Groundwater Resources of the East Mountain Area, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance Counties, New Mexico, 2005 Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5204 Revised April 2011 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Groundwater Resources of the East Mountain Area, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance Counties, New Mexico, 2005 By James R. Bartolino, Scott K. Anderholm, and Nathan C. Myers Prepared in cooperation with the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5204 Revised April 2011 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior KEN SALAZAR, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Marcia K. McNutt, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2010 This and other USGS information products are available at http://store.usgs.gov/ U.S. Geological Survey Box 25286, Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 To learn about the USGS and its information products visit http://www.usgs.gov/ 1-888-ASK-USGS Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report. Suggested citation: Bartolino, J.R., Anderholm, S.K., and Myers, N.C., 2010, Groundwater resources of the East Mountain area, Bernalillo, Sandoval, Santa Fe, and Torrance Counties, New Mexico, 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2009–5204, 88 p. (Revised April 2011) iii Contents Abstract ...........................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................2 Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................2 Location of Study Area ........................................................................................................................2 Previous Studies ...................................................................................................................................2 Methods of Study ..................................................................................................................................7 Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................................................10 Hydrologic Setting .......................................................................................................................................10 Climate ..................................................................................................................................................10 Surface Water .....................................................................................................................................12 Hydrogeology.......................................................................................................................................13 Structural Features ....................................................................................................................13 Sandia, Manzanita, and Manzano Mountains .............................................................13 Estancia Basin ...................................................................................................................15 The Barton Trough and Edgewood Embayment ..........................................................15 Española Basin ..................................................................................................................15 San Pedro Synclinorium ..................................................................................................15 La Bajada and San Francisco Faults .............................................................................15 Hagan Structural Basin ...................................................................................................15 Tijeras Fault System..........................................................................................................15 Frost Fault Block-Monte Largo Horst-Tijeras Graben ................................................15 The Ortiz Porphyry Belt ....................................................................................................16 Groundwater Resources.............................................................................................................................16 Geologic Units and Water-Bearing Characteristics .....................................................................16 Precambrian Rocks ...................................................................................................................16 Pennsylvanian Sandia and Madera Formations ...................................................................17 Potential Sources of Alkalinity and Dissolved Carbon ...............................................26 Permian Abo and Yeso Formations .........................................................................................26 Permian Glorieta and San Andres Formations .....................................................................28 Triassic Moenkopi Formation and Chinle Group ...................................................................30 Jurassic Entrada Sandstone, Wanakah Formation, and Morrison Formation ................32 Cretaceous Dakota Sandstone, Mancos Shale, and Mesaverde Group .........................34 Cenozoic Geologic Units ...........................................................................................................38 Groundwater Levels, Recharge, and Flow .....................................................................................39 Recharge .....................................................................................................................................41 Volumetric Precipitation Estimates .........................................................................................42 Deuterium and Oxygen-18 Ratios in Groundwater ...............................................................42 iv Groundwater Areas ............................................................................................................................44 Tijeras Canyon Groundwater Area .........................................................................................49 Cedar Crest Groundwater Area ...............................................................................................49 Tijeras Graben Groundwater Area ..........................................................................................51 Estancia Basin Groundwater Area .........................................................................................52 San Pedro Creek Groundwater Area ......................................................................................54 Source of Water to San Pedro Creek ............................................................................56 Ortiz Porphyry Belt Groundwater Area ..................................................................................57 Hagan Basin Groundwater Area .............................................................................................61 Upper Sandia Mountains Groundwater Area .......................................................................62 Effects of Development on Water Resources ................................................................................62 Water-Quantity Effects..............................................................................................................62 Water-Quality Effects ................................................................................................................63 Temporal Water-Level and Water-Quality Variations ..........................................................64 Summary........................................................................................................................................................67 Selected References ...................................................................................................................................69 Appendix 1. Description of Map Units ......................................................................................................82 Appendix 2. Selected Data for Wells and Springs in and Adjacent to the East Mountain Study Area [click here] ................................................................................87 Appendix 3. Selected Groundwater-Quality Data for Wells and Springs in the East Mountain Study Area [click here] ............................................................................88 Plate [Click here] Geohydrologic map of the East Mountain study area, central New Mexico. Figures 1. Location of the East Mountain study area ................................................................................3 2. Location of cities, towns, precipitation stations, Declared Underground Water Basins, and physiographic features in the East Mountain study area .....................................................................................................................4 3. Location of wells permitted by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer