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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources
USGS2008

Geologic Map of the Abiquiu Quadrangle, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico

The Abiquiu 1:24,000-scale quadrangle is located along the Colorado Plateau-Rio Grande rift margin in north-central New Mexico. The map area lies within the Abiquiu embayment, an early (pre-Miocene) extensional basin of the Rio Grande rift. Rocks exposed include continental Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks of the Colorado Plateau and Cenozoic basin-fill deposits and volcanic rocks of the Rio Grande rift. Paleozoic units include the Late Pennsylvanian to Early Permian Cutler Group, undivided. Mesozoic units are Upper Triassic Chinle Group, undivided, middle Jurassic Entrada Sandstone, and Todilto Limestone Member of the Wanakah Formation. Mesozoic rocks are folded in some areas and overlain disconformably by Cenozoic rocks. Cenozoic sedimentary rocks are composed of the Eocene El Rito Formation, Oligocene Ritito Conglomerate, Oligocene-Miocene Abiquiu Formation, and Miocene Chama-El Rito and Ojo Caliente Sandstone Members of the Tesuque Formation of the Santa Fe Group. Volcanic rocks include the Lobato Basalt, the El Alto Basalt, and dacite of the Tschicoma Formation. Quaternary deposits consist of inset ancestral axial and tributary Rio Chama deposits and Holocene floodplain alluvium, fan and pediment alluvium, and landslide colluvium.

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS2014

Geologic map of the Sunshine 7.5' quadrangle, Taos County, New Mexico

The Sunshine 7.5' quadrangle is located in the south-central part of the San Luis Basin of northern New Mexico, in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, and contains deposits that record volcanic, tectonic, and associated alluvial and colluvial processes over the past four million years. Sunshine Valley, named for the small locale of Sunshine, is incised by a series of northeast-trending drainages cut into Tertiary and Quaternary alluvial deposits forming an extensive alluvial apron between the east flank of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the Rio Grande. These deposits predominantly overlie gently eastward-dipping lava flows of Pliocene Servilleta Basalt erupted from centers west of the map area. Servilleta Basalt lava flows terminate to the south against the elevated topography of three volcanic centers of the Taos Plateau volcanic field. From west to east these are Cerro de la Olla, Cerro Chiflo, and Guadalupe Mountain that are exposed in the southern part of the map area. Remnants of Miocene volcanic rocks are exposed near the southwestern edge of the map area and record evidence of an eroded volcanic terrain underlying deposits of the Taos Plateau volcanic field. These deposits are likely fault bounded to the east, roughly coincident with north to northwest trending, down-to-east faults in the southwestern quarter of the map area. The down-to-east normal faults reflect the basinward migration of the western margin of the Sunshine Valley sub-basin of the southern San Luis Basin. Pliocene and younger basin deposition was accommodated along predominantly north-trending fault-bounded grabens and is preserved as poorly exposed fault scarps that cut lava flows of Ute Mountain volcano, north of the map area. The Servilleta Basalt and younger surficial deposits record largely down-to-east basinward displacement. Faults are identified with varying confidence levels in the map area. Recognizing and mapping faults developed near the surface in relatively young, brittle volcanic rocks is difficult because: (1) they tend to form fractured zones tens of meters wide rather than discrete fault planes, (2) the relative youth of the deposits has resulted in only modest displacements on most faults, and (3) some of the faults may have significant strike-slip components that do not result in large vertical offsets that are readily apparent in offset of sub-horizontal contacts. Those faults characterized as “certain” either have distinct offset of map units or had slip planes that were directly observed in the field. Lineaments defined from magnetic anomalies form an additional constraint on potential fault locations.

New Mexico↗
USGS1999

Hydrogeology, water use, and simulation of flow in the High Plains aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma, southeastern Colorado, southwestern Kansas, northeastern New Mexico, and northwestern Texas

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, began a three-year study of the High Plains aquifer in northwestern Oklahoma in 1996. The primary purpose of this study was to develop a ground-water flow model to provide the Water Board with the information it needs to manage the quantity of water withdrawn from the aquifer. The study area consists of about 7,100 square miles in Oklahoma and about 20,800 square miles in adjacent states to provide appropriate hydrologic boundaries for the flow model. The High Plains aquifer includes all sediments from the base of the Ogallala Formation to the potentiometric surface. The saturated thickness in Oklahoma ranges from more than 400 feet to less than 50 feet. Natural recharge to the aquifer from precipitation occurs throughout the area but is extremely variable. Dryland agricultural practices appear to enhance recharge from precipitation, and part of the water pumped for irrigation also recharges the aquifer. Natural discharge occurs as discharge to streams, evapotranspiration where the depth to water is shallow, and diffuse ground-water flow across the eastern boundary. Artificial discharge occurs as discharge to wells. Irrigation accounted for 96 percent of all use of water from the High Plains aquifer in the Oklahoma portion of the study area in 1992 and 93 percent in 1997. Total estimated water use in 1992 for the Oklahoma portion of the study area was 396,000 acre-feet and was about 3.2 million acre-feet for the entire study area. Since development of the aquifer, water levels have declined more than 100 feet in small areas of Texas County, Oklahoma, and more than 50 feet in areas of Cimarron County. Only a small area of Beaver County had declines of more than 10 feet, and Ellis County had rises of more than 10 feet. A flow model constructed using the MODFLOW computer code had 21,073 active cells in one layer and had a 6,000- foot grid in both the north-south and east-west directions. The model was used to simulate the period before major development of the aquifer and the period of development. The model was calibrated using observed conditions available as of 1998. The predevelopment-period model integrated data or estimates on the base of aquifer, hydraulic conductivity, streambed and drain conductances, and recharge from precipitation to calculate the predevelopment altitude of the water table, discharge to the rivers and streams, and other discharges. Hydraulic conductivity, recharge, and streambed conductance were varied during calibration so that the model produced a reasonable representation of the observed water table altitude and the estimated discharge to streams. Hydraulic conductivity was reduced in the area of salt dissolution in underlying Permianage rocks. Recharge from precipitation was estimated to be 4.0 percent of precipitation in greater recharge zones and 0.37 percent in lesser recharge zones. Within Oklahoma, the mean difference between water levels simulated by the model and measured water levels at 86 observation points is -2.8 feet, the mean absolute difference is 44.1 feet, and the root mean square difference is 52.0 feet. The simulated discharge is much larger than the estimated discharge for the Beaver River, is somewhat larger for Cimarron River and Wolf Creek, and is about the same for Crooked Creek. The development-period model added specific yield, pumpage, and recharge due to irrigation and dryland cultivation to simulate the period 1946 through 1997. During calibration, estimated specific yield was reduced by 15 percent in Oklahoma east of the Cimarron-Texas County line. Simulated recharge due to irrigation ranges from 24 percent for the 1940s and 1950s to 2 percent for the 1990s. Estimated recharge due to dryland cultivation is about 3.9 percent of precipitation. The mean difference between the simulated and observed waterlevel changes from predevelopment to 1998 at 162 observation points in Oklahoma is less than 0.01 foot, the mean absolute difference is 13.1 feet, and the root mean square difference is 17.9 feet. The model simulates 7.8 cubic feet per second discharge to the Beaver River above Optima Reservoir at the end of 1997, whereas the river was actually dry to this point by this time. The model simulates a decrease in discharge to the Cimarron River and Wolf Creek that appears to be reasonable. The sensitivity of the predevelopment-period model to changes in recharge and hydraulic conductivity was tested. Simulated water levels are sensitive to changes in both recharge and hydraulic conductivity. Simulated discharge to streams is sensitive to recharge but is insensitive to hydraulic conductivity. Recharge and hydraulic conductivity are closely related with respect to water levels but are not related with respect to discharge to streams. The sensitivity of the development-period model to changes in specific yield and recharge due to dryland cultivation was tested. The model appears more sensitive to specific yield, but the two inputs were not varied over the same range in percent change. The calibrated development-period model was used to simulate water-level changes from 1998 to 2020 using mean 1996-97 pumpage. The largest simulated water-level changes in Oklahoma occur in Texas County where water levels are simulated to decline 25 to 50 additional feet over a large area. Water levels also are simulated to decline 10 to 25 additional feet in two large areas of Cimarron County, two areas in Beaver County, and one area in Ellis County, all in Oklahoma. Water levels are simulated to decline more than 100 additional feet in several areas in Kansas and were simulated to decline 50 to 100 additional feet in several areas in Texas.

Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas↗
USGS1995

Structure of the basins and ranges, Southwest New Mexico, an interpretation of seismic velocity sections

This report presents a geologic appraisal of seismic velocity sections that profile a total of 790 km in southwest New Mexico west of Las Cruces and south of Lordsburg and Deming. The present work outlines the contribution of these velocity sections to estimating areas favorable for mineral resource occurrences. Seismic refraction surveys are carried out with the initial goal of estimating the subsurface distribution of acoustic compressional velocity (Vp), which may ultimately be interpreted to provide information on lithology, geologic structure, and the occurrence of natural resources. The seismic sections presented here show velocity detail having dimensions of 100's to 1000's of meters to a depth of about 2.5 km, and across a net of traverses that profile most basins well as several ranges in the study area. Figure 1 shows the location of the seismic refraction lines. The lines are designated 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7; there is no line 6. The survey covers a broad swath of the southwest Basin and Range Province extending from the Arizona border eastward to the Rio Grande River, and from the Mexican border to about lat. 32° 30' N. Lines 1, 3, and 7 traverse the axis of basins in roughly northsouth directions; the remaining lines 2, 4, and 5 trend east-west and cross various ranges and basins. Seismic data that have been collected in this region include deep-crustal refraction traverses by university scientists and commercial seismic reflection profiles acquired for petroleum exploration. Results of deep-crustal refraction studies are reviewed to provide a regional setting for the higher resolution refraction data. Results from seismic reflection will not be discussed. Industry reflection data in the area are not generally available for non-proprietary use. The nearest reflection data publicly available are in the Socorro area, about 80 km north of the present study area (Brown and others, 1980). These data were acquired by the Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP), a public-supported research group, to investigate the possibility of magma beneath part of the Rio Grande valley. Up to 1978 there were about 36 deep borings in the region of southwest New Mexico (Thompson and others, 1978). This drilling resulted mainly from an evaluation of petroleum potential of the Pedrogosa basin which is an extensive area of Paleozoic subsidence in Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico that accumulated about three kilometers of Paleozoic sedimentary rock (Zeller, 1965; Thompson and others, 1978). Of these drill holes, 25 are close enough to the present seismic sections to provide correlations of velocity to lithology, and to provide an estimate of the errors associated with depth-to-interface interpretations. This information is summarized prior to considering the implications of the seismic sections in detail. The major portion of the report centers around two plates: Plate I shows seismic lines and selected drill hole locations superimposed on gravity contours, and Plate II shows velocitysections with drill hole summaries. These plates provide the foundation for developing inferences on buried lithologic, structural, and mineral resources for the region.

New Mexico↗
USGS2021

Estimates of water use associated with continuous oil and gas development in the Permian Basin, Texas and New Mexico, 2010–19

In 2015, the U.S. Geological Survey started a topical study to quantify water use in areas of continuous oil and gas (COG) development. The first phase of the study was completed in 2019 and analyzed the Williston Basin. The second phase of the study analyzed the Permian Basin using the same techniques and approaches used for the Williston Basin analysis. The Permian Basin was selected for the second phase of water-use analysis for the following reasons: (1) the basin has the largest undiscovered technically recoverable oil and gas resource in the United States, (2) the basin has a continuous resource in tight shale that primarily produces oil, and (3) the basin is within the contiguous United States. This study used data from 60 counties in Texas and New Mexico with spatial coverage based on the Permian Basin extent defined by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a representation of the geologically defined Permian Basin. Data from several sources were used in the analysis of direct, indirect, and ancillary water use associated with COG development in the Permian Basin and are available in an associated data release. Hydraulic fracturing water-use data were used to determine the start of the recent (before 2019) COG development boom in oil production in the Permian Basin in the same way that the data were used for the Williston Basin study. Water-use data were aggregated by county and year, which were the sampling units used in the analysis. The water-use analysis of the Permian Basin contained three elements: (1) estimates of water use, in million gallons, by county and year; (2) coefficients of water use from regression models, in million gallons per developed oil and gas well; and (3) performance (based on goodness-of-fit metrics) of the regression models in estimating the observed water use. Coefficients from the linear and quantile regression models of direct, indirect, and ancillary water use in the Permian Basin were produced as aggregate values for the counties and years. The mean estimate of direct water use had a 95-percent confidence interval of 4.13–5.45 million gallons (Mgal) per developed oil and gas well. The coefficient from the linear regression model of indirect water use was 0.111 Mgal per well, with a 95-percent confidence interval of 0.104–0.117 Mgal per well. The mean estimate of ancillary water use in the Permian Basin was 1.09 Mgal per well, with a 95-percent confidence interval of 1.05–1.13 Mgal per well. Model performance was evaluated with goodness-of-fit metrics including coefficient of determination ( R 2 ), root mean square error, and the ratio of root mean square error to standard deviation of observations computed from leave-one-out cross validation of the linear and quantile regression models of direct, indirect, and ancillary water use. Model performance for direct water use was acceptable, with an R 2 value of 0.91. The model performance of indirect water use was acceptable, with an R 2 value of 0.89. Values of R 2 for the ancillary water-use categories were at least 0.89. Annual mean estimates for hydraulic fracturing, cementing, drilling, indirect, and ancillary water use per well for the years 2010–17 were comparable between the Permian and Williston Basins. Hydraulic fracturing water use increased similarly from 2010 to 2015 in the Permian Basin and the Williston Basin, increasing from 0.6 Mgal per well in 2010 to 5.4 Mgal per well in 2015 in the Permian Basin and from 1.4 Mgal per well in 2010 to 4.7 Mgal per well in 2015 in the Williston Basin. By design, the Permian water-use assessment is a simplification of a complex and continually developing system and therefore has uncertainty and limitations in the interpretation of results. Despite the modeling limitations, the results summarized in the report, when compared to other studies, compare well with water-use estimations. The favorable comparison highlights the transferability of the water-use methodology to other areas of COG development.

New Mexico, Texas↗
USGS2005

Preliminary integrated geologic map databases for the United States: Central states: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana

The growth in the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has highlighted the need for regional and national digital geologic maps attributed with age and lithology information. Such maps can be conveniently used to generate derivative maps for purposes including mineral-resource assessment, metallogenic studies, tectonic studies, and environmental research. This Open-File Report is a preliminary version of part of a series of integrated state geologic map databases that cover the entire United States. The only national-scale digital geologic maps that portray most or all of the United States for the conterminous U.S. are the digital version of the King and Beikman (1974a, b) map at a scale of 1:2,500,000, as digitized by Schruben and others (1994) and the digital version of the Geologic Map of North America (Reed and others, 2005a, b) compiled at a scale of 1:5,000,000 which is currently being prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey. The present series of maps is intended to provide the next step in increased detail. State geologic maps that range in scale from 1:100,000 to 1:1,000,000 are available for most of the country, and digital versions of these state maps are the basis of this product. In a few cases, new digital compilations were prepared (e.g. OH, SC, SD) or existing paper maps were digitized (e.g. KY, TX). For Alaska and Hawaii, new regional maps are being compiled and ultimately new state maps will be produced. The digital geologic maps are presented in standardized formats as ARC/INFO (.e00) export files and as ArcView shape (.shp) files. Accompanying these spatial databases are a set of five supplemental data tables that relate the map units to detailed lithologic and age information. The maps for the CONUS have been fitted to a common set of state boundaries based on the 1:100,000 topographic map series of the United States Geological Survey (USGS). When the individual state maps are merged, the combined attribute tables can be used directly with the merged maps to make derivative maps. No attempt has been made to reconcile differences in mapped geology across state lines. This is the first version of this product and it will be subsequently updated to include four additional states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa)

Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Misso↗
USGS1933

Geology and Ground-Water Resources of the Roswell Artesian Basin, New Mexico

The Roswell artesian basin is in the Pecos Valley in southeastern New Mexico. The investigation, which covered a period of three years, 1925 to 1928, was made for the purpose of determining the available supply of artesian and other ground water within the area. The geologic formations of the region are of the Carboniferous (Permian series) and Quaternary systems. The Permian rocks consist of three units-an upper unit composed chiefly of clay, shale, and sand; a middle unit composed chiefly of limestone; and a lower unit composed chiefly of red beds, gypsum, and anhydrite. Most of the artesian water is obtained from the limestone beds of the middle unit, which has been designated the Picacho limestone. Originally the area of artesian flow comprised 663 square miles; but largely on account of heavy draft upon the artesian reservoir, it decreased to 499 square miles in 1916 and to 425 square miles in 1925. The area irrigated by water derived directly or indirectly from the reservoir amounts to about 60,000 acres. The annual quantity of water derived from wells is about 200,000 acre-feet, and the total discharge at the surface from all sources is about 250,000 acre-feet. Recharge to the reservoir is derived from precipitation that falls on a catchment area of 4,000 square miles west of the artesian area. In 1927 a law was passed by the State of New Mexico declaring underground waters to be public waters and subject to appropriation. This law was declared invalid because of a technicality, and in 1931 a new law was enacted, which furnishes a definite basis for the future regulation of ground waters in the area. The investigation leads to the conclusion that no new land should be placed under irrigation with artesian water, but that the development of shallow ground water should be encouraged. The present decline of the artesian head is slight in comparison with that in earlier years, and there is ample evidence to show that the reservoir annually receives large quantities of recharge and that with proper conservation it will never be completely exhausted.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS2025

Aquifer storage change and storage properties, Rio Rancho, New Mexico, 2019–23

To better understand changes in groundwater storage and groundwater elevations, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, carried out a multiyear groundwater monitoring project. Groundwater-level data were collected at 27 locations, including sites having multiple wells screened at different depths and those having long-term records. A repeat microgravity network of 20 stations was established, and surveys were carried out three times per year. The microgravity method provides a direct, quantitative measurement of mass change caused by aquifer filling or draining. Data collected during the 2019–23 study period indicate generally stable groundwater conditions, with small fluctuations in groundwater levels (increasing at some wells, declining at others), and small declines in groundwater storage over the period of record at most gravity locations (average = −0.33 foot of water per year). The discrepancy between the water-level and microgravity data may have been caused by a loss of soil moisture in the unsaturated zone, which is as much as 1,000 feet thick in some areas. At the Rio Rancho Advanced Water Treatment Facility, where the city recharges water through direct injection, there may be seasonal correlations in storage related to injection but no longer-term accumulation of recharged water in the immediate vicinity of the facility, indicating water is moving efficiently into the aquifer.

New Mexico↗
USGS2025

Applying geological unit distribution and chemical weathering indices to evaluate potential lithological sources of Al, As and Pb to the San Juan River, Four Corners region, USA

In arid to semi-arid landscapes, sporadic monsoonal events, varying widely in scale and distribution, can generate overland flow resulting in streamflow in ephemeral channels. These channels may contain metal-laden sediments that are a by-product of the weathering and erosion of local geological units. To evaluate the potential for local geology to contribute aluminium (Al), arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) to the San Juan River, northwestern New Mexico, USA, the distributions of geological units were delineated for 12 hydrological basins within the greater San Juan River watershed. Concentrations of Al, As and Pb in the predominant geological units were compiled from data in the National Geochemical Database. Chemical indices of weathering (CIW) were calculated for geological units with greater than 5% coverage in the entire San Juan River watershed. Based on CIWs of the major geological units, the Mesaverde Group (CIW = 95.2), Chinle and Dolores Formations ( combined ) (CIW = 93.3), and Mancos Shale ( combined ) (CIW = 82.6) are the most likely units to weather, erode and contribute sediments with elevated concentrations of Al, As and Pb to the San Juan River. The results of this study show the importance of understanding geological sources of sediments because they could be substantial contributors of constituents of concern to water, especially in arid environments where surface water may be the only source of water in the region.

Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah↗
USGS2003

Municipal stormwater sampling program, metropolitan area, Albuquerque, New Mexico—summary of sampling, 1992–2002

Since 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo and Flood Control Authority (AMAFCA), the New Mexico Highway Department (NMHD), and the University of New Mexico (UNM), has collected stormwater-quality data to meet regulatory requirements for the application phase of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit. The phase I permit requirements apply to cities with populations of 100,000 or greater (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1990). This report describes the stormwater sampling program implemented in the City of Albuquerque from 1992 to the present (2002).

Fact Sheet↗
USGS1986

Selected geohydrologic data for the Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico, and El Paso County, Texas

In 1983, the U.S. Geological Survey began a multiphase study to help define the hydrologic system of the Mesilla Basin in Dona Ana County, New Mexico, and El Paso County, Texas. This report is a compilation of selected geohydrologic data collected through July 1985. The report describes the groundwater monitoring network of 143 wells, including 3 hydrologic sections constructed across the Mesilla Valley. Geohydrologic data presented in the report include: well records and water levels from 143 wells, chemical analyses of water samples from 34 observation wells, borehole-geophysical logs of 10 observation wells, and river stage at 3 hydrologic sections. (USGS)

Open-File Report↗
USGS2004

Modern sediment yield compared to geologic rates of sediment production in a semi-arid basin, New Mexico: Assessing the human impact

In the semi-arid Arroyo Chavez basin of New Mexico, a 2.28 km2 sub-basin of the Rio Puerco, we contrasted short-term rates (3 years) of sediment yield measured with sediment traps and dams with long-term, geologic rates (???10 000 years) of sediment production measured using 10Be. Examination of erosion rates at different time-scales provides the opportunity to contrast the human impact on erosion with background or geologic rates of sediment production. Arroyo Chavez is grazed and we were interested in whether differences in erosion rates observed at the two time-scales are due to grazing. The geologic rate of sediment production, 0-27 kg m-2 a -1 is similar to the modern sediment yields measured for geomorphic surfaces including colluvial slopes, gently sloping hillslopes, and the mesa top which ranged from 0.12 to 1.03 kg m -2 a-1. The differences between modern sediment yield and geologic rates of sediment production were most noticeable for the alluvial valley floor, which had modern sediment yields as high as 3.35 kg m-2 a-1. The hydraulic state of the arroyo determines whether the alluvial valley floor is aggrading or degrading. Arroyo Chavez is incised and the alluvial valley floor is gullied and piped and is a source of sediment. The alluvial valley floor is also the portion of the basin most modified by human disturbance including grazing and gas pipeline activity, both of which serve to increase erosion rates. ?? 2004 John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.

Earth Surface Processes and Landforms↗
USGS2014

Amount of ground‐water recharge in the southern High Plains

For the last six years the United States Geological Survey, in cooperation with the State Engineer of New Mexico, has been making somewhat intensive studies of ground‐water in the part of the High Plains that lies in New Mexico, and in 1933 and 1934 the Geological Survey, with funas allocated by the Public Works Administration, made an extensive reconnaissance‐survey of the ground‐water conditions in the southern High Plains. These studies have resulted in considerable data that throw much light on the quantity of recharge to the ground‐water in this area. An estimate of the quantity of recharge is of immediate value for this area, because the use of ground‐water is constantly being increased. In addition, it has a general value in serving as a criterion for estimating recharge in other areas in the Southwest for which fewer data are available. Estimates of the recharge in the High Plains as previously made without the advantage of quantitative data have ranged from less than three or four inches a year [see 1 of “References” at end of paper] to less than six inches [2]. The work of the last few years indicates they should be greatly reduced.

Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas↗
USGS2024

A comparison of water-quality and stormwater inflow and outflow during habitat restoration at the McEwen storm drainage pond, South Valley, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2020–22

In 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey began targeted monitoring, in partnership with Bernalillo County, at three locations within the McEwen storm drainage pond to evaluate and compare the water quality of stormwater as it enters and exits the study area, which is channelized and routes urban stormwater runoff through a wetland area. Stage in McEwen pond and precipitation at a nearby precipitation gage were evaluated to observe relations between rainfall and stage, as well as how long the stage remained elevated at the site. Peak stage ranged from 0.73 to 2.4 feet, with the time to reach peak stage at McEwen pond ranging from 45 minutes to 10 hours and 45 minutes. The stage remained elevated for a median of 3 days. Monitored water-quality parameters included physical parameters, bacteria, sediment, and nutrients. Bacteria was the only parameter that frequently exceeded the New Mexico Water Quality standard. Significant differences (p less than 0.05) among sites were few, consisting of those for total nitrogen and dissolved ammonia concentrations, which decreased toward the middle of the pond and were lower in the outflow from the pond compared to concentrations at the east and west sites. The middle of McEwen pond showed an increase in the percentage of fine-grained sediment, which suggests that larger particles settled into the pond and were further filtered as water traveled through the swales. Concentrations of suspended sediment and dissolved nutrients were significantly lower in 2022 compared to previous years. Although the site is still undergoing restoration and plants are becoming established, observations over the last several years indicate that site restoration has resulted in changes to the study area through processes such as nutrient uptake and the filtering of larger sediment particles.

New Mexico↗
USGS1999

Digital mining claim density map for federal lands in New Mexico: 1996

This report describes a digital map generated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide digital spatial mining claim density information for federal lands in New Mexico as of March 1997. Mining claim data is earth science information deemed to be relevant to the assessment of historic, current, and future ecological, economic, and social systems. There is no paper map included in this Open-File report. In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), all unpatented mining claims, mill, and tunnel sites must be recorded at the appropriate BLM State office. BLM maintains a cumulative computer listing of mining claims in the MCRS database with locations given by meridian, township, range, and section. A mining claim is considered closed when the claim is relinquished or a formal BLM decision declaring the mining claim null and void has been issued and the appeal period has expired. All other mining claims filed with BLM are considered to be open and actively held. The digital map (figure 1.) with the mining claim density database available in this report are suitable for geographic information system (GIS)-based regional assessments at a scale of 1:100,000 or smaller.

New Mexico↗