Supervisory Hydrologist, New Mexico Water Science Center
Andrew Robertson is a hydrologist and a unit chief for the Hydrologic Assessment and Modeling program area at the New Mexico Water Science Center. Andrew received a M.S. degree in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico. Since joining the USGS in in 2008, Andrew's work has been focused on using geochemical and isotopic tracers to answer questions relating to groundwater hydrology and contaminant fate and transport.
Education and Certifications
M.S. Water Resources, University of New Mexico, 2008
B.S. Chemistry and Physics, Fort Lewis College, 1997
Science and Products
Geochemical Evidence of Groundwater Flow Paths and the Fate and Transport of Constituents of Concern in the Alluvial Aquifer at Fort Wingate Depot Activity, New Mexico
Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization and evaluation of two arroyos for managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in the Pojoaque River Basin
The Source of Groundwater and Solutes to Many Devils Wash at a Former Uranium Mill Site in Shiprock, New Mexico
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Water Resource Assessment of the Rio San Jose Basin, West-Central New Mexico
Monitoring Network of the Groundwater Flow System and Stream-Aquifer Relations in the Mesilla Basin, Doña Ana County, New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas
Estimated groundwater elevations and standard errors from the application of kriging to median groundwater elevation data from 2010 in the Mesilla/Conejos-Medanos Basin, United States and Mexico
Borehole temperature profiles measured in the Mesilla Basin, New Mexico during the period 1972 through 2018
Development of an integrated hydrologic flow model of the Rio San Jose Basin and surrounding areas, New Mexico
Groundwater prospecting using a multi-technique framework in the lower Casas Grandes Basin, Chihuahua, México
Determining seasonal recharge, storage changes, and specific yield using repeat microgravity and water-level measurements in the Mesilla Basin alluvial aquifer, New Mexico, 2016–2018
Mesilla / Conejos-Médanos Basin: U.S.-Mexico transboundary water resources and research needs
Salinity contributions from geothermal waters to the Rio Grande and shallow aquifer system in the transboundary Mesilla (United States)/Conejos-Médanos (Mexico) Basin
An integrated geochemical approach for defining sources of groundwater salinity in the southern Rio Grande Valley of the Mesilla Basin, New Mexico and west Texas, USA
Estimating the effects of forest structure changes from wildfire on snow water resources under varying meteorological conditions
Seepage investigation of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above El Paso, Texas, 2018
Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization and evaluation of two arroyos for managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in the Pojoaque River Basin, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, 2014–15
In order to provide long-term storage of diverted surface water from the Rio Grande as part of the Aamodt water rights settlement, managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in Pojoaque River Basin arroyos was proposed as an option. The initial hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of two arroyos located within the Pojoaque River Basin was performed in 2014 and 2015 in cooperation w
The source of groundwater and solutes to Many Devils Wash at a former uranium mill site in Shiprock, New Mexico
Seepage investigation of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, 2014
Seepage investigation of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, 2015
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
Geochemical Evidence of Groundwater Flow Paths and the Fate and Transport of Constituents of Concern in the Alluvial Aquifer at Fort Wingate Depot Activity, New Mexico
As part of an environmental investigation at Fort Wingate Depot Activity, New Mexico, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, interpreted aqueous geochemical concentrations to better understand the groundwater flow paths and the fate and transport of constituents of concern in the alluvial aquifer underlying the study area. The fine-grained nature of the...Hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization and evaluation of two arroyos for managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in the Pojoaque River Basin
In order to provide long-term storage of diverted surface water from the Rio Grande as part of the Aamodt water rights settlement, managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in Pojoaque River Basin arroyos was proposed as an option. The initial hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of two arroyos located within the Pojoaque River Basin was performed in 2014 and 2015 in cooperation...The Source of Groundwater and Solutes to Many Devils Wash at a Former Uranium Mill Site in Shiprock, New Mexico
The Shiprock Disposal Site is the location of the former Navajo Mill, a uranium ore-processing facility, located on a terrace overlooking the San Juan River in the town of Shiprock, New Mexico.The milling operations, conducted at the site from 1954 to 1968, created radioactive tailings and constituents of concern that are now found in the groundwater beneath the Mill. Elevated concentrations of...Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Many communities along the U.S.-Mexico border have limited surface water supply and rely on transboundary aquifers for industry, agriculture, and drinking water; however, information on water needs, water quality, and the extent and functioning of these aquifers is incomplete. The Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP), established through a binational agreement between the United States...Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program (TAAP)
Transboundary aquifers are an essential source of water for United States – Mexico border communities. Declining water levels, deteriorating water quality, and increasing use of groundwater resources on both sides of the border raise concerns about the long-term availability of this supply.The U.S. – Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act (Public Law 109-448) of 2006 was enacted to conduct...Water Resource Assessment of the Rio San Jose Basin, West-Central New Mexico
Water resources in the Rio San Jose Basin are limited, and development for public supply, mining, agriculture, and commercial activities have the potential to affect the water availability and quality at a basin-wide scale. This study is designed to provide water-resource managers with better information to plan for potential effects of increased or shifting demands and changes of climatic...Monitoring Network of the Groundwater Flow System and Stream-Aquifer Relations in the Mesilla Basin, Doña Ana County, New Mexico and El Paso County, Texas
The Mesilla Basin monitoring program was established in 1987 to document the hydrologic conditions of New Mexico’s southern-most, Rio Grande rift basin. The program’s data collection and reporting is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with local, state, and federal agencies. Hydrologic data collected as part of the monitoring program provide valuable information to better... - Data
Estimated groundwater elevations and standard errors from the application of kriging to median groundwater elevation data from 2010 in the Mesilla/Conejos-Medanos Basin, United States and Mexico
These data include 217 median groundwater elevations computed from compiled measurements made in the year 2010 within the transboundary Mesilla/Conejos-Medanos Basin, United States and Mexico, along with their corresponding interpolated groundwater elevations and standard errors from the application of kriging. Of the 217 median groundwater elevation locations, 109 were in the United States and 10Borehole temperature profiles measured in the Mesilla Basin, New Mexico during the period 1972 through 2018
These data are a compilation of 379 borehole temperature profiles collected during the period 1972 through 2018 for the Mesilla Basin, New Mexico. This dataset includes a comma-separated values file (Temperature Profile Index.csv) that serves as an index for the 379 text data files (.txt; with the file name corresponding to the "Well Name" in the index) that are included as a compressed (.zip) fol - Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 14
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. SweetkindGroundwater prospecting using a multi-technique framework in the lower Casas Grandes Basin, Chihuahua, México
Groundwater is a strategic resource for economic development, social justice, environmental sustainability, and water governance. The lower Casas Grandes River Basin, located in the state of Chihuahua, México, is in a semi-arid region with increasing groundwater demand and regional challenges such as drought and depletion of aquifers. Even though there is official information about the availabilitAuthorsAlfredo Granados Olivas, Ezequiel Rascon-Mendoza, Francisco J. Gómez-Domínguez, Carlo I. Romero-Gameros, Andrew J. Robertson, Luis C. Bravo-Peña, Ali Mirchi, Ana C. Garcia-Vazquez, Alexander Fernald, John W. Hawley, Luis Alfonso Gandara-Ruiz, Luis C. Alatorre-Cejudo, Maryam Samimi, Felipe A. Vazquez-Galvez, Adan Pinales-Munguia, Oscar F. Ibañez-Hernandez, Josiah M. Heyman, Alex Mayer, William L. HargroveDetermining seasonal recharge, storage changes, and specific yield using repeat microgravity and water-level measurements in the Mesilla Basin alluvial aquifer, New Mexico, 2016–2018
Increasing water demand and multi-year drought conditions within the Mesilla/Conejos-Médanos Basin near the New Mexico-Texas- Chihuahua border have resulted in diminished surface-water supplies and increased groundwater withdrawals. To better understand recharge to the shallow aquifer, the spatial and temporal groundwater storage changes, and the variability of specific yield (Sy) in the aquifer,AuthorsAndrew J. Robertson, Jeffrey Kennedy, Libby M. Kahler, Meghan T. Bell, Erek H. Fuchs, Alex Rinehart, Irene FernaldMesilla / 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 Sweetkind, Andrew Teeple, Alfredo Granados Olivas, Ana Cristina García Vásquez, Kenneth C. Carroll, Erek H. Fuchs, Amy E. GalanterSalinity contributions from geothermal waters to the Rio Grande and shallow aquifer system in the transboundary Mesilla (United States)/Conejos-Médanos (Mexico) Basin
Freshwater scarcity has raised concerns about the long-term availability of the water supplies within the transboundary Mesilla (United States)/Conejos-Médanos (Mexico) Basin in Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua. Analysis of legacy temperature data and groundwater flux estimates indicates that the region’s known geothermal systems may contribute more than 45,000 tons of dissolved solids per year toAuthorsJeff D. Pepin, Andrew J. Robertson, Shari A. KelleyAn integrated geochemical approach for defining sources of groundwater salinity in the southern Rio Grande Valley of the Mesilla Basin, New Mexico and west Texas, USA
A significantly elevated groundwater salinity zone was identified in the southern part of the Mesilla Valley. This investigation characterized the occurrence, spatial extent, and source of the plume of elevated groundwater salinity using a wide range of geochemical and geophysical data and methods.AuthorsChristopher Kubicki, Kenneth C. Carroll, James C. Witcher, Andrew J. RobertsonEstimating the effects of forest structure changes from wildfire on snow water resources under varying meteorological conditions
Modeling forest change effects on snow is critical to resource management. However, many models either do not appropriately model canopy structure or cannot represent fine‐scale changes in structure following a disturbance. We applied a 1 m2 resolution energy budget snowpack model at a forested site in New Mexico, USA, affected by a wildfire, using input data from lidar to represent prefire and poAuthorsC. David Moeser, Patrick Borxton, Adrian Harpold, Andrew J. RobertsonSeepage investigation of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above El Paso, Texas, 2018
Seepage investigations were conducted periodically by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) from 1988 to 1998 and from 2006 to 2015 along a 64-mile reach of the Rio Grande as part of the Mesilla Basin monitoring program. Past studies were conducted during no-flow or low-flow periods. In 2018, a seepage investigation was conducted during April 3–4 along a 62.4-mile study reach, from below Leasburg Dam,AuthorsGrady P. Ball, Andrew J. Robertson, Karen Medina MoralesHydrogeologic and geochemical characterization and evaluation of two arroyos for managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in the Pojoaque River Basin, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, 2014–15
In order to provide long-term storage of diverted surface water from the Rio Grande as part of the Aamodt water rights settlement, managed aquifer recharge by surface infiltration in Pojoaque River Basin arroyos was proposed as an option. The initial hydrogeologic and geochemical characterization of two arroyos located within the Pojoaque River Basin was performed in 2014 and 2015 in cooperation w
AuthorsAndrew J. Robertson, Jeffrey Cordova, Andrew Teeple, Jason Payne, Rob CarruthThe source of groundwater and solutes to Many Devils Wash at a former uranium mill site in Shiprock, New Mexico
The Shiprock Disposal Site is the location of the former Navajo Mill (Mill), a uranium ore-processing facility, located on a terrace overlooking the San Juan River in the town of Shiprock, New Mexico. Following the closure of the Mill, all tailings and associated materials were encapsulated in a disposal cell built on top of the former Mill and tailings piles. The milling operations, conducted atAuthorsAndrew J. Robertson, Anthony J. Ranalli, Stephen A. Austin, Bryan R. LawlisSeepage investigation of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, 2014
Seepage investigations have been conducted annually by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1988 to 1998 and from 2004 to the present (2014) along a 64-mile reach of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, as part of the Mesilla Basin monitoring program. Results of the investigation conducted in 2014 are presented in this report. The 2014 seeAuthorsAlyse C. Briody, Andrew J. Robertson, Nicole ThomasSeepage investigation of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, 2015
Seepage investigations have been conducted annually by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1988 to 1998 and from 2004 to the present (2015) along a 64-mile reach of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, as part of the Mesilla Basin monitoring program. Results of the investigation conducted in 2015 are presented in this report. The 2015 seeAuthorsAlyse C. Briody, Andrew J. Robertson, Nicole ThomasNon-USGS Publications**
Robertson, Andrew, 2008, Surface Water and Ground Water Interactions of the Rio de las Vacas, NM; Characterizing Exchange and Predicting Response Using Thermal Data, Water Resources Professional Project Reports, http://digitalrepository.unm.edu/wr_sp/103.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.