Developing a thorough understanding of water resources from transboundary aquifers along the U.S.-Mexico border by using a comprehensive, integrated analysis of available scientific data enables water managers to make better informed decisions. Jurisdictional oversight of transboundary groundwater resources is managed by a variety of local and national entities. The 2006 United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act (hereinafter referred to as “the Act”) authorized “the Secretary of the Interior to cooperate with the States on the international border with Mexico and other appropriate entities in conducting a hydrogeologic characterization, mapping, and modeling program for priority transboundary aquifers, and for other purposes” (United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act, Public Law 109–448). Two of the priority transboundary aquifers selected for additional studies under the Act were partially located in Texas: (1) the Mesilla Basin/Conejos-Médanos aquifer system and (2) the Hueco Bolson aquifer system.

Understanding the groundwater in the Mesilla Basin/Conejos-Médanos and the Hueco Bolson is important for the 2.7 million people along the United States and Mexico border living in and near the combined metropolitan areas of Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, who rely on groundwater for water supply. Various studies are being done on these aquifers to develop and improve the groundwater information for these binational aquifers to facilitate water-resource assessment and planning. An overview of these studies will be presented with emphasis on the geophysics, water quality, and data compilation analyses done on these aquifers.

RELATED INFORMATION: https://webapps.usgs.gov/taap/

ATTEND THE WEBINAR:

The webinar will be held as Microsoft Teams Live Event.  Attendees can attend the Teams Live Event by web browser, desktop Teams app, or official iOS or Android Teams app.  At this time, attendees cannot join from a mobile web browser.

     Webinar Time: Friday April 2, 11 am Central

     Join the Webinar: Teams Live Event link 

For additional information, please contact Lynne Fahlquist at otpublicinfo@usgs.gov.

PRESENTERS from Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center:  
     Andrew Teeple, Hydrologist
     Scott Ikard, Hydrologist
     Patty Ging, Hydrologist
     Diana Pedraza, Geographer

BIOS:

Andrew Teeple earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, where he began working with the USGS in the Nebraska Water Science Center as a student. In 2006, Andy became a full-time Hydrologist for the Texas Water Science Center. Andy uses advanced borehole and geophysical techniques to aid in the interpretation of hydrogeologic characterization and framework, preferential groundwater flow paths, interaction potential between hydrogeologic units, groundwater/surface-water interaction, freshwater/saline-water transition zone delineation, conceptual model development, and other groundwater related concerns in the United States and internationally (Mexico, Canada, United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, and Thailand). In 2014, Andy became the Team Lead of the Geophysics and Subsurface Analysis Unit (GSAU) of the Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center. As Team Lead, he coordinates the activities of the GSAU. Andy has authored or coauthored multiple scientific investigation reports during his USGS career. 

Scott Ikard is a licensed Professional Engineer and Geologist. He is currently a Hydrologist in the Geophysics and Subsurface Analysis Unit. He holds a Ph.D. in Geophysical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, an M.E. in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, and a B.S. in Geology from James Madison University. Scott serves as Project Chief on applied research studies in geophysics and hydrogeology. 

Patty Ging is a Hydrologist and has been working with the USGS since 1991, when she started as a student employee. Patty received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Austin in Geology and Hydrogeology. Patty has worked on numerous water-quality studies, including those of the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project. Patty has extensive experience with water-quality studies throughout Texas and beyond; including project development and management, data collection in a wide variety of environments, technical review, training and mentoring, and delivery of data and interpretive reports and presentations. She has authored or coauthored over 30 reports related to water-quality projects.  

Diana Pedraza is a Geographer who specializes in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Diana holds a B.S. in Geography from Texas State University and a B.S. in Geology from St. Mary's University. Her contributions have ranged from developing a GIS-based groundwater contamination vulnerability model to creating raster datasets of interpolated surfaces and thicknesses of hydrogeologic formations and geological structural features as part of scientific investigations.  Diana continues to apply advanced GIS techniques for processing data for surface-water modeling, groundwater modeling, and hydrogeologic mapping.