Big Thicket National Preserve
Hydrogeology

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of freshwater at Big Thicket National Preserve. Sprawled over an area of 9000 km2, the park manages (390 km2 or 3,900 hectares and over 300 km of stream corridor. These streams, ranging from headwater creeks to the Neches River, play a vital role in the ecologic function of the Preserve. Draining the southwestern portion of the Lower Neches, these streams originate in the gently rolling sandy terrain – the adjoining the Trinity River lies to the west – and soon cross the vast flat-lying Costal Plain of Southeast Texas. Adjacent riparian forests depend on regular flooding to replenish nutrients and to support obligate and tolerant species.

Streams of the Big Thicket, as they cross the broad southeast Texas Costal Plain, do not exist as a function of this plain, but as drainage features of the hills to the north. As rain falls upon the flat-lying sands of the plain, it serves as groundwater recharge, with very little recharging the streams as surface runoff. Indeed, rain must fall in immediate proximity to the stream to serve as surface recharge. Runoff from the slopes of the north is augmented into the numerous ephemeral channels that feed the headwater streams of the Preserve.
With exception of Menard Creek, all streams within the Preserve drain into the Neches River. Although containing several tributaries, there are two main streams that are in some part managed by the NPS, Village Creek, and Pine Island Bayou. Menard Creek, although adjacent to the headwaters of Village Creek, enters the Trinity River near the community of Romayor Texas.

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Sample Site Locations

Menard Creek (BITH_MCMC)
Big Sandy Creek (BITH_BSVC)
Turkey Creek (BITH_TCTC)
Mouth of Village Creek @ Neches River (BITH_VCVC)
Little Pine Island Bayou at Saratoga (BITH_LPIB)
Village Creek at McNeely Road (BITH_MRVC)
Neches River at FM 1013, near Spurger, TX (LNVA site 10581)
Neches River near Lakeview Community (LNVA site 15343)
Little Pine Island Bayou at FM 326, north of Sour Lake, TX (LNVA site 15346)
Pine Island Bayou at Old Sour Lake Road, south of Sour Lake (LNVA site 10607)
Pine Island Bayou at SH 105/FM 770, near Batson, TX (LNVA site 15367)
Pine Island Bayou at LNVA Neches 1st Lift, Beaumont (LNVA site 10599)
Pine Island Bayou at US 69/US 96/US 287 (LNVA site 10602)
Big Sandy Creek at US 190 on the Alabama Coushatta Indian Res (LNVA site 15353)
Turkey Creek at FM 1013, near Hillister, TX (LNVA site 15356)
Village Creek at FM 418, near Kountze, TX (LNVA site 13625)
Hickory Creek at US 69, south of Warren, TX (LNVA site 15349)
Beech Creek at FM 1943, near Fred, TX (LNVA site 15355)
Cypress Creek at US 69 at Kountze, TX (LNVA site 13622)

Parameters Collected

Field Data

Site ID code
Sample Collection Date
Sample Collection Time
Days since last significant rainfall
Air Temperature (C)
Specific Conductance (�S)
Dissolved Oxygen (mg/l)
Dissolved Oxygen (% saturation)
Flow (l/s)
Flow Severity
pH (SU)
Secchi Depth (ft)
Water Temperature (C)
 
Laboratory Data

Alkalinity, total (mg/l)
Ammonia-N (mg/l)
Chloride (mg/l)
Escherichia coli (colonies.100ml)
Fecal coliform (colinies/100ml)
Hardness, total (mg/l)
Nitrate/Nitrite � N (mg/l)
Ortho-phosphorous (mg/l)
Sulfate (mg/l)
Total Dissolved Solids
Total Phosphorous
Turbidity

USGS Real Time Online Data Links

• USGS 08066300 Menard Ck nr Rye, TX
• USGS 08041780 Neches Rv Saltwater Barrier at Beaumont, TX
• USGS 08041700 Pine Island Bayou nr Sour Lake, TX
• USGS 08041500 Village Ck nr Kountze, TX
• USGS 08041000 Neches Rv at Evadale, TX

Data  Folder  Tree
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Meiman J. 2012. Gulf Coast Network water quality report: Status of water quality of Big Thicket National Preserve. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado. Natural Resource Technical Report. NPS/GULN/NRTR�2012/523. Published Report-2182111.

BITH Water Quality Data Continuous Sampling Event 05/23/08-05-29-08

•    Big Sandy Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Excel File
•    Big Sandy Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Graph
•    Little Pine Island Bayou 5/23/08-5/29/08 Excel File
•    Little Pine Island Bayou 5/23/08-5/29/08 Graph
•    McNeely Bridge @ Village Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Excel File
•    McNeely Bridge @ Village Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Graph
•    Menard Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Excel File
•    Menard Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Graph
•    Mouth Village Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Excel File
•    Mouth Village Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Graph
•    Turkey Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Excel File
•    Turkey Creek 5/23/08-5/29/08 Graph
•    Metadata.xml

BITH Water Quality Data Continuous Sampling Event 5/14/09-5/21/09

•    Big Sandy Creek, Excel file 5/14/2009-5/20/2009
•    Big Sandy Creek, Graph 5/14/2009-5/20/2009
•    Little Pine Island Bayou, Excel 5/14/2009-5/21/2009
•    Little Pine Island Bayou, Graph 5/14/2009-5/21/2009
•    Menard Creek, Excel 5/14/2009-5/20/2009
•    Menard Creek, Graph 5/14/2009-5/20/2009
•    Village Creek @ McNeely Road, Excel 5/14/2009-5/21/2009
•    Village Creek@ McNeely Road
•    Turkey Creek, Excel 5/14/2009-5/21/2009
•    Turkey Creek, Graph 5/14/2009-5/21/2009
•    Mouth of Village Creek, Excel 5/14/2009-5/21/2009
•    Mouth of Village Creek, Graph 5/14/2009-5/21/2009

BITH Water Quality Data Continuous Sampling Event 5/19/10-5/25/10

•    Big Sandy Creek, Excel file 5/19/10-5/24/10
•    Big Sandy Creek, Graph 5/19/10-5/24/10
•    Little Pine Island Bayou, Excel file 5/19/10-5/24/10
•    Little Pine Island Bayou, Graph 5/19/10-5/24/10
•    Menard Creek, Excel 5/19/10-5/24/10
•    Menard Creek, Graph 5/19/10-5/24/10
•    Village Creek @ McNeely Road, Excel 5/19/10-5/25/10
•    Village Creek@ McNeely Road, Graph 5/19/10-5/25/10
•    Turkey Creek, Excel 5/19/10-5/25/10
•    Turkey Creek, Graph 5/19/10-5/25/10
•    Mouth of Village Creek, Excel 5/19/10-5/25/10
•    Mouth of Village Creek, Graph 5/19/10-5/25/10

BITH Water Quality Data Continuous Sampling Event 5/25/11-5/31/11

•    Little Pine Island Bayou, Graph 5/25/2011-5/31/2011
•    Village Creek at McNeely Bridge, Graph 5/25/2011-5/31/2011
•    Manard Creek, Graph 5/25/2011-5/31/2011
•    Turkey Creek, Graph 5/25/2011-5/31/2011
•    Mouth of Village Creek, Graph 5/25/2011-5/31/2011
•    Big Sandy Creek at FM 1276, Graph 5/25/2011-5/31/2011

BITH Water Quality Data Continuous Sampling Event 5/30/12-6/05/12

•    Little Pine Island Bayou, Graph 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Little Pine Island Bayou, Excel 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Village Creek at McNeely Bridge, Graph 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Village Creek at McNeely Bridge, Excel 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Manard Creek, Graph 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Manard Creek, Excel 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Turkey Creek, Graph 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Turkey Creek, Excel 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Mouth of Village Creek, Graph 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Mouth of Village Creek, Excel 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Big Sandy Creek at FM 1276, Graph 5/30/2012-6/05/2012
•    Big Sandy Creek at FM 1276, Excel 5/30/2012-6/05/2012