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Title: Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: A sunbelt city rapidly outgrowing its aquifer

Abstract

Albuquerque, New Mexico, is located along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, at an elevation of 5280 feet. Albuquerque`s climate reflects its high desert setting; average annual precipitation in the basin is only 8 to 10 inches. The Albuquerque metropolitan area is part of the rapidly growing {open_quotes}sunbelt{close_quotes} region of the southwestern United States and is undergoing rapid development. The municipal, industrial, and residential water needs of the entire population are currently met by groundwater, while agricultural needs within the basin are met by surface water diverted from the Rio Grande. While the city is blessed with an extremely productive aquifer, current metropolitan area annual groundwater extractions of 170,000 acre-feet far exceed the sustainable yield of the aquifer. Continued drawdown will lead to greater pumping costs, ground surface subsidence problems, and eventual aquifer depletion. At the same time, industrial and non-point-source contamination and naturally occurring arsenic levels are raising concerns about groundwater quality. New Mexico water law has required the City to acquire surface water rights and allocations on the Rio Grande sufficient to offset estimated losses from the river induced by the City`s groundwater extraction. It has become increasingly clear that the induced recharge had been greatly overestimated,more » and that the City is thus not actually consuming its surface water as intended. The City, in cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies, has explored a variety of conjunctive use proposals, all designed to permit the City to use its surface water more directly. The City Council is presently considering a strategy calling for full use of the city`s surface water resources and creation of a groundwater drought reserve. Implementation of this strategy will require regulatory approval and major capital investment, both of which require political support.« less

Authors:
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
  2. City of Albuquerque, NM (United States). Public Works Dept.
  3. CH2M Hill, Albuquerque, NM (United States); and others
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
505685
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-97-852; CONF-970925-1
ON: DE97005043; TRN: 97:004589
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 27. congress of the International Association of Hydrogeologists: groundwater in the urban environment, Nottingham (United Kingdom), 21-27 Sep 1997; Other Information: PBD: Feb 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 29 ENERGY PLANNING AND POLICY; NEW MEXICO; WATER RESOURCES; HYDROLOGY; DRINKING WATER; WATER QUALITY; AQUIFERS; DRAWDOWN; CONTAMINATION; SURFACE WATERS

Citation Formats

Turin, H J, Gaume, A N, and Bitner, M J. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: A sunbelt city rapidly outgrowing its aquifer. United States: N. p., 1997. Web.
Turin, H J, Gaume, A N, & Bitner, M J. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: A sunbelt city rapidly outgrowing its aquifer. United States.
Turin, H J, Gaume, A N, and Bitner, M J. 1997. "Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: A sunbelt city rapidly outgrowing its aquifer". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/505685.
@article{osti_505685,
title = {Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA: A sunbelt city rapidly outgrowing its aquifer},
author = {Turin, H J and Gaume, A N and Bitner, M J},
abstractNote = {Albuquerque, New Mexico, is located along the Rio Grande in central New Mexico, at an elevation of 5280 feet. Albuquerque`s climate reflects its high desert setting; average annual precipitation in the basin is only 8 to 10 inches. The Albuquerque metropolitan area is part of the rapidly growing {open_quotes}sunbelt{close_quotes} region of the southwestern United States and is undergoing rapid development. The municipal, industrial, and residential water needs of the entire population are currently met by groundwater, while agricultural needs within the basin are met by surface water diverted from the Rio Grande. While the city is blessed with an extremely productive aquifer, current metropolitan area annual groundwater extractions of 170,000 acre-feet far exceed the sustainable yield of the aquifer. Continued drawdown will lead to greater pumping costs, ground surface subsidence problems, and eventual aquifer depletion. At the same time, industrial and non-point-source contamination and naturally occurring arsenic levels are raising concerns about groundwater quality. New Mexico water law has required the City to acquire surface water rights and allocations on the Rio Grande sufficient to offset estimated losses from the river induced by the City`s groundwater extraction. It has become increasingly clear that the induced recharge had been greatly overestimated, and that the City is thus not actually consuming its surface water as intended. The City, in cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies, has explored a variety of conjunctive use proposals, all designed to permit the City to use its surface water more directly. The City Council is presently considering a strategy calling for full use of the city`s surface water resources and creation of a groundwater drought reserve. Implementation of this strategy will require regulatory approval and major capital investment, both of which require political support.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/505685}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1997},
month = {Sat Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1997}
}

Conference:
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