ABSTRACT
The limestones and associated strata that transmit water to and from the surface compose the Edwards Aquifer, the source of water for the region. The streams, springs, and aquifer are ultimately fed by rainfall from storms. Aquifer means "water bearer" in Latin. The term is commonly mentioned in the modern media and therefore a precise definition of aquifers matters for a number of reasons. For instance, a "sole source aquifer" has a certain legal status because there are no viable alternative sources of water where that aquifer exists. The Edwards Aquifer is shaped like a crescent moon, with its concave side facing to the northwest. It ends to the north because there the Cretaceous carbonate rocks that form the aquifer have been eroded away. Competition for the water from the Edwards Aquifer is intense. The greatest users of water pumped from the aquifer are municipalities and agriculture; they use 89 percent of aquifer waters.
