New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

In the arid southwestern U.S., springs and their associated wetlands play an important role in sustaining diverse ecosystems. Due to increasing encroachment, multiple-use requirements, increasing groundwater depletion, as well as climate change, a better understanding of how the springs function is needed in order to properly manage the springs as a resource. Critical data on spring status (discharge patterns across seasons and water quality) are lacking for most springs. Systematic protocols for spring monitoring are needed and new strategies and environmental sensors can be employed to provide baseline information, as well as continuous data.

We report here on a systematic evaluation of a suite of springs of the Cibola National Forest in Central New Mexico including discharge and water quality. Springs in three different regions (Bear Mountains, Sandia Mountains, and Zuni Mountains) of the Cibola National Forest are being surveyed. The springs vary in many characteristics including a wide range of elevation (2000-2500), vegetation type (high desert to alpine wilderness), average annual precipitation (11-22 inches), impact (livestock use, increased grounwater withdrawal, species of concern, and increased recreational and residential use), and water quality (potable to saline). The geologic setting and associated geologic structures also differ in each region and these affect characteristics of the different aquifers. The survey is being conducted following two separate levels of protocols: Level One for developing a baseline survey for water quality in managed lands (geospatial data, geologic map, systematic photography, discharge estimate and field-determined water quality parameters); and Level Two Impact Evaluation Monitoring (includes high-resolution geologic mapping, major ion chemistry, multiple sampling dates, and real-time autonomous logging of several parameters including temperature, pH, conductance and dissolved oxygen). Data collected from the surveys are stored in a geospatial repository to serve as background for future monitoring of the water resources in the area. In addition to other motivations, the work is prompted by concerns about preservation of vital habitat for the Zuni Bluehead Sucker, as well as other native species in the Cibola National Forest.