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Shaleene B. Chavarria

Hydrologist, New Mexico Water Science Center

Science and Products

Upper Rio Grande Basin water-resource status and trends: Focus area study review and synthesis

The Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) is a critical international water resource under pressure from a myriad of climatic, ecological, infrastructural, water-use, and legal constraints. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the spatial distribution and temporal trends of selected water-budget components (snow processes, evapotranspiration (ET), streamflow processes, a
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center, Oklahoma-Texas Water Science Center

Geomorphic survey of North Fork Eagle Creek, New Mexico, 2019

The 2012 Little Bear Fire resulted in substantial loss of vegetation in the Eagle Creek Basin, south-central New Mexico, which has been expected to cause a variety of hydrologic responses that could influence geomorphic change to North Fork Eagle Creek. To monitor geomorphic change, surveys of a downstream study reach of North Fork Eagle Creek were conducted in 2017, 2018, and 2019 by the U.S. Geo
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center

Streamflow response to potential changes in climate in the Upper Rio Grande Basin

The Rio Grande is a vital water source for the southwestern States of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas and for northern Mexico. The river serves as the primary source of water for irrigation in the region, has many environmental and recreational uses, and is used by more than 13 million people including those in the Cities of Albuquerque and Las Cruces, New Mexico; El Paso, Texas; and Ciudad Juárez
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center

Tracking the source of metals to the San Juan River

IntroductionThe San Juan River is a major water source for communities in the Four Corners Region of the United States (Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah) and is a vital source of water for the Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation Environmental Protection Agency (NNEPA) periodically samples surface water on the Navajo Nation and has found that some elements exceed NNEPA surface water standards (the
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center

Application of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) to simulate near-native streamflow in the Upper Rio Grande Basin

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) is widely used to simulate the effects of climate, topography, land cover, and soils on landscape-level hydrologic response and streamflow. This study developed, calibrated, and assessed a PRMS model that simulates near-native or naturalized streamflow conditions in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. A PRMS model framework of 1,021
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center

Assessment of soil and water resources in the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico

The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument (Monument) in southern New Mexico was established in 2014. Given anticipated future demands in the Monument for recreation, livestock grazing, and maintenance of rights-of-way (for example, pipelines and powerlines), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) needs a better understanding of the current soil and water resources and how infrastructure impr
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Water Resources Mission Area, New Mexico Water Science Center
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Blue Lakes, Breckenridge, Colorado

Estimating the Future Effects of Forest Disturbance on Snow Water Resources in a Changing Environment

In the Western U.S., approximately 65% of the water supply comes from forested regions with most of the water that feeds local rivers coming from snowmelt that originates in mountain forests. The Rio Grande headwaters (I.e. the primary water generating region of the Rio Grande river) is experiencing large changes to the landscape primarily from forest fires and bark beetle infestations. Already, 8
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Climate Adaptation Science Centers
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Estimating the Future Effects of Forest Disturbance on Snow Water Resources in a Changing Environment

In the Western U.S., approximately 65% of the water supply comes from forested regions with most of the water that feeds local rivers coming from snowmelt that originates in mountain forests. The Rio Grande headwaters (I.e. the primary water generating region of the Rio Grande river) is experiencing large changes to the landscape primarily from forest fires and bark beetle infestations. Already, 8
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Dry Rio Grande riverbed near Selden Canyon, New Mexico.

Analyzing the Response of Waterflow to Projected Climate Conditions in the Upper Rio Grande Basin

Water availability in the upper Rio Grande Basin is dependent on winter and monsoon season precipitation. Consecutive years of drought and above average temperatures have diminished water supply and increased demand for water in this region. The increasing gap between water supply and demand is cause for concern. Climate projections for the southwestern and south central United States suggest that
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Climate Adaptation Science Centers
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Analyzing the Response of Waterflow to Projected Climate Conditions in the Upper Rio Grande Basin

Water availability in the upper Rio Grande Basin is dependent on winter and monsoon season precipitation. Consecutive years of drought and above average temperatures have diminished water supply and increased demand for water in this region. The increasing gap between water supply and demand is cause for concern. Climate projections for the southwestern and south central United States suggest that
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Data supporting the 2019 geomorphic survey of North Fork Eagle Creek, New Mexico

This U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data release contains results from the 2019 geomorphic survey of North Fork Eagle Creek, New Mexico. The 2019 geomorphic survey was conducted by the USGS, in cooperation with the Village of Ruidoso, New Mexico, and is the third in a planned series of five annual geomorphic surveys of the stream reach located between the North Fork Eagle Creek near Alto, New Mexic
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New Mexico Water Science Center

Hydrologic simulations using projected climate data as input to the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) in the Upper Rio Grande Basin

The Rio Grande Basin Study (Basin Study) is a stakeholder-led project funded by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to develop climate adaptation strategies to address the growing gap between water supply and demand in the Upper Rio Grande Basin in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. The role of the USGS in the Basin Study is to simulate historic and future streamflow using projected climate data from 27
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New Mexico Water Science Center

Water and sediment leachate chemistry from the San Juan Generating Station, Waterflow, NM, January 2021

The San Juan Generating Station in Waterflow, NM, owned by the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) is a coal-fired power plant that operates on coal mined on the same property. This plant is scheduled to shut down in 2022. In light of this impending closure, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is interested in purchasing the plant's raw-water reservoir for use in the Navajo-Gallup Water
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New Mexico Water Science Center

Input and Output Data for the Application of the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS) to Simulate Near-Native Streamflow in the Upper Rio Grande Basin

This data release contains input and output data from hydrologic simulations of naturalized or near-native streamflow conditions in the Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico by using the Precipitation-Runoff Modeling System (PRMS). The Upper Rio Grande Basin PRMS model was calibrated in a three step process by (1) calibrating solar radiation and potentia
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New Mexico Water Science Center

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