Hydrologic Monitoring and Trends
Hydrologic Monitoring and Trends
In cooperation with our partners, the New Mexico Water Science Center maintains over 180 active stream gages and collects information on the quality and quantity of New Mexico's groundwater at over 6,000 sites. These data are used for everything from recreational users planning for river trips to managers working to better understand the state’s water resources.
Filter Total Items: 47
Assessment of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water Resources of New Mexico
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are widespread anthropogenic chemicals that have been in use for the past 70 years. This class of compounds comprises thousands of chemicals including perfluorosulfonates (PFSAs) such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs), and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). As the use of these chemicals has grown so has their ubiquity in...
Streamflow response to potential changes in climate in the Upper Rio Grande Basin
The Rio Grande is a vital water source for Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. A model was developed to determine how Rio Grande streamflow could change in the future. Both streamflow timing and volume displayed substantial potential changes. However, streamflow timing was most affected, and runoff could arrive a month earlier than the historic average if temperatures continue to warm...
Ecohydrologic and Water Quality Data Collection at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and the Albuquerque South Valley Community Commons
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) New Mexico Water Science Center (NM WSC), in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA), and Bernalillo County (BERNCO), will measure and analyze...
New Mexico Water Science Center Webcams
Webcams have been installed at five real-time stream-gaging sites. The webcams provide valuable information to the National Weather Service, emergency managers, and area residents to evaluate real-time conditions in river environments during storms.
Simulation of Pre- and Post-Fire Streamflow in the Upper Rio Hondo Basin, NM
The 2012 Little Bear Fire burned 44,000 acres in the upper Rio Hondo Basin in south-central New Mexico. Landscape in the Basin ranges from mixed conifer forests at higher elevations (12,000 ft) to desert shrubland at lower (5,200 ft) elevations. Burned areas are at risk of substantial post-wildfire erosion and flash floods. USGS post-wildfire analysis estimated 70% of the burned area had a high...
Anderson Ranch Wetlands Characterization
The Anderson Ranch Wetlands (AR Wetlands), located in Taos County, north-central New Mexico, may be at risk from changes in climate patterns, from shifts in available water supply, and from agricultural groundwater pumping adjacent to the wetlands. To help guide management decisions, the USGS is completing an initial hydrologic characterization of the wetlands.
NM Boys and Girls Ranch Wetlands Hydrologic Assessment: An Interagency Pilot Program
In partnership with the USFWS Partner Program, the NMWSC has developed a network of piezometers and vegetation survey markers in order to assess groundwater levels and vegetation species at a proposed wetland area on the New Mexico Boy's and Girl's Ranch near Las Nutrias, NM. This proposed wetland area is intended to be maintained as both a flyway habitat for migratory birds, and as a training...
Urban Storm-Water Program in the Albuquerque Metropolitan Area
As part of the surface-water drainage system of the Albuquerque metropolitan area, numerous ephemeral channels collect and transport surface water through the urban area and, eventually, into the Rio Grande.
Implementing a Web-based Streamflow Statistics Tool for New Mexico (StreamStats)
Estimates of streamflow are needed for a wide variety of applications, including water-resources planning and management, flood-plain mapping, and instream flow determinations. Surface water is the primary source of water for irrigators along major stream corridors in New Mexico and is increasingly being utilized by large municipalities. While streamflow statistics for gaged sites are readily...
Upper Rio Grande Basin Focus Area Study
The Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) of Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico was chosen as a focus area study (FAS) for the USGS National Water Census. The conjunctive use of water in the URGB takes place under a myriad of legal constraints including the Rio Grande Compact agreement between the States, an international treaty with Mexico, and several federal water projects. Development of...
National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) Rio Grande Valley Study
The New Mexico Water Science Center (NMWSC) has historically conducted NAWQA data collection of groundwater and surface water-data within the former Rio Grande Valley (RIOG) study unit, which covers about 45,700 square miles in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.
Cannon Air Force Base: Seasonal Potentiometric Surfaces and Groundwater-Level Trends
Declining water levels and a history of high nitrate concentrations in groundwater near and on Cannon Air Force Base (CAFB) necessitated a more detailed assessment of groundwater flow directions than has been done in the past. Previous potentiometric-surface maps were sufficient for showing regional directions of groundwater flow, but more detailed seasonal (summer high-pumping and winter low...