New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

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Prolonged drought conditions resulting from above-average temperatures and below-average snowmelt runoff are a common occurrence throughout the Southwest United States. In the Lower Rio Grande of New Mexico, a growing population and industrial development have added worry to the already stressed water supply. To provide relief to the area near the community of Santa Teresa, NM, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, in collaboration with multiple government agencies and private contractors, is conducting an exploratory project in the southwestern edge of the Mesilla Basin in search of augmenting the water supply through the development of brackish groundwater. The Kilbourne-Noria subbasin has been identified as an area of interest (AOI) for further investigation of the availability of brackish groundwater resources. In November 2024, an airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey was conducted within the AOI to help characterize the subsurface. The study aims to help identify drilling locations by further understanding the basin’s structure, delineating changes in lithology, and determining the extent and distribution of the low resistivity signatures associated with brackish groundwater.