Open-file Report - 626
Winter 2022–2023 Water-Level Elevation Map and Estimation of Water in Storage for a Region Northwest of Clovis, New Mexico

New water-level measurements collected from wells in winter 2022–2023 were combined with compiled data on the elevation of the base of the High Plains aquifer to estimate the quantity of groundwater in storage in a region northwest of Clovis, New Mexico. Standard geostatistical methods were used to map the water-level elevation surface and the base of the aquifer. Groundwater in storage was estimated using three independent approaches, with different rigor and tolerance for uncertainty. The estimated storage amounts are 304,000 acre-feet, 370,000 acre-feet, and 485,000–873,000 acre-feet. The first two estimates are considered high confidence and are the preferred results. Projected lifetimes of the aquifer in the study area based on water-level changes over the past 8 years vary spatially, from less than 5 years to over 50 years. These projections are based on water-level changes affected by groundwater pumping for irrigation, which has now ceased, so the true lifetime will likely be longer.

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