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Hydrochemical tracers in the middle Rio Grande Basin, USA: 1. Conceptualization of groundwater flow

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Abstract

Chemical and isotopic data for groundwater from throughout the Middle Rio Grande Basin, central New Mexico, USA, were used to identify and map groundwater flow from 12 sources of water to the basin, evaluate radiocarbon ages, and refine the conceptual model of the Santa Fe Group aquifer system.

Hydrochemical zones, representing groundwater flow over thousands to tens of thousands of years, can be traced over large distances through the primarily siliciclastic aquifer system. The locations of the hydrochemical zones mostly reflect the “modern” predevelopment hydraulic-head distribution, but are inconsistent with a trough in predevelopment water levels in the west-central part of the basin, indicating that this trough is a transient rather than a long-term feature of the aquifer system. Radiocarbon ages adjusted for geochemical reactions, mixing, and evapotranspiration/dilution processes in the aquifer system were nearly identical to the unadjusted radiocarbon ages, and ranged from modern to more than 30 ka. Age gradients from piezometer nests ranged from 0.1 to 2 year cm–1 and indicate a recharge rate of about 3 cm year–1 for recharge along the eastern mountain front and infiltration from the Rio Grande near Albuquerque. There has been appreciably less recharge along the eastern mountain front north and south of Albuquerque.

Résumé

Des données sur les éléments chimiques et les isotopes présents dans l’eau souterraine prélevée à divers endroits dans le bassin moyen du Rio Grande, au centre du Nouveau-Mexique (É-U), ont permis de déterminer l’existence et l’étendue de douze sources d’eau régionales dans le bassin, d’évaluer les âges radiocarbones et de raffiner le modèle conceptuel du système aquifère du groupe de Santa Fe. Des zones hydro-chimiques qui représentent l’écoulement de l’eau souterraine depuis des dizaines de milliers d’années peuvent être suivies sur de longues distances à travers l’aquifère principalement siliclastique. La position des zones hydro-chimiques reflète principalement la distribution moderne des charges hydrauliques mais est incohérente avec une dépression dans le niveau d’eau dans la partie centre-ouest du bassin, ce qui indique que cette dépression est un élément transitoire du système aquifère plutôt qu’un élément à long terme. Les âges radiocarbones ajustés aux réactions géochimiques et aux processus de mélange et d’évapotranspiration/dilution qui ont lieu dans l’aquifère sont presque identiques aux âges non ajustés et varient de la période moderne jusqu’à 30 ka. Les gradients d’âge établis à partir des nids de piézomètres s’étendent de 0.1 à 2 a cm–1 et suggèrent un taux de recharge d’environ 3 cm a–1 le long du front des montagnes à l’est et pour l’infiltration provenant du Rio Grande près d’Albuquerque. Il y a eu substantiellement moins de recharge le long du front des montagnes à l’est, au nord et au sud d’Albuquerque.

Resumen

Se utilizaron datos químicos e isotópicos de agua subterránea a lo largo de la cuenca central del río Grande, Nuevo México, EEUU, para identificar y mapear el flujo de agua subterránea de 12 fuentes de agua a la cuenca para evaluar edades por medio de radio carbon y para refinar el modelo conceptual del sistema acuífero del Grupo Santa Fé.

Se puede establecer zonas hidrotérmicas que representan el flujo de agua subterránea a lo largo de miles a miles de decenas de años en grandes distancias a través del sistema acuífero principalmente siliclástico. Las ubicaciones de las zonas hidroquímicas mayormente reflejan la distribucion de la cabeza hidráulica pre-desarollo moderna pero son inconsistentes con una depresión en los niveles de agua pre-desarollo en la zona central oeste de la cuenca. Esto indica que esta depresión es un rasgo transitorio y no un rasgo de largo plazo del sistema acuífero. Las edades de radio carbon ajustadas para los procesos de reaciones geoquímicas, de mezclado y de evapotranspiración-dilución son casi idénticas a los edades de radio carbon no ajustadas oscilan en un rango desde la modernidad a 30 mil años. Las gradientes de edad de nidos de piezometros van de 0.1 a 2 años cm–1 e indican un sitio de recarga de aproximadamente 3 cm/yr para la recarga a lo largo del frente montañoso oriental e infiltración del río Grande cerca de Albuquerque. Se aprecia una recarga menor a lo largo del frente oriental de montañas al norte y al sur de Albuquerque.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the numerous individual landowners who provided access to their wells. We thank the governors and staff of the Pueblos of Cochiti, Isleta, Jemez, Sandia, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Santo Domingo, and Zia for permitting us to sample wells, and assisting in locating wells and records of well construction. The authors also thank Bill White with the Bureau of Indian Affairs for his assistance in contacting the Pueblos and his advice about the most appropriate wells for sampling. Water samples from many of the windmills on Pueblo lands could not have been obtained without the generous assistance of John Sanchez and the windmill crew of the Southern Pueblos Agency.

Individuals from the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Kirtland Air Force Base, Sandia National Laboratories, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, the New Mexico Environment Department, the University of New Mexico, the city of Albuquerque, the city of Belen, and the town of Los Lunas provided access to wells and assisted in locating the most appropriate wells for sampling. We thank Doug Earp and others with the city of Albuquerque Environment Department for their assistance. The cooperation of Rio Rancho Utilities, Rio Grande Utilities, Sandia Peak Utility Company, National Utilities, New Mexico Utilities, DRESCO, Intel, AT&T, King Brothers Ranch, and the Huning Ltd. Partnership in providing access to wells is gratefully acknowledged.

We thank our colleagues with the US Geol Surv, Jerry Casile, Mike Doughten, Julian Wayland, Peggy Widman, Andrew Stack, Anne Burton, Brian C. Norton, David Jones, Ami Mitchell, Daniel Webster, Tyler Coplen, Kinga Revesz, Robert L. Michel, Fred Gebhardt, R.K. DeWees, Jim Bartolino, Joe Sterling, Carolina Trevizo, and Lori Shue for assistance in field sampling, laboratory analysis, assistance in locating wells, data processing, drafting of illustrations, and manuscript preparation.

Finally, the authors would like to thank Doug McAda, Mark Hudson, and Scott Minor of the US Geol Surv, Fred Phillips of New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, and John Hawley and Sean Connell of the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) who shared their knowledge and advice about the hydrology and geology of the basin. The manuscript was improved appreciably at several stages of preparation by the constructive reviews of US Geol Surv colleagues Jim Bartolino, Don Thorstenson, Tom Reilly, Pierre Glynn, John Izbicki, and an anonymous reviewer. This work was supported by funds from the Ground Water Resources Program and the National Research Program of the US Geological Survey.

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  1. US Geological Survey, 432 National Center, Reston, VA 20192, USA

    L. Niel Plummer, Ward E. Sanford & Eurybiades Busenberg

  2. US Geological Survey, 5338 Montgomery, NE, Suite 400, Albuquerque, NM 87109, USA

    Laura M. Bexfield & Scott K. Anderholm

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  1. L. Niel Plummer
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Plummer, L.N., Bexfield, L.M., Anderholm, S.K. et al. Hydrochemical tracers in the middle Rio Grande Basin, USA: 1. Conceptualization of groundwater flow. Hydrogeology Journal 12, 359–388 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-004-0324-6

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