Considering New Mexico’s Brackish Water Resources New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources a research and service division of NM Tech August 2017 Stacy Timmons Aquifer Mapping Program Manager
Brackish water: It all relates to the geology • Distribution of water quality (spatially and vertically) • Volume of brackish water • Productivity of aquifer • Connections between aquifers • Suitability for desalination • Disposal locations
Previous work in NM 1. A lot of statewide work in 1960s and 1970s 2. 2004 – Brackish Water Task Force - developed priority regions for further work 3. 2013 – NM Drought Task Force – Brackish Water Working Group 1 2 3
Statewide brackish water assessment Brackish Water Working Group • driven interests Funding from NMED – Drinking • Water Bureau – SWP Digitized and compiled legacy • water quality data – mostly drinking water wells from USGS, NMED and NMBGMR studies https://geoinfo.nmt.edu/maps/
Statewide brackish water assessment Data are useful for regional trends, • but we lack data statewide to address detailed brackish water questions Region specific studies are needed, • and wells focused on brackish water PI: Lewis Land-- Link to project page: goo.gl/Tq1yFX
Brackish Groundwater Assessment 1. Reconnaissance to compile existing data; then identify and prioritize potential aquifers 2. Basic hydrogeologic data collection/interpretation to characterize the nature and extent of the resource – boreholes, geophysics and water quality (with depth) 3. Hydrogeologic characterization and computer model – assessment of impacts and feasibility study 4. Plant design and pilot project
Techniques available at NMBGMR/New Mexico Tech Hydrogeophysics for groundwater mapping • – Gravity – identify basin boundaries, faults – Transient ElectroMagnetics (TEM) and Magnetotellurics (MT) - characterize structures, depth, and water quality M. Folsom, MS Thesis 2016 Environmental tracers toward groundwater residence time • Collaborative Groundwater Monitoring Network •
Brackish water = overdraft account “An overdraft is an extension of credit from a lending institution when an account reaches zero. An overdraft allows the individual to continue withdrawing money even if the account has no funds in it or not enough to cover the withdrawal.” Heavy “fees” associated with using this water! In many areas, brackish water is not actively recharged • (GROUNDWATER MINING) EXPENSIVE challenges with inland desalination • – Water quality/treatment is different from sea water (high silica) – Waste disposal – Energy cost for pumping and treatment Potential impacts to fresh water or surface water •
Looking ahead • We WILL face harder droughts ahead • Conserve the limited fresh water resources • Prepare for supplementing with brackish water • Continue to improve regional characterizations of our aquifers (fresh and brackish waters)
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