The NMBGMR is working under contract to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) to prepare water-table maps of the production zone of the Upper Santa Fe Group Aquifer in the Albuquerque region. These maps are prepared from wintertime water-level measurements by the U.S. Geological Survey, the NMBGMR, Bernalillo County, and the U.S. Department of Energy in wells across the area. Data are collected in winter as water demand is lowest then and water levels have largely recovered from pumping-induced drawdowns that develop during the summer. The water-table maps show current aquifer conditions and changes in water levels from previous years. From these maps, groundwater flow directions can be determined and changes in groundwater storage in the aquifer can be calculated. These maps, and the calculated water-level and storage changes over time, are essential information for achieving ABCWUA’s water-management goals for the aquifer.
References
Winter 2021–2022 Water-Level Elevation Map for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area. 2023. Geoff Rawling. New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Open File Report 625.
Winter 2019–2020 Water-Level Elevation Map for the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area. 2022. Geoff Rawling. New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Open File Report 622.
Mapping Suitability for Managed Aquifer Recharge in the Albuquerque Basin. 2019. Daniel J. Koning, Colin T. Cikoski, Alex J. Rinehart, and Andy P. Jochem. New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources Open File Report 605.
Mapping Potential Aquifer Recharge Zones. 2019. One page factsheet