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Frequently Asked Questions About Water

compiled by Shari Kelley and Peggy Johnson

Where does our drinking water come from?

Drinking water comes from two basics sources: surface water and ground water. These water sources are linked through the hydrologic cycle.

Initially, all of New Mexico’s water comes from precipitation, and the principal constraint on our water supply is climate. Most of New Mexico is a desert. A desert is defined as a region with a mean annual precipitation of 10 inches or less, and so devoid of vegetation as to be incapable of supporting any considerable population. Precipitation in New Mexico ranges from 6.7 inches at Shiprock to a maximum of 26.2 inches at Cloudcroft, but much of New Mexico receives less than 10 inches of water per year. Most of the precipitation that falls evaporates within a short time of reaching the ground (or sometimes before). Of the precipitation that reaches land without evaporating, much is taken up and used by plants (called transpiration). The rest either flows across the land surface into rivers and streams, or percolates into the ground, where it recharges underground aquifers. The portion of New Mexico where precipitation exceeds the combination of evaporation and transpiration (called evapotranspiration) is limited to a few areas of high elevation during the cool months of the year.

Surface water refers to all water located on the surface of the land—rivers, lakes and streams. New Mexico’s surface water supply originates as rain or melting snow, but 97 percent of that water evaporates or is transpired by plants.

Most of New Mexico’s fresh water is stored as groundwater in aquifers below the land surface, where it occupies small open spaces between grains of sand or gravel and small cracks or fractures in rock. These cracks and void spaces are referred to as the porosity of the rock or sediment. All rocks that underlie the earth’s surface are classified as either aquifers or confining beds (also known as aquitards). An aquifer is a saturated rock unit or geologic formation that yields significant quantities of water to wells and springs. A confining bed (or aquitard) is a saturated geologic unit of less permeable material that is incapable of transmitting significant quantities of water, thus restricting the movement of ground water either into or out of adjacent aquifers. Ground water occurs in aquifers under two different conditions. In places where water only partially fills an aquifer, the upper surface of the water table is open to the atmosphere and is free to rise and fall in response to atmospheric pressure and changes in aquifer storage. The water in these aquifers is said to be unconfined, and the aquifers are referred to as unconfined aquifers or water-table aquifers. Where water completely fills an aquifer that is overlain by a confining bed, the water in the aquifer is confined under pressure and the aquifer is referred to as a confined or artesian aquifer.

Further information about New Mexico’s water resources can be found in:
Johnson, P., 2003, A primer on water: ground water, surface water, and its development, in Johnson, P.S., Land, L.A., Price, L.G., and Titus, F., (eds.), Water Resources of the Lower Pecos Region, New Mexico: Science, Policy, and a Look to the Future: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Decision-Makers Field Conference, p. 14-19.

Another reference that provides specific hydrologic information for the state of New Mexico is:
Stone, W.J., 2001, Our water resources: An overview for New Mexicans: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Information Series 1, 37 pp. (link to Bureau publications)

Other links to general hydrological information include:
What is the depth to groundwater in my area?

The best source of average depth to groundwater information in the state of New Mexico is the W.A.T.E.R.S. database.

This database can be searched using either Township-Range-section, State Plane, or UTM coordinate location information.

Publications about water levels in particular areas in New Mexico can be obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Click the Publications Warehouse button, and type the key words, New Mexico water + your area of interest.

The U.S. Geological Survey has published water table levels for the Albuquerque area as of 2002 (see chapter 4, p. 50).

Are there New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources publications that have depth-to-ground water information?

Yes, although the data are somewhat out-of-date (see below). A better source of current information is the WATERS database from the Office of the New Mexico State Engineer.

Bureau Publications With Depth-to-Water Information

Ground water report series:

  1. GW-1 - Geology and ground-water resources of the eastern part of Colfax County, New Mexico, by R. L. Griggs, 1948, 180 pp.
  2. GW-2 - Geology and ground-water resources of San Miguel County, New Mexico, by R. L. Griggs and G. E. Hendrickson, 1951, reprinted 1985, 121 pp.
  3. GW-3 - Geology and ground-water resources of Eddy County, New Mexico, by G. E. Hendrickson and R. S. Jones, 1952, reprinted 1985, 169 pp.
  4. GW-4 - Geology and ground-water resources of north-eastern Socorro County, New Mexico, by Z. Spiegel, 1955, 99 pp.
  5. GW-5 - Geology and ground-water resources of Torrance County, New Mexico, by R. E. Smith, 1957, 186 pp.
  6. GW-6 - Geology and ground-water conditions in southern Lea County, New Mexico, by A. Nicholson, Jr. and A. Clebsch, Jr., 1961, 123 pp.
  7. GW-7 - Geology and ground-water conditions in eastern Valencia County, New Mexico, by F. B. Titus, Jr., 1963, 113 pp.
  8. GW-8 - General occurrence and quality of ground water in Union County, New Mexico, by J. B. Cooper and L. V. Davis, 1967, 168 pp.
  9. GW-9 - Ground-water resources and geology of Quay County, New Mexico, by C. F. Berkstresser, Jr. and W. A. Mourant, 1966, 115 pp.
  10. GW-10 - Reconnaissance of water resources of De Baca County, New Mexico, by W. A. Mourant and J. W. Shomaker, 1970, 87 pp.

Hydologic report series:

  1. HR-3 Water resources of Guadalupe County, New Mexico, by G. A. Dinwiddie and A. Clebsch, Jr., 1973.
  2. HR-5 Ground water in the Sandia and northern Manzano Mountains, New Mexico, by F. B. Titus, Jr., 1980.
  3. HR-6 Hydrogeology and water resources of San Juan Basin, New Mexico, by W. J. Stone, F. P. Lyford, P. F. Frenzel, N. H. Mizell, and E. T. Padgett, 1983.

Hydrologic sheet series

  1. HS-1 Hydrogeology of Aztec quadrangle, San Juan County, by D. R. Brown and W. J. Stone, 1979, text, scale 1:62,500.
  2. HS-2 Hydrogeology of Ambrosia Lake - San Mateo area, McKinley and Cibola Counties, New Mexico, by R. C. Brod and W. J. Stone, 1981, text, scale 1:62,500.
  3. HS-4 Hydrogeology of Arroyo Chico - Torreon Wash area, McKinley and Sandoval Counties, New Mexico, by S. D. Craigg and W. J. Stone, 1983, text, scale 1:62,500.

Circulars, Bulletins, and Memoirs

  1. Circular 37—Ground-water data for Dwyer Quadrangle, Grant and Luna Counties, New Mexico, F. X. Bushman, 1955. The Dwyer quadrangle, comprising as area of about 250 mi2, lies between the parallels 32°30' and 32°45' N latitude and between the meridians 107°45' and 108°00' W longitude. All or parts of Townships 18, 19, 20, and 21 S, Ranges 9, 10, 11 W are included.
  2. Circular 46 - Guides for development of irrigation wells near Clayton, Union County, New Mexico, B. Baldwin and F. X. Bushman, 1957. This preliminary report on part of Union County, in northeastern New Mexico, summarizes ground-water conditions in Clayton and Seneca 15-min quadrangles and includes water table maps.
  3. Circular 93 - Structure, stratigraphy, and hydrogeology of the northern Roswell artesian basin, Chaves County, New Mexico, K. C. Havenor, 1968. Structural and stratigraphic controls of the quantity and quality of waters within the northernmost part of the Roswell artesian basin were studied using outcrops, cores, samples, and electric logs.
  4. Circular 211 - Hydrogeothermal studies in the Albuquerque Basin--a geophysical investigation of ground water flow characteristics by M. Reiter, 2003
  5. Bulletin 36: Mineral Resources of Fort Defiance and Tohatchi quadrangles, Arizona and New Mexico by J. E. Allen and R. Balk, 1954
  6. Bulletin 87: Mineral and Water Resources of New Mexico, compiled in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, State Engineer of New Mexico, New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission, and U.S. Bureau of Mines, 1965, reprinted 1982
  7. Memoir 15: Geology and technology of the Grants uranium region--discusses ground water in this area compiled by V. C. Kelley, 1963, reprinted 1975, 1978, 1985, 128 p.

Resource Map Series

  1. RM-5 Thickness of the Permian Guadalupian Capitan aquifer, southeast New Mexico and west Texas, by W. L. Hiss, 1975, scale 1:500,000.Map depicts positions and dimensions of the Capitan aquifer, an important source of ground water.
  2. RM-6 Structure of the Permian Guadalupian Capitan aquifer, southeast New Mexico and west Texas, by W. L. Hiss, 1976, scale 1:500,000.Map depicts the structural position of the Capitan Aquifer, an important source of ground water.

Open file reports

  1. OFR 33. Hydrogeology and water supply of  the Pueblo of Zuni, McKinley and Valencia [now Cibola] Counties, New Mexico, by W. K. Summers, 1972, 124 p., 11 tables, 24 figs., 4 plates, 7 appendices
  2. OFR 37. Geology and regional hydrology of the Pecos River basin, New Mexico, by W. K. Summers, 1972.
  3. OFR 51 Hydrogeology of the San Agustin Plains, New Mexico by D. D. Blodgett and F. B. Titus, 1973
  4. OFR 79. Geology and hydrology of a site proposed for burial of low-level solid radioactive waste, western Colfax County, New Mexico, prepared by Gordon Herkenhoff and Associates, Inc., and W. K. Summers and Associates, 1977, 985 p., 3 volumes, vol. 1—text, 226 p., vols. 2 and 3—appendices, 24 tables, 40 figs., 6 appendices
  5. OFR 89 Basic subsurface data compiled for hydrogeologic study of the San Juan Basin, northwest New Mexico by William J. Stone and N. H. Mizell, 1978
  6. OFR 95. Collection of hydrologic data Eastside Roswell Range EIS area, New Mexico, by Geohydrology Associates, Inc., for Bureau of Land Management, Denver, CO, 1978, 224 p., 6 tables, 24 figs., appendix
  7. OFR 130. Water-level data compiled for hydrogeologic study of Animas Valley, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, by K. M. O’Brien and W. J. Stone, 1981, 66 p., 5 maps
  8. OFR 133. A two-dimensional hydrologic model of the Animas Valley, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, by K. M. O’Brien and W. J. Stone, 1983, 63 p., 2 tables, 18 figs.
  9. OFR 323. Hydrogeologic framework of the Mesilla Basin in New Mexico and western Texas by John Hawley and Richard P. Lozinsky, 1992
  10. OFR 372. Preliminary work for a hydrologic report on Hidalgo County, New Mexico, by W. J. Stone and K. M. O’Brien, 1991, 143 p., 13 tables, 32 figs., 4 sheets
  11. OFR 387. Hydrogeologic framework of the northern Albuquerque Basin by John W. Hawley and Stephen C. Haase, 1992.
  12. OFR 402c. Characterization of hydrogeologic units in the northern Albuquerque Basin, New Mexico by W. C. Haneberg and J. W. Hawley, 1996.
  13. OFR 469. Hydrogeology and water resources of the Placitas area, Sandoval County, New Mexico, by Johnson, Peggy S.; LeFevre, Willliam, J.; Campbell, Andrew, 2002, CD-ROM .
  14. OFR 476. Initial paleoseismic and hydrologic assessment of the Southern Sangre de Cristo fault at the Taos Pueblo site, Taos, New Mexico, Kelson, Keith I.; Bauer, Paul W.; Love, David; Connell, Sean D.; Mansell, Mark; Rawling, Geoffrey, 2004, 1–46.
How much has the depth to groundwater in my area changed in the last few years?

The U.S. Geological Survey monitors the water table level in 3161 wells in the state of New Mexico. These data should be used with caution because water table in shallow wells tapping into an alluvial aquifer may fluctuate dramatically in response to rain or snowmelt events.

Bexfield and Anderholm (2002) published a map showing the changes in depth to groundwater in the Albuquerque area.

Bexfield, L. M.and Anderholm, S. K., 2002, Estimated water-level declines in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system in the Albuquerque area, central New Mexico, predevelopment to 2002, U.S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigation WRI 2002-4233, map, on sheet 59 x 88 cm.

Why do I have a well with low-quality water (or a small amount of water), while my neighbor has a good well?

The quality (and amount) of groundwater encountered in a well is strongly influenced by the rock types penetrated by a borehole (eg., Stone, 2001). For example, a well penetrating limestone may produce water that is “hard”, meaning the water contains 150 to 300 ppm calcium carbonate, while a well penetrating ash flow tuff will be relatively soft, with water containing <75 ppm calcium carbonate.

Abrupt changes in water quality (or amount) over short horizontal distances are usually related to the underlying geology. A geologic fault that might juxtapose a tuff against a limestone can cause a difference in water quality across property boundaries. Abrupt changes in rock type (e.g., a sandstone channel within a shale) can lead to sudden changes in water quality and quantity over a short horizontal distance.

Often, examination of a geologic map of your area can help you understand why your water well behaves differently than your neighbor’s water well.

How do I determine the quality of my water? Is my water safe to drink?

The New Mexico Environment Department conducts periodic "Water Fairs" around the state. Residents can get their well water tested for free at one of these events. To find out more about Water Fairs, contact the NMED Drinking Water Bureau toll-free at 1-877-654-8720.

The U.S. Geological Survey monitors both surface and ground water quality at 712 localities in the state of New Mexico.

Publications about water quality in particular areas in New Mexico can be obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey.

Click the Publications Warehouse button, and type the key words New Mexico water + your area of interest.

The U.S. Geological Survey has published about water quality data for the Albuquerque area (see Chapter 6) and Red River Valley.

The following New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources publications discuss water quality issues:

  1. Hydrologic Report 7: Selected papers on water quality and pollution in New Mexico, compiled by W. J. Stone, 1984, 300 pp.
  2. Open file Report 131: Water-quality data compiled for hydrogeologic study of Animas Valley, Hidalgo County, New Mexico, by K. M. O’Brien and W. J. Stone, 1982, 27 p., 5 maps
How can I protect our water resources?

The New Mexico Environment Department offers ideas for protecting New Mexico’s precious water resources from overuse and from pollution.

Other ideas are in: Stone, W.J., 2001, Our water resources: An overview for New Mexicans: New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Information Series 1, 37 pp. (link to Bureau publications)

How do I determine my water rights?

Hydrologists at the NMBGMR are concerned with measuring and documenting the geologic characteristics of aquifers. The Office of the State Engineer manages water rights issues. Visit the web page for the Office of the State Engineer for information about rules, regulations, and guidelines related to water use in New Mexico.

Water rights information can be found in the W.A.T.E.R.S. database. This database can be searched using either Township-Range-section, State Plane or UTM coordinate location information.

Information about water appropriation in the Albuquerque area is in Chapter 4 of a U.S. Geological Survey report entitled Ground Water Resources of the Middle Rio Grande Basin.

I’d like to drill a water well. What procedures are involved in drilling a well?

Hydrologists at the NMBGMR are engaged in practical research and field studies that delineate and characterize New Mexico’s streams and aquifers, and evaluate water quality problems. The Office of the State Engineer is charged with issuing well drilling permits and overseeing the diversion and beneficial use of the State’s waters. Visit the web page for the Office of the State Engineer for information about well-drilling procedures, permits, and fees.

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