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 Cenozoic deposits that encompass the structural Rio
Grande Rift within the basin. Drinking-water supplies throughout
the Albuquerque Basin are currently (1996) obtained solely from
ground-water resources. The population of the basin grew from
419,000 in 1980 to 563,600 in 1990, a 34-percent increase, and
resulted in increases in water demand and ground-water pumpage.
Between April 1982 and September 1983, a network of wells was
established to monitor changes in ground-water levels throughout
the Albuquerque Basin. Water-level data were collected at 74
wells and piezometers for the period of record through September
30, 1995, in the Albuquerque Basin. Water-level data are
currently (1996) collected annually at sites 11 and 39;
semiannually at sites 1-10; quarterly at sites 12, 13, 26, 36-38,
40, 43, 49-51, 64-67, 69, and 71-74; and monthly at sites 14-25,
33-35, 41, 52-63, and 68.