Geology topics

R.R. White

Publications and source records attributed to R.R. White.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

USGS1993

Hydrology of the Estancia Basin, central New Mexico

The Estancia Basin of central New Mexico is a topographically closed basin that ranges in altitude from 6,000 feet to more than 10,000 feet above sea level. In the center of the basin a valley-fill aquifer of Quaternary age is as much as 400 feet thick. Limestone of the Madera Group of Pennsylvanian and Permian age crops out over most of the southwestern part of the basin. Large-scale ground-water withdrawals for irrigation began about 1950. Between 1950 and 1985, water levels declined 50 to 60 feet in a number of places. From 1985 to the present (1989), however, a small rise in water level has been measured in a number of wells; this rise can be attributed to decreased ground-water withdrawals resulting from a government crop- reduction program and also to several years of heavy winter snowfall. Continuous water-level recorders were placed on three wells from 1986 to 1988. Two of these wells showed short-term water-level changes characteristic of unconfined aquifers, whereas the other showed changes characteristic of confined aquifers. All three wells showed water-level changes caused by barometric-pressure changes. Six series of miscellaneous measurements and two gain-and-loss (seepage) studies were made in streams in the south- western part of the basin. These measurements showed an extreme variability in discharge under different climatic conditions. The specific conductance of water in much of the southwestern part of the basin ranges from 350 to 550 microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius. East of State Highway 41 in the area of the salt lakes, water quality is highly dependent on depth in the aquifer. Specific- conductance values ranging from about 4,000 to 6,000 microsiemens were measured in water samples from wells in the center of the basin during this study, but previous studies have identified water samples having specific-conductance values of as much as 187,000 microsiemens. A comparison of specific- conductance measurements and laboratory analyses of well water shows that water quality has changed in the past several decades. In many places, increases in spedtic conductance can be correlated with deelines in water level.

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗

USGS1980

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey, New Mexico District, fiscal year 1979

This is the second of an annual series of reports in which the program of the New Mexico District, U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, is summarized. This report should be useful to cooperating agencies and to the users of water data in that it summarizes and gives the status of the basic data collection program and all current studies of the Water Resources Division in New Mexico. At the end of fiscal year 1979 the Mexico District had 34 active projects, had released 10 reports during the year, and had answered thousands of requests for water-related information. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗

USGS1978

Drilling, construction, and testing of water-supply wells 21 and 22, White Sands Missle Range, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

During the spring and summer of 1976, two municipal-supply wells (designated as well 21 and well 22 - 2,000 feet apart) were drilled at the Post Headquarters area of White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The design specifications for both wells called for 24-inch diameter surface casing cemented in place to a depth of about 430 feet, with 16-inch liner and slotted casing from the surface to a depth of about 700 feet. Each well was pumped continuously for 32 hours in a step-drawdown test. This test consisted of four steps, with discharge rates varying from about 500 to 1,150 gallons per minute. The drawdown test for well 21 gave an estimated transmissivity of 17,300 gallons per day per foot, and a final specific capacity of slightly less than 11 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. The step-drawdown test and later drawdown and recovery test on well 22 gave an average transmissivity of 32,600 gallons per day per foot, and a final specific capacity of about 15 gallons per minute per foot of drawdown. The data collected indicated that the aquifer in the vicinity of well 22 is more permeable than the aquifer around well 21. Both wells furnish a satisfactory quantity of excellent-quality water. The dissolved-solids content of water from wells 21 and 22 is 232 and 301 mg/liter respectively. (Woodard-USGS)

Open-File Report↗