Geology topics
Research about Albuquerque, New Mexico
Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Characteristics and properties of the basin-fill aquifer determined from three test wells west of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
Three test wells were drilled west of Albuquerque; two are on the mesa west of the city, the third well is near the Rio Grande flood plain, west of the river. Test well 1, was drilled to a depth of 1,204 ft. Transmissivity of perforated intervals in the alluvial zone (980-1121 ft) ranged from 3.1 to 3.9 ft sq/day, and horizontal hydraulic conductivity from .02 to .03 ft/day. Vertical hydraulic conductivity of the semiconfining layer between the alluvial and volcanic zones is estimated to range from .00031 to .0031 ft/day. Transmissivity of the volcanic zone (1139-1179 ft) is about 81 ft sq/day, and horizontal hydraulic conductivity is about 2.0 ft/day. Dissolved-iron and manganese concentrations exceed recommended constituent limits for a public water supply. Vertical flow is upward; the potentiometric surface in the volcanic zone is about 2 ft higher than in the alluvial zone. Water levels are about 883 ft below land surface. Test well 2 was drilled to a depth of 1,828 ft below land surface with seven intervals open to the aquifer. During development, fine sand and silt entered the casing, filling it to a depth of 1,500 ft. The dissolved-cadmium concentration exceeds the maximum contaminant level and the dissolved-manganese concentration exceeds the recommended constituent limit for a public water supply. The vertical flow gradient is downward; the potentiometric surface in the middle and lower zones is about 17 ft lower than in the upper zones. Depth to water in the upper zone is about 767 below land surface and in the lower two zones the depth to water is about 784 ft below land surface. Test well 3 was drilled to a depth of 1,050 ft. Only the interval from 490 to 590 ft below land surface could be used to calculate transmissivity which was about 1,300 ft sq/day; horizontal hydraulic conductivity is about 13 ft/day. Quality of water is acceptable for a public water supply. Vertical flow is downward; the potentiometric surface in the deepest interval is about 7 ft lower than that in the uppermost zone. In the shallow interval from 350 to 590 ft below land surface, depth to water is about 24 ft below land surface. In the interval from 710 to 790 ft below land surface, depth to water is about 29 ft below land surface and in the interval from 870 to 1,050 ft below land surface, depth to water is 31 ft below land surface. (Author's abstract)
Ground-water flow and shallow-aquifer properties in the Rio Grande inner valley south of Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico
The purpose of this investigation was to describe the water table configuration and its temporal variations, estimate aquifer properties, and evaluate the interaction of groundwater and surface water in the inner valley of the Rio Grande in southern Albuquerque, New Mexico, where groundwater contamination is a continuing concern. The upper 150 ft of sedimentary deposits in the inner valley, mostly alluvium that consists of cobbles, gravel, sand, silt, and clay, was emphasized because of its susceptibility to contamination. A map of the water table on February 28, 1986 shows that flow generally is parallel to the river and the gradient is approximately 5 ft/mi or 0.0001. In areas affected by municipal and industrial groundwater withdrawals, declines may exceed 10 ft, and the water table gradient is as much as 20 ft/mi or 0.004. The gradient also is steeper near drains, particularly during the irrigation season. In the area east of the community of Mountainview the direction of water movement may have reversed between 1936 and 1986; flow near appears to be toward the east or southeast. Groups of four piezometers, each screened at a different depth, were monitored to describe seasonal changes of the water table. Vertical gradients between piezometers ranged from 0.014 upward to 0.047 downward from July 1985 to June 1986, but were downward most of the year, particulary during the irrigation season. The horizontal hydraulic conductivity of a 15-ft-thick clay and silt bed beneath Rio Bravo Boulevard is estimated to be 0.0001 ft/day. The average interstitial velocity down through this bed is estimated to range from about 0.0002 to 0.0005 ft/day. The fluctuations of the water table at the piezometers nearest the Rio Grande do not appear to be affected by the riverside drain.
National Conference of District Chiefs; Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 28-October 3, 1975
No abstract available.