Aquifer tests in the flood-plain alluvium and Santa Fe group at the Rio Grande near Canutillo, El Paso County, Texas

An aquifer system consisting of the Rio Grande flood-plain alluvium and Santa Fe Group underlying the southern Mesilla Valley in Dona Ana County, New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas has become an important source of water for both municipal and agricultural uses. Determination of aquifer properties is essential in order to evaluate groundwater potential for increasing water demand and potential streamflow depletion of the Rio Grande due to groundwater development. The aquifer system at the Canutillo well field hydrologic section was divided into a shallow, intermediate, and deep zone based on geohydrologic characteristics. Aquifer properties of specific zones at the test site were determined from a series of multiple-well aquifer tests conducted from December 3, 1985 through January 20, 1986. The Rio Grande is hydraulically connected to the shallow flood-plain alluvium. Water generally occurs within the shallow zone under unconfined conditions, within the intermediate zone under semiconfined conditions, and within the deep zone under confined conditions. (USGS)