Hydrologist, New Mexico Water Science Center
Education and Certifications
M.S. Hydrology, New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, 2016
B.S. Environmental Science, Loyola University Chicago, 2010
B.A. Spanish, Loyola University Chicago, 2010
Science and Products
Estimating National Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development
Anderson Ranch Wetlands Characterization
Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hydrologic Model: Modeling Conjunctive Use to Support Resource Management
Potentiometric Surfaces and Groundwater-Level Changes
NMWSC Groundwater Data Program
Thermoelectric-power condenser duty estimates by month and cooling type for use to calculate water use by power plant for the 2008-2020 reanalysis period for the conterminous United States
Thermoelectric-power water use reanalysis for the 2008-2020 period by power plant, month, and year for the conterminous United States
MODFLOW One-Water Hydrologic Flow Model (MF-OWHM) used to simulate conjunctive use in the Hatch Valley and Mesilla Basin, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico
GSFLOW, used to run PRMS and MODFLOW-NWT models, to simulate the effects of natural and anthropogenic impacts on water resources in the Rio San Jose Basin and surrounding areas, New Mexico
Data to Estimate Water Use Associated with Oil and Gas Development within the Bureau of Land Management Carlsbad Field Office Area, New Mexico
Data to Estimate Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development, Permian Basin, United States, 1980-2019.
Historical and projected production well pumping from January 1, 1900 through March 15, 2141, Middle Rio Grande Basin, Albuquerque and vicinity, New Mexico
Digital hydrologic and geospatial data for the Rio Grande transboundary integrated hydrologic model and water-availability analysis, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and Northern Chihuahua, Mexico
Digital data for three-dimensional geologic framework model of the Rio San Jose groundwater basin, New Mexico
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
Estimated 2016 groundwater level and drawdown from predevelopment to 2016 in the Santa Fe Group Aquifer System in the Albuquerque Area, Central New Mexico
Development of an integrated hydrologic flow model of the Rio San Jose Basin and surrounding areas, New Mexico
Upper Rio Grande Basin water-resource status and trends: Focus area study review and synthesis
Update and recalibration of the Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hydrologic Model, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico
Mesilla / Conejos-Médanos Basin: U.S.-Mexico transboundary water resources and research needs
Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19, with comparisons to the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana
Estimates of public-supply, domestic, and irrigation water withdrawal, use, and trends in the Upper Rio Grande Basin, 1985 to 2015
Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19
Rio Grande transboundary integrated hydrologic model and water-availability analysis, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico
Anderson Ranch wetlands hydrologic characterization in Taos County, New Mexico
Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2018
Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2017
Rio Grande transboundary integrated hydrologic model and water-availability analysis, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and Northern Chihuahua, Mexico
Errata**September 28, 2018: The purpose of a USGS Open-file report (OFR) is dissemination of information that must be released immediately to fill a public need or information that is not sufficiently refined to warrant publication in one of the other USGS series. As part of that refinement process, an error was discovered in one of the input data sets of the Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hy
Science and Products
- Science
Estimating National Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development
Project Period: 2016-ongoing Cooperator: U.S. Geological Survey Water Availability and Use Science Program Project Chiefs: Ryan McShane and Jeremy McDowellAnderson 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.Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hydrologic Model: Modeling Conjunctive Use to Support Resource Management
The Palomas, Mesilla, and Conejos-Médanos Basins in New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico compose a geologically and hydrologically complex region. The conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater takes place under a myriad of legal and operational constraints, including the Rio Grande Compact, an international treaty, and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Rio Grande Project. New demands are...Potentiometric Surfaces and Groundwater-Level Changes
In the past, groundwater pumped from the Santa Fe Group aquifer system was the principal source of water for the Albuquerque metropolitan area of central New Mexico. The large quantity of groundwater pumping relative to recharge resulted in substantial drawdown in the aquifer system. In 2008 the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority began diverting water from the San Juan-Chama...NMWSC Groundwater Data Program
Historic and current groundwater data may be used to help guide water management in New Mexico. Groundwater levels measured by the USGS provide the public, State, and Federal agencies, and cooperators with reliable and impartial information. - Data
Thermoelectric-power condenser duty estimates by month and cooling type for use to calculate water use by power plant for the 2008-2020 reanalysis period for the conterminous United States
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed models to estimate the amount of water that is withdrawn and consumed by thermoelectric power plants (Diehl and others, 2013; Diehl and Harris, 2014; Harris and Diehl, 2019). The thermoelectric water use models are based on linked heat-and-water budgets that are constrained by power plant generation and cooling system technologies, the amount of fuels coThermoelectric-power water use reanalysis for the 2008-2020 period by power plant, month, and year for the conterminous United States
Previous work by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed models to estimate the amount of water that is withdrawn and consumed by thermoelectric power plants (Diehl and others, 2013; Diehl and Harris, 2014; Harris and Diehl, 2019 [full citations listed in srcinfo of the metadata file]). This data release presents a historical reanalysis of thermoelectric water use from 2008 to 2020 and includeMODFLOW One-Water Hydrologic Flow Model (MF-OWHM) used to simulate conjunctive use in the Hatch Valley and Mesilla Basin, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico
The Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hydrologic Model (RGTIHM), which was originally developed by Hanson and others (2020) (https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20195120), was updated and recalibrated to minimize the biases in RGTIHM?s simulation of streamflow and to incorporate new estimates of historical agricultural consumptive use in the study area. The RGTIHM was developed through an interagency effGSFLOW, used to run PRMS and MODFLOW-NWT models, to simulate the effects of natural and anthropogenic impacts on water resources in the Rio San Jose Basin and surrounding areas, New Mexico
The Rio San Jose Integrated Hydrologic Model (RSJIHM) is a sequentially linked, integrated hydrologic model utilizing the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) (version 5.2.0) and MODFLOW-NWT (version 1.2.0) that was developed to provide a tool for analyzing the hydrologic system response to historical water use and potential changes in water supplies and demands in the Rio San Jose Basin. PData to Estimate Water Use Associated with Oil and Gas Development within the Bureau of Land Management Carlsbad Field Office Area, New Mexico
The purpose of this data release is to provide data in support of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Reasonably Foreseeable Development (RFD) Scenario by estimating water-use associated with oil and gas extraction methods within the BLM Carlsbad Field Office (CFO) planning area, located in Eddy and Lea Counties as well as part of Chaves County, New Mexico. Three comma separated value files andData to Estimate Water Use Associated with Continuous Oil and Gas Development, Permian Basin, United States, 1980-2019.
One of the largest conventional oil reservoirs in the United States, the Permian Basin, is becoming one of the world?s largest continuous oil and gas producing reservoirs. Continuous, or horizontal well drilling techniques extract oil and gas by directionally drilling and hydraulically fracturing the surrounding reservoir rock. The continuous extraction of oil and gas using hydraulic fracturing reHistorical and projected production well pumping from January 1, 1900 through March 15, 2141, Middle Rio Grande Basin, Albuquerque and vicinity, New Mexico
This data release contains six historical and projected production well pumping scenarios from January 1, 1900 through March 15, 2141 for the Middle Rio Grande Basin, Albuquerque and vicinity, New Mexico. The production well pumping rates and source of these rates are included as tabular files. Tabular files are also included that define the time period over which these rates are applicable, and tDigital hydrologic and geospatial data for the Rio Grande transboundary integrated hydrologic model and water-availability analysis, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and Northern Chihuahua, Mexico
Digital hydrologic and geospatial data for the Rio Grande transboundary integrated hydrologic model and water-availability analysis, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and Northern Chihuahua, MexicoDigital data for three-dimensional geologic framework model of the Rio San Jose groundwater basin, New Mexico
This data release contains a geospatial database related to a digital 3D geologic framework of the Rio San Jose watershed, New Mexico. The geospatial database contains two main data elements: (1) input data to the 3D framework model; (2) interpolated elevations and thicknesses of stratigraphic units as a cellular array. Input surface and subsurface data for 18 stratigraphic units have been condens - Maps
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
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA), has developed a series of maps and associated reports, beginning in 2002, that document groundwater levels in the production zone of the Santa Fe Group aquifer system beneath a large area of the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico (hereafter called the study area). Herein, we document thEstimated 2016 groundwater level and drawdown from predevelopment to 2016 in the Santa Fe Group Aquifer System in the Albuquerque Area, Central New Mexico
The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA), has developed a series of maps and associated reports to document changes in the groundwater level in the production zone of the Santa Fe Group aquifer system in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area. The current map and associated report document the construction of contours representin - Multimedia
- Publications
Development of an integrated hydrologic flow model of the Rio San Jose Basin and surrounding areas, New Mexico
The Rio San Jose Integrated Hydrologic Model (RSJIHM) was developed to provide a tool for analyzing the hydrologic system response to historical water use and potential changes in water supplies and demands in the Rio San Jose Basin. The study area encompasses about 6,300 square miles in west-central New Mexico and includes the communities of Grants, Bluewater, and San Rafael and three Native AmerAuthorsAndre B. Ritchie, Shaleene B. Chavarria, Amy E. Galanter, Allison K. Flickinger, Andrew J. Robertson, Donald S. SweetkindUpper Rio Grande Basin water-resource status and trends: Focus area study review and synthesis
The Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) is a critical international water resource under pressure from a myriad of climatic, ecological, infrastructural, water-use, and legal constraints. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the spatial distribution and temporal trends of selected water-budget components (snow processes, evapotranspiration (ET), streamflow processes, aAuthorsKyle R. Douglas-Mankin, Christine Rumsey, Graham A. Sexstone, Tamara I. Ivahnenko, Natalie Houston, Shaleene Chavarria, Gabriel B. Senay, Linzy K. Foster, Jonathan V. Thomas, Allison K. Flickinger, Amy E. Galanter, C. David Moeser, Toby L. Welborn, Diana E. Pedraza, Patrick M. Lambert, Michael Scott JohnsonUpdate and recalibration of the Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hydrologic Model, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico
The Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hydrologic Model (RGTIHM) was developed through an interagency effort between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of Reclamation to provide a tool for analyzing the hydrologic system response to the historical evolution of water use and potential changes in water supplies and demands in the Hatch Valley (also known as Rincon Valley in the study area) aAuthorsAndre B. Ritchie, Amy E. Galanter, Allison K. Flickinger, Zachary M. Shephard, Ian M. FergusonMesilla / Conejos-Médanos Basin: U.S.-Mexico transboundary water resources and research needs
Synthesizing binational data to characterize shared water resources is critical to informing binational management. This work uses binational hydrogeology and water resource data in the Mesilla/Conejos-Médanos Basin (Basin) to describe the hydrologic conceptual model and identify potential research that could help inform sustainable management. The Basin aquifer is primarily composed of continuousAuthorsAndrew J. Robertson, Anne-Marie Matherne, Jeff D. Pepin, Andre B. Ritchie, Donald S. Sweetkind, Andrew Teeple, Alfredo Granados Olivas, Ana Cristina García Vásquez, Kenneth C. Carroll, Erek H. Fuchs, Amy E. GalanterEstimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19, with comparisons to the Williston Basin, North Dakota and Montana
The Permian Basin, in west Texas and southeastern New Mexico is one of the largest conventional oil and gas reservoirs in the United States and is becoming one of the world’s largest continuous oil and gas (COG) reservoirs. Advances in technology have enabled oil and gas to be extracted from reservoirs that historically were developed using conventional, or vertical, well drilling techniques. ConvAuthorsNatalie A. Houston, Grady P. Ball, Amy E. Galanter, Joshua F. Valder, Ryan R. McShane, Joanna N. Thamke, Jeremy S. McDowellEstimates of public-supply, domestic, and irrigation water withdrawal, use, and trends in the Upper Rio Grande Basin, 1985 to 2015
The Rio Grande flows approximately 670 miles from its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains of south-central Colorado to Fort Quitman, Texas, draining the Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) study area of 32,000 square miles that includes parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Parts of the basin extend into the United Mexican States (hereafter “Mexico”), where the Rio Grande forms the international boAuthorsTamara I. Ivahnenko, Allison K. Flickinger, Amy E. Galanter, Kyle R. Douglas-Mankin, Diana E. Pedraza, Gabriel B. SenayEstimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19
In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey started a topical study to quantify water use in areas of continuous oil and gas (COG) development. The first phase of the study was completed in 2019 and analyzed the Williston Basin. The second phase of the study analyzed the Permian Basin using the same techniques and approaches used for the Williston Basin analysis. The Permian Basin was selected for the secAuthorsJoshua F. Valder, Ryan R. McShane, Joanna N. Thamke, Jeremy S. McDowell, Grady P. Ball, Natalie A. Houston, Amy E. GalanterRio Grande transboundary integrated hydrologic model and water-availability analysis, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico
Changes in population, agricultural development and practices (including shifts to more water-intensive crops), and climate variability are increasing demands on available water resources, particularly groundwater, in one of the most productive agricultural regions in the Southwest—the Rincon and Mesilla Valley parts of Rio Grande Valley, Doña Ana and Sierra Counties, New Mexico, and El Paso CountAuthorsRandall T. Hanson, Andre B. Ritchie, Scott E. Boyce, Amy E. Galanter, Ian A. Ferguson, Lorraine E. Flint, Alan L. Flint, Wesley R. HensonAnderson Ranch wetlands hydrologic characterization in Taos County, New Mexico
The Anderson Ranch property (study area), located in Taos County, north-central New Mexico, was transferred from Chevron Mining, Inc. (CMI) to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as part of a Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) court-ordered settlement. The study area supports freshwater emergent wetlands and freshwater ponds. The settlement states that CMI will provide theAuthorsAmy E. Galanter, Zachary M. Shephard, Pamela Herrera-OlivasWater-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2018
The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25–40 miles wide. The basin is hydrologically defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompasses the structural Rio Grande Rift between San Acacia to the south and Cochiti Lake to the north. A 20-percent population increase in the basin from 1990 to 2000AuthorsAndre B. Ritchie, Amy E. GalanterWater-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through September 30, 2017
The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100 miles long and 25–40 miles wide. The basin is hydrologically defined as the extent of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and Quaternary age that encompasses the structural Rio Grande Rift between San Acacia to the south and Cochiti Lake to the north. A 20-percent population increase in the basin from 1990 to 2000AuthorsJoseph E. Beman, Andre B. Ritchie, Amy E. GalanterRio Grande transboundary integrated hydrologic model and water-availability analysis, New Mexico and Texas, United States, and Northern Chihuahua, Mexico
Errata**September 28, 2018: The purpose of a USGS Open-file report (OFR) is dissemination of information that must be released immediately to fill a public need or information that is not sufficiently refined to warrant publication in one of the other USGS series. As part of that refinement process, an error was discovered in one of the input data sets of the Rio Grande Transboundary Integrated Hy
AuthorsRandall T. Hanson, Andre B. Ritchie, Scott E. Boyce, Ian Ferguson, Amy E. Galanter, Lorraine E. Flint, Wesley R. Henson