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By Paul Bauer, New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, Socorro, NM 87801, (575) 835-5106, bauer@nmt.edu.

During the first five years of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Minerals Resources STATEMAP program, we will have mapped 26 7.5-minute quadrangles along the Rio Grande urban corridor between Taos and Belen (see figure). In June of 1998, we begin work on 10 more quadrangles. The final products are digital, detailed geologic maps (1:24,000 and 1:12,000), with accompanying unit descriptions, cross sections, stratigraphic sections, and explanatory texts. Each quadrangle emphasizes both bedrock lithologies and structures, and surficial basin and arroyo-valley deposits and their importance to ground water resources and land use planning. Due to the geologic complexity of the mountain front areas, we use a multidisciplinary approach to mapping, which utilizes specialists for various aspects of the project, including geoscientists from the NMBGMR, New Mexico Tech, University of New Mexico, and the private sector.

Year	1993-4
STATEMAP $ available	$1,442,734
NMBGMR $ awarded	$20,000
% of total	1.4%
Quads mapped	Tijeras
Average $/quad	$20,000

Year	1994-5
STATEMAP $ available	$1,979,641
NMBGMR $ awarded	$50,000
% of total	2.5%
Quads mapped	Albuquerque East, Sandia Crest, Placitas
Average $/quad	$16,667

Year	1995-6
STATEMAP $ available	$1,287,000
NMBGMR $ awarded	$50,000
% of total	3.9%
Quads mapped	Sandia Park, Hubbell Spring, McClure Reservoir
Average $/quad	$16,667

Year	1996-7
STATEMAP $ available	$4,376,400
NMBGMR $ awarded	$165,330
% of total	3.8%
Quads mapped	Isleta, Alameda, Mt. Washington,Sky Village SE, Jemez Pueblo, Santo Domingo Pueblo, Glorieta, Taos SW
Average $/quad	$23,619

Year	1997-8
STATEMAP $ available	$3,708,814
NMBGMR $ awarded	$157,421
% of total	4.2%
Quads mapped	Bernalillo, Albuquerque West, San Ysidro, San Felipe Pueblo, Sedillo, Dalies, Carson, Seton Village, Bosque Peak, Loma Creston, Santo Domingo Pueblo SW
Average $/quad	$17,491

Year	1998-9
STATEMAP $ available	$3,762,798
NMBGMR $ awarded	$150,000
% of total	4.0%
Quads mapped	San Pedro, Edgewood, San Felipe Pueblo NE, Galisteo, Santa Fe, Veguita, Socorro, Ranchos de Taos, Rosilla Peak, Capilla Peak
Average $/quad	$15,000

 

These quadrangles were selected based on their potential to provide high-quality earth science data to potential users. The Rio Grande corridor is of vital economic, social, and scientific welfare to the state. The important societal needs that we have identified along the Rio Grande watershed are environmental (ground water and surface-water supply, availability, and quality; geologic hazards such as flooding, hydrocompaction, and slope stability), earth resources (metallic minerals, industrial minerals, aggregate, rock resources), land use planning (landform dynamics, soil properties, water rights, etc.), and transportation. A combination of rapid population growth, permeable alluvial aquifers, large topographic relief, and the alternating scarcity and abundance of meteoric water gives rise to a host of hydrogeologic and engineering geologic problems. The Albuquerque, Espanola, San Luis, and Socorro basins and adjacent uplifts have become the focus of geologic and hydrologic interest by local, state, tribal, and federal officials due to concern over the supply of ground water for an expanding population. Understandings of watersheds and basin-fill stratigraphy are critical for ensuring potable water for the future, and for mitigating contamination of aquifers. Understanding of surficial deposits provides critical data on flood-prone zones, areas subject to mass wasting, and soil and sediment parameters that influence construction plans and land management. Geologic structures also control ground-water flow; in particular, the hydrogeologic significance of both rift-related normal faults and transverse fault zones needs to be quantified. Several of the quadrangles also contain rocks (Proterozoic to Cenozoic in age) that are the focus of topical, ongoing investigations in rock and mineral resources, structural geology, stratigraphy and sedimentology, basin evolution, and tectonics. An additional component of evaluating societal need is the potential for beneficial use of a map by government bodies (state, county, tribal, local) and private organizations (environmental, planners, developers, citizens groups). The NMBGMR has actively cultivated working relationships with numerous such groups, all of which have expressed a need for detailed geologic maps. The NMBGMR and the State Geologic Mapping Advisory Board, which consists of 30 members from federal, state, county, municipal, tribal, and private agencies, is responsible for setting mapping priorities in New Mexico.

The overall project objective is to characterize the geology of each area in sufficient detail to allow use of this information in matters of practical economic and environmental concern to governments, communities, and planners, as well as to satisfy the fundamental goals of basic science. In addition, we will continue to integrate information from individual quads into an ever-expanding regional synthesis of stratigraphy, structure, hydrogeology, and engineering geology. This multidisciplinary approach to mapping and subsurface investigations in one of the most rapidly growing regions in the southwestern U.S. will serve the multiple goals (social, economic, scientific) of the National Geologic Mapping Program and the people of New Mexico.

We work closely with USGS Geologic Division personnel involved in the Middle Rio Grande Basin Project, and expect most of our maps to be used in the USGS 1:100,000 compilation of the Albuquerque Basin. Several of our quads dovetail with EDMAP projects sponsored by professors at New Mexico Tech and UNM. Some of our quads are designed to compliment cooperative investigations, such as ongoing hydrogeologic studies with the Office of the State Engineer and Sandoval County.

Our STATEMAP geologic maps have significantly increased our understanding of the bedrock geology, surficial deposits, hydrogeology, and subsurface stratigraphy and structure of the Rio Grande rift basins and uplifts. We have also found that our maps are greatly valued by a variety of agency personnel who are attempting to address environmental, water resource, and land planning issues.

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Copyright © 2007 - 2008 New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources unless otherwise specified.