Water-level data for the Albuquerque Basin and adjacent areas, central New Mexico, period of record through 1999

The Albuquerque Basin, located in central New Mexico, is about 100
miles long and 25 to 40 miles wide. The basin is defined as the extent
of consolidated and unconsolidated deposits of Tertiary and
Quaternary age that encompass the structural Rio Grande Rift within
the basin. Drinking-water supplies throughout the Albuquerque Basin
are obtained solely from ground-water resources. An increase in
the population of about 35 percent from 1980 to 1990 has resulted in
an increased demand for water. From April 1982 through September 1983,
a network of wells was established to monitor changes in ground-water
levels throughout the Albuquerque Basin. This network consisted of 6
wells with analog-to-digital recorders and 27 wells where water
levels were measured monthly. Currently (1999), the network
consists of 221 wells and piezometers. U.S. Geological
Survey personnel collect water-level measurements at sites 1-88
and sites 165-221. Water-level and other data for sites 89-164 are
measured by other agencies and reported to the USGS.