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The New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources The State Geologic Survey A Research Division of New Mexico Tech The hydrogeology program at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology is working to address the state’s most relevant water questions—such as, where can it be found, how much is there, and what is the quality of the water? We are unique because we are the only non-regulatory state agency engaged in this specialized, multidisciplinary water science and research. We are building upon a wealth of existing water information; adding new and innovative techniques and data, and ultimately providing the state with a better understanding of our water resources. Aquifer Mapping Program 2020 Three-dimensional visualizations of the subsurface geology of a portion of the Permian Basin in southeastern NM. A – Artesia R – Roswell C – Carlsbad H – Hobbs
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A – Artesia R – Roswell C – Carlsbad H – Hobbs€¦ · The Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration and Management project is a collabora-tive effort to restore 9,200 acres south

Aug 15, 2020

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Page 1: A – Artesia R – Roswell C – Carlsbad H – Hobbs€¦ · The Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration and Management project is a collabora-tive effort to restore 9,200 acres south

The New Mexico Bureau of

Geology and Mineral ResourcesThe State Geologic Survey

A Research Division of New Mexico Tech

The hydrogeology program at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology is working to address the state’s most relevant water questions—such as, where can it be found, how much is there, and what is the quality of the water? We are unique because we are the only non-regulatory state agency engaged in this specialized, multidisciplinary water science and research. We are building upon a wealth of existing water information; adding new and innovative techniques and data, and ultimately providing the state with a better understanding of our water resources.

Aquifer Mapping Program 2020

Three-dimensional visualizations of the subsurface geology of a portion of the Permian Basin in southeastern NM.

A – ArtesiaR – RoswellC – CarlsbadH – Hobbs

Page 2: A – Artesia R – Roswell C – Carlsbad H – Hobbs€¦ · The Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration and Management project is a collabora-tive effort to restore 9,200 acres south

Working around the state to characterize New Mexico’s aquifers, our research areas include: • Groundwater level monitoring • Local, regional, and statewide research • Water data management and compilation • Water quality characterization • Groundwater—surface water interactions • Groundwater movement and recharge • Brackish water aquifer assessment • Water quantity estimation and aquifer lifetime • Water science outreach and communication

Water Planet Day NMBGMR staff celebrate the WET side of Earth Day at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History. With the Museum, NMBGMR staff have organized an interactive outreach day at the Museum’s garden space outdoors, including participation from NMED, NMOSE, Sandia National Labs, Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and others. It’s a day in April filled with hands-on demonstrations about water. Our Collaborative Monitoring Network has one of our groundwater level measure-ment stations at the museum garden so participants can see how to measure water levels and see real-time data.

Come join us for Water Planet Day on April 24, 2020!

Aquifer Mapping Program 2020

Current Statewide ProjectsCollaborative Groundwater Level MonitoringIn response to the need for broader coverage of groundwater information across the state, in 2017, the Aquifer Mapping Program with funding from Healy Foundation, implemented a groundwater level monitoring network built on collaborations with communities. This Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network has grown to 682 wells and aids commu-nities with their groundwater supply management and decision making. The groundwater data are publicly available on the NMBGMR interactive map found at geoinfo.nmt.edu/maps/ by clicking the Water Resources layer list.

USGS National Ground-Water Monitoring ProgramThe NMBGMR joined the USGS National Ground-Water Monitoring Network in 2017 and is one of many state surveys sharing data to this important national program. Water-level data that the AMP regularly collects as part of the Collaborative Network is shared to a national portal, enabling better access to groundwater data related to principal aquifers in the US. Water wells in this network must be measured at least annually and have specific well criteria available to be in the program. The data portal can be found at https://cida.usgs.gov/ngwmn/.

Water Data ActThe Water Data Act (NMSA 1978, §72-4B) marks the first time in New Mexico’s history that a law has been enacted to identify and integrate key water data. The NMBGMR is the convener of the directing agencies of this legislation, working with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, the New Mexico State Engineer, the New Mexico Environment Department, Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department. Over the next few years, these agencies will create a data service to share and integrate their water data.

3D Aquifer Maps and VisualizationsIncreasingly, geological surveys both nationally and internationally are developing digital subsur-face models to assist in managing resources in challenging environments. Funded in part by the Healy Foundation, the NMBGMR is constructing such models for the Permian Basin and adjacent areas by compiling, processing, and synthesizing decades of oil, gas, and water well data; geologic surface maps and subsurface interpretations; and previous hydrogeologic studies. Combining multiple types, sources, and ages of data provides for excellent data coverage, but also presents significant challenges. Around the state, the data varies in quality and consistency, and data gaps are common. Innovative spatial analysis and geostatistical methods are adapted to evaluate data quality, improve data coverage, and build the geo-logic models while quantifying the uncertainty in model results.

Our Collaborative Network provides well owners with real-time groundwater information. Contact us at [email protected] if you are interested in becoming part of the program.

Discussion at the first NM Water Data Workshop.

Page 3: A – Artesia R – Roswell C – Carlsbad H – Hobbs€¦ · The Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration and Management project is a collabora-tive effort to restore 9,200 acres south

Sunshine Valley, Taos CountyThrough funding from the Healy Foundation and NMBGMR, a hydrogeology study of Sunshine Valley was recently completed. The results are in agreement with previous estimates that approximately 1,000 to 3,000 acre-feet of water has been removed annually from storage in the aquifer. The loss of water in storage can be seen in groundwater levels, which have trended slowly downwards since the 1980s. The most likely causes for the loss of groundwater are increased diversion of surface water for irri-gation combined with decreases in precipitation and stream-flow; and increases in mean annual air temperature.

Selected Regional Projects

Cos

tilla

Cre

ek

Questa

LlanoDitch

Cerro Canal SW

LatirPeak

floodirrigation

centerpivot

irrigation

Rio Grande

Sangre de Cristo fault zoneRito

Pre

mero

Latir

Cre

ek

Cerro

Costilla

Red

River

1

1

NS

E

W

Red

Rive

r Ca

nyon

GuadalupeMountain

UteMountain

Rio Grande Gorge Irrigated cropsAlluvial andpiedmontdeposits,Santa Fe Group

Basalt flowsFaultno

t to sc

ale

floodirrigation

Molybdenum Mine

SANGRE DE CRISTO MOUNTAINS

Cabre

sto

Cree

k

lake beds(subsurface)

43

7

2

9

9

5

5

8

2

8

6

2

5

Conceptual model of the hydrogeology of the Sunshine Valley region.

Managed Aquifer Recharge, Albuquerque Basin Albuquerque has undertaken the progressive plan of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) to increase future groundwater supplies. To that end, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) has recently completed a deep injection well to store excess river water in the aquifer. To help ABCWUA plan for this project the NMBGMR has recently finished two maps showing suitable areas to conduct MAR. One map shows suitability of MAR via deep-injection wells and the other via shallow-based methods (like arroyo-bottom recharge, infiltration basins, infiltration galleries, or shallow wells in unsatu-rated sediment). These maps were constructed using the weighted overlay method in ARCGIS and are at a scale of 1:36,000. Criteria that went into the analyses include geologic properties of the aquifer that relate to groundwater flow and storage, infiltration characteristics of the soil, the slope of the water table, depth to groundwater, and water infrastructure (e.g., pipelines, wells).

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

19701980

19902000

20102020

-0.29 ft/yrR2 =0.96

-0.18 ft/yrR2 =0.98

-0.18 ft/yrR2 =0.98

-0.15 ft/yrR2 =0.99

-0.15 ft/yrR2 =0.95

+0.01 ft/yrR2 =0.19

-0.03 ft/yrR2 =0.62

-0.02 ft/yrR2 =0.33

+0.11 ft/yrR2 =0.74

+0.15 ft/yrR2 =0.62

+0.04 ft/yrR2 =0.50

EB-339

EB-019EB-132

EB-223

EB-220

EB-387

Norm

alize

d dep

th to

water

(ft)Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration, Socorro County

The Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration and Management project is a collabora-tive effort to restore 9,200 acres south of the Bosque Del Apache Wildlife Refuge along the Rio Grande riparian corridor which burned in June 2017. Researchers at NMBGMR are working to characterize the shallow aquifer system and mea-sure groundwater levels to assess groundwater depths, flow directions, and other hydrologic processes. The information gained will be used to model different restoration scenarios to determine the most effective techniques to accomplish specific goals, such as the enhancement of wildlife habitat and improved water delivery to downstream users. This large-scale restoration project is primar-ily funded through the Water Trust Board and the Bureau of Reclamation, but includes a diverse group of stakeholders, including the Sierra Soil and Water Conservation District, New Mexico State Forestry, Save Our Bosque Task Force, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and private land owners.

Water levels have been declining in the study area at approximately 0.14 ft per year, or 1.4 ft per decade, but have stabilized since 2012.

La Cienega, Santa Fe CountyA groundwater monitoring network was implemented in the La Cienega area of Santa Fe County in 2015 through a combination of funding from the NMBGMR and concerned homeowners, with funding administered through El Rancho de Las Golondrinas. Hydrogeologic research indicates that groundwater in this region is highly susceptible to regional influences such as pumping, drought, and land use changes. The groundwater levels in many wells in the primary aquifer around La Cienega have steadily dropped since the 1970s, highlighting the importance of continued groundwater level monitoring and proactive water management in the region.

Page 4: A – Artesia R – Roswell C – Carlsbad H – Hobbs€¦ · The Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration and Management project is a collabora-tive effort to restore 9,200 acres south

We are a non-regulatory governmental agency

(the state’s geological survey) that conducts scientific

investigations leading to responsible development

of the state’s mineral, water, and energy resources.

Active Projects

REGIONAL• Salt Basin, regional hydrology study• Mimbres Basin, regional hydrology study• Plains of San Agustin, regional hydrology study• Animas River, Gold King mine spill monitoring• Snowy River, Ft. Stanton cave hydrology• Rio Rancho, groundwater data compilation and geologic mapping• Tiffany Fire Watershed Restoration• La Cienega, regional hydrology

STATEWIDE• Water Data Act• Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network• 3D Aquifer Mapping and Visualizations• USGS National Groundwater Monitoring Program

Please visit our website for information on

project areas and data:

geoinfo.nmt.edu/resources/water/amp

Water-related publications

Current projects

Completed projects New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources

801 Leroy PlaceSocorro, NM 87801-4796

(575) 835-5490 information