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Overview of Fresh and Brackish Water Quality in New Mexico

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Overview of Fresh and Brackish Water Quality in New Mexico NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES Overview of Fresh and Brackish Water Quality in New Mexico Lewis Land Open-file Report 583 June 2016 New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources A division of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, NM 87801 (575) 835 5490 Fax (575) 835 6333 geoinfo.nmt.edu Overview of Brackish Water Resources in New Mexico Lewis Land Open-file Report 583 June 2016 New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources PROJECT FUNDING New Mexico Environment Department, Drinking Water Bureau, MOU 16 667 3000 0006, Project 4. The views and conclusions are those of the authors, and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the State of New Mexico. NEW MEXICO BUREAU OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES FRESH AND BRACKISH WATER QUALITY CONTENTS I. Introduction ....................................................................... 1 Figures 1. New Mexico counties, groundwater basins and aquifers, and tectonic regions ........................2–3 II. Methods .................................................................................. 3 2. San Luis Basin, surface geology and data distribution ......................................................... 8 I. Summary of Observations ................................... 5 3. San Luis Basin plots of TDS Variation of salinity as a function of depth ......... 5 and specific conductance vs. depth ........................... 9 Three-dimensional variations in 4. Española Basin, surface geology water chemistry .............................................................. 5 and data distribution .......................................................10 Water chemistry outliers ................................................. 5 5. Española Basin plots of TDS and specific conductance vs. depth .........................11 6. Albuquerque Basin, surface geology IV. Future Work ....................................................................... 6 and data distribution .......................................................12 7. Albuquerque Basin plots of TDS V. Summary of Water Chemistry and specific conductance vs. depth .........................13 by Basin Aquifer .............................................................. 7 8. Socorro-La Jencia Basins, surface geology Rio Grande Rift basins .................................................... 7 and data distribution .......................................................14 San Luis Basin ............................................................. 7 9. Socorro-La Jencia Basins plots of TDS Española Basin ........................................................... 9 and specific conductance vs. depth .........................15 Albuquerque Basin .................................................11 10. San Marcial and Engle Basins, surface geology Socorro-La Jencia Basins ....................................15 and data distribution .......................................................16 San Marcial and Engle Basins .........................17 11. San Marcial and Engle Basins plots of TDS Palomas Basin ...........................................................17 and specific conductance vs. depth .........................17 Mesilla Basin .............................................................19 12. Palomas Basin, surface geology Basins adjacent to the Rio Grande Rift ................22 and data distribution .......................................................18 Jornada del Muerto Basin ..................................22 13. Palomas Basin plots of TDS and specific conductance vs. depth .........................19 Estancia Basin ...........................................................24 14. Mesilla Basin, surface geology Mimbres Basin ..........................................................26 and data distribution .......................................................20 San Agustin Basin ...................................................29 15. Mesilla Basin plots of TDS Tularosa Basin ..........................................................31 and specific conductance vs. depth .........................21 Lower Pecos Valley aquifers .......................................33 16. Jornada del Muerto Basin, surface geology Roswell Artesian Basin ........................................33 and data distribution .......................................................23 Capitan Reef ..............................................................36 17. Jornada del Muerto Basin plots of TDS Eastern New Mexico – High Plains and specific conductance vs. depth .........................24 tectonic regime ..............................................................39 18. Estancia Basin, surface geology Raton-Las Vegas Basins ......................................39 and data distribution .......................................................25 High Plains Aquifer ...............................................40 19. Estancia Basin plots of TDS Northwestern New Mexico: Colorado Plateau 42 and specific conductance vs. depth .........................26 San Juan Basin ..........................................................42 20. Mimbres Basin, surface geology and data distribution .......................................................27 References ....................................................................................45 21. Mimbres Basin plots of TDS Tables and specific conductance vs. depth .........................28 1. San Luis Basin, summary of water chemistry ..... 7 22. San Agustin Basin, surface geology 2. Española Basin, summary of water chemistry .... 9 and data distribution .......................................................29 3. Albuquerque Basin, summary of water 23. San Agustin Basin plots of TDS chemistry ................................................................................13 and specific conductance vs. depth .........................30 4. Socorro-La Jencia Basins, summary of 24. Tularosa Basin, surface geology water chemistry ..................................................................15 and data distribution .......................................................32 5. San Marcial and Engle Basins, summary 25. Tularosa Basin plots of TDS of water chemistry ............................................................17 and specific conductance vs. depth .........................33 6. Palomas Basin, summary of water chemistry ...19 26. Roswell Artesian Basin, surface geology 7. MesillaBasin, summary of water chemistry .......21 and data distribution .......................................................34 8. Jornada del Muerto Basin, summary of 27. Roswell Artesian Basin plots of TDS water chemistry ..................................................................22 and specific conductance vs. depth .........................35 9. Estancia Basin, summary of water chemistry ...26 28. Capitan Reef aquifer, surface geology 10. Mimbres Basin, summary of water chemistry ..28 and data distribution .......................................................37 11. San Agustin Basin, summary of water 29. Raton and Las Vegas Basins, surface geology chemistry ................................................................................30 and data distribution .......................................................38 12. Tularosa Basin, summary of water chemistry ...33 30.Intentionally Raton and Las Vegas Basins plots of TDS 13. Roswell Artesian Basin, summary of blankand specific conductance vs. depth .........................40 water chemistry ..................................................................35 31. High Plains aquifer, surface geology 14. Capitan Reef aquifer, summary of water and data distribution .......................................................41 chemistry, based in part on preliminary 32. High Plains aquifer plots of TDS analysis of samples collected by and specific conductance vs. depth .........................42 Sandia National Labs .....................................................37 33. San Juan Basin, surface geology 15. Raton and Las Vegas Basins, summary of and data distribution .......................................................43 water chemistry ..................................................................39 34. San Juan Basin plots of TDS 16. High Plains aquifer, summary of water and specific conductance vs. depth .........................44 chemistry ................................................................................40 17. San Juan Basin, summary of water chemistry ..43 Appendix 1. Geologic formation code description FRESH AND BRACKISH WATER QUALITY I. INTRODUCTION ccess to adequate supplies of fresh water is (e.g., Hood and Kister, 1962; McLean, 1970). Abecoming an increasingly critical issue in many However, our knowledge of the quality and volume parts of the world. In arid regions of the south- of these brackish water resources varies significantly western United States, diminishing water supplies across the state. Some aquifers and groundwater and extended periods of drought have generated an basins in more densely populated areas have been interest in non-traditional water resources, and the very thoroughly investigated by multiple individuals development of new technologies such as desalina- and agencies over time periods of years or decades. tion of brackish water to exploit those resources. Despite this foundation of pre-existing research, our New Mexico has limited supplies of fresh water, but knowledge
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