Water School

Salinity or chloride concentration, refers to the amount of salt dissolved or contained in water. The higher the salinity, the less useful the water is for human consumption, agriculture and other uses.

The Brazos River particularly in the upper part of the watershed, contains a high amount of salinity due to a naturally occurring underground salt deposits located northwest of Abilene.  As a result, surface water in some areas of the Brazos River must be treated to remove the amount of salt before it may be available for human consumption.

The Brazos River Authority operates an inland desalination water treatment plant (Surface Water and Treatment System) located on Lake Granbury to provide water to the Hood and Johnson County areas.