Land subsidence and recovery in the Albuquerque Basin, New Mexico, 1993–2014

Abstract

For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment-visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS.For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://store.usgs.gov.Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. DatumVertical coordinate information is referenced to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88).Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum. Abbreviations AbstractThe Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) drinking water supply was almost exclusively sourced from groundwater from within the Albuquerque Basin before 2008. In 2008, the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project (SJCDWP) provided surface-water resources to augment the groundwater supply, allowing for a reduction in groundwater pumping in the Albuquerque Basin. In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the ABCWUA, began a study to measure and compare aquifer-system and land-surface elevation change before and after the SJCDWP in 2008. Three methods of data collection with different temporal and spatial resolutions were used for this study: (1) aquifer-system compaction data collected continuously at a single extensometer from 1994 to 2013; (2) land-surface elevation change from Global Positioning System (GPS) surveys of a network of monuments collected in 1994-95, 2005, and 2014; and (3) spatially distributed Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) satellite data from 1993 to 2010. Collection of extensometer data allows for direct and continuous measurement of aquifersystem compaction at the extensometer location. The GPS surveys of a network of monuments allow for periodic measurements of land-surface elevation change at monument locations. Interferograms are limited in time by lifespan of the satellite, orbital pattern, and data quality but allow for measurement of gridded land-surface elevation change over the study area. Each of these methods was employed to provide a better understanding of aquifer-system compaction and land-surface elevation change for the Albuquerque Basin.Results do not show large magnitudes of subsidence in the Albuquerque Basin. High temporal-resolution but low spatial-resolution data measurements of aquifer-system compaction at the Albuquerque extensometer show elastic aquifer-system response to recovering groundwater levels. Results from the GPS survey of the network of monuments show inconsistent land-surface elevation changes over the Albuquerque Basin, likely because of the lack of significant change and the complexity of subsurface stratigraphy in addition to the sp...

Optimization assessment of a groundwater-level observation network in the Middle Rio Grande Basin, New Mexico

“…The upward trend in groundwater elevations observed in clusters 2 and 4 (fig. 23) is consistent with groundwater-level recovery throughout the Albuquerque area and has been linked to conservation efforts and the implementation of surface water as a drinking water source (Driscoll and Brandt, 2017;Galanter and Curry, 2019;Ritchie and others, 2019). This similarity is likely why clusters 2 and 4 overlap in figures 22A, B, and D. Despite the similar long-term increase in groundwater elevations of clusters 2 and 4, cluster 2 has a dampened seasonal signal relative to cluster 4 (fig.…”

“…Reductions of groundwater withdrawals began in 1990, despite continued population increases, because of conservation programs initiated by the ABCWUA and implemented by the citizens of Albuquerque (ABCWUA, 2016). In December 2008, the ABCWUA began diverting surface water from the Rio Grande as part of the SJCDWP to supplement municipal water supply, allowing for additional reductions in groundwater withdrawals (Powell and McKean, 2014;ABCWUA, 2016;Driscoll and Brandt, 2017;Galanter and Curry, 2019). ABCWUA production wells are typically screened (open to the aquifer) in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system production zone, which consists of the interval from within about 200 feet of the water table to 900 feet or more below the water table (Bexfield and Anderholm, 2002;Powell and McKean, 2014).…”

Hydrogeologic framework and delineation of transient areas contributing recharge and zones of contribution to selected wells in the upper Santa Fe Group aquifer, southeastern Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1900–2050

“…Linear trends in land-surface subsidence and rebound detected by Heywood and others (2002, fig. 2B) and by Driscoll and Brandt (2017) may indicate that faults influence groundwater flow in eastern Albuquerque. Aside from estimates for groundwater-flow models, little work has been published regarding horizontal anisotropy in the Middle Rio Grande Basin.…”

Groundwater-level change for the periods 2002–8, 2008–12, and 2008–16 in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system in the Albuquerque area, central New Mexico

“…Groundwater withdrawals began generally declining in 1990, despite continued population increases, because of conservation programs initiated by the ABCWUA and implemented by the citizens of Albuquerque (ABCWUA, 2016). In December 2008, the ABCWUA began diverting surface water from the Rio Grande as part of the SJCDWP to supplement municipal water supply, allowing for additional reductions in groundwater withdrawals (Powell and McKean, 2014;ABCWUA, 2016;Driscoll and Brandt, 2017;Galanter and Curry, 2019).…”