Digital data sets that describe aquifer characteristics of the Rush Springs aquifer in western Oklahoma

This data set consists of digitized aquifer boundaries for the Rush Springs aquifer in western Oklahoma. This area encompasses all or part of Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Comanche, Custer, Dewey, Grady, Stephens, and Washita Counties. Mark F. Becker (U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1997) created an aquifer boundary data set that represented hydrologic boundaries needed to simulate the ground-water flow in the Rush Springs aquifer with a computer model. In the ground-water flow model, Mark F. Becker defined the Rush Springs aquifer to include the Rush Springs Formation, alluvial and terrace deposits along major streams, and parts of the Marlow Formations, particularly in the eastern part of the aquifer boundary area.

The Permian-age Rush Springs Formation consists of highly cross-bedded sandstone with some interbedded dolomite and gypsum. The Rush Springs Formation is overlain by Quaternary-age alluvial and terrace deposits that consist of unconsolidated clay, silt, sand, and gravel. The Rush Springs Formation is underlain by the Permian-age Marlow Formation that consists of interbedded sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, gypsum-anhydrite, and dolomite beds. The parts of the Marlow Formation that have high permeability and porosity are where the Marlow Formation is included as part of the Rush Springs aquifer (Mark F. Becker, written commun., 1997).