A review of regional hydrogeology studies in the Sacramento Mountains and Tularosa Basin
Stacy Timmons, Geoff Rawling, Talon Newton, Shari Kelley, and Ethan Mamer
Presenting work funded by
NM Legislature through OSWCD + USGS NCGMP and National Park Service at White Sands National Monument
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources
A service and research division of New Mexico Tech. We serve as the geological survey for the state. Components of our mission:
. Conduct research and interact with State and Federal agencies and industry to facilitate prudent exploitation of the state's geological resources.
. Distribute accurate information to scientists, decision makers, and the New Mexico public regarding the state's geologic infrastructure, mineral and energy resources, and geohydrology (including water quantity and quality).
. Create accurate, up-to-date maps (using GIS) of the state's geology and resource potential.
. Act as a repository for cores, well cuttings and a wide variety of geological data. Provide convenient physical and internet access for New Mexicans to such resources.
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Aquifer Mapping at the Bureau of Geology
What we do: . Characterize the quantity, quality and distribution of groundwater in aquifers using detailed information from geology, hydrology, geochemistry, and geophysics. Products: . Regional hydrogeology technical reports
. Maps of subsurface groundwater features
. Hydrogeologic models and detailed data for regional aquifers
. Scientifically defensible planning tools
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Two water planning regions
geoinfo.nmt.edu/resources/water/amp
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Mountain area recharge
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Regional water table
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Groundwater recharge estimates in the Sacramento Mountains Goals: . Quantify the timing, location, and quantity of groundwater recharge in the Sacramento Mountains
. Relate the quantity to recharge estimates for the Roswell Artesian Basin
Methods: . Quantify timing with stable isotopes
. Quantify location with water chemistry and climatic data
. Quantify amount with Cl mass- balance technique
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Location of groundwater recharge
Determining recharge area: 1. Can assume most recharge is within area where long-term average precipitation > evaporation
2. Freshest spring waters, youngest ages, changes in isotopic composition in idicates most recharge occurs above ~ 2380 m (7800 ft)
3. This is similar to the area where average annual precipitation > 58 cm
4. It is also the elevation at which the Cl concentration in groundwater stops changing…
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Location and quantity of groundwater recharge
Cl mass balance method: . Naturally occurring Cl in precipitation and dust enters groundwater
. Evapotranspiration concentrates Cl
. Degree of Cl concentration in groundwater determines percentage of recharge
. Each water sample gives a recharge value
. Wide range above 2380 m (7800 ft) due to water “recycling”
. Values below 2380 m are best estimates of recharge %
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
Quantity of groundwater recharge Recharge to RAB from Total Recharge to Source Yeso Fm alone Method RAB (acre-feet/yr) (acre-feet/yr) Estimation of Fiedler and Nye 1 ≤ 235,268 ≤ 176,443 predevelopment 1933 discharge Correlation with 2 Hantush 1957 257,073 192,801 precipitation in 1928, 1936, 1944 Correlation with 3yr Saleem and Jacob 3 177,051 – 309,089 132,030 – 232,066 precip. (1903 – 1968 1971 avg.) 4 Summers 1972 231,961 173,946 Water budget 5 Duffy et al. 1978 - 133,035 Darcy calculation
6 DBSA 1995 260,072 175,049 Flow model calibration
Present study – 129,631; 7a above 2380 m elv. - Chloride mass balance 88,152 – 171,117 contour
Present study – 178,291; 7b above 58 cm - Chloride mass balance 120,795 – 234,490 precip. contour
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Watershed study
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources The Sacramento Mountains Watershed Study
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tree thinning
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Soil water balance
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Effects of tree thinning
• Canopy interception decreases – More water reaches the ground.
• Runoff does not change significantly.
• Net transpiration decreases (at least in the short- term).
• Soil water evaporation increases.
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Potential ET – The amount of evaporation that would occur if a sufficient amount of water were available
• In the Southwestern US, potential ET greatly exceeds the average annual precipitation rates.
• Both evaporation and transpiration are driven by same factors
• Solar radiation
• Air temperature
• Humidity
• Wind
• An increase in water storage in the shallow soil will result in an increase in evaporation rates.
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Infiltration and storage of water in soils
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Good news – Preferential flow
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Conclusions
• Evidence suggests that tree thinning in the Sacramento Mountains does increase potential groundwater recharge.
• This treatment is suitable for settings where the shallow hydrologic system is local.
• Tree thinning is recommended for many reasons, but not for the sole purpose of increasing large- scale groundwater recharge
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Local hydrogeology
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Where and when will we see a response to thinning?
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Recommendations
Tree thinning to increase water supply
. watersheds, where springs and shallow groundwater is local Tree thinning as a forest restoration technique
. Above 8000 feet elevation
. Decrease fire hazard
. Improve wildlife habitat
. PROTECT RECHARGE AREA
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tularosa Basin - Geology
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tularosa Basin & the Rio Grande rift
Colorado Plateau
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Regional Geology
NM State Geology map (Bureau of Geology, 2003) Scale of 1:500,000 (1 in ~ 42000 ft)
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Detailed geologic mapping
Two compilation maps at a scale of 1:50,000 (~1 in ~ 4200 ft)
Compilation maps compiled using geologic mapping from 17 1:24,000 scale quadrangles
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Southern compilation map Northern compilation map
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tularosa Basin hydrology
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Water table maps Northern region Southern region
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Mountain Front Recharge (MFR)
Water drains from nearby mountains and recharges the adjacent basin aquifer.
Occurs at the mouths of drainage basins, where perennial and ephemeral streams flow into the basin and infiltrate into the porous alluvial fans.
Previous study (Waltemeyer, 2001) calculated using the ‘Basin-Climatic Characteristic Method.’
This equation takes into account:
The area of various drainages that discharge into the Tularosa Basin
The average annual precipitation of each basin based on its mean elevation.
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Mountain Block Recharge (MBR)
Groundwater that recharges at high elevations
Flows through the mountain-block, before entering the basin-fill aquifer.
The difference between the ‘Total Darcy Flow’ estimation and the published mountain front recharge approximation.
Mountain Block = Darcy Flow – Mountain Front
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Darcy Flow
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Hydraulic Gradient
Change in elevation by change in distance : slope of water table
North Transect
South Transect
Central Transect
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Hydraulic Conductivity (K) Describes the ease with which water flows through an aquifer
Large degree of spatial variability
>
e.g. Basin Fill Sediments e.g. Fractured Volcanics
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Saturated Thickness of Aquifers (A)
North Transect
Estimated Hydraulic Conductivity (K) TKSCC: 2 ft/day GLUP: 0.01 ft/day
Darcy Flow: 4,600 AFY ~650 AFY per mile
MFR: 4,300 AFY
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Saturated Thickness of Aquifers (A)
Central Transect
Estimated Hydraulic Conductivity (K) QTBF: 0.6 ft/day TKSCC: 0.2 ft/day GLUP: 0.001 ft/day
Darcy flow: 4,300 AFY ~350 AFY per mile
MFR: 640 AFY
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Saturated Thickness of Aquifers (A)
South Transect
Estimated Hydraulic Conductivity (K): QTBF: 6 ft/day TWL: 3 ft/day
Darcy Flow: 60,000 AFY ~2,600 AFY per mile
MFR: 40,300 AFY
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Recharge Summary . 67,900 AFY of recharge in this section of the Tularosa Basin
. 66% as Mountain-Front Recharge: mouth of drainage basins
. 33% as Mountain-Block Recharge: deeper flow paths
~ 9% of precipitation results in recharge (up to 22% in Sacramento Mtn study)
MFR (AFY) DARCY (AFY) Livingston and MBR (AFY) (Waltemeyer, 2001) TOTAL Shomaker (2006)
North 4,322 232 4,553 8,300
Central 641 3,650 4,291 5,800
South 40,361 18,695 59,056 60,500
Total 45,324 22,577 67,901 74,600 New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Groundwater movement and water quality Groundwater flow paths
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Groundwater age
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tritium Carbon-14 Groundwater age
• Groundwater is a mixture of different age parcels of water
• Groundwater in the Tularosa Basin is very old relative to Sacramento Mountains
• Tularosa Basin up to 27,500 years
• High Mountains 15-25 years old
• Pecos Slope ~1,300 years
Bottom line: It can take a very long time to replace groundwater in the Tularosa Basin
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tularosa Basin water levels
• Rises in the 1990s
• Recent declines
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Summary Tularosa Basin
• Complex geology leads to complex flow regimes
• Recharge occurs primarily in the alluvial fans at mouths of drainage basins
• Some water does move through Mountain Block, but slowly with reduced quality
• Water quality reflects source geologic material
• Water being pumped is a mixture of ages, but predominantly old water
• Many historical water levels show decline
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources White Sands National Monument – western Tularosa Basin
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Hydrologic Investigation at White Sands National Monument
Funded by National Park Service
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Study Area
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Interactions between aquifers
(modified from King and Harder, 1985, and Healy et al., 1978)
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Methodology
• Water level monitoring
• Vadose zone investigation
• Water chemistry and stable isotopes
• Groundwater age dating
• Geophysical surveys
• Installation of deep monitoring wells
• Aquifer test
• Hydrologic modeling
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Conceptual Model
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Hydrologic Modeling Construct hydrologic models at different scales
. 1-D, 2-D heat flow model at dune-scale
. 2-D hydrologic model at basin-scale
. 3-D hydrologic model at basin-scale and dune field scale
. To simulate aquifer-aquifer interactions
. To assess the effects of increased pumping in the regional aquifer to water levels in the dune field
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources 2-Dimensional Model
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Hydrologic Modeling
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources 3-Dimensional model
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Preliminary Results
• Pumping at the eastern portion of the Tularosa Basin does affect water levels in the center of the basin.
. Timing and extent are still being investigated
• The most sensitive parameter is evapotranspiration
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources From the mountains to the basin – TOUR complete!
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tularosa Basin Sacramento Mountains
• • Recharge estimates ~68,000 ac Recharge estimates ~129,000 to ft/yr 178,000 ac ft/yr toward the Roswell Artesian Basin • Up to 9% precipitation as recharge • Up to 22% precipitation as recharge • Groundwater is older: ages several thousand years to 27,500 • Groundwater is younger: ages years 15 years to 1300 years on Pecos Slope • Recharge along alluvial fans & drainages • Tree thinning may have local effects
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Thinking about the future
Average annual precipitation Average annual temperature
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Current monitoring efforts If you care about it, you measure it!
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Information for better decision making Keep a broad perspective on groundwater issues – from the mountains to the basin
Using a solid knowledge foundation to educate decision makers Build numerical model(s) to test hypotheses and forecast future conditions Build conceptual models of the system
Build a solid geologic model
Build a solid foundation with ongoing data collection.
(modified from Council of Canadian Academies, 2009)
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Acknowledgments
Hundreds of cooperative land Beta Analytic, Inc. owners! Miami Tritium Lab Otero SWCD Brigitte Felix State of New Mexico legislature Andy Campbell USGS NCGMP Camille Bryant NM ISC NMBGMR Chemistry Lab NRCS National Park Service NMFWRI Janice Carpenter (WHSA) Michael Coleman Kevin Schneider (NPS) NM State Forestry Larry Martin (NPS) Sam Fernald James Harte (NPS) Michelle Bourret Dave Love (NMBGMR) Anna Szynkiewicz Lewis Land Art Clark (USGS)
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources THANK YOU! geoinfo.nmt.edu/resources/water/amp Questions?
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Soil Water Flux
Upward flux (evaporation)
Downward flux (infiltration)
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Where is the water going?
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Tree water sources
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources