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and stream habitat data from the Houston-Galveston Area Council service area, Texas, 1997-98

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Moring, J. Bruce; Rosendale, John C.; Ansley, Stephen P.; Brown, Dexter W.

    1998-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey collected fish, benthic macroinvertebrate, and stream habitat data at sampling sites in the Houston-Galveston Area Council service area, a 15-county area with a population of about 4.3 million people. The data were collected for a 1997?98 study in cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council to provide data for the Texas Clean Rivers Program for watersheds near Houston, Texas. Fish community and stream habitat data were collected at all 56 sites selected, and benthic macroinvertebrate data were collected at 39 of the sites.

  8. Sediment Management Options for Galveston Island, Texas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-06-15

    Galveston Island is a major tourist and commercial center on the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of Galveston Bay, Texas, USA. The shoreline along the...experience various rates of erosion, but Reach 1 is the highest priority since it is the part of the beach where most tourists visit and is...1.12 m/yr. It is assumed that all remaining littoral material not accounted for in beach growth enters San Luis Pass. All morphologic evidence shows

  9. Airport Revenues: Galveston Municipal Airport; Scholes Field; Galveston, Texas; Federal Aviation Administration

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-11-07

    Our audit objectives were to determine whether (i) the city of Galveston, Texas : (city), was in compliance with its Airport Improvement Program grant assurances : and (ii) airport-generated revenues were used for the operating and capital cost : of ...

  10. Houston/Galveston, Texas, USA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1991-05-06

    STS039-151-175 (28 April-6 May 1991) --- Large format (five-inch) frame of part of the greater Houston metropolitan area photographed from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery. (Hold photo vertically with Galveston at bottom so that north will be at top.) Heavier than normal spring rains emphasize the several bodies of water in the area. Thanks to Sun angle, the interstate highways, Houston's belt and loop systems and even city streets, farm-to-market roads and airport runways are easily observed in the frame. NASA and Clear Lake City, work and home areas of the seven Discovery astronaut crew members, are easily spotted near upper Galveston Bay in bottom (south portion) of the frame. Houston's central business district and the Harris County Domed Stadium are seen in the upper left quadrant.

  11. Records of wells, drillers' logs, water-level measurements, and chemical analyses of ground water in Harris and Galveston Counties, Texas, 1984-1989

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coplin, L.S.; Campodonico, Al

    1991-01-01

    Data for water wells and ground water in Harris and Galveston Counties were collected during 1984-89 by the U.S. Geological Survey. This report presents a compilation of records for 243 wells in Harris and Galveston Counties and drillers' logs for 174 of these wells. Water-level data and chemical-quality data of water for new and previously inventoried wells were also collected. Water levels in 521 wells and chemical analyses of water from 249 wells are presented in this report.

  12. Water-level altitudes 2001, water-level changes 1977-2001 and 2000-2001, and compaction 1973-2000 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Coplin, L.S.; Houston, Natalie A.; Brown, Dexter W.

    2001-01-01

    This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes since 1977 and compaction since 1973 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report, prepared in cooperation with the City of Houston and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents maps for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers showing the approximate water-level altitudes in wells in 2001 (figs 1,4) and approximate water-level changes in wells from 1977 to 2001 and from 2000 to 2001 (figs 2,3,5,6), a map showing extensometer site locations (fig. 7), and graphs showing measured compaction of subserface material at selected sites from 1973 to 2000 (fig. 8). The most recent previously published water-level-altitude maps and water-level-change maps for the two aquifers in the region are by Coplin and Santos. (2000). The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

  13. Texas A & M University at Galveston: College and University Computing Environment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    CAUSE/EFFECT, 1986

    1986-01-01

    Texas A & M University at Galveston is the only marine and maritime-oriented University in the Southwest. Its computing policy/direction, academic computing, administrative computing, and library automation are described, and hurricance emergency plans are also discussed. (MLW)

  14. 33 CFR 110.197 - Galveston Harbor, Bolivar Roads Channel, Texas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Galveston Harbor, Bolivar Roads... Roads Channel, Texas. (a)(1) Anchorage area (A). The water bounded by a line connecting the following... the hull or rigging of any anchored vessel shall extend outside the limits of the anchorage area. (7...

  15. 33 CFR 110.197 - Galveston Harbor, Bolivar Roads Channel, Texas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Galveston Harbor, Bolivar Roads... Roads Channel, Texas. (a)(1) Anchorage area (A). The water bounded by a line connecting the following... the hull or rigging of any anchored vessel shall extend outside the limits of the anchorage area. (7...

  16. Ecosystem under pressure: ballast water discharge into Galveston Bay, Texas (USA) from 2005 to 2010.

    PubMed

    Steichen, Jamie L; Windham, Rachel; Brinkmeyer, Robin; Quigg, Antonietta

    2012-04-01

    Ballast water exchange processes facilitate the dispersal and unnatural geographic expansion of phytoplankton, including harmful algal bloom species. From 2005 to 2010, over 45,000 vessels (≈ 8000 annually) travelled across Galveston Bay (Texas, USA) to the deep-water ports of Houston (10th largest in the world), Texas City and Galveston. These vessels (primarily tankers and bulkers) discharged ≈ 1.2 × 10(8) metrictons of ballast water; equivalent to ≈ 3.4% of the total volume of the Bay. Over half of the ballast water discharged had a coastwise origin, 96% being from US waters. Galveston Bay has fewer non-indigenous species but receives a higher volume of ballast water discharge, relative to the highly invaded Chesapeake and San Francisco Bays. Given the magnitude of shipping traffic, the role of Galveston Bay, both as a recipient and donor region of non-indigenous phytoplankton species is discussed here in terms of the invasibility risk to this system by way of ballast water. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Houston/Galveston, Texas, USA

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1991-05-06

    STS039-85-036 (28 April-6 May 1991) --- An orbital pass took the Space Shuttle Discovery over the Houston area, allowing this nearly vertical 70mm photograph to be taken. The north - south bounds extend from a line just north of the Intercontinental Airport at the top of the photo. (Some printings have index numbers near south in the frame). The east - west coverage extends from a line several miles outside the Sam Houston belt system left and right. Parts of the belt system, especially in the south, are still under construction. The Harris County Domed Stadium can be delineated just left of center, and the central business district of Houston is just above center. The work and living areas of the seven astronaut crew members are in the lower right quadrant, including Clear Lake, Taylor Lake, the NASA complex and parts of upper Galveston Bay. Many passes over the Houston area do not exist with the minimal cloud cover seen here.

  18. Approximate land-surface subsidence in Fort Bend County, Texas, 1943-87 and 1973-87

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gabrysch, R.K.; Coplin, L.S.

    1998-01-01

    Land-surface subsidence resulting from the lowering of water levels that accompany ground-water development in areas of the Texas Gulf Coast has been described in numerous reports, newspapers, and magazines since the 1950s. Gabrysch and Bonnet (1975), Gabrysch (1984), and Gabrysch and Coplin (1990) presented subsidence maps of the Houston-Galveston region, including Fort Bend County, for a number of time periods. Most of the subsidence has been in the Houston area. This report, prepared in cooperation with the Fort Bend Subsidence District and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, presents contour maps of land-surface subsidence in Fort Bend County that occurred during 1943-87 and 1973-87.Fort Bend County is underlain by a thick section of unconsolidated lenticular deposits of sand and clay. The deposits include the principal aquifers in the county – the Evangeline aquifer and the overlying Chicot aquifer. Within these aquifers, the interbedded sands and clays are saturated with water almost to the land surface. The sand layers generally are connected laterally, but the clays retard the vertical movement of water, creating confined (artesian) conditions within the aquifer. The sands are fine to medium grained, and the combined layers yield large quantities of water. The clays are principally montmorillonite, the most compressible of the clay minerals.

  19. Variation in biotic assemblages and stream-habitat data with sampling strategy and method in tidal segments of Highland and Marchand Bayous, Galveston County, Texas, 2007

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mabe, Jeffrey A.; Moring, J. Bruce

    2008-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program under the authority of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, did a study in 2007 to assess the variation in biotic assemblages (benthic macroinvertebrate and fish communities) and stream-habitat data with sampling strategy and method in tidal segments of Highland Bayou and Marchand Bayou in Galveston County. Data were collected once in spring and once in summer 2007 from four stream sites (reaches) (short names Hitchcock, Fairwood, Bayou Dr, and Texas City) of Highland Bayou and from one reach (short name Marchand) in Marchand Bayou. Only stream-habitat data from summer 2007 samples were used for this report. Additional samples were collected at the Hitchcock, Fairwood, and Bayou Dr reaches (multisample reaches) during summer 2007 to evaluate variation resulting from sampling intensity and location. Graphical analysis of benthic macroinvertebrate community data using a multidimensional scaling technique indicates there are taxonomic differences between the spring and summer samples. Seasonal differences in communities primarily were related to decreases in the abundance of chironomids and polychaetes in summer samples. Multivariate Analysis of Similarities tests of additional summer 2007 benthic macroinvertebrate samples from Hitchcock, Fairwood, and Bayou Dr indicated significant taxonomic differences between the sampling locations at all three reaches. In general, the deepwater samples had the smallest numbers for benthic macroinvertebrate taxa richness and abundance. Graphical analysis of species-level fish data indicates no consistent seasonal difference in fish taxa across reaches. Increased seining intensity at the multisample reaches did not result in a statistically significant difference in fish communities. Increased seining resulted in some changes in taxa richness and community diversity metrics. Diversity increases

  20. 76 FR 2916 - Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee; Meetings

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Coast Guard [USCG-2010-1116] Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety.../Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (``HOGANSAC'' or ``the Committee'') and its working groups will meet in Texas City, Texas and Houston, Texas to discuss waterway improvements, aids to navigation...

  1. Water-level changes 1977-87, 1987-95, and 1995-2000 in the Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Lanning-Rush, Jennifer

    2002-01-01

    This report depicts long-term water-level changes in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, Waller, and Montgomery Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Grimes, Walker, San Jacinto, Liberty, and Chambers Counties. The report was prepared in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District and the Fort Bend Subsidence District. For the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, maps show approximate water-level changes for the periods 1977 to 1987 (figs. 1 and 4), 1987 to 1995 (figs. 2 and 5), and 1995 to 2000 (figs. 3 and 6). Nineteen seventy-seven was the first year that water levels in a network of wells were measured and water-levelaltitude maps made for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers. Nineteen eighty-seven, 1995, and 2000 were years in which land-surface altitudes throughout Harris, Galveston, and Fort Bend Counties were releveled using spirit leveling (1987) and Global Positioning Satellite technology (1995 and 2000); thus the selection of those years for the maps. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published annual reports of water-level altitudes and water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region since 1979 and separate similar annual reports for the Fort Bend subregion since 1990. Beginning with 2002, the separate annual reports were combined into one report.

  2. Atmospheric deposition of organochlorine contaminants to Galveston Bay, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, June-Soo; Wade, Terry L.; Sweet, Stephen

    Atmospheric monitoring of PCBs and chlorinated pesticides (e.g., HCHs, chlordanes, and DDTs) in Galveston Bay was conducted at Seabrook, Texas. Air and wet deposition samples were collected from 2 February 1995 and continued through 6 August 1996. Vapor total PCB ( tPCB) concentrations in air ranged from 0.21 to 4.78 ng m -3 with a dominance of tri-chlorinated PCBs. Dissolved tPCBs in rain ranged from 0.08 to 3.34 ng l -1, with tetra-chlorinated PCBs predominating. The predominant isomers found in air and rain were α- and γ-HCH, α- and γ-chlordanes, 4,4'-DDT, and dieldrin. The concentrations of PCBs and pesticides in the air and rain revealed no clear seasonal trend. Elevated levels of PCBs in the air occurred when temperatures were high and wind came from urban and industrialized areas (S, SW, NW, and W of the site). Concentrations of HCHs were elevated in April, May, and October, perhaps due to local and/or regional applications of γ-HCH (lindane). Other pesticides showed no notable temporal variation. When winds originated from the Gulf of Mexico (southeasterly), lower concentrations of organochlorines were detected in the air. The direct deposition rate (wet+dry) of PCBs to Galveston Bay (6.40 μg m -2 yr -1) was significantly higher than that of pesticides by a factor of 5-10. The net flux from gas exchange estimated for PCBs was from Galveston Bay water to the atmosphere (78 μg m -2 yr -1). Gas exchange of PCBs from bay water to the atmosphere was the dominant flux.

  3. Galveston's "Sea Aggies" Find Their Land Legs at College Station

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mangan, Katherine

    2008-01-01

    More than 1,500 students who were driven off their island campus in Galveston, Texas, by Hurricane Ike resumed classes last week 150 miles inland, on the main campus of Texas A&M University at College Station. The students, who are enrolled at Texas A&M's marine-oriented branch campus, in Galveston, were hurriedly moved into spare rooms…

  4. Estimated land-surface subsidence in Harris County, Texas, 1915-17 to 2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Gabrysch, Robert K.; Johnson, Michaela R.

    2009-01-01

    Land-surface subsidence, or land subsidence, in Harris County, Texas, which encompasses much of the Houston area, has been occurring for decades. Land subsidence has increased the frequency and extent of flooding, damaged buildings and transportation infrastructure, and caused adverse environmental effects. The primary cause of land subsidence in the Houston area is withdrawal of groundwater, although extraction of oil and gas also has contributed. Throughout most of the 20th century, groundwater was the primary source of municipal, agricultural, and industrial water supply for Harris County. Currently (2009) a transition to surface water as the primary source of supply, guided by a groundwater regulatory plan developed by the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (2001), is in effect. The aquifers in Harris County contain an abundant amount of potable groundwater, but they also contain layers of clay. Groundwater withdrawals caused compaction of the clay layers, which in turn resulted in the widespread, substantial land-surface subsidence that has occurred in the Houston area.

  5. 75 FR 47713 - Regulated Navigation Area; Galveston Channel, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-09

    .... SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a regulated navigation area (RNA) across the entire width of the Galveston Channel in the vicinity of Sector Field Office (SFO) Galveston, Texas. This RNA will require... Port Houston-Galveston or a designated representative. This RNA is needed to protect the Coast Guard...

  6. A chronicle of organochlorine contamination in Clear Creek, Galveston and Harris Counties, Texas, 1960-2002, as recorded in sediment cores

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mahler, Barbara J.; Van Metre, Peter

    2003-01-01

    Clear Creek flows through the Texas Coastal Plain from its headwaters southeast of Houston, Texas, to Clear Lake, which empties into Galveston Bay. Segments of Clear Creek were on the State of Texas 303(d) list for 1998, 1999, and 2000 as a result of a fish consumption advisory issued by the Texas Department of Health. One of the contaminants for which the fish consumption advisory was issued is the organochlorine pesticide chlordane. Chlordane is a hydrophobic (“waterfearing”) contaminant; that is, it adsorbs to sediment at concentrations much greater than those found in water. The study described here sought to answer three questions:Does chlordane occur in Clear Creek sediments at present?Is there current loading of chlordane to Clear Creek?How has occurrence of chlordane in Clear Creek changed over time?To answer these questions, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), collected and analyzed sediment cores from Clear Creek (fig. 1). Sediment cores sometimes can be used to reconstruct historical trends in concentrations of hydrophobic contaminants (Eisenreich and others, 1989; Van Metre and others, 1997). Cores were collected from five ponds connected to Clear Creek but out of the main channel (fig. 1). Cesium-137 (137Cs) was analyzed in the cores to determine if the sediments in the cores were undisturbed and if the cores reached sediment predating 1964. The two cores that appeared most undisturbed on the basis of 137Cs profiles (see sidebar, p. 2) were further subsampled and additional samples analyzed for 137Cs, organic carbon, selected organochlorine pesticides (including chlordane), and total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB).

  7. Mental Health Outcomes Among Adults in Galveston and Chambers Counties After Hurricane Ike

    PubMed Central

    Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Gros, Kirstin; McCauley, Jenna L.; Resnick, Heidi S.; Morgan, Mark; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Muzzy, Wendy; Acierno, Ron

    2014-01-01

    Objective To examine the mental health effects of Hurricane Ike, the third costliest hurricane in US history, which devastated the upper Texas coast in September 2008. Method Structured telephone interviews assessing immediate effects of Hurricane Ike (damage, loss, displacement) and mental health diagnoses were administered via random digit-dial methods to a household probability sample of 255 Hurricane Ike–affected adults in Galveston and Chambers counties. Results Three-fourths of respondents evacuated the area because of Hurricane Ike and nearly 40% were displaced for at least one week. Postdisaster mental health prevalence estimates were 5.9% for posttraumatic stress disorder, 4.5% for major depressive episode, and 9.3% for generalized anxiety disorder. Bivariate analyses suggested that peritraumatic indicators of hurricane exposure severity—such as lack of adequate clean clothing, electricity, food, money, transportation, or water for at least one week—were most consistently associated with mental health problems. Conclusions The significant contribution of factors such as loss of housing, financial means, clothing, food, and water to the development and/or maintenance of negative mental health consequences highlights the importance of systemic postdisaster intervention resources targeted to meet basic needs in the postdisaster period. PMID:22490934

  8. Mental health outcomes among adults in Galveston and Chambers counties after Hurricane Ike.

    PubMed

    Ruggiero, Kenneth J; Gros, Kirstin; McCauley, Jenna L; Resnick, Heidi S; Morgan, Mark; Kilpatrick, Dean G; Muzzy, Wendy; Acierno, Ron

    2012-03-01

      To examine the mental health effects of Hurricane Ike, the third costliest hurricane in US history, which devastated the upper Texas coast in September 2008.   Structured telephone interviews assessing immediate effects of Hurricane Ike (damage, loss, displacement) and mental health diagnoses were administered via random digit-dial methods to a household probability sample of 255 Hurricane Ike-affected adults in Galveston and Chambers counties.   Three-fourths of respondents evacuated the area because of Hurricane Ike and nearly 40% were displaced for at least one week. Postdisaster mental health prevalence estimates were 5.9% for posttraumatic stress disorder, 4.5% for major depressive episode, and 9.3% for generalized anxiety disorder. Bivariate analyses suggested that peritraumatic indicators of hurricane exposure severity-such as lack of adequate clean clothing, electricity, food, money, transportation, or water for at least one week-were most consistently associated with mental health problems.   The significant contribution of factors such as loss of housing, financial means, clothing, food, and water to the development and/or maintenance of negative mental health consequences highlights the importance of systemic postdisaster intervention resources targeted to meet basic needs in the postdisaster period.

  9. Monitoring and Mapping the Hurricane Harvey Flooding in Houston, Texas.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balaji Bhaskar, M. S.

    2017-12-01

    Monitoring and Mapping the Hurricane Harvey Flooding in Houston, Texas.Urban flooding is a hazard that causes major destruction and loss of life. High intense precipitation events have increased significantly in Houston, Texas in recent years resulting in frequent river and bayou flooding. Many of the historical storm events such as Allison, Rita and Ike have caused several billion dollars in losses for the Houston-Galveston Region. A category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall on South Texas resulting in heavy precipitation from Aug 25 to 29 of 2017. About 1 trillion gallons of water fell across Harris County over a 4-day period. This amount of water covers Harris County's 1,800 square miles with an average of 33 inches of water. The long rain event resulted in an average 40inch rainfall across the area in several rain gauges and the maximum rainfall of 49.6 inches was recorded near Clear Creek. The objectives of our study are to 1) Process the Geographic Information System (GIS) and satellite data from the pre and post Hurricane Harvey event in Houston, Texas and 2) Analyze the satellite imagery to map the nature and pattern of the flooding in Houston-Galveston Region. The GIS data of the study area was downloaded and processed from the various publicly available resources such as Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC), Texas Commission of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Natural Resource Information Systems (TNRIS). The satellite data collected soon after the Harvey flooding event were downloaded and processed using the ERDAS image processing software. The flood plain areas surrounding the Brazos River, Buffalo Bayou and the Addicks Barker reservoirs showed severe inundation. The different watershed areas affected by the catastrophic flooding in the wake of Hurricane Harvey were mapped and compared with the pre flooding event.

  10. Approximate changes in water levels in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-92 and 1991-92, and measured compaction, 1973-91 in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Barbie, Dana L.; Campodonico, Al

    1992-01-01

    This report is one in a series of reports that depict water-level changes since 1977 and compaction of subsurface material since 1973.  The report was prepared in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District and the City of Houston, and presents maps showing the approximate changes in water-levels in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-92 and 1991-92 (figs. 1-4), and measured compations, 1973-91 (figs. 5 and 6), in the Houston-Galveston region.  The Houston-Galveston region includes Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

  11. Approximate changes in water levels in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-93 and 1992-93, and measured compaction, 1973-92, in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Coplin, L.S.; Campodonico, Al

    1993-01-01

    This report is one in a series of reports that depict water-level changes since 1977 and compaction of subsurface material since 1973.  The report was prepared in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District and the City of Houston, and presents maps showing the approximate changes in water levels in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-93 and 1992-93 (figs. 1-4), and measured compaction, 1973-92 (figs. 5 and 6), in the Houston-Galveston region.  The Houston-Galveston region includes Harris and Galveston Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Waller, Montgomery, Liberty, and Chambers Counties.

  12. Water-level altitudes 2017 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper Aquifers and compaction 1973–2016 in the Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Ramage, Jason K.

    2017-08-16

    Most of the land-surface subsidence in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, has occurred as a direct result of groundwater withdrawals for municipal supply, commercial and industrial use, and irrigation that depressured and dewatered the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, thereby causing compaction of the aquifer sediments, mostly in the fine-grained silt and clay layers. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports depicting water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and measured cumulative compaction of subsurface sediments in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. This report contains regional-scale maps depicting approximate 2017 water-level altitudes (represented by measurements made during December 2016 through March 2017) and long-term water-level changes for the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers; a map depicting locations of borehole-extensometer (hereinafter referred to as “extensometer”) sites; and graphs depicting measured long-term cumulative compaction of subsurface sediments at the extensometers during 1973–2016.In 2017, water-level-altitude contours for the Chicot aquifer ranged from 200 feet (ft) below the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (hereinafter referred to as “datum”) in two localized areas in southwestern and northwestern Harris County to 200 ft above datum in west-central Montgomery County. The largest water-level-altitude decline (120 ft) depicted by the 1977–2017 water-level-change contours for the Chicot aquifer was in northwestern Harris County. A broad area where water-level altitudes declined in the Chicot aquifer extends from northwestern, north-central, and southwestern Harris County

  13. 77 FR 25075 - Special Local Regulation; Galveston Bay, Kemah, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-27

    ...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Galveston Bay, Kemah, TX AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary special local regulation in Galveston Bay in the vicinity of Kemah, Texas. This temporary special local regulation is necessary to provide...

  14. Galveston Symposium: Physical Oceanography of the Louisiana/Texas Continental Shelf

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mitchell, Thomas M.; Brown, Murray

    The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Region sponsored a symposium on the Physical Oceanography of the Louisiana/Texas (LA/TX) Shelf in Galveston, Texas, on May 24-26, 1988. The symposium brought together a number of physical oceanographers, meteorologists, and ecologists to discuss the state of knowledge and to begin the planning process for a long-term study of shelf circulation covering the region from the mouth of the Mississippi River to approximately 24° latitude along the Mexican coast and from the shore out to a depth of approximately 500 m. The proposed study, to be a component of the ongoing MMS Environmental Studies Program, is expected to take place during the period 1989-1991. It is anticipated that the work will be done principally through contracts after a competitive procurement process. Specific charges to the participants were as follows:to assess the current state of knowledge concerning the circulation on the LA/TX shelfto identify significant gaps in that knowledgeto recommend a field measurement program to address these gapsto recommend a circulation modeling program for the LA/TX shelf that will improve MMS' oil spill risk assessmentsto identify and initiate coordination mechanisms and data-sharing arrangements with other proposed research efforts

  15. Natural Decrease in Texas Counties.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koebernick, Thomas E.; Markides, Kyriakos S.

    In replication of other studies, the natural decrease of Texas population was examined in terms of the effect of migration and fertility. Utilizing Texas and U.S. vital statistics and the 1970 U.S. Census of Population, Texas population trends were analyzed for the 1968-72 period by dividing the 254 Texas counties into: (1) 65 natural decrease…

  16. 33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

  17. 33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

  18. 33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

  19. 33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

  20. 33 CFR 165.813 - Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Security Zones; Ports of Houston and Galveston, TX. (a) Location. Within the Ports of Houston and Galveston, Texas, moving security zones are established encompassing all waters within 500 yards of a cruise ship... entire transit of the cruise ship and continues while the cruise ship is moored or anchored. (b...

  1. Population trends, reproductive success, and organochlorine chemical contaminants in waterbirds nesting in Galveston Bay, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    King, K.A.; Krynitsky, A.J.

    1986-01-01

    The effects of environmental contaminants on the reproductive success of olivaceous cormorants (Phalacrocorax olivaceus ), Laughing gulls (Larus atricilla ), and black skimmers (Rhynchops niger ) nesting in Galveston Bay, Texas were investigated from 1980 through 1982. Populations of cormorants and gulls have remained stable in recent years, but skimmer numbers may have declined. Cormorants produced 1.9 to 2.8 young per pair in nests that remained active throughout the season. Gull and skimmer reproduction was seriously limited by storms and predation. DDE and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) residues in carcasses and eggs generally were below levels associated with chronic poisoning and reproductive problems in most species of birds.

  2. Geospatial compilation of historical water-level changes in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers 1977-2013 and Jasper aquifer 2000-13, Gulf Coast aquifer system, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Michaela R.; Linard, Joshua I.

    2014-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District has produced an annual series of reports that depict water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, from 1977 to 2013. Changes are determined from water-level measurements between December and March of each year from groundwater wells screened in one of the three aquifers. Existing published maps and unpublished geographic information system (GIS) datasets were compiled into a comprehensive geodatabase of all water-level-change maps produced as part of this multiagency effort. Annual water-level-change maps were georeferenced and digitized where existing GIS data were unavailable (1979–99). Existing GIS data available for 2000–13 were included in the geodatabase. The compilation contains 121 datasets showing water-level changes for each primary aquifer of the Gulf Coast aquifer system: 56 for the Chicot aquifer (1977; 1979–2013 and 1990; 1993–2013), 56 for the Evangeline aquifer (1977; 1979–2013 and 1990; 1993–2013), and 9 for the Jasper aquifer (2000; 2005–13).

  3. Water-level altitudes 2005 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2004 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Houston, Natalie A.

    2005-01-01

    This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, Waller, and Montgomery Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Grimes, Walker, San Jacinto, Liberty, and Chambers Counties. The report was prepared in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, the City of Houston, the Fort Bend Subsidence District, and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District. For the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, maps show approximate water-level altitudes in 2005, water-level changes from 2004 to 2005, and approximate water-level changes from 2000 to 2005, from 1990 to 2005, and from 1977 to 2005 (figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10). For the Jasper aquifer, maps show approximate water-level altitudes in 2005 and water-level changes from 2004 to 2005 and 2000 to 2005 (figs. 11, 12, and 13). The report also contains a map showing borehole extensometer (well equipped with compaction monitor) site locations (fig. 14) and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at these sites from 1973 or later to 2004 (fig. 15).The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published annual reports of water-level altitudes and water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region since 1979; and annual reports of same for the Fort Bend subregion (Fort Bend County and adjacent areas) since 1990. The USGS published its first water-level-altitude map for the Jasper aquifer in the greater Houston area (primarily Montgomery County) in 2001. The 2005 water-level-altitude and water-level-change maps for the three aquifers are included in this report.

  4. Water-level altitudes 2006 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2005 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Houston, Natalie A.; Brown, Dexter W.

    2006-01-01

    This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, Waller, and Montgomery Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Grimes, Walker, San Jacinto, Liberty, and Chambers Counties. The report was prepared in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, the City of Houston, the Fort Bend Subsidence District, and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District. For the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, maps show approximate water-level altitudes in 2006, water-level changes from 2005 to 2006, and approximate water-level changes from 2001 to 2006, from 1990 to 2006, and from 1977 to 2006 (figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). For the Jasper aquifer, maps show approximate water-level altitudes in 2006 and water-level changes from 2005 to 2006 and 2000 to 2006 (figs. 11, 12, 13). The report also contains a map showing borehole extensometer (well equipped with compaction monitor) site locations (fig. 14) and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at these sites from 1973 or later to 2005 (fig. 15).The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published annual reports of water-level altitudes and water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region since 1979; and annual reports of same for the Fort Bend subregion (Fort Bend County and adjacent areas) since 1990. The USGS published its first water-level-altitude map for the Jasper aquifer in the greater Houston area (primarily Montgomery County) in 2001. The 2006 water-level-altitude and water-level-change maps for the three aquifers are included in this report.

  5. Water-level altitudes 2004 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2003 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Lanning-Rush, Jennifer

    2004-01-01

    This report is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. The Houston-Galveston region comprises Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, Waller, and Montgomery Counties and adjacent parts of Brazoria, Grimes, Walker, San Jacinto, Liberty, and Chambers Counties. The report was prepared in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, the City of Houston, the Fort Bend Subsidence District, and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District. For the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, maps show approximate water-level altitudes in 2004, water-level changes from 2003 to 2004, approximate water-level changes from 1977 to 2004, and approximate water-level changes from 1990 to 2004 (figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). For the Jasper aquifer, maps show approximate water-level altitudes in 2004 and water-level changes from 2003 to 2004 and 2000 to 2004 (figs. 9, 10, 11). The report also contains a map showing borehole extensometer (well equipped with compaction monitor) site locations (fig. 12) and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at these sites from 1973 or later to 2003 (fig. 13). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has published annual reports of water-level altitudes and water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region since 1979; and annual reports of same for the Fort Bend subregion (Fort Bend County and adjacent areas) since 1990. The USGS published its first water-level-altitude map for the Jasper aquifer in the greater Houston area (primarily Montgomery County) in 2001. The 2004 water-level-altitude and water-level-change maps for the three aquifers are included in this report.

  6. Chlorophyll-a Concentrations Affected by Discharge and Climate Conditions in Galveston Bay, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, X.; Gao, H.; Zhang, S.

    2017-12-01

    As the transition zones between river and ocean, estuaries face increasing pressure on their ecosystem health due to changes of freshwater quantity and quality—especially under the impacts of population growth, land use/land cover change, and climate change. Located at the northeast of Houston, Galveston Bay is of particular social economic importance for the State of Texas. Its freshwater inflow primarily arises from two rivers, the San Jacinto and the Trinity. While it is well recognized that Chlorophyll a (chla) concentration—an indicator of ecosystem health—is closely linked to river inflows and other environmental factors, no quantitative relationships have been established. The objectives of this study are to identify the spatial-temporal variations of chla, and to investigate the impacts of freshwater inflow and climatic factors on chla variability—so that prediction models can be developed for chla forecasting to provide scientific support for ecological management (in Galveston Bay). A 10-year validated remote sensing dataset is used in this analysis. The results show that chla has higher concentrations near the shoreline, as compared to the center of the bay. Temporally, chla tends to be higher in wet years than in dry years. Similarly, the seasonal fluctuations of chla are more significant during the wet months (from February to May) than the dry months (especially from August to December). Chla in the bay is primarily determined by discharge from the Trinity River in AMJ (April, May, June) and JAS (July, August, September). However, the driving factor is mainly water temperature in OND (October, November, December). In JFM (January, February, March), almost all of the factors (except discharge from the San Jacinto River) show significant correlation with chla. Based on these analyses, a chla prediction model is developed and tested. This result can provide scientific support for coastal environmental management in Galveston Bay, maintaining the

  7. Statewide summary for Texas: Chapter B in Emergent wetlands status and trends in the northern Gulf of Mexico: 1950-2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Handley, Lawrence R.; Spear, Kathryn A.; Gibeaut, Jim; Thatcher, Cindy A.

    2014-01-01

    The Texas coast (Figure 1) consists of complex and diverse ecosystems with a varying precipitation gradient. The northernmost portion of the coast, extending from Sabine Lake to Galveston Bay, is composed of salt, brackish, intermediate, and fresh marshes, with humid flatwoods inland (Moulton and others, 1997). Coastal prairies are found across the entire coast. From Galveston Bay to Corpus Christi Bay, rivers feed into large bays and estuarine ecosystems. Barrier islands and peninsulas exist along the coast from Galveston Bay to the Mexican border. The southernmost portion of the coast is composed of wind-tidal flats and the hypersaline Laguna Madre. The Laguna Madre lacks rivers and has little rainfall and restricted inlet access to the Gulf. Semiarid rangeland and irrigated agricultural land can be found inland.Approximately 6 million people live in Texas’ coastal counties (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010; Texas GLO, 2013). Seventy percent of the state’s industry and commerce occurs within 160.9 km (100 miles) of the coast (Moulton and others, 1997). Texas ports support 1.4 million jobs and generate $6.5 billion in tax revenues (Texas GLO, 2013). Chemical and petroleum production and marine commerce thrive on the Texas coast. Agriculture, grazing, commercial and recreational fishing, and recreation and tourism are strong industries along the coast and in adjacent areas; oil and gas production, agriculture, and tourism are the state’s three largest industries.

  8. Mercury, cadmium, lead, and selenium in three waterbird species nesting in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    King, K.A.; Cromartie, E.

    1986-01-01

    Heavy metal and selenium concentrations were determined in Olivaceous Cormorants (Phalacrocorax olivaceus ), Laughing gulls (Larus atricilla ), and Black Skimmers (Rynchops niger ) nesting in Galveston Bay, Texas, during 1980-81. Lead was detected at low levels in a small proportion of the liver samples. Mercury was present in all livers sampled, the highest levels being found in cormorants (7.8 ppm) and skimmers (16 ppm). Concentrations were considerably lower than those reported in birds from mercury-contaminated lakes in northern United States and Canada. Cadmium and selenium were detected in 93 and 95% of the kidneys. Cadmium was highest in gulls and skimmers with a maximum value of 16 ppm. Selenium levels were similar among species except for higher concentrations in gulls collected in 1981.

  9. The ERTS-1 investigation (ER-600). Volume 2: ERTS-1 coastal/estuarine analysis. [Galveston Bay, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Erb, R. B.

    1974-01-01

    The Coastal Analysis Team of the Johnson Space Center conducted a 1-year investigation of ERTS-1 MSS data to determine its usefulness in coastal zone management. Galveston Bay, Texas, was the study area for evaluating both conventional image interpretation and computer-aided techniques. There was limited success in detecting, identifying and measuring areal extent of water bodies, turbidity zones, phytoplankton blooms, salt marshes, grasslands, swamps, and low wetlands using image interpretation techniques. Computer-aided techniques were generally successful in identifying these features. Aerial measurement of salt marshes accuracies ranged from 89 to 99 percent. Overall classification accuracy of all study sites was 89 percent for Level 1 and 75 percent for Level 2.

  10. Occurrence of Vibrio vulnificus and toxigenic Vibrio parahaemolyticus on sea catfishes from Galveston Bay, Texas.

    PubMed

    Baumeister, Leslie; Hochman, Mona E; Schwarz, John R; Brinkmeyer, Robin

    2014-10-01

    Dorsal and pectoral fin spines from two species of sea catfishes (Bagre marinus and Ariopsis felis) landed at 54 sites in Galveston Bay, Texas, and its sub-bays from June to October 2005 were screened with traditional cultivation-based assays and quantitative PCR assays for Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. V. vulnificus was present on 51.2% of fish (n = 247), with an average of 403 ± 337 SD cells g(-1). V. parahaemolyticus was present on 94.2% (n = 247); 12.8% tested positive for the virulence-conferring tdh gene, having an average 2,039 ± 2,171 SD cells g(-1). The increasing trend in seafood consumption of "trash fishes" from lower trophic levels, such as sea catfishes, warrants evaluation of their life histories for association with pathogens of concern for human consumption.

  11. Geology and ground-water resources of Galveston County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Petitt, Ben McDowell; Winslow, Allen George

    1957-01-01

    Much additional ground water could be obtained from both the "Alta Loma" sand and the upper part of the Beaumont clay, especially in the northern and western parts of the county. Before large developments of supplies are planned, however, these areas should be explored by test drilling. The problems of well spacing and pumping rates should be thoroughly studied in order to determine the maximum development permitted by the ground-water supply. Current observations should be continued with special emphasis on the progress of salt-water encroachment.

  12. Successful practices in title III implementation. Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Technical Assistance Bulletin. Cameron County, Texas; Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Harford County, Maryland; Dallas County, Texas. Series 6, Number 7

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    This is another in a series of bulletins EPA is issuing to provide examples of implementation programs and strategies of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, known as Title III, that are innovative or have proven effective. The purpose of these bulletins is to share information on successful practices with Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs), State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs), fire departments, and other Title III implementing agencies throughout the country in the hope that such information will prove useful to other SERCs and LEPCs as their programs develop and evolve. The bulletin discusses Title III implementationmore » for Cameron County in Texas, Bucks County in Pennsylvania, Harford County in Maryland, and Dallas County in Texas.« less

  13. Tri-county pilot study. [Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reeves, C. A. (Principal Investigator); Austin, T. W.; Kerber, A. G.

    1976-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. An area inventory was performed for three southeast Texas counties (Montgomery, Walker, and San Jacinto) totaling 0.65 million hectares. The inventory was performed using a two level hierarchy. Level 1 was divided into forestland, rangeland, and other land. Forestland was separated into Level 2 categories: pine, hardwood, and mixed; rangeland was not separated further. Results consisted of area statistics for each county and for the entire study site for pine, hardwood, mixed, rangeland, and other land. Color coded county classification maps were produced for the May data set, and procedures were developed and tested.

  14. Bibliography of Ground-Water References for All 254 Counties in Texas, 1886-2001

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-01-01

    ATLAS FOR BAILEY COUNTY, TEXAS: HIGH PLAINS UNDERGROUND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT NO. 1, 1987. HYDROGEOLOGY AND HYDROCHEMISTRY OF CRETACEOUS AQUI- FERS... UNDERGROUND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT NO. 1, 1987. HYDROGEOLOGY AND HYDROCHEMISTRY OF CRETACEOUS AQUI- FERS, TEXAS PANHANDLE AND EASTERN NEW MEXICO: UNI...Counties in Texas, 1886–2001 Compiled By E.T. Baker, Jr. ANDERSON COUNTY UNDERGROUND WATERS OF THE COASTAL PLAIN OF TEXAS: USGS WATER -SUPPLY PAPER 190

  15. Forest statistics for Southeast Texas counties - 1986

    Treesearch

    William H. McWilliams; Daniel F. Bertelson

    1986-01-01

    These tables were derived from data obtained during a 1986 inventory of 22 counties comprising the Southeast Unit of Texas (fig. 1). Grimes, Leon, Madison, and Waller counties have been added to the Southeastern Unit since the previous inventory if 1975. All comparisons of the 1975 and 1986 forest statistics made in this Bulletin account for this change. The data on...

  16. Water-level altitudes 2016 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973–2015 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Ramage, Jason K.; Johnson, Michaela R.

    2016-10-07

    Most of the land-surface subsidence in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas, has occurred as a direct result of groundwater withdrawals for municipal supply, commercial and industrial use, and irrigation that depressured and dewatered the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, thereby causing compaction of the aquifer sediments, mostly in the fine-grained silt and clay layers. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, and Brazoria County Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports depicting water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and measured cumulative compaction of subsurface sediments in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. The report contains regional-scale maps depicting approximate 2016 water-level altitudes (represented by measurements made during December 2015–March 2016) for the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers; maps depicting 1-year (2015–16) water-level changes for each aquifer; maps depicting approximate contoured 5-year (2011–16) water-level changes for each aquifer; maps depicting approximate contoured long-term (1990–2016 and 1977–2016) water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers; a map depicting approximate contoured long-term (2000–16) water-level changes for the Jasper aquifer; a map depicting locations of borehole-extensometer sites; and graphs depicting measured long-term cumulative compaction of subsurface sediments at the extensometers during 1973–2015. Tables listing the water-level data used to construct each water-level map for each aquifer and the measured long-term cumulative compaction data for each extensometer site are included. Graphs depicting water-level measurement data also are included; these graphs can be used to approximate

  17. Archeological Investigations in the Truscott Reservoir Area. King and Knox Counties, Texas,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1978-06-01

    Roy Dickinson, Mr. John A. Kay, Mr. Benton Ross, and the staff of the Texas Highway Department District Headquarters of Wichita Falls for...of the earliest settlers in King County was Isom Lynn, who came there in 1877 with friends, John and Aaron Lasater, from Jack County. The Lasaters...J. W. Williams, "Some Northwest Texas Trails after Butterfield," West Texas Historical Association Year Book 42 (1966), pp. 78-79. 23. John R

  18. The rationale for attempting to define salt marsh mosquito-breeding areas in Galveston County by remote sensing the associated vegetation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arp, G. K.

    1975-01-01

    The rationale for attempting to define salt marsh mosquito breeding areas in Galveston County was discussed, including a botanical survey of the marsh plant communities, their relationship to flooding, and their exposure to salt water. Particular emphasis is given to Distichlis spicata, a widespread marsh grass. Evidence suggests that breeding areas of Aedes sollicitans are associated with Distichlis and that both species respond to similar ecological conditions in the salt marsh. Aspects of the remote sensing of the Distichlis are considered.

  19. Hurricane Ike Deposits on the Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Bay, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Evans, C. A.; Wilkinson, M. J.; Eppler, D.

    2011-12-01

    In September 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Bay, close to the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). The storm flooded much of the area with a storm surge ranging from 11-20 feet. The Bolivar peninsula, the southeastern coast of Galveston Bay, experienced the brunt of the surge. Several agencies collected excellent imagery baselines before the storm and complementary data a few days afterward that helped define the impacts of the storm. In April of 2011, a team of scientists and astronauts from JSC conducted field mapping exercises along the Bolivar Peninsula, the section of the Galveston Bay coast most impacted by the storm. Astronauts routinely observe and document coastal changes from orbit aboard the International Space Station. As part of their basic Earth Science training, scientists at the Johnson Space Center take astronauts out for field mapping exercises so that they can better recognize and understand features and processes that they will later observe from the International Space Station. Using pre-storm baseline images of the Bolivar Peninsula near Rollover Pass and Gilchrist (NOAA/Google Earth Imagery and USGS aerial imagery and lidar data), the astronauts mapped current coastline positions at defined locations, and related their findings to specific coastal characteristics, including channel, jetties, and other developments. In addition to mapping, we dug trenches along both the Gulf of Mexico coast as well as the Galveston Bay coast of the Bolivar peninsula to determine the depth of the scouring from the storm on the Gulf side, and the amount of deposition of the storm surge deposits on the Bay side of the peninsula. The storm signature was easy to identify by sharp sediment transitions and, in the case of storm deposits, a layer of storm debris (roof shingles, PVC pipes, etc) and black, organic rich layers containing buried sea grasses in areas that were marshes before the storm. The amount of deposition was generally about 20-25 cm; the

  20. Hurricane Ike Deposits on the Bolivar Peninsula, Galveston Bay, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Evans, Cynthia A.; Wilkinson, M. J.; Eppler, Dean

    2011-01-01

    In September 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall on Galveston Bay, close to the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). The storm flooded much of the area with a storm surge ranging from 11 -20 feet. The Bolivar peninsula, the southeastern coast of Galveston Bay, experienced the brunt of the surge. Several agencies collected excellent imagery baselines before the storm and complementary data a few days afterward that helped define the impacts of the storm. In April of 2011, a team of scientists and astronauts from JSC conducted field mapping exercises along the Bolivar Peninsula, the section of the Galveston Bay coast most impacted by the storm. Astronauts routinely observe and document coastal changes from orbit aboard the International Space Station. As part of their basic Earth Science training, scientists at the Johnson Space Center take astronauts out for field mapping exercises so that they can better recognize and understand features and processes that they will later observe from the International Space Station. Using pre -storm baseline images of the Bolivar Peninsula near Rollover Pass and Gilchrist (NOAA/Google Earth Imagery and USGS aerial imagery and lidar data), the astronauts mapped current coastline positions at defined locations, and related their findings to specific coastal characteristics, including channel, jetties, and other developments. In addition to mapping, we dug trenches along both the Gulf of Mexico coast as well as the Galveston Bay coast of the Bolivar peninsula to determine the depth of the scouring from the storm on the Gulf side, and the amount of deposition of the storm surge deposits on the Bay side of the peninsula. The storm signature was easy to identify by sharp sediment transitions and, in the case of storm deposits, a layer of storm debris (roof shingles, PVC pipes, etc) and black, organic rich layers containing buried sea grasses in areas that were marshes before the storm. The amount of deposition was generally about 20 -25 cm

  1. Comal County, Texas: Preparing for Life after High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walter, Frank

    2018-01-01

    Comal County, Texas, may be rural but its students face many of the same challenges as students in urban districts. Communities In Schools of South Central Texas works with the local school district to identify student needs and provide critical supports to help young people prepare for life after high school.

  2. Tropical Storm Allison rapid needs assessment--Houston, Texas, June 2001.

    PubMed

    2002-05-03

    On June 5, 2001, Tropical Storm Allison made landfall on Galveston Island, Texas. During the next 2 days, the system soaked much of southeast Texas and south-central Louisiana with more than 10 inches of rain as it moved slowly northward. On June 7, the storm made a clockwise loop back to the southwest, bringing even more rain to already drenched areas. The record rainfall caused billions of dollars in flood-related damage and approximately 25 deaths and led to a presidential disaster, declaration covering 31 Texas counties (Figure 1) and 28 Louisiana parishes. Harris County, Texas (2000 population: 3,400,578), center of the Houston metropolitan area, was among the hardest hit with some areas receiving up to 37 inches of rain in 24 hours (Figure 2). To evaluate the community's immediate public health needs, the City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) conducted a rapid needs assessment in the areas most affected by flooding. This report summarizes assessment results, which identified increased illness in persons living in flooded homes, suggesting a need for rapid resolution of flood-related damage and the possibility that residents should seek temporary housing during clean-up and repair. The findings underscore the usefulness of rapid needs assessment as a tool to minimize misinformation, identify actual health threats, and ensure delivery of resources to those with the greatest and most immediate need.

  3. Apollo 9 Mission image - S0-65 Multispectral Photography - Texas

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2009-02-19

    AS09-26A-3727A (8 March 1969) --- Color infrared photograph of the Texas Gulf Coast, Galveston Bay to Matagorda Bay, as seen from the Apollo 9 spacecraft during it 78th revolution of Earth. Houston is located at right center edge of photograph. Also visible are Galveston, Texas City, Manned Spacecraft Center, and Freeport. The mouth of the Colorado River is located near left center edge of picture. This picture was taken as a part of the SO65 Multispectral Terrain Photography Experiment.

  4. Geology and ground-water resources of Duval County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sayre, Albert Nelson

    1937-01-01

    Duval County is situated in southern Texas, 100 to 150 miles south of San Antonio and about midway between Corpus Christi, on the Gulf of Mexico, and Laredo, on the Rio Grande. The county lies on the Coastal Plain, which for the most part is low and relatively featureless. Between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande in this part of Texas the plain is interrupted by an erosion remnant, the Reynosa Plateau, which reaches a maximum altitude of nearly 1,000 feet above sea level and stands well above the areas to the east and west. The Reynosa Plateau includes most of Duval County and parts of Webb, Zapata, Starr, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, McMullen, and Live Oak Counties. In Duval County the plateau is bounded on the west by the westward-facing Bordas escarpment, 75 to 150 feet high, which crosses the county with a southwesterly trend from about the middle of the north boundary to about the middle of the west boundary. On the east the plateau is bounded by a low seaward-facing escarpment, which passes through San Diego, trending a little west of south.

  5. The Geography of Mental Health and General Wellness in Galveston Bay After Hurricane Ike: A Spatial Epidemiologic Study With Longitudinal Data.

    PubMed

    Gruebner, Oliver; Lowe, Sarah R; Tracy, Melissa; Cerdá, Magdalena; Joshi, Spruha; Norris, Fran H; Galea, Sandro

    2016-04-01

    To demonstrate a spatial epidemiologic approach that could be used in the aftermath of disasters to (1) detect spatial clusters and (2) explore geographic heterogeneity in predictors for mental health and general wellness. We used a cohort study of Hurricane Ike survivors (n=508) to assess the spatial distribution of postdisaster mental health wellness (most likely resilience trajectory for posttraumatic stress symptoms [PTSS] and depression) and general wellness (most likely resilience trajectory for PTSS, depression, functional impairment, and days of poor health) in Galveston, Texas. We applied the spatial scan statistic (SaTScan) and geographically weighted regression. We found spatial clusters of high likelihood wellness in areas north of Texas City and spatial concentrations of low likelihood wellness in Galveston Island. Geographic variation was found in predictors of wellness, showing increasing associations with both forms of wellness the closer respondents were located to Galveston City in Galveston Island. Predictors for postdisaster wellness may manifest differently across geographic space with concentrations of lower likelihood wellness and increased associations with predictors in areas of higher exposure. Our approach could be used to inform geographically targeted interventions to promote mental health and general wellness in disaster-affected communities.

  6. Characterization of streamflow, suspended sediment, and nutrients entering Galveston Bay from the Trinity River, Texas, May 2014–December 2015

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lucena, Zulimar; Lee, Michael T.

    2017-02-21

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board and the Galveston Bay Estuary Program, collected streamflow and water-quality data at USGS streamflow-gaging stations in the lower Trinity River watershed from May 2014 to December 2015 to characterize and improve the current understanding of the quantity and quality of freshwater inflow entering Galveston Bay from the Trinity River. Continuous streamflow records at four USGS streamflow-gaging stations were compared to quantify differences in streamflow magnitude between upstream and downstream reaches of the lower Trinity River. Water-quality conditions were characterized from discrete nutrient and sedi­ment samples collected over a range of hydrologic conditions at USGS streamflow-gaging station 08067252 Trinity River at Wallisville, Tex. (hereinafter referred to as the “Wallisville site”), approximately 4 river miles upstream from where the Trinity River enters Galveston Bay.Based on streamflow records, annual mean outflow from Livingston Dam into the lower Trinity River was 2,240 cubic feet per second (ft3/s) in 2014 and 22,400 ft3/s in 2015, the second lowest and the highest, respectively, during the entire period of record (1966–2015). During this study, only about 54 percent of the total volume measured at upstream sites was accounted for at the Wallisville site as the Trinity River enters Galveston Bay. This difference in water volumes between upstream sites and the Wallisville site indicates that at high flows a large part of the volume released from Lake Livingston does not reach Galveston Bay through the main channel of the Trinity River. These findings indicate that water likely flows into wetlands and water bodies surrounding the main channel of the Trinity River before reaching the Wallisville site and is being stored or discharged through other channels that flow directly into Galveston Bay.To characterize suspended-sediment concentrations and loads in

  7. Aquatic disposal field investigations Galveston, Texas, offshore disposal site. Evaluative summary. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wright, T.D.; Mathis, D.B.; Brannon, J.M.

    This study was part of an investigation to determine the environmental effects of offshore dredged material disposal at Galveston, Texas. The biological portion of the study was conducted in two phases: a pilot survey of the dredged material disposal site (DMDS) to determine the areal distribution of the biota and sediments; and an experimental study to assess the effect of dredged material disposal on the biota at selected sites in the DMDS. Three experimental sites were investigated: a sandy bottom that received sand, shell, and silt-clay dredged material; a muddy bottom that received sand and shell dredged material; and amore » muddy bottom that received silt-clay dredged material. The magnitude of the effect on the benthic populations could not be accurately assessed because adequate predisposal data on natural sediment and benthic population changes were not available. Dredged material deposits had no apparent effect on feeding habits of fish or on the distribution of nekton, although some nektonic species may have congregated in the turbid water following dredged material disposal. Zooplankton and phytoplankton studies detected no population changes during disposal that could not have been due to sampling error. It is probable that sudden abiotic changes and commercial fishing activities cause more destruction of biota than dredging-related activities.« less

  8. Integrated ecosystem services assessment: Valuation of changes due to sea level rise in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA.

    PubMed

    Yoskowitz, David; Carollo, Cristina; Pollack, Jennifer Beseres; Santos, Carlota; Welder, Kathleen

    2017-03-01

    The goal of the present study was to identify the potential changes in ecosystem service values provided by wetlands in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA, under the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) A1B max (0.69 m) sea level rise scenario. Built exclusively upon the output produced during the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model 6 (SLAMM 6) exercise for the Galveston Bay region, this study showed that fresh marsh and salt marsh present a steady decline from 2009 (initial condition) to 2100. Fresh marsh was projected to undergo the biggest changes, with the loss of approximately 21% of its extent between 2009 and 2100 under the A1B max scenario. The percentages of change for salt marsh were less prominent at approximately 12%. This trend was also shown in the values of selected ecosystem services (disturbance regulation, waste regulation, recreation, and aesthetics) provided by these habitats. An ordinary least squares regression was used to calculate the monetary value of the selected ecosystem services provided by salt marsh and fresh marsh in 2009, and in 2050 and 2100 under the A1B max scenario. The value of the selected services showed potential monetary losses in excess of US$40 million annually in 2100, compared to 2009 for fresh marsh and more than $11 million for salt marsh. The estimates provided here are only small portions of what can be lost due to the decrease in habitat extent, and they highlight the need for protecting not only built infrastructure but also natural resources from sea level rise. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:431-443. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

  9. Trends in selected streamflow statistics at 19 long-term streamflow-gaging stations indicative of outflows from Texas to Arkansas, Louisiana, Galveston Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico, 1922-2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barbie, Dana L.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.

    2012-01-01

    Trends in selected streamflow statistics during 1922-2009 were evaluated at 19 long-term streamflow-gaging stations considered indicative of outflows from Texas to Arkansas, Louisiana, Galveston Bay, and the Gulf of Mexico. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, evaluated streamflow data from streamflow-gaging stations with more than 50 years of record that were active as of 2009. The outflows into Arkansas and Louisiana were represented by 3 streamflow-gaging stations, and outflows into the Gulf of Mexico, including Galveston Bay, were represented by 16 streamflow-gaging stations. Monotonic trend analyses were done using the following three streamflow statistics generated from daily mean values of streamflow: (1) annual mean daily discharge, (2) annual maximum daily discharge, and (3) annual minimum daily discharge. The trend analyses were based on the nonparametric Kendall's Tau test, which is useful for the detection of monotonic upward or downward trends with time. A total of 69 trend analyses by Kendall's Tau were computed - 19 periods of streamflow multiplied by the 3 streamflow statistics plus 12 additional trend analyses because the periods of record for 2 streamflow-gaging stations were divided into periods representing pre- and post-reservoir impoundment. Unless otherwise described, each trend analysis used the entire period of record for each streamflow-gaging station. The monotonic trend analysis detected 11 statistically significant downward trends, 37 instances of no trend, and 21 statistically significant upward trends. One general region studied, which seemingly has relatively more upward trends for many of the streamflow statistics analyzed, includes the rivers and associated creeks and bayous to Galveston Bay in the Houston metropolitan area. Lastly, the most western river basins considered (the Nueces and Rio Grande) had statistically significant downward trends for many of the streamflow statistics

  10. Promoting Career Opportunities in Nursing to the Minority and Male Population of Galveston.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garcia, Viola Ruth

    In 1991, a project was undertaken to increase the number of minority and male students entering and completing the Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) program at Galveston College (GC) in Texas. The goal of the project was achieved in three interrelated phases. The initial phase focused on establishing an outreach program within the community. The…

  11. Water-level altitudes 2010 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2009 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Johnson, Michaela R.; Ramage, Jason K.

    2010-01-01

    Most of the subsidence in the Houston-Galveston region has occurred as a direct result of groundwater withdrawals for municipal supply, industrial use, and irrigation that depressured and dewatered the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers causing compaction of the clay layers of the aquifer sediments. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, and Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports depicting water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region. The report contains maps showing 2010 water-level altitudes for the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, respectively; maps showing 1-year (2009-10) water-level-altitude changes for each aquifer; maps showing 5-year (2005-10) water-level-altitude changes for each aquifer; maps showing long-term (1990-2010 and 1977-2010) water-level-altitude changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers; a map showing long-term (2000-10) water-level-altitude change for the Jasper aquifer; a map showing locations of borehole extensometer sites; and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at the extensometers from 1973, or later, through 2009. Tables listing the data used to construct each aquifer-data map and the compaction graphs are included. Water levels in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers were measured during December 2009-March 2010. In 2010, water-level-altitude contours for the Chicot aquifer ranged from 200 feet below National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 or North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (hereinafter, datum) in a small area in southwestern Harris County to 200 feet above datum in central to southwestern Montgomery County. Water-level-altitude changes in the Chicot aquifer ranged from a 49-foot decline to a 67

  12. Water-level altitudes 2011 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction 1973-2010 in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Michaela R.; Ramage, Jason K.; Kasmarek, Mark C.

    2011-01-01

    Most of the subsidence in the Houston–Galveston region has occurred as a direct result of groundwater withdrawals for municipal supply, industrial use, and irrigation that depressured and dewatered the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers causing compaction of the clay layers of the aquifer sediments. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Harris–Galveston Subsidence District, City of Houston, Fort Bend Subsidence District, and Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports depicting water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston–Galveston region. The report contains maps showing 2011 water-level altitudes for the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers; maps showing 1-year (2010–11) water-level-altitude changes for each aquifer; maps showing 5-year (2006–11) water-level-altitude changes for each aquifer; maps showing long-term (1990–2011 and 1977–2011) water-level-altitude changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers; a map showing long-term (2000–11) water-level-altitude change for the Jasper aquifer; a map showing locations of borehole extensometer sites; and graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at the extensometers from 1973, or later, through 2010. Tables listing the data used to construct each aquifer-data map and the compaction graphs are included.Water levels in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers were measured during December 2010–February 2011. In 2011, water-level-altitude contours for the Chicot aquifer ranged from 200 feet below North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (hereinafter, datum) in a small area in southwestern Harris County to 200 feet above datum in central to southwestern Montgomery County. Water-level-altitude changes in the Chicot aquifer ranged from a 40-foot decline to a 33-foot rise (2010–11), from a 10-foot

  13. Relationship between lysosomal membrane destabilization and chemical body burden in eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) from Galveston Bay, Texas, USA.

    PubMed

    Hwang, Hyun-Min; Wade, Terry L; Sericano, Jose L

    2002-06-01

    Lysosomal destabilization was measured by using hemocytes of eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) collected along a chemical concentration gradient in Galveston Bay, Texas, USA. Results of the lysosomal response were compared to concentrations of organic compounds and trace elements in oyster tissue. Concentrations (on a dry-wt basis) ranged from 288 to 2,390 ng/g for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 38 to 877 ng Sn/g for tri-n-butyltin (TBT), 60 to 562 ng/g for polyclorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 7 to 71 ng/g for total DDT. Trace element concentrations (on a dry-wt basis) ranged from 1.1 to 4.0 microg/g for Cd, 105 to 229 microg/g for Cu, 212 to 868 microg/g for Al, and 1,200 to 8,180 microg/g for Zn. The percentage of destabilized lysosomes ranged from 34 to 81%. A significant positive correlation (p < 0.05) was observed between lysosomal destabilization and body burden of organic compounds (PAHs, PCBs, TBT, and chlorinated pesticides). No significant correlation was found between metal concentrations and lysosomal destabilization. Based on lysosomal destabilization, the study sites in Galveston Bay can be placed in one of three groups: healthy (Hanna Reef and Confederate Bay), moderately damaged (Offats Bayou and Todd's Dump), and highly damaged (Yacht Club and Ship Channel). Lysosomal destabilization that is consistent with toxic chemical body burdens supports previous observations that lysosomal membranes are damaged by toxic chemicals and indicates that this method can serve as an early screening tool to assess overall ecosystem health by using oysters.

  14. Fish, benthic-macroinvertebrate, and stream-habitat data from two estuaries near Galveston Bay, Texas, 2000-2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hogan, Jennifer L.

    2002-01-01

    This report presents data on the status of fish, macroinvertebrates, and stream habitat collected from 10 sites in the lower (estuarine) parts of Armand and Dickinson Bayous near Galveston Bay, Texas, during summer 2000 and winter 2001. The total number of individual fish caught at the five Armand Bayou sites (2,091) was greater than at the five Dickinson Bayou sites (1,055), but the total number of fish species caught at Dickinson Bayou sites (37) was greater than at Armand Bayou sites (30). The total number of invertebrates (26,641) and the total number of invertebrate taxa (141) were both greater at Armand Bayou sites than at Dickinson Bayou sites (10,467 and 131, respectively). Among habitat data, the average sinuosity of Armand Bayou sites (1.31) was greater than that of Dickinson Bayou sites (1.14). Mean left-bank and right-bank slopes were greater at Armand Bayou sites than at Dickinson Bayou sites, although the Armand Bayou banks were lower and narrower than the Dickinson Bayou banks. The Dickinson Bayou channel was deeper at the sampling sites than the Armand Bayou channel.

  15. Data Reports for Retrospective Case Study in Wise County, Texas

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Data reports from sampling events collected in wise county, texas as part of EPA's Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking Water Resources, retrospective case study.

  16. Environmental analysis of geopressured-geothermal prospect areas, Brazoria and Kenedy Counties, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    White, W.A.; McGraw, M.; Gustavson, T.C.

    Preliminary environmental data, including current land use, substrate lithology, soils, natural hazards, water resources, biological assemblages, meteorological data, and regulatory considerations have been collected and analyzed for approximately 150 km/sup 2/ of land: (1) near Chocolate Bayou, Brazoria County, Texas, where a geopressured-geothermal test well was drilled in 1978, and (2) near the rural community of Armstrong, Kenedy County, Texas, where future geopressured-geothermal test well development may occur. The study was designed to establish an environmental data base and to determine, within spatial constraints set by subsurface reservoir conditions, environmentally suitable sites for geopressured-geothermal wells.

  17. Reflectance of vegetation, soil, and water. [Hidalgo County, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiegand, C. L. (Principal Investigator)

    1974-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. The majority of the rangelands of Hidalgo County, Texas are used in cow-calf operations. Continuous year-long grazing is practiced on about 60% of the acreage and some type of deferred system on the rest. Mechanical brush control is used more than chemical control. Ground surveys gave representative estimates for 15 vegetable crops produced in Hidalgo County. ERTS-1 data were used to estimate the acreage of citrus in the county. Combined Kubleka Munk and regression models, that included a term for shadow areas, gave a higher correlation of composite canopy reflectance with ground truth than either model alone.

  18. Houston, Galveston Bay, Texas, USA

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1985-01-01

    Less than an hour before this photo was taken, a large explosion and fire occurred at a petrochemical plant in Mount Belvieu, just to the east of Houston, Texas (29.5N, 95.0W). The fire has just started and the smoke plume is fairly small but by the end of the day, smoke obscured most of the area east of Houston. The spider-web network of highways radiating from the center of Houston is easily seen as well as the Astrodome and other features.

  19. Bibliography of ground-water references for all 254 counties in Texas, 1886-2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Baker, E.T.

    2005-01-01

    PrefaceThis bibliography comprises more than 10,000 citations of ground-water references involving all 254 counties in Texas. The reference citations date from 1886 and extend into 2001. Publications and reports from more than 30 agencies, universities, water districts, geological societies, cities, consultants, and private publication outlets are included in the bibliography. The bibliographic listing is, first, alphabetical by county and, second, chronological by date of the report, from oldest to most recent. The passing years have seen a proliferation in both published and unpublished reports, and such proliferation continues to expand at an accelerating pace. All 254 counties have had groundwater studies, either cursory or detailed. Investigation and development of the ground-water resources of the State of Texas resulted in reports that appear in a variety of formats, including Federal, State, and local agency reports; scholarly, professional, and trade journals; conference proceedings; guidebooks; maps; and theses and dissertations. The end result for the person seeking ground-water information about specific Texas counties is the increasing difficulty in locating pertinent data among the many and diverse ground-water reports in which the information is recorded. This bibliography, covering a span of 115 years, should have considerable utility in guiding those individuals seeking ground-water information.

  20. Real-time data for hurricane evacuation in Texas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-02-01

    In September 2005, the threat of Hurricane Rita to the Houston-Galveston region resulted in the evacuation of more than one million persons from the Texas coastal and urban areas. This concentration of evacuees overloaded all routes leaving the Houst...

  1. Earth Observation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2014-05-29

    ISS040-E-005979 (29 May 2014) --- One of the Expedition 40 crew members aboard the International Space Station used a 200mm lens to photograph this image from 222 nautical miles above Earth showing Harris County and Galveston County, Texas plus several other surrounding counties, including a long stretch along the Gulf of Mexico (bottom left). The entirety of Galveston Bay is visible at bottom center. Just below center lies the 1625-acre site of NASA's Johnson Space Center, one of the training venues for all space station crew members and the nearby long-time area of residence for NASA astronauts.

  2. Gomez, Terry County, Texas - A new meteorite find

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sipiera, P. P.; Tarter, J.; Moore, C. B.; Dod, B. D.; Johnston, R. A.

    1980-01-01

    The Gomez meteorite, weighing slightly over 47 kg, was found near the town of Gomez, Terry County, Texas (33 deg 10 min 53 sec N, 102 deg 24 min 5 sec W) prior to 1974. It is a highly weathered, equilibrated L-6 chondrite of composition Fa 26, Fs 23. A large number of chromite grains and possibly partially weathered lawrencite grains were noted.

  3. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford - Training - Parasail - Gemini-Titan (GT)-5 Pilot - Galveston Bay, TX

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1965-08-23

    S65-51948 (23 Aug. 1965) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, Gemini-6 prime crew pilot, stands ready to take part in parasail training in Galveston Bay, Texas. Wearing spacesuit, helmet and carrying water survival gear, he will be lifted into the air by a deployed parachute and guided over the Bay where he will drop into the water to test airdrop and water survival techniques. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  4. Archaeological Survey of the Lewisville Lake Shoreline, Denton County, Texas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-01-01

    the Denton All newly recorded and relocated sites were County Historical Society, the Willis Library at the flagged, plotted on a U.S. Geological Survey...USGS) University of North Texas, the Denton County 7.5’ topographic map and given a site tag and datum Courthouse, and the Barker Library in Austin...Description: Site 41 DN4 is located on a high upland appear to be of Mexican and Mississippian types. This ridge and adjacent slopes at the 90-degree bend

  5. Hydrogeology of Webb County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lambert, Rebecca B.

    2004-01-01

    IntroductionWebb County, in semiarid South Texas on the U.S.-Mexico border, is a region confronted by increasing stresses on natural resources. Laredo (fig. 1), the largest city in Webb County (population 193,000 in 2000), was one of the 10 fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country during 1990-2000 (Perry and Mackun, 2001). Commercial and industrial activities have expanded throughout the region to support the maquiladora industry (manufacturing plants in Mexico) along the border and other growth as a result of the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement. The Rio Grande currently (2002) is the primary source of public water supply for Laredo and other cities along the border in Webb County (fig. 1). Other cities, such as Bruni and Mirando City in the southeastern part of the county, rely on ground-water supplies to meet municipal demands. Increased water demand associated with development and population growth in the region has increased the need for the City of Laredo and Webb County to evaluate alternative water sources to meet future demand. Possible options include (1) supplementing the surface-water supply with ground water, and (2) applying artificial storage and recovery (ASR) technology to recharge local aquifers. These options raise issues regarding the hydraulic capability of the aquifers to store economically substantial quantities of water, current or potential uses of the resource, and possible effects on the quality of water resulting from mixing ground water with alternative source waters. To address some of these issues, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Laredo, began a study in 1996 to assess the ground-water resources of Webb County. A hydrogeologic study was conducted to review and analyze available information on the hydrogeologic units (aquifers and confining units) in Webb County, to locate available wells in the region with water-level and water-quality information from the aquifers, and to

  6. Subsidence Rates in Southeast Texas as Determined by RTK GNSS Measurements of Preexisting Survey Markers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kruger, J. M.

    2013-12-01

    This study determines the rates of subsidence or uplift in coastal areas of SE Texas by comparing recent GNSS measurements to the original orthometric heights of previously installed National Geodetic Survey (NGS) benchmarks. Understanding subsidence rates in coastal areas of SE Texas is critical when determining its vulnerability to local sea level rise and flooding, as well as for accurate survey control. The counties covered are Chambers, Galveston, Hardin, Jefferson, Liberty, Orange, and parts of Jasper and Newton counties. These counties lie between an earlier subsidence study conducted in Louisiana and an ongoing subsidence study of several counties around the Houston metropolitan area. The resurveying methods used in this RTK GNSS study allow a large area to be covered relatively quickly with enough detail to determine subsidence rates that are averaged over several decades. This information can be used to place more targeted GNSS observation stations in areas that appear to be rapidly subsiding. By continuously, or periodically, measuring the elevations at these targeted stations, current subsidence rates can be determined more accurately and at lower cost than by scattering a large number of GNSS stations over a wide area. This study was conducted using a Trimble R8 GNSS system on all NGS benchmarks that were found in the study area. Differential corrections were applied in real time using a VRS network of base stations. This system yields a nominal vertical accuracy of 1.5 to 2.0 cm for each 2 to 5 minute reading. Usually three of these readings were measured on each benchmark and averaged for the final result. A total of 367 benchmarks were resurveyed, most of which were suitable for vertical change rate calculations. Original NGS elevations were subtracted from the new elevations and divided by the time between the two elevation measurements to determine the average subsidence or uplift rate of the benchmark. Benchmarks used for determining the vertical

  7. 78 FR 60826 - Foreign-Trade Zone 155-Calhoun/Victoria Counties, Texas; Authorization of Production Activity...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-02

    ... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Foreign-Trade Zones Board Foreign-Trade Zone 155--Calhoun/Victoria Counties, Texas; Authorization of Production Activity; Caterpillar, Inc. (Excavator and Frame Assembly Production); Victoria, Texas On May 29, 2013, The Calhoun-Victoria Foreign Trade Zone, Inc., grantee of FTZ 155...

  8. Groundwater environmental tracer data collected from the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers in Montgomery County and adjacent counties, Texas, 2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oden, Timothy D.

    2011-01-01

    The Gulf Coast aquifer system is the primary water supply for Montgomery County in southeastern Texas, including part of the Houston metropolitan area and the cities of Magnolia, Conroe, and The Woodlands Township, Texas. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, collected environmental tracer data in the Gulf Coast aquifer system, primarily in Montgomery County. Forty existing groundwater wells screened in the Gulf Coast aquifer system were selected for sampling in Montgomery County (38 wells), Waller County (1 well), and Walker County (1 well). Groundwater-quality samples, physicochemical properties, and water-level data were collected once from each of the 40 wells during March-September 2008. Groundwater-quality samples were analyzed for dissolved gases and the environmental tracers sulfur hexafluoride, chlorofluorocarbons, tritium, helium-4, and helium-3/tritium. Water samples were collected and processed onsite using methods designed to minimize changes to the water-sample chemistry or contamination from the atmosphere. Replicate samples for quality assurance and quality control were collected with each environmental sample. Well-construction information and environmental tracer data for March-September 2008 are presented.

  9. Ground-water resources of Coke County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilson, Clyde A.

    1973-01-01

    Coke County, located in semiarid west-central Texas, where large ranches, small farms, and oil production are the main bases of the economy, has a small supply of ground and surface water. Of the approximately 1,900 acre-feet of fresh to moderately saline ground water used in 1968, industry used 880 acre-feet, irrigation used 210 acre-feet, and domestic supply and livestock used 820 acre-feet. All of the water for municipal supply and some of the water for industry is obtained from surface-water reservoirs.

  10. Water-level altitudes 2009 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper Aquifers and compaction 1973-2008 in the Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers, Houston-Galveston Region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Houston, Natalie A.; Ramage, Jason K.

    2009-01-01

    This report, done in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, the City of Houston, the Fort Bend Subsidence District, and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report (excluding appendixes) contains 16 sheets and 15 tables: 3 sheets are maps showing current-year (2009) water-level altitudes for each aquifer, respectively; 3 sheets are maps showing 1-year (2008-09) water-level changes for each aquifer, respectively; 3 sheets are maps showing 5-year (2004-09) water-level changes for each aquifer, respectively; 4 sheets are maps showing long-term (1990-2009 and 1977-2009) water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, respectively; 1 sheet is a map showing long-term (2000-2009) water-level change for the Jasper aquifer; 1 sheet is a map showing site locations of borehole extensometers; and 1 sheet comprises graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at the sites from 1973 or later through 2008, respectively. Tables listing the data used to construct the aquifer-data maps and the compaction graphs are included.

  11. Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) contamination in Galveston Bay, Texas: Comparing concentrations and profiles in sediments, passive samplers, and fish.

    PubMed

    Oziolor, Elias M; Apell, Jennifer N; Winfield, Zach C; Back, Jeffrey A; Usenko, Sascha; Matson, Cole W

    2018-05-01

    The industrialized portion of the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) is heavily contaminated with anthropogenic contaminants, most prominent of which are the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This contamination has driven adaptive evolution in a keystone species for Galveston Bay, the Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis). We investigated the geographical extent of PCB impacts by sampling 12 sites, ranging from the heavily industrialized upper portion of the HSC to Galveston Island. At each site, PCB concentrations and profiles were determined in three environmental compartments: sediment, water (polyethylene passive samplers), and fish tissue (resident Gulf killifish). We observed a steep gradient of PCB contamination, ranging from 4.00 to 100,000 ng/g organic carbon in sediment, 290-110,000 ng/g lipid in fish, and 4.5-2300 ng/g polyethylene in passive samplers. The PCB congener profiles in Gulf killifish at the most heavily contaminated sites were shifted toward the higher chlorinated PCBs and were highly similar to the sediment contamination profiles. In addition, while magnitude of total PCB concentrations in sediment and total fish contamination levels were highly correlated between sites, the relative PCB congener profiles in fish and passive samplers were more alike. This strong correlation, along with a lack of dependency of biota-sediment accumulation factors with total contamination rates, confirm the likely non-migratory nature of Gulf killifish and suggest their contamination levels are a good site-specific indicator of contamination in the Galveston Bay area. The spatial gradient of PCB contamination in Galveston Bay was evident in all three matrices studied and was observed effectively using Gulf killifish contamination as an environmentally relevant bioindicator of localized contamination in this environment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Oblique view of Houston, Texas as seen from Apollo 9

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1969-03-09

    AS09-22-3463 (9 March 1969) --- Oblique view of the Houston, Texas area as photographed from the Apollo 9 spacecraft during its Earth-orbital mission. This picture was taken from an altitude of 103 nautical miles, at about 1:40 p.m. (CST), on March 9, 1969. Prominent features visible include highways leading out of the city, Lake Houston, San Jacinto River, Trinity Bay, Galveston Bay, Brazos River, Baytown, and Texas City.

  13. A multidiscipline look at the Thistle field area, Pecos County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Land, J.P.

    1992-04-01

    To allow an evaluation of the perspective provided by certain nonseismic methods in the Val Verde basin, the synergistic interpretation of gravimetric and magnetic data, surface geomorphology, and the Ellenburgger surface are compared to surface geochemical data and drilling immediate to the Thistle field, Pecos County, Texas.

  14. Fine Scale Phytoplankton Diversity of Galveston Bay: Imaging FlowCytobot Provides Insight into Microbial Community Dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Preischel, H.; Sosik, H. M.; Lawrence, S.; Lucchese, A.; Genzer, J.; Steichen, J. L.; Quigg, A.

    2016-02-01

    Galveston Bay, the largest watershed in Texas, is impacted by anthropogenic nutrient inputs from two growing major cities: Houston and Dallas-Fort Worth. Expansion of the Panama Canal in 2016 will lead to an increase in shipping into Galveston Bay, which in turn will lead to an increase in discharge of ballast water into the bay. These two inputs combined are likely to lead to an increase in invasive phytoplankton species and nutrient inputs and ultimately an increase in the frequency of algal blooms, some of which may be harmful. Because of this, it is important to understand the current phytoplankton diversity in order to know which harmful algal species are present, when they are abundant, and when they are most likely to produce blooms. Ultimately this information will provide early detection, avoid human illness from shellfish poisoning and possibly lead to regulation of nutrient inputs. Historically, diatoms have been found to be the most abundant phytoplankton in the winter and spring, when nutrient inputs into Galveston Bay are higher. Small flagellates and cyanobacteria have been found to be the most abundant phytoplankton during times of warmer weather and low nutrient inputs. Daily samples are being taken from Galveston Bay near the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. These samples are being examined with an Imaging FlowCytobot to document community composition shifts down to lowest practical identification level. Relative diversity is being assessed with traditional indices including the Shannon-Weiner and Simpson's diversity indices. Compared to previous studies, this approach will allow us to characterize much finer scale community composition changes concurrently with those in temperature and salinity. This information will also provide a library of phytoplankton types in Galveston Bay and, with concurrent water quality data, will be used to develop predictive tools or determine under which scenarios if any, harmful algal blooms are more likely to occur.

  15. Feasibility of growing olives on selected sites along coastal Texas

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Five sites along the Texas coastline (Seadrift, Galveston, Brazoria, Santa Fe, and Orange) were evaluated for feasibility of growing olives in these areas. In addition, two non-coastal sites (Carrizo Springs and Weslaco) were also included in the study for comparative purposes. Flowering and fruit ...

  16. Development of ground water in the Houston District, Texas, 1970-74

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gabrysch, R.K.

    1977-01-01

    Total withdrawals of ground water in the Houston district, Texas , increased 9 percent from about 488 million gallons per day in 1970 to about 532 million gallons per day in 1974. The average annual rate of increase from 1960 to 1969 was about 6.3 percent. During 1970-74, increases in pumpage occurred in the Houston, Katy, and NASA areas; decreases occurred in the Pasadena and Alta Loma areas; and the pumpage in the Baytown-La Porte and Texas City areas remained almost constant. Water levels continued to decline throughout the district during 1970-74, but the rate of decline generally was not as great as in previous years. The greatest declines in the past several years were in the Houston area, but the center of decline is still in the Pasadena and Baytown-La Porte areas. The decrease in the rate of decline suggests that the aquifers in the Houston district could support the amount of pumping during 1970-74 with little, if any , further decline. Although saltwater encroachment has probably occurred in the district, particularly in Galveston County, no large increases in chloride were measured at the monitoring points. (Woodard-USGS)

  17. Earth Observation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-08-28

    ISS036-E-037747 (28 Aug. 2013) --- One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the International Space Station on Aug. 28 photographed this vertical image that shows much of Galveston County and a small portion of southeast Harris County, Texas. Gulf of Mexico waters take up the top half of the picture. Galveston Island runs from just left of center through center right of the image, and the Bolivar Peninsula, highly impacted by Hurricane Ike five years ago, is the land mass at left center. Galveston Bay takes up much of the lower left quadrant of the pictured area. The NASA Johnson Space Center, the normal work place for NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Karen Nyberg, currently onboard the orbital complex, is in the bottom portion of the frame.

  18. Earth Observation

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2013-08-28

    ISS036-E-037751 (28 Aug. 2013) --- One of the Expedition 36 crew members aboard the International Space Station on Aug. 28 photographed this vertical image that shows much of Galveston County and a small portion of southeast Harris County, Texas. Gulf of Mexico waters take up the top one third of the picture. Galveston Island runs from just left of top center through top right of the image, and the Bolivar Peninsula, highly impacted by Hurricane Ike five years ago, is the land mass at top left. Galveston Bay is on the left side of the lower part of the frame. The NASA Johnson Space Center, the normal work place for NASA astronauts Chris Cassidy and Karen Nyberg, currently onboard the orbital complex, is in the bottom portion of the frame.

  19. Water-level altitudes 2008 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper Aquifers and compaction 1973-2007 in the Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers, Houston-Galveston Region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Houston, Natalie A.

    2008-01-01

    This report, done in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, the City of Houston, the Fort Bend Subsidence District, and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas. The report contains 17 sheets and 16 tables: 3 sheets are maps showing current-year (2008) water-level altitudes for each aquifer, respectively; 3 sheets are maps showing 1-year (2007-08) water-level changes for each aquifer, respectively; 3 sheets are maps showing 5-year (2003-08) water-level changes for each aquifer, respectively; 4 sheets are maps showing long-term (1990-2008 and 1977-2008) water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, respectively; 1 sheet is a map showing long-term (2000-2008) water-level change for the Jasper aquifer; 1 sheet is a revision of a previously published water-level-altitude map for the Jasper aquifer for 2003; 1 sheet is a map showing site locations of borehole extensometers; and 1 sheet comprises graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at the sites from 1973 or later through 2007, respectively. Tables listing the data used to construct the aquifer-data maps and the compaction graphs are included.

  20. Water-level altitudes 2007 and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper Aquifers and compaction 1973-2006 in the Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers, Houston-Galveston Region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Houston, Natalie A.

    2007-01-01

    This report, done in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, the City of Houston, the Fort Bend Subsidence District, and the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District, is one in an annual series of reports that depicts water-level altitudes and water-level changes in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, and compaction in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston-Galveston, Texas, region. The report contains 18 sheets and 17 tables: 3 sheets are maps showing current-year (2007) water-level altitudes for each aquifer, respectively; 3 sheets are maps showing 1-year (2006-07) water-level changes for each aquifer, respectively; 3 sheets are maps showing 5-year (2002-07) water-level changes for each aquifer, respectively; 4 sheets are maps showing long-term (1990-2007 and 1977-2007) water-level changes for the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, respectively; 1 sheet is a map showing long-term (2000-2007) water-level change for the Jasper aquifer; 2 sheets are revisions of previously published water-level-altitude maps for the Jasper aquifer for 2000 and 2002, respectively; 1 sheet is a map showing site locations of borehole extensometers; and 1 sheet comprises graphs showing measured compaction of subsurface material at the sites from 1973 or later through 2006, respectively. Tables listing the data used to construct the aquifer-data maps and the compaction graphs also are included.

  1. An evaluation of the importance of transit service to minority groups in Texas.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1978-03-01

    The report presents the results of a survey of minority group transit needs in nine (9) urbanized and non-urbanized areas in Texas. The sample areas include: Houston, Galveston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, Huntsville, New Waverly, Willis, and Conroe....

  2. Historical Research of 401 Sites at Fort Hood, Bell and Voryell Counties, Texas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-08-01

    CORYELL COUNTIES, TEXAS by Russell B. Ward Marie E. Blake Amy E. Dase and Martha Doty Freeman with contributions by Jennifer A. Stabler and Kay Hindes...project. Jennifer A. Stabler, formerly of Fort Hood, and Kay Hindes, consulting historian, contributed research efforts and initial drafts of some site... Jennifer Occasionally, failure of purchasers to record Stabler prior to 1999. For the most part, deeds with the county clerk created a break in however, the

  3. Upper Cretaceous bituminous coal deposits of the Olmos Formation, Maverick County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; SanFilipo, John R.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    This report describes the bituminous coal deposits of the Olmos Formation (Navarro Group, Upper Cretaceous; Figures 1, 2) of Maverick County in south Texas. Although these were not evaluated quantitatively as part of the current Gulf Coastal Plain coal-resource assessment, a detailed review is presented in this chapter.Prior to the late 1920s, these coal beds were mined underground on a large scale in the vicinity of Eagle Pass, Texas (Figure 1). Since the 1970s, Olmos Formation coals have been mined extensively in both underground and surface mines in nearby Coahuila, Mexico, to supply mine-mouth fuel for power generation at a plant nearby. A tract northeast of Eagle Pass was permitted in the late 1990s for surface mining. In east-central Maverick County, a coalbed methane field is being developed in coal beds of the lower part of the Olmos Formation (Barker et al., 2002; Scott, 2003).

  4. Remedial Design-Stage Optimization Review Report: Sandy Beach Ground Water Plume Superfund Site, Tarrant County, Texas, EPA Region 6

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Sandy Beach Road Ground Water Plume Superfund Site, CERCLIS ID No. TXN000605649, is located within incorporated areas of Pelican Bay and Azle, Texas and an unincorporated portion of Tarrant County, Texas.

  5. Occurrence of the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin littoralis) at South Deer Island in Galveston Bay, Texas, April 2001-May 2002

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hogan, Jennifer L.

    2003-01-01

    One-hundred thirty-five terrapins were captured (116 individuals, 19 recaptures) in occurrence and nesting and basking surveys at South Deer Island in Galveston Bay, Texas, during April 2001–May 2002. Along the southern shore of the island, terrapins were captured in crab traps placed in shallow water offshore; in the lagoon on the island, terrapins were captured by hand while walking along the shore. In the nesting and basking surveys, areas of the island with continuous patches of exposed shell typically were checked twice a day for nesting and basking terrapins, except during the last 2 months of the study, when more intensive monitoring was conducted. The occurrence surveys resulted in 119 terrapins captured in crab traps and nine captured by hand around the lagoon. The nesting and basking surveys yielded seven terrapins. Only one was nesting, although the nest is believed to be the first documented terrapin nest found in Texas. Three terrapins were captured swimming near shell beaches, and three more were captured basking on shell beaches. The most terrapins were captured during April–May 2001 and April–May 2002. Biometric data collected on terrapins captured showed size dimorphism on the basis of sex. The median female straight-line carapace length was 17.8 centimeters, 1.4 times larger than the median male carapace length, 13.1 centimeters. The median female mass was 1,021 grams, 2.9 times larger than the median male mass, 354 grams. Intra-specific variation occurred in the colorations and markings of terrapins captured. Anomalies - lesions, deformities, barnacles, and algae - were common among terrapins captured. Both lesions and deformities were more common among males than females. Dominant vegetation or substrate associated with terrapin habitat included saltwort, slender seapurslane, seabeach orache, shell, and woody debris.

  6. Enhanced land subsidence in Galveston Bay, Texas: Interaction between sediment accumulation rates and relative sea level rise

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al Mukaimi, Mohammad E.; Dellapenna, Timothy M.; Williams, Joshua R.

    2018-07-01

    Galveston Bay is the second largest estuary along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast, with a watershed containing one of largest concentrations of petroleum and chemical industries globally, as well as Houston, the fifth largest metropolitan area in the USA. Throughout the last century, extensive groundwater extraction to support these industries and an expanding population has resulted in significantly enhanced land subsidence (0.6-3.0 cm yr-1). The highest subsidence rates observed in the bay are within the lower 15 km of the San Jacinto River/Houston Ship Channel region (SJR/HSC), with distal areas in East and West Galveston Bays having subsidence rates on the order of 0.2 cm yr-1. In order to investigate the impacts of subsidence on sedimentation, a series of 22 vibracores were collected throughout the bay, and 210Pb and 137Cs radioisotope geochronologies and grain size distributions were determined. Sediment accumulation rates are highest (1.9 ± 0.5 cm yr-1) in the SJR/HSC, and decrease (<0.6 cm yr-1) both seaward and towards low subsidence regions. These results indicate sedimentation rates are significantly (p < 0.01) higher in areas with elevated Relative Sea Level Rise (RSLR). However, throughout most of Galveston Bay sedimentation rates are lower (as much as 50%) than estimated RSLR, indicating a sediment accretionary deficit. In areas (e.g., Scott Bay) within the SJR/HSC, the bay has deepened by more than 1.5 m, suggesting that sediment accumulation cannot keep pace with RSLR. Ultimately, this has resulted in a loss of coastal wetlands and a conversion of marine habitats from relatively shallow to deeper water settings.

  7. Estimation of single-year-of-age counts of live births, fetal losses, abortions, and pregnant women for counties of Texas.

    PubMed

    Singh, Bismark; Meyers, Lauren Ancel

    2017-05-08

    We provide a methodology for estimating counts of single-year-of-age live-births, fetal-losses, abortions, and pregnant women from aggregated age-group counts. As a case study, we estimate counts for the 254 counties of Texas for the year 2010. We use interpolation to estimate counts of live-births, fetal-losses, and abortions by women of each single-year-of-age for all Texas counties. We then use these counts to estimate the numbers of pregnant women for each single-year-of-age, which were previously available only in aggregate. To support public health policy and planning, we provide single-year-of-age estimates of live-births, fetal-losses, abortions, and pregnant women for all Texas counties in the year 2010, as well as the estimation method source code.

  8. Houston area multicrop inspection trips. [Wharton County, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dunham, E. W. (Principal Investigator)

    1980-01-01

    The phenology of crops such as corn, cotton, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, and rice and their observed signatures on LANDSAT imagery was studied. This was accomplished by photographing the various crops in segments 275 and 276 located in Wharton County, Texas and comparing those photographs with LANDSAT imagery of the same dates. These comparisons gave insight as to why a particular crop growth stage appeared as a definite signature on LANDSAT and how the percentage of ground cover of various crops affected the signatures on LANDSAT imagery. Numerous crop growth stages could not be directly compared due to cloud cover during several LANDSAT overpasses.

  9. Alcohol retail sales licenses and sexually transmitted infections in Texas counties, 2008-2015.

    PubMed

    Rossheim, Matthew E; Krall, Jenna R; Painter, Julia E; Thombs, Dennis L; Stephenson, Caroline J; Suzuki, Sumihiro; Cannell, M Brad; Livingston, Melvin D; Gonzalez-Pons, Kwynn M; Wagenaar, Alexander C

    2018-06-04

    Research suggests that reduced retail alcohol outlet density may be associated with lower prevalence of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). On-premise sale of alcohol for immediate consumption is theorized as increasing social interactions that can lead to sexual encounters. We examined associations between on- and off-premise retail alcohol sales licenses and number of newly diagnosed HIV and STI cases in Texas counties. Retail alcohol sales license data were obtained from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. HIV and bacterial STI data were obtained from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Associations between retail alcohol sales licenses and STIs were estimated using spatial linear models and Poisson mixed effects models for over-dispersed count data. Adjusting for county-specific confounders, there was no evidence of residual spatial correlation. In Poisson models, each additional on-premise (e.g., bar and restaurant) alcohol license per 10,000 population in a county was associated with a 1.5% increase (95% CI: 0.4%, 2.6%) in the rate of HIV and a 2.4% increase (95% CI: 1.9%, 3.0%) in the rate of bacterial STIs, adjusting for potential confounders. In contrast, number of off-premise licenses (e.g., take-out stores) was inversely associated with the incidence of STI and HIV, although the association with HIV was not statistically significant. This study adds to the limited literature on the association between retail alcohol availability and STIs. Additional research is needed on the role of alcohol availability (and policies affecting availability) in the spread of HIV and other STIs.

  10. West Nile Virus Outbreak in Houston and Harris County, Texas, USA, 2014.

    PubMed

    Martinez, Diana; Murray, Kristy O; Reyna, Martin; Arafat, Raouf R; Gorena, Roberto; Shah, Umair A; Debboun, Mustapha

    2017-08-01

    Since 2002, West Nile virus (WNV) has been detected every year in Houston and the surrounding Harris County, Texas. In 2014, the largest WNV outbreak to date occurred, comprising 139 cases and causing 2 deaths. Additionally, 1,286 WNV-positive mosquito pools were confirmed, the most reported in a single mosquito season.

  11. Soil, water, and vegetation conditions in south Texas. [Hildago County, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiegand, C. L.; Gausman, H. W.; Leamer, R. W.; Richardson, A. J. (Principal Investigator)

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. To distinguish dead from live vegetation, spectrophotometrically measured infinite reflectance of dead and live corn (Zea mays L.) leaves were compared over the 0.5 to 2.5 micron waveband. Dead leaf reflectance was reached over the entire 0.5 to 2.5 micron waveband by stacking only two to three leaves. Live leaf reflectance was attained by stacking two leaves for the 0.5 to 0.75 micron waveband (chlorophyll absorption region), eight leaves for the 0.75 to 1.35 micron waveband (near infrared region), and three leaves for the 1.35 to 2.5 micron waveband (water absorption region). LANDSAT-1 MSS digital data for 11 December 1973 overpass were used to estimate the sugar cane acreage in Hidalgo County. The computer aided estimate was 22,100 acres compared with the Texas Crop and Livestock Reporting Service estimate of 20,500 acres for the 1973-'74 crop year. Although there were errors of omission from harvested fields that were identified as bare soil and some citrus and native vegetation that were mistakenly identified as sugar cane, the mapped location of sugar cane fields in the county compared favorably with their location on the thematic map generated by the computer.

  12. Metamorphosis: Texas District Opts for Learner-Centered Professional Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ellinger, Alan; Launius, Keri; Scott, Annette

    2017-01-01

    Like many districts across the United States, Galveston, Texas, is focused on building a culture of excellence. The district is a study in contrasts. On one hand, it is laced with opulent vacation homes and resort hotels used by out-of-town owners. On the other, the median household income level is $28,895, with 22% of the population living below…

  13. Galveston Island, Texas, Sand Management Strategies

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-07-01

    should be a component of any final design strategy. Not only is construction of a dry berm along the eastern end of the seawall a high priority, but it...they erode sand from the upper part of the beach (the part that is normally dry : the dune, the berm and the foreshore slope) and deposit it within...beach in Dade County: Its impact on the community. Papers Presented at Annual Conferences on Beach Preservation, (1984 and 1985), 114–121

  14. Getting Accountability and School Improvement on Track in Texas: A Report by the School Superintendents of Bexar County.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Trinity Univ., San Antonio, TX. Center for Educational Leadership.

    Determining the limits of accountability and how schools should be assessed is one of the most difficult problems in education. The state of Texas has attempted accountability by rewarding some schools and punishing others without justification. The school superintendents of Bexar County (Texas) and the Center for Educational Leadership at Trinity…

  15. Determining Subsidence Rates with a Combination of RTK GNSS Data and National Geodetic Survey Data Sheets: A Case Study from SE Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kruger, J. M.

    2016-12-01

    This study determines the rates of subsidence or uplift in coastal areas of SE Texas by comparing recent GNSS measurements to the original orthometric heights of previously installed National Geodetic Survey (NGS) benchmarks. Understanding subsidence rates in coastal areas of SE Texas is critical when determining its vulnerability to local sea level rise and flooding, as well as for accurate survey control. The study area includes major metropolitan and industrial areas as well as more rural areas at risk for flooding and hurricane surge. The resurveying methods used in this RTK GNSS study allow a large area to be covered relatively quickly with enough detail to determine subsidence rates that are averaged over several decades, and identify at-risk regions that can be monitored more closely with permanent or campaign-style measurements. The most recent measurements were acquired using a Trimble R8 GNSS system on all NGS benchmarks found in the study area. Differential corrections were applied in real time using a VRS network of base stations. Nominal vertical accuracies were 1.5 to 3.0 cm for a 2 to 5 minute reading. Usually three readings were measured and averaged for the final result. A total of 340 benchmarks were used for vertical rate calculations. Original NGS elevations were subtracted from the new elevations and divided by the number of years between the two elevation measurements to determine the average subsidence or uplift rate of the benchmark. Besides inaccuracies in the NGS datasheet and re-measured elevations, another source of error includes uncertainties in the year the NGS datasheet elevations were measured. Overall, vertical rates of change vary from -6 to -15 mm/yr subsidence in Port Arthur, Nederland, and other areas of Jefferson County, as well as in areas northwest of Beaumont, Texas. Other areas with subsidence rates between -10 and -4 mm/yr include parts of the Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County, northeastern Chambers County, and the

  16. Data collection and compilation for a geodatabase of groundwater, surface-water, water-quality, geophysical, and geologic data, Pecos County Region, Texas, 1930-2011

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pearson, Daniel K.; Bumgarner, Johnathan R.; Houston, Natalie A.; Stanton, Gregory P.; Teeple, Andrew; Thomas, Jonathan V.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District, Pecos County, City of Fort Stockton, Brewster County, and Pecos County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, compiled groundwater, surface-water, water-quality, geophysical, and geologic data for site locations in the Pecos County region, Texas, and developed a geodatabase to facilitate use of this information. Data were compiled for an approximately 4,700 square mile area of the Pecos County region, Texas. The geodatabase contains data from 8,242 sampling locations; it was designed to organize and store field-collected geochemical and geophysical data, as well as digital database resources from the U.S. Geological Survey, Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District, Texas Water Development Board, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,and numerous other State and local databases. The geodatabase combines these disparate database resources into a simple data model. Site locations are geospatially enabled and stored in a geodatabase feature class for cartographic visualization and spatial analysis within a Geographic Information System. The sampling locations are related to hydrogeologic information through the use of geodatabase relationship classes. The geodatabase relationship classes provide the ability to perform complex spatial and data-driven queries to explore data stored in the geodatabase.

  17. Central and North Gulf Coast, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    In this view of the central and north Gulf Coast of Texas (30.0N, 96.0W), San Antonio Bay, Matagorda Bay and Galveston/Trinity Bay are clearly seen though small sediment plumes at the tidal passes are visible. The large field patterns of irrigated agriculture highlights an ancient deltaic plain formed by the Colorado and Brazos Rivers. Many manmade lakes and reservoirs, as far west as Lake Belton and Lake Waco and as far east as Toledo Bend are visible.

  18. The Mystery of Historical Channel Shoaling at Houston-Galveston Navigation Channel, TX

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-01

    channel traverses through Galveston Inlet, also called Bolivar Roads, which is bordered by Bolivar Island to the north and Galveston Island to the...www.hurricanecity.com/city/galveston.htm. 573 HVJ Associates, Inc. (2003). “Evaluation of Atkinson and Bolivar exhibits.” Turner Collie & Braden, Inc., and

  19. Effect of fungicides on sorghum anthracnose and grain mold in Burleson County, Texas, 2014

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The experiment was conducted at the Texas A&M AgriLife Experiment Station near College Station (Burleson County), using the hybrids BH3822 and BH 5566. The seed was planted 10 Apr in a Belk clay soil. There were four replicates per treatment arranged in a randomized, blocked factorial design. Tre...

  20. Quantifying riverine and storm-surge flood risk by single-family residence: application to Texas.

    PubMed

    Czajkowski, Jeffrey; Kunreuther, Howard; Michel-Kerjan, Erwann

    2013-12-01

    The development of catastrophe models in recent years allows for assessment of the flood hazard much more effectively than when the federally run National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was created in 1968. We propose and then demonstrate a methodological approach to determine pure premiums based on the entire distribution of possible flood events. We apply hazard, exposure, and vulnerability analyses to a sample of 300,000 single-family residences in two counties in Texas (Travis and Galveston) using state-of-the-art flood catastrophe models. Even in zones of similar flood risk classification by FEMA there is substantial variation in exposure between coastal and inland flood risk. For instance, homes in the designated moderate-risk X500/B zones in Galveston are exposed to a flood risk on average 2.5 times greater than residences in X500/B zones in Travis. The results also show very similar average annual loss (corrected for exposure) for a number of residences despite their being in different FEMA flood zones. We also find significant storm-surge exposure outside of the FEMA designated storm-surge risk zones. Taken together these findings highlight the importance of a microanalysis of flood exposure. The process of aggregating risk at a flood zone level-as currently undertaken by FEMA-provides a false sense of uniformity. As our analysis indicates, the technology to delineate the flood risks exists today. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

  1. Chagas disease risk in Texas.

    PubMed

    Sarkar, Sahotra; Strutz, Stavana E; Frank, David M; Rivaldi, Chissa-Louise; Sissel, Blake; Sánchez-Cordero, Victor

    2010-10-05

    Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a serious public health concern in many areas of Latin America, including México. It is also endemic in Texas with an autochthonous canine cycle, abundant vectors (Triatoma species) in many counties, and established domestic and peridomestic cycles which make competent reservoirs available throughout the state. Yet, Chagas disease is not reportable in Texas, blood donor screening is not mandatory, and the serological profiles of human and canine populations remain unknown. The purpose of this analysis was to provide a formal risk assessment, including risk maps, which recommends the removal of these lacunae. The spatial relative risk of the establishment of autochthonous Chagas disease cycles in Texas was assessed using a five-stage analysis. 1. Ecological risk for Chagas disease was established at a fine spatial resolution using a maximum entropy algorithm that takes as input occurrence points of vectors and environmental layers. The analysis was restricted to triatomine vector species for which new data were generated through field collection and through collation of post-1960 museum records in both México and the United States with sufficiently low georeferenced error to be admissible given the spatial resolution of the analysis (1 arc-minute). The new data extended the distribution of vector species to 10 new Texas counties. The models predicted that Triatoma gerstaeckeri has a large region of contiguous suitable habitat in the southern United States and México, T. lecticularia has a diffuse suitable habitat distribution along both coasts of the same region, and T. sanguisuga has a disjoint suitable habitat distribution along the coasts of the United States. The ecological risk is highest in south Texas. 2. Incidence-based relative risk was computed at the county level using the Bayesian Besag-York-Mollié model and post-1960 T. cruzi incidence data. This risk is concentrated in south Texas. 3. The

  2. West Central Texas. Homework pays off for Originala in Haskell County

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mickey, V.

    1983-03-01

    Originala Petroleum Corp., Fort Worth, is finding Bend Conglomerate and Caddo oil in NW Haskell County, Texas. The most encouraging find to date is the company's No. 1 June L. White, which potentialed in Sept. 1981 for 493 bopd from perforations in the Caddo at 5638-60 ft. This discovery, along with promising Bend Conglomerate drill stem test and log shows in other wells in the region, support continued exploration efforts in this geologically complex province. The key to overcoming the exploration challenges in NW. Haskell County is to depend primarily upon seismic data to give structural control. Accurate seismic interpretationmore » is only a part of the preparation, and is integrated with other geologic data-collecting methods such as gravity and structural mapping based solely on subsurface control.« less

  3. 78 FR 19599 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Texas; Reasonably Available Control Technology...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-02

    ... Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Texas; Reasonably Available Control Technology for the 1997 8-Hour Ozone... (SIP) for the Houston/Galveston/ Brazoria (HGB) 1997 8-Hour ozone nonattainment Area (Area). The HGB... Room between the hours of 8:30am and 4:30 p.m. weekdays except for legal holidays. Contact the person...

  4. Texas after Tropical Storm Allison (bands 2,1,3 in R,G,B)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    This MODIS image of Texas (left), Oklahoma (top left), Louisiana (bottom right) and Arkansas (upper right) makes use of band combinations (groups of wavelengths) that make water stand out against land. In this image, the dark blue/black squiggles indicate water. The bright green area along the Texas coast is Galveston Bay, southeast of Houston. Houston was devastated in the past week from the rains from Tropical Storm Allison. The brightness of the Bay may be due to sediment runoff from all the floodwaters. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team

  5. 78 FR 79340 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Texas; Stage II Vapor Recovery...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-30

    ...-Port Arthur (BPA), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Houston- Galveston Brazoria (HGB) areas, and in El Paso... required are comprised of 16 counties: Beaumont-Port Arthur (BPA), including Hardin, Jefferson and Orange... equipment by August 31, 2018 in the BPA, DFW and HGB areas and El Paso County is whether these revisions...

  6. Water-quality, stream-habitat, and biological data for West Fork Double Bayou, Cotton Bayou, and Hackberry Gully, Chambers County, Texas, 2006-07

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, Dexter W.; Turco, Michael J.

    2009-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, collected water-quality, stream-habitat, and biological data from two sites at West Fork Double Bayou, two sites at Cotton Bayou, and one site at Hackberry Gully in Chambers County, Texas, during July 2006-August 2007. Water-quality data-collection surveys consisted of synoptic 24-hour continuous measurements of water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen at the five sites and periodically collected samples at four sites analyzed for several properties and constituents of interest. Stream-habitat data were collected at each of four sites three times during the study. At each site, a representative stream reach was selected and within this reach, five evenly spaced stream transects were determined. At each transect, stream attributes (wetted channel width, water depth, bottom material, instream cover) and riparian attributes (bank slope and erosion potential, width of natural vegetation, type of vegetation, percentage tree canopy) were measured. Benthic macroinvertebrate and fish data were collected from the same reaches identified for habitat evaluation. A total of 2,572 macroinvertebrate individuals were identified from the four reaches; insect taxa were more abundant than non-insect taxa at all reaches. A total of 1,082 fish, representing 30 species and 13 families, were collected across all reaches. Stream-habitat and aquatic biota (benthic macroinvertebrates and fish) were assessed at the four sites to evaluate aquatic life use. Habitat quality index scores generally indicated 'intermediate' aquatic life use at most reaches. Benthic macroinvertebrate metrics scores indicated generally 'intermediate' aquatic life use for the West Fork Double Bayou reaches and generally 'high' aquatic life use for the Cotton Bayou and Hackberry Gully reaches. Index of biotic integrity scores for fish indicated generally

  7. Sediment quality triad assessment survey of the Galveston Bay, Texas system

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carr, R. Scott; Chapman, Duane C.; Howard, Cynthia L.; Biedenbach, James M.

    1996-01-01

    To characterize the quality of sediments at key sites in the Galveston Bay Estuary, sediment samples were collected concurrently for chemical and physical analyses, toxicity testing and an assessment of benthic community structure. Significant toxicity, as determined by the sea urchin (Arbacia punetulata) pore water embryological development assay, was observed at 12 of the 24 sites investigated in this study. No toxicity was observed at any of the sites with the amphipod (Grandidierella japonica) solid-phase test. There were a number of sites with elevated levels of trace metals and petroleum hydrocarbons. The chemistry, toxicity and benthic data were ranked by station and a scaled rank sum was calculated to facilitate comparisons among the stations. Five sites exhibited strong evidence of contaminant-induced degradation, while 15 stations showed no evidence of contaminant-induced degradation. At eight additional sites the sediment quality triad (SQT) data indicated that unmeasured chemicals or conditions were stressing the system. Contaminant impacts could be reduced or eliminated by alternative regulatory and management practices, including the restriction of produced water discharges into coastal estuaries and the use of dredge material disposal practices that minimize the reintroduction of sediment-associated contaminants to the bays.

  8. Investigation of Pertussis Cases in a Texas County, 2008-2012.

    PubMed

    Staudt, Amanda; Mangla, Anil T; Alamgir, Hasanat

    2015-07-01

    Within the past 25 years, there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence of pertussis cases in the United States. As such, this investigation reports on the high-risk groups and describes risk factors of pertussis cases in a large Texas county. This study was a cross-sectional analysis of data collected by health department employees using the Texas Department of State Health Service's Pertussis Case Track Record, which is the standard investigation form for collecting vital information on pertussis cases. We extracted and analyzed county-level data for a 5-year period (2008-2012). The study population at risk included all current residents in this county, and cases included all who were clinically diagnosed as having confirmed or probable pertussis cases that were reported to the health department according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention case definition. The vaccination status of a case was defined as fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or not vaccinated. A total of 198 probable and confirmed pertussis cases were included in this analysis. Most of the cases were infants younger than 1 year old (n = 107). The largest category of cases was not vaccinated and of the rest, 32.8% were partially vaccinated, 17.2% had unknown vaccination status, and 13.1% were fully vaccinated. Only 48 (24.2%) sources of exposure were identified and they included fathers (14.6%), sisters (14.6%), brothers (14.6%), other children (14.6%), and mothers (12.5%). Many sources of exposure (n = 26, 54.1%) were unaware of their vaccination history. Hispanics accounted for 84.5% of cases in the younger than 1 year old group and 88.9% of cases were in the 1 to 2 years old group. With respect to race/ethnicity and vaccination status of the cases, 39.46% of Hispanics, 32% of whites, and 50% of blacks were reported to be unvaccinated. Increasing pertussis vaccination coverage among children, as well as providing booster shots to adults with special attention on the

  9. Surface faults in the gulf coastal plain between Victoria and Beaumont, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Verbeek, Earl R.

    1979-01-01

    scarps are probably very young, and where they can be demonstrated to partly or wholly predate fluid withdrawal, very recent natural fault activity is indicated. (6) Early aerial photographs (1930) of the entire region and topographic maps (1915-16 surveys) of Harris County (Houston and vicinity) show that many faults had already displaced the land surface at a time when appreciable pressure declines in subjacent strata were localized to relatively few areas of large-scale pumping. Prehistoric faulting of the land surface, as noted above, appears to have affected much of the Texas Gulf Coast. (7) A relation between groundwater extraction and current motion on active faults is suspected because of the increased incidence of ground failure in the Houston-Galveston subsidence bowl. This argument is weakened somewhat by recognition of numerous surface faults, some of them active today, far beyond the periphery of the strongly subsiding area. Moreover, tilt beam records from two monitored faults in northwest Houston and accounts of fault damage from local residents demonstrate a complex, episodic nature of fault creep which can only partially be correlated with groundwater production. Nevertheless, although specific mechanisms are in doubt, the extraction of groundwater from shallow (<800-m) sands is probably a major factor in contributing to current displacement of the ground surface in the Houston-Galveston region. Within this large area, the number of faults recognizable from aerial photographs has increased at least tenfold between 1930 and 1970. Elsewhere in the Texas Gulf Coast only a moderate increase has been noted, some of which is possibly attributable to oil and gas production. Surface fault density in the Houston-Galveston region is far greater than in any other area of the Texas Gulf Coast investigated to date. A plausible explanation for these differences is that large overdrafts of groundwater over an extended period of time in the Houston-Galveston region

  10. Feldspar diagenesis in the Frio Formation, Brazoria County, Texas Gulf Coast

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Land, L.S.; Milliken, K.L.

    1981-07-01

    Tremendous quantities of detrital feldspar have been dissolved or albitized below about 14000 ft (4267 m) in the Frio Formation (Oligocene), Chocolate Bayou Field, Brazoria County, Texas. Some sandstones no longer contain any unmodified detrital feldspar grains. Material transfer involved in these reactions is immense, affecting at least 15% of the rock volume. Thus, albitization has important implications for several other diagenetic processes that involve feldspars or their components. These processes include formation of secondary porosity, precipitation of quartz and carbonate cements, and the evolution of Na-Ca-Cl formation water.

  11. Effect of fungicides on anthracnose and grain mold of sorghum in Wharton County, Texas, 2016

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The experiment was conducted in Wharton County, Texas using the hybrid BH 5566. There were four replicates per treatment arranged in a randomized, blocked factorial design. Each replicate consisted of four, 20.5-ft rows, with 38-in. row spacing and a plant spacing of 1.9 in. within rows. Three fu...

  12. Coal Rank and Stratigraphy of Pennsylvanian Coal and Coaly Shale Samples, Young County, North-Central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Guevara, Edgar H.; Breton, Caroline; Hackley, Paul C.

    2007-01-01

    Vitrinite reflectance measurements were made to determine the rank of selected subsurface coal and coaly shale samples from Young County, north-central Texas, for the National Coal Resources Database System State Cooperative Program conducted by the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin. This research is the continuation of a pilot study that began in adjacent Archer County, and forms part of a larger investigation of the coalbed methane resource potential of Pennsylvanian coals in north-central Texas. A total of 57 samples of coal and coaly shale fragments were hand-picked from drill cuttings from depths of about 2,000 ft in five wells, and Ro determinations were made on an initial 10-sample subset. Electric-log correlation of the sampled wells indicates that the collected samples represent coal and coaly shale layers in the Strawn (Pennsylvanian), Canyon (Pennsylvanian), and Cisco (Pennsylvanian-Permian) Groups. Coal rank in the initial sample subset ranges from lignite (Ro=0.39), in a sample from the Cisco Group at a depth of 310 to 320 ft, to high volatile bituminous A coal (Ro=0.91) in a sample from the lower part of the Canyon Group at a depth of 2,030 to 2,040 ft.

  13. Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 14 crew

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-11-04

    ISS014-E-07258 (4 Nov. 2006) --- Galveston, Texas is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 14 crewmember on the International Space Station (ISS). Mexico established a port of entry (known as Galveston) in 1825, and following the Texas Revolution it was the capital of the Republic of Texas during 1836. The modern-day city of Galveston was incorporated in 1839, and became the major trading seaport of Texas during the latter half of the 19th century. The city was largely destroyed in early September of 1900 by a powerful hurricane; this, coupled with construction of the Houston Ship Channel and discovery of oil in eastern Texas shifted the center of trade northwest to Houston. Many human footprints are easily observed from the vantage point of low Earth orbit. The eastern half of Galveston Island is dominated by the city of Galveston (gray-white region at center). A large seawall along the Gulf of Mexico (southern coastline of Galveston Island) protects most of the city. To the west of Galveston, coastal wetlands are largely submerged by regional subsidence--a result of ground water withdrawal by the petrochemical industry of Houston and Texas City. The entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel is located between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula (upper right). Numerous ship wakes are visible along the Houston Ship Channel. Other visible features of the entrance to Galveston Bay include the five-mile long Texas City Dike, a structure that protects the Texas City channel and includes a fishing pier that extends 600 feet beyond the end of the Dike. Extensive petroleum processing facilities are located to the west of the Dike in Texas City. The Intracoastal Waterway runs through western Galveston Bay; new subdivisions built on dredge spoils are visible along the northern boundary of the Waterway. Geologists studying the ISS collection of down linked still imagery observe that complex estuarine sediment patterns are visible in this

  14. 77 FR 70174 - Waterway Suitability Assessment for Expansion of Liquefied Gas Terminals; Houston and Texas City, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-23

    ... Assessment to the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Sector Houston-Galveston regarding the company's proposed... LHG marine traffic in the associated waterway. The Coast Guard is notifying the public of this action to solicit public comments on the proposed increase in LHG marine traffic in Houston and Texas City...

  15. Regional and local background ozone in Houston during Texas Air Quality Study 2006

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langford, A. O.; Senff, C. J.; Banta, R. M.; Hardesty, R. M.; Alvarez, R. J.; Sandberg, Scott P.; Darby, Lisa S.

    2009-04-01

    Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is used to isolate the common modes of behavior in the daily maximum 8-h average ozone mixing ratios measured at 30 Continuous Ambient Monitoring Stations in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria area during the Second Texas Air Quality Study field intensive (1 August to 15 October 2006). Three principal components suffice to explain 93% of the total variance. Nearly 84% is explained by the first component, which is attributed to changes in the "regional background" determined primarily by the large-scale winds. The second component (6%) is attributed to changes in the "local background," that is, ozone photochemically produced in the Houston area and spatially and temporally averaged by local circulations. Finally, the third component (3.5%) is attributed to short-lived plumes containing high ozone originating from industrial areas along Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Regional background ozone concentrations derived using the first component compare well with mean ozone concentrations measured above the Gulf of Mexico by the tunable profiler for aerosols and ozone lidar aboard the NOAA Twin Otter. The PCA regional background values also agree well with background values derived using the lowest daily 8-h maximum method of Nielsen-Gammon et al. (2005), provided the Galveston Airport data (C34) are omitted from that analysis. The differences found when Galveston is included are caused by the sea breeze, which depresses ozone at Galveston relative to sites further inland. PCA removes the effects of this and other local circulations to obtain a regional background value representative of the greater Houston area.

  16. Eocene bituminous coal deposits of the Claiborne group, Webb County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    Two bituminous coal zones, the San Pedro and the Santo Tomas, in the middle Eocene Claiborne Group of Webb County, south Texas (Figure 1), are among the coal resources that are not evaluated quantitatively as part of the current Gulf Coastal Plain coal resource assessment. Coal beds within these zones were mined by underground methods northwest of Laredo until 1939 and have been intermittently mined at the surface since 1979. These coals have long been regarded as unique within the Gulf Coast Tertiary coal-bearing section because they are high-volatile C bituminous in rank and because their physical characteristics resemble upper Carboniferous cannel coals of the Appalachians and Europe.Discontinuous exposures of the Santo Tomas and the underlying San Pedro coal zone extend northwestward from Dolores for approximately 15 to 21 mi along the breaks of the Rio Grande and its tributaries in Webb County (Figure 1). This part of south Texas lies along the southwestern flank of the Rio Grande Embayment, which extends south and southeastwardly through the Mexican States of Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas (Figure 1). Within the embayment, the lower to middle part of the Claiborne Group consists of marine mudstones (Reklaw Formation) in the east and northeast and sandstones and mudstones (Bigford Formation) in the south and southwest (Figure 2). The marine mudstones coarsen upward into fluvial-deltaic sandstones (Queen City Sand) that prograded gulfward across eastern and central Texas (Guevara and Garcia, 1972). To the west and southwest, the interval overlying the Bigford Formation becomes less sandy, and claystones (El Pico Clay) predominate. Although the San Pedro coal zone has been placed traditionally near the top of the Bigford Formation and the Santo Tomas coal zone near the base of the El Pico Clay, recent work has failed to validate a mappable contact between these formations (Warwick and Hook, 1995). The coal beds dip northeast at less than 2 degrees towards

  17. Archaeological Survey of Cooper Lake, Number 6, 1989. Cultural Resource Studies for Cooper Lake, Hopkins and Delta Counties, Texas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-01-01

    area in the Cooper Lake project are-a, ca. 145 kmf (90 mi) northerst of Dallas, Texas. The study area includes two recreatioa’al areas, South Sulphur...Number 6 study area, Delta and Hopkins counties, Texas, showing the locations of project segments defined for the geomorphological investigations...32 Figure 6-5 Representative stratigraphic profiles from the Finley Iranch, Branam Creek, and South Sulphur River floodplain project segments

  18. Detecting and Measuring Land Subsidence in Houston-Galveston, Texas using Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and Global Positioning System Data, 2012-2016

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reed, A.; Baker, S.

    2016-12-01

    Several cities in the Houston-Galveston (HG) region in Texas have subsided up to 13 feet over several decades due to natural and anthropogenic processes [Yu et al. 2014]. Land subsidence, a gradual sinking of the Earth's surface, is an often human-induced hazard and a major environmental problem expedited by activities such as mining, oil and gas extraction, urbanization and excessive groundwater pumping. We are able to detect and measure subsidence in HG using interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and global positioning systems (GPS). Qu et al. [2015] used ERS, Envisat, and ALOS-1 to characterize subsidence in HG from 1995 to 2011, but a five-year gap in InSAR measurements exists due to a lack of freely available SAR data. We build upon the previous study by comparing subsidence patterns detected by Sentinel-1 data starting in July 2015. We used GMT5SAR to generate a stack of interferograms with perpendicular baselines less than 100 meters and temporal baselines less than 100 days to minimize temporal and spatial decorrelation. We applied the short baseline subset (SBAS) time series processing using GIAnT and compared our results with GPS measurements. The implications of this work will strengthen land subsidence monitoring systems in HG and broadly aid in the development of effective water resource management policies and strategies.

  19. Groundwater recharge to the Gulf Coast aquifer system in Montgomery and Adjacent Counties, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oden, Timothy D.; Delin, Geoffrey N.

    2013-01-01

    Simply stated, groundwater recharge is the addition of water to the groundwater system. Most of the water that is potentially available for recharging the groundwater system in Montgomery and adjacent counties in southeast Texas moves relatively rapidly from land surface to surface-water bodies and sustains streamflow, lake levels, and wetlands. Recharge in southeast Texas is generally balanced by evapotranspiration, discharge to surface waters, and the downward movement of water into deeper parts of the groundwater system; however, this balance can be altered locally by groundwater withdrawals, impervious surfaces, land use, precipitation variability, or climate, resulting in increased or decreased rates of recharge. Recharge rates were compared to the 1971–2000 normal annual precipitation measured Cooperative Weather Station 411956, Conroe, Tex.

  20. 33 CFR 110.197 - Galveston Harbor, Bolivar Roads Channel, Texas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Roads Channel, Texas. (a)(1) Anchorage area (A). The water bounded by a line connecting the following... water bounded by a line connecting the following points: Latitude Longtitude 29°20′43.0″ N 94°44′46.5″ W... point of beginning. (3) Anchorage area (C). The water bounded by a line connecting the following points...

  1. 33 CFR 110.197 - Galveston Harbor, Bolivar Roads Channel, Texas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Roads Channel, Texas. (a)(1) Anchorage area (A). The water bounded by a line connecting the following... water bounded by a line connecting the following points: Latitude Longtitude 29°20′43.0″ N 94°44′46.5″ W... point of beginning. (3) Anchorage area (C). The water bounded by a line connecting the following points...

  2. Artesian water in Somervell County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fiedler, Albert George

    1934-01-01

    Somervell County is part of the Grand Prairie region of north-central Texas. An excellent supply of artesian water is available from the Trinity reservoir at no great depth. The first flowing well in Somervell County was drilled in 1880, and the first flowing well in Glen Rose, the county seat, was drilled in 1881. Since 1880 more than 500 wells have been constructed, probably more than half of them prior to 1900. Many of these early wells have been abandoned, either because the well hole caved in as a result of the absence or deterioration of casing or because the wells ceased to yield water by natural flow. The artesian water has always been used chiefly for domestic supply and for watering stock. Only a comparatively small area of farm land is now irrigated. The quantity used to supply the needs of tourist camps and outdoor swimming pools forms a relatively large percentage of the total amount withdrawn from the artesian reservoir in Somervell County. The artesian water is contained chiefly in the permeable sandstone beds--the basal sands for the Trinity group. Some shallow wells of small capacity are supplied by water in the crevices and solution channels in limestone that apparently is near the base of the Glen Rose formation and probably derives its water by leakage from the underlying Trinity reservoir. The wells encounter from one to three aquifers, the number depending upon their depth and location. At and around Glen Rose, the area in which most of the flowing wells are concentrated, the first aquifer is the creviced portion of the limestone, which is encountered at about 50 feet but does not everywhere yield water. The second and third aquifers, both of which are part of the 'basal sands' of the Trinity group, are much more uniform and persistent; the second is encountered at Glen Rose at depths of 100 to 135 feet, and the third at depths of about 275 to 330 feet. The artesian reservoir is supplied by water that falls as rain or snow upon the outcrop of

  3. Simulation of groundwater flow in the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thomas, Jonathan V.

    2014-01-01

    The Edwards-Trinity aquifer, a major aquifer in the Pecos County region of western Texas, is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and public supply uses. Resource managers would like to better understand the future availability of water in the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Pecos County region and the effects of the possible increase or temporal redistribution of groundwater withdrawals. To that end, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District, Pecos County, City of Fort Stockton, Brewster County, and Pecos County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, completed a comprehensive, integrated analysis of available hydrogeologic data to develop a groundwater-flow model of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in parts of Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos, and Reeves Counties. Following calibration, the model was used to evaluate the sustainability of recent (2008) and projected water-use demands on groundwater resources in the study area.

  4. Pesticide safety training and access to field sanitation among migrant farmworker mothers from Starr County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Shipp, E M; Cooper, S P; Burau, K D; Bolin, J N

    2005-02-01

    Very little published research describes employer compliance with EPA-mandated Worker Protection Standard (WPS) pesticide safety training and the OSHA Field Sanitation Standard among farmworker women in general and mothers specifically. A goal of both standards is limiting farmworkers' exposure to potentially hazardous agricultural pesticides. Data from a NIOSH-supported cohort study ("Injury and Illness Surveillance in Migrant Farmworker Families") allowed for examining these issues. The cohort included 267 migrant farmworker families who usually reside along the Texas-Mexico border (Starr County, Texas). Data were collected in Starr County during in-home interviews. Of 102 mothers who participated in migrant farm work during summer 2001, 57 (55.9%) reported having ever received training/instruction in the safe use of pesticides, while 47 (46.1%) reported having received training within the previous five years, as required by WPS. Of trained mothers, 91.5% to 93.6% reported that their training covered key WPS areas: (1) entry into a recently treated field, (2) pesticide related injuries/illnesses, and (3) where to go and who to contact for emergency care following exposure. Regarding access to field sanitation, 67.5% to 84.2% of 77 mothers who worked outside Texas reported employer-provided decontamination supplies (e.g., soap, wash water, towels, and toilet facilities). However, a strikingly smaller proportion (12% to 28%) of 25 mothers who worked within Texas reported access to the same resources, suggesting discrepancies in compliance across the U.S. Due to the low level of employer compliance with both WPS and OSHA mandated standards, increased enforcement and an alternate delivery of pesticide training is recommended.

  5. Disparities of food availability and affordability within convenience stores in Bexar County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Smith, Matthew Lee; Sunil, T S; Salazar, Camerino I; Rafique, Sadaf; Ory, Marcia G

    2013-01-01

    The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends healthful food choices; however, some geographic areas are limited in the types of foods they offer. Little is known about the role of convenience stores as viable channels to provide healthier foods in our "grab and go" society. The purposes of this study were to (1) identify foods offered within convenience stores located in two Bexar County, Texas, ZIP Codes and (2) compare the availability and cost of ADA-recommended foods including beverages, produce, grains, and oils/fats. Data were analyzed from 28 convenience store audits performed in two sociodemographically diverse ZIP Codes in Bexar County, Texas. Chi-squared tests were used to compare food availability, and t-tests were used to compare food cost in convenience stores between ZIP Codes. A significantly larger proportion of convenience stores in more affluent areas offered bananas (χ (2) = 4.17, P = 0.003), whole grain bread (χ (2) = 8.33, P = 0.004), and baked potato chips (χ (2) = 13.68, P < 0.001). On average, the price of diet cola (t = -2.12, P = 0.044) and certain produce items (e.g., bananas, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, and cucumber) was significantly higher within convenience stores in more affluent areas. Convenience stores can play an important role to positively shape a community's food environment by stocking healthier foods at affordable prices.

  6. Disparities of Food Availability and Affordability within Convenience Stores in Bexar County, Texas

    PubMed Central

    Smith, Matthew Lee; Sunil, T. S.; Salazar, Camerino I.; Rafique, Sadaf; Ory, Marcia G.

    2013-01-01

    The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends healthful food choices; however, some geographic areas are limited in the types of foods they offer. Little is known about the role of convenience stores as viable channels to provide healthier foods in our “grab and go” society. The purposes of this study were to (1) identify foods offered within convenience stores located in two Bexar County, Texas, ZIP Codes and (2) compare the availability and cost of ADA-recommended foods including beverages, produce, grains, and oils/fats. Data were analyzed from 28 convenience store audits performed in two sociodemographically diverse ZIP Codes in Bexar County, Texas. Chi-squared tests were used to compare food availability, and t-tests were used to compare food cost in convenience stores between ZIP Codes. A significantly larger proportion of convenience stores in more affluent areas offered bananas (χ 2 = 4.17, P = 0.003), whole grain bread (χ 2 = 8.33, P = 0.004), and baked potato chips (χ 2 = 13.68, P < 0.001). On average, the price of diet cola (t = −2.12, P = 0.044) and certain produce items (e.g., bananas, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, and cucumber) was significantly higher within convenience stores in more affluent areas. Convenience stores can play an important role to positively shape a community's food environment by stocking healthier foods at affordable prices. PMID:23935645

  7. Persistent organochlorine pollutants in eggs of colonial waterbirds from Galveston Bay and East Texas, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Frank, D.S.; Mora, M.A.; Sericano, J.L.; Blankenship, Alan L.; Kannan, K.; Giesy, J.P.

    2001-01-01

    Eggs of neotropic cormorants (Phalacrocorax brasilianus), black-crowned night herons (Nycticorax nycticorax), and great egrets (Ardea alba) nesting on several locations in Galveston Bay (TX, USA) and at two control sites outside the bay were collected during April–May 1996 and analyzed for chlorinated pesticides, PCBs, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and polychlor-inated dibenzofurans. Additionally, concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQs) were determined by use of relative potency factors (TEQs) or the H4IIE-luc bioassay TCDD-EQs. Concentrations of 1,1,-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlo-rophenyl)ethylene (DDE) were greater in eggs of neotropic cormorants from Alexander Island (mean = 1,040 ng/g wet wt) in the Houston Ship Channel (Houston, TX, USA) and in those from Telfair Island (mean = 1,460 ng/g wet wt), a reference location outside the bay, than in most locations inside the bay (mean range = 119–453 ng/g wet wt). Mean PCB concentrations were greater in eggs of neotropic cormorants from Alexander Island (mean = 5,720 ng/g wet wt) than in eggs of cormorants from areas farther away from the ship channel, including two reference sites outside the bay (mean range = 404–3,140 ng/g wet wt). The TCDD was the main dioxin congener detected in eggs from all locations within Galveston Bay. Instrumental TEQs in eggs ranged from 67 pg/g wet weight at control sites to 452 pg/g wet weight at Alexander Island. Concentrations of TCDD-EQs determined in the H4IIE assay were correlated with instrumental TEQs and were greater in eggs of cormorants from islands within the bay, although these were farther away from the ship channel. Overall, concentrations of DDE, PCBs, TCDD, and TCDD-EQs were less than the threshold levels known to affect reproduction. However, some eggs contained concentrations of total PCBs or DDE greater than what would elicit adverse effects on birds. No identifiable deformities or abnormalities were detected in embryos

  8. Houston, Texas taken by the STS-109 crew

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2002-03-05

    STS109-714-035 (1-12 March 2002) --- The astronauts on board the Space Shuttle Columbia took this 70mm picture featuring the greater metropolitan Houston, Texas area. The view direction is northwest, with Houston's downtown as the brightest region (center) where major highways converge. Interstate 10 is a fine line extending towards the lower right, around the north side of Galveston Bay, part of which appears in the lower right corner. The interstate also appears as a line cutting through the wooded parts of west Houston (just west of downtown). Bush Intercontinental Airport is the largest light patch on the view north of downtown, and lies next to Highway 59, a thin white line that stretches toward the right side of the picture. Forests of East Texas make the top right corner of the view a dark green.

  9. Retrospective Case Study in Wise County, Texas, Study of the Potential Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing on Drinking Water Resources

    EPA Science Inventory

    This report describes the retrospective case study in north central Texas, conducted at three locations in Wise County where both conventional and unconventional gas production occurred in the past. Currently unconventional gas production occurs from the Mississippian-aged Barne...

  10. Irrigation scheduling, freeze warning and soil salinity detecting. [in Cameron County Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiegand, C. L. (Principal Investigator)

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Correlations of multispectral scanner (MSS) digital data differences between vegetated and bare soil areas with salinity levels from the eight saline areas using MSS bands seven and ten in the infrared region were significant. Correlations were derived for Cameron County, Texas. Detection of saline soils may be possible, using either film density readings or multispectral scanner data, when the lower reflectance of vegetation on highly saline soil and the higher reflectance of vegetation on lower saline soil are considered by using film on MSS contrasts between vegetation and bare soil.

  11. Modeling Street-Level Inundation in Galveston, Texas City, and Houston during 2008 Hurricane Ike: Now and Implications for the Future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loftis, D.

    2016-02-01

    In the wake of Hurricane Katrina (2005), Hurricane Ike (2008) is the second most devastating tropical cyclone to make landfall in the Gulf of Mexico in recent history. The path of the eye of Hurricane Ike passing directly over the Galveston's City Center requires the finesse of a street-level hydrodynamic model to accurately resolve the spatial inundation extent observed during the storm. A version of the Holland wind model was coupled with a sub-grid hydrodynamic model to address the complexity of spatially-varying hurricane force winds on the irregular movement of fluid though the streets of the coastal cities adjacent to the Galveston Bay. Sub-grid modeling technology is useful for incorporating high-resolution lidar-derived elevation measurements into the conventional hydrodynamic modeling framework to resolve detailed topographic features for inclusion in a hydrological transport model for storm surge simulations. Buildings were mosaicked into a lidar-derived Digital Surface Model at 5m spatial resolution for the study area, and in turn, embedded within a sub-grid layer of the hydrodynamic model mesh in a cross-scale approach to address the movement of Ike's storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico through the Galveston Bay, up estuaries and onto land. Model predictions for timing and depth of flooding during Hurricane Ike were compared with 8 verified water level gauges throughout the study area to evaluate the effectiveness of the sub-grid model's partial wetting and drying scheme. Statistical comparison yielded a mean R2 of 0.914, a relative error of 4.19%, and a root-mean-squared error of 19.47cm. A rigorous point-to-point comparison between street-level model results and 217 high water mark observations collected by the USGS and FEMA at several sites after the storm revealed that the model predicted the depth of inundation comparably well with an aggregate root-mean-squared error 0.283m. Finally, sea-level rise scenarios using Hurricane Ike as a base case

  12. Earth Observations taken by the Expedition 10 crew

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2005-01-17

    ISS010-E-13680 (17 January 2005) --- The border of Galveston and Brazoria Counties in Texas is visible in this electronic still camera's image, as photographed by the Expedition 10 crew onboard the International Space Station. Polly Ranch, near Friendswood, is visible west of Interstate Highway 45 (right side). FM528 goes horizontally through the middle, and FM518 runs vertically through frame center, with the two roads intersecting near Friendswood.

  13. Forests of east Texas, 2016

    Treesearch

    Kerry Dooley

    2018-01-01

    This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in east Texas based on an inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Southern Research Station (SRS) in cooperation with Texas A&M Forest Service. The 254 counties of Texas are consolidated into seven FIA survey units—Southeast (unit 1),...

  14. Forests of east Texas, 2015

    Treesearch

    Kerry J.W. Dooley

    2017-01-01

    This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in east Texas based on an inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Southern Research Station (SRS) in cooperation with Texas A&M Forest Service. The 254 counties of Texas are consolidated into seven FIA survey units—Southeast (unit 1),...

  15. Beneficial Uses of Dredged Material. Proceedings of the Gulf Coast Regional Workshop Held on 26-28 April 1988 in Galveston, Texas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-02-01

    COL John Tudela, Commander of the Galveston District, US Army Corps of Engineers. As a former Pharmacist Mate, third class in the US Marine Corps, I... uti - lizing material from maintenance dredging at the entrance to the harbor. The port commission has lands and containment facilities prepared for...sensitivity. When considering disposal techniques, it is useful to retrace man’s uti - lization of estuaries and waterways. From earliest times, settlement

  16. A COMPARISON OF THE SALINITY REGIME ALONG THE TEXAS COAST WITH TERRESTRIAL VEGETATION GREENNESS AND WATER USE IN THE GALVESTON BAY WATERSHED USING REMOTING SENSING

    EPA Science Inventory

    Variability in vegetation greenness was determined for the Galveston Bay watershed using biweekly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data derived from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (A VHRR) flown on NOAA satellites. NDVI variability was compared with reg...

  17. Genetic evidence of enzootic leishmaniasis in a stray canine and Texas mouse from sites in west and central Texas

    PubMed Central

    Kipp, Evan J; Mariscal, Jacqueline; Armijos, Rodrigo X; Weigel, Margaret; Waldrup, Kenneth

    2016-01-01

    We detected Leishmania mexicana in skin biopsies taken from a stray canine (Canis familiaris) and Texas mouse (Peromyscus attwateri) at two ecologically disparate sites in west and central Texas using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A single PCR-positive dog was identified from a sample of 96 stray canines and was collected in a peri-urban area in El Paso County, Texas. The PCR-positive P. attwateri was trapped at a wildlife reserve in Mason County, Texas, from a convenience sample of 20 sylvatic mammals of different species. To our knowledge, this represents the first description of L. mexicana in west Texas and extends the known geographic range of the parasite to an area that includes the arid Chihuahuan Desert. Our finding of L. mexicana in P. attwateri represents a new host record and is the first description of the parasite in a wild peromyscid rodent in the United States. PMID:27759765

  18. 76 FR 9640 - Prevailing Rate Systems: Santa Clara, CA, Tulsa County, OK, and Angelina County, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-22

    ... System (FWS) wage area and Angelina County, Texas, as an area of application to the Dallas, TX, NAF FWS... County, Texas, as an area of application to the Dallas, TX, NAF FWS wage area. The Federal Prevailing... area listing for the Oklahoma, OK, and Dallas, TX, NAF wage areas to read as follows: Appendix D to...

  19. The State of Texas Children: Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book--The Importance of Investing in Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deviney, Frances; Phillips, Pace; Dickerson, Carrie; Tibbitt, Laura

    2011-01-01

    On February 4, the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP) released the 18th annual Texas KIDS COUNT data book, "The State of Texas Children 2011." The annual data book and free data warehouse provide the latest look at more than 80 different measures of child well-being in Texas and every county in the state. This year, the opening…

  20. Investigation of land subsidence in the Houston-Galveston region of Texas by using the Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar, 1993-2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bawden, Gerald W.; Johnson, Michaela R.; Kasmarek, Mark C.; Brandt, Justin; Middleton, Clifton S.

    2012-01-01

    The interferograms show that the area of historical subsidence in downtown Houston along the Houston Ship Channel has stabilized and that recent subsidence occurs farther west and north of Galveston Bay. Three areas of recent subsidence were delineated along a broad arcuate (bowshaped) feature from Spring, Tex., southwest to Cypress, Tex., and south to Sugar Land, Tex., with subsidence rates ranging from 15 millimeters per year (mm/yr) to greater than 60 mm/yr. Multiyear interferograms near Seabrook, Tex., within the historical subsidence area and nearby Galveston Bay, show several fringes of subsidence (approximately 85 millimeters from January 1996 to December 1997) in the area; however it is difficult to determine the subsidence magnitude near Seabrook because many of the InSAR fringes were truncated or ill-defined. Horizontal and vertical GPS data throughout the area support the InSAR measured subsidence rates and extent. The subsidence rates for a few GPS stations northwest of Houston began to decrease in 2007, which may indicate that subsidence may be decreasing in these areas.

  1. The Impact of Education on Views of Homosexuality in the Senior Clergy of Hidalgo County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Park, John; Perez, Pamela R; Ramírez-Johnson, Johnny

    2016-06-01

    This study explores clergy perspectives on homosexuality and mental health. Interviews were conducted with 245 senior clergy of faith-based organizations in Hidalgo County, Texas. Analyses revealed that the less education the individual had, the more likely he or she viewed homosexuals as being more psychologically disturbed than heterosexuals. Clergy also expressed uncertainty in their views and actions regarding referral practices. A need for clergy education on views of homosexuality is documented. Suggestions are made for future research and education.

  2. Remedial Design Optimization Review Report: East 67th Street Ground Water Plume NPL Site, Odessa, Ector County, Texas, EPA Region 6

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The East 67th Street Ground Water Plume Superfund Site (East 67th Street Site) is located in Odessa, Ector County, Texas in EPA Region 6. The site was added to the National Priorities List (NPL) on March 7, 2007, and is managed as a fund-lead site.

  3. Catalogue of Texas spiders

    PubMed Central

    Dean, David Allen

    2016-01-01

    Abstract This catalogue lists 1,084 species of spiders (three identified to genus only) in 311 genera from 53 families currently recorded from Texas and is based on the “Bibliography of Texas Spiders” published by Bea Vogel in 1970. The online list of species can be found at http://pecanspiders.tamu.edu/spidersoftexas.htm. Many taxonomic revisions have since been published, particularly in the families Araneidae, Gnaphosidae and Leptonetidae. Many genera in other families have been revised. The Anyphaenidae, Ctenidae, Hahniidae, Nesticidae, Sicariidae and Tetragnathidae were also revised. Several families have been added and others split up. Several genera of Corinnidae were transferred to Phrurolithidae and Trachelidae. Two genera from Miturgidae were transferred to Eutichuridae. Zoridae was synonymized under Miturgidae. A single species formerly in Amaurobiidae is now in the Family Amphinectidae. Some trapdoor spiders in the family Ctenizidae have been transferred to Euctenizidae. Gertsch and Mulaik started a list of Texas spiders in 1940. In a letter from Willis J. Gertsch dated October 20, 1982, he stated “Years ago a first listing of the Texas fauna was published by me based largely on Stanley Mulaik material, but it had to be abandoned because of other tasks.” This paper is a compendium of the spiders of Texas with distribution, habitat, collecting method and other data available from revisions and collections. This includes many records and unpublished data (including data from three unpublished studies). One of these studies included 16,000 adult spiders belonging to 177 species in 29 families. All specimens in that study were measured and results are in the appendix. Hidalgo County has 340 species recorded with Brazos County at 323 and Travis County at 314 species. These reflect the amount of collecting in the area. PMID:27103878

  4. Texas, 2008 forest inventory and analysis factsheet

    Treesearch

    James Bentley

    2011-01-01

    This science update summarizes the findings of the first statewide annual inventory conducted by the Southern Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program in cooperation with the Texas Forest Service of the forest resource attributes in Texas. The 254 counties of Texas are consolidated into seven FIA survey units—southeast (unit 1), the northeast (unit 2), the north...

  5. Houston-Galveston Bay area, Texas, from space; a new tool for mapping land subsidence

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stork, Sylvia V.; Sneed, Michelle

    2002-01-01

    Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) is a powerful new tool that uses radar signals to measure displacement (subsidence and uplift) of the Earth's crust at an unprecedented level of spatial detail and high degree of measurement resolution.The Houston-Galveston Bay area, possibly more than any other metropolitan area in the United States, has been adversely affected by land subsidence. Extensive subsidence, caused mainly by ground-water pumping but also by oil and gas extraction, has increased the frequency of flooding, caused extensive damage to industrial and transportation infrastructure, motivated major investments in levees, reservoirs, and surfacewater distribution facilities, and caused substantial loss of wetland habitat. Ongoing patterns of subsidence in the Houston area have been carefully monitored using borehole extensometers, Global Positioning System (GPS) and conventional spirit-leveling surveys, and more recently, an emerging technology—Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR)—which enables development of spatially-detailed maps of land-surface displacement over broad areas. This report, prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, briefly summarizes the history of subsidence in the area and the local consequences of subsidence and describes the use of InSAR as one of several tools in an integrated subsidence-monitoring program in the area.

  6. Map Showing Geology and Hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards Aquifer Catchment Area, Northern Bexar County, South-Central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Amy R.; Blome, Charles D.; Faith, Jason R.

    2009-01-01

    Rock units forming the Edwards and Trinity aquifers in northern Bexar County, Texas, are exposed within all or parts of seven 7.5-minute quadrangles: Bulverde, Camp Bullis, Castle Hills, Helotes, Jack Mountain, San Geronimo, and Van Raub. The Edwards aquifer is the most prolific ground-water source in Bexar County, whereas the Trinity aquifer supplies water for residential, commercial, and industrial uses for areas north of the San Antonio. The geologic map of northern Bexar County shows the distribution of informal hydrostratigraphic members of the Edwards Group and the underlying upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone. Exposures of the Glen Rose Limestone, which forms the Trinity aquifer alone, cover approximately 467 km2 in the county. This study also describes and names five informal hydrostratigraphic members that constitute the upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone; these include, in descending order, the Caverness, Camp Bullis, Upper evaporite, Fossiliferous, and Lower evaporite members. This study improves our understanding of the hydrogeologic connection between the two aquifers as it describes the geology that controls the infiltration of surface water and subsurface flow of ground water from the catchment area (outcropping Trinity aquifer rocks) to the Edwards water-bearing exposures.

  7. Space Radar Image of Houston, Texas

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1999-04-15

    This image of Houston, Texas, shows the amount of detail that is possible to obtain using spaceborne radar imaging. Images such as this -- obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) flying aboard the space shuttle Endeavor last fall -- can become an effective tool for urban planners who map and monitor land use patterns in urban, agricultural and wetland areas. Central Houston appears pink and white in the upper portion of the image, outlined and crisscrossed by freeways. The image was obtained on October 10, 1994, during the space shuttle's 167th orbit. The area shown is 100 kilometers by 60 kilometers (62 miles by 38 miles) and is centered at 29.38 degrees north latitude, 95.1 degrees west longitude. North is toward the upper left. The pink areas designate urban development while the green-and blue-patterned areas are agricultural fields. Black areas are bodies of water, including Galveston Bay along the right edge and the Gulf of Mexico at the bottom of the image. Interstate 45 runs from top to bottom through the image. The narrow island at the bottom of the image is Galveston Island, with the city of Galveston at its northeast (right) end. The dark cross in the upper center of the image is Hobby Airport. Ellington Air Force Base is visible below Hobby on the other side of Interstate 45. Clear Lake is the dark body of water in the middle right of the image. The green square just north of Clear Lake is Johnson Space Center, home of Mission Control and the astronaut training facilities. The black rectangle with a white center that appears to the left of the city center is the Houston Astrodome. The colors in this image were obtained using the follow radar channels: red represents the L-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); green represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); blue represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted and received). http

  8. Hydrologic and geochemical data for the Big Brown lignite mine area, Freestone County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dorsey, Michael E.

    1985-01-01

    Lignite mining in east and east-central Texas is increasing in response to increased energy needs throughout the State. Associated with the increase in mining activities is a greater need to know the effects of mining activities on the water quantity and quality of near-surface aquifers. The near-surface lignite beds mined at the Big Brown Lignite Mine are from the Calvert Bluff Formation of the Wilcox Group of Eocene age, which is a minor aquifer generally having water suitable for all uses, in eastern Freestone County, Texas. One of the potential hydro!ogic effects of surface-coal mining is a change in the quality of ground water associated with replacement of aquifer materials by mine spoils. The purpose of this report is to compile and categorize geologic, mineralogic, geochemical, and hydrologic data for the Big Brown Lignite Mine and surrounding area in east-central Texas. Included are results of pasteextract analyses, constituent concentrations in water from batch-mixing experiments, sulfur analyses, and minerals or mineral groups detected by X-ray diffraction in 12 spoil material samples collected from 3 locations at the mine site. Also, common-constituent and trace-constituent concentrations in water from eight selected wells, located updip and downdip from the mine, are presented. Dissolved-solids concentrations in water from batch-mixing experiments vary from 12 to 908 milligrams per liter. Water from selected wells contain dissolved-solids concentrations ranging from 75 to 510 milligrams per liter.

  9. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Underhill, Gary K; Carlson, Ronald A.; Clendinning, William A.

    Discussion of the industrial utilization of geopressured geothermal energy is currently limited by the limited knowledge of the resource's distribution. However, the resource assessment activity in the Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin, has identified a number of fairway or potential resource zones. These zones are located in Kenedy County; in and about Corpus Christi and Nueces Bays in Nueces, San Patricio, and Aransas Counties; in the coastal zones of Matagorda County; and in a crescent-shaped zone parallel to the coastline in Brazoria and Galveston Counties. The Kenedy and Matagorda County zones are situated in ruralmore » areas with little or no industrial activity. The Corpus Christi and Brazoria-Galveston zones are in and adjacent to highly industrialized and urbanized districts. The rural zones will require the establishment of new industries for geothermal fluid utilization while the industrial-urban zones will require either new industry, expansion to existing industry, or modification to existing plant and process. Proposed industries for geothermal fluid utilization can be considered with respect to fitting the industry to the available fluids; this has been the usual approach. An alternate approach is to fit the abailable fluids to the proposed industry. In order to follow the alternate approach requires consideration of ways to upgrade the quality of existing geothermal fluids or geothermal-derived or -energized fluids.« less

  10. 76 FR 28841 - Texas Disaster # TX-00376

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-18

    ... SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Disaster Declaration 12564 and 12565 Texas Disaster TX-00376 AGENCY: U.S. Small Business Administration. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: This is a notice of an Administrative declaration of a disaster for the State of Texas dated 05/09/2011. Incident: Wichita County Complex Wildfires...

  11. Examining social, physical, and environmental dimensions of tornado vulnerability in Texas.

    PubMed

    Siebeneck, Laura

    2016-01-01

    To develop a vulnerability model that captures the social, physical, and environmental dimensions of tornado vulnerability of Texas counties. Guided by previous research and methodologies proposed in the hazards and emergency management literature, a principle components analysis is used to create a tornado vulnerability index. Data were gathered from open source information available through the US Census Bureau, American Community Surveys, and the Texas Natural Resources Information System. Texas counties. The results of the model yielded three indices that highlight geographic variability of social vulnerability, built environment vulnerability, and tornado hazard throughout Texas. Further analyses suggest that counties with the highest tornado vulnerability include those with high population densities and high tornado risk. This article demonstrates one method for assessing statewide tornado vulnerability and presents how the results of this type of analysis can be applied by emergency managers towards the reduction of tornado vulnerability in their communities.

  12. 78 FR 56071 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for Texas Golden...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-11

    ...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), designate critical habitat for two Texas plants, Leavenworthia texana (Texas golden gladecress) and Hibiscus dasycalyx (Neches River rose-mallow), under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Critical habitat for the Texas golden gladecress is located in Sabine and San Augustine Counties, Texas, and for the Neches River rose-mallow in Nacogdoches, Houston, Trinity, Cherokee, and Harrison Counties, Texas. The effect of this regulation is to designate critical habitat for these two East Texas plants under the Endangered Species Act.

  13. An unusual Middle Permian flora from the Blaine Formation (Pease River Group: Leonardian-Guadalupian Series) of King County, West Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DiMichele, W.A.; Hook, R.W.; Nelson, W.J.; Chaney, D.S.

    2004-01-01

    A new Middle Permian plant assemblage from South Ash Pasture in King County, Texas, may be the youngest and is certainly the most unusual flora known from the Permian of either West Texas or adjoining north-central Texas. Found serendipitously in the evaporite-rich upper Blaine Formation (Pease River Group, Guadalupian Series), the flora is of very low diversity despite intensive collecting efforts, and the affinities of nearly all taxa are enigmatic. The most common elements are parallel-veined leaves that resemble cordaites but that could be isolated pinnules of a pinnate leaf. Gigantopterid foliage is present but not assignable to any known taxon. A single foliar conifer specimen is too incomplete for assignment. Numerous reproductive organs, however, and an abundance of axes may represent conifers. Conchostracans, palaeoniscoid fish scales, and small heteropolar coprolites also occur in the deposit, which originated as a small, claystone-dominated channel fill in a coastal plain setting.

  14. East Texas, 2011 forest inventory and analysis factsheet

    Treesearch

    Jason A. Cooper; James W. Bentley

    2012-01-01

    This science update summarizes the findings of the annual inventory conducted by the Southern Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program in cooperation with the Texas Forest Service of the forest resource attributes in east Texas. The 254 counties of Texas are consolidated into 7 FIA survey units—southeast (unit 1), northeast (unit 2), north central (unit 3), south (...

  15. PARASAIL TRAINING - ASTRONAUT THOMAS P. STAFFORD - GALVESTON BAY, TX

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1965-08-23

    S65-51958 (23 Aug. 1965) --- Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, Gemini-6 prime crew pilot, sails over Galveston Bay during parasail training. His water survival gear hangs below him. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

  16. Red Tide off Texas Coast

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Red tides (algae) bloomed late this summer along a 300-mile stretch of Texas' Gulf Coast, killing millions of fish and shellfish as well as making some people sick. State officials are calling this the worst red tide bloom in 14 years. The algae produces a poison that paralyzes fish and prevents them from breathing. There is concern that the deadly algae could impact or even wipe out this year's oyster harvest in Texas, which usually peaks during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The red tides were first observed off the Texas coast in mid-August and have been growing steadily in size ever since. Red tides tend to bloom and subside rapidly, depending upon changes in wind speed and direction, water temperature, salinity, and rainfall patterns (as the algae doesn't do as well in fresher water). This true-color image of the Texas Gulf Coast was acquired on September 29, 2000, by the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) flying aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft. The red tide can be seen as the dark reddish discoloration in the ocean running southwest to northeast along the coast. In this scene, the bloom appears to be concentrated north and east of Corpus Christi, just off Matagorda Island. The image was made at 500-meter resolution using a combination of MODIS' visible bands 1 (red), 4 (green), and 3 (blue). The city of Houston can be seen clearly as the large, greyish cluster of pixels to the north and west of Galveston Bay, which is about mid-way up the coastline in this image. Also visible in this image are plumes of smoke, perhaps wildfires, both to the north and northeast of Houston. For more information about red tides, refer to the Texas Red Tide Web site. Image courtesy Andrey Savtchenko, MODIS Data Support Team, and the MODIS Ocean Team, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

  17. Earth Observations taken by STS-120 crew.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2007-11-02

    S120-E-008232 (2 Nov. 2007) --- Galveston Island, part of Galveston Bay and the Texas City area, not far from the Johnson Space Center (out of frame), are featured in this picture taken by a crewmember while the Space Shuttle Discovery was docked with the International Space Station. The Texas City Dike is near frame center.

  18. Assessing the viability of microorganisms in the ballast water of vessels transiting the North Atlantic Ocean.

    PubMed

    Steichen, Jamie L; Quigg, Antonietta

    2015-12-15

    Testing phytoplankton viability within ballast tanks and receiving waters of ballast water discharge remain understudied. Potentially harmful dinoflagellates and diatoms are transported via ballast water to Galveston Bay, Texas (USA), home to three major ports: Houston, Texas City and Galveston. Ballast water from vessels transiting the North Atlantic Ocean was inoculated into treatments representing low and high salinity conditions similar to the Ports of Houston and Galveston respectively. Phytoplankton in ballast water growout experiments were deemed viable and showed growth in low and mid salinities with nutrient enrichment. Molecular methods identified several genera: Dinophysis, Gymnodinium, Gyrodinium, Heterocapsa, Peridinium, Scrippsiella, Chaetoceros and Nitzschia. These phytoplankton genera were previously identified in Galveston Bay except Scrippsiella. Phytoplankton, including those capable of forming harmful algal blooms leading to fish and shellfish kills, are transported to Galveston Bay via ballast water, and are viable when introduced to similar salinity conditions found in Galveston Bay ports. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Ground-water resources of Liberty County, Texas, with a section on Stream runoff

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alexander, Walter H.; Breeding, S. D.

    1950-01-01

    Liberty County is in the Gulf Coastal Plain of southeastern Texas in the second tier of counties back from the Gulf. The geologic formations discussed in this report in upward sequence consist of the Oakville sandstone of Miocene age and the Lagarto clay of Miocene (?) age, the Willis sand of Pliocene (?) age, and the Lissie formation and Beaumont clay of Pleistocene age. The rocks of these formations crop out in belts roughly parallel to the Gulf shore and dip southeastward. As one travels across San Jacinto and Liberty Counties from northwest to southeast the belts of outcrop are traversed in the above order, beginning with the 0akville sandstone and Lagarto clay. The land surface slopes southeastward toward the Gulf at a rate less than the dip of the rocks; consequently artesian conditions exist in all parts of the county. The valley of the Trinity River is well known for its flowing weds, which range from 100 to 808 feet in depth. Most of the ground water used in the county is obtained from wells ranging in depth from 350 to about 1,000 feet and is drawn from the Lissie formation. Wells yielding 1,000 to 3,500 gallons a minute and ranging from 740 to 1,030 feet in depth have been developed for rice irrigation in the North Dayton area, in the southwestern part of the county. These wells draw water mostly from sands in the Lissie formation, but most of them are also screened in overlying thinner sands in the Beaumont clay. The municipal water supplies of Liberty, Cleveland, Dayton, and Diasetta are obtained from wells ranging from 350 to 833 feet in depth with reported yields of 300 to 350 gallons a minute. Most of the wells in the rural areas are less than 50 feet in depth and furnish small supplies of water for domestic use and for stock. Such supplies can be obtained almost anywhere in the county from shallow wells in the Lissie and Beaumont formations or in alluvial deposits. The average daily withdrawal of ground water for irrigation, public supply, and

  20. Rainfall and evapotranspiration data for southwest Medina County, Texas, August 2006-December 2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Slattery, Richard N.; Asquith, William H.; Ockerman, Darwin J.

    2011-01-01

    During August 2006-December 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, collected rainfall and evapotranspiration data to help characterize the hydrology of the Nueces River Basin, Texas. The USGS installed and operated a station to collect continuous (30-minute interval) rainfall and evapotranspiration data in southwest Medina County approximately 14 miles southwest of D'Hanis, Texas, and 23 miles northwest of Pearsall, Texas. Rainfall data were collected by using an 8-inch tipping bucket raingage. Meteorological and surface-energy flux data used to calculate evapotranspiration were collected by using an extended Open Path Eddy Covariance system from Campbell Scientific, Inc. Data recorded by the system were used to calculate evapotranspiration by using the eddy covariance and Bowen ratio closure methods and to analyze the surface energy budget closure. During August 2006-December 2009 (excluding days of missing record), measured rainfall totaled 86.85 inches. In 2007, 2008, and 2009, annual rainfall totaled 40.98, 12.35, and 27.15 inches, respectively. The largest monthly rainfall total, 12.30 inches, occurred in July 2007. During August 2006-December 2009, evapotranspiration calculated by using the eddy covariance method totaled 69.91 inches. Annual evapotranspiration calculated by using the eddy covariance method totaled 34.62 inches in 2007, 15.24 inches in 2008, and 15.57 inches in 2009. During August 2006-December 2009, evapotranspiration calculated by using the Bowen ratio closure method (the more refined of the two datasets) totaled 68.33 inches. Annual evapotranspiration calculated by using the Bowen ratio closure method totaled 32.49, 15.54, and 15.80 inches in 2007, 2008, and 2009, respectively (excluding days of missing record).

  1. East Texas, 2012—Forest Inventory and Analysis Factsheet

    Treesearch

    Thomas J. Brandeis; Jason A. Cooper; James W. Bentley

    2014-01-01

    This science update summarizes the findings of the statewide annual inventory of the forest resource attributes in Texas conducted by the Southern Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program in cooperation with the Texas A&M Forest Service. The 254 counties of Texas are consolidated into seven FIA survey units—southeast (unit 1), northeast (unit 2), north central (...

  2. Environmental analysis for development planning in Chambers County, Texas, land use policy component, interim summary of federal influence over land use

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Mixon, J.

    1973-11-21

    This summary covers major Federal programs that affect land use and indicates some of the influence which these programs may have on Chambers County, Texas. The first part is divided into specific areas of study and includes the history of Federal assistance programs to date. These areas are housing and urban development, the Rural Development Act of 1972, transportation, mass transit, energy, air pollution controls, the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969; power plant siting, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Coastal Zone Management (CZM), the National Land Use Policy (NLUP) and Planning Assistance Act, and the interrelation of EPA, CZM,more » and NLUP. The second part deals with constitutional power in relation to transportation, housing and slum clearance, urban renewal, Federal assistance for new communities and open space acquisition, the Rural Development Act of 1972, the EPA, CZM, NLUP and Planning Assistance Act, and power plant siting bills. Included are the legislative history of these land use acts and their actual terminology, control and enforcement procedures and research and developing funding. Specific references to Texas, and especially Chambers County, in relation to these programs are made throughout the report.« less

  3. 75 FR 18776 - Regulated Navigation Area; Galveston Channel, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-13

    ... that the proposed regulated navigation area covers a small area and vessels are allowed to travel...-AA11 Regulated Navigation Area; Galveston Channel, TX AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard proposes to establish a regulated navigation area across the...

  4. Interpretation of Late Cretaceous Volcanic Mounds and Surrounding Gulfian Series Formations Using 3D Seismic Data in Zavala County, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennett, Laura Claire

    The Late Cretaceous Gulfian series is a prominent and important series across the State of Texas that has been extensively studied since the nineteenth century. It is composed of series of southeast-dipping shelf carbonates and clastics deposited on the northwest margin of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. In south Texas, the Gulfian series was deposited in the Rio Grande Embayment and Maverick Basin and is comprised of the Eagle Ford Group, Austin Group, Anacacho Limestone, San Miguel Formation, Olmos Formation, and Escondido Formation that crop out and continue basinward in the subsurface. Late Cretaceous volcanism formed volcanic mounds composed of altered palagonite tuff that are clustered into two fields, including the Uvalde Field centered in Zavala County. Using the Pedernales 3D seismic survey, located in east-central Zavala County, several volcanic mounds were identified and mapped without the use of well log data by identifying structures and characteristics associated with the volcanic mounds. Isolating these mounds through mapping enabled the mapping of the tops surrounding Gulfian formations, Lower Eagle Ford, Upper Eagle Ford, Austin, Anacacho, and San Miguel, for which time-structure, amplitude, similarity/coherency attribute, and isochron maps were generated. By using 3D seismic data, the volcanic mounds and their relation to surrounding rocks can be better interpreted.

  5. Occurrence, distribution, and concentrations of selected contaminants in streambed- and suspended-sediment samples collected in Bexar County, Texas, 2007-09

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilson, Jennifer T.

    2011-01-01

    High concentrations of sediment-associated contaminants are typically associated with urban areas such as San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County, the seventh most populous city in the United States. U.S. Geological Survey personnel periodically collected surficial streambed-sediment samples during 2007-09 and collected suspended-sediment samples from selected streams after storms during 2008 and 2009. All sediment samples were analyzed for major and trace elements, pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

  6. Computers in Schools of Southeast Texas in 1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Henderson, David L.; Renfrow, Raylene

    This study examined computer use in southeast Texas schools in 1997. The study population included 110 school districts in Education Service Center Regions IV and VI. These centers serve 22 counties of southeast Texas in the Houston area. Using questionnaires, researchers collected data on brands of computers presently in use, percent of computer…

  7. 75 FR 51473 - Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-20

    ... Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee (HOGANSAC) and its working groups will meet in... noon. The Committee's working groups will meet on September 9, 2010, from 9 a.m. to noon. These... materials distributed to each member of the Committee or working group should reach the Coast Guard on or...

  8. Archeological Reconnaissance in the Big Sandy Drainage Basin: An Empirical Approach to Investigating Settlement in East Texas.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-05-01

    Archaeology Prehistory History Wood and Upshur Counties, TX Sabine River Basin Big Sandy Creek Northeast Texas 2.. AmTWACT (= tkmsme vm * i P Inf1 eG417 o...watershed, Wood and Upshur counties, East Texas. Although very few details of the project area were known prior to field work, it was anticipated to have been...Mineola office) were also helpful. Mr. Max Baker, County Agent for Wood County, divulged useful information. Local residents were exceptionally helpful in

  9. Hydrogeologic aspects of the Knippa Gap area in eastern Uvalde and western Medina counties, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lambert, Rebecca B.; Clark, Allan K.; Pedraza, Diana E.; Morris, Robert R.

    2014-01-01

    The Edwards aquifer is the primary source of potable water for the San Antonio area in south-central Texas. The Knippa Gap area is a structural low (trough) postulated to channel or restrict flow in the Edwards aquifer in eastern Uvalde and western Medina Counties, Tex. To better understand the function of the Knippa Gap, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, developed the first detailed surficial geologic map of the Knippa Gap area with data and information obtained from previous investigations and field observations. A simplified version of the detailed geologic map depicting the hydrologic units, faulting, and structural dips of the Knippa Gap area is provided in this fact sheet. The map shows that groundwater flow in the Edwards aquifer is influenced by the Balcones Fault Zone, a structurally complex area of the aquifer that contains relay ramps that have formed in extensional fault systems and allowed for deformational changes along fault blocks. Faulting in southeast Uvalde and southwest Medina Counties has produced relay-ramp structures that dip downgradient to the structural low (trough) of the Knippa Gap.

  10. 78 FR 46947 - Adequacy Status of the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, Texas Reasonable Further Progress and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-02

    ...) State Implementation Plan (SIP) revisions, submitted on May 6, 2013 by the Texas Commission on... effective August 19, 2013. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The essential information in this notice will be... to EPA. The word ``budget(s)'' refers to the mobile source emissions budget for volatile organic...

  11. Preliminary environmental analysis of a geopressured-geothermal test well in Brazoria County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    White, W.A.; McGraw, M.; Gustavson, T.C.

    1977-11-16

    Preliminary environmental data, including current land use, substrate lithology, soils, natural hazards, water resources, biological assemblages, meteorological data, and regulatory considerations have been collected and analyzed for approximately 150 km/sup 2/ of land near Chocolate Bayou, Brazoria County, Texas, in which a geopressured-geothermal test well is to be drilled in the fall of 1977. The study was designed to establish an environmental data base and to determine, within spatial constraints set by subsurface reservoir conditions, environmentally suitable sites for the proposed well. Preliminary analyses of data revealed the eed for focusing on the following areas: potential for subsidence and faultmore » activation, susceptibility of test well and support facilities to fresh- and salt-water flooding, possible effects of produced saline waters on biological assemblages and groundwaer resources, distribution of expansive soils, and effect of drilling and associated support activities on known archeological-cultural resources.« less

  12. Storm-related mortality--central Texas, October 17-31, 1998.

    PubMed

    2000-02-25

    On October 17, 1998, a series of storms moved across the central and south regions of Texas, dropping up to 22 inches of rain in some areas and spawning several tornados. Sixty Texas counties (24%) reported flooding during October 17-19. Thirty-six counties became eligible for federal and/or state assistance as a result of damages suffered from this storm system during October 17-31. Estimated flood damage was approximately $900 million, including damage to 12,000 homes, 700 businesses, and public property. This report summarizes findings of an epidemiologic investigation of 31 deaths associated with the storm system.

  13. NASA Spacecraft Images Texas Wildfire

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-09-13

    The tri-county Riley Road wildfire burning in Texas north of Houston was 85 percent contained when NASA Terra spacecraft acquired this image on Sept. 12, 2011. Burned areas are dark gray and black; vegetation red; and bare ground and roads light gray.

  14. Real-time Environmental Monitoring from a Wind Farm Platform in the Texas Hypoxic Zone

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mullins, R. L.; Dimarco, S. F.; Walpert, J. N.; Guinasso, N. L.; Howard, M. K.

    2009-12-01

    Ocean observing systems (OOS) provide coastal managers with data for informed decision-making. OOS are designed to monitor oceanographic and atmospheric conditions from a variety of offshore platforms. In the summer of 2009, a multi-disciplinary system, the Galveston Instrument Garden for Environmental Monitoring (GIGEM), was deployed off the coast of Galveston, Texas (Location: 29o 08’ 29.654’’N, 94o 44’ 51.339’’W) to monitor coastal waters and provide real-time observations for investigating processes responsible for coastal Texas hypoxia. Hypoxia occurs in the Gulf of Mexico over the continental shelf and refers to low dissolved oxygen concentrations in the bottom waters caused by a combination of environmental and physical parameters. Events form rapidly, last for a few days to weeks, and commonly occur along the Louisiana and Texas coasts; however, little research has been conducted to investigate the processes responsible for Texas hypoxia formation. GIGEM was designed to study this problem by contributing real-time measurements to compare with historical coastal data series. Unlike most coastal OOS, GIGEM is installed on an experimental wind farm platform operated by Wind Energy System Technologies Inc. This platform is the first executed offshore wind energy lease in the United States. GIGEM is comprised of two components, the subsurface mooring and a nearby bottom package. The data telemetry system includes a unique design of underwater and surface inductive modems. GIGEM is the only coastal OOS currently collecting real-time environmental water quality measurements on the Texas shelf. The work presented describes: the obstacles and challenges associated with deploying GIGEM, the flow of information from the water column to the user, and how this type of OOS fulfills the societal goals for protecting coastal ecosystems and improving coastal weather and ocean predictions envisioned by the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). Data and

  15. County business patterns, 1997 : Texas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1999-09-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that provides : subnational economic data by industry. The series is : useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  16. County business patterns, 1996 : Texas

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-11-01

    County Business Patterns is an annual series that : provides subnational economic data by industry. The series : is useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; : analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark : for statistical...

  17. Houston, Texas and Gulf Coast area as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1968-10-15

    AS07-07-1872 (11-22 Oct. 1968) --- The Houston, Texas, and Gulf Coast area, looking southeast, as seen from the Apollo 7 spacecraft at an altitude of 101 nautical miles. This photograph was made during the spacecraft's 91st revolution of Earth, at ground elapsed time of 144 hours and 26 minutes. The morning sun causes a spectacular reflection on water surfaces such as the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston Bay, Buffalo Bayou, and the Brazos River, and causes a unique reflection in the canals and rice fields west of Alvin. Some of the landmarks visible in this picture include highways and freeways, the Astrodome, the new Intercontinental Airport, and the Manned Spacecraft Center.

  18. Vulnerability of ground water to contamination, northern Bexar County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Amy R.

    2003-01-01

    The Trinity aquifer, composed of Lower Cretaceous carbonate rocks, largely controls the ground-water hydrology in the study area of northern Bexar County, Texas. Discharge from the Trinity aquifer recharges the downgradient, hydraulically connected Edwards aquifer one of the most permeable and productive aquifers in the Nation and the sole source of water for more than a million people in south-central Texas. The unconfined, karstic outcrop of the Edwards aquifer makes it particularly vulnerable to contamination resulting from urbanization that is spreading rapidly northward across an "environmentally sensitive" recharge zone of the Edwards aquifer and its upgradient "catchment area," composed mostly of the less permeable Trinity aquifer.A better understanding of the Trinity aquifer is needed to evaluate water-management decisions affecting the quality of water in both the Trinity and Edwards aquifers. A study was made, therefore, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System to assess northern Bexar County's vulnerability to ground-water contamination. The vulnerability of ground water to contamination in this area varies with the effects of five categories of natural features (hydrogeologic units, faults, caves and (or) sinkholes, slopes, and soils) that occur on the outcrop and in the shallow subcrop of the Glen Rose Limestone.Where faults affect the rates of recharge or discharge or the patterns of ground-water flow in the Glen Rose Limestone, they likewise affect the risk of water-quality degradation. Caves and sinkholes generally increase the vulnerability of ground water to contamination, especially where their occurrences are concentrated. The slope of land surface can affect the vulnerability of ground water by controlling where and how long a potential contaminant remains on the surface. Disregarding the exception of steep slopes which are assumed to have no soil cover the greater the slope, the less the risk of ground-water contamination. Because most

  19. Identification and Validation of Established and Novel Biomarkers for Infections in Burns

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-10-01

    INVESTIGATOR: Celeste C. Finnerty, PhD RECIPIENT: The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Galveston, TX 77555 REPORT DATE: October 2016...TYPE OF REPORT: Annual PREPARED FOR: U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Fort Detrick, Maryland 21702-5012 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT...Boulevard Galveston, TX 77555-5302 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) U.S. Army Medical

  20. A cursory survey of the forest resource of the east Texas post oak belt

    Treesearch

    V.B. Davis

    1940-01-01

    The area covered by this report!! lies in the eastern half of Texas and may be called the East Texas post oak belt. It is irregular in outline, approximately 400 miles long and 20 to 80 miles wide, and contains a total land area of 11,661,700 acres, From Lamar County on the north, it ,extends southwest to Atascosa and Bee Counties (see fig, 1), On the east, it is...

  1. Estuarine mixing behavior of colloidal organic carbon and colloidal mercury in Galveston Bay, Texas.

    PubMed

    Lee, Seyong; Han, Seunghee; Gill, Gary A

    2011-06-01

    Mercury (Hg) in estuarine water is distributed among different physical phases (i.e. particulate, colloidal, and truly dissolved). This phase speciation influences the fate and cycling of Hg in estuarine systems. However, limited information exists on the estuarine distribution of colloidal phase Hg, mainly due to the technical difficulties involved in measuring it. In the present study, we determined Hg and organic carbon levels from unfiltered, filtered (<0.45 μm), colloidal (10 kDa-0.45 μm), and truly dissolved (<10 kDa) fractions of Galveston Bay surface water in order to understand the estuarine mixing behavior of Hg species as well as interactions of Hg with colloidal organic matter. For the riverine end-member, the colloidal fraction comprised 43 ± 11% of the total dissolved Hg pool and decreased to 17 ± 8% in brackish water. In the estuarine mixing zone, dissolved Hg and colloidal organic carbon showed non-conservative removal behavior, particularly in the low salinity (<15 ppt) region. This removal may be caused by salt-induced coagulation of colloidal matter and consequent removal of dissolved Hg. The particle-water interaction, K(d) ([particulate Hg (mol kg(-1))]/[dissolved Hg (mol L(-1))]) of Hg decreased as particle concentration increased, while the particle-water partition coefficient based on colloidal Hg and the truly dissolved Hg fraction, K(c) ([colloidal Hg (mol kg(-1))]/[truly dissolved Hg (mol L(-1))]) of Hg remained constant as particle concentration increased. This suggests that the particle concentration effect is associated with the amount of colloidal Hg, increasing in proportion to the amount of suspended particulate matter. This work demonstrates that, colloidal organic matter plays an important role in the transport, particle-water partitioning, and removal of dissolved Hg in estuarine waters.

  2. Estimated depth to the water table and estimated rate of recharge in outcrops of the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers near Houston, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Noble, J.E.; Bush, P.W.; Kasmarek, M.C.; Barbie, D.L.

    1996-01-01

    In 1989, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District, began a field study to determine the depth to the water table and to estimate the rate of recharge in outcrops of the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers near Houston, Texas. The study area comprises about 2,000 square miles of outcrops of the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in northwest Harris County, Montgomery County, and southern Walker County. Because of the scarcity of measurable water-table wells, depth to the water table below land surface was estimated using a surface geophysical technique, seismic refraction. The water table in the study area generally ranges from about 10 to 30 foot below land surface and typically is deeper in areas of relatively high land-surface altitude than in areas of relatively low land- surface altitude. The water table has demonstrated no long-term trends since ground-water development began, with the probable exception of the water table in the Katy area: There the water table is more than 75 feet deep, probably due to ground-water pumpage from deeper zones. An estimated rate of recharge in the aquifer outcrops was computed using the interface method in which environmental tritium is a ground-water tracer. The estimated average total recharge rate in the study area is 6 inches per year. This rate is an upper bound on the average recharge rate during the 37 years 1953-90 because it is based on the deepest penetration (about 80 feet) of postnuclear-testing tritium concentrations. The rate, which represents one of several components of a complex regional hydrologic budget, is considered reasonable but is not definitive because of uncertainty regarding the assumptions and parameters used in its computation.

  3. 75 FR 75489 - Endangered and Threatened Species Permit Applications

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-03

    ... TE-776123 Applicant: Texas A & M University, Galveston, Texas. Applicant requests an amendment to a.... Permit TE-25946A Applicant: Charlie Andrew, Frisco, Texas. Applicant requests a new permit for research...: Rudy Bazan, Helotes, Texas. Applicant requests a new permit for research and recovery purposes to...

  4. 76 FR 20324 - Endangered Species; File No. 15606

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-12

    ..., Ph.D., Texas A&M University at Galveston, Department of Marine Biology, 5007 Avenue U, Galveston, TX... Species; File No. 15606 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric... Education Division, Office of Protected Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2011-8593...

  5. Approximate water-level changes in wells completed in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-91 and 1990-91, and measured compaction, 1973-90, in the Houston-Galveston region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barbie, Dana L.; Kasmarek, M.C.; Campodonico, Al

    1991-01-01

    This report is one in a series of reports that depict water-level changes and compaction of subsurface material in the Houston-Galveston region. The maps present approximate water-level changes in wells in the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, 1977-91 and 1990-91 (figs. 1-4). The location of borehole extensometers is shown in figure 5, and graphs present measured compation for 1973-90 (fig. 6).

  6. 75 FR 3277 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on State Highway 99 (Segment F-2) in Texas

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-20

    ... on State Highway 99 (Segment F-2) in Texas AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION... Highway 99) Segment F-2, from State Highway 249 to Interstate Highway 45 (I-45) in Harris County, Texas... (State Highway 99) Segment F-2 from State Highway 249 to I-45 in Harris County; FHWA Project Reference...

  7. Development of a geodatabase for springs within and surrounding outcrops of the Trinity aquifer in northern Bexar County, Texas, 2010-11

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Allan K.; Pedraza, Diane E.

    2013-01-01

    Data for 141 springs within and surrounding the Trinity aquifer outcrops in northern Bexar County were compiled from existing reports and databases. These data were augmented with selected data collected onsite, including the location, discharge, and water-quality characteristics of selected springs, and were entered into the geodatabase. The Trinity aquifer in central Texas is commonly divided into the upper, middle, and lower Trinity aquifers; all of the information that was compiled pertaining to the aquifer is for the upper and middle Trinity aquifers.

  8. Ground-water resources of Atascosa County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sundstrom, Raymond W.; Follett, C.R.

    1950-01-01

    Atascosa County, Tex., is underlain by water-bearing sands of Tertiary age that furnish water for domestic and stock supplies throughout the county, for the public supply of all except one of the towns and cities in the county, for irrigation in several localities, for drilling oil wells in the central and southern parts of the county, for washing glass sand in the northern part of the county, and for maintaining several lakes that are used for hunting and fishing. By far the most productive formation is the Carrizo sand, but supplies of considerable magnitude are also obtained from sands in the Mount Selman and Cook Mountain. formations. The rate of withdrawal from the Carrizo sand amounted to about 15,500 acre-feet a year in 1944-45 or an average of about 13.8 million gallons a day. This was about 6,000 acre-feet a year greater in 1944-45 than it was in 1929-30. Of the total amount of water withdrawn in 1944-45 about 6,500 acre-feet a year is largely wasted from uncontrolled flowing wells. If the waste of water from wells in the Carrizo sand were stopped, the consumption of water for useful purposes could be increased about 70 percent without increasing the draft on the underground reservoir. The increase in total withdrawals from the Carrizo sand has been accompanied by a general decline in the artesian head between 1929-30 and 1944 ranging from 3 to 25 feet. On the whole, the evidence shows that the artesian reservoir is not being overdrawn and that it will sustain a somewhat greater draft.

  9. Analysis of behavioral risk factor surveillance system data to assess the health of Hispanic Americans with diabetes in El Paso County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Martinez, Nelda C; Bader, Julia

    2007-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine and describe the health of Hispanic Americans who live in El Paso County, Texas, along the US-Mexico border, particularly the multidimensional self-management practices of those with diabetes. This study also assesses Hispanic Americans with diabetes consistent with Healthy People 2010 diabetes goals and objectives. Data from the 2002 Paso del Norte Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System are used for analysis of behavioral health risk factors associated with diabetes among Hispanic Americans in El Paso County, Texas. One- and two-way frequency tables with logistic regression and tests for comparison of means are used for data analysis. The greatest numbers of Hispanic American residents are younger, with those diagnosed with diabetes aged 45 years and older and with lower level of education, lowest income level, and unable to work. The odds of having diabetes are 4 times greater with increasing age and 6 times greater with lower income level. The type of medical treatment is consistent with the frequency of various diabetes self-management behaviors to optimize health. Hispanic Americans are within the goal for several Healthy People 2010 targets for diabetes. Hispanic Americans along the US-Mexico border remain at risk for development of diabetes, although several self-management behavioral activities are recognized as important for prevention of diabetes to optimize quality of life.

  10. Case history of the Seven Rivers Sand Waterflood, Crockett County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Riley, E.A.; Bates, T.P.

    1965-04-22

    The Noelke Field is located approximately 6 1/2 miles SE of Iraan in Crockett County, Texas. The field covers some 2760 proven productive acres with an estimated 1300 acres being oil-productive and the remainder being high enough structurally to carry gas saturation. This report covers only the southern segment. The Noelke field produces from the Seven Rivers sand of the Permian System. The sand is found at depths ranging from 1006 to 1756 ft from the surface. Illustrations show field location, gas cap and oil segments, structure of the southern segment, isopachs, production history of the southern segment, and themore » injection pattern. Initial water injection was realized on Nov. 17, 1957, with all wells taking water readily at zero pressure. Initial flood response was detected in the first well in July 1958, or 8 months after initial injection. The response was positive and significant, reaching 75 bbl oil per day and no water in a month. Production rapidly increased during all of 1959 and reached a peak rate of 2580 bbl in Jan. 1960. Production declined mildly thereafter, and reached a level of 401 bbl during Dec. 1962, then gradually declined thereafter through 1964 to the economic limit. This shallow waterflood project proved highly successful.« less

  11. Evidence from Molecular Fingerprinting of Limited Spread of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Texas

    PubMed Central

    Wilson, Rebecca W.; Yang, Zhenhua; Kelley, Michael; Cave, M. Donald; Pogoda, Janice M.; Wallace, Richard J.; Cegielski, J. Peter; Dunbar, Denise F.; Bergmire-Sweat, David; Elliott, L. Bruce; Barnes, Peter F.

    1999-01-01

    To determine the contribution of recent transmission to spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Texas, we performed IS6110-based and pTBN12-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses on Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates. Isolates collected from 201 patients in Texas between 1992 and 1994 were studied. The distribution of cases was strikingly focal. All cases were reported from 35 of the 254 counties in Texas, and 74% (148 of 201) were reported from only 9 counties. One hundred sixty-one (80%) of the patients had M. tuberculosis isolates with unique RFLP patterns, and 41 (20%) patients were in 20 clusters, each comprising 2 to 3 patients. The largest number of cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis were reported in counties bordering Mexico, but the percentage of clustered cases was highest in northeast Texas and in counties that included the cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston. Compared to nonclustered patients, clustered patients were more likely to be African American and to have been born in the United States. Clustered patients were significantly more likely to be from the same geographic area, and clustered patients from the same geographic area were more likely to have isolates with identical drug susceptibility patterns, suggesting that they were linked by recent transmission. In 11 of 20 clusters, clustered patients were from geographically separate regions, and most isolates did not have identical drug susceptibility patterns, suggesting that tuberculosis was contracted from a common source in the remote past. Based on the low percentage of clustered cases and the small cluster size, we conclude that there is no evidence for the extensive transmission of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Texas. PMID:10488188

  12. Forest statistics for east Texas counties - 1986

    Treesearch

    Linda L. Lang; Daniel F. Bertelson

    1987-01-01

    The southern forest survey, an activity of the southern forest experiment station forest inventory and analysis work unit, covers the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, east Texas and the island of Puerto Rico. This survey is part of the nationwide forest survey originally authorized by the McSweeney-McNary Act of 1928. More...

  13. Forest statistics for Northeast Texas counties - 1986

    Treesearch

    William H. McWilliams; Daniel F. Bertelson

    1986-01-01

    The Southern Forest Survey, an activity of the southern forest experiment station forest inventory and analysis work unit, covers the stats of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, east Texas and the island of Puerto Rico. This survey is part of the nationwide forest survey originally authorized by the McSweeney-McNary Act of 1928. More recent...

  14. Assessing climate change and health vulnerability at the local level: Travis County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Prudent, Natasha; Houghton, Adele; Luber, George

    2016-10-01

    We created a measure to help comprehend population vulnerability to potential flooding and excessive heat events using health, built environment and social factors. Through principal component analysis (PCA), we created non-weighted sum index scores of literature-reviewed social and built environment characteristics. We created baseline poor health measures using 1999-2005 age-adjusted cardiovascular and combined diabetes and hypertension mortality rates to correspond with social-built environment indices. We mapped US Census block groups by linked age-adjusted mortality and a PCA-created social-built environment index. The goal was to measure flooding and excessive heat event vulnerability as proxies for population vulnerability to climate change for Travis County, Texas. This assessment identified communities where baseline poor health, social marginalisation and built environmental impediments intersected. Such assessments may assist targeted interventions and improve emergency preparedness in identified vulnerable communities, while fostering resilience through the focus of climate change adaptation policies at the local level. No claim to original US government works. Journal compilation © 2016 Overseas Development Institute.

  15. Proximal and distal determinants of access to health care among Hispanics in El Paso County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Law, Jon; VanDerslice, James

    2011-04-01

    In the United States, having health insurance is an important determinant of health care access and individual health outcomes. Nationwide, a significant proportion of the population does not have health insurance. Hispanics, in particular, are less likely than non-Hispanics to have insurance. A framework was established to examine the relationships between the determinants of insurance coverage and health care affordability in El Paso County, Texas. Data from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System were used to examine the relationships described by this framework. The sample included 653 adults, of those 477 self-identified as Hispanic or Latino. In El Paso County, almost half of adult Hispanics lack any type of health insurance coverage, three times the rate of non-Hispanics. Among Hispanics, the lack of health insurance was strongly associated with reduced affordability of health care. Employment status, income, and age were found to have significant associations with insurance coverage and health care affordability. Sex and education level were relevant, yet distal determinants of these outcomes. Ongoing conversations about health care reform should take into account the patterns of coverage within the Hispanic population. Knowing how economic and social factors affect coverage is necessary to inform policy that can effectively alleviate disparities experienced by Hispanics.

  16. Paleocene coal deposits of the Wilcox Group, Northeast Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; SanFilipo, John R.; Nichols, Douglas J.; Swanson, Sharon M.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    The surface exposure of the Paleocene Wilcox Group in northeast Texas varies in width from 9 to 27 mi along an arcuate outcrop that extends southwest approximately 156 mi from the Texas-Arkansas State line to 32° latitude. Parts of Bowie, Camp, Cass, Franklin, Henderson, Hopkins, Morris, Navarro, Rains, Titus, Van Zandt, and Wood Counties are included in this outcrop belt (Figure 1). This area forms the northwestern flank of the East Texas Basin (Figure 2), the axis of which separates northeast Texas from the Sabine uplift structural area. The Wilcox Group dips south and southeast at 2° or less toward the axis of the East Texas Basin, with the exception of local salt-dome structures and a transcurrent structural high that extends from Monticello to Martin Lake (Figure 1).

  17. Environmental Assessment Addressing the 301st Fighter Wing Managed Airspace, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-01

    Salle County McMullen County Terrell County Blanco County Comal County Texas Oklahoma Dallas- Ft. Worth San Antonio Austin Tulsa Oklahoma City Abilene...County Young County Crockett County Glasscock County Irion County Midland County Brown County Reagan County Sterling County Terrell County Upton...7909 Karl May Drive Waco, TX 76708 Margaret Wood Brown County Clerk 200 South Broadway Brownwood, TX 76801 Jo Ann Hale Coleman County

  18. Mexican-Americans of South Texas.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Madsen, William

    The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health sponsored and financed the Hidalgo Project on Differential Culture Change and Mental Health during the 4-year period from 1957 to 1961; this document is an abbreviated report of that study of Mexican-American culture in Hidalgo County, Texas. Acculturation levels of various classes of the Mexican-American…

  19. Ground-water geology of Karnes County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anders, Robert B.

    1963-01-01

    Most of the usable ground water in Karnes County is of substandard quality; whereas water from the San Antonio River, although hard, is of excellent quality. Wells tapping the Carrizo may yield as much as 1,000 gpm in the northwestern part of the county; wells in the shallower formations may yield as much as 600 gpm in the most favorable areas, but in some places may yield only a few gallons per minute of water suitable only for stock.

  20. Soil salinity detection. [Starr and Cameron Counties, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wiegand, C. L.; Richardson, A. J.; Gausman, H. W.; Leamer, R. W.; Gerbermann, A. H.; Everitt, J. H.; Cuellar, J. A. (Principal Investigator)

    1975-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Growth forms and herbage biomass production varied considerably among saline and nonsaline soil range sites in Starr County. Grasses on saline soil sites were shallow-rooted and short whereas on nonsaline sites there was an intermixture of short and midgrass species. Differentiation between primarily undisturbed saline and nonsaline rangelands, in Starr County, is partially possible using film optical density readings from Skylab imagery. Differentiation among eight saline and nonsaline soil sites in Cameron County, using black and white and color film was not possible according to statistical results from both DMRT and correlation analysis. Linear analysis showed that Bendix 24-band MSS data (aircraft) collected at 1700 m and 4800 m, as well as Skylab and LANDSAT-1 MSS data, were significantly correlated to electrical conductivity readings. In Starr County, the best spectral band for detection of saline soil levels, using black and white SO-022 film, was in the 0.6 to 0.7 micron spectral region. In Cameron County, the best spectral bands for detection of saline soil levels were the 2.3 to 2.43 micron, 0.72 to 0.76 micron, 0.69 to 1.75 micron, and 0.7 to 1.1 micron spectral regions.

  1. 76 FR 36613 - Environmental Impact Statement; Nueces County, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-22

    ... County, TX AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of Intent (NOI). SUMMARY... (TxDOT) are issuing this notice to advise the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will...--Texas Division, 300 East 8th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. Telephone: 512-536-5960. SUPPLEMENTARY...

  2. Construction, Startup and Operation of a New LLRW Disposal Facility in Andrews County, Texas - 12151

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Van Vliet, James A.

    2012-07-01

    During this last year, Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS) completed construction and achieved start of operations of a new low level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal facility in Andrews County Texas. Disposal operations are underway for commercial LLRW, and start up evolutions are in progress for disposal of Department of Energy (DOE) LLRW. The overall approach to construction and start up are presented as well as some of the more significant challenges and how they were addressed to achieve initial operations of the first new commercial low level radioactive waste disposal facility in more than 30 years. The WCS disposal facilitymore » consists of two LLRW disposal cells, one for Texas Compact waste, and a separate disposal cell for DOE waste. Both disposal cells have very robust and unique designs. The cells themselves are constructed entirely in very low permeability red bed clay. The cell liners include a 0.91 meter thick clay liner meeting unprecedented permeability limits, 0.3 meter thick reinforced concrete barriers, as well as the standard geo-synthetic liners. Actions taken to meet performance criteria and install these liners will be discussed. Consistent with this highly protective landfill design, WCS chose to install a zero discharge site water management system. The considerations behind the design and construction of this system will be presented. Other activities essential to successful start of LLRW disposal operations included process and procedure development and refinement, staffing and staff development, and training. Mock ups were built and used for important evolutions and functions. Consistent with the extensive regulation of LLRW operations, engagement with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) was continuous and highly interactive. This included daily activity conference calls, weekly coordination calls and numerous topical conference calls and meetings. TCEQ staff and consultants frequently observed specific

  3. 78 FR 61937 - Safety Zone; Port of Galveston, Pelican Island Bridge Repair

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-07

    ... Zone; Port of Galveston, Pelican Island Bridge Repair AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final... safety during the Pelican Island Bridge Repair Project. This action is necessary to protect public... barge will be placed under the Pelican Island Bridge; therefore immediate action is needed to protect...

  4. Commercial Space Port Planning in Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bell, L.; Looke, B.

    2002-01-01

    The Texas Legislature is providing funding to support research and planning activities aimed at creating a commercial spaceport in the state. These monies have been allocated to regional Spaceport Development Corporations that have been established in three countries containing candidate site locations: Willacy County (in South Texas); Brazoria County (East Texas); and Pecos County (West Texas). This program is being sponsored and coordinated by the Texas Aerospace Commission (TAC). The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) at the University of Houston is providing research, planning and design support to TAC and is a member of each of the three regional development teams. Planning must carefully consider special support requirements and operational characteristics of all prospective launch systems along with geographic, infrastructure and environmental factors at each site. Two of the candidate sites are in coastal areas; a priority for certain launch service providers; whereas the third inland site is more attractive to others. Candidate launch systems include winged horizontal takeoff air-launch vehicles, vertical multi-stage reusable launch vehicles, and expendable sub-orbital surrounding rockets. Important research and planning activities include environmental impact assessments, analyses of overflight hazards, investigations of economic impacts and business plan development. The results of these activities will guide master plan development for each site, including: a physical plan (site layout, infrastructure improvements and facility construction); and a strategic plan (user agreements, licenses, finance sources and participants). Commercial spaceport development demands compliance with stringent FAA regulations established by the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (OCST) which exceed minimum standards allowed for U.S. Government spaceport facilities. Key among these requirements are 15,000 ft. radius on-site clear zones

  5. Tornado disaster -- Texas, May 1997.

    PubMed

    1997-11-14

    On May 27, 1997, multiple tornadoes swept through Williamson and Travis counties in central Texas. The tornadoes caused 32 injuries, 29 deaths, and an estimated $20 million in personal and commercial insured losses. This report summarizes the injuries and deaths associated with these tornadoes based on information from emergency department and hospital records and death certificates.

  6. Geodatabase design and characteristics of geologic information for a geodatabase of selected wells penetrating the Austin Group in central Bexar County, Texas, 2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pedraza, Diana E.; Shah, Sachin D.

    2010-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, developed a geodatabase of geologic and hydrogeologic information for selected wells penetrating the Austin Group in central Bexar County, Texas. The Austin Group functions as an upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer and is the thickest and most permeable of the Edwards aquifer confining units. The geologic and hydrogeologic information pertains to a 377-square-mile study area that encompasses central Bexar County. Data were compiled primarily from drillers' and borehole geophysical logs from federal, State, and local agencies and published reports. Austin Group characteristics compiled for 523 unique wells are documented (if known), including year drilled, well depth, altitude of top and base of the Austin Group, and thickness of the Austin Group.

  7. SPD Hockley County: Results of 1971 Agricultural Demonstrations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Bill; Nugent, Gene

    This report presents the statistical results of agricultural demonstrations for two crops--cotton and sorghum--in Hockley County, Texas. Demonstration results are geared to increase the knowledge and understanding of possible solutions to the many problems that are impediments in reaching long-range goals established by the County's Program…

  8. 75 FR 21678 - STP Nuclear Operating Company South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-26

    ... Company South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2 Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact... South Texas Project (STP), Units 1 and 2, respectively, located in Matagorda County, Texas. In... 1 and 2, from some of the requirements of 10 CFR Part 26, ``Fitness for Duty Rule.'' Specifically...

  9. Apollo 9 Mission image - S0-65 Multispectral Photography - Texas

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2009-01-21

    Earth Observation taken by the Apollo 9 crew. View is of Galveston and Freeport in Texas. Latitude was 28.42 N by Longitude 94.54 W, Overlap was 80%, Altitude miles were 105 and cloud cover was 5%. This imagery taken as part of the NASA S0-65 Experiment "Multispectral Terrain Photography". The experiment provides simultaneous satellite photography of the Earth's surface in three distinct spectral bands. The photography consists of four almost spatially identical photographs. The images of ground objects appear in the same coordinate positions on all four photos in the multispectral set within the opto-mechanical tolerances of the Hasselblad cameras in the Apollo 9 spacecraft. Band designation for this frame is A. Film and filter is Ektachrome SO-368,Infrared Color Wratten 15. Mean Wavelength of Sensitivity is green,red and infrared. The Nominal Bandpass is total sensitivity of all dye layers 510-900nm.

  10. Detection and evolution of resistance to the pyrethroid cypermethrin in Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) populations in Texas.

    PubMed

    Pietrantonio, P V; Junek, T A; Parker, R; Mott, D; Siders, K; Troxclair, N; Vargas-Camplis, J; Westbrook, J K; Vassiliou, V A

    2007-10-01

    The bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), is a key pest of cotton in Texas. Bollworm populations are widely controlled with pyrethroid insecticides in cotton and exposed to pyrethroids in other major crops such as grain sorghum, corn, and soybeans. A statewide program that evaluated cypermethrin resistance in male bollworm populations using an adult vial test was conducted from 2003 to 2006 in the major cotton production regions of Texas. Estimated parameters from the most susceptible field population currently available (Burleson County, September 2005) were used to calculate resistance ratios and their statistical significance. Populations from several counties had statistically significant (P < or = 0.05) resistance ratios for the LC(50), indicating that bollworm-resistant populations are widespread in Texas. The highest resistance ratios for the LC(50) were observed for populations in Burleson County in 2000 and 2003, Nueces County in 2004, and Williamson and Uvalde Counties in 2005. These findings explain the observed pyrethroid control failures in various counties in Texas. Based on the assumption that resistance is caused by a single gene, the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium formula was used for estimation of frequencies for the putative resistant allele (q) using 3 and 10 microg/vial as discriminatory dosages for susceptible and heterozygote resistant insects, respectively. The influence of migration on local levels of resistance was estimated by analysis of wind trajectories, which partially clarifies the rapid evolution of resistance to cypermethrin in bollworm populations. This approach could be used in evaluating resistance evolution in other migratory pests.

  11. Jim Driver, Panola County Oil and Gas Boom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyatt, Bobbie, Ed.

    1981-01-01

    Written by history students at Gary High School, Gary, Texas, this volume presents several diverse pictures of life in East Texas. The first article, "Jim Driver, Panola County Oil and Gas Boom," (Bobby Kelly and Billy Anderson) talks about drilling for oil and gas and the concerns of an employee of the drilling company. "When I Was…

  12. The State of Texas Children: 2000. A County-By-County Fact Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hormuth, Pamela

    This Kids Count data book examines statewide trends in the well-being of Texas' children. The statistical portrait is based on 15 indicators of children's well-being: (1) percent low birthweight babies; (2) percent mothers receiving little or no prenatal care; (3) infant mortality rate; (4) child death rate; (5) teen violent death rate; (6)…

  13. Floods in Central Texas, September 7-14, 2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Winters, Karl E.

    2012-01-01

    Severe flooding occurred near the Austin metropolitan area in central Texas September 7–14, 2010, because of heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Hermine. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Upper Brushy Creek Water Control and Improvement District, determined rainfall amounts and annual exceedance probabilities for rainfall resulting in flooding in Bell, Williamson, and Travis counties in central Texas during September 2010. We documented peak streamflows and the annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflows recorded at several streamflow-gaging stations in the study area. The 24-hour rainfall total exceeded 12 inches at some locations, with one report of 14.57 inches at Lake Georgetown. Rainfall probabilities were estimated using previously published depth-duration frequency maps for Texas. At 4 sites in Williamson County, the 24-hour rainfall had an annual exceedance probability of 0.002. Streamflow measurement data and flood-peak data from U.S. Geological Survey surface-water monitoring stations (streamflow and reservoir gaging stations) are presented, along with a comparison of September 2010 flood peaks to previous known maximums in the periods of record. Annual exceedance probabilities for peak streamflow were computed for 20 streamflow-gaging stations based on an analysis of streamflow-gaging station records. The annual exceedance probability was 0.03 for the September 2010 peak streamflow at the Geological Survey's streamflow-gaging stations 08104700 North Fork San Gabriel River near Georgetown, Texas, and 08154700 Bull Creek at Loop 360 near Austin, Texas. The annual exceedance probability was 0.02 for the peak streamflow for Geological Survey's streamflow-gaging station 08104500 Little River near Little River, Texas. The lack of similarity in the annual exceedance probabilities computed for precipitation and streamflow might be attributed to the small areal extent of the heaviest rainfall over these and the other gaged

  14. Risks of developing breast and colorectal cancer in association with incomes and geographic locations in Texas: a retrospective cohort study.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zheyu; Zhang, Kai; Du, Xianglin L

    2016-04-26

    No study has been conducted to investigate the spatial pattern and association of socioeconomic status (such as income) with breast and colorectal cancer incidence in Texas, United States. This study aimed to determine whether median household income was associated with the risk of developing breast and colorectal cancer in Texas and to identify higher cancer risks by race/ethnicity and geographic areas. This was a retrospective cohort study with an ecological component in using aggregated measures at the county level. We identified 243,677 women with breast cancer and 155,534 men and women with colorectal cancer residing in 254 counties in Texas in 1995-2011 from the public-use dataset of Texas Cancer Registry. The denominator population and median household income at the county level was obtained from the U.S. Bureau of the Census. Cancer incidence rates were calculated as number of cases per 100,000 persons and age-adjusted using the 2000 US population data. We used the ArcGIS v10.1 (geographic information system software) to identify multiple clustered counties with high and low cancer incidences in Texas. Age-adjusted breast cancer incidence rate in the highest median income quintile group was 151.51 cases per 100,000 in 2008-2011 as compared to 98.95 cases per 100,000 in the lowest median income quintile group. The risk of colorectal cancer appeared to decrease with increasing median income in racial/ethnic population. Spatial analysis revealed the significant low breast cancer incidence cluster regions located in southwest US-Mexico border counties in Texas. This study demonstrated that higher income was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer and a decreased risk of colorectal cancer in Texas. There were geographic variations with cancer incidence clustered in high risk areas in Texas. Future studies may need to explore more factors that might explain income and cancer risk associations and their geographic variations.

  15. Wastewater reuse and Ogallala Aquifer Recharge in the Southern High Plains of Texas

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Municipalities in the Southern High Plains of TX use land application of treated wastewater extensively. For example, in the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Region 2 counties (Lubbock and surrounding counties), there are ~ 7285 ha of agricultural land over lying the Ogallala Aquifer per...

  16. Texas Legislature Adopts School Funding Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cortez, Albert

    1991-01-01

    This paper analyzes Texas Senate Bill 351 that reforms public school funding. The bill provides for additional state funding and significant increases in local property taxes. The bill creates county education taxing units to neutralize the enormous property wealth differences found among the state's 1,056 school districts. It also provides a…

  17. Base flow (1966-2005) and streamflow gain and loss (2006) of the Brazos River, McLennan County to Fort Bend County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Turco, Michael J.; East, Jeffery W.; Milburn, Matthew S.

    2007-01-01

    During 2006?07, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board, did a study to quantify historical (water years 1966?2005) base flow and streamflow gains and losses from two streamflow-measuring surveys (March and August 2006) in the Brazos River from McLennan County to Fort Bend County, Texas. The Brazos River is hydraulically connected to the Brazos River alluvium aquifer, which in turn is hydraulically connected to several underlying aquifers, the outcrops of which occur in laterally adjacent layers generally parallel to the coast (major aquifers, Carrizo-Wilcox and Gulf Coast, and minor aquifers, Queen City, Sparta, and Yegua-Jackson). Hydrograph separation was done using the USGS computer program Hydrograph Separation and Analysis with historical streamflow from 10 USGS gaging stations, three on the Brazos River and seven on selected tributaries to the Brazos River. Streamflow data for computation of gains and losses were collected in March 2006 from 36 sites on the Brazos River and 19 sites on 19 tributaries to the Brazos River; and in August 2006 from 28 sites on the Brazos River and 16 sites on tributaries. Hydrograph separation and associated analyses indicate an appreciable increase in base flow as a percentage of streamflow in the reach of the Brazos River that crosses the outcrops of the Carrizo-Wilcox, Queen City, Sparta, and Yegua-Jackson aquifers compared to that in the adjacent upstream reach (on average from about 43 percent to about 60 percent). No increase in base flow as a percentage of streamflow in the reach of the Brazos River crossing the Gulf Coast aquifer compared to that in the adjacent upstream reach was indicated. Streamflow gains and losses computed for March 2006 for 35 reaches defined by pairs of sites on the Brazos River indicated that five reaches were verifiably gaining streamflow (computed gain exceeded potential flow measurement error) and none were verifiably losing streamflow. Four of

  18. Why understanding the impacts of the changing environment on river basin hydrology matters in Texas?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, H.; Zhao, G.; Lee, K.; Zhang, S.; Shen, X.; Shao, M.; Nickelson, C.

    2017-12-01

    The State of Texas is prone to floods and droughts—both of which are expected to become more frequent, and more intensified, under a changing climate. This has a direct negative effect on agricultural productivity, which is a major revenue source for the state. Meanwhile, with the rapid population growth and economic development, the burden to Texas water resources is exacerbated by the ever increasing demands from users. From a hydrological processes perspective, the direct consequence of the increased impervious area due to urbanization is greater surface runoff and higher flood peaks. Although many reservoirs have been built during the past several decades to regulate river flows and increase water supply, the role of these reservoirs in the context of different future climate change and urbanization scenarios needs to be explored. Furthermore, phytoplankton productivity—an important indicator of coastal ecosystem health— is significantly affected by river discharge. The objective of this presentation is to reveal the importance of understanding the impacts of climate change, urbanization, and flow regulation on Texas river flows, water resources, and coastal water quality. Using state-of-the-art modeling and remote sensing techniques, we will showcase our results over representative Texas river basins and bay areas. A few examples include modeling peak flows in the San Antonio River Basin, evaluating water supply resilience under future drought and urbanization over the Dallas metropolitan area, projecting future crop yields from Texas agricultural lands, and monitoring and forecasting Chlorophyll-a concentrations over Galveston Bay. Results from these studies are expected to provide information relevant to decision making, both with regard to water resources management and to ecosystem protection.

  19. Texas: Houston

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2014-05-15

    ... key variables used to characterize their climatic and environmental influence. The extent of haze across Galveston Bay can be ... as part of the Houston regional air quality study. Airborne pollution particles that contribute to the poor air quality come in part from ...

  20. Coal resources for part of the Wilcox group (Paleocene-Eocene), northeast Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Warwick, Peter D.; Aubourg, Claire E.; Podwysocki, Steven M.; Schultz, Adam C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    The Wilcox Group of northeast Texas contains shallow (less than 500 ft) coal deposits that are mined for use in mine-mouth electric power generating plants. The coal deposits, which are lignite in apparent rank (Pierce et al., 2011), are separated from similar shallow coal deposits in the Sabine uplift area by the East Texas Basin (Figure 1). The coal zones and associated strata in the northeast assessment area generally dip to the south and southeast at 28 or less toward the axis of the East Texas Basin. The northeast Texas resource assessment area includes parts of nine counties (Figure 2).

  1. Public health assessment for Rockwool Industries, Belton, Bell County, Texas, Region 6, CERCLIS number TXD066379645. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1999-08-03

    The Rockwool Industries, Inc. (RWI) National Priorities List site is a 100 acre site one-mile east of downtown Belton in Bell County, Texas. The Facility manufactured two types of mineral wool insulation: Blow wool and batt wool. Three main contaminant source areas have been identified at the site. Source 1, in the middle portion of the site, includes contaminated soil associated with the South Shot Pile. Source 2, in the northern portion of the site, includes contaminated soils associated with the Cemetery Shot Pile. Source 3, in the northwest portion of the site includes contaminated soils associated with the Cemeterymore » Shot Pile. The primary waste types at the site include spent iron shot and baghouse dust. Secondary waste types include boiler blowdown water, stormwater runoff, recovered groundwater, and bricks. The Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) evaluated the environmental information available for the site and identified several exposure situations for evaluation. These exposure situations include possible contact with site contaminants in the soil, surface water, sediment, and groundwater. The potential for exposure to site contaminants through the food chain was also examined. A brief review of the evaluation, organized by hazard category, is presented.« less

  2. Calvin A. Henard | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    years of postdoctoral training at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, evaluating transcriptional regulation Redox signaling Education Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Texas Medical Branch, 2012-2014 Graduate Student Fellow, University of

  3. Assessing Mental Health Needs of Rural Schools in South Texas: Counselors' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bain, Steve F.; Rueda, Breeze; Mata-Villarreal, Jennifer; Mundy, Marie-Anne

    2011-01-01

    Texas continues to fall short of the necessary mental health resources for those communities and populations in rural counties. The purpose of this article was to review the mental health resource needs of rural schools in South Texas. The study focused primarily on the perspectives of the school counselors in the identified districts. Funded by a…

  4. Water-quality assessment of the Trinity River Basin, Texas - Nutrients in two coastal prairie streams draining agricultural areas, 1994-95

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Land, Larry F.

    1996-01-01

    In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began nationwide implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Long-term goals of NAWQA are to describe the status of and trends in the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation?s surface- and ground-water resources and to provide a sound, scientific understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting the quality of these resources (Leahy and others, 1990). The Trinity River Basin in east-central Texas (fig. 1) was among the first 20 hydrologic areas, called study units, to be assessed by this program. The first intensive data-collection phase for the Trinity River Basin NAWQA began in March 1993 and ended in September 1995. Streams in the Trinity River Basin were assessed by sampling water, bed sediment, and tissue of biota and characterizing the aquatic communities and their habitat. Aquifers were assessed by sampling water from wells. The coastal prairie is a small part of the Trinity River Basin, but it is environmentally important because of its proximity to Galveston Bay and the extensive use of agricultural chemicals on many irrigated farms. Galveston Bay (fig. 1) was selected by Congress as an estuary of national significance and was included on a priority list for the National Estuary Program. The Trinity River is especially important because its watershed dominates the total Galveston Bay drainage area and because its flow contributes substantial amounts of freshwater and water-quality constituents to the bay. Historically, measurements of the quantity and quality of water entering Galveston Bay from the Trinity River Basin have been made using data from a station about 113 kilometers (70 miles) upstream from Trinity Bay, an inlet bay to Galveston Bay. With a focused objective of providing additional water-quality information in the intervening coastal prairie area and an overall objective of improving the understanding of the relations between farming practices

  5. Hazardous air pollutants and primary liver cancer in Texas.

    PubMed

    Cicalese, Luca; Curcuru, Giuseppe; Montalbano, Mauro; Shirafkan, Ali; Georgiadis, Jeremias; Rastellini, Cristiana

    2017-01-01

    The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common primary liver cancer, is increasing in the US and tripled during the past two decades. The reasons for such phenomenon remain poorly understood. Texas is among continental states with the highest incidence of liver cancer with an annual increment of 5.7%. Established risk factors for HCC include Hepatitis B and C (HBV, HCV) viral infection, alcohol, tobacco and suspected risk factors include obesity and diabetes. While distribution of these risk factors in the state of Texas is similar to the national data and homogeneous, the incidence of HCC in this state is exceptionally higher than the national average and appears to be dishomogeneous in various areas of the state suggesting that other non-recognized risk factors might play a role. No population-based studies are currently available investigating the effect of exposure to Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) as a contributing risk factor for liver cancer. Incidence rate of liver cancer in Texas by counties for the time period between 2002 and 2012 was obtained from the Texas Cancer Registry (TCR). Through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) a subgroup of pollutants, explaining almost all the dataset variability, were identified and used to cluster Texas counties. The analysis generated 4 clusters showing liver cancer rate either higher or lower than national average in association with either high or low levels of HAPs emission in the environment. The study shows that the selected relevant HAPs, 10 among 253 analyzed, produce a significant correlation (P = 0.01-0.05) and some of these have been previously identified as carcinogens. An association between the increased production and consequent exposure to these HAPs and a higher presence of liver cancer in certain counties is suggested. This study provides a new insight on this complex multifactorial disease suggesting that environmental substances might play a role in the etiology of this cancer.

  6. Public health assessment for Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant, Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas, Region 6, CERCLIS number TX7213821831. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant (Lone Star) is a 15,546-acre government-owned contractor-operated industrial facility 12 miles west of Texarkana, Texas in Bowie County. Lone Star is near the communities of Hooks and Leary to the north, and Redwater and Maud to the south. The Old Demolition Area (ODA), a 19-acre section of land on the Lone Star facility used for the disposal of explosives by detonation, was placed on the National Priorities List (NPL) on July 22, 1987. The Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) evaluated the environmental information available formore » the site and identified several exposure situations for evaluation. These exposure situations include possible contact with site contaminants in sediment, soil, ordnance debris, surface water, and groundwater. Based on available data the authors have concluded that overall there are no public health hazards related to environmental contamination at the ODA. In the future, the conclusion category for the whole site could change if additional information indicates that a public health hazard exists.« less

  7. Hurricane Ike: Field Investigation Survey (Invited)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ewing, L.

    2009-12-01

    Hurricane Ike made landfall at 2:10 a.m. on September 13, 2008, as a Category 2 hurricane. The eye of the hurricane crossed over the eastern end of Galveston Island and a large region of the Texas and Louisiana coast experienced extreme winds, waves and water levels, resulting in large impacts from overtopping, overwash, wind and wave forces and flooding. Major damage stretched from Freeport to the southwest and to Port Arthur to the northeast. The effects of the hurricane force winds were felt well inland in Texas and Louisiana and the storm continued to the interior of the US, causing more damage and loss of life. Through the support of the Coasts, Oceans, Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) a team of 14 coastal scientists and engineers inspected the upper Texas coast in early October 2008. The COPRI team surveyed Hurricane Ike’s effects on coastal landforms, structures, marinas, shore protection systems, and other infrastructure. Damages ranges from very minor to complete destruction, depending upon location and elevation. Bolivar Peninsula, to the right of the hurricane path, experienced severe damage and three peninsula communities were completely destroyed. Significant flood and wave damage also was observed in Galveston Island and Brazoria County that were both on the left side of the hurricane path. Beach erosion and prominent overwash fans were observed throughout much of the field investigation area. The post-storm damage survey served to confirm expected performance under extreme conditions, as well as to evaluate recent development trends and conditions unique to each storm. Hurricane Ike confirmed many previously reported observations. One of the main conclusions from the inspection of buildings was that elevation was a key determinant for survival. Elevation is also a major factor in the stability and effectiveness of shore protection. The Galveston Seawall was high enough to provide protection from

  8. Geology and ground-water resources of Uvalde County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Welder, F.A.; Reeves, R.D.

    1964-01-01

    Ground-water withdrawals from the Edwards and associated limestones in Uvalde County probably could be maintained indefinitely at a rate of about 200,000 acre-feet per year, provided that withdrawals north and west of the county were not increased. However, continued withdrawals at this rate-would cause wells in structurally high areas to go dry, and underflow into Medina County would cease. Furthermore, saline water might invade the fresh-water part of the aquifer from the south, and perennial spring flow in the Leona River valley would cease.

  9. 76 FR 66078 - Texas; Amendment No. 9 to Notice of a Major Disaster Declaration

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-25

    .... FEMA-4029-DR; Docket ID FEMA-2011-0001] Texas; Amendment No. 9 to Notice of a Major Disaster... notice of a major disaster declaration for the State of Texas (FEMA-4029-DR), dated September 9, 2011... of September 9, 2011. Anderson, Henderson, Hill, Marion, Smith and Upshur Counties for Public...

  10. 76 FR 68810 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Farm-to-Market 1626 in Texas

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-07

    ..., from Ranch-to-Market (RM) 967 to Brodie Lane in Hays and Travis Counties, Texas. Those actions grant... (FM) 1626 from Ranch-to-Market (RM) 967 to Brodie Lane in Hays and Travis Counties; Project Reference...

  11. Counties Without a Physician.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Getz, Virginia

    1982-01-01

    Uses a budgeting technique to determine if free-market incentives or forces would provide an economic base sufficient to support medical professionals who might practice in the approximately 140 U.S. counties that lack a physician (located mainly in a narrow band from west Texas north through South Dakota). (AH)

  12. Public health assessment for Alcoa (Point Comfort)/Lavaca Bay, Point Comfort, Calhoun County, Texas, Region 6. Cerclis No. TXD008123168. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1995-08-24

    The ALCOA (Point Comfort)/Lavaco Bay National Priorities List (NPL) site is in Calhoun County, Texas, approximately 1.5 miles south of Point Comfort and four miles northeast of Port Lavaca. Fish sampling data indicate that levels of mercury in fish are elevated. Mercury has been detected throughout the site in surface soil, shallow groundwater, air, bay sediments, fish and crabs. Other contaminants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and lead, have been detected in shallow groundwater. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have been detected in a limited number of sediment, fish, and oyster samples.

  13. Hydrologic and water-quality data at Government Canyon State Natural Area, Bexar County, Texas, 2002-10

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Banta, J. Ryan; Slattery, Richard N.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, collected rainfall, streamflow, evapotranspiration, and stormflow water-quality data at the Laurel Canyon Creek watershed, within the Government Canyon State Natural Area, Bexar County, Tex. The purpose of the data collection was to support evaluations of the effects of brush management conservation practices on components of the hydrologic budget and water quality. One component of brush management was to take endangered wildlife into consideration, specifically the golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia). Much of the area that may have been considered for brush management was left intact to protect habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler. The area identified for brush management was approximately 10 percent of the study watershed. The hydrologic data presented here (2002–10) represent pre- and post-treatment periods, with brush management treatment occurring from winter 2006–07 to spring 2008.

  14. Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and Race: A Report of ECT Use and Sociodemographic Trends in Texas.

    PubMed

    Williams, Julie; Chiu, Lawrence; Livingston, Robin

    2017-06-01

    Minimal research on race and other sociodemographic disparities in patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) exists. One previously noted national trend reveals whites receiving ECT disproportionately more than other races. The aim of this study is to determine whether a county ECT program demonstrates similar disparities observed at the state and national levels. This study examined 21 years of ECT data, between 1993 and 2014, provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services, focusing on race, sex, age, and payer source and 2.5 years of the same variables from a Harris County hospital ECT program. In addition, population demographic data for Harris County and the state of Texas during the same period were obtained from the Department of State Health Services Web site. Despite an overall decrease in the population of whites countywide and statewide, whites continue to use more ECT than African Americans, Latinos, and Asians in both Harris County and Texas. However, the rates of ECT use in minorities increased overall. Both countywide and statewide, ECT was used more than twice as often in women than men. Statewide, elderly patients (>65 years old) saw decreases in ECT use, and there was an increase in private third-party payer source. Electroconvulsive therapy remains underused among African Americans, Latinos, and Asians. Hypotheses and areas for future study include cultural beliefs, stigma, patient and provider knowledge of ECT, and access to care. Despite this, the general use of ECT in Texas has increased overall, and minority use is slowly on the rise.

  15. Chronic back pain and associated work and non-work variables among farmworkers from Starr County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Shipp, Eva M; Cooper, Sharon P; del Junco, Deborah J; Delclos, George L; Burau, Keith D; Tortolero, Susan; Whitworth, Ryan E

    2009-01-01

    This study estimated the prevalence of chronic back pain among migrant farmworker family members and identified associated work and non-work variables. Migrant farmworkers (n = 390 from 267 families) from Starr County, Texas were interviewed in their home once a year for 2 years. The original survey included items measuring demographics, smoking, sleep, farm work, and chronic back pain. For this cross-sectional analysis, multi-level logistic regression was used to identify associated work and other variables associated with chronic back pain while accounting for intraclass correlations due to repeated measures and multiple family members. The prevalence of chronic back pain during the last migration season ranged from 9.5% among the youngest children to 33.3% among mothers. Variables significantly associated with chronic back pain were age (odds ratio [OR], 1.03, per year increase), depressive symptoms while migrating (OR, 8.72), fewer than 8 hours of sleep at home in Starr County (OR, 2.26), fairly bad/very bad quality of sleep while migrating (OR, 3.25), sorting crops at work (OR, 0.18), and working tree crops (OR, 11.72). The role of work exposures, depressive symptoms, and sleep in chronic back pain among farmworkers warrants further examination. Refinements in outcome and exposure assessments are also needed given the lack of a standardized case definition and the variety of tasks and crops involved in farm work in the United States.

  16. Urban and community forests of the South Central West region: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

    Treesearch

    David J. Nowak; Eric J. Greenfield

    2010-01-01

    This report details how land cover and urbanization vary within the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas by community (incorporated and census designated places), county subdivision, and county. Specifically this report provides critical urban and community forestry information for each state including human population characteristics and trends, changes...

  17. Seasonal detection of atrazine and atzA in man-made waterways receiving agricultural runoff in a subtropical, semi-arid environment (Hidalgo County, Texas, USA).

    PubMed

    Cortez, Ibdanelo; Vitek, Christopher J; Persans, Michael W; Lowe, Kristine L

    2017-02-01

    Atrazine is a widely-used herbicide that can impact non-target organisms in the environment but can be biologically degraded by several types of microorganisms. In this study, the gene atzA, which encodes for the initial step in bacterially-mediated atrazine degradation, was used as an indicator of atrazine pollution in agricultural canals located in Hidalgo County, Texas, USA. The concentration of atrazine and atzA were monitored once per month for 12 months during 2010-2011. Atrazine was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; atzA abundance was monitored using Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (Q-PCR) analyses. Abundance of atrazine and atzA were compared with rainy versus dry months and during planting versus non-planting months. Results showed that atrazine levels varied from below detection to 0.43 ppb and were not influenced by precipitation or planting season. Concentrations of the gene atzA were significantly different in rainy versus dry months; during planting versus non-planting times of the year; and in the interaction of precipitation and planting season. The highest concentration of atzA, approx. 4.57 × 10 8 gene copies ml -1 , was detected in July 2010-a rainy, planting month in Hidalgo County, South Texas. However, atrazine was below detection during that month. We conclude that Q-PCR using atzA as an indicator gene is a potential method for monitoring low levels of atrazine pollution in environmental samples.

  18. Public water supplies in central and north-central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sundstrom, Raymond W.; Broadhurst, W.L.; Dwyer, B.C.

    1949-01-01

    This report gives a summarized description of the public water supplies in 35 counties of central and north-central Texas, extending from the southern boundaries of Travis, Blanco, Gillespie, and Kerr Counties northward to the TexasOklahoma State line. It gives the available data as follows for each of the 145 communities: Population of the community; name of the official from whom the information was obtained; ownership of water works, whether private or municipal source of supply, whether ground water or surface water; the amount of water consumed; the facilities for storage; the number of customers served; the character of the chemical and sanitary treatment, if any; and chemical analyses of the water. Where ground water is used, the following is also given: Records of wells, including drillers' logs; character of the pumping equipment; yields of the wells, and records of water levels, if available.

  19. A multiphased approach to groundwater investigations for the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in the Pecos County region, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Thomas, Jonathan V.

    2014-01-01

    The Edwards-Trinity aquifer is a vital groundwater resource for agricultural, industrial, and public supply uses in the Pecos County region of western Texas. Resource managers would like to understand the future availability of water in the Edwards-Trinity aquifer in the Pecos County region and the effects of the possible increase or temporal redistribution of groundwater withdrawals. To provide resource managers with that information, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Middle Pecos Groundwater Conservation District, Pecos County, City of Fort Stockton, Brewster County, and Pecos County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, completed a three-phase study of the Edwards-Trinity and related aquifers in parts of Brewster, Jeff Davis, Pecos, and Reeves Counties. The first phase was to collect groundwater, surface-water, geochemical, geophysical, and geologic data in the study area and develop a geodatabase of historical and collected data. Data compiled in the first phase of the study were used to develop the conceptual model in the second phase of the study. The third phase of the study involved the development and calibration of a numerical groundwater-flow model of the Edwards-Trinity aquifer to simulate groundwater conditions based on various groundwater-withdrawal scenarios. Analysis of well, geophysical, geochemical, and hydrologic data contributed to the development of the conceptual model in phase 1. Lithologic information obtained from well reports and geophysical data was used to describe the hydrostratigraphy and structural features of the groundwater-flow system, and aquifer-test data were used to estimate aquifer hydraulic properties. Geochemical data were used to evaluate groundwater-flow paths, water-rock interaction, aquifer interaction, and the mixing of water from different sources in phase 2. Groundwater-level data also were used to evaluate aquifer interaction, as well as to develop a potentiometric-surface map

  20. The Rural Texas Environment: A Profile of Stressors.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mountain, Karen; and Others

    Questionnaire data from 168 rural residents of Atacosa, Cass, Freestone, Scurry, and Upton counties, 153 health and human services providers and interviews with 125 residents of 25 rural communities identified and described stressors in the rural Texas environment. Rural Texans viewed economic problems (money, lack of jobs, poverty, working…

  1. Vulnerability of ground water to contamination, Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, Bexar County, Texas, 1998

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Allan K.

    2000-01-01

    The Edwards aquifer, one of the most productive carbonate-rock aquifers in the Nation, is composed of the Kainer and Person Formations of the Edwards Group plus the overlying Georgetown Formation. Most recharge to the Edwards aquifer results from the percolation of streamflow loss and the infiltration of precipitation through porous parts of the recharge zone. Residential and commercial development is increasing, particularly in Bexar County in south-central Texas, atop the densely fractured and steeply faulted recharge zone. The increasing development has increased the vulnerability of ground water to contamination by spillage or leakage of waste materials, particularly fluids associated with urban runoff and (or) septic-tank leachate. This report describes a method of assessing the vulnerability of ground water to contamination in the Edwards aquifer recharge zone. The method is based on ratings of five natural features of the area: (1) hydraulic properties of outcropping hydrogeologic units; (2) presence or absence of faults; (3) presence or absence of caves and (or) sinkholes; (4) slope of land surface; and (5) permeability of soil. The sum of the ratings for the five natural features was used to develop a map showing the recharge zone's vulnerability to ground-water contamination.

  2. Geotechnical Impacts of Hurricane Harvey Along the Texas, USA Coast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smallegan, S. M.; Stark, N.; Jafari, N.; Ravichandran, N.; Shafii, I.; Bassal, P.; Figlus, J.

    2017-12-01

    As part of the NSF-funded Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) Association response to Hurricane Harvey, a team of engineers and scientists mobilized to the coastal cities of Texas, USA from 1 to 5 September 2017. Damage to coastal and riverine structures due to erosion by storm surge, waves, and coastal and riverine flooding was assessed in a wide coastal zone between Corpus Christi and Galveston. Making initial landfall near Rockport, Texas on 26 August 2017, Hurricane Harvey was classified as a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale with wind speeds exceeding 130 mph and an atmospheric pressure of 938 mbar. The storm stalled over the Houston area, pouring 40 inches of rain on an area encompassing more than 3,000 square miles. Hurricane Harvey, which remained a named storm for 117 hours after initial landfall, slowly moved east into the Gulf of Mexico and made final landfall near Cameron, Louisiana on 30 August. The GEER team surveyed sixteen main sites, extending from Mustang Island in the southwest to Galveston in the northeast and as far inland as Rosenburg. In Port Aransas, beach erosion and undercutting along a beach access road near Aransas Pass were observed. Due to several tide gauge failures in this area, the nearest NOAA tide gauge (#8775870 near Corpus Christi) was used to estimate water levels of 1.35 m, approximately 1.0 m above the predicted tide. In Holiday Beach, anchored retaining walls were inundated, causing backside scour along the entire length and exposing the sheetpile wall anchors. Along the Colorado River at the Highway 35 bridge near Bay City, active riverbank failure was observed and a sheet pile wall was found collapsed. Significant sediment deposits lined the vegetated riverbanks. A USGS stream gage recorded gage heights greater than 45 ft, exceeding the flood stage of 44 ft. Fronting a rubblemound seawall in Surfside Beach, a runnel and ridge formation was observed. Nearby at San Luis Pass, infilled scour

  3. An Exploratory Study of the Comprehension, Retention and Action of the Denton County Older Population in Regards to Disaster Preparedness Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, Rebekah P.

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this exploratory study was to operationalize the responses from a sample of the community dwelling older population from Denton County, Texas on disaster preparedness education given by Denton County Health Department (DCHD) personnel. The goals and objectives were drawn from the Texas Public Health and Medical Emergency Management…

  4. Outbreak of Tagosodes orizicolus (Muir) in Texas rice

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The rice planthopper, Tagosodes orizicolus, is reported for the first time in Texas, where it is superabundant in rice fields in four counties (Brazoria, Colorado, Harris, and Wharton). The species is a known vector of the viral disease hoja blanca, which can reduce yields up to 50%, and hopper burn...

  5. Groundwater withdrawals 1976, 1990, and 2000--10 and land-surface-elevation changes 2000--10 in Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend, Montgomery, and Brazoria Counties, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Johnson, Michaela R.

    2013-01-01

    Measured land-surface-elevation changes from December 31, 2000, to December 31, 2010, ranged from an elevation increase of 0.06 feet (ft), or an average increase in elevation of 0.006 ft per year, at the Seabrook borehole extensometer located near Seabrook, Tex., to an elevation decrease of 1.28 ft, or an average decrease in elevation of 0.128 ft per year, at a PAM station north of Jersey Village, Tex. (PAM 07). Measured land-surface-elevation changes from December 31, 2005, to December 31, 2010, ranged from an elevation increase of 0.07 ft, or an average increase in elevation of 0.014 ft per year, at PAM 09 in far northeastern Harris County to an elevation decrease of 0.51 ft, or an average decrease in elevation of 0.102 ft per year, at PAM 07.

  6. Groundwater Regulation in the Houston-Galveston Region to Control Subsidence - Balancing Total Water Demand, Available Alternative Water Supplies, and Groundwater Withdrawal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turco, M. J.

    2014-12-01

    In 1975, as a result of area residents and local governments becoming increasingly alarmed by the continued impact of subsidence on economic growth and quality of life in the region, the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District was created by the 64th Texas Legislature as an underground water conservation district. The primary mission of what is now the Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, is to provide for the regulation of the withdrawal of groundwater to control subsidence. Subsidence has been a concern in the Houston, TX area throughout most of recent history. Since 1906, over 10 feet of subsidence has occurred, with a broad area of 6 feet of subsidence throughout most of the Houston Area.Over its nearly forty years of existence, the District has developed substantial data sets providing the foundation for its regulatory plan. Annual water-level measurements, a network of deep extensometers, over 80 subsidence GPS monitors, and updated numerical and analytical models have been utilized. Periodically, the District utilizes U.S. Census data to predict the future magnitude and location of population and water demand. In 2013, all of these data sets were combined producing an updated regulatory plan outlining the timelines of conversion to alternative sources of water and defining the maximum percentage groundwater can contribute to a user's total water demand.The management of the groundwater resources within the District has involved significant coordination with regional ground and surface water suppliers; ongoing interaction with other state and local regulatory bodies; analysis of accurate and up to date predictions on water usage; the enforcement of real disincentives to those who rely too heavily on groundwater and a commitment to practicing and promoting water conservation.Water supplies in the region are projected to continue to be stressed in the future due to rapid population increases in the region. Future District efforts will be focused on

  7. The Applied and Workforce Baccalaureate at South Texas College: Specialized Workforce Development Addressing Economic Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mejia, Juan E.

    2012-01-01

    South Texas College (STC), created in 1993 as South Texas Community College (STCC), has developed from a concept by visionary leaders in the region to currently offering more than one hundred degree and certificate options for students from the counties of Hidalgo and Starr, including two bachelor of applied technology (B.A.T.) degrees. These…

  8. STAR+PLUS: changing the face of long-term care in Texas.

    PubMed

    Vasek, Heather

    2008-01-01

    After spending three years developing its project and getting the necessary waiver approvals, the Texas state Medicaid agency launched the STAR (State of Texas Access Reform) +PLUS pilot project in January 1998, with approximately 50,000 Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in three HMOs in Harris County (Houston). Negotiated capitated contracts with each of them guaranteed at least a six percent savings compared to projected fee-for-service costs for dual eligibles and the disabled. But did it?

  9. Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System’s Design

    PubMed Central

    Pérez, Adriana; Harrell, Melissa B.; Malkani, Raja I.; Jackson, Christian D.; Delk, Joanne; Allotey, Prince A.; Matthews, Krystin J.; Martinez, Pablo; Perry, Cheryl L.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives To provide a full methodological description of the design of the wave I and II (6-month follow-up) surveys of the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System (TATAMS), a longitudinal surveillance study of 6th, 8th, and 10th grade students who attended schools in Bexar, Dallas, Tarrant, Harris, or Travis counties, where the 4 largest cities in Texas (San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin, respectively) are located. Methods TATAMS used a complex probability design, yielding representative estimates of these students in these counties during the 2014–2015 academic year. Weighted prevalence of the use of tobacco products, drugs and alcohol in wave I, and the percent of: (i) bias, (ii) relative bias, and (iii) relative bias ratio, between waves I and II are estimated. Results The wave I sample included 79 schools and 3,907 students. The prevalence of current cigarette, e-cigarette and hookah use at wave I was 3.5%, 7.4%, and 2.5%, respectively. Small biases, mostly less than 3.5%, were observed for nonrespondents in wave II. Conclusions Even with adaptions to the sampling methodology, the resulting sample adequately represents the target population. Results from TATAMS will have important implications for future tobacco policy in Texas and federal regulation. PMID:29098172

  10. Port of Galveston Solar Energy Project

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Falcioni, Diane; Cuclis, Alex; Freundlich, Alex

    This study on the performance characteristics of existing solar technologies in a maritime environment was funded by an award given to The Port of Galveston (POG) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The study includes research performed by The Center for Advanced Materials at the University of Houston (UH). The UH researchers examined how solar cell efficiencies and life spans can be improved by examining the performance of a variety of antireflective (AR) coatings mounted on the top of one of the POG’s Cruise Terminals. Supplemental supporting research was performed at the UH laboratories. An educational Kiosk was constructedmore » with a 55” display screen providing information about solar energy, the research work UH performed at POG and real time data from the solar panels located on the roof of the Cruise Terminal. The Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) managed the project.« less

  11. 1. GENERAL VIEW OF EASTERN BEEHIVE BRICK, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. GENERAL VIEW OF EASTERN BEEHIVE BRICK, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS. KILNS 1A, 2A, 3A, AND 4A IN FOREGROUND. GAS VALVE AND METERING HOUSE TO LEFT OF PICTURE. - Jenkins Brick Company, Plant No. 2, Furnace Street, Montgomery, Montgomery County, AL

  12. Conley Field, Hardemen County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Freeman, J.C.

    1964-01-01

    The Conley Oil Field is in E-central Hardeman County, 1 mile east of Lake Pauline. Anticlinal structure on Ellenburger, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian horizons appears to trend in a slightly NW-SE direction. A variation in porosity developement occurs in the Palo Pinto limestone and Ellenburger dolomite. The Osage section appears to thicken on the flanks. The Chester sand is a very calcareous, fine-grained sand that grades into a limestone in the northern part of the field. Porosity development seems to be the controlling factor in oil accumulation within this sand bed. It is possible that minor pre-Pennsylvanian faulting exists along themore » NW side of the field.« less

  13. Ground-water resources of Kleberg County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Livingston, Penn Poore; Bridges, Thomas W.

    1936-01-01

    Water obtained from the fresh-water horizon is comparatively fresh in the western and central parts of the county but contains a somewhat higher proportion of chlorides toward the Gulf. Samples obtained from about 100 wells, located for the most part in the central part of the county, showed a. higher chloride content than is normal for the freshwater beds in the area. These wells are believed in large part to be defective and to be admitting salt water. This was demonstrated and the leaks located in several wells that were tested. No evidence was found of salt-water contamination by percolation through the formations, however. The leaky wells should be repaired, If practicable, or sealed to prevent them from contaminating the fresh-water sand. The chances of leaks developing can be largely eliminated If the wells are properly drilled and provided with casing of good grade, and the casing is adequately seated.

  14. The role of refinery flaring events and bay breezes on a high surface ozone episode during the Houston, Texas DISCOVER-AQ field campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Loughner, C.; Follette-Cook, M. B.; Fried, A.; Pickering, K. E.

    2015-12-01

    The highest observed surface ozone concentrations in the Houston metropolitan area in 2013 occurred on September 25, which coincided with the Texas DISCOVER-AQ (Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality) field campaign. Surface ozone was elevated throughout the Houston metropolitan area with maximum 8-hour average ozone peaking along the western shore of Galveston Bay, reaching 124 ppbv, almost 50 ppbv above the current EPA standard of 75 ppbv. The NASA P-3B aircraft observed plumes from refinery flares west and northwest of Galveston Bay that were transported over the water. Continental air pollution from the north was transported into the Houston metropolitan area where it mixed with locally generated emissions. A bay breeze circulation formed causing pollutants that were transported out over the water in the morning to recirculate back inland where they mixed with freshly emitted pollution near the bay breeze convergence zone. The highest surface ozone concentrations were reported near the bay breeze front. This ozone episode will be presented using measurements made during the DISCOVER-AQ field campaign and a CMAQ model simulation with integrated source apportionment, which tracks the contribution of emissions source groups and regions on ozone concentrations.

  15. Hydrology of the Texas Gulf Coast aquifer systems

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ryder, Paul D.; Ardis, Ann F.

    1991-01-01

    A complex, multilayered ground-water flow system exists in the Coastal Plain sediments of Texas. The Tertiary and Quaternary clastic deposits have an areal extent of 114,000 square miles onshore and in the Gulf of Mexico. Two distinct aquifer systems are recognized within the sediments, which range in thickness from a few feet to more than 12,000 feet The older system--the Texas coastal uplands aquifer system-consists of four aquifers and two confining units in the Claiborne and Wilcox Groups. It is underlain by the practically impermeable Midway confining unit or by the top of the geopressured zone. It is overlain by the nearly impermeable Vicksburg-Jackson confining unit, which separates it from the younger coastal lowlands aquifer system. The coastal lowlands aquifer system consists of five permeable zones and two confining units that range in age from Oligocene to Holocene. The hydrogeologic units of both systems are exposed in bands that parallel the coastline. The units dip and thicken toward the Gulf. Quality of water in the aquifer systems is highly variable, with dissolved solids ranging from less than 500 to 150,000 milligrams per liter.Substantial withdrawal from the aquifer systems began in the early 1900's and increased nearly continuously into the 1970's. The increase in withdrawal was relatively rapid from about 1940 to 1970. Adverse hydrologic effects, such as saltwater encroachment in coastal areas, land-surface subsidence in the Houston-Galveston area, and long-term dewatering in the Whiter Garden area, were among some of the factors that caused pumping increases to slow or to cease in the 1970's and 1980's.Ground-water withdrawals in the study area in 1980 were about 1.7 billion gallons per day. Nearly all of the withdrawal was from four units: Permeable zones A, B, and C of Miocene age and younger, and the lower Claiborae-upper Wilcox aquifer. Ground-water levels have declined hundreds of feet in the intensively pumped areas of Houston-Galveston

  16. Assessment of selected contaminants in streambed- and suspended-sediment samples collected in Bexar County, Texas, 2007-09

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilson, Jennifer T.

    2011-01-01

    Elevated concentrations of sediment-associated contaminants are typically associated with urban areas such as San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County, the seventh most populous city in the United States. This report describes an assessment of selected sediment-associated contaminants in samples collected in Bexar County from sites on the following streams: Medio Creek, Medina River, Elm Creek, Martinez Creek, Chupaderas Creek, Leon Creek, Salado Creek, and San Antonio River. During 2007-09, the U.S. Geological Survey periodically collected surficial streambed-sediment samples during base flow and suspended-sediment (large-volume suspended-sediment) samples from selected streams during stormwater runoff. All sediment samples were analyzed for major and trace elements and for organic compounds including halogenated organic compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Selected contaminants in streambed and suspended sediments in watersheds of the eight major streams in Bexar County were assessed by using a variety of methods—observations of occurrence and distribution, comparison to sediment-quality guidelines and data from previous studies, statistical analyses, and source indicators. Trace elements concentrations were low compared to the consensus-based sediment-quality guidelines threshold effect concentration (TEC) and probable effect concentration (PEC). Trace element concentrations were greater than the TEC in 28 percent of the samples and greater than the PEC in 1.5 percent of the samples. Chromium concentrations exceeded sediment-quality guidelines more frequently than concentrations of any other constituents analyzed in this study (greater than the TEC in 69 percent of samples and greater than the PEC in 8 percent of samples). Mean trace element concentrations generally are lower in Bexar County samples compared to concentrations in samples collected during previous studies in the Austin and Fort Worth, Texas, areas, but considering the relatively

  17. 33 CFR 167.350 - In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas. 167.350 Section 167.350 Navigation and... OFFSHORE TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEMES Description of Traffic Separation Schemes and Precautionary Areas Atlantic Gulf Coast § 167.350 In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and...

  18. 33 CFR 167.350 - In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas. 167.350 Section 167.350 Navigation and... OFFSHORE TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEMES Description of Traffic Separation Schemes and Precautionary Areas Atlantic Gulf Coast § 167.350 In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and...

  19. 33 CFR 167.350 - In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas. 167.350 Section 167.350 Navigation and... OFFSHORE TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEMES Description of Traffic Separation Schemes and Precautionary Areas Atlantic Gulf Coast § 167.350 In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and...

  20. 33 CFR 167.350 - In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas. 167.350 Section 167.350 Navigation and... OFFSHORE TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEMES Description of Traffic Separation Schemes and Precautionary Areas Atlantic Gulf Coast § 167.350 In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and...

  1. 33 CFR 167.350 - In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and precautionary areas. 167.350 Section 167.350 Navigation and... OFFSHORE TRAFFIC SEPARATION SCHEMES Description of Traffic Separation Schemes and Precautionary Areas Atlantic Gulf Coast § 167.350 In the approaches to Galveston Bay Traffic Separation Scheme and...

  2. Junior and Community College Research, Texas, 1980-81. The 1981 Research Report to the Texas Association of Junior and Community College Instructional Administrators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Texas Association of Junior and Community Coll. Instructional Administrators.

    Reports and abstracts are presented for research conducted during 1981 on community college education in Texas. Four institutional research reports are provided first: an evaluation of the effectiveness of the developmental studies program at North Harris County College; a study of retention patterns at Amarillo College by Stanley Adelman and Kay…

  3. The link between bond forfeiture and pretrial release mechanism: The case of Dallas County, Texas

    PubMed Central

    Morris, Robert G.; Russell-Kaplan, Amanda

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of four pretrial jail release mechanisms (i.e., bond types) commonly used during the pretrial phase of the criminal justice process in terms of their ability to discriminate between defendants failing to appear in court (i.e., bond forfeiture). These include attorney bonds, cash bonds, commercial bail bonds, and release via a pretrial services agency. Methods A multi-treatment propensity score matching protocol was employed to assess between-release-mechanism differences in the conditional probability of failure to appear/bond forfeiture. Data were culled from archival state justice records comprising all defendants booked into the Dallas County, Texas jail during 2008 (n = 29,416). Results The results suggest that defendants released via commercial bail bonds were less likely to experience failure to appear leading to the bond forfeiture process compared to equivalent defendants released via cash, attorney, and pretrial services bonds. This finding held across different offense categories. The study frames these differences within a discussion encompassing procedural variation within and between each release mechanism, thereby setting the stage for further research and dialog regarding potential justice reform. PMID:28817579

  4. Geologic framework and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers within northern Bexar and Comal Counties, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Allan K.; Golab, James A.; Morris, Robert R.

    2016-11-28

    During 2014–16, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Edwards Aquifer Authority, documented the geologic framework and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers within northern Bexar and Comal Counties, Texas. The Edwards and Trinity aquifers are major sources of water for agriculture, industry, and urban and rural communities in south-central Texas. Both the Edwards and Trinity are classified as major aquifers by the State of Texas.The purpose of this report is to present the geologic framework and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers within northern Bexar and Comal Counties, Tex. The report includes a detailed 1:24,000-scale hydrostratigraphic map, names, and descriptions of the geology and hydrostratigraphic units (HSUs) in the study area.The scope of the report is focused on geologic framework and hydrostratigraphy of the outcrops and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers within northern Bexar and Comal Counties, Tex. In addition, parts of the adjacent upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer are included.The study area, approximately 866 square miles, is within the outcrops of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers and overlying confining units (Washita, Eagle Ford, Austin, and Taylor Groups) in northern Bexar and Comal Counties, Tex. The rocks within the study area are sedimentary and range in age from Early to Late Cretaceous. The Miocene-age Balcones fault zone is the primary structural feature within the study area. The fault zone is an extensional system of faults that generally trends southwest to northeast in south-central Texas. The faults have normal throw, are en echelon, and are mostly downthrown to the southeast.The Early Cretaceous Edwards Group rocks were deposited in an open marine to supratidal flats environment during two marine transgressions. The Edwards Group is composed of the Kainer and Person Formations. Following tectonic uplift, subaerial exposure, and erosion near the end of

  5. First county records of red crossbill in the pineywoods region of eastern Texas

    Treesearch

    Richard R. Schaefer

    1998-01-01

    The red crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) is reported from western Texas as a scarce and sporadic breeder in the Guadalupe Mountains, and a probable rare or irregular nester in the Davis Mountains. It is also a rare and irregular winter visitor in many parts of the State. Red crossbills invaded much of Texas during the 1972-1973 winter. This invasion missed the pineywoods...

  6. Lead bioaccumulation in Texas Harvester Ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) and toxicological implications for Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) populations of Bexar County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Burgess, Robert; Davis, Robert; Edwards, Deborah

    2018-03-01

    Uptake of lead from soil was examined in order to establish a site-specific ecological protective concentration level for the Texas Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum) at the Former Humble Refinery in San Antonio, Texas. Soils, harvester ants, and rinse water from the ants were analyzed at 11 Texas Harvester Ant (Pogonomyrmex barbatus) mounds. Soil concentrations at the harvester ant mounds ranged from 13 to 7474 mg/kg of lead dry weight. Ant tissue sample concentrations ranged from < 0.82 to 21.17 mg/kg dry weight. Rinse water concentrations were below the reporting limit in the majority of samples. Two uptake models were developed for the ants. A bioaccumulation factor model did not fit the data, as there was a strong decay in the calculated value with rising soil concentrations. A univariate natural log-transformed regression model produced a significant regression (p < .0001) with a high coefficient of determination (0.82), indicating a good fit to the data. Other diagnostic regression statistics indicated that the regression model could be reliably used to predict concentrations of lead in harvester ants from soil concentrations. Estimates of protective levels for P. cornutum were developed using published sub-chronic toxicological findings for the Western Fence Lizard that were allometricly adapted and compared to the Dose oral equation, which estimated lead consumed through ants plus incidental soil ingestion. The no observed adverse effect level toxicological limit for P. cornutum was estimated to be 5500 mg/kg.

  7. All-cancers mortality rates approaching diseases of the heart mortality rates as leading cause of death in Texas.

    PubMed

    Wyatt, Stephen W; Maynard, William Ryan; Risser, David R; Hakenewerth, Anne M; Williams, Melanie A; Garcia, Rebecca

    2014-01-01

    Diseases of the heart and malignant neoplasms (all-cancers) are the leading causes of death in the United States. The gap between the two has been closing in recent years. To assess the gap status in Texas and to establish a baseline to support evaluation efforts for the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas, mortality data from 2006 to 2009 were analyzed. Immediate cause of death data in Texas for the years 2006-2009 were analyzed and rates developed by sex, race/ethnicity, and four metropolitan counties. Overall, for the years 2006-2009, the age-adjusted mortality rates (AARs) among Texas residents for both diseases of the heart and all-cancers decreased; however, during this time frame, there was greater improvement in diseases of the heart AARs as compared with all-cancers AARs. For the four large metropolitan counties of Bexar, Dallas, Harris, and Travis, data were analyzed by sex and race/ethnicity, and 11 of the 12 largest percent mortality rate decreases were for diseases of the heart. Age-adjusted mortality rates among Texas residents from diseases of the heart are showing improvement as compared with the rates for all-cancers.

  8. Public water supplies in southern Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Broadhurst, W.L.; Sundstrom, R.W.; Rowley, J.H.

    1950-01-01

    This report gives a summarized description of the public water supplies in 42 counties of southern Texas, extending from the Rio Grande northward to the northern boundaries of Kinney, Uvalde, Bandera, Kendall, and Hays Counties and eastward to the eastern boundaries of Caldwell, Gonzales, DeWitt, Victoria, and Calhoun Counties. It gives the available data as follows for each of the 114 communities: Population of the community; name of the official from whom the information was obtained; ownership of water works, whether private or municipal; source of supply, whether ground or surface water; the amount of water consumed; the facilities for storage; the number of customers served; the character of the chemical and sanitary treatment, if any; and chemical analyses of the water. Where ground water is used, the following information also is given: Records of wells, including drillers' logs; character of the pumping equipment; yield of the wells and records of water levels, where they are available.

  9. Summary of dimensionless Texas hyetographs and distribution of storm depth developed for Texas Department of Transportation research project 0–4194

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Roussel, Meghan C.; Thompson, David B.; Cleveland, Theodore G.; Fang, Xing

    2005-01-01

    Hyetographs and storm depth distributions are important elements of hydraulic design by Texas Department of Transportation engineers. Design hyetographs are used in conjunction with unit hydrographs to obtain peak discharge and hydrograph shape for hydraulic design. Storm-depth distributions can be used to assess the probability of a total rainfall depth for a storm. A research project from 2000–2004 has been conducted to (1) determine if existing Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) dimensionless hyetographs are representative of storms in Texas, (2) provide new procedures for dimensionless hyetograph estimation if the NRCS hyetographs are not representative, and (3) provide a procedure to estimate the distribution of storm depth for Texas. This report summarizes the research activities and results of the research project. The report documents several functional models of dimensionless hyetographs and provides curves and tabulated ordinates of empirical (nonfunctional) dimensionless hyetographs for a database of runoff-producing storms in Texas. The dimensionless hyetographs are compared to the NRCS dimensionless hyetographs. The distribution of storm depth is documented for seven values of minimum interevent time through dimensionless frequency curves and tables of mean storm depth for each county in Texas. Conclusions regarding application of the research results are included in the report.

  10. Geology and ground-water resources of Hale County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cronin, J.G.; Wells, Lloyd C.

    1963-01-01

    It is estimated that in 1955 about 39 million acre-feet of water was in storage in the Ogallala formation in Hale County; however, only about 16 million is theoretically available to wells, and a somewhat smaller amount is practically available. About 3 million acre-feet was removed from storage during 1938-55. Water levels in wells have declined more or less steadily since 1938, and it is apparent that the ground-water resources of the county are insufficient to support large-scale perennial irrigation such as that of 1955.

  11. The Precarious Health of Young Mexican American Men in South Texas, Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, 2004-2015.

    PubMed

    Watt, Gordon P; Vatcheva, Kristina P; Griffith, Derek M; Reininger, Belinda M; Beretta, Laura; Fallon, Michael B; McCormick, Joseph B; Fisher-Hoch, Susan P

    2016-08-25

    Hispanic men have higher rates of illness and death from various chronic conditions than do non-Hispanic men. We aimed to characterize the health of Mexican American men living on the US-Mexico border in South Texas and elucidate indications of chronic disease in young men. We sampled all male participants from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort, an ongoing population-based cohort of Mexican Americans in Brownsville, Texas. We calculated descriptive statistics and stratified the sample into 3 age groups to estimate the prevalence of sociodemographic, behavioral, and clinical factors by age group and evaluated differences between age groups. Obesity prevalence was approximately 50% across all age groups (P = .83). Diabetes prevalence was high overall (26.8%), and 16.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.1%-23.8%) of men younger than 35 had diabetes. More than 70% of these young men had elevated liver enzymes, and mean values of aspartate aminotransferase were significantly higher in younger men (45.0 u/L; 95% CI, 39.5-50.6 u/L) than in both older age groups. Less than 20% of young men had any form of health insurance. Current smoking was higher in young men than in men in the other groups, and the rate was higher than the national prevalence of current smoking among Hispanic men. We suggest a need for obesity and diabetes prevention programs and smoking cessation programs for men in this region. Opportunities exist to expand current intervention programs and tailor them to better reach this vulnerable population of young Hispanic men. Elevated liver enzymes in men younger than 35 suggest a substantial burden of liver abnormalities, a finding that warrants further study.

  12. Geologic Map of the Edwards Aquifer In Northern Medina and Northeastern Uvalde Counties, South-central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Allan K.; Faith, Jason R.; Blome, Charles D.; Pedraza, Diana E.

    2006-01-01

    The southern segment of the Edwards aquifer in south-central Texas is one of the most productive subsurface reservoirs of potable water in the world, providing water of excellent quality to more than a million people in the San Antonio region, where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared it to be a sole-source aquifer (van der Leeden and others, 1990). Depending on the depositional province within which the associated carbonate rocks originated (Maclay and Small, 1984), the Edwards aquifer is composed of several geologic formations (primarily limestone and dolostone) of Early Cretaceous age. Most water pumped from the Edwards aquifer comes form the Person and Kainer Formations, which were deposited over the San Marcos Platform. The principal source of ground water in study area is the Devils River Formation, which was deposited in the Devils River trend. The Devils River Formation provides large quantities of irrigation water to fertile bottomland areas of Medina and Uvalde Counties, where the success of farming and ranching activities has long depended upon water from the Edwards aquifer. The study area includes all of the Edwards aquifer recharge zone between the Sabinal River (on the west) and the Medina River (on the east) plus an updip fringe of the confined zone in east-central Uvalde and central Medina Counties. Over about ninety percent of the study area--within the Devils River trend--the Edwards aquifer is composed of the Georgetown Formation plus the underlying Devils River Formation. Over the remaining area--over the southwestern margin of the San Marcos platform--the Edwards aquifer consists of the Georgetown Formation plus the underlying Edwards Group (Rose, 1972), which comprises the Kainer and Person Formations.

  13. 78 FR 64933 - Texas Eastern Transmission, LP; Notice of Application

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-30

    ... and necessity to construct its Emerald Longwall Mine Panel D1 Project. Texas Eastern states in its application that, due to anticipated longwall mining activities of Emerald Coal Resources, LP (Emerald) in Greene County, Pennsylvania in Panel D1 of Emerald's mine, ground subsidence may occur. In order to...

  14. Status of Civil Rights in Texas. Volume II: An Employment Profile of San Antonio, 1968-1978. A Case Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerlach, Ernest

    As of 1978 in San Antonio, Texas, equal employment opportunity remained an unfulfilled promise. The Texas Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights studied private sector employment in four industries (banking, hospitals, universities, broadcasting), public employment at four governmental levels (municipal, county, state, federal),…

  15. Floristics of ephemeral ponds in east-central Texas

    Treesearch

    Barbara R. MacRoberts; Michael H. MacRoberts; D. Craig Rudolph; David W. Peterson

    2014-01-01

    Beginning in 2009, we surveyed the vegetation of ephemeral ponds in Sabine and Nacogdoches counties in east-central Texas. These ponds are shallow and flat-bottomed, with a small but distinct flora dominated by grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae). The floras of these ponds are most similar to those of flatwoods ponds located on the lower coastal plain. Once more...

  16. Shallow ground-water conditions, Tom Green County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lee, J.N.

    1986-01-01

    Pollution from oil-field activities may affect the quality of water in some isolated wells and in some areas in the county. No historical records are available for determining any changes in pesticides, minor elements, or bacteria.

  17. Season-ahead Drought Forecast Models for the Lower Colorado River Authority in Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Block, P. J.; Zimmerman, B.; Grzegorzewski, M.; Watkins, D. W., Jr.; Anderson, R.

    2014-12-01

    The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) in Austin, Texas, manages the Highland Lakes reservoir system in Central Texas, a series of six lakes on the Lower Colorado River. This system provides water to approximately 1.1 million people in Central Texas, supplies hydropower to a 55-county area, supports rice farming along the Texas Gulf Coast, and sustains in-stream flows in the Lower Colorado River and freshwater inflows to Matagorda Bay. The current, prolonged drought conditions are severely taxing the LCRA's system, making allocation and management decisions exceptionally challenging, and affecting the ability of constituents to conduct proper planning. In this work, we further develop and evaluate season-ahead statistical streamflow and precipitation forecast models for integration into LCRA decision support models. Optimal forecast lead time, predictive skill, form, and communication are all considered.

  18. Evaluating and improving the results of air quality models in Texas using TES, AIRS and other satellite data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Osterman, G.; Harper, C.; Estes, M.; Zhao, W.; Bowman, K.; Pierce, B.; Irion, B.; Kahn, B.; Al-Saadi, J.

    2008-05-01

    The Houston/Galveston/Brazoria (HGB) area of Texas has been classified as in moderate nonattainment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 8-hour standard for ground level ozone since April 30, 2004. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality uses photochemical model results as one of its primary tools to develop strategies to bring the HGB area into attainment with the EPA standard. The state of Texas then includes the strategies into a revised version of its State Implementation Plan (SIP). We will discuss efforts that have been or soon will be underway to use satellite data to evaluate and improve the meteorological and photochemical modeling efforts at TCEQ. In particular we will show the use of GOES, AIRS and TES data to improve the ability to model, using the MM5 model, the meteorological conditions over Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. The meteorological fields are then used as one of the inputs to the CAMx air quality model used at TCEQ. We will discuss the use of chemical transport model results as initial and boundary conditions which are a key uncertainty in the modeling of the air above Houston. We will also discuss the use of TES data to assist in the evaluation of preliminary model results generated by TCEQ for time periods in 2005. The satellite data will provide key information on ozone and carbon monoxide concentrations away from surface monitors in the troposphere. We will show how satellite data is becoming a key tool in the effort to improve air quality in the HGB area and one that can easily applied for use in other regions of the country.

  19. Public Response to Hurricane Rita Forecasts Along the Texas Coast: An Undergraduate Research Study Linking Science and Society

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morss, R. E.; Zhang, F.

    2006-12-01

    One mechanism for creating more usable science is familiarizing scientists with societal use of and needs for scientific information. We will describe an effort to so in the university educational system, through a semester-long class for meteorology students that involved a research project on public perception and use of hurricane forecasts. Hurricane Rita made landfall near the Texas-Louisiana border in September 2005, causing major damage and disruption. As Rita approached the Gulf Coast, significant uncertainties in the track and intensity forecasts, combined with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, led to major evacuations along the Texas coast and significant traffic jams in the broader Houston area. In the spring semester of 2006, seven undergraduate and three graduate meteorology students at Texas A&M University participated in a student research project to investigate the societal impacts of Hurricane Rita and its forecasts. The research team, including the students, developed a structured interview questionnaire to explore coastal residents' hurricane preparation and evacuation decisions and their use and perception of Hurricane Rita forecasts. The students then conducted 120 in-person interviews in the Texas Gulf Coast cities of Galveston, Port Arthur, and Houston. The study was designed to both answer key research questions and provide students with first- hand knowledge about how the public perceives hurricane risk and uses weather forecasts. We will report findings from the survey, as well as the educational benefits described by the students. We hope that the project can serve as a model for classroom-based student research projects at other universities, to give more science students opportunities to learn first-hand about people's perceptions and use of scientific information.

  20. Estimated freshwater withdrawals in Texas, 1990

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lurry, Dee L.

    1994-01-01

    This report presents 1990 freshwater withdrawal estimates for Texas by source and category. Withdrawal source is either ground water or surface water. Withdrawal categories include: self-supplied irrigation, thermoelectric-power generation, water supply, industrial and mining, and other (domestic, commercial, livestock). Withdrawal data are aggregated by county, major aquifer, and principal river basin. Only the four major categories of irrigation, thermoelectric-power generation, water supply, and industrial and mining are illustrated in this report, although all data are tabulated.

  1. Expedition_55_Education_Interview_with_Aransas_County_ISD_and_Port_Aransas_ISD_2018_117_1450_645746

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-04-27

    SPACE STATION CREW MEMBERS DISCUSS LIFE IN SPACE WITH TEXAS STUDENTS----- Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 55 Flight Engineers Drew Feustel and Scott Tingle of NASA discussed life and research on the orbital laboratory during an in-flight educational event April 27 with students from the Aransas County Independent School District and the Port Aransas County Independent School District in Aransas Pass, Texas. Feustel is in the second month of a six-month mission on the station, while Tingle is scheduled to return to Earth June 3 to complete his half-year in space.

  2. Evaluation of ground-water flow and land-surface subsidence caused by hypothetical withdrawals in the northern part of the Gulf Coast Aquifer system, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Reece, Brian D.; Houston, Natalie A.

    2005-01-01

    During 2003–04 the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District (HGCSD), used the previously developed Northern Gulf Coast Ground-Water Availability Modeling (NGC GAM) model to evaluate the effects of hypothetical projected withdrawals on ground-water flow in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system and land-surface subsidence in the NGC GAM model area of Texas. The Gulf Coast aquifer system comprises, from the surface, the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers, the Burkeville confining unit, the Jasper aquifer, and the Catahoula confining unit. Two withdrawal scenarios were simulated. The first scenario comprises historical withdrawals from the aquifer system for 1891–2000 and hypothetical projected withdrawals for 2001–50 compiled by the TWDB (TWDB scenario). The projected withdrawals compiled by the TWDB are based on ground-water demands estimated by regional water planning groups. The second scenario is a “merge” of the TWDB scenario with an alternate set of projected withdrawals from the Chicot and Evangeline aquifers in the Houston metropolitan area for 1995–2030 provided by the HGCSD (HGCSD scenario). Under the TWDB scenario withdrawals from the entire system are projected to be about the same in 2050 as in 2000. The simulated potentiometric surfaces of the Chicot aquifer for 2010, 2020, 2030, 2040, and 2050 show relatively little change in configuration from the simulated 2000 potentiometric surface (maximum water-level depths in southern Harris County 150–200 feet below NGVD 29). The simulated decadal potentiometric surfaces of the Evangeline aquifer show the most change between 2000 and 2010. The area of water levels 250– 400 feet below NGVD 29 in western Harris County in 2000 shifts southeastward to southern Harris County, and water levels recover to 200–250 feet below NGVD 29 by 2010. Water levels in southern Harris County recover to 150

  3. Paleocene coal deposits of the Wilcox group, central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; SanFilipo, John R.; Schultz, Adam C.; Nichols, Douglas J.; Swanson, Sharon M.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    Coal deposits in the Wilcox Group of central Texas have been regarded as the richest coal resources in the Gulf Coastal Plain. Although minable coal beds appear to be less numerous and generally higher in sulfur content (1 percent average, as-received basis; table 1) than Wilcox coal deposits in the Northeast Texas and Louisiana Sabine assessment areas (0.5 and 0.6 percent sulfur, respectively; table 1), net coal thickness in coal zones in central Texas is up to 32 ft thick and more persistent along strike (up to 15 mi) at or near the surface than coals of any other Gulf Coast assessment area. The rank of the coal beds in central Texas is generally lignite (table 1), but some coal ranks as great as subbituminous C have been reported (Mukhopadhyay, 1989). The outcrop of the Wilcox Group in central Texas strikes northeast, extends for approximately 140 mi between the Trinity and Colorado Rivers, and covers parts of Bastrop, Falls, Freestone, Lee, Leon, Limestone, Milam, Navarro, Robertson, and Williamson Counties (Figure 1). Three formations, in ascending order, the Hooper, Simsboro, and Calvert Bluff, are recognized in central Texas (Figure 2). The Wilcox Group is underlain conformably by the Midway Group, a mudstone-dominated marine sequence, and is overlain and scoured locally by the Carrizo Sand, a fluvial unit at the base of the Claiborne Group.

  4. Summary of hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow and land-surface subsidence in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.; Robinson, James L.

    2004-01-01

    The northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in Texas, which includes the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers, supplies most of the water used for industrial, municipal, agricultural, and commercial purposes for an approximately 25,000- square-mile (mi2) area that includes the Beaumont and Houston metropolitan areas. The area has an abundant amount of potable ground water, but withdrawals of large quantities of ground water have resulted in potentiometric-surface declines in the Chicot, Evangeline, and Jasper aquifers and land-surface subsidence from depressurization and compaction of clay layers interbedded in the aquifer sediments. This fact sheet summarizes a study done in cooperation with the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District (HGCSD) as a part of the TWDB Ground-Water Availability Modeling (or Model) (GAM) program. The study was designed to develop and test a ground-water-flow model of the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system in the GAM area (fig. 1) that waterresource managers can use as a tool to address future groundwater- availability issues.

  5. 'Non-criteria' aPL tests: report of a task force and preconference workshop at the 13th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies, Galveston, TX, USA, April 2010.

    PubMed

    Bertolaccini, M L; Amengual, O; Atsumi, T; Binder, W L; de Laat, B; Forastiero, R; Kutteh, W H; Lambert, M; Matsubayashi, H; Murthy, V; Petri, M; Rand, J H; Sanmarco, M; Tebo, A E; Pierangeli, S S

    2011-02-01

    Abstract: Current classification criteria for definite APS recommend the use of one or more of three positive standardized laboratory assays, including anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), lupus anticoagulant (LA), and antibodies directed to β(2)glycoprotein I (anti-β(2)GPI) to detect antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in the presence of at least one of the two major clinical manifestations (i.e., thrombosis or pregnancy morbidity) of the syndrome. Several other autoantibodies shown to be directed to phospholipids and/or their complexes with phospholipids and/or to proteins of the coagulation cascade, as well as a mechanistic test for resistance to annexin A5 anticoagulant activity, have been proposed to be relevant to APS. A task force of worldwide scientists in the field discussed and analyzed critical questions related to 'non-criteria' aPL tests in an evidence-based manner during the 13th International Congress on Antiphospholipid Antibodies (APLA 2010, 13-16 April 2010, Galveston, Texas, USA). This report summarizes the findings, conclusions, and recommendations of this task force.

  6. Alternative Fuels Data Center: Freedom CNG Reduces Emissions with Natural

    Science.gov Websites

    Gas in TexasA> Freedom CNG Reduces Emissions with Natural Gas in Texas to someone by E-mail Share . For information about this project, contact Houston-Galveston Clean Cities. Download QuickTime Video Magazine Provided by Maryland Public Television Related Videos Photo of a car Electric Vehicles Charge up

  7. Hazards of Extreme Weather: Flood Fatalities in Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharif, H. O.; Jackson, T.; Bin-Shafique, S.

    2009-12-01

    The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) considers flooding “America’s Number One Natural Hazard”. Despite flood management efforts in many communities, U.S. flood damages remain high, due, in large part, to increasing population and property development in flood-prone areas. Floods are the leading cause of fatalities related to natural disasters in Texas. Texas leads the nation in flash flood fatalities. There are three times more fatalities in Texas (840) than the following state Pennsylvania (265). This study examined flood fatalities that occurred in Texas between 1960 and 2008. Flood fatality statistics were extracted from three sources: flood fatality databases from the National Climatic Data Center, the Spatial Hazard Event and Loss Database for the United States, and the Texas Department of State Health Services. The data collected for flood fatalities include the date, time, gender, age, location, and weather conditions. Inconsistencies among the three databases were identified and discussed. Analysis reveals that most fatalities result from driving into flood water (about 65%). Spatial analysis indicates that more fatalities occurred in counties containing major urban centers. Hydrologic analysis of a flood event that resulted in five fatalities was performed. A hydrologic model was able to simulate the water level at a location where a vehicle was swept away by flood water resulting in the death of the driver.

  8. Constraining Big Hurricanes: Remotely sensing Galveston Islands' changing coastal landscape from days to millennia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dougherty, A. J.; Choi, J. H.; Heo, S.; Dosseto, A.

    2017-12-01

    Climate change models forecast increased storm intensity, which will drive coastal erosion as sea-level rise accelerates with global warming. Over the last five years the largest hurricanes ever recorded in the Pacific (Patricia) and the Atlantic (Irma) occurred as well as the devastation of Harvey. The preceding decade was marked with Super Storm Sandy, Katrina and Ike. A century prior, the deadliest natural disaster in North America occurred as a category 4 hurricane known as `The 1900 Storm' hit Galveston Island. This research aims to contextualize the impact of storms long before infrastructure and historical/scientific accounts documented erosion. Unlike the majority of barrier islands in the US, Galveston built seaward over the Holocene. As the beach prograded it preserved a history of storms and shoreline change over millennia to the present-day. These systems (called prograded barriers) were first studied over 50 years ago using topographic profiles, sediment cores and radiocarbon dating. This research revisits some of these benchmark study sites to augment existing data utilizing state-of-the-art Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) techniques. In 2016 GPR and OSL data were collected from Galveston Island, with the aim to combine GPR, OSL and LiDAR (GOaL) to extract a high-resolution geologic record spanning 6,000 years. The resulting millennia-scale coastal evolution can be used to contextualize the impact of historic hurricanes over the past century (`The 1900 Storm'), decade (Ike in 2008) and year (now with Harvey). Preliminary results reveal a recent change in shoreline behaviour, and data from Harvey are currently being accessed within the perspective of these initial findings. This dataset will be discussed with respect to the other two benchmark prograded barriers studied in North America: Nayarit Barrier (Mexico) that Hurricane Patricia passed directly over in 2013 and

  9. Creating a disease risk map for West Nile virus for surveillance in Central Texas using a Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing technologies

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Following the discovery of the West Nile virus (WNv) in Brazos County, TX in 2002, mosquito research personnel at Texas A&M University established a routine WNv mosquito vector surveillance program in the county. In 2004, a map of Brazos County was created depicting areas that had a heightened leve...

  10. Devillier field, Chambers County, Texas: effects of growth faults and deltaic sedimentation on hydrocarbon accumulation in a stratigraphic trap

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gordon, P.T.

    Devillier field is an overpressured gas reservoir producing from upper Vicksburg (lower Oligocene) Loxostoma B Delicata-age sands which pinch-out near the crest of an anticline located on the downthrown side of the Vicksburg flexure. The field is located 50 miles (80 km) east of Houston in NE Chambers County, Texas. The first year's production per well has averaged 1.0 billion cu ft of gas and 13,000 bbl condensate, for the 7 wells completed since the field discovery in 1975. Calculated open flows have ranged as high as 600,000 MCFD of gas from an average net-sand interval of 25 ft (7.6more » m) at depths between 10,550 and 10,750 ft (3216 and 3277 m). The upper Vicksburg sediments are considered to have been deposited in a shallow-marine environment. The field pay, the Loxostoma sand, is interpreted to have been deposited in a delta distributary mouth bar.« less

  11. Geodatabase and characteristics of springs within and surrounding the Trinity aquifer outcrops in northern Bexar County, Texas, 2010--11

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Allan K.; Pedraza, Diana E.; Morris, Robert R.; Garcia, Travis J.

    2013-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, and the San Antonio River Authority, developed a geodatabase of springs within and surrounding the Trinity aquifer outcrops in a 331-square-mile study area in northern Bexar County, Texas. The data used to develop the geodatabase were compiled from existing reports and databases, along with spring data collected between October 2010 and September 2011. Characteristics including the location, discharge, and water-quality properties were collected for known springs and documented in the geodatabase. A total of 141 springs were located within the study area, and 46 springs were field verified. The discharge at springs with flow ranged from 0.003 to 1.46 cubic feet per second. The specific conductance of the water discharging from the springs ranged from 167 to 1,130 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius with a majority of values in the range of 500 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius.

  12. Space Radar Image of Houston, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    This image of Houston, Texas, shows the amount of detail that is possible to obtain using spaceborne radar imaging. Images such as this -- obtained by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) flying aboard the space shuttle Endeavor last fall -- can become an effective tool for urban planners who map and monitor land use patterns in urban, agricultural and wetland areas. Central Houston appears pink and white in the upper portion of the image, outlined and crisscrossed by freeways. The image was obtained on October 10, 1994, during the space shuttle's 167th orbit. The area shown is 100 kilometers by 60 kilometers (62 miles by 38 miles) and is centered at 29.38 degrees north latitude, 95.1 degrees west longitude. North is toward the upper left. The pink areas designate urban development while the green-and blue-patterned areas are agricultural fields. Black areas are bodies of water, including Galveston Bay along the right edge and the Gulf of Mexico at the bottom of the image. Interstate 45 runs from top to bottom through the image. The narrow island at the bottom of the image is Galveston Island, with the city of Galveston at its northeast (right) end. The dark cross in the upper center of the image is Hobby Airport. Ellington Air Force Base is visible below Hobby on the other side of Interstate 45. Clear Lake is the dark body of water in the middle right of the image. The green square just north of Clear Lake is Johnson Space Center, home of Mission Control and the astronaut training facilities. The black rectangle with a white center that appears to the left of the city center is the Houston Astrodome. The colors in this image were obtained using the follow radar channels: red represents the L-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); green represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted, vertically received); blue represents the C-band (horizontally transmitted and received). Spaceborne Imaging Radar

  13. Centennial record of anthropogenic impacts in Galveston Bay: Evidence from trace metals (Hg, Pb, Ni, Zn) and lignin oxidation products.

    PubMed

    Al Mukaimi, Mohammad E; Kaiser, Karl; Williams, Joshua R; Dellapenna, Timothy M; Louchouarn, Patrick; Santschi, Peter H

    2018-06-01

    During the 20th century the impacts of industrialization and urbanization in Galveston Bay resulted in significant shifts in trace metals (Hg, Pb, Ni, Zn) and vascular plant biomarkers (lignin phenols) recorded within the surface sediments and sediment cores profile. A total of 22 sediment cores were collected in Galveston Bay in order to reconstruct the historical input of Hg, Pb, Ni, Zn and terrestrial organic matter. Total Hg (T-Hg) concentration ranged between 6 and 162 ng g -1 in surface sediments, and showed decreasing concentrations southward from the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) toward the open estuary. Core profiles of T-Hg and trace metals (Ni, Zn) showed substantial inputs starting in 1905, with peak concentrations between 1960 and 1970's, and decreasing thereafter with exception to Pb, which peaked around 1930-1940s. Stable carbon isotopes and lignin phenols showed an increasing input of terrestrial organic matter driven by urban development within the watershed in the early 1940s. Both the enrichment factor and the geoaccumulation index (I geo ) for T-Hg as a measure of the effectiveness of environmental management practices showed substantial improvements since the 1970s. The natural recovery rate in Galveston Bay since the peak input of T-Hg was non-linear and displayed a slow recovery during the twenty-first century. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. 9 CFR 98.33 - Ports designated for the importation of certain animal semen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ...; Portland, Oregon; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Memphis, Tennessee; Galveston and Houston, Texas; Seattle, Spokane... designated for the importation of certain animal semen. (a) Air and ocean ports. The following air and ocean...

  15. 9 CFR 98.33 - Ports designated for the importation of certain animal semen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ...; Portland, Oregon; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Memphis, Tennessee; Galveston and Houston, Texas; Seattle, Spokane... designated for the importation of certain animal semen. (a) Air and ocean ports. The following air and ocean...

  16. 9 CFR 98.33 - Ports designated for the importation of certain animal semen.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ...; Portland, Oregon; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Memphis, Tennessee; Galveston and Houston, Texas; Seattle, Spokane... designated for the importation of certain animal semen. (a) Air and ocean ports. The following air and ocean...

  17. Beyond type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension: an axis including sleep apnea, left ventricular hypertrophy, endothelial dysfunction, and aortic stiffness among Mexican Americans in Starr County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Hanis, Craig L; Redline, Susan; Cade, Brian E; Bell, Graeme I; Cox, Nancy J; Below, Jennifer E; Brown, Eric L; Aguilar, David

    2016-06-08

    There is an increasing appreciation for a series of less traditional risk factors that should not be ignored when considering type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. These include aortic stiffness, cardiac structure, impaired endothelial function and obstructive sleep apnea. They are associated to varying degrees with each disease categorization and with each other. It is not clear whether they represent additional complications, concomitants or antecedents of disease. Starr County, Texas, with its predominantly Mexican American population has been shown previously to bear a disproportionate burden of the major disease categories, but little is known about the distribution of these less traditional factors. Type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension frequencies were determined through a systematic survey of Starr County conducted from 2002 to 2006. Individuals from this examination and an enriched set with type 2 diabetes were re-examined from 2010 to 2014 including assessment of cardiac structure, sleep apnea, endothelial function and aortic stiffness. Individual and combined frequencies of these inter-related (i.e., axis) conditions were estimated and associations evaluated. Household screening of 5230 individuals aged 20 years and above followed by direct physical assessment of 1610 identified 23.7 % of men and 26.7 % of women with type 2 diabetes, 46.2 and 49.5 % of men and women, respectively with obesity and 32.1 and 32.4 % with hypertension. Evaluation of pulse wave velocity, left ventricular mass, endothelial function and sleep apnea identified 22.3, 12.7, 48.6 and 45.2 % of men as having "at risk" values for each condition, respectively. Corresponding numbers in women were 16.0, 17.9, 23.6 and 28.8 %. Cumulatively, 88 % of the population has one or more of these while 50 % have three or more. The full axis of conditions is high among Mexican Americans in Starr County, Texas. Individual and joint patterns suggest a genesis well

  18. Geographic risk modeling of childhood cancer relative to county-level crops, hazardous air pollutants and population density characteristics in Texas.

    PubMed

    Thompson, James A; Carozza, Susan E; Zhu, Li

    2008-09-25

    Childhood cancer has been linked to a variety of environmental factors, including agricultural activities, industrial pollutants and population mixing, but etiologic studies have often been inconclusive or inconsistent when considering specific cancer types. More specific exposure assessments are needed. It would be helpful to optimize future studies to incorporate knowledge of high-risk locations or geographic risk patterns. The objective of this study was to evaluate potential geographic risk patterns in Texas accounting for the possibility that multiple cancers may have similar geographic risks patterns. A spatio-temporal risk modeling approach was used, whereby 19 childhood cancer types were modeled as potentially correlated within county-years. The standard morbidity ratios were modeled as functions of intensive crop production, intensive release of hazardous air pollutants, population density, and rapid population growth. There was supportive evidence for elevated risks for germ cell tumors and "other" gliomas in areas of intense cropping and for hepatic tumors in areas of intense release of hazardous air pollutants. The risk for Hodgkin lymphoma appeared to be reduced in areas of rapidly growing population. Elevated spatial risks included four cancer histotypes, "other" leukemias, Central Nervous System (CNS) embryonal tumors, CNS other gliomas and hepatic tumors with greater than 95% likelihood of elevated risks in at least one county. The Bayesian implementation of the Multivariate Conditional Autoregressive model provided a flexible approach to the spatial modeling of multiple childhood cancer histotypes. The current study identified geographic factors supporting more focused studies of germ cell tumors and "other" gliomas in areas of intense cropping, hepatic cancer near Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) release facilities and specific locations with increased risks for CNS embryonal tumors and for "other" leukemias. Further study should be performed to

  19. State and local response to damaging land subsidence in United States urban areas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holzer, T.L.

    1989-01-01

    Land subsidence caused by man-induced depressuring of underground reservoirs has occurred in at least nine urban areas in the United States. Significant efforts to control it have been made in three areas: Long Beach, California; Houston-Galveston, Texas; and Santa Clara Valley, California. In these areas coastal flooding and its control cost more than $300 million. Institutional changes were required in each area to ameliorate its subsidence problem. In Long Beach and Houston Galveston, efforts were made to mitigate subsidence only after significant flood damage had occurred. To arrest subsidence at Long Beach, the city lobbied for a special state law, the California Subsidence Act, that required unitization and repressuring of the Wilmington oil field. In the Houston-Galveston region, the Texas State Legislature authorized formation of the Harris-Galveston Coastal Subsidence District with authority to regulate groundwater pumping by permit. This solution, which was achieved through efforts of entities affected by subsidence, was the product of a series of compromises necessitated by political fragmentation and disjointed water planning in the region. Amelioration of subsidence in the Santa Clara Valley was a collateral benefit from the effort by water users to curtail ground-water overdraft in the valley. Importation of surface water and a tax on ground-water pumpage reduced ground-water use, thereby allowing the recovery of water level and the arresting of subsidence.

  20. Measuring Economic Impact through Adoption: A Study of the Multi-County New Landowners Educational Series

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shackelford, Philip; Murphrey, Theresa Pesl; Dozier, Monty; Ripley, Jeff; Lockett, Landry

    2017-01-01

    The Multi-County New Landowners Educational Series is an Extension education program offered in Austin, Colorado, Fayette, and Washington Counties in Texas. We sent an online survey to past participants of the program (those who participated between 2006 and 2010; N = 162). Findings revealed significant adoption of several best management…

  1. Monocrotophos and dicrotophos residues in birds as a result of misuse of organophosphates in Matagorda county Texas USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Flickinger, Edward L.; White, D.H.; Mitchell, C.A.; Lamont, T.G.

    1984-01-01

    About 1100 birds of 12 spp. [Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus), great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus), brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater), mourning dove (Zenaida macrours), Eastern meadowlark (Sturnella magna), vesper sparrow (Pooecetes gramineus), common snipe (Gallinago gallinago), blue-winged teal (Anas discors), mottled duck (Anas fulvigula), common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus), redhead (Aythya americana) and ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres)] died from organophosphate poisoning in Matagorda County on the Texas Gulf Coast in March and May 1982. Birds died from feeding on rice seed that was illegally treated with dicrotophos or monocrotophos and placed near rice fields as bait to attract and kill birds. Brain acetylcholinesterase inhibition of affected birds averaged 87% (range 82-89%), and contents of gastrointestinal tracts contained residues of dicrotophos (5.6-14 ppm) or monocrotophos (2.1-13 ppm). Rice seed collected at mortality sites contained 210 ppm dicrotophos or 950 ppm monocrotophos. Mortality from dicrotophos poisoning continued for almost 3 wk. The practice of illegally treating rice seed with either of the 2 organophosphates appears to be infrequent but widespread at present.

  2. 77 FR 61822 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions on Proposed Highways in Texas

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-11

    .... 139(l)(1). The actions relate to various proposed highway projects in Tarrant, Dallas and Denton... Dallas County Texas. Project reference number: TxDOT CSJs: 0196-02-068, 0196-01-096, 0196-02-073, 0196-02...) is approximately [[Page 61824

  3. High Background Ozone Events in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Area: Effects from Central American Fires

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lei, R.; Wang, S. C.; Yang, S.; Wang, Y.; Talbot, R. W.

    2016-12-01

    The policy-relevant background (PRB) ozone is defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as the surface ozone mixing ratio that would occur over the U.S. without North American anthropogenic emission influences. PRB ozone over the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) area may be affected by foreign sources due to its unique geographical location and meteorology. Our monitoring data revealed several high ozone events over HGB area which might be caused by Central American fire during the years of 2013-2015. To qualify the effects from Central American fire, we estimated the US, Central American and worldwide background over HGB area during those events using the GEOS-Chem global 3-D model. Anomalies in fire emissions leading to high PRB ozone were mapped through spatiotemporal sampling of the Fire INventory from NCAR (FINN) along background trajectories of air masses affecting the HGB area prior to and during the selected high PRB ozone days. Daily HGB PRB ozone estimated by researchers at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) was used as the data source to validate model results. Results showed that contribution of emission from Central American to HGB PRB ozone could be tripled during fire events compared to non-impacted fire days. Besides fire emissions from Central American, different types of meteorological events (e.g., cold fronts and thunderstorms) and high local photochemical production (e.g., heat waves and stagnation) are also found associated with high PRB ozone in HGB area during these events. Thus we imply that synthetic contribution from foreign sources and local meteorology to HGB PRB ozone warrants further investigated.

  4. Public health assessment for Odessa Superfund Site (a/k/a Sprague Road Groundwater Plume) Ector, Ector County, Texas, Region 6: CERCLIS number TX0001407444. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1998-12-28

    The Sprague Road Groundwater Plume National Priorities List site, consists of three plumes of chromium contaminated water just outside the northern city limits of Odessa, Ector County, Texas. The chromium in the groundwater is a public health hazard to people who continue to use the chromium-contaminated water wells for drinking. Chromium in soil at Leigh Metal Plating Inc. presents a potential public health hazard. Although this facility is surrounded by a fence, access to the site is not entirely restricted. There is a five-foot pit on the National Chromium Corporation site that could present a physical hazard to children trespassingmore » on the site.« less

  5. A vagabond education: UTMB students, residents still feel Ike's impact.

    PubMed

    Ortolon, Ken

    2009-06-01

    Hurricane Ike played havoc with students and residents at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Their education was disrupted, they lost many of their possessions, and some were forced to train elsewhere.

  6. Life beneath the surface of the central Texan Balcones Escarpment: genus Anillinus Casey, 1918 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidiini): new species, a key to the Texas species, and notes about their way of life and evolution

    PubMed Central

    Sokolov, Igor M.; Reddell, James R.; Kavanaugh, David H.

    2014-01-01

    Abstract The Texas fauna of the genus Anillinus Casey, 1918 includes three previously described species (A. affabilis (Brues), 1902, A. depressus (Jeannel), 1963 and A. sinuatus (Jeannel), 1963) and four new species here described: A. acutipennis Sokolov & Reddell, sp. n. (type locality: Fort Hood area, Bell County, Texas); A. comalensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh, sp. n. (type locality: 7 miles W of New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas); A. forthoodensis Sokolov & Reddell, sp. n. (type locality: Fort Hood area, Bell County, Texas); A. wisemanensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh, sp. n. (type locality: Wiseman Sink, Hays County, Texas). A key for identification of adults of these species is provided. The fauna includes both soil- and cave-inhabiting species restricted to the Balcones Fault Zone and Lampasas Cut Plain and adjacent areas underlain by the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer. Based on morphological and distributional data, we hypothesize that four lineages of endogean Anillinus species extended their geographical ranges from a source area in the Ouachita-Ozark Mountains to the Balconian region in central Texas. There the cavernous Edwards-Trinity aquifer system provided an excellent refugium as the regional climate in the late Tertiary and early Quaternary became increasingly drier, rendering life at the surface nearly impossible for small, litter-inhabiting arthropods. Isolated within the Edwards-Trinity aquifer system, these anilline lineages subsequently differentiated, accounting for the currently known diversity. The paucity of specimens and difficulty in collecting them suggest that additional undiscovered species remain to be found in the region. PMID:25061356

  7. Life beneath the surface of the central Texan Balcones Escarpment: genus Anillinus Casey, 1918 (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidiini): new species, a key to the Texas species, and notes about their way of life and evolution.

    PubMed

    Sokolov, Igor M; Reddell, James R; Kavanaugh, David H

    2014-01-01

    The Texas fauna of the genus Anillinus Casey, 1918 includes three previously described species (A. affabilis (Brues), 1902, A. depressus (Jeannel), 1963 and A. sinuatus (Jeannel), 1963) and four new species here described: A. acutipennis Sokolov & Reddell, sp. n. (type locality: Fort Hood area, Bell County, Texas); A. comalensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh, sp. n. (type locality: 7 miles W of New Braunfels, Comal County, Texas); A. forthoodensis Sokolov & Reddell, sp. n. (type locality: Fort Hood area, Bell County, Texas); A. wisemanensis Sokolov & Kavanaugh, sp. n. (type locality: Wiseman Sink, Hays County, Texas). A key for identification of adults of these species is provided. The fauna includes both soil- and cave-inhabiting species restricted to the Balcones Fault Zone and Lampasas Cut Plain and adjacent areas underlain by the Edwards-Trinity Aquifer. Based on morphological and distributional data, we hypothesize that four lineages of endogean Anillinus species extended their geographical ranges from a source area in the Ouachita-Ozark Mountains to the Balconian region in central Texas. There the cavernous Edwards-Trinity aquifer system provided an excellent refugium as the regional climate in the late Tertiary and early Quaternary became increasingly drier, rendering life at the surface nearly impossible for small, litter-inhabiting arthropods. Isolated within the Edwards-Trinity aquifer system, these anilline lineages subsequently differentiated, accounting for the currently known diversity. The paucity of specimens and difficulty in collecting them suggest that additional undiscovered species remain to be found in the region.

  8. 33 CFR 165.T08-0240 - Safety Zone; Kemah Boardwalk Summer Season Fireworks, Galveston Bay, Kemah, TX.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Safety Zone; Kemah Boardwalk Summer Season Fireworks, Galveston Bay, Kemah, TX. 165.T08-0240 Section 165.T08-0240 Navigation and... Areas Eighth Coast Guard District § 165.T08-0240 Safety Zone; Kemah Boardwalk Summer Season Fireworks...

  9. Mean Cancer Mortality Rates in Low Versus High Elevation Counties in Texas

    PubMed Central

    Hart, John

    2010-01-01

    There is controversy as to whether low levels of radiation (i.e., < 5 rem) pose a health risk. This brief inquiry compares archived cancer mortality data in counties having relatively low (0–250 feet above sea level), medium (500–1000 feet above sea level), and high (3000+ feet above sea level) elevations also having corresponding greater natural background levels of radiation respectively. Cancer mortality was found to be lowest in the high elevation counties (mean = 58.2) followed by low elevation counties (67.5) and then medium elevation counties (70.4). Statistically significant differences were found between low –high elevations (p = 0.003), and medium – high elevations (p = 0.010), but not between low and medium elevations (p = 0.5). More rigorous research, with an accounting of confounding variables, is indicated. PMID:21191484

  10. Simulation of streamflow and estimation of streamflow constituent loads in the San Antonio River watershed, Bexar County, Texas, 1997-2001

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ockerman, Darwin J.; McNamara, Kenna C.

    2003-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey developed watershed models (Hydrological Simulation Program—FORTRAN) to simulate streamflow and estimate streamflow constituent loads from five basins that compose the San Antonio River watershed in Bexar County, Texas. Rainfall and streamflow data collected during 1997–2001 were used to calibrate and test the model. The model was configured so that runoff from various land uses and discharges from other sources (such as wastewater recycling facilities) could be accounted for to indicate sources of streamflow. Simulated streamflow volumes were used with land-use-specific, water-quality data to compute streamflow loads of selected constituents from the various streamflow sources.Model simulations for 1997–2001 indicate that inflow from the upper Medina River (originating outside Bexar County) represents about 22 percent of total streamflow. Recycled wastewater discharges account for about 20 percent and base flow (ground-water inflow to streams) about 18 percent. Storm runoff from various land uses represents about 33 percent. Estimates of sources of streamflow constituent loads indicate recycled wastewater as the largest source of dissolved solids and nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen (about 38 and 66 percent, respectively, of the total loads) during 1997–2001. Stormwater runoff from urban land produced about 49 percent of the 1997–2001 total suspended solids load. Stormwater runoff from residential and commercial land (about 23 percent of the land area) produced about 70 percent of the total lead streamflow load during 1997–2001.

  11. Estimation of livestock appropriation of net primary productivity in Texas Drylands

    Treesearch

    Robert Washington-Allen; Jody Fitzgerald; Stephanie Grounds; Faisar Jihadi; John Kretzschmar; Kathryn Ramirez; John Mitchell

    2009-01-01

    The ecological state of US Drylands is unknown. This research is developing procedures to determine the impact of the ecological footprint of grazing livestock on the productive capacity of US Drylands. A pilot geodatabase was developed for the state of Texas that includes 2002 data for county boundaries, net primary productivity (NPP) derived from the Moderate...

  12. 75 FR 63533 - Environmental Impact Statement: Cameron County, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-10-15

    ...: Cameron County, TX AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent..., 300 East 8th Street, Room 826, Austin, Texas 78701, Telephone (512) 536-5960. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 6, 2007, TxDOT and FHWA announced their revised Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS...

  13. A unique Austin Chalk reservoir, Van field, Van Zandt County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Lowe, J.T.

    1990-09-01

    Significant shallow oil production from the Austin Chalk was established in the Van field, Van Zandt County, in East Texas in the late 1980s. The Van field structure is a complexly faulted domal anticline created by salt intrusion. The Woodbine sands, which underlie the Austin Chalk, have been and continue to be the predominant reservoir rocks in the field. Evidence indicates that faults provided vertical conduits for migration of Woodbine oil into the Austin Chalk where it was trapped along the structural crest. The most prolific Austin Chalk production is on the upthrown side of the main field fault, asmore » is the Woodbine. The Austin Chalk is a soft, white to light gray limestone composed mostly of coccoliths with some pelecypods. Unlike the Austin Chalk in the Giddings and Pearsall fields, the chalk at Van was not as deeply buried and therefore did not become brittle and susceptible to tensional or cryptic fracturing. The shallow burial in the Van field was also important in that it allowed the chalk to retain primary microporosity. The production comes entirely from this primary porosity. In addition to the structural position and underlying oil source from the Woodbine, the depositional environment and associated lithofacies are also keys to the reservoir quality in the Van field as demonstrated by cores from the upthrown and downthrown (less productive) sides of the main field fault. It appears that at the time of Austin Chalk deposition, the main field fault was active and caused the upthrown side to be a structural high and a more agreeable environment for benthonic organisms such as pelecypods and worms. The resulting bioturbation enhanced the reservoir's permeability enough to allow migration and entrapment of the oil. Future success in exploration for analogous Austin Chalk reservoirs will require the combination of a favorable environment of deposition, a nearby Woodbine oil source, and a faulted trap that will provide the conduit for migration.« less

  14. Faulting arrested by control of ground-water withdrawal in Houston, Texas.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holzer, T.; Gabrysch, R.K.; Verbeek, E.R.

    1983-01-01

    More than 86 historically active faults with an aggregate length of 150 miles have been identified within and adjacent to the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. Although scarps of these faults grow gradually and without causing damaging earthquakes, historical fault offset has cost millions of dollars in damage to houses and other buildings, utilities, and highways that were built on or across the faults. The historical fault activity results from renewed movement along preexisting faults and appears to be caused principally by withdrawal of ground water for municipal, industrial, and agricultural uses in the Houston area. Approximately one-half of the area's water supply is obtained from local ground water. Monitoring by the US Geological Survey of heights of fault scarps indicates that many of the scarps have recently stopped increasing in height. The area where faulting has ceased coincides with the area where ground-water pumping was cut back in the mid-1970s to slow the damage caused by land subsidence along Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Thus, it appears that efforts to halt land subsidence in the coastal area have provided the additional benefit of arresting damaging surface faulting. -from Authors

  15. Survey of Substance Use on the Texas-Mexico Border and Colonias, 1996.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wallisch, Lynn S.

    This report consists of information gathered from in-person surveys concerning substance abuse with adult residents (n=1,665) living in the Texas-Mexico border cities of Brownsville, El Paso, Laredo, and McAllen and with residents (n=504) of 51 different colonias in Hidalgo and Cameron counties (colonias are rural, unincorporated neighborhoods…

  16. Gastrointestinal helminths in raccoons in Texas.

    PubMed

    Kresta, Amy E; Henke, Scott E; Pence, Danny B

    2009-01-01

    Raccoons (n=590) were collected from October 1999 to August 2003 from 35 counties across Texas, and gastrointestinal tracts were examined for helminth parasites. Prevalence was calculated and differences in mean abundance were examined among habitat ecoregions, age classes, and between sexes. Twenty different species of helminths (13 nematodes, two cestodes, two acanthocephalans, and three trematodes) were positively identified in the gastrointestinal tracts of 590 raccoons in Texas. Five of the 20 helminth species collected (Physaloptera rara, Placoconus lotoris, Molineus barbatus, Atriotaenia procyonis, and Macracanthorhynchus ingens) had a prevalence >20%. The total number of individuals of these five species (n=22,777) accounted for over 86% of the total number of individuals of all helminth species (n=26,426) collected. Subsequent analyses were based on these five helminths. Mean abundance differed among habitat ecoregions, age classes, and between sexes for all five parasites evaluated. This study is the most comprehensive statewide survey ever done of gastrointestinal helminths of raccoons across Texas. The five most prevalent helminths identified have all been reported in at least one previous survey, indicating that these parasites are not new to Texas and that raccoons are not naïve to the effects these parasites have on them. It may be helpful to wildlife rehabilitators, trappers, wildlife biologists, and other professionals to be aware of parasite abundance in raccoons from different areas of the state, as frequent human-raccoon interactions occur, and some of these parasites could be harmful to humans and domestic animals.

  17. Planning Archives | NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration

    Science.gov Websites

    Artificial Reef Creation Off the Texas Coast (pdf, 1.2 MB) Galveston Island State Park Beach Redevelopment Marsh Creation (pdf, 620 KB) Louisiana: Oyster Cultch (pdf, 522 KB) Mississippi: Artificial Reef Habitat

  18. Texas Urban Triangle : pilot study to implement a spatial decision support system (SDSS) for sustainable mobility.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-03-01

    This project addressed sustainable transportation in the Texas Urban Triangle (TUT) by conducting a pilot : project at the county scale. The project tested and developed the multi-attribute Spatial Decision Support : System (SDSS) developed in 2009 u...

  19. Geology and ground-water resources of Hays County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeCook, Kenneth James

    1963-01-01

    Ground water from wells in the Pearsall formation generally contains less than 500 parts per million of dissolved solids. Water from the Glen Rose limestone in some places contains more than 500 parts per million of sulfate and more than 1,000 parts per million of dissolved solids; locally it is high in nitrate also. Except in the southeastern part of the county, water from the Edwards limestone is commonly very hard but is otherwise of good quality for most uses. Analyses of two water samples from the Austin chalk indicate a high content of bicarbonate. Water from the Taylor marl and from Quaternary sediments generally is hard, and locally it contains excessive nitrate. Most wells in Hays County are used for domestic and stock supplies. About 20 wells, most of them in the Edwards limestone, yield water in relatively large amounts for industrial use, irrigation, or public supplies.

  20. 75 FR 67806 - Environmental Impact Statement; Nueces County, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-03

    ... County, TX AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent (NOI) to... Street, Room 826, Austin, Texas 78701, Telephone (512) 536-5960. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 6, 2007, TxDOT and FHWA announced their revised Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS pursuant to 40 CFR 1508...

  1. Outcomes of Community-Based Prenatal Education Programs for Pregnant Women in Rural Texas.

    PubMed

    Ramsey, Joseph; Mayes, Brandii

    A prenatal, evidenced-based education program was implemented in 7 rural counties and provided by trained staff at the Texas Department of State Health Services. This was implemented to address health disparities, in regard to birth outcomes, in rural minorities of Southeast Texas. The participants were given a preassessment (N = 382) and a postassessment (N = 326) of relevant health knowledge and a follow-up assessment (N = 149) to document the outcomes of their birth as well as health practices they were employing as new parents. The assessment results were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the programs on improving health outcomes and knowledge.

  2. Three-Dimensional Shallow Water Adaptive Hydraulics (ADH-SW3) Validation: Galveston Bay Hydrodynamics and Salinity Transport

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-04-01

    model mesh with elements (vertical co-ordinate in meters). ....................... 5 Figure 3. Ocean tidal boundary (Hour 0 = 1 Jan 1990, 12:00 a.m...7 Figure 4. Ocean salt boundary (Hour 0 = 1 Jan 1990, 12:00 a.m...channel and the connections of Galveston Bay to the open ocean . Figures 1 and 2 illustrate the distribution of vertical layers and resolution in the

  3. Installation Restoration Program. Phase 2. Confirmation/Quantification. Stage 1. Air Force Plant 4, Fort Worth, Texas. Volume 9. Appendices F-K.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1987-12-01

    mineralogy and igneous petrology . Consultant to Shield Energy. Inc.; performed mudlogging and well site geology duties on 4,670’ wildcat weil in...Taylor County, Texas. Evaluated prospects for hydrocarbon potential. Prepared geologic reports for drilling prospectus. Geologist, Wold Minerals...Exploration Company; conducted geologic and geophysi- cal mapping in Precambrian metamorphic terrain of West Texas for talc depos- its. Supervised the drilling

  4. Long-term (1930-2010) trends in groundwater levels in Texas: influences of soils, landcover and water use.

    PubMed

    Chaudhuri, Sriroop; Ale, Srinivasulu

    2014-08-15

    Rapid groundwater depletion has raised grave concerns about sustainable development in many parts of Texas, as well as in other parts of the world. Previous hydrologic investigations on groundwater levels in Texas were conducted mostly on aquifer-specific basis, and hence lacked state-wide panoramic view. The aim of this study was to present a qualitative overview of long-term (1930-2010) trends in groundwater levels in Texas and identify spatial patterns by applying different statistical (boxplots, correlation-regression, hierarchical cluster analysis) and geospatial techniques (Moran's I, Local Indicators of Spatial Association) on 136,930 groundwater level observations from Texas Water Development Board's database. State-wide decadal median water-levels declined from about 14 m from land surface in the 1930s to about 36 m in the 2000s. Number of counties with deeper median water-levels (water-level depth>100 m) increased from 2 to 13 between 1930s and 2000s, accompanied by a decrease in number of counties having shallower median water-levels (water-level depth<25 m) from 134 to 113. Water-level declines across Texas, however, mostly followed logarithmic trends marked by leveling-off phenomena in recent times. Assessment of water-levels by Groundwater Management Areas (GMA), management units created to address groundwater depletion issues, indicated hotspots of deep water-levels in Texas Panhandle and GMA 8 since the 1960s. Contrasting patterns in water use, landcover, geology and soil properties distinguished Texas Panhandle from GMA 8. Irrigated agriculture is the major cause of depletion in the Texas Panhandle as compared to increasing urbanization in GMA 8. Overall our study indicated that use of robust spatial and statistical methods can reveal important details about the trends in water-level changes and shed lights on the associated factors. Due to very generic nature, techniques used in this study can also be applied to other areas with similar eco

  5. Ground-Water Data in Orange County and Adjacent Counties, Texas, 1985-90

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-01-01

    UJ–62–58–809 Owner: Orange County WCID 3, well 3 Screen: 570–650 feet Altitude: 7 feet Well UJ–62–58–810 Owner: P.J. Silkwood Screen: 160–170 feet...25.0 220 220 220 220 UJ–62–58–810 P.J. Silkwood 160–170 CHCTU 11–13–85 10–28–86 10–29–87 10–18–88 12–07–89 1,200 1,190 1,200 1,200 1,140 7.5

  6. Insects and associated arthropods analyzed during medicolegal death investigations in Harris County, Texas, USA: January 2013- April 2016

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The application of insect and arthropod information to medicolegal death investigations is one of the more exacting applications of entomology. Historically limited to homicide investigations, the integration of full time forensic entomology services to the medical examiner’s office in Harris County has opened up the opportunity to apply entomology to a wide variety of manner of death classifications and types of scenes to make observations on a number of different geographical and species-level trends in Harris County, Texas, USA. In this study, a retrospective analysis was made of 203 forensic entomology cases analyzed during the course of medicolegal death investigations performed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston, TX, USA from January 2013 through April 2016. These cases included all manner of death classifications, stages of decomposition and a variety of different scene types that were classified into decedents transported from the hospital (typically associated with myiasis or sting allergy; 3.0%), outdoor scenes (32.0%) or indoor scenes (65.0%). Ambient scene air temperature at the time scene investigation was the only significantly different factor observed between indoor and outdoor scenes with average indoor scene temperature being slightly cooler (25.2°C) than that observed outdoors (28.0°C). Relative humidity was not found to be significantly different between scene types. Most of the indoor scenes were classified as natural (43.3%) whereas most of the outdoor scenes were classified as homicides (12.3%). All other manner of death classifications came from both indoor and outdoor scenes. Several species were found to be significantly associated with indoor scenes as indicated by a binomial test, including Blaesoxipha plinthopyga (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), all Sarcophagidae (including B. plinthopyga), Megaselia scalaris Loew (Diptera: Phoridae), Synthesiomyia nudiseta Wulp (Diptera: Muscidae) and Lucilia

  7. Insects and associated arthropods analyzed during medicolegal death investigations in Harris County, Texas, USA: January 2013- April 2016.

    PubMed

    Sanford, Michelle R

    2017-01-01

    The application of insect and arthropod information to medicolegal death investigations is one of the more exacting applications of entomology. Historically limited to homicide investigations, the integration of full time forensic entomology services to the medical examiner's office in Harris County has opened up the opportunity to apply entomology to a wide variety of manner of death classifications and types of scenes to make observations on a number of different geographical and species-level trends in Harris County, Texas, USA. In this study, a retrospective analysis was made of 203 forensic entomology cases analyzed during the course of medicolegal death investigations performed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in Houston, TX, USA from January 2013 through April 2016. These cases included all manner of death classifications, stages of decomposition and a variety of different scene types that were classified into decedents transported from the hospital (typically associated with myiasis or sting allergy; 3.0%), outdoor scenes (32.0%) or indoor scenes (65.0%). Ambient scene air temperature at the time scene investigation was the only significantly different factor observed between indoor and outdoor scenes with average indoor scene temperature being slightly cooler (25.2°C) than that observed outdoors (28.0°C). Relative humidity was not found to be significantly different between scene types. Most of the indoor scenes were classified as natural (43.3%) whereas most of the outdoor scenes were classified as homicides (12.3%). All other manner of death classifications came from both indoor and outdoor scenes. Several species were found to be significantly associated with indoor scenes as indicated by a binomial test, including Blaesoxipha plinthopyga (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), all Sarcophagidae (including B. plinthopyga), Megaselia scalaris Loew (Diptera: Phoridae), Synthesiomyia nudiseta Wulp (Diptera: Muscidae) and Lucilia cuprina

  8. Bedrock geology and hydrostratigraphy of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers within the Driftwood and Wimberley 7.5-minute quadrangles, Hays and Comal Counties, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clark, Allan K.; Morris, Robert R.

    2017-11-16

    The Edwards and Trinity aquifers are major sources of water in south-central Texas and are both classified as major aquifers by the State of Texas. The population in Hays and Comal Counties is rapidly growing, increasing demands on the area’s water resources. To help effectively manage the water resources in the area, refined maps and descriptions of the geologic structures and hydrostratigraphic units of the aquifers are needed. This report presents the detailed 1:24,000-scale bedrock hydrostratigraphic map as well as names and descriptions of the geologic and hydrostratigraphic units of the Driftwood and Wimberley 7.5-minute quadrangles in Hays and Comal Counties, Tex.Hydrostratigraphically, the rocks exposed in the study area represent a section of the upper confining unit to the Edwards aquifer, the Edwards aquifer, the upper zone of the Trinity aquifer, and the middle zone of the Trinity aquifer. In the study area, the Edwards aquifer is composed of the Georgetown Formation and the rocks forming the Edwards Group. The Trinity aquifer is composed of the rocks forming the Trinity Group. The Edwards and Trinity aquifers are karstic with high secondary porosity along bedding and fractures. The Del Rio Clay is a confining unit above the Edwards aquifer and does not supply appreciable amounts of water to wells in the study area.The hydrologic connection between the Edwards and Trinity aquifers and the various hydrostratigraphic units is complex because the aquifer system is a combination of the original Cretaceous depositional environment, bioturbation, primary and secondary porosity, diagenesis, and fracturing of the area from Miocene faulting. All of these factors have resulted in development of modified porosity, permeability, and transmissivity within and between the aquifers. Faulting produced highly fractured areas which allowed for rapid infiltration of water and subsequently formed solutionally enhanced fractures, bedding planes, channels, and caves that

  9. 7. Photocopy of original plan and elevation of the building ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    7. Photocopy of original plan and elevation of the building by Ammi B. Young, architect. Taken from Plans of Public Buildings in Course of Construction for the United States of America under the Direction of the Secretary of Treasury. 5 vol., Washington, 1855-56. It is available at the National Archives, Washington, D.C. - U. S. Custom House, Twentieth & Post Office Streets, Galveston, Galveston County, TX

  10. Preliminary Evaluation of Air Quality Model Performance Utilizing Measurements at the University of Houston Moody Tower and others during the TexAQS-II

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byun, D. W.; Rappenglueck, B.; Lefer, B.

    2007-12-01

    Accurate meteorological and photochemical modeling efforts are necessary to understand the measurements made during the Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS-II). The main objective of the study is to understand the meteorological and chemical processes of high ozone and regional haze events in the Eastern Texas, including the Houston-Galveston metropolitan area. Real-time and retrospective meteorological and photochemical model simulations were performed to study key physical and chemical processes in the Houston Galveston Area. In particular, the Vertical Mixing Experiment (VME) at the University of Houston campus was performed on selected days during the TexAQS-II. Results of the MM5 meteorological model and CMAQ air quality model simulations were compared with the VME and other TexAQS-II measurements to understand the interaction of the boundary layer dynamics and photochemical evolution affecting Houston air quality.

  11. Advanced Reservoir Characterization and Development through High-Resolution 3C3D Seismic and Horizontal Drilling: Eva South Marrow Sand Unit, Texas County, Oklahoma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wheeler,David M.; Miller, William A.; Wilson, Travis C.

    2002-03-11

    The Eva South Morrow Sand Unit is located in western Texas County, Oklahoma. The field produces from an upper Morrow sandstone, termed the Eva sandstone, deposited in a transgressive valley-fill sequence. The field is defined as a combination structural stratigraphic trap; the reservoir lies in a convex up -dip bend in the valley and is truncated on the west side by the Teepee Creek fault. Although the field has been a successful waterflood since 1993, reservoir heterogeneity and compartmentalization has impeded overall sweep efficiency. A 4.25 square mile high-resolution, three component three-dimensional (3C3D) seismic survey was acquired in order tomore » improve reservoir characterization and pinpoint the optimal location of a new horizontal producing well, the ESU 13-H.« less

  12. Clinician Survey to Determine Knowledge of Dengue and Clinical Management Practices, Texas, 2014.

    PubMed

    Adam, Jessica K; Abeyta, Roman; Smith, Brian; Gaul, Linda; Thomas, Dana L; Han, George; Sharp, Tyler M; Waterman, Stephen H; Tomashek, Kay M

    2017-03-01

    AbstractDengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, is increasingly being identified as a cause of outbreaks in the United States. During July-December 2013, a total of three south Texas counties reported 53 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases; 26 were locally acquired, constituting the largest outbreak in Texas since 2005. Because dengue outbreaks are expected to continue in south Texas and early case identification and timely treatment can reduce mortality, we sought to determine clinicians' knowledge of dengue and its clinical management. A survey was sent to 2,375 south Texas clinicians; 217 (9%) completed the survey. Approximately half of participants demonstrated knowledge needed to identify dengue cases, including symptoms (56%), early indicators of shock (54%), or timing of thrombocytopenia (48%). Fewer than 20% correctly identified all prevention messages, severe dengue warning signs, or circumstances in which a dengue patient should return for care. Knowledge of clinical management was limited; few participants correctly identified scenarios when plasma leakage occurred (10%) or a crystalloid solution was indicated (7%); however, 45% correctly identified when a blood transfusion was indicated. Because of the ongoing threat of dengue, we recommend clinicians in south Texas receive dengue clinical management training.

  13. Clinician Survey to Determine Knowledge of Dengue and Clinical Management Practices, Texas, 2014

    PubMed Central

    Adam, Jessica K.; Abeyta, Roman; Smith, Brian; Gaul, Linda; Thomas, Dana L.; Han, George; Sharp, Tyler M.; Waterman, Stephen H.; Tomashek, Kay M.

    2017-01-01

    Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, is increasingly being identified as a cause of outbreaks in the United States. During July–December 2013, a total of three south Texas counties reported 53 laboratory-confirmed dengue cases; 26 were locally acquired, constituting the largest outbreak in Texas since 2005. Because dengue outbreaks are expected to continue in south Texas and early case identification and timely treatment can reduce mortality, we sought to determine clinicians' knowledge of dengue and its clinical management. A survey was sent to 2,375 south Texas clinicians; 217 (9%) completed the survey. Approximately half of participants demonstrated knowledge needed to identify dengue cases, including symptoms (56%), early indicators of shock (54%), or timing of thrombocytopenia (48%). Fewer than 20% correctly identified all prevention messages, severe dengue warning signs, or circumstances in which a dengue patient should return for care. Knowledge of clinical management was limited; few participants correctly identified scenarios when plasma leakage occurred (10%) or a crystalloid solution was indicated (7%); however, 45% correctly identified when a blood transfusion was indicated. Because of the ongoing threat of dengue, we recommend clinicians in south Texas receive dengue clinical management training. PMID:28138048

  14. Read Across Texas! 2002 Texas Reading Club Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Edgmon, Missy; Ferate-Soto, Paolo; Foley, Lelana; Hager, Tina; Heard, Adriana; Ingham, Donna; Lopez, Nohemi; McMahon, Dorothy; Meyer, Sally; Parrish, Leila; Rodriguez-Gibbs, Josefina; Moreyra-Torres, Maricela; Travis, Gayle; Welch, Willy

    The goal of the Texas Reading Club is to encourage the children of Texas to become library users and lifelong readers. This manual was created for the 2002 Texas Reading Club, a program of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The theme, "Read Across Texas!" invites children to explore the history, geography, and culture of…

  15. Region 6: Texas Adequate Letter (4/7/2008)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This is a letter from Carl Edlund, Director, to Susana Hildebrand regarding the MVEB's for Dallas/Fort Worth 8-hour Ozone State Implementation Plan (SIP) and the Houston / Galveston / Brazoria Reasonable Further Progress (RFP) plan.

  16. Region 6: Texas Adequate Letter (6/21/17)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Letter from EPA approves Motor Vehicle Emissions Budgets contained in latest revisions to Houston/Galveston/Brazoria (HGB) 2008 8-hour Ozone State Implementation Plan, adequate for transportation conformity purposes and announced in the Federal Register.

  17. The Continuing Incidence of Natural Decrease in American Counties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Kenneth M.

    2011-01-01

    In 2002, more American counties (985) experienced natural decrease than at any time in the nation's history. The incidence of natural decrease has diminished since then, but remains near record levels. It is most common in rural areas remote from metropolitan centers. Spatial concentrations exist in the Great Plains, Corn Belt, and East Texas,…

  18. Post-Ike economic resilience along the Texas coast.

    PubMed

    Lu, Ruoxi; Dudensing, Rebekka M

    2015-07-01

    The economic devastation resulting from recent natural disasters has spawned intense interest in programmes that promote regional resilience. The economic impacts of Hurricane Ike (September 2008) endured long beyond the storm's landfall, compounded by a national recession. This study analyses the pattern of post-Ike industrial growth in eight coastal counties of Texas, United States, and identifies sources of resilience and potential drivers of recovery. The results indicate that post-disaster growth patterns differ from established growth patterns. Levels of resilience vary across industrial sectors, and service sectors tend to lead a recovery. The resilience of the hotel and restaurant sector, for instance, suggests that the presence of relief workers might immunise certain sectors against a post-disaster economic downturn. Besides the sectors that are generally resilient, each county has its own distinct sectors that, depending on the extent of the damage suffered, tend to perform strongly after a disaster, owing to the characteristics of the respective county's economy. © 2015 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2015.

  19. Poverty Among Spanish Americans in Texas: Low-Income Families in a Minority Group.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Upham, W. Kennedy; Wright, David E.

    An analysis of 1960 census data for persons with Spanish surnames in Texas reveals a significantly high rate of poverty when compared with other ethnic groups and national averages. An analysis by county shows greater economic disadvantagement in the southern part of the state where the concentration of Mexican Americans is higher. Rural Mexican…

  20. Fauna using nest boxes in four timber types in eastern Texas

    Treesearch

    Richard N. Conner; Daniel Saenz; D. Craig Rudolph

    1995-01-01

    Occupancy of 240 nest boxes in pure pine, pine-hardwood, upland hardwood, and bottomland hardwood forests (60 boxes in each forest type) were monitored for six years on the Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest, Nacogdoches County in eastern Texas. Three boxes were placed at twenty sites in each forest type. Initially, each site had a box with 3.2, 4.7, or 5.7 cm...

  1. Quantifying Potential Groundwater Recharge In South Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basant, S.; Zhou, Y.; Leite, P. A.; Wilcox, B. P.

    2015-12-01

    Groundwater in South Texas is heavily relied on for human consumption and irrigation for food crops. Like most of the south west US, woody encroachment has altered the grassland ecosystems here too. While brush removal has been widely implemented in Texas with the objective of increasing groundwater recharge, the linkage between vegetation and groundwater recharge in South Texas is still unclear. Studies have been conducted to understand plant-root-water dynamics at the scale of plants. However, little work has been done to quantify the changes in soil water and deep percolation at the landscape scale. Modeling water flow through soil profiles can provide an estimate of the total water flowing into deep percolation. These models are especially powerful with parameterized and calibrated with long term soil water data. In this study we parameterize the HYDRUS soil water model using long term soil water data collected in Jim Wells County in South Texas. Soil water was measured at every 20 cm intervals up to a depth of 200 cm. The parameterized model will be used to simulate soil water dynamics under a variety of precipitation regimes ranging from well above normal to severe drought conditions. The results from the model will be compared with the changes in soil moisture profile observed in response to vegetation cover and treatments from a study in a similar. Comparative studies like this can be used to build new and strengthen existing hypotheses regarding deep percolation and the role of soil texture and vegetation in groundwater recharge.

  2. Global Surveillance of Emerging Influenza Virus Genotypes by Mass Spectrometry

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-05-30

    Intercontinental circulation of human influenza A( H1N2 ) reassortant viruses during the 2001–2002 influenza season. J Infect Dis 186: 1490–1493. 6. Taubenberger...Global Surveillance of Emerging Influenza Virus Genotypes by Mass Spectrometry Rangarajan Sampath1*, Kevin L. Russell2, Christian Massire1, Mark W...Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America Background. Effective influenza surveillance requires

  3. Environmental analysis of geopressured-geothermal prospect areas, De Witt and Colorado counties, Texas. Final report, March 1 - August 31, 1979

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gustavson, T.C.; Reeder, F.S.; Badger, E.A.

    Information collected and analyzed for a preliminary environmental analysis of geopressured geothermal prospect areas in Colorado and DeWitt Counties, Texas is presented. Specific environmental concerns for each geopressured geothermal prospect area are identified and discussed. Approximately 218 km/sup 2/(85 mi/sup 2/) were studied in the vicinity of each prospect area to: (1) conduct an environmental analysis to identify more and less suited areas for geopressured test wells; and (2) provide an environmental data base for future development of geopressured geothermal energy resources. A series of maps and tables are included to illustrate environmental characteristics including: geology, water resources, soils, currentmore » land use, vegetation, wildlife, and meteorological characteristics, and additional relevant information on cultural resources, power- and pipelines, and regulatory agencies. A series of transparent overlays at the scale of the original mapping has also been produced for the purposes of identifying and ranking areas of potential conflict between geopressured geothermal development and environmental characteristics. The methodology for ranking suitability of areas within the two prospect areas is discussed in the appendix. (MHR)« less

  4. Cooperative well report: Maxus exploration Company Carl Ellis E-3 well, Ochiltree County, Texas. Topical report, January 1992-March 1993

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Holditch, S.A.; Whitehead, W.S.; Davidson, B.M.

    Maxus Exploration drilled the Carl Ellis E-3 well in the Ellis Ranch Field, Ochiltree County, Texas in December 1991. The GRI cooperative research program on this well included coring, logging, stress testing, pre-fracture well testing, a mini-frac, post-fracture production data analysis, a fracture treatment, and a post-fracture well test. The well was completed in the Cleveland formation at 6,929-7,008 feet. After a ballout treatment, the well flowed 32 Mscf/day. Results of the pre-fracture pressure buildup test indicate a permeability-thickness product of 1.45 md-ft, a skin factor of -0.05, and a reservoir pressure of 1900 psi. The well was fracture treatedmore » with 70,000 gallons of a 40 lb/1000 gallon linear gel and 185,000 pounds of 20/40 sand. The initial post-fracture flow rate was approximately 500 Mscf/day. Post-fracture analysis with TRIFRAC indicated that the propped fracture height at the wellbore was 330 feet and the propped fracture length was 93 feet.« less

  5. Health assessment for Texarkana Wood Preserving Company, Texarkana, Bowie County, Texas, Region 6. CERCLIS No. TXD008056152. Addendum. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    The Texarkana Wood Preserving Company (TWPC) is a National Priorities List site located in northeastern Texas, at the southern extremity of the City of Texarkana in Bowie County. The TWPC site has been used for various lumber-related activities since the early 1900s and for creosoting operations since the early 1950s. Contaminated soils, groundwater, surface water, and surface water sediments have been detected on and off of the TWPC site. The primary contaminants of concern are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, pentachlorophenol, chlorinated dibenzodioxins and chlorinated dibenzofurans. The population at greatest risk of exposure to these contaminants are on-site workers engaged in remedialmore » activities. There are currently no residences or businesses located immediately adjacent to the site and no documentation that contaminated groundwater is being used for potable purposes. The Texarkana Wood Preserving Company site has been evaluated by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Health Activities Recommendation Panel (HARP) for appropriate follow-up with respect to health activities.« less

  6. Evaluation of concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM) in an urban area downwind of major petrochemical complexes, in Harris County, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilkerson, Daryl F.

    Highly Reactive Volatile Organic Compounds (HRVOCs), in particular, the toxic ozone precursors, ethylene, propylene, butenes (1-butene, cis-2-butene, trans-2-butene) and 1, 3 butadiene found in the Houston area are the most critical in the formation of ozone. Exposure to such chemical can cause adverse health effect on the local population of the area, ranging from respiratory distress, asthma, COPD to Cancer. Urban ambient air samples were collected and analyzed from eight monitoring stations (Sites), encompassing the Houston Ship Channel (HSC), in Harris County, Texas. The data was interpreted and analyzed for changes in the concentration of air pollutants, data was collected daily (24 hours) over a time period from September 2013 to August 2014. One 40-minute sample was collected each hour and analyzed by automated gas chromatograph (Auto-GCs) on-site. A total of 70 compounds are measured hourly at each site, in this research the following chemicals were analysis for their average, seasonal and monthly concentrations: ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, isobutane, n-butane, 1-butene, c-2-butene, t-2-butene and 1,3-butadiene. In this study, seasonal conditions in the area produced ranges from low to high concentrations of these compounds at certain locations. Two Stations had extremely high yearly average concentrations of butane and its isomers (c-2-butene, t-2-butene) and three stations, 1-butene and isobutene concentrations exceeded normal safety limits along with 1,3-butadiene. One station, in particular, close to the HSC had the highest yearly average propylene concentration. Local meteorology also promotes risk issues to the local health of persons within the area/community of interest. This research concluded that the analyzed results of ambient air samples in the urban areas surrounding the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) in Harris County, Texas posed a dual threat. The production of ozone in the daylight hours and depletion of ozone at night, as well as the

  7. Houston-Galveston Navigation Channels Texas Project. Report 1. Galveston Bay Field Investigation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1994-07-01

    Botim (Continued) 1810 14.8 2.8 314 1909 14.6 3.2 312 2018 14.0 3.3 308 2109 14.0 3.1 310 2210 14.0 2.3 319 2311 13.8 0.6 324 0011 14.3 0.8 139 0110...0.6 360 1216 3.0 0.4 345 1321 3.0 0.3 318 1412 3.0 0.4 345 1520 3.0 0.7 12 1619 3.0 1.0 10 1723 3.0 1.4 360 1615 3.0 1.5 354 1924 3.0 1.5 350 2018 3.0...nhV jispunded S~d~mM csar n_____ _____ 1811 10.2 24.25 30 1915 10.2 21.76 30 2018 10.5 20.07 26 2115 10.2 19.23 40 2214 10.0 18.22 10 2313 10.5 19.74

  8. Notes from the Field: Health Care-Associated Hepatitis A Outbreak - Texas, 2015.

    PubMed

    Wiseman, Rachel; Weil, Lauren M; Lozano, Catalina; Johnson, Thomas J; Jin, Sherry; Moorman, Anne C; Foster, Monique A; Mixson-Hayden, Tonya; Khudyakov, Yury; Kuhar, David T; Graves, Julie

    2016-04-29

    On August 27-28, 2015, the Texas Department of State Health Services received calls from Fort Bend County and Harris County health departments requesting postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) recommendations for contacts of two nurses (patients A and B) with confirmed hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. Both nurses had symptom onset during August 15-19 and worked for the same pediatric home health care agency in another jurisdiction. Because of the proximity of the onset dates, a common source exposure was suspected. The state and local health departments began an investigation to identify potentially exposed patients, their families, and other agency personnel; offer PEP; and identify the source of exposure.

  9. Environmental assessment of the brine pipeline replacement for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Bryan Mound Facility in Brazoria County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1993-09-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA), DOE/EA-0804, for the proposed replacement of a deteriorated brine disposal pipeline from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Bryan Mound storage facility in Brazoria County, Texas, into the Gulf of Mexico. In addition, the ocean discharge outfall would be moved shoreward by locating the brine diffuser at the end of the pipeline 3.5 miles offshore at a minimum depth of 30 feet. The action would occur in a floodplain and wetlands; therefore, a floodplain/wetlands assessment has been prepared in conjunction with this EA. Based on the analyses in the EA,more » DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 USC. 4321, et seg.). Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required, and the Department is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). This FONSI also includes a Floodplain Statement of Findings in accordance with 10 CFR Part 1022.« less

  10. DISTRIBUTION AND USE OF SELECTED CIVIL DEFENSE PUBLICATIONS, A STUDY MADE IN TWENTY-FIVE COUNTIES IN FIVE STATES.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    SABROSKY, LAUREL K.; AND OTHERS

    IN 25 COUNTIES IN ARKANSAS, TEXAS, VERMONT, WISCONSIN, AND WASHINGTON, A STUDY WAS MADE OF THE USE OF CIVIL DEFENSE PUBLICATIONS BY THE PUBLIC, OF DISTRIBUTION PRACTICES OF COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AGENTS, AND OF THE ATTITUDES OF THE AGENTS THEMSELVES. THREE PUBLICATIONS FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND TWO FROM THE OFFICE OF CIVIL DEFENSE…

  11. Water-quality, sediment-quality, stream-habitat, and biological data for Mustang Bayou near Houston, Texas, 2004-05

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sneck-Fahrer, Debra A.; East, Jeffery W.

    2007-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Houston-Galveston Area Council and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, collected water-quality, stream-habitat, and biological data from six sites (downstream order M6-M1) primarily in Brazoria County southeast of Houston, Texas, during September 2004-August 2005 and collected bed sediment data from one site in September 2005. Water-quality data collection consisted of continuously monitored (for periods of 24 hours to several days, six times) water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen and periodically collected samples of several properties and constituents. Monitored dissolved oxygen measurements were below minimum and 24-hour criteria at all sites except M2. Nitrogen compounds, phosphorus, biochemical oxygen demand, chlorophyll-a, E. coli, chloride, sulfate, solids, suspended sediment concentration, and pesticides were assessed at all sites. Concentrations of nitrogen compounds and phosphorus did not exceed Texas State screening levels. Biochemical oxygen demand was less than 4.0 milligrams per liter at all sites except M6, where the maximum concentration was 8.1 milligrams per liter. Concentrations of chlorophyll-a were less than the State screening level at all sites except M6, where four of eight samples equaled or exceeded the screening level. Twenty of 48 samples from Mustang Bayou had E. coli densities that exceeded the State single-sample water-quality standard. Median chloride concentrations from each site were between 42.2 and 123 milligrams per liter. Fifteen pesticide compounds (six herbicides and nine insecticides) were detected in 24 water samples. The most frequently detected pesticide was atrazine, which was found in every sample. Other frequently detected pesticides were 2-chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine (CIAT), prometon, tebuthiuron, fipronil, and the pesticide degradates, fipronil sulfide and fipronil sulfone. Sediment samples were collected from

  12. Hydrocarbon potential of pre-Pennsylvanian rocks in Roosevelt County, New Mexico

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Pitt, W.D.

    The hydrocarbon potential of pre-Pennsylvanian rocks in Roosevelt County was appraised from data available in published reports, scout tickets, lithology logs, and other well data at the log libraries in Roswell and Socorro, New Mexico, and Midland, Texas. Elevations from lithology logs were used when differing from scout tickets or other sources. Thickness and data other than lithology logs were assumed to be sufficiently accurate if they fitted the control obtained by contouring. The lithology and reservoir potential of the systems of rock that subcrop beneath the Pennsylvanian System in Roosevelt County are summarized.

  13. Distribution and characterization of Heterobilharzia americana in dogs in Texas.

    PubMed

    Rodriguez, J Y; Lewis, B C; Snowden, K F

    2014-06-16

    Heterobilharzia americana is a trematode parasite (family Schistosomatidae) that infects a wide range of wild mammalian hosts. Canine cases have been reported in the Gulf coast and south Atlantic states, Kansas, and Oklahoma. A total of 238 canine H. americana cases in Texas were retrospectively collected for a period of approximately 22 years from case records at the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory and the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital pathology service, diagnostic parasitology service, and Gastrointestinal Laboratory at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. Of these cases, 26 patients had 1-2 repeat positive tests for a total of 268 positive tests (26 biopsies, 39 necropsies, 160 fecal examinations, and 43 PCR). Multiple dogs were infected in 12 households. Cases were distributed primarily in the eastern region of Texas in 42 of 254 counties. Cases were seen as far west as Kerr county and in counties bordering Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mexico, and the Gulf of Mexico. The median dog age was 5.6 years (2.7 months to 17.2 years) and the median weight was 20.5 kg (1-61.6 kg). All American Kennel Club (AKC) breed groups were represented (n=186): crossbred (20%), herding (17.8%), sporting (16.1%), toy (10.8%), hounds (10.8%), working (10.1%), terrier (8.5%), non-sporting (4.9%), and miscellaneous (1%). No seasonal pattern of diagnosis was apparent. Clinical signs reported (n=90) were diarrhea (67%), weight loss (38%), anorexia/hyporexia (27%), vomiting (22%), hematochezia (20%), lethargy (17%), polyuria/polydipsia (6%), and collapse (3%). In 39 necropsy cases, trematode eggs were identified by histopathology in the small intestine (84%), liver (84%), large intestine (39%), pancreas (35%), lung (9%), lymph node (8%), spleen (4%), and stomach (3%). Adult parasites were identified histologically in four cases. Granulomatous inflammation associated with the eggs was the most commonly reported histopathologic change. Other changes reported

  14. 1. John C. Garner, Jr., Photographer 1967 PRINCIPAL (NORTH) SIDE, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    1. John C. Garner, Jr., Photographer 1967 PRINCIPAL (NORTH) SIDE, FROM NORTHWEST. THE RIGHT END OF THE BLOCK IS THE E.S. WOOD BUILDING; THE BUILDING WITH A FIRE ESCAPE IS THE ROSENFIELD BUILDING; THE T.W. HOUSE BUILDING IS TO THE LEFT OF THE PRECEDING BUILDING; JOHN BERLOCHER BUILDING IS AT THE LEFT END OF THE BLOCK. - Strand Historic District, Wood-Rosenfield-House-Berlocher Buildings, 2213-2223 Strand, Galveston, Galveston County, TX

  15. Geothermal and heavy-oil resources in Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seni, S.J.; Walter, T.G.

    1994-01-01

    In a five-county area of South Texas, geopressured-geothermal reservoirs in the Paleocene-Eocene Wilcox Group lie below medium- to heavy-oil reservoirs in the Eocene Jackson Group. This fortuitous association suggests the use of geothermal fluids for thermally enhanced oil recovery (TEOR). Geothermal fairways are formed where thick deltaic sandstones are compartmentalized by growth faults. Wilcox geothermal reservoirs in South Texas are present at depths of 11,000 to 15,000 ft (3,350 to 4,570 m) in laterally continuous sandstones 100 to 200 ft (30 to 60 m) thick. Permeability is generally low (typically 1 md), porosity ranges from 12 to 24 percent, andmore » temperature exceeds 250{degrees}F (121{degrees}C). Reservoirs containing medium (20{degrees} to 25{degrees} API gravity) to heavy (10{degrees} to 20{degrees} API gravity) oil are concentrated along the Texas Coastal Plain in the Jackson-Yegua Barrier/Strandplain (Mirando Trend), Cap Rock, and Piercement Salt Dome plays and in the East Texas Basin in Woodbine Fluvial/Deltaic Strandplain and Paluxy Fault Line plays. Injection of hot, moderately fresh to saline brines will improve oil recovery by lowering viscosity and decreasing residual oil saturation. Smectite clay matrix could swell and clog pore throats if injected waters have low salinity. The high temperature of injected fluids will collapse some of the interlayer clays, thus increasing porosity and permeability. Reservoir heterogeneity resulting from facies variation and diagenesis must be considered when siting production and injection wells within the heavy-oil reservoir. The ability of abandoned gas wells to produce sufficient volumes of hot water over the long term will also affect the economics of TEOR.« less

  16. Extending the economic life of the Ogallala Aquifer with water conservation policies in the Texas panhandle

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The continued decline in the availability of water from the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas Panhandle has led to an increased interest in conservation policies designed to extend the life of the aquifer and sustain rural economies. Four counties were chosen for evaluation. This study evaluates the eff...

  17. Ingestions of hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam in combination reported to Texas poison centers.

    PubMed

    Forrester, Mathias B

    2011-04-01

    The combination of hydrocodone, carisoprodol, and alprazolam is subject to abuse. Ingestions of this drug combination reported to Texas poison centers during 1998-2009 were identified (totaling 1,295 cases) and the distribution of ingestions by selected factors was determined. The number of cases increased from 0 in 1998 to 200 in 2007, and then decreased to 132 in 2009. The counties in eastern and southeastern Texas accounted for 80.9% of the cases. Of the patients, 57.3% were women and 94.6% were age 20 or older. Suspected attempted suicide accounted for 59.3% of the cases and intentional misuse or abuse for 27.3%. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

  18. Prevalence of Childhood Sexual Abuse among Incarcerated Males in County Jail

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Regina J.; Ross, Michael W.; Taylor, Wendell C.; Williams, Mark L.; Carvajal, Raul I.; Peters, Ronald J.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: The current study examined the prevalence and characteristics of childhood sexual abuse in a jailed-based population. Methodology: A retrospective, self-reported survey was administered over an 8-week period to a random sample of 100 men who were incarcerated in a county jail in Southeastern Texas. The survey included questions about…

  19. Health reform and primary care capacity: evidence from Houston/Harris County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Begley, Charles; Le, Phuc; Lairson, David; Hanks, Jeanne; Omojasola, Anthony

    2012-02-01

    This study estimated the possible surge in demand for primary care among the low-income population in Houston/Harris County under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and related it to existing supply by safety-net providers. A model of the demand for primary care visits was developed based on California Health Interview Survey data and applied to the Houston/Harris County population. The current supply of primary care visits by safety-net providers was determined by a local survey. Comparisons indicate that safety-net providers in Houston/Harris County are currently meeting about 30% of the demand for primary care visits by the low-income population, and the rest are either met by private practice physicians or are unmet. Demand for primary care by this population is projected to increase by 30% under health reform leading to a drop in demand met by safety-net providers to less than 25%.

  20. Huminite reflectance measurements of Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous coals from borehole cuttings, Zavala and Dimmit counties, South Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hackley, Paul C.; Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.

    2005-01-01

    The reflectance of huminite in 19 cuttings samples was determined in support of ongoing investigations into the coal bed methane potential of subsurface Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous coals of South Texas. Coal cuttings were obtained from the Core Research Center of the Bureau of Economic Geology, The University of Texas at Austin. Geophysical logs, mud-gas logs, driller's logs, completion cards, and scout tickets were used to select potentially coal-bearing sample suites and to identify specific sample depths. Reflectance measurements indicate coals of subbituminous rank are present in a wider area in South Texas than previously recognized.

  1. Hydrogeologic Framework of the Salt Basin, New Mexico and Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ritchie, A. B.; Phillips, F. M.

    2010-12-01

    The Salt Basin is a closed drainage basin located in southeastern New Mexico (Otero, Chaves, and Eddy Counties), and northwestern Texas (Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio Counties), which can be divided into a northern and a southern system. Since the 1950s, extensive groundwater withdrawals have been associated with agricultural irrigation in the Dell City, Texas region, just south of the New Mexico-Texas border. Currently, there are three major applications over the appropriations of groundwater in the Salt Basin. Despite these factors, relatively little is known about the recharge rates and storage capacity of the basin, and the estimates that do exist are highly variable. The Salt Basin groundwater system was declared by the New Mexico State Engineer during 2002 in an attempt to regulate and control growing interest in the groundwater resources of the basin. In order to help guide long-term management strategies, a conceptual model of groundwater flow in the Salt Basin was developed by reconstructing the tectonic forcings that have affected the basin during its formation, and identifying the depositional environments that formed and the resultant distribution of facies. The tectonic history of the Salt Basin can be divided into four main periods: a) Pennsylvanian-to-Early Permian, b) Mid-to-Late Permian, c) Late Cretaceous, and d) Tertiary-to-Quaternary. Pennsylvanian-to-Permian structural features affected deposition throughout the Permian, resulting in three distinct hydrogeologic facies: basin, shelf-margin, and shelf. Permian shelf facies rocks form the primary aquifer within the northern Salt Basin, although minor aquifers occur in Cretaceous rocks and Tertiary-to-Quaternary alluvium. Subsequent tectonic activity during the Late Cretaceous resulted in the re-activation of many of the earlier structures. Tertiary-to-Quaternary Basin-and-Range extension produced the current physiographic form of the basin.

  2. Coal resources for part of the Wilcox group (Paleocene through Eocene), central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Warwick, Peter D.; Aubourg, Claire E.; Suitt, Stephen E.; Podwysocki, Steven M.; Schultz, Adam C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    The Wilcox Group of central Texas contains shallow (less than 500 ft) coal deposits that are mined for use in mine-mouth electric power generating plants. These coal deposits range in apparent rank from lignite to sub-bituminous (Pierce et al., 2011) and are similar in rank and composition to shallow coal deposits in the northeast and south Texas areas (Figure 1). The coal zones and associated strata in the central Texas assessment area generally dip to the southeast toward the Gulf of Mexico coastline and basin center. The central Texas resource assessment area includes parts of eight counties (Figure 2). The assessment area was selected to encompass current mining areas and areas with available subsurface stratigraphic data. The assessment area is roughly 160 miles long and 5 to 25 miles wide and generally follows the outcrop of the Paleocene to Eocene Wilcox Group in central Texas (Figures 1, 2). Approximately 1800 subsurface stratigraphic records from rotary and core drill holes were used to assess the resources of the central Texas assessment area. Of the 1800 drill holes, only 167 are public data points and are primarily located in the areas that have been permitted for surface mining (Figure 2; Appendix 1). The remaining 1632 drill holes, which are distributed throughout the assessment area, were provided to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on a confidential basis by various coal companies for use in regional studies.

  3. Attitudes toward Videodisc Technology in the Dallas County Community College District.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olson, Margot A.; And Others

    A study was conducted in the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) in Texas to investigate the attitudes of students and professors toward the use of interactive videodisc technology in the classroom. In contrast to a videotape which must be wound and rewound to find a particular segment, videodisc technology allows the instructor to…

  4. Influence of the Bermuda High on interannual variability of summertime ozone in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yuxuan; Jia, Beixi; Wang, Sing-Chun; Estes, Mark; Shen, Lu; Xie, Yuanyu

    2016-12-01

    The Bermuda High (BH) quasi-permanent pressure system is the key large-scale circulation pattern influencing summertime weather over the eastern and southern US. Here we developed a multiple linear regression (MLR) model to characterize the effect of the BH on year-to-year changes in monthly-mean maximum daily 8 h average (MDA8) ozone in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) metropolitan region during June, July, and August (JJA). The BH indicators include the longitude of the BH western edge (BH-Lon) and the BH intensity index (BHI) defined as the pressure gradient along its western edge. Both BH-Lon and BHI are selected by MLR as significant predictors (p < 0.05) of the interannual (1990-2015) variability of the HGB-mean ozone throughout JJA, while local-scale meridional wind speed is selected as an additional predictor for August only. Local-scale temperature and zonal wind speed are not identified as important factors for any summer month. The best-fit MLR model can explain 61-72 % of the interannual variability of the HGB-mean summertime ozone over 1990-2015 and shows good performance in cross-validation (R2 higher than 0.48). The BH-Lon is the most important factor, which alone explains 38-48 % of such variability. The location and strength of the Bermuda High appears to control whether or not low-ozone maritime air from the Gulf of Mexico can enter southeastern Texas and affect air quality. This mechanism also applies to other coastal urban regions along the Gulf Coast (e.g., New Orleans, LA, Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL), suggesting that the BH circulation pattern can affect surface ozone variability through a large portion of the Gulf Coast.

  5. Comparison of dietary overlap between allopatric and sympatric geckos

    Treesearch

    Paul D. Klawinski; R. Kathryn Vaughan; Daniel Saenz; William Godwin

    1994-01-01

    Two gecko species, Hemidactylus turcicus and Cyrtopodion scabrum, have been introduced into the Port of Galveston, Texas. While H. turcicus has been established for a longer period of time, the relatively recent introduction of C. scabrum near the entrance of the Port has apparently led to the...

  6. Availability of more healthful food alternatives in traditional, convenience, and nontraditional types of food stores in two rural Texas counties.

    PubMed

    Bustillos, Brenda; Sharkey, Joseph R; Anding, Jenna; McIntosh, Alex

    2009-05-01

    Limited research has focused on the availability of more healthful food alternatives in traditional food stores (supermarkets and grocery stores) in rural areas. Current market trends suggest that food items may be available for purchase in stores other than traditional food stores. An observational survey was developed and used on-site to document the availability and variety of fruit and vegetables (fresh, canned, and frozen), meats (meat, poultry, fish, and eggs), dairy (milk, yogurt, and cheese), and grains (whole grains and refined grains) in all traditional food stores, convenience stores, and nontraditional food stores (dollar stores and mass merchandisers) in two rural Texas counties. Descriptive statistics and t tests identified that although the widest selection of more healthful food items was available in supermarkets, not all supermarkets carried all items. Grocery stores carried less variety of fresh fruits (8+/-0.7 vs 4.7+/-0.3; P<0.01) and vegetables (10.7+/-0.2 vs 6+/-0; P<0.001) than supermarkets. Fresh fruits and vegetables were not readily available in convenience or nontraditional food stores. Among convenience and nontraditional food stores, "dollar" stores offered the best variety of more healthful canned fruits and vegetables, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain cereal. Mass merchandisers and dollar stores offered a greater variety of more healthful types of canned tuna and poultry, reduced-fat and skim milk, and low-fat tortillas. In these rural counties, traditional food stores offered greater availability of more healthful food choices across food groups. More healthful food choices in canned fruits and vegetables, canned meat and fish, milk, and grains were also available in dollar stores, mass merchandisers, and convenience stores. Results suggest that a complete understanding of the food environment, especially in rural areas, requires knowledge of the availability and variety of healthful food in all types of stores that are accessible

  7. 76 FR 68511 - STP Nuclear Operating Company; South Texas Project, Units 1 and 2; Exemption

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-04

    ... reactor located in Matagorda County in Texas. 2.0 Request/Action Pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of... from the metal/water reaction. The Baker-Just equation assumes the use of zircaloy or ZIRLO \\TM\\, which... underlying purpose of 10 CFR part 50, appendix K, Section I.A.5, ``Metal-Water Reaction Rate,'' is to ensure...

  8. Interdisciplinary Public Health Intervention in a Multigenerational Tuberculosis (TB) Outbreak in Harris County, Texas: A Case Study with Implications for Disease Control Process Improvement and Transmission Cycle Interruption

    PubMed Central

    Haynie, Aisha; Plasencia, Carlos; Fields, Kimberly; Nesbitt, Elna; Lovings-Clark, Audrey; Scott, Mary; Wiltz-Beckham, Dana; Reed, Brian; Shah, Umair A

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Harris County Public Health (HCPH) is the health department for Harris County, Texas jurisdiction. Harris County as a whole is the nation’s third most populous county, with 4.3 million residents, and a TB case rate more than double that of the USA. (7.6 cases per 100,000 pop). A total, 327 individuals were diagnosed with TB in Harris County during 2015, over two-thirds occurring in foreign-born individuals. In 2016, HCPH treated an immigrant female with active TB. Initial contact investigation (CI) yielded five household contacts (HHC). Two tested positive, but refused subsequent clinical evaluation by HCPH. Two months later, HCPH was notified of a HHC hospitalized with TB. After hospital discharge, the sick HHC moved into a motel in attempts to self-isolate, but refused evaluation of additional HHC in the home, and banned home access, precluding adequate CI. After numerous phone calls, visits to motel and home, and multiple rescheduled appointments, legal action appeared inevitable. Days later, HCPH was notified of another HHC diagnosed with active TB. Methods With alarm regarding the family’s adherence to control orders, TB staff implemented an innovative multidisciplinary team-based intervention in hopes of avoiding legal action. A site visit was paid to the motel by a local health authority, two TB staff, a county public investigator, and a refugee clinic outreach worker fluent in the family’s language. Patients were presented with letters requesting immediate cooperation to avoid court filings. Questions were answered, misinformation corrected, and education provided. Results Intermediary on-site intervention using a compassionate, firm multidisciplinary team approach resulted in 16 additional family members tested, yielding an infant with active TB (Case 4) and 8 with TB Infection (TBI). Isolation breaches were also discovered. Most importantly, TB transmission cycle was interrupted. Cultural and economic barriers hindering

  9. Annual Progress Report of the Coastal Bend Migrant Council Health Project, San Patricio Migrant Health Center (Texas), 1973-1974.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coastal Bend Migrant Council, Mathis, TX. San Patricio Migrant Health Center.

    The annual medical progress report covers migrant health services in San Patricio County, Texas, from February 1, 1973 to January 31, 1974. The report discusses: staff, administration, cardiology, dental services, health services, medical services, outreach and environmental health services, prescription services, registration and identification,…

  10. Induction conductivity and natural gamma logs collected in 15 wells at Camp Stanley Storage Activity, Bexar County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stanton, Gregory P.

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Camp Stanley Storage Activity conducted electromagnetic induction conductivity and natural gamma logging of 15 selected wells on the Camp Stanley Storage Activity, located in northern Bexar County, Texas, during March 28–30, 2005. In late 2004, a helicopter electromagnetic survey was flown of the Camp Stanley Storage Activity as part of a U.S. Geological Survey project to better define subsurface geologic units, the structure, and the catchment area of the Trinity aquifer. The electromagnetic induction conductivity and natural gamma log data in this report were collected to constrain the calculation of resistivity depth sections and to provide subsurface controls for interpretation of the helicopter electromagnetic data collected for the Camp Stanley Storage Activity. Logs were recorded digitally while moving the probe in an upward direction to maintain proper depth control. Logging speed was no greater than 30 feet per minute. During logging, a repeat section of at least 100 feet was recorded to check repeatability of log responses. Several of the wells logged were completed with polyvinyl chloride casing that can be penetrated by electromagnetic induction fields and allows conductivity measurement. However, some wells were constructed with steel centralizers and stainless steel screen that caused spikes on both conductivity and resulting resistivity log curves. These responses are easily recognizable and appear at regular intervals on several logs.

  11. Helicopter Electromagnetic and Magnetic Surveys of the Upper and Middle Zones of the Trinity Aquifer, Uvalde and Bexar Counties, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, D. V.; Blome, C. D.; Smith, B. D.; Clark, A. C.

    2009-12-01

    Detailed helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic surveys (HEM) were conducted in northern Uvalde and Bexar Counties, Texas, as part of a geologic mapping and hydrologic study being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The aquifers of the Lower Cretaceous Trinity Group (collectively termed the Trinity aquifer) are an important regional water source in the Hill Country of south-central Texas. Rock units comprising the middle aquifer segment are represented by the lower member of the Glen Rose Formation and the Cow Creek Limestone and Hensel Sandstone members of the Pearsall Formation. The lower Trinity hydrologic segment is composed of the Hosston and Sligo Limestones and is confined by the overlying Hammet Shale. Karst features commonly occur in the Trinity Group because of the dissolution of gypsum- and anhydrite-rich beds. Faults and fractures have not been sufficiently analyzed to evaluate the effects these structures have on inter- and intra-formational groundwater flow. The survey in the north Seco Creek area covers the recharge zone of the Edwards aquifer and part of the catchment zone composed of the upper Trinity segment. These data augment the scant geologic mapping in the area by delineating faults, collapse features, and hydrostratigraphic units. The HEM survey in northern Bexar County covered the Camp Stanley Storage Activity, the Camp Bullis Training Site, parts of the recharge zone of the Edwards aquifer south of the military bases, and part of Cibolo Creek to the north. Basic line spacing was 200 meters using six frequencies. In-fill lines were flown with a spacing of 100 meters in the central part of the study area to better resolve geologic structures and karst features. The data processing took into account high EM interference and cultural noise. Apparent resistivity (ρa) maps are used in interpretation of geologic structures, trends, and in the identification of electrical properties of lithologic units. The ρa maps show the

  12. Hydrologic and water-quality data, Honey Creek State Natural Area, Comal County, Texas, August 2001-September 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Slattery, Richard N.; Furlow, Allen L.; Ockerman, Darwin J.

    2006-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey collected rainfall, streamflow, evapotranspiration, and rainfall and stormflow water-quality data from seven sites in two adjacent watersheds in the Honey Creek State Natural Area, Comal County, Texas, during August 2001–September 2003, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the San Antonio Water System. Data collected during this period represent baseline hydrologic and water-quality conditions before proposed removal of ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei) from one of the two watersheds. Juniper removal is intended as a best-management practice to increase water quantity (aquifer recharge and streamflow) and to protect water quality. Continuous (5-minute interval) rainfall data are collected at four sites; continuous (5-minute interval) streamflow data are collected at three sites. Fifteen-minute averages of meteorological and solar-energy-related data recorded at two sites are used to compute moving 30-minute evapotranspiration values on the basis of the energy-balance Bowen ratio method. Periodic rainfall water-quality data are collected at one site and stormflow water-quality data at three sites. Daily rainfall, streamflow, and evapotranspiration totals are presented in tables; detailed data are listed in an appendix. Results of analyses of the periodic rainfall and stormflow water-quality samples collected during runoff events are summarized in the appendix; not all data types were collected at all sites nor were all data types collected during the entire 26-month period.

  13. DOE Center of Excellence in Medical Laser Applications. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jacques, S.L.

    1998-01-01

    An engineering network of collaborating medical laser laboratories are developing laser and optical technologies for medical diagnosis and therapy and are translating the engineering into medical centers in Portland, OR, Houston, TX, and Galveston, TX. The Center includes the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Texas-Austin, Texas A and M University, Rice University, the University Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, Oregon Medical Laser Center (Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, and Oregon Graduate Institute, Portland, OR), and the University of Oregon. Diagnostics include reflectance, fluorescence, Raman IR, laser photoacoustics, optical coherence tomography, and several newmore » video techniques for spectroscopy and imaging. Therapies include photocoagulation therapy, laser welding, pulsed laser ablation, and light-activated chemotherapy of cancer (photodynamic therapy, or PDT). Medical applications reaching the clinic include optical monitoring of hyperbilirubinemia in newborns, fluorescence detection of cervical dysplasia, laser thrombolysis of blood clots in heart attack and brain stroke, photothermal coagulation of benign prostate hyperplasia, and PDT for both veterinary and human cancer. New technologies include laser optoacoustic imaging of breast tumors and hemorrhage in head trauma and brain stroke, quality control monitoring of dosimetry during PDT for esophageal and lung cancer, polarization video reflectometry of skin cancer, laser welding of artificial tissue replacements, and feedback control of laser welding.« less

  14. DOE Center of Excellence in Medical Laser Applications. Final report, December 1, 1994--November 30, 1997

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jacques, S.L.

    1998-01-01

    An engineering network of collaborating medical laser laboratories are developing laser and optical technologies for medical diagnosis and therapy and are translating the engineering into medical centers in Portland OR, Houston TX, and Galveston TX. The Center includes the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Texas-Austin, Texas A and M University, Rice University, the University Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, Oregon Medical Laser Center (Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Oregon Health Sciences University, and Oregon Graduate Institute, Portland, OR), and the University of Oregon. Diagnostics include reflectance, fluorescence, Raman IR, laser photoacoustics, optical coherence tomography, and several newmore » video techniques for spectroscopy and imaging. Therapies include photocoagulation therapy, laser welding, pulsed laser ablation, and light-activated chemotherapy of cancer (photodynamic therapy, or PDT). Medical applications reaching the clinic include optical monitoring of hyperbilirubinemia in newborns, fluorescence detection of cervical dysplasia, laser thrombolysis of blood clots in heart attack and brain stroke, photothermal coagulant of benign prostate hyperplasia, and PDT for both veterinary and human cancer. New technologies include laser optoacoustic imaging of breast tumors and hemorrhage in head trauma and brain stroke, quality control monitoring of dosimetry during PDT for esophageal and lung cancer, polarization video reflectometry of skin cancer, laser welding of artificial tissue replacements, and feedback control of laser welding.« less

  15. Environmental Statement for Local Flood Protection Project at Three Rivers, Texas. Supplement.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1977-02-28

    pastureland. 2.03 General Climatic Data. The climate in the vicinity of Three Rivers, Texas, can be generally characterized as being mild with warm summers...unconformably overlies the Catahoula formation of Oligocene or Miocene age. 2.12 The Oakville formation in Live Oak County has a reported thickness of 300 feet...project area consisted of perennial warm season bunchgrasses in post oak, live oak, and mesquite savannahs. The dominant grasses were primarily longspike

  16. Transboundary impacts on regional ground water modeling in Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rainwater, K.; Stovall, J.; Frailey, S.; Urban, L.

    2005-01-01

    Recent legislation required regional grassroots water resources planning across the entire state of Texas. The Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), the state's primary water resource planning agency, divided the state into 16 planning regions. Each planning group developed plans to manage both ground water and surface water sources and to meet future demands of various combinations of domestic, agricultural, municipal, and industrial water consumers. This presentation describes the challenges in developing a ground water model for the Llano Estacado Regional Water Planning Group (LERWPG), whose region includes 21 counties in the Southern High Plains of Texas. While surface water is supplied to several cities in this region, the vast majority of the regional water use comes from the High Plains aquifer system, often locally referred to as the Ogallala Aquifer. Over 95% of the ground water demand is for irrigated agriculture. The LERWPG had to predict the impact of future TWDB-projected water demands, as provided by the TWDB, on the aquifer for the period 2000 to 2050. If detrimental impacts were noted, alternative management strategies must be proposed. While much effort was spent on evaluating the current status of the ground water reserves, an appropriate numerical model of the aquifer system was necessary to demonstrate future impacts of the predicted withdrawals as well as the effects of the alternative strategies. The modeling effort was completed in the summer of 2000. This presentation concentrates on the political, scientific, and nontechnical issues in this planning process that complicated the modeling effort. Uncertainties in data, most significantly in distribution and intensity of recharge and withdrawals, significantly impacted the calibration and predictive modeling efforts. Four predictive scenarios, including baseline projections, recurrence of the drought of record, precipitation enhancement, and reduced irrigation demand, were simulated to

  17. Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    1999-01-01

    In 1997, the Texas Legislature passed a comprehensive revision to the Texas Water Code. This legislation (Senate Bill 1) changed water planning in Texas from a statewide to a regional activity. By September 2001, the 16 regions created by Senate Bill 1 must produce water plans to address their water needs during drought-of-record conditions, and must identify water-management strategies for periods when streamflows, reservoir storage, and groundwater levels are 50 and 75 percent of normal.

  18. Development of ground-water resources in Orange County, Texas, and adjacent areas in Texas and Louisiana, 1971-80

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bonnet, C.W.; Gabrysch, R.K.

    1982-01-01

    Although saltwater encroachment is evident in parts of southern Orange County, the encroachment is not expected to be detrimental if the ground-water pumping remains stable and the projected increase in demands for water is met with surface-water supplies.

  19. Texas Affordable Baccalaureate Program: A Collaboration between the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, South Texas College, and Texas A&M University-Commerce. CBE Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein-Collins, Rebecca; Glancey, Kathleen

    2015-01-01

    This case study is part of a series on newer competency-based degree programs that have been emerging in recent years. In January 2014, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), South Texas College (STC), and Texas A&M University-Commerce (A&M Commerce) launched the Texas Affordable Baccalaureate Program, the state's first…

  20. Annual compilation and analysis of hydrologic data for urban studies in the Bryan, Texas, metropolitan area, 1969

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robbins, W.D.

    1972-01-01

    Hydrologic investigations of urban areas in Texas were begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1954. These studies are now in progress in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Dallas County, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Bryan. Hydrologic investigations of urban areas in Texas were begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1954. These studies are now in progress in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Dallas County, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Bryan. 1. To determine, on the basis of historical data and hydrologic analyses, the magnitude and frequency of floods. 2. To document and define the areal extent of floods of greater than ordinary magnitude. 3. To determine the effect of urban development on flood peaks and volume. 4. To provide applied research facilities for studies at Texas A & M University at College Stations. This report, the first in a series of reports to be published annually, is primarily applicable to objectives 2, 3, and 4. The report presents the basic hydrologic data collected in two study areas during the 1969 water year (October 1, 1968, to September 30, 1969) and basic hydrologic data collected during part of the 1968 water year (April 5, 1968, to September 30, 1968). The locations of the two basins within the study area, Burton Creek and Hudson Creek, are shown on figure 1.

  1. 40 CFR 52.2309 - Emissions inventories.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    .../Galveston (HGA), Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPA), El Paso (ELP), and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) ozone nonattainment... Counties; the BPA nonattainment area is classified as Serious and includes Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange...

  2. 40 CFR 52.2309 - Emissions inventories.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    .../Galveston (HGA), Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPA), El Paso (ELP), and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) ozone nonattainment... Counties; the BPA nonattainment area is classified as Serious and includes Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange...

  3. 40 CFR 52.2309 - Emissions inventories.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .../Galveston (HGA), Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPA), El Paso (ELP), and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) ozone nonattainment... Counties; the BPA nonattainment area is classified as Serious and includes Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange...

  4. 40 CFR 52.2309 - Emissions inventories.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    .../Galveston (HGA), Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPA), El Paso (ELP), and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) ozone nonattainment... Counties; the BPA nonattainment area is classified as Serious and includes Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange...

  5. 40 CFR 52.2309 - Emissions inventories.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    .../Galveston (HGA), Beaumont/Port Arthur (BPA), El Paso (ELP), and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) ozone nonattainment... Counties; the BPA nonattainment area is classified as Serious and includes Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange...

  6. Water-quality, stream-habitat, and biological data for Highland and Marchand Bayous, Galveston County, Texas, 2006-07

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, Dexter W.; Mabe, Jeffrey A.; Turco, Michael J.

    2008-01-01

    Benthic macroinvertebrate and fish data were collected from the same five sites identified for habitat evaluation. Three assessments were done to account for seasonal differences in biotic distribution. Stream-habitat and aquatic biota (benthic macroinvertebrates and fish) were assessed at each site three times during the study to evaluate aquatic life use. A total of 5,126 macroinvertebrate individuals were identified at all sites. During the study, 34 species of fish representing 28 families were collected from all the sites. 

  7. Texas School Survey of Substance Use among Students on the Border, 1998: Grades 4-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maxwell, Jane Carlisle; Wallisch, Lynn S.

    This report presents the results of a survey on drug and alcohol use among students in elementary and secondary schools. Schools in 15 counties along the Texas-Mexico border were oversampled so that substance use among students could be looked at in detail. A total of 63,292 students (grades 7-12) and 43,915 students (grades 4-6) were sampled.…

  8. Geographic distribution of insufficient sleep across the United States: a county-level hotspot analysis.

    PubMed

    Grandner, Michael A; Smith, Tony E; Jackson, Nicholas; Jackson, Tara; Burgard, Sarah; Branas, Charles

    2015-09-01

    Insufficient sleep is associated with cardiometabolic risk and neurocognitive impairment. Determinants of insufficient sleep include many social and environmental factors. Assessment of geographic hot/coldspots may uncover novel risk groups and/or targets for public health intervention. The aim of this study was to discern geographic patterns in the first data set to include county-level sleep data. The 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System was used. Insufficient sleep was assessed with a survey item and dichotomized. Data from n = 2231 counties were available. Tests for significant spatial concentrations of high/low levels of insufficient sleep (hotspots/coldspots) used the Getis-Ord G* statistic of local spatial concentration, chosen due to the nature of missing data. Eighty-four counties were hotspots, with high levels of insufficient sleep ( P < .01), and 45 were coldspots, with low insufficient sleep ( P < .01). Hotspots were found in Alabama (1 county), Arkansas (1), Georgia (1), Illinois (1), Kentucky (25), Louisiana (1), Missouri (4), Ohio (7), Tennessee (12), Texas (9), Virginia (6), and West Virginia (16). Coldspots were found in Alabama (1 county), Georgia (2), Illinois (6), Iowa (6), Michigan (2), Minnesota (1), North Carolina (1), Texas (7), Virginia (12), and Wisconsin (6). Several contiguous hotspots and coldspots were evident. Notably, the 17 counties with the highest levels of insufficient sleep were found in a contiguous set at the intersection of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia (all P < .0002). Geographic distribution of insufficient sleep in the United States is uneven. Some areas (most notably parts of Appalachia) experience disproportionately high amounts of insufficient sleep and may be targets of intervention. Further investigation of determinants of geographic variability needs to be explored, which would enhance the utility of these data for development of public health campaigns.

  9. Hydrogeology and simulation of groundwater flow and land-surface subsidence in the northern part of the Gulf Coast aquifer system, Texas, 1891-2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kasmarek, Mark C.

    2012-01-01

    The MODFLOW-2000 groundwater flow model described in this report comprises four layers, one for each of the hydrogeologic units of the aquifer system except the Catahoula confining system, the assumed no-flow base of the system. The HAGM is composed of 137 rows and 245 columns of 1-square-mile grid cells with lateral no-flow boundaries at the extent of each hydrogeologic unit to the northwest, at groundwater divides associated with large rivers to the southwest and northeast, and at the downdip limit of freshwater to the southeast. The model was calibrated within the specified criteria by using trial-and-error adjustment of selected model-input data in a series of transient simulations until the model output (potentiometric surfaces, land-surface subsidence, and selected water-budget components) acceptably reproduced field measured (or estimated) aquifer responses including water level and subsidence. The HAGM-simulated subsidence generally compared well to 26 Predictions Relating Effective Stress to Subsidence (PRESS) models in Harris, Galveston, and Fort Bend Counties. Simulated HAGM results indicate that as much as 10 feet (ft) of subsidence has occurred in southeastern Harris County. Measured subsidence and model results indicate that a larger geographic area encompassing this area of maximum subsidence and much of central to southeastern Harris County has subsided at least 6 ft. For the western part of the study area, the HAGM simulated as much as 3 ft of subsidence in Wharton, Jackson, and Matagorda Counties. For the eastern part of the study area, the HAGM simulated as much as 3 ft of subsidence at the boundary of Hardin and Jasper Counties. Additionally, in the southeastern part of the study area in Orange County, the HAGM simulated as much as 3 ft of subsidence. Measured subsidence for these areas in the western and eastern parts of the HAGM has not been documented.

  10. Tracing Water Sources and Quantifying Evaporation in the Brazos River, Central Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    VanPlantinga, A.; Hunt, L. E.; Winning, D.; Robertson, J.; Stockert, E.; Roark, E.; Grossman, E. L.

    2013-12-01

    Situated in the subtropical dry zone, Central Texas is sensitive to the effects of climate change, notably drought; furthermore, developments over the last century in agriculture, urban infrastructure, and river engineering have altered the landscape extensively. This study models water source mixing and seasonal variation in evaporation in Brazos River waters in Central Texas. The Brazos River from Waco to College Station, Texas is generally characterized as having dissolved salt load derived mostly from Lake Whitney (a flood-control and hydroelectric storage reservoir) and groundwater baseflow from the adjacent shallow alluvial aquifer. Brazos River water δ18O, δD, and conductivity were measured bi-weekly in Brazos County, Texas from January 2012 through August 2013. Conductivity, δ18O, and δD vary seasonally and are positively correlated. The Brazos River δ18O-δD data from Brazos County fall along a local evaporation line (δD = 5.66 * δ18O - 2.47, r2 = 0.95) that intersects and surpasses values for Lake Whitney. In contrast, the δ18O-conductivity trend for the Brazos River does not intersect data for Lake Whitney. These observations suggest mixing with an evaporated water source of lower conductivity. The relative contribution of other Brazos River water sources is uncertain. Percent evaporation of original rain sampled as Brazos River water was estimated using a Rayleigh distillation model and the method of Gonfiantini (1986) while assuming 1) a closed system with an atmospheric exchange component, and 2) δ18O and δD values of local rain are -5.33‰ and -32.6‰, respectively. Modeled percent evaporation of original rain varies from winter (JFM; 1%-20%) to spring (AMJ; 9-25%) to summer (JAS; 16-33%), to fall (OND; 15-24%). Rayleigh distillation modeling estimates are consistently higher (~5%) than those estimated by Gonfiantini's method. A simple mass-balance model predicts that Brazos River water percent evaporation and δ18O enrichment are 2

  11. Cirrhosis and Advanced Fibrosis in Hispanics in Texas: The Dominant Contribution of Central Obesity

    PubMed Central

    Jiao, Jingjing; Watt, Gordon P.; Lee, MinJae; Rahbar, Mohammad H.; Vatcheva, Kristina P.; Pan, Jen-Jung; McCormick, Joseph B.; Fisher-Hoch, Susan P.; Fallon, Michael B.; Beretta, Laura

    2016-01-01

    Liver cirrhosis is a leading cause of death in Hispanics and Hispanics who live in South Texas have the highest incidence of liver cancer in the United States. We aimed at determining the prevalence and associated risk factors of cirrhosis in this population. Clinical and demographic variables were extracted for 2466 participants in the community-based Cameron County Hispanic Cohort in South Texas. Aspartate transaminase to Platelet Ratio Index (APRI) was used to predict cirrhosis in Cameron County Hispanic Cohort. The prevalence of cirrhosis using APRI≥2 was 0.94%, which is nearly 4-fold higher than the national prevalence. Using APRI≥1, the overall prevalence of cirrhosis/advanced fibrosis was 3.54%. In both analyses, highest prevalence was observed in males, specifically in the 25–34 age group. Risk factors independently associated with APRI≥2 and APRI≥1 included hepatitis C, diabetes and central obesity with a remarkable population attributable fraction of 52.5% and 65.3% from central obesity, respectively. Excess alcohol consumption was also independently associated with APRI≥2. The presence of patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing-3 gene variants was independently associated with APRI≥1 in participants >50 years old. Males with both central obesity and excess alcohol consumption presented with cirrhosis/advanced fibrosis at a young age. Alarmingly high prevalence of cirrhosis and advanced fibrosis was identified in Hispanics in South Texas, affecting young males in particular. Central obesity was identified as the major risk factor. Public health efforts are urgently needed to increase awareness and diagnosis of advanced liver fibrosis in Hispanics. PMID:26950933

  12. Does Expertise or Pretty Please? The Influence of Attractiveness, Gender and Expertise on Children's Evaluations of Models in Advertisements.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lerma, Sheila; Downs, A. Chris

    The extent to which children evaluated non-television advertisements differentially on the basis of performers' gender, expertise, and attractiveness was assessed. Participating were 56 girls and 47 boys attending first-, third-, and fifth-grade classes in Galveston, Texas. A total of 24 pairs of specially prepared advertisements were used as…

  13. 75 FR 71670 - Endangered Species; File No. 15606

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-24

    ... Andre Landry, Ph.D., Texas A&M University at Galveston, Department of Marine Biology, 5007 Avenue U... Species; File No. 15606 AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric..., National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2010-29667 Filed 11-23-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P ...

  14. Geological notes, Boory field, Cameron County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stapp, W.L.

    1981-12-01

    The gas fields of the Lower Miocene sands of Cameron County have gained enough maturity in their production experience to afford a consideration of their performance and characteristics. The Holy Beach field in the Laguna Madre has produced over 100 billion cu ft of gas, and others have produced over 25 billion; several are smaller. The characteristics of these fields include the modest cost of drilling in the range of pays 3000 ft to 7500 ft depth, and the small area of production, with several pay sands, usually a few feet thick but being very porous (over 30%) and permeablemore » (streaks of over 800 md). A fairly dry gas is produced with normal pressures. The Boory field may be singled out as a small but interesting field in this trend. It was found in 1973 and produced 4-1/2 billion cu ft of gas from a 310-acre area with 8 pay sands in depths 4750 to 6200 ft depth. The field was abandoned in 1980.« less

  15. Culturally Competent Diabetes Self-Management Education for Mexican Americans: The Starr County Border Health Initiative.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Sharon A.; Garcia, Alexandra A.; Kouzekanani, Kamiar; Hanis, Craig L.

    2002-01-01

    In a culturally competent diabetes self-management intervention in Starr County, Texas, bilingual Mexican American nurses, dieticians, and community workers provided weekly instruction on nutrition, self-monitoring, exercise and other self-care topics. A biweekly support group promoted behavior change. Interviews and examinations with 256 Mexican…

  16. 75 FR 9635 - Cancellation of Environmental Impact Statement; Harris and Brazoria Counties, TX

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-03

    ...: Cancellation of SH 35 EIS. SUMMARY: In Vol. 68, No. 210/Thursday, October 30, 2003/Notices, FHWA issued a... proposed SH 35 roadway between Bellfort Road and FM 1462 in Harris and Brazoria Counties, Texas. The use of Federal funding for this project is no longer proposed and a State Environmental Impact Statement will be...

  17. Reductions in Cigarette Smoking and Acute Myocardial Infarction Mortality in Jefferson County, Texas

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Philip; Ramirez, Amelie G.; Harrist, Ronald B.; Fonseca, Vincent P.

    2010-01-01

    After litigation against the tobacco industry ended in a settlement, the Texas legislature funded pilot projects to reduce tobacco use in selected areas of the state. Subsequent telephone surveys showed that well-funded activities were successful in reducing population rates of self-reported cigarette smoking. We present evidence that the reduction in smoking promptly led to lower rates of death from acute myocardial infarctions. PMID:20966365

  18. Wildfire-related deaths--Texas, March 12-20, 2006.

    PubMed

    2007-08-03

    During March 12-20, 2006, wildfires burned approximately 1 million acres in the Panhandle region of Texas, advancing 45 miles in 9 hours, with dense smoke and flames up to 11 feet. The two largest fires, which together extended into nine counties, resulted from power lines downed by sustained winds of 46 mph and gusts up to 53 mph. The wildfires destroyed more than 89 structures, with losses estimated at $16 million. The fires caused evacuations in eight communities with a total population of 4,072. This report summarizes the circumstances of 12 deaths and describes the five separate incidents caused by the two wildfires that resulted in those deaths.

  19. Municipal GIS incorporates database from pipe lines

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    1994-05-01

    League City, a coastal area community of about 35,000 population in Galveston County, Texas, has developed an impressive municipal GIS program. The system represents a textbook example of what a municipal GIS can represent and produce. In 1987, the city engineer was authorized to begin developing the area information system. City survey personnel used state-of-the-art Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to establish a first order monumentation program with a grid of 78 monuments set over 54 sq mi. Street, subdivision, survey, utilities, taxing criteria, hydrology, topography, environmental and other concerns were layered into the municipal GIS database program. Today, areamore » developers submit all layout, design, and land use plan data to the city in digital format without hard copy. Multi-color maps with high resolution graphics can be quickly generate for cross-referenced queries sensitive to political, environmental, engineering, taxing, and/or utility capacity jurisdictions. The design of both the GIS and data base system are described.« less

  20. Environmental Assessment for Central Power and Light Company`s proposed Military Highway-CFE tie 138/69-kV transmission line project Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Not Available

    Central Power and Light Company (CPL) intends to upgrade its existing transmission line ties with the Commision Federal de Electricidad (CFE) system in Mexico. CPL currently has a single 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line in the Brownsville area which connects CPL`s system with the system of CFE. This existing line runs between the Brownsville Switching Station, located on Laredo Road in Brownsville, Cameron County, Texas, and an existing CFE 69-kV line at the Rusteberg Bend of the Rio Grande in Cameron County. Under current conditions of need, the existing 69-kV line does not possess sufficient capability to engage in appropriate powermore » exchanges. Therefore, CPL is proposing to build a new line to link up with CFE. This proposed line would be a double-circuit line, which would (1) continue (on a slightly relocated route) the existing 69-kV tie from CPL`s Brownsville Switching Station to CFE`s facilities, and (2) add a 138-kV tie from the Military Highway Substation, located on Military Highway (US Highway 281), to CFE`s facilities. The proposed 138/69-kV line, which will be constructed and operated by CPL, will be built primarily on steel single-pole structures within an average 60-foot (ft) wide right-of-way (ROW). It will be approximately 6900--9200 ft (1.3--1.7 miles) in length, depending on the alternative route constructed.« less

  1. Survey of a violent tornado in far southwestern Texas: The Bakersfield Valley storm of June 1, 1990

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Woodall, Gary R.; Mathews, George N.

    During the late afternoon of June 1, 1990, a violent tornado struck northern and eastern Pecos County, Texas. This tornado killed two people, injured 21, and caused over $5 million in damage. The tornado passed over the unincorporated ranching community of Bakersfield Valley, so the tornado will be referred to as the Bakersfield Valley (BV) tornado.

  2. Effect of fungicides on sorghum anthracnose and grain mold in Burleson County, Texas, 2013

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The experiment was conducted at the Texas AgriLife Experiment Station near College Station. The hybrids BH3822 and BH 5566 were planted in replicated plots and treatment arranged in a randomized, blocked factorial design. Each replicate consisted of four, 20 ft rows, with 30-in. row spacing and a ...

  3. Novel Plant-Derived Recombinant Human Interferons with Broad Spectrum Antiviral Activity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-10-14

    Ikegami et al., 2006) virus was kindly provided by Dr. Shinji Makino of the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The GFP-tagged Zaire...Arch. Virol. 156, 1877–1881. Ikegami , T., Won, S., Peters, C.J., Makino, S., 2006. Rescue of infectious rift valley fever virus entirely from cDNA

  4. Characterization of Industrial Emission Sources and Photochemistry in Houston, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Washenfelder, R. A.; Atlas, E. L.; Degouw, J.; Flocke, F. M.; Fried, A.; Frost, G. J.; Holloway, J.; Richter, D.; Ryerson, T. B.; Schauffler, S.; Trainer, M.; Walega, J.; Warneke, C.; Weibring, P.; Zheng, W.

    2009-12-01

    The Houston-Galveston urban area contains a number of large industrial petrochemical emission sources that produce volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides. These co-located emissions result in rapid and efficient ozone production downwind. Unlike a single large power plant, the industrial complexes consist of numerous sources that can be difficult to quantify in emission inventories. During September - October 2006, the NOAA WP-3 aircraft conducted research flights as part of the second Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II). We examine measurements of NOx, SO2, and speciated hydrocarbons from the Houston Ship Channel, which contains a dense concentration of industrial petrochemical sources, and isolated petrochemical facilities. These measurements are used to derive source emission estimates, which are then compared to available emission inventories. We find that high hydrocarbon emissions are typical for the Houston Ship Channel and isolated petrochemical facilities. Ethene and propene are found to be major contributors to ozone formation. Ratios of C2H4 / NOx and C3H6 / NOx exceed emission inventory values by factors of 10 - 50. These findings are consistent with the first TexAQS study in 2000. We examine trends in C2H4 / NOx and C3H6 / NOx ratios between 2000 and 2006, and determine that day-to-day variability and within-plume variability exceeds any long-term reduction in ethene and propene emissions for the isolated petrochemical sources. We additionally examine downwind photochemical products formed by these alkenes.

  5. Wildlife contact rates at artificial feeding sites in Texas.

    PubMed

    Campbell, Tyler A; Long, David B; Shriner, Susan A

    2013-06-01

    Given the popularity of feeding white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in Texas and the increasing amount of corn that is distributed, more information is needed on the impacts of this activity on non-target wildlife. Our objectives were to report visitation, intra- and interspecific contact, and contact rates of wildlife at artificial feeding sites in Texas. Our study was conducted at three sites in Kleberg and Nueces counties, Texas. We trapped animals from February to April and August to September, 2009 and marked animals with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. At each site and season, we placed one feeder system containing a PIT tag reader within 600 m of trap locations. Readers detected PIT tags from a distance of 25 cm. We determined a contact event to occur when two different PIT tags were detected by feeder systems within 5 s. We recorded 62,719 passes by raccoons (Procyon lotor), 103,512 passes by collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu), 2,923 passes by feral swine (Sus scrofa), 1,336 passes by fox squirrels (Sciurus niger), and no passes by opossums (Didelphis virginiana) at feeder systems. For site-season combinations in which contact events occurred, we found intraspecific contact rates (contacts per day) for raccoons, collared peccaries, and feral swine to be 0.81-124.77, 0.69-38.08, and 0.0-0.66, respectively. Throughout our study we distributed ~2,625 kg of whole kernel corn, which resulted in 6,351 contact events between marked wildlife (2.4 contacts per kg of corn). If 136 million kg of corn is distributed in Texas annually, we would expect >5.2 billion unnatural contact events between wildlife would result from this activity each year in Texas. Consequently, we do not believe that it is wise for natural resource managers to maintain artificial feeding sites for white-tailed deer or other wildlife due to pathogen transmission risks.

  6. Wildlife Contact Rates at Artificial Feeding Sites in Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campbell, Tyler A.; Long, David B.; Shriner, Susan A.

    2013-06-01

    Given the popularity of feeding white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus) in Texas and the increasing amount of corn that is distributed, more information is needed on the impacts of this activity on non-target wildlife. Our objectives were to report visitation, intra- and interspecific contact, and contact rates of wildlife at artificial feeding sites in Texas. Our study was conducted at three sites in Kleberg and Nueces counties, Texas. We trapped animals from February to April and August to September, 2009 and marked animals with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. At each site and season, we placed one feeder system containing a PIT tag reader within 600 m of trap locations. Readers detected PIT tags from a distance of 25 cm. We determined a contact event to occur when two different PIT tags were detected by feeder systems within 5 s. We recorded 62,719 passes by raccoons ( Procyon lotor), 103,512 passes by collared peccaries ( Pecari tajacu), 2,923 passes by feral swine ( Sus scrofa), 1,336 passes by fox squirrels ( Sciurus niger), and no passes by opossums ( Didelphis virginiana) at feeder systems. For site-season combinations in which contact events occurred, we found intraspecific contact rates (contacts per day) for raccoons, collared peccaries, and feral swine to be 0.81-124.77, 0.69-38.08, and 0.0-0.66, respectively. Throughout our study we distributed ~2,625 kg of whole kernel corn, which resulted in 6,351 contact events between marked wildlife (2.4 contacts per kg of corn). If 136 million kg of corn is distributed in Texas annually, we would expect >5.2 billion unnatural contact events between wildlife would result from this activity each year in Texas. Consequently, we do not believe that it is wise for natural resource managers to maintain artificial feeding sites for white-tailed deer or other wildlife due to pathogen transmission risks.

  7. Characterization of NOx, SO2, ethene, and propene from industrial emission sources in Houston, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Washenfelder, R. A.; Trainer, M.; Frost, G. J.; Ryerson, T. B.; Atlas, E. L.; de Gouw, J. A.; Flocke, F. M.; Fried, A.; Holloway, J. S.; Parrish, D. D.; Peischl, J.; Richter, D.; Schauffler, S. M.; Walega, J. G.; Warneke, C.; Weibring, P.; Zheng, W.

    2010-08-01

    The Houston-Galveston-Brazoria urban area contains industrial petrochemical sources that emit volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides, resulting in rapid and efficient ozone production downwind. During September to October 2006, the NOAA WP-3D aircraft conducted research flights as part of the second Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS II). We use measurements of NOx, SO2, and speciated hydrocarbons from industrial sources in Houston to derive source emission ratios and compare these to emission inventories and the first Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS) in 2000. Between 2000 and 2006, NOx/CO2 emission ratios changed by an average of -29% ± 20%, while a significant trend in SO2/CO2 emission ratios was not observed. We find that high hydrocarbon emissions are routine for the isolated petrochemical facilities. Ethene (C2H4) and propene (C3H6) are the major contributors to ozone formation based on calculations of OH reactivity for organic species including C2-C10 alkanes, C2-C5 alkenes, ethyne, and C2-C5 aldehydes and ketones. Measured ratios of C2H4/NOx and C3H6/NOx exceed emission inventory values by factors of 1.4-20 and 1-24, respectively. We examine trends in C2H4/NOx and C3H6/NOx ratios between 2000 and 2006 for the isolated petrochemical sources and estimate a change of -30% ± 30%, with significant day-to-day and within-plume variability. Median ambient mixing ratios of ethene and propene in Houston show decreases of -52% and -48%, respectively, between 2000 and 2006. The formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and peroxyacetyl nitrate products produced by alkene oxidation are observed downwind, and their time evolution is consistent with the rapid photochemistry that also produces ozone.

  8. Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards Aquifer outcrop, Medina County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Small, Ted A.; Clark, Allan K.

    2000-01-01

    The hydrogeologic subdivisions of the Edwards aquifer outcrop in Medina County generally are porous and permeable. The most porous and permeable appear to be hydrogeologic subdivision VI, the Kirschberg evaporite member of the Kainer Formation; and hydrogeologic subdivision III, the leached and collapsed members, undivided, of the Person Formation. The most porous and permeable rocks of the Devils River Formation in Medina County appear to be in the top layer. The upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone, the lower confining unit, has much less porosity and permeability than that observed in the Edwards aquifer.The Edwards aquifer has relatively large porosity and permeability resulting, in part, from the development or redistribution of secondary porosity. Lithology, stratigraphy, diagenesis, and karstification account for the effective porosity and permeability in the Edwards aquifer outcrop. Karst features that can greatly enhance effective porosity and permeability in the Edwards aquifer outcrop include sinkholes, dolines, and caves. The Edwards aquifer rocks in Medina County change from the eight-member Edwards Group to the essentially indivisible Devils River Formation. The facies change occurs along a line extending northwestward from just south of Medina Lake.

  9. Does parental consent for birth control affect underage pregnancy rates? The case of Texas.

    PubMed

    Girma, Sourafel; Paton, David

    2013-12-01

    Previous work based on conjectural responses of minors predicted that the 2003 Texas requirement for parental consent for state-funded birth control to minors would lead to a large increase in underage pregnancies. We use state- and county-level data to test this prediction. The latter allow us to compare the impact of parental consent in counties with and without state-funded family planning clinics. We control for characteristics systematically correlated with the presence of state-funded clinics by combining difference-in-difference estimation with propensity score-weighted regressions. The evidence suggests that the parental consent mandate led to a large decrease in attendance at family planning clinics among teens but did not lead to an increase in underage pregnancies.

  10. Three-dimensional geologic framework modeling of faulted hydrostratigraphic units within the Edwards Aquifer, Northern Bexar County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pantea, Michael P.; Cole, James C.

    2004-01-01

    This report describes a digital, three-dimensional faulted hydrostratigraphic model constructed to represent the geologic framework of the Edwards aquifer system in the area of San Antonio, northern Bexar County, Texas. The model is based on mapped geologic relationships that reflect the complex structures of the Balcones fault zone, detailed lithologic descriptions and interpretations of about 40 principal wells (and qualified data from numerous other wells), and a conceptual model of the gross geometry of the Edwards Group units derived from prior interpretations of depositional environments and paleogeography. The digital model depicts the complicated intersections of numerous major and minor faults in the subsurface, as well as their individual and collective impacts on the continuity of the aquifer-forming units of the Edwards Group and the Georgetown Formation. The model allows for detailed examination of the extent of fault dislocation from place to place, and thus the extent to which the effective cross-sectional area of the aquifer is reduced by faulting. The model also depicts the internal hydrostratigraphic subdivisions of the Edwards aquifer, consisting of three major and eight subsidiary hydrogeologic units. This geologic framework model is useful for visualizing the geologic structures within the Balcones fault zone and the interactions of en-echelon fault strands and flexed connecting fault-relay ramps. The model also aids in visualizing the lateral connections between hydrostratigraphic units of relatively high and low permeability across the fault strands. Introduction The Edwards aquifer is the principal source of water for municipal, agricultural, industrial, and military uses by nearly 1.5 million inhabitants of the greater San Antonio, Texas, region (Hovorka and others, 1996; Sharp and Banner, 1997). Discharges from the Edwards aquifer also support local recreation and tourism industries at Barton, Comal, and San Marcos Springs located

  11. Annual Medical Report of the Coastal Bend Migrant Council Health Project, San Patricio Migrant Health Center (Texas), 1973-1974.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Krebethe, William F.

    The primary goal of the migrant health project in San Patricio County, Texas was to establish out-patient family health care for migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Several accomplishments were made. By using a physician assistant, the clinic was able to add an additional work without the necessity of extending their hours. The dental services have…

  12. Three-Dimensional Geologic Model of Complex Fault Structures in the Upper Seco Creek Area, Medina and Uvalde Counties, South-Central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pantea, Michael P.; Cole, James C.; Smith, Bruce D.; Faith, Jason R.; Blome, Charles D.; Smith, David V.

    2008-01-01

    This multimedia report shows and describes digital three-dimensional faulted geologic surfaces and volumes of the lithologic units of the Edwards aquifer in the upper Seco Creek area of Medina and Uvalde Counties in south-central Texas. This geologic framework model was produced using (1) geologic maps and interpretations of depositional environments and paleogeography; (2) lithologic descriptions, interpretations, and geophysical logs from 31 drill holes; (3) rock core and detailed lithologic descriptions from one drill hole; (4) helicopter electromagnetic geophysical data; and (5) known major and minor faults in the study area. These faults were used because of their individual and collective effects on the continuity of the aquifer-forming units in the Edwards Group. Data and information were compared and validated with each other and reflect the complex relationships of structures in the Seco Creek area of the Balcones fault zone. This geologic framework model can be used as a tool to visually explore and study geologic structures within the Seco Creek area of the Balcones fault zone and to show the connectivity of hydrologic units of high and low permeability between and across faults. The software can be used to display other data and information, such as drill-hole data, on this geologic framework model in three-dimensional space.

  13. PRELIMINARY EXPLORATION OF FACTORS THAT MAY INFLUENCE THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN AIR QUALITY AND THE RISK OF CARDIAC VENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECTS, TEXAS, 2000

    EPA Science Inventory

    Exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2) during weeks three through eight of pregnancy increased risk for ventricular septal defects in a population-based case-control study of air quality and birth defects in seven Texas counties between 1997 and 2000. As a follow-back, a computer-assi...

  14. Helicopter Electromagnetic and Magnetic Survey Data and Maps, Seco Creek Area, Medina and Uvalade Counties, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Bruce D.; Smith, David V.; Hill, Patricia L.; Labson, Victor F.

    2003-01-01

    A helicopter electromagnetic and magnetic (HEM) survey was completed of a 209 square kilometer (81 square miles) area of the central Edwards aquifer. This open-file report is a release of the airborne geophysical data and a summary of the hydrologic application. The survey area was centered on the Valdina Farms sinkhole along the Seco Creek drainage in western Medina County, Texas. Flight lines were flown north south with three east west tie lines to aid in leveling the magnetic data. Additional lines were flown on each side of the Seco and Little Seco Creek drainages. A five kilometer (4 mile) extension of 15 lines was flown north of the main survey block centered on Seco Creek. This digital data release contains the flight line data, grids, and maps of the HEM survey data. The Edwards aquifer in this area consists of three hydrologic zones: catchment, recharge, and confined. The Glen Rose Formation is exposed in the catchment area. The recharge zone is situated in the Balcones fault zone where the Devils River Group of the Edwards aquifer has been exposed by normal faults. The magnetic data is not discussed in depth here, but does have high amplitude closed anomalies caused by shallow igneous intrusives. The Woodard Cave Fault that separates the recharge and catchment zones is in places associated with a weak linear magnetic low. The HEM data has been processed to produce apparent resistivities for each of the six EM coil pairs and frequencies. Maps of the apparent resistivity for the five horizontal coil pairs show that the catchment, recharge, and confined zones all have numerous linear features that are likely caused by structures, many of which have not been mapped. The distribution of high resistivity areas reflects the lithologic differences within the Trinity and Edwards aquifers.

  15. Recreational Appendix Report, Elm Fork Flood Control Project, Dallas and Denton Counties, Texas.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1973-05-01

    Sambucus canadensis 9. Texas Sophora Sophora affinis It will be recognized that, among both the trees and the understory woody plants, there are a number...a new treatment plant for the Town of Flower Mound is ex- pected to come into operation in 1973 on a branch of Denton Creek. The Flower Mound Plant is...within the market area will be in the immediate vicinity of the Project. Coppell, Irving, Carrollton, Flower Mound, Lewisville, Piano and Hebron are all

  16. Methane Sources and Migration Mechanisms in the Shallow Trinity Aquifer in Parker and Hood Counties, Texas - a Noble Gas Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen, T.; Castro, C.; Nicot, J. P.; Hall, C. M.; Mickler, P. J.; Darvari, R.

    2016-12-01

    The presence of elevated methane in groundwaters within the Barnett Shale footprint in Parker and Hood counties, Texas has caused public concern that hydrocarbon production may facilitate migration of natural gas into a critical groundwater resource. This study places constraints on the source of methane in these groundwaters by analyzing water and stray gas data from groundwater wells and gas production wells from both the Barnett Shale and Strawn Group for methane content and noble gases, both of crustal and atmospheric origin. Particular emphasis is given to the atmospheric heavier noble gases 84Kr and 132Xe, which are significantly less affected by the presence of excess air, commonly present in modern Texas groundwaters (e.g., [1]). Dissolved methane concentrations are positively correlated with crustal 4He, 21Ne and 40Ar and suggest that noble gases and methane in these groundwaters originate from a common source, likely the Strawn Group, which the sampled aquifer overlies unconformably. This finding is further supported by the noble gas isotopic signature of stray gas when compared to the gas isotopic signatures of both Barnett Shale and the Strawn Group. In contrast to most samples, four groundwater wells with the highest methane concentrations unequivocally show heavy depletion of the atmospheric noble gases 20Ne, 36Ar, 84Kr and 132Xe with respect to freshwater recharge equilibrated with the atmosphere (ASW). This is consistent with predicted noble gas concentrations in a residual water phase in contact with a gas phase with initial ASW composition at 18°C-25°C, assuming a closed-system and suggest a highly localized gas source. All these four wells, without exception, tap into the Strawn Group and it is likely that shallow gas accumulations, as they are known to exist, were reached. Additionally, lack of correlation between 84Kr/36Ar and 132Xe/36Ar fractionation levels and distance to the nearest production wells does not support the notion that methane

  17. 5 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of... - Nationwide Schedule of Appropriated Fund Regular Wage Surveys

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... October Odd. El Paso DoD April Even. Houston-Galveston-Texas City DoD March Even. San Antonio DoD June Odd... each wage area includes— (1) The lead agency responsible for conducting the survey; (2) The month in... fiscal years. State Wage area Lead agency Beginning month of survey Fiscal year of full-scale survey odd...

  18. 5 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of... - Nationwide Schedule of Appropriated Fund Regular Wage Surveys

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... October Odd. El Paso DoD April Even. Houston-Galveston-Texas City DoD March Even. San Antonio DoD June Odd... each wage area includes— (1) The lead agency responsible for conducting the survey; (2) The month in... fiscal years. State Wage area Lead agency Beginning month of survey Fiscal year of full-scale survey odd...

  19. 5 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of... - Nationwide Schedule of Appropriated Fund Regular Wage Surveys

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... October Odd. El Paso DoD April Even. Houston-Galveston-Texas City DoD March Even. San Antonio DoD June Odd... each wage area includes— (1) The lead agency responsible for conducting the survey; (2) The month in... fiscal years. State Wage area Lead agency Beginning month of survey Fiscal year of full-scale survey odd...

  20. 5 CFR Appendix A to Subpart B of... - Nationwide Schedule of Appropriated Fund Regular Wage Surveys

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... October Odd. El Paso DoD April Even. Houston-Galveston-Texas City DoD March Even. San Antonio DoD June Odd... each wage area includes— (1) The lead agency responsible for conducting the survey; (2) The month in... fiscal years. State Wage area Lead agency Beginning month of survey Fiscal year of full-scale survey odd...

  1. 75 FR 6215 - Houston/Galveston Navigation Safety Advisory Committee

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-08

    ... groups will meet in Houston, Texas to discuss waterway improvements, aids to navigation, area projects...; (b) Dredging subcommittee report; (c) Technology subcommittee report; (d) Waterways Optimization...

  2. Quality of surface-water runoff in selected streams in the San Antonio segment of the Edwards aquifer recharge zone, Bexar County, Texas, 1997-2012

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Opsahl, Stephen P.

    2012-01-01

    During 1997–2012, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the San Antonio Water System, collected and analyzed water-quality constituents in surface-water runoff from five ephemeral stream sites near San Antonio in northern Bexar County, Texas. The data were collected to assess the quality of surface water that recharges the Edwards aquifer. Samples were collected from four stream basins that had small amounts of developed land at the onset of the study but were predicted to undergo substantial development over a period of several decades. Water-quality samples also were collected from a fifth stream basin located on land protected from development to provide reference data by representing undeveloped land cover. Water-quality data included pH, specific conductance, chemical oxygen demand, dissolved solids (filtered residue on evaporation in milligrams per liter, dried at 180 degrees Celsius), suspended solids, major ions, nutrients, trace metals, and pesticides. Trace metal concentration data were compared to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality established surface water quality standards for human health protection (water and fish). Among all constituents in all samples for which criteria were available for comparison, only one sample had one constituent which exceeded the surface water criteria on one occasion. A single lead concentration (2.76 micrograms per liter) measured in a filtered water sample exceeded the surface water criteria of 1.15 micrograms per liter. The average number of pesticide detections per sample in stream basins undergoing development ranged from 1.8 to 6.0. In contrast, the average number of pesticide detections per sample in the reference stream basin was 0.6. Among all constituents examined in this study, pesticides, dissolved orthophosphate phosphorus, and dissolved total phosphorus demonstrated the largest differences between the four stream basins undergoing development and the reference stream basin with

  3. Public health assessment for Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant, Karnack, Harrison County, Texas, Region 6, CERCLIS number TX6213820529. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    NONE

    1999-07-09

    Longhorn Army Ammunition Plant (Longhorn) is an 8,493 acre government-owned former industrial facility approximately 14 miles northeast of Marshall, Harrison County, Texas. Longhorn has been intermittently in operation since 1942 when it was established to produce the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Pyrotechnic ammunition also was produced at Longhorn and Morton Thiokol Corporation produced a plastic explosive at the facility until August 1997. According to document record for the hazardous ranking system, releases of 1,3-dinitrobenzene, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, arsenic, barium, chromium, and lead occurred. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reviewed available environmental information for the site and evaluated several potentialmore » exposure situations. These exposure situations include potential contact with site contaminants in surface water, sediment, surface soil, wasteline material, and groundwater. Although site-related contaminants have been found in these various environmental media, currently the contaminants are not accessible, on or off the site, at levels that would pose a public health threat. Based on available information, the authors have concluded that overall, the Longhorne Army Ammunition Plant poses on apparent public health hazard. In the future, the conclusion category for this site could change if additional data were to indicate that contaminants from the site were migrating towards the public water supply wells near the site.« less

  4. Treasured Texas Theaters

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horton, Anita

    2012-01-01

    Dallas artist Jon Flaming's deep love of Texas is evident in his paintings and sculpture. Although he has created one sculptural Texas theater, his work primarily showcases old Texas barbershops, vacant homes, and gas stations. In this article, the author describes how her students, inspired by Flaming's works, created three-dimensional historical…

  5. The Diabetes Management Education Program in South Texas: An Economic and Clinical Impact Analysis.

    PubMed

    Kash, Bita A; Lin, Szu-Hsuan; Baek, Juha; Ohsfeldt, Robert L

    2017-01-01

    Diabetes is a major chronic disease that can lead to serious health problems and high healthcare costs without appropriate disease management and treatment. In the United States, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes and the cost for diabetes treatment has dramatically increased over time. To improve patients' self-management skills and clinical outcomes, diabetes management education (DME) programs have been developed and operated in various regions. This community case study explores and calculates the economic and clinical impacts of expanding a model DME program into 26 counties located in South Texas. The study sample includes 355 patients with type 2 diabetes and a follow-up hemoglobin A1c level measurement among 1,275 individuals who participated in the DME program between September 2012 and August 2013. We used the Gilmer's cost differentials model and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) Risk Engine methodology to predict 3-year healthcare cost savings and 10-year clinical benefits of implementing a DME program in the selected 26 Texas counties. Changes in estimated 3-year cost and the estimated treatment effect were based on baseline hemoglobin A1c level. An average 3-year reduction in medical treatment costs per program participant was $2,033 (in 2016 dollars). The total healthcare cost savings for the 26 targeted counties increases as the program participation rate increases. The total projected cost saving ranges from $12 million with 5% participation rate to $185 million with 75% participation rate. A 10-year outlook on additional clinical benefits associated with the implementation and expansion of the DME program at 60% participation is estimated to result in approximately 4,838 avoided coronary heart disease cases and another 392 cases of avoided strokes. The implementation of this model DME program in the selected 26 counties would contribute to substantial healthcare cost savings and clinical benefits. Organizations that

  6. Applications of MODIS satellite data and products for monitoring air quality in the state of Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hutchison, Keith D.

    The Center for Space Research (CSR), in conjunction with the Monitoring Operations Division (MOD) of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), is evaluating the use of remotely sensed satellite data to assist in monitoring and predicting air quality in Texas. The challenges of meeting air quality standards established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) are impacted by the transport of pollution into Texas that originates from outside our borders and are cumulative with those generated by local sources. In an attempt to quantify the concentrations of all pollution sources, MOD has installed ground-based monitoring stations in rural regions along the Texas geographic boundaries including the Gulf coast, as well as urban regions that are the predominant sources of domestic pollution. However, analysis of time-lapse GOES satellite imagery at MOD, clearly demonstrates the shortcomings of using only ground-based observations for monitoring air quality across Texas. These shortcomings include the vastness of State borders, that can only be monitored with a large number of ground-based sensors, and gradients in pollution concentration that depend upon the location of the point source, the meteorology governing its transport to Texas, and its diffusion across the region. With the launch of NASA's MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the transport of aerosol-borne pollutants can now be monitored over land and ocean surfaces. Thus, CSR and MOD personnel have applied MODIS data to several classes of pollution that routinely impact Texas air quality. Results demonstrate MODIS data and products can detect and track the migration of pollutants. This paper presents one case study in which continental haze from the northeast moved into the region and subsequently required health advisories to be issued for 150 counties in Texas. It is concluded that MODIS provides the basis for developing advanced data products that will, when used in

  7. Consolidation of geologic studies of geopressured-geothermal resources in Texas: Barrier-bar tidal-channel reservoir facies architecture, Jackson Group, Prado Field, South Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seni, S.J.; Choh, S.J.

    1993-09-01

    Sandstone reservoirs in the Jackson barrier/strandplain play are characterized by low recovery efficiencies and thus contain a large hydrocarbon resource target potentially amenable to advanced recovery techniques. Prado field, Jim Hogg County, South Texas, has produced over 23 million bbl of oil and over 32 million mcf gas from combination structural-stratigraphic traps in the Eocene lower Jackson Group. Hydrocarbon entrapment at Prado field is a result of anticlinal nosing by differential compaction and updip pinch-out of barrier bar sandstone. Relative base-level lowering resulted in forced regression that established lower Jackson shoreline sandstones in a relatively distal location in central Jimmore » Hogg County. Reservoir sand bodies at Prado field comprise complex assemblages of barrier-bar, tidal-inlet fill, back-barrier bar, and shoreface environments. Subsequent progradation built the barrier-bar system seaward 1 to 2 mi. With the barrier-bar system, favorable targets for hydrocarbon reexploration are concentrated in tidal-inlet facies because they possess the greatest degree of depositional heterogeneity.« less

  8. Evaluation of urban surface parameterizations in the WRF model using measurements during the Texas Air Quality Study 2006 field campaign

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, S.-H.; Kim, S.-W.; Angevine, W. M.; Bianco, L.; McKeen, S. A.; Senff, C. J.; Trainer, M.; Tucker, S. C.; Zamora, R. J.

    2011-03-01

    The performance of different urban surface parameterizations in the WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) in simulating urban boundary layer (UBL) was investigated using extensive measurements during the Texas Air Quality Study 2006 field campaign. The extensive field measurements collected on surface (meteorological, wind profiler, energy balance flux) sites, a research aircraft, and a research vessel characterized 3-dimensional atmospheric boundary layer structures over the Houston-Galveston Bay area, providing a unique opportunity for the evaluation of the physical parameterizations. The model simulations were performed over the Houston metropolitan area for a summertime period (12-17 August) using a bulk urban parameterization in the Noah land surface model (original LSM), a modified LSM, and a single-layer urban canopy model (UCM). The UCM simulation compared quite well with the observations over the Houston urban areas, reducing the systematic model biases in the original LSM simulation by 1-2 °C in near-surface air temperature and by 200-400 m in UBL height, on average. A more realistic turbulent (sensible and latent heat) energy partitioning contributed to the improvements in the UCM simulation. The original LSM significantly overestimated the sensible heat flux (~200 W m-2) over the urban areas, resulting in warmer and higher UBL. The modified LSM slightly reduced warm and high biases in near-surface air temperature (0.5-1 °C) and UBL height (~100 m) as a result of the effects of urban vegetation. The relatively strong thermal contrast between the Houston area and the water bodies (Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico) in the LSM simulations enhanced the sea/bay breezes, but the model performance in predicting local wind fields was similar among the simulations in terms of statistical evaluations. These results suggest that a proper surface representation (e.g. urban vegetation, surface morphology) and explicit parameterizations of urban physical

  9. Changes in floral composition with depositional environment in Texas Eocene Manning Formation lignites

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gennett, J.A.; Raymond, A.L.

    1986-09-01

    The floral composition of palynomorph assemblages of Jacksonian Texas lignites is closely linked to depositional systems. Localities on the eastern Gulf coastal plain are included in the late Eocene Fayette delta system, and lignite formation is considered to have occurred in lower deltaic environments. Samples are commonly dominated by grains of Caprifoliipites/Salixpollenites, Momites, or Nyssa, indicating dicotyledonous tree-dominated swamps. Some samples contain abundant Cicatricosspories spores, suggesting marshy, fern-dominated areas. The San Miguel lignite deposit in McMullen County is located on the eastern margin of the south Texas strand-plain/barrier-bar system. Caprifoliipites/Salixpollenites pollen is rare in the San Miguel, and most ofmore » the levels are dominated by small tricolporates such as cupuliferoipollenites and Sapotaceae. Nyssa is locally important. The lignite is considered to have been deposited in a nondeltaic freshwater swamp behind a barrier island. The Miguel Alleman deposit, across the Mexican border in Tamaulipas, is thought to have developed in a lagoonal-estuarine environment. Dinoflagellates such as Wetzeliella are common at some levels, indicating marine conditions. As with San Miguel, small tricolporates and Momipites are common. These assemblages contrast with Sabinian floras. Wilcox Group east Texas lignites were formed in fluvial environments. Betulaceous pollen is common in these coals. Sabinian south Texas lignites formed in marine environments yield dinoflagellates and Chenopodium-type pollen. Chenopods are common in present-day Gulf Coast salt marshes but seem to have been absent from Jackson-age seacoasts.« less

  10. Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards Aquifer outcrop, Hays County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hanson, John A.; Small, Ted A.

    1995-01-01

    All of the hydrogeologic subdivisions within the Edwards aquifer outcrop in Hays County have some porosity and permeability. The most porous and permeable appear to be hydrogeologic subdivision VI, the Kirschberg evaporite member of the Kainer Formation; hydrogeologic subdivision III, the leached and collapsed members, undivided; and hydrogeologic subdivision II, the cyclic and marine members, undivided, of the Person Formation. The two types of porosity in the Edwards aquifer outcrop are fabric selective, which is related to depositional or diagenetic elements and typically exists in specific stratigraphic horizons; and not fabric selective, which can exist in any lithostratigraphic horizon. Permeability, the capacity of porous rock to transmit water, depends on the physical properties of the rock such as size, shape, and distribution of pores, and fissuring and dissolution. Two faults, San Marcos Springs and Mustang Branch, completely, or almost completely, offset the Edwards aquifer by juxtaposing Edwards aquifer limestone against nearly impermeable upper confining units along parts of their traces across Hays County. These faults are thought to be barriers, or partial barriers, to groundwater flow where the beds are juxtaposed. In Hays County, the Edwards aquifer probably is most vulnerable to surface contamination in the rapidly urbanizing areas on the Edwards aquifer outcrop. Contamination can result from spills or leakage of hazardous materials; or runoff on the intensely faulted and fractured, karstic limestone outcrops characteristic of the recharge zone.

  11. The Direction of Migrant Education as Revealed by Site Visits in Selected Counties of Six States.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reiser, Emanuel

    Field workers initially observed selected migrant programs in 30 counties in Arizona, California, Georgia, Florida, New Mexico, and Texas during a two-week period in early 1968. A two-day conference was then held, during which recommendations were made as to future direction in migrant education. Major strengths of the observed programs included a…

  12. Geomorphic Assessment of the Brazos River, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamilton, P.; May, D.; Haring, C.

    2017-12-01

    The Brazos River is a large lowland river that traverses Texas before reaching the Gulf of Mexico. Of particular interest is the Brazos River reach through Fort Bend County, TX. This area is rapidly developing and as such there are concerns regarding infrastructure near the river. Rivers maintain a state of dynamic equilibrium wherein the system makes adjustments to external perturbations. This is of no concern in the abstract; the boundary conditions for the river change and the river adjusts to accommodate the change. However, because of development near the river, natural river adjustment can have catastrophic consequences. For example, bank failure along the Brazos River in Fort Bend County threatens SH 99, a major hurricane evacuation route, as well as flood control levees and county offices. Herein we present the results of hydraulic modeling conducted through the project area as well as the results of a geomorphic assessment. The Brazos River has a regional degradational trend throughout the project area in conjunction with subtly increasing sinuosity. Additionally, headcutting has greatly widened many of the tributary valleys and increased the local sediment supply to the river. Bank failure is an issue at several locations and there have been various solutions proposed for different sites. Part of the fear in addressing issues at a particular site is that money will be spent curing the symptoms along the river without confronting the underlying regional illness. Here we show some of the regional issues and how it they potentially interact with local solutions.

  13. Usage and administration manual for a geodatabase compendium of water-resources data-Rio Grande Basin from the Rio Arriba-Sandoval County line, New Mexico, to Presidio, Texas, 1889-2009

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burley, Thomas E.

    2011-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, developed a geodatabase compendium (hereinafter referred to as the 'geodatabase') of available water-resources data for the reach of the Rio Grande from Rio Arriba-Sandoval County line, New Mexico, to Presidio, Texas. Since 1889, a wealth of water-resources data has been collected in the Rio Grande Basin from Rio Arriba-Sandoval County line, New Mexico, to Presidio, Texas, for a variety of purposes. Collecting agencies, researchers, and organizations have included the U.S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation, International Boundary and Water Commission, State agencies, irrigation districts, municipal water utilities, universities, and other entities. About 1,750 data records were recently (2010) evaluated to enhance their usability by compiling them into a single geospatial relational database (geodatabase). This report is intended as a user's manual and administration guide for the geodatabase. All data available, including water quality, water level, and discharge data (both instantaneous and daily) from January 1, 1889, through December 17, 2009, were compiled for the study area. A flexible and efficient geodatabase design was used, enhancing the ability of the geodatabase to handle data from diverse sources and helping to ensure sustainability of the geodatabase with long-term maintenance. Geodatabase tables include daily data values, site locations and information, sample event information, and parameters, as well as data sources and collecting agencies. The end products of this effort are a comprehensive water-resources geodatabase that enables the visualization of primary sampling sites for surface discharges, groundwater elevations, and water-quality and associated data for the study area. In addition, repeatable data processing scripts, Structured Query Language queries for loading prepared data sources, and a detailed process for refreshing all data in the

  14. Earthworms (Oligochaeta: Acanthodrilidae and Lumbricidae) associated with Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, Travis County, Texas, USA

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Earthworm populations were surveyed in soils from a variety of habitats associated with the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, Austin, Texas, from November 2009 through March 2010. Seven species of terrestrial Oligochaeta, including one species new to science, are reported from two families, ...

  15. Agricultural land use mapping. [Pennsylvania, Montana, and Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mcmurtry, G. J.; Petersen, G. W. (Principal Investigator); Wilson, A. D.

    1973-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Agricultural areas were selected or analysis in southeastern Pennsylvania, north central Montana, and southern Texas. These three sites represent a broad range of soils, soil parent materials, climate, modes of agricultural operation, crops, and field sizes. In each of these three sites, ERTS-1 digital data were processed to determine the feasibility of automatically mapping agricultural land use. In Pennsylvania, forest land, cultivated land, and water were separable within a 25,000 acre area. Four classes of water were also classified and identified, using ground truth. A less complex land use pattern was analyzed in Hill County, Montana. A land use map was prepared shown alternating patterns of summer fallow and stubble fields. The location of farmsteads could be inferred, along with that of a railroad line. A river and a creek flowing into the river were discernible. Six categories of water, related to sediment content and depth, were defined in the reservoir held by the Fresno dam. These classifications were completed on a 150 square mile area. Analysis of the data from Texas is in its formative stages. A test site has been selected and a brightness map has been produced.

  16. Resilience in the Face of Disaster: Prevalence and Longitudinal Course of Mental Disorders following Hurricane Ike

    PubMed Central

    Pietrzak, Robert H.; Tracy, Melissa; Galea, Sandro; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Ruggiero, Kenneth J.; Hamblen, Jessica L.; Southwick, Steven M.; Norris, Fran H.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives Natural disasters may increase risk for a broad range of psychiatric disorders, both in the short- and in the medium-term. We sought to determine the prevalence and longitudinal course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), depression, and suicidality in the first 18 months after Hurricane Ike. Methods Six hundred fifty-eight adults representative of Galveston and Chambers Counties, Texas participated in a random, population-based survey. The initial assessment was conducted 2 to 5 months after Hurricane Ike struck Galveston Bay on September 13, 2008. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 5 to 9 and 14 to 18 months after Hurricane Ike. Results Past-month prevalence of any mental disorder (20.6% to 10.9%) and hurricane-related PTSD (6.9% to 2.5%) decreased over time. Past-month prevalence of PTSD related to a non-disaster traumatic event (5.8% to 7.1%), GAD (3.1% to 1.8%), PD (0.8% to 0.7%), depression (5.0% to 5.6%), and suicidality (2.6% to 4.2%) remained relatively stable over time. Conclusions PTSD, both due to the hurricane and due to other traumatic events, was the most prevalent psychiatric disorder 2 to 5 months after Hurricane Ike. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders declined rapidly over time, suggesting that the vast majority of individuals exposed to this natural disaster ‘bounced back’ and were resilient to long-term mental health consequences of this large-scale traumatic event. PMID:22761716

  17. 77 FR 50767 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for Four Central Texas...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-22

    ...We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Austin blind salamander, Jollyville Plateau salamander, Georgetown salamander, and Salado salamander as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), and propose to designate critical habitat for the species. In total, we propose to designate approximately 5,983 acres (2,440 hectares) as critical habitat for the four species. The proposed critical habitat is located in Travis, Williamson, and Bell Counties, Texas.

  18. Chemical analyses of ground water for saline-water resources studies in Texas Coastal Plain stored in National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Taylor, R.E.

    1975-01-01

    Chemical analyses of 4,269 water samples from wells in 66 counties in Texas have been processed into the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System by the Gulf Coast Hydrogeology Project of the U. S. Geological Survey. More than 65,000 chemical analyses of saline waters produced by oil test and production wells have been contributed to the project by major oil companies. The computerized tabulation and the computer-drawn map of the locations of sampling sites are the initial release of oil company, State, and Federal data in Texas Coastal Plain from the data bank.

  19. 7 CFR 27.93 - Bona fide spot markets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ..., East Texas and Oklahoma, West Texas, Desert Southwest and San Joaquin Valley. Such markets will... Hidalgo counties. West Texas All Texas counties not included in the East Texas, Oklahoma and Desert Southwest Markets and the New Mexico counties of Union, Quay, Curry, Roosevelt and Lea. Desert Southwest The...

  20. 7 CFR 27.93 - Bona fide spot markets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ..., East Texas and Oklahoma, West Texas, Desert Southwest and San Joaquin Valley. Such markets will... Hidalgo counties. West Texas All Texas counties not included in the East Texas, Oklahoma and Desert Southwest Markets and the New Mexico counties of Union, Quay, Curry, Roosevelt and Lea. Desert Southwest The...

  1. 7 CFR 27.93 - Bona fide spot markets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..., East Texas and Oklahoma, West Texas, Desert Southwest and San Joaquin Valley. Such markets will... Hidalgo counties. West Texas All Texas counties not included in the East Texas, Oklahoma and Desert Southwest Markets and the New Mexico counties of Union, Quay, Curry, Roosevelt and Lea. Desert Southwest The...

  2. Wildlife hazards from Furadan 3G applications to rice in Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Flickinger, Edward L.; King, K.A.; Stout, W.F.; Mohn, M.M.

    1980-01-01

    Mortality of birds, fish, frogs, crayfish, earthworms, and nontarget insects occurred in rice fields after treatments of Furadan 3G granules in 3 Texas counties in 1970 and 1973-75. Three western sandpipers (Ereunetes mauri), 1 pectoral sandpiper (Erolia melanotos), and 2 red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were found dead or moribund between 17 and 24 hours after treatment. Cricket frogs (Acris crepitans blanchardi) were intoxicated 15 minutes post-treatment, and mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) showed effects 1 hour post-treatment. Mortality of mosquito fish, Gulf menhaden (Brevoortia patronus), Atlantic croaker (Micropogon undulatus), and European carp (Cyprinus carpio) usually occurred between 24 and 28 hours after treatment. Mortality of frogs, crayfish, and nontarget insects generally occurred in rice field water between 1 and 45 hours after treatment. Mortality of earthworms in soil persisted for 52 hours. As a replacement for aldrin in Texas rice fields, Furadan 3G appeared to cause Iess mortality of birds than aldrin, but Furadan 3G was toxic to birds, fish, and invertebrates.

  3. Texas motorcycle crash countermeasure workshop.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-06-01

    The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) contracted with the Texas A&M : Transportation Institute (TTI) to develop a 5-year strategic plan for improving motorcycle safety : in the State of Texas. The Texas Strategic Action Plan for Motorcycl...

  4. The Assessment of Adult Needs; Phase I of Multi-County Assessment of Adult Needs Project (MAP).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferguson, L. G.; And Others

    In order to assess the felt needs and interests of the local population and business community relative to education and training, a survey was designed and implemented in the four-county area surrounding Waco, Texas. This volume, part one of a three part series documents the work done in developing and conducting the community needs assessment…

  5. Spatial analysis of injury-related deaths in Dallas County using a geographic information system

    PubMed Central

    Abdalla, Adil; Gunst, Mark; Ghaemmaghami, Vafa; Gruszecki, Amy C.; Urban, Jill; Barber, Robert C.; Gentilello, Larry M.

    2012-01-01

    This study applied a geographic information system (GIS) to identify clusters of injury-related deaths (IRDs) within a large urban county (26 cities; population, 2.4 million). All deaths due to injuries in Dallas County (Texas) in 2005 (N = 670) were studied, including the geographic location of the injury event. Out of 26 cities in Dallas County, IRDs were reported in 19 cities. Geospatial data were obtained from the local governments and entered into the GIS. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR, with 95% CI) were calculated for each city and the county using national age-adjusted rates. Dallas County had significantly more deaths due to homicides (SMR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.54–1.98) and IRDs as a result of gunshots (SMR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.09–1.37) than the US national rate. However, this increase was restricted to a single city (the city of Dallas) within the county, while the rest of the 25 cities in the county experienced IRD rates that were either similar to or better than the national rate, or experienced no IRDs. GIS mapping was able to depict high-risk geographic “hot spots” for IRDs. In conclusion, GIS spatial analysis identified geographic clusters of IRDs, which were restricted to only one of 26 cities in the county. PMID:22754116

  6. Campanian ammonites from the Upper Cretaceous Gober Chalk of Lamar County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cobban, W.A.; Kennedy, W.J.

    1992-01-01

    The Roxton Limestone Member at the top of the Gober Chalk in northeast Texas yields a rich fauna, dominated by Baculites haresi Reeside, 1927, and Inoceramus balticus Boehm, 1909, with sparse occurrences of pachydiscus cf. P. paulsoni (Young, 1963), Anapachydiscus sp.juv., Placenticeras placenta (DeKay, 1828), Hoplitoplacenticeras aff. H. plasticum (Paulcke, 1907), Menabites (Delawarella) delawarensis (Morton, 1830), M.(D.) danei (Young, 1963), M.(D.) aff. M.(D.) vanuxemi (Morton, 1830), Submortoniceras vandalinaense Young, 1963, Submortoniceras sp., Eubostrychoceras sp., and Scaphites hippocrepis (DeKay, 1828) III. The presence of S. hippocrepis III suggests a late early Campanian age assignment for the fauna. The assemblage includes species known from the Western Interior, Gulf Coast, Atlantic seaboard, and western Europe. -Authors

  7. Characterizing the subsurface geology in and around the U.S. Army Camp Stanley Storage Activity, south-central Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blome, Charles D.; Clark, Allan K.

    2018-02-15

    Several U.S. Geological Survey projects, supported by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, have used multi-disciplinary approaches over a 14-year period to reveal the surface and subsurface geologic frameworks of the Edwards and Trinity aquifers of central Texas and the Arbuckle-Simpson aquifer of south-central Oklahoma. Some of the project achievements include advancements in hydrostratigraphic mapping, three-dimensional subsurface framework modeling, and airborne geophysical surveys as well as new methodologies that link geologic and groundwater flow models. One area where some of these milestones were achieved was in and around the U.S. Army Camp Stanley Storage Activity, located in north­western Bexar County, Texas, about 19 miles north­west of downtown San Antonio.

  8. Texas Greenup

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2007-01-01

    June 2007 was one of the wettest Junes on record for the state of Texas. Starting in late May, a string of low-pressure systems settled in over the U.S. Southern Plains and unleashed weeks of heavy to torrential rain. During the final week of June, much of Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas received more than 330 percent of their average rainfall, said the National Climatic Data Center. The widespread heavy rain brought deadly floods to the entire region. On July 6, the Associated Press reported that every major river basin in Texas was at flood stage, an event that had not occurred since 1957. In addition to causing floods, the rains stimulated plant growth. The grassy, often arid, plains and plateaus of northern Mexico (bottom left), Texas (center), and New Mexico (top, left of center) burst to life with dense vegetation as this vegetation anomaly image shows. Regions where plants were growing more quickly or fuller than average are green, while areas where growth is below average are brown. Most of Texas is green, with a concentrated deep green, almost black, spot where vegetation growth was greatest. This area of western Texas is where the Pecos River flows out of New Mexico and heads southeast to the Rio Grande. In the darkest areas, vegetation was more than 100 percent above average. The brown spots in northeastern Texas and Oklahoma (top, right of center) may be areas where persistent clouds or water on the ground are hiding the plants from the satellite's view. Plants may also be growing less than average if swamped by too much rain. The image was made with data collected by the SPOT satellite between June 11 and June 20, 2007. NASA imagery created by Jesse Allen, Earth Observatory, using SPOT data provided courtesy of the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and processed by Jennifer Small and Assaf Anyamba of the GIMMS Group at NASA GSFC.

  9. Comparison of Irrigation Water Use Estimates Calculated from Remotely Sensed Irrigated Acres and State Reported Irrigated Acres in the Lake Altus Drainage Basin, Oklahoma and Texas, 2000 Growing Season

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Masoner, J.R.; Mladinich, C.S.; Konduris, A.M.; Smith, S. Jerrod

    2003-01-01

    Increased demand for water in the Lake Altus drainage basin requires more accurate estimates of water use for irrigation. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, is investigating new techniques to improve water-use estimates for irrigation purposes in the Lake Altus drainage basin. Empirical estimates of reference evapotranspiration, crop evapotranspiration, and crop irrigation water requirements for nine major crops were calculated from September 1999 to October 2000 using a solar radiation-based evapotranspiration model. Estimates of irrigation water use were calculated using remotely sensed irrigated crop acres derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery and were compared with irrigation water-use estimates calculated from irrigated crop acres reported by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Texas Water Development Board for the 2000 growing season. The techniques presented will help manage water resources in the Lake Altus drainage basin and may be transferable to other areas with similar water management needs. Irrigation water use calculated from the remotely sensed irrigated acres was estimated at 154,920 acre-feet; whereas, irrigation water use calculated from state reported irrigated crop acres was 196,026 acre-feet, a 23 percent difference. The greatest difference in irrigation water use was in Carson County, Texas. Irrigation water use for Carson County, Texas, calculated from the remotely sensed irrigated acres was 58,555 acrefeet; whereas, irrigation water use calculated from state reported irrigated acres was 138,180 acre-feet, an 81 percent difference. The second greatest difference in irrigation water use occurred in Beckham County, Oklahoma. Differences between the two irrigation water use estimates are due to the differences of irrigated crop acres derived from the mapping process and those reported by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and Texas Water Development Board.

  10. Evaluation of active mortality surveillance system data for monitoring hurricane-related deaths-Texas, 2008.

    PubMed

    Choudhary, Ekta; Zane, David F; Beasley, Crystal; Jones, Russell; Rey, Araceli; Noe, Rebecca S; Martin, Colleen; Wolkin, Amy F; Bayleyegn, Tesfaye M

    2012-08-01

    The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) implemented an active mortality surveillance system to enumerate and characterize hurricane-related deaths during Hurricane Ike in 2008. This surveillance system used established guidelines and case definitions to categorize deaths as directly, indirectly, and possibly related to Hurricane Ike. The objective of this study was to evaluate Texas DSHS' active mortality surveillance system using US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) surveillance system evaluation guidelines. Using CDC's Updated Guidelines for Surveillance System Evaluation, the active mortality surveillance system of the Texas DSHS was evaluated. Data from the active mortality surveillance system were compared with Texas vital statistics data for the same time period to estimate the completeness of reported disaster-related deaths. From September 8 through October 13, 2008, medical examiners (MEs) and Justices of the Peace (JPs) in 44 affected counties reported deaths daily by using a one-page, standardized mortality form. The active mortality surveillance system identified 74 hurricane-related deaths, whereas a review of vital statistics data revealed only four deaths that were hurricane-related. The average time of reporting a death by active mortality surveillance and vital statistics was 14 days and 16 days, respectively. Texas's active mortality surveillance system successfully identified hurricane-related deaths. Evaluation of the active mortality surveillance system suggested that it is necessary to collect detailed and representative mortality data during a hurricane because vital statistics do not capture sufficient information to identify whether deaths are hurricane-related. The results from this evaluation will help improve active mortality surveillance during hurricanes which, in turn, will enhance preparedness and response plans and identify public health interventions to reduce future hurricane-related mortality rates.

  11. Impacts from above-ground activities in the eagle ford shale play on landscapes and hydrologic flows, La Salle County, Texas.

    PubMed

    Pierre, Jon Paul; Abolt, Charles J; Young, Michael H

    2015-06-01

    We assess the spatial and geomorphic fragmentation from the recent Eagle Ford Shale play in La Salle County, Texas, USA. Wells and pipelines were overlaid onto base maps of land cover, soil properties, vegetation assemblages, and hydrologic units. Changes to continuity of different ecoregions and supporting landscapes were assessed using the Landscape Fragmentation Tool (a third-party ArcGIS extension) as quantified by land area and continuity of core landscape areas (i.e., those degraded by "edge effects"). Results show decreases in core areas (8.7%; ~33,290 ha) and increases in landscape patches (0.2%; ~640 ha), edges (1.8%; ~6940 ha), and perforated areas (4.2%; ~16230 ha). Pipeline construction dominates landscape disturbance, followed by drilling and injection pads (85, 15, and 0.03% of disturbed area, respectively). An increased potential for soil loss is indicated, with 51% (~5790 ha) of all disturbance regimes occurring on soils with low water-transmission rates (depth to impermeable layer less than 50 cm) and a high surface runoff potential (hydrologic soil group D). Additionally, 88% (~10,020 ha) of all disturbances occurred on soils with a wind erodibility index of approximately 19 kt/km(2)/year (0.19 kt/ha/year) or higher, resulting in an estimated potential of 2 million tons of soil loss per year. Results demonstrate that infrastructure placement is occurring on soils susceptible to erosion while reducing and splitting core areas potentially vital to ecosystem services.

  12. Hydrogeologic data for the Blaine aquifer and associated units in southwestern Oklahoma and northwestern Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Runkle, D.L.; Bergman, D.L.; Fabian, R.S.

    1997-01-01

    This report is a compilation of hydrogeologic data collected for an areal ground-water investigation of the Blaine aquifer and associated units in southwestern Oklahoma and northwestern Texas. The study area includes parts of Greer, Harmon, and Jackson counties in Oklahoma and parts of Childress, Collingsworth, Hall, Hardeman, and Wilbarger counties in Texas. The Blaine aquifer consists of cavernous gypsum and dolomite beds. Water from the Blaine aquifer supports a local agriculture based mainly on irrigated cotton and wheat. The purpose of the study was to determine the availability, quantity, and quality of ground water from the Blaine aquifer and associated units. This report provides a reference for some of the data that was used as input into a computer ground-water flow model that simulates ground-water flow in the Blaine aquifer. The data in this report consists of: (1) Monthly or periodic water-level measurements in 134 wells; (2) daily mean water-level measurements for 11 wells equipped with water-level recorders; (3) daily total precipitation measurements from five precipitation gages; (4) low-flow stream-discharge measurements for 89 stream sites; (5) miscellaneous stream-discharge measurements at seven stream sites; (6) chemical analyses of surface water from 78 stream sites during low-flow periods; (7) chemical analyses of ground water from 41 wells; and (8) chemical analyses of runoff water collected at five sites.

  13. Public water supplies in eastern Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sundstrom, Raymond W.; Hastings, W.W.; Broadhurst, W.L.

    1948-01-01

    This report gives a summarized description of the public water supplies in 77 counties of eastern Texas, extending from the Louisiana boundary to a northsouth line approximately along the ninety-seventh meridian. It gives the available data as follows for each of 323 communities: The population of the community; the name of the official from whom the information was obtained; the ownership of the waterworks, whether private or municipal; the source of supply, whether ground or surface water; the amount of water consumed; the facilities for storage; the number of customers served; the character of the chemical and sanitary treatment of the water, if any; and the chemical analyses of the water. Where ground water is used the following is also given: Records of wells, including drillers' logs; character of the pumping equipment; yield of the wells and water level records where they are available.

  14. 33 CFR 165.804 - Snake Island, Texas City, Texas; mooring and fleeting of vessels-safety zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Snake Island, Texas City, Texas... Guard District § 165.804 Snake Island, Texas City, Texas; mooring and fleeting of vessels—safety zone... Turning Basin west of Snake Island; (3) The area of Texas City Channel from the north end of the Turning...

  15. 33 CFR 165.804 - Snake Island, Texas City, Texas; mooring and fleeting of vessels-safety zone.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Snake Island, Texas City, Texas... Guard District § 165.804 Snake Island, Texas City, Texas; mooring and fleeting of vessels—safety zone... Turning Basin west of Snake Island; (3) The area of Texas City Channel from the north end of the Turning...

  16. Characterization of groundwater resources in the Trinity and Woodbine aquifers in Texas.

    PubMed

    Chaudhuri, Sriroop; Ale, Srinivasulu

    2013-05-01

    A vast region in north-central Texas, centering on Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, suffers from intense groundwater drawdown and water quality degradation, which led to inclusion of 18 counties of this region into Priority Groundwater Management Areas. We combined aquifer-based and county-based hydrologic analyses to (1) assess spatio-temporal changes in groundwater level and quality between 1960 and 2010 in the Trinity and Woodbine aquifers underlying the study region, (2) delve into major hydrochemical facies with reference to aquifer hydrostratigraphy, and (3) identify county-based spatial zones to aid in future groundwater management initiatives. Water-level and quality data was obtained from the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and analyzed on a decadal scale. Progressive water-level decline was the major concern in the Trinity aquifer with >50% of observations occurring at depths >100 m since the 1980s, an observation becoming apparent only in the 2000s in the Woodbine aquifer. Water quality degradation was the major issue in the Woodbine aquifer with substantially higher percentage of observations exceeding the secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCL; a non-enforceable threshold set by the United State Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)) and/or maximum contaminant level (MCL, a legally enforceable drinking water standard set by the USEPA) for sulfate (SO4(2-)), chloride (Cl(-)), and fluoride (F(-)) in each decade. In both aquifers, however, >70% of observations exceeded the SMCL for total dissolved solids indicating high groundwater salinization. Water-level changes in Trinity aquifer also had significant negative impact on water quality. Hydrochemical facies in this region sequentially evolved from Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Ca-HCO3 in the fluvial sediments of the west to Na-SO4-Cl in the deltaic sediments to the east. Sequentially evolving hydrogeochemical facies and increasing salinization closely resembled regional groundwater flow pattern. Distinct spatial

  17. Environmental geology of the Wilcox Group Lignite Belt, east Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Henry, C.D.; Basciano, J.M.

    This report provides a data base for decisions about lignite mining and reclamation in the Wilcox Group of East Texas. A set of environmental geologic maps, which accompanies this report, depicts the character of the land that will be affected by mining. The environmental geologic maps of the East Texas lignite belt provide an accurate inventory of land resources. The maps identify areas where mining is most likely to occur, areas of critical natural resources that could be affected by mining, such as aquifer recharge areas, and areas of natural hazards, such as floodplains. Principal areas of both active andmore » planned surface mining are also located. The seven environmental geologic maps cover the outcrop area of the Wilcox Group, the major lignite host, and adjacent geologic units from Bastrop County to Texarkana. This report begins with a discussion of various physical aspects of the lignite belt, including geology, hydrology, soils, climate, and land use, to aid in understanding the maps. The criteria and methodology used to delineate the environmental geologic units are discussed. Varied applications of the environmental geologic maps are considered. 23 references, 9 figures, 3 tables.« less

  18. Geology and ground-water resources of Winkler County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Garza, Sergio; Wesselman, John B.

    1963-01-01

    The chemical quality of the water in the principal aquifers is generally acceptable for industry and for public supply. About two-thirds of the samples collected from fresh-water wells had a dissolved-solids content of less than 1,000 ppm (parts per million) ; however, some samples in a few areas were hard and were high in fluoride and silica. Samples from wells in polluted areas contained dissolved solids ranging from about 1,400 to 71,100 ppm. Two comprehensive analyses of water samples from the Rustler formation showed a dissolved-solids content of 18,400 ppm. and 157,000 ppm. In most of the water produced with the oil in the Hendrick oil field, the content of dissolved solids ranged from about 4,000 to about 10,000 ppm. The water produced with the oil in the rest of the oil fields in Winkler County was mainly brine.

  19. Wilcox group (Paleocene to Eocene) coals of the Sabine Uplift area, Texas and Louisiana

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hook, Robert W.; Warwick, Peter D.; SanFilipo, John R.; Warwick, Peter D.; Karlsen, Alexander K.; Merrill, Matthew D.; Valentine, Brett J.

    2011-01-01

    The Wilcox Group (Paleocene to Eocene) of the Sabine uplift, a structural arch in northeastern Texas and northwestern Louisiana (Figure 1), has lignite zones that approach subbituminous rank (see Chapter 4, this publication). These coals are among the highest quality resources known within the Gulf Coastal Plain because of their low ash yield and sulfur content. The surface expression of the Sabine uplift is defined by the contact between coal-bearing rocks of the Wilcox Group and overlying fluvial rocks of the Carrizo Sand, which is the basal unit of the Claiborne Group (Figures 2, 3). The Sabine uplift study area includes parts of Harrison, Marion, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, and Shelby Counties in Texas and Bossier, Caddo, De Soto, Natchitoches, Red River, and Sabine Parishes in Louisiana (Figure 1). Adjacent counties and parishes that include the subsurface Wilcox Group extend the regional Sabine uplift area. The Wilcox in the subsurface is underlain by the Midway Group (Figure 3), a mudstone-dominated marine sequence of Paleocene age. Quaternary alluvium and terrace deposits overlying the Wilcox Group at the surface are limited to areas of modern drainage.The total thickness of the Wilcox Group within the Sabine uplift area ranges from approximately 400 ft on outcrop to 2500 ft in subsurface (Kaiser, 1990). In a few places, the contact between the overlying Carrizo Sand and Wilcox Group is erosional, but in other places, the contact is gradational.

  20. Statistical characteristics of storm interevent time, depth, and duration for eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Asquith, William H.; Roussel, Meghan C.; Cleveland, Theodore G.; Fang, Xing; Thompson, David B.

    2006-01-01

    The design of small runoff-control structures, from simple floodwater-detention basins to sophisticated best-management practices, requires the statistical characterization of rainfall as a basis for cost-effective, risk-mitigated, hydrologic engineering design. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, has developed a framework to estimate storm statistics including storm interevent times, distributions of storm depths, and distributions of storm durations for eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The analysis is based on hourly rainfall recorded by the National Weather Service. The database contains more than 155 million hourly values from 774 stations in the study area. Seven sets of maps depicting ranges of mean storm interevent time, mean storm depth, and mean storm duration, by county, as well as tables listing each of those statistics, by county, were developed. The mean storm interevent time is used in probabilistic models to assess the frequency distribution of storms. The Poisson distribution is suggested to model the distribution of storm occurrence, and the exponential distribution is suggested to model the distribution of storm interevent times. The four-parameter kappa distribution is judged as an appropriate distribution for modeling the distribution of both storm depth and storm duration. Preference for the kappa distribution is based on interpretation of L-moment diagrams. Parameter estimates for the kappa distributions are provided. Separate dimensionless frequency curves for storm depth and duration are defined for eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Dimension is restored by multiplying curve ordinates by the mean storm depth or mean storm duration to produce quantile functions of storm depth and duration. Minimum interevent time and location have slight influence on the scale and shape of the dimensionless frequency curves. Ten example problems and solutions to possible applications are

  1. Carbon in weathered ordinary chondrites from Roosevelt County

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ash, R. D.; Pillinger, C. T.

    1993-01-01

    A suite of Roosevelt County ordinary chondrites of known terrestrial age have been analyzed for carbon content and isotopic composition. Initial results indicate that significant carbon contamination is evident only in samples with a terrestrial age greater than 40 ka. These samples are of weathering grade D and E and contain three times more carbon than the less weathered samples. The soil in which they were preserved has a carbon content of ca. 1.5 percent. Over 200 meteorites have been recovered from a series of soil depleted areas of New Mexico and West Texas. Most have been recovered from blowouts near Clovis in Roosevelt County (RC) on the high plains of New Mexico. The mineralogical and petrologic Al effects of weathering upon these samples have been studied previously and show that the degree of weathering is largely depend ant upon the terrestrial residence time. The study was undertaken to determine the effects of prolonged exposure to the soil and climate of Roosevelt County upon ordinary chondrites in the hope that this will enable a better understanding of the problems associated with the collection of meteoritic falls. A suite of ten grade 4 to 6 H, L, and LL ordinary chondrites were analyzed for carbon content and isotopic composition.

  2. The relationship between seismicity and wastewater injection in Johnson County, TX

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, S. S.; Walter, J. I.; Frohlich, C.; DeShon, H. R.

    2015-12-01

    In light of recent research that suggests some high-rate wastewater injection wells from commercial oil and gas operations are casually linked to recent earthquakes in North Texas and Oklahoma, we apply a waveform cross-correlation technique to continuous waveform data from 38 seismic stations across Texas and Oklahoma using templates from 96 cataloged events from 2010-2015. We focus on an area near Venus TX, 40 km south of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area in Johnson County where a M4.0 earthquake was reported by the USGS on 7 May 2015. The epicenter was within several km of 4 high rate wells with max injection rates ranging between 684,000-833,000 barrels/month. Templates were chosen from the USGS and locally derived Venus aftershock sequence, events in the ANSS catalog with a minimum magnitude of 2 between 2009-2015, and previously located earthquakes recorded by USArray stations between 2009-2011. In Johnson County, there are 27 wastewater injection wells, each with a reported maximum injection rate of 104,000 barrels/month and greater. We detected 494 events within Johnson and adjacent counties, with approximately 36% of the detections occurring within 10 km of the Venus earthquake, spanning March 2010 to June 2015. Most of the seismicity occurs adjacent to higher rate injection wells, suggesting a link between monthly injection rate and earthquake occurrence. Template matching allows us to detect earthquakes otherwise too small to be picked up by routine earthquake identification methods and informs our research concerning the presence and spatial distribution of possibly induced, small magnitude earthquakes. We plan to apply this technique to detect seismicity that may have occurred prior to the start of wastewater injection or felt earthquakes.

  3. The Texas We Create: State of Texas Children 2012--Texas KIDS COUNT Annual Data Book

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Deviney, Frances; Hattemer, Kori

    2012-01-01

    The 2012 data book explores how our kids have fared during the last decade--some outcomes are positive, some negative. But positive or negative outcomes for kids don't just happen. They are the inevitable results of effective or failed policy choices. The State of Texas Children 2012 combines data and policy to tell the story of Texas kids. It's…

  4. Application of facies analysis to improve gas reserve growth in Fluvial Frio Reservoirs, La Gloria Field, South Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ambrose, W.A.; Jackson, M.L.W.; Finley, R.J.

    1988-01-01

    Geologically based infill-drilling strategies hold great potential for extension of domestic gas resources. Traditional gas-well drilling and development have often assumed homogeneous and continuous reservoirs; uniform gas-well spacing has resulted in numerous untapped reservoirs isolated from other productive sand bodies. Strategically located infill wells drilled into these undrained reservoirs may ultimately contact an additional 20% of original gas in place in Texas gas fields. Tertiary formations in the Texas Gulf Coast commonly exhibit multiple fluvial and fluvial-deltaic reservoirs that contain vertical and horizontal permeability barriers. For example, the Frio La Gloria field (Jim Wells and Brooks Counties, Texas) contains isolatedmore » and compartmentalized reservoirs that can be related to the irregular distribution of heterogeneous facies. Net-sand and log-facies maps in areas of dense well spacing delineate relatively continuous pay defined by lenticular point-bar and channel-fill deposits 1,500-2,500 ft wide. These point-bar deposits are flanked laterally by sand-poor levee and splay facies that isolate the reservoirs into narrow, dip-elongate bands.« less

  5. National Guidebook for Application of Hydrogeomorphic Assessment to Tidal Fringe Wetlands

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-12-01

    Wrighton Road Lothian, MD 20711 Ron Thorn Battele Marine Science Laboratory 1529 West Sequim Bay Road Sequim , WA 98382 Rena Weichenburg U.S. Army...This region includes the Delaware and Chesapeake Bay estuaries and, except for the exclusion of the microtidal Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds...Gulf (Pearl River, Mississippi, to Galveston Bay , Texas). Small tidal range (< 1 m), meteorologically dominated diurnal tides. Freshwater input

  6. Solar Hot Water for Motor Inn--Texas City, Texas

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1982-01-01

    Final report describes solar domestic-hot-water heater installation at LaQuinta Motor Inn, Texas City, Texas which furnished 63% of total hot-water load of new 98-unit inn. Report presents a description of system, drawings and photographs of collectors, operations and maintenance instructions, manufacturers' specifications for pumps, and an engineer's report on performance.

  7. Tort reform is associated with significant increases in Texas physicians relative to the Texas population.

    PubMed

    Stewart, Ronald M; West, Molly; Schirmer, Richard; Sirinek, Kenneth R

    2013-01-01

    Texas implemented comprehensive tort reform in 2003. We hypothesized that tort reform was followed by a significant increase of physicians practicing in Texas. To test this hypothesis, we compared the rate of physician growth prior to and following tort reform, and the number of licensed physicians and physicians per 100,000. Comparing before and after tort reform, the rate of increase in Texas physicians per 100,000 population increased significantly (p < 0.01). From 2002 to 2012, the Texas population increased 21 %. The number of actively practicing Texas physicians increased by 15,611 a 44 % increase (46 % metro areas vs. 9 % non-metro areas), an increase of 30 physicians per 100,000 population (p < 0.01). Non-metropolitan Texas had a net increase of 215 physicians; however, there was no change in the number of physicians per 100,000. Examining the data by trauma service areas (TSAs), 20 of 22 TSAs had an increase in both number of physicians and physicians per capita, five greater than 50 %. The post-tort reform period in Texas was associated with a significantly increased growth rate of physicians relative to the Texas population. Tort reform, as implemented in Texas, provides a needed framework for improving access to health care.

  8. Colonias in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas: A Summary Report. Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, Policy Research Report, Number 18.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haynes, Kingsley E.; And Others

    The Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas consists of three counties: Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy. Poverty pervades in the Valley, especially in the colonias ("a poor, rural unincorporated community with 20 or more dwelling units, where home ownership is the rule"). Colonia residents are almost exclusively Mexican Americans.…

  9. PREVALENCE AND INTENSITY OF THE SINUS ROUNDWORM ( SKRJABINGYLUS CHITWOODORUM) IN RABIES-NEGATIVE SKUNKS OF TEXAS, USA.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Malorri R; Negovetich, Nicholas J; Mayes, Bonny C; Dowler, Robert C

    2018-01-01

    :  Estimates of the distribution and prevalence of the sinus roundworm ( Skrjabingylus chitwoodorum) have been based largely on the inspection of skunk (Mephitidae) skulls showing damage from infections. We examined 595 striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis) and nine hog-nosed skunks ( Conepatus leuconotus) that had tested negative for rabies by the Texas Department of State Health Services (US) between November 2010 and April 2015 to determine species of Skrjabingylus, prevalence and intensity of infection, and distribution of infection in Texas by county. We expected ecoregions with more precipitation to have higher rates of infection than more-arid ecoregions. Prevalence of S. chitwoodorum in striped skunks was 48.7%, with a mean intensity of 19.4 (SD=24.44, range=1-181) nematodes. There was a bias for the left sinus. The prevalence of infection varied among ecoregions of Texas, but it was not correlated with precipitation. Infection intensity did not vary among ecoregions. The prevalence of sinus roundworms in rabies-negative skunks suggested that behavioral changes because of skrjabingylosis might have been responsible for the submission by the public of some skunks for rabies testing.

  10. Potential for bed-material entrainment in selected streams of the Edwards Plateau - Edwards, Kimble, and Real Counties, Texas, and vicinity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Heitmuller, Franklin T.; Asquith, William H.

    2008-01-01

    The Texas Department of Transportation spends considerable money for maintenance and replacement of low-water crossings of streams in the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas as a result of damages caused in part by the transport of cobble- and gravel-sized bed material. An investigation of the problem at low-water crossings was made by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation, and in collaboration with Texas Tech University, Lamar University, and the University of Houston. The bed-material entrainment problem for low-water crossings occurs at two spatial scales - watershed scale and channel-reach scale. First, the relative abundance and activity of cobble- and gravel-sized bed material along a given channel reach becomes greater with increasingly steeper watershed slopes. Second, the stresses required to mobilize bed material at a location can be attributed to reach-scale hydraulic factors, including channel geometry and particle size. The frequency of entrainment generally increases with downstream distance, as a result of decreasing particle size and increased flood magnitudes. An average of 1 year occurs between flows that initially entrain bed material as large as the median particle size, and an average of 1.5 years occurs between flows that completely entrain bed material as large as the median particle size. The Froude numbers associated with initial and complete entrainment of bed material up to the median particle size approximately are 0.40 and 0.45, respectively.

  11. Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards Aquifer outcrop, Comal County, Texas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Small, T.A.; Hanson, J.A.

    1994-01-01

    In Comal County, the Edwards aquifer is probably most vulnerable to surface contamination in the rapidly urbanizing areas on the Edwards aquifer outcrop. Possible contamination can result from spills, leakage of hazardous materials, or runoff onto the intensely faulted and fractured, karstic limestone outcrops characteristic of the recharge zone.

  12. Evaluation of Hydraulically Significant Discontinuities in Dockum Group Mudrocks in Andrews County, Texas

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holt, R. M.; Kuszmaul, J. S.; Cao, S.; Powers, D. W.

    2013-12-01

    Triassic mudrocks of the Dockum Group (Cooper Canyon Formation) host four, below-grade landfills at the Waste Control Specialists (WSC) site in Andrews County, Texas, including: a hazardous waste landfill and three radioactive waste landfills. At the study site, the Dockum consists of mudrocks with sparse siltstone/sandstone interbeds that developed in a semi-arid environment from an ephemeral meandering fluvial system. Sedimentary studies reveal that the mudrocks are ancient floodplain vertisols (soils with swelling clays) and siltstone/sandstone interbeds are fluvial channel deposits that were frequently subaerially exposed. Rock discontinuities, including fractures and syndepositional slickensided surfaces, were mapped during the excavation of the WCS radioactive waste landfills along vertical faces prepared by the construction contractor. Face locations were selected to insure a sampled area with nearly complete vertical coverage for each landfill. Individual discontinuities were mapped and their strike, dip, length, roughness, curvature, staining, and evidence of displacement were described. In the three radioactive waste disposal landfills, over 1750 discontinuities across 35 excavated faces were mapped and described, where each face was nominally 8 to 10 ft tall and 50 to 100 ft long. Genetic units related to paleosol development were identified. On average, the orientation of the discontinuities was horizontal, and no other significant trends were observed. Mapping within the landfill excavations shows that most discontinuities within Dockum rocks are horizontal, concave upward, slickensided surfaces that developed in the depositional environment, as repeated wetting and drying cycles led to shrinking and swelling of floodplain vertisols. Fractures that showed staining (a possible indicator of past or present hydraulic activity) are rare, vertical to near-vertical, and occur mainly in, and adjacent to, mechanically stiff siltstone and sandstone interbeds

  13. DNA contents in Texas bluegrass (Poa arachnifera) selected in Texas and Oklahoma determined by flow cytometry

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Texas bluegrass (Poa arachnifera Torr.) is a dioecious, perennial, cool-season grass native to southern Kansas, Oklahoma, western Arkansas and most of Texas. Its major use has been for forage on rangelands in Texas and Oklahoma. More recently, interspecific hybrids between Texas bluegrass and Kentuc...

  14. The Assessment of Business and Industry Needs; Phase II of Multi-County Assessment of Adult Needs Project (MAP).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ferguson, L. G.; And Others

    In order to assess the felt needs and interests of the local population and business community relative to education and training, a survey was designed and implemented in the four-county area surrounding Waco, Texas. This volume, part two of a three part series, documents the work done in developing and conducting the business and industry…

  15. 8. Copyphoto of 1934 aerial photo, view to the east, ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    8. Copy-photo of 1934 aerial photo, view to the east, by the U.S. Army Air Corps, showing bridge tender's station and Mud Bayou Railway Bridge under construction - High Island Bridge Tender's Station, State Highway 124 Crossing of Mud Bayou, High Island, Galveston County, TX

  16. Paluxy of the Central Basin-East Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Presley, M.W.

    1993-09-01

    The Paluxy Formation (Lower Cretaceous) has been a consistent sandstone exploration objective in the central East Texas basin, occurring at moderate depths on the order of 5000-8000 ft with oil in reservoirs with good permeability and porosity and reserves in the range of 200,000 to 500,000 bbl per well. Since the 1940s, the pace of Paluxy field discovery has been steady, generally a new field or two every one or two years, and there is every reason to believe that there is continued potential for the Paluxy in the future. The central part of the East Texas basin, in Smithmore » County and adjacent areas, has complex structure with numerous salt domes and intervening sediment wedges (turtles) that formed during movement of the salt. Paluxy oil and gas in this area occurs mainly in combination structural-stratigraphic traps along normal faults that cut turtles. Major exploration trends in the central basin include (1) the Lindale turtle with a number of widely spaced fields, generally with only a few wells but with relatively good per-well reserves, (2) the Tyler turtle with the largest fields and some of the most prolific Paluxy production in the central basin, (3) the Flint and Irene turtles with relatively thin sandstones and modest production, (4) the Lane Chapel turtle with some exciting new Paluxy discoveries, and (5) the rim areas of salt domes.« less

  17. 75 FR 68398 - Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern Railroad, LLC-Acquisition and Operation Exemption-Texas, Oklahoma...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-05

    ... & Eastern Railroad, LLC--Acquisition and Operation Exemption--Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern Railroad Company Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern Railroad, LLC (TOE), a noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to acquire from Texas, Oklahoma & Eastern Railroad Company and to operate...

  18. Petroleum Science and Technology Institute with the TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Olson, H. C.; Olson, J. E.; Bryant, S. L.; Lake, L. W.; Bommer, P.; Torres-Verdin, C.; Jablonowski, C.; Willis, M.

    2009-12-01

    The TeXas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution, a professional development program for 8th- thru 12th-grade Earth Science teachers, presented a one-week Petroleum Science and Technology Institute at The University of Texas at Austin campus. The summer program was a joint effort between the Jackson School of Geosciences and the Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. The goal of the institute was to focus on the STEM components involved in the petroleum industry and to introduce teachers to the larger energy resources theme. The institute kicked off with a welcoming event and tour of a green, energy-efficient home (LEED Platinum certified) owned by one of the petroleum engineering faculty. Tours of the home included an introduction to rainwater harvesting, solar energy, sustainable building materials and other topics on energy efficiency. Classroom topics included drilling technology (including a simulator lab and an overview of the history of the technology), energy use and petroleum geology, well-logging technology and interpretation, reservoir engineering and volumetrics (including numerous labs combining chemistry and physics), risk assessment and economics, carbon capture and storage (CO2 sequestration technology) and hydraulic fracturing. A mid-week field trip included visiting the Ocean Star offshore platform in Galveston, the Weiss Energy Hall at the Houston Museum of Science and Schlumberger (to view 3-D visualization technology) in Houston. Teachers remarked that they really appreciated the focused nature of the institute and especially found the increased use of mathematics both a tool for professional growth, as well as a challenge for them to use more math in their science classes. STEM integration was an important feature of the summer institute, and teachers found the integration of science (earth sciences, geophysics), technology, engineering (petroleum, chemical and reservoir) and mathematics particularly valuable. Pre

  19. A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Community Action Program in Austin and Travis County, Texas. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tracor, Inc., Austin, TX.

    Produced in four parts, this report covers a study of poor people in Austin, Texas, begun in 1967. Initial research efforts defined the problem and identified the population to be studied. An interim report was then made on the first year's findings. This involved evaluating some of the community action programs (CAP) and identifying and analyzing…

  20. Hydrologic data for urban studies in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area, 1979

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Liscum, Fred; Weigel, Jay F.; Bruchmiller, J.P.

    1982-01-01

    Hydrologic investigations of urban watersheds in Texas were begun by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1954. Studies are now in progress in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio.The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Houston, began studies in the Houston metropolitan area in 1964. The program was expanded in 1968 to include collection of water-quality data. The objectives of the Houston urban-hydrology study are as follows:To determine, on the basis of historical data and hydro!ogic analyses, the magnitude and frequency of flood peaks and flood volumes.To determine the effect of urban development on flood peaks and volumes.To ascertain the variation in water quality for different flow conditions and different seasons.This report, the sixteenth in a series of reports to be published annually, is primarily applicable to objective 2. The report presents hydro!ogic data collected in the Houston urban area for the 1979 water year (October 1, 1978 to September 30, 1979).A report by Johnson and Sayre (1973) utilized records collected from 1965 to 1969 to make a study of the effects of urbanization on floods in the Houston area. The report also summarizes various basin parameters. A report by Waddell, Massey, and Jennings (1979) presents data on computed runoff from the Houston area and computed concentrations and loads of selected waterquality constituents combined in the inflow to Galveston Bay. The study utilized a variation of the "STORM" model developed by the Hydro!ogic Engineering Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A report prepared by Li scum and Massey (1980) presents a technique for estimating the magnitude and frequency of floods in the Houston area from drainage areas, bank-full conveyance, and percentage of urban development.A definition of terms related to streamflow, water quality, and other hydrologic data, as used in this report, are defined in "U.S. Geological Survey, Water-resources data for Texas, volume 2, 1979."To facilitate the