groundwater.
Albuquerque and Bernalillo County rely on groundwater from the Santa Fe Group Aquifer and surface water from the San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project. Groundwater wells combine with the San Juan-Chama project to produce about 32 billion gallons of drinking water for the Water Authority’s service area every year.
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What aquifer does Albuquerque use?
The city of Albuquerque, with an average rainfall of 9.5 inches per year, began pumping water from the Santa Fe Group aquifer system in the early 1960s. As development grew, and the region entered into periodic stretches of drought, the aquifer’s water resources steadily depleted.
Where does New Mexico get most of its water?
New Mexico relies on both groundwater and surface water sources, but about 87 percent of New Mexico’s public water supply comes from ground water. No other southwestern state gets such a large percentage of its domestic water from groundwater sources.
Does Albuquerque have an aquifer?
Albuquerque may be a dry city, but it is blessed by the presence of an underground aquifer that served the community’s needs for many decades. Experts once believed this subterranean reservoir was being continually replenished by a connection to the Rio Grande River.
Does New Mexico get water from the Colorado River?
“Our supplies of Colorado River water come from the upper part of the Colorado River Basin, which is managed somewhat differently.” New Mexico sees water shortages all the time, depending on the amount of snowfall in the mountains. “We had a shortage this year in New Mexico,” Fleck said.
Does New Mexico have an aquifer?
Most of New Mexico’s fresh water is stored as groundwater in aquifers below the land surface, where it occupies small open spaces between grains of sand or gravel and small cracks or fractures in rock.
Is New Mexico running out of water?
The warming climate that has kept New Mexico in a drought for the past 20 years and is depleting water supplies will continue into the next half-century and must shape long-term planning, state officials said in a virtual hearing Wednesday.
What is the number one use of water in New Mexico?
water (78 percent). The public uses 8 percent, and evaporation from reservoirs consumes another 7 percent. Other uses represent a small slice of the pie: Power generation, 1.61 percent; mining, 1.52 percent; livestock, 1.4 percent; commercial, 1 percent; domestic wells, 0.9 percent; and industrial, 0.46 percent.
What are ways that New Mexico is bringing more water to the state?
For many decades, New Mexicans have been acquiring new water sources and developing new methods of accessing and increasing water supply: constructing dams and reservoirs, drilling ever deeper wells, pumping groundwater over long distances, desalination of brackish water, and other means.
What is the best place to live in New Mexico?
Best Places to Retire in New Mexico
- Taos. This desert town in northern New Mexico is an outdoor lover’s dream.
- Placitas.
- Silver City.
- Santa Fe.
- Ruidoso.
- Los Alamos.
- Aztec.
- Corrales.
Are there rivers in Albuquerque?
The Rio Grande flows south into the Albuquerque Basin between the Sandia and Jemez mountains.Before entering the basin the river is impounded by the Cochiti Dam, built in 1975.
How deep is the water table in Albuquerque?
It has the deepest water table, with water depths ranging from 4.1 to 9.5 feet deep.
How deep is the aquifer in New Mexico?
Sand- stone aquifers capable of yielding small to moderate supplies of water occur primarily in the northeastern and northwestern part of the State. The depth to water in much of the area at the lower eleva- tions in the State is less than 200 feet.
How much of New Mexico’s water comes from the Colorado River?
But the state received about 40% less water than expected from that project this year. New Mexico is entitled to an 11% share of Colorado River water and currently uses about half of that allocation.
Does the Colorado flow through New Mexico?
Under the Colorado River Compact, New Mexico is allocated 11 ¼ percent of the Upper Basin’s annual allocation of 7.5 million acre feet. Though the Colorado River itself does not flow through the state, some of its tributaries do, including the San Juan River, which supplies the San Juan-Chama Project.
How much water does New Mexico use from the Colorado River?
Provisions
| Upper Basin, 7.5 million acre·ft/year (293 m³/s) total | |
|---|---|
| Colorado | 51.75%* |
| New Mexico | 11.25%* |
| Arizona | 0.70% |
| *Percentages with a star are a percentage of the total after Arizona’s 0.05 million are deducted. Arizona’s percentage is of the total. |
How big is the Albuquerque aquifer?
The city operates 93 water wells, distributed over 200 square miles, that raise the ground water to the land surface. While the depth to the water table (the uppermost level of ground water) in the Albuquerque area varies between 15 and 1000 feet, the city system taps the aquifer with wells as deep as 1,800 feet.
What is nm most precious resource?
Water is New Mexico’s most precious resource.
How much does it cost to drill a water well in New Mexico?
Well Drilling Costs By State
| State | Average Cost Per Foot |
|---|---|
| New Mexico | $26 – $56 |
| New York | $30 – $65 |
| North Carolina | $27 – $59 |
| North Dakota | $29 – $64 |
Is Albuquerque water chlorinated?
Sharon Sivinski, education coordinator for ABCWUA, says this could be a potential cause of the local drinking water’s “funny” taste. “We have to always put chlorine in any water that goes through a pipe,” Sivinski said. “So if people are complaining about the taste of the water, it’s probably because of the chlorine.”
Where does Santa Fe New Mexico get their water?
Santa Fe’s water sources are the Rio Grande, a few groundwater wells, and two reservoirs within the Santa Fe National Forest. The reservoirs make up one-third of Santa Fe’s water supply.
