New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

Ground-water levels in the central part of the basin are approximately at the altitude of the Rio Grande. water levels near the northeast basin boundary showed a vertical difference of approximately 620 feet over a horizontal distance of about 1 mile. In continuously monitored wells on the outskirts of the city of Albuquerque, ground-water levels generally rise each year from October through February and decline from March through September. The decline in highest recorded annual water levels was greater from water year 1983 to 1984 than from water year 1984 to 1985. Such declines increased with increasing distance from the Rio Grande.

Monitoring wells that have multiple completion depths showed water levels up to approximately 20 feet higher in the uppermost screened interval than in the lowest screened intervals. Water levels in wells outside the city of Albuquerque, generally declined less than 6 feet from water year 1982 to water year 1985.