USGS Fact Sheet 005-03

January 2003

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

INTRODUCTION Mountains, and flow is westward to the calculated by multiplying the waterRio Grande. In areas west of the Rio quality load collected at each

Grande, arroyos originate along the representative land use times the Since 1992, the U.S. Geological West Mesa, and flow is eastward to the percentage of each land use in the Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Rio Grande. Many of the arroyos have contributing area to extrapolate storm City of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque been lined with concrete to enhance and annual load. Load refers to the Metropolitan Arroyo and Flood Control their capacity to convey storm runoff material or constituent in solution, Authority (AMAFCA), the New Mexico and prevent erosion damage, whereas suspension, and (or) in transport and is Highway Department (NMHD), and the others, particularly in the western part not synonymous with discharge, yield, University of New Mexico (UNM), has of the city, remain natural. Detention or concentration. Load is expressed in collected stormwater-quality data to dams have been built across some terms of mass or volume (grams, tons,

meet regulatory requirements for the

arroyos to help prevent flooding, but cubic feet, and so on). The sum of application phase of the National most arroyos are free flowing. stormwater-quality loading in a small, Pollutant Discharge Elimination single land-use drainage basin is System (NPDES) stormwater permit. Albuquerque has a population of assumed to be completely transported to The phase I permit requirements apply about 450,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, the outlet of the drainage basin. In

to cities with populations of 100,000 or 2001). Urban development initially contrast, the basin outlets of the

greater (U.S. Environmental Protection focused along the Rio Grande, although Albuquerque drainage basins sampled Agency, 1990). This report describes

some areas have remained in represent a large percentage of the city's the stormwater sampling program agricultural use. Since the 1980's, area that drains to the Rio Grande. By implemented in the City of Albuquerque urbanization has increased rapidly, with sampling these large areas rather than from 1992 to the present (2002). development mainly focused in the extrapolating information from small,

northeast quadrant of the city. Since the dispersed sample areas, it is more

DESCRIPTION OF THE 1990's, however, urban development certain that the stormwater loading

STUDY AREA has been primarily in the West Mesa actually reaches the Rio Grande.

area.

The City of Albuquerque is located Beginning in 1992, USGS and City

in north-central New Mexico (fig. 1). ALBUQUERQUE MUNICIPAL of Albuquerque personnel have

The eastern part of the city is built STORMWATER SAMPLING collected stormwater samples at the

largely on the alluvial fans of the Sandia PROGRAM outlet of five urban drainage basins

Mountains, the western part lies along (UR 9900, UR 300, UR 400a and b,

the Rio Grande partly on the West Mesa, UR 500, UR 200) to characterize To meet the requirements of the

and the central part lies at lower stormwater quality from different NPDES discharge permit, many

altitudes on the Rio Grande flood plain. municipalities regions of the city (fig. 1). These five chose to sample small,

Altitudes in the city range from about basins were chosen for the urban single land-use drainage basins.

5,000 feet above sea level along the Rio Municipal stormwater network to represent discharge storm loads are

Grande to about 7,000 feet at the different land uses (table 1) to

foothills of the Sandia Mountains.

Albuquerque has a semiarid

climate; average annual precipitation

is about 8 inches in the lower altitudes

near the Rio Grande and increases to

about 12 inches at the foothills of the

Sandia Mountains. The major part of

precipitation occurs as thunderstorms

during June through September.

These storms are typically small,

convective cells that move rapidly

through the area and are often intense

and can result in flash flooding.

Occasionally, large frontal storms

that originate from remnant

hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico

move into the area.

Natural drainage east of the Rio

Grande is through arroyos (dry

channels that flow only in response to

snowmelt or large rainstorms) that

originate at the foothills of the Sandia

USGS Fact Sheet 005-03

January 2003

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

INTRODUCTION Mountains, and flow is westward to the calculated by multiplying the waterRio Grande. In areas west of the Rio quality load collected at each

Grande, arroyos originate along the representative land use times the Since 1992, the U.S. Geological West Mesa, and flow is eastward to the percentage of each land use in the Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Rio Grande. Many of the arroyos have contributing area to extrapolate storm City of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque been lined with concrete to enhance and annual load. Load refers to the Metropolitan Arroyo and Flood Control their capacity to convey storm runoff material or constituent in solution, Authority (AMAFCA), the New Mexico and prevent erosion damage, whereas suspension, and (or) in transport and is Highway Department (NMHD), and the others, particularly in the western part not synonymous with discharge, yield, University of New Mexico (UNM), has of the city, remain natural. Detention or concentration. Load is expressed in collected stormwater-quality data to dams have been built across some terms of mass or volume (grams, tons,

meet regulatory requirements for the

arroyos to help prevent flooding, but cubic feet, and so on). The sum of application phase of the National most arroyos are free flowing. stormwater-quality loading in a small, Pollutant Discharge Elimination single land-use drainage basin is System (NPDES) stormwater permit. Albuquerque has a population of assumed to be completely transported to The phase I permit requirements apply about 450,000 (U.S. Census Bureau, the outlet of the drainage basin. In

to cities with populations of 100,000 or 2001). Urban development initially contrast, the basin outlets of the

greater (U.S. Environmental Protection focused along the Rio Grande, although Albuquerque drainage basins sampled Agency, 1990). This report describes

some areas have remained in represent a large percentage of the city's the stormwater sampling program agricultural use. Since the 1980's, area that drains to the Rio Grande. By implemented in the City of Albuquerque urbanization has increased rapidly, with sampling these large areas rather than from 1992 to the present (2002). development mainly focused in the extrapolating information from small,

northeast quadrant of the city. Since the dispersed sample areas, it is more

DESCRIPTION OF THE 1990's, however, urban development certain that the stormwater loading

STUDY AREA has been primarily in the West Mesa actually reaches the Rio Grande.

area.

The City of Albuquerque is located Beginning in 1992, USGS and City

in north-central New Mexico (fig. 1). ALBUQUERQUE MUNICIPAL of Albuquerque personnel have

The eastern part of the city is built STORMWATER SAMPLING collected stormwater samples at the

largely on the alluvial fans of the Sandia PROGRAM outlet of five urban drainage basins

Mountains, the western part lies along (UR 9900, UR 300, UR 400a and b,

the Rio Grande partly on the West Mesa, UR 500, UR 200) to characterize To meet the requirements of the

and the central part lies at lower stormwater quality from different NPDES discharge permit, many

altitudes on the Rio Grande flood plain. municipalities regions of the city (fig. 1). These five chose to sample small,

Altitudes in the city range from about basins were chosen for the urban single land-use drainage basins.

5,000 feet above sea level along the Rio Municipal stormwater network to represent discharge storm loads are

Grande to about 7,000 feet at the different land uses (table 1) to

foothills of the Sandia Mountains.

Albuquerque has a semiarid

climate; average annual precipitation

is about 8 inches in the lower altitudes

near the Rio Grande and increases to

about 12 inches at the foothills of the

Sandia Mountains. The major part of

precipitation occurs as thunderstorms

during June through September.

These storms are typically small,

convective cells that move rapidly

through the area and are often intense

and can result in flash flooding.

Occasionally, large frontal storms

that originate from remnant

hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico

move into the area.

Natural drainage east of the Rio

Grande is through arroyos (dry

channels that flow only in response to

snowmelt or large rainstorms) that

originate at the foothills of the Sandia

Municipal Stormwater Sampling Program, Metropolitan Area,

Albuquerque, New Mexico--Summary of Sampling, 1992-2002 

106°45 ́ 106°30 ́

35°

07 ́

30 ́ ́

106°37 ́30 ́ ́

35°

00 ́

I R O

AN

E

GR

D

0

0

5

5

10

10 15

15

20 MILES

20 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

DRAINAGE BASIN

Figure 1. NPDES water-quality sampling sites and drainage basins in the

Albuquerque metropolitan area.

Cibola National Forest

Sandia Mts

STORMWATER SAMPLING SITE

UR200

MAP 

AREA

City of Albuquerque

boundary

RIO

P troglyph N ional e at

e Mo um nt Escar ment n p

EDNARG

ALBUQUERQUE

Albuquerque

NEW MEXICO

UR 400a

UR 500

UR 200

UR 2020

UR 650

UR 600 UR 800

UR 300

UR 700

UR 400b

UR 9900

UR 950

UR 625

UR 900

W st s e Me a
During 1998-99, two

permanent background

stormwater-quality sites

(Embudo Arroyo (UR

650) and Bear Canyon

Arroyo (UR 625)), were

established along the

border between

Albuquerque's east

boundary and the Cibola

National Forest (fig. 1).

Samples collected at

these two sites represent

stormwater quality from

undeveloped land.

Finally, the Pino Arroyo

at Jefferson Street site

(UR 2020) was added in

2001 (fig. 1) to represent

the water quality from a

drainage basin draining

into the North Diversion

Channel. At this site,

water samples from an

off-channel retention

pond designed for the

removal of floatable

trash downstream were

analyzed for fecal

coliform bacteria for 7

days after a storm. A

characterize stormwater runoff to the Rio designated City of Albuquerque open bacterial-source study at

Grande. The samples collected at the space on the West Mesa (fig. 1). the nine sites currently active (2002) is

North Floodway Channel near Alameda being conducted for the Albuquerque

site (UR 9900) represent the stormwater After the initial effort of metropolitan area.

2

characterizing stormwater for the five quality from an 89.7-mi basin in the

northeastern part of Albuquerque. Most of basins, samples have been collected from In 1999, a stormwater sample from

this basin is residential, with some nine additional basins to help answer the North Floodway Channel near

commercial development along the major questions that the original analyses Alameda site (UR 9900) and a sample

roads, and undeveloped and forested land, raised. During 1993, stormflow at the from the Rio Grande were combined in

which is mostly concentrated in the upper Pedra Lisa Arroyo site (UR 600) was varying proportions for a bioassay

part of the basin. The South Diversion sampled (fig. 1) to determine background analysis. In this analysis, immature snubChannel above Tijeras Arroyo site (UR stormwater quality from undeveloped nosed minnows and water fleas were

2 land on the east side of Albuquerque. incubated to determine their tolerance for 200) represents conditions in the 11-mi Additionally in 1993, two stormwater North Floodway stormwater mixed with basin in the southeastern part of the city.

samples were collected from Boca Negra Rio Grande water. This analysis will help This area consists of residential areas, the Arroyo at Escarpment site (UR 700) determine if stormwater has deleterious University of New Mexico campus, upstream from the Petroglyph National effects on the Rio Grande. commercial areas including the Monument Escarpment (fig. 1) to Albuquerque airport, and undeveloped determine background stormwater quality Instrumentation of Sampling Sites land. The two stormwater-pump stations, from the northwest side of Albuquerque. the Alcalde site (UR 400a) and the

Barelas During 1996-97, a 2-year stormwater A typical stormwater-sampling site is site (UR 400b), both pump

2 sampling program was conducted at the shown in two photos. A streamflow- stormwater from a 3.81-mi basin over the Menaul Filter Pond Inflow (UR 800) and gaging station (the North Floodway levee into the Rio Grande. These sites are Outflow (UR 900) sites (fig. 1); paired Channel near Alameda site, UR 9900) is located in the Albuquerque downtown stormwater samples of inflow and located about one-half mile upstream area on the east side of the Rio Grande and outflow were analyzed to determine the from a wetlands area that drains to the Rio

are about 3,000 feet from each other. Flow water-quality improvements from this Grande. All sampling sites are of similar in the San Jose Drain at Woodward Road type of stormwater-quality control. In

2 design, with the exception of the Pedra

site (UR 500), a 1.95-mi basin in the 2000, water samples collected from the Lisa Arroyo (UR 600), Boca Negra

south valley area on the east side of the Menaul Filter Pond Inflow and Outflow Arroyo at Escarpment (UR 700), and

river, is down a long canal that eventually sites were analyzed for fecal coliform Washington Business Park (UR 950)

enters the Rio Grande at the south end of bacteria for 5 successive days after a sites, which have no permanent shelter to

town. The Mariposa Diversion of San storm. During 1997, the Washington house a flow recorder or pump sampler. In

Antonio Arroyo site (UR 300) drains a Business Park site (UR 950), a small general, instrumentation in the gaging

2

30.5-mi commercial drainage basin (fig. 1), was basin on the west side of the stations consists of a flow-monitoring

river that is primarily undeveloped land sampled after a prolonged dry period and recorder, a flow-level sensor (a pressure

with some residential property; the upper 1 day after a storm to determine how transducer), and an automatic pump

antecedent conditions affect stormwater reaches of this basin include the sampler.

Petroglyph quality in this type of urban setting. National Monument and

USGS

station

number

– –

– –

– –

– –

– –

08329720

08329868

08329882

08329900

083299375

08330050

08330025

08330200

08330775

Stormwater site name

at outlet of drainage

basin

Pedra Lisa Arroyo

Embudo Arroyo at Monte

Largo

Bear Canyon Arroyo at Albuq.

Pino Arroyo at Jefferson

Street

Washington Business Park

North Floodway Channel near

Alameda

Boca Negra Arroyo at

Escarpment

Mariposa Diversion of San

Antonio Arroyo at Albuq.

Menaul Filter Pond Inflow

Menaul Filter Pond Outflow

Alcalde Pump Station

Barelas Pump Station

San Jose Drain at Woodward

Road at Albuq.

South Diversion Channel

above Tijeras Arroyo near

Albuq.

UR 600

UR 650

UR 625

UR 2020

UR 950

UR 9900

UR 700

UR 300

UR 800

UR 900

UR 400a

UR 400b

UR 500

UR 200

Stormwater site

number

2

5

0

5

2

35

2

25

9

9

14

10

24

27

Number

of

samples

collected

1993-96

1998-present

1999-present

2001-present

1997

1992-present

1993

1992-present

1996-97; 2000

1996-97; 2000

1992-present

1992-present

1992-present

1992-present

Sampling

period

0.0375

Residential

0

0.5

0

49

0

41

0

19

0

0

35

35

41

13

Commercial

0

0

0

39

100

15

0

2

100

100

34

34

30

28

Industrial

0

0

0

4

0

4

0

5

0

0

10

10

9

21

Undeveloped

or

forested

0

0

0

6

0

36

0

73

0

0

9

9

18

30

Open

space

or parks

100

99

100

2

0

4

100

1

0

0

12

12

2

8

Basin

area, in

square

miles

0.4

3.8

5

8.3

3.81

3.81

1.95

89.7

3.4

30.5

0.8

0.84

11

Table 1. Stormwater sampling sites in the Albuquerque metropolitan area, 1992-2002

(Location of sampling site in figure 1. --, no station number)

1

 Land use in some basins is not equal to 100 percent because of rounding.

1

Land use, in percent
Mean daily flow has been published composite sample, which represents the near Alameda site is rarely completely dry

annually in USGS Water-Data Reports for water quality of the stormflow during the for 72 hours prior to sample collection

the North Floodway Channel near 3 hours of runoff. A storm hydrograph during the summer monsoonal season

Alameda site (UR 9900) since 1968 and recorded at the North Floodway Channel (June - September). During this season in

for the South Diversion Channel above near Alameda site for September 28, Albuquerque, minimal amounts of rain

2 Tijeras Arroyo site (UR 200) since 1988. 1995, shows the time intervals and the fall on some part of the 89.7-mi drainage

At most sampling sites, only flow flow associated with each stormwater basin almost every day.

hydrographs for the storms sampled are sample collected during that storm (fig.

available because the flow-monitoring 2).

recorder has to be reset at the beginning of

each flow. The flow recorders at all sites For all sampled storms, it is

with permanent shelters are gradually important that there is no substantial

being upgraded so that incremental flow stormflow for 72 hours prior to sample

for all storms can be monitored. collection. Although a 72-hour dry period

is desired, the North Floodway Channel

Stormwater Sampling

Procedures

Since the inception of the

program, two types of samples have

been collected for each storm at the

basin outflow sites in the Albuquerque

network. During the first 20 minutes

of storm runoff, a grab sample is

collected. After the first 30 minutes,

discrete stormwater samples are

collected at even intervals ranging

from 10 to 20 minutes during the first

3 hours of runoff. These discrete

samples are then mixed together; the

volume of each discrete sample added

is dependent on the magnitude of flow

when the sample was collected. The

higher the flow at the time the sample

was collected, the greater the volume

of sample that is added to the mixture.

The final mixture of all discrete

samples is the flow-weighted

SAMPLE BOTTLES

FLOW-MONITORING

RECORDER

PRESSURE

TRANSDUCER

AUTOMATIC

PUMP SAMPLER

Instrumentation in shelter.

Crest-stage gage

Permanent shelter

North Floodway Channel near Alameda gaging station.

Figure 2. Storm hydrograph recorded at the North Floodway streamflow-gaging

station near Alameda showing the time interval for sample

collection in relation to streamflow, September 28, 1995.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24

0

250

500

750

1,000

1,250

1,500

1,750

2,000

2,250

2,500

FLO

W, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

TIME, IN HOURS

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

*

08329900

(UR 9900)

X

North Floodway Channel

near Alameda

discharge from

the Data Collection

Platform (DCP), in

cubic feet per second

Grab sample

Discrete sample of

composite
Ortiz, David, Lange, Kathy, and Beal, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

 Linda, 2001, Water resources data, 1990, National Pollutant Discharge

 New Mexico, water year 2000: Elimination System permit

 U.S. Geological Survey Water-Data application regulations for

 Report NM-00-1, 411 p. stormwater discharges--Final rule:

U.S. Federal Register, v. 55, no. 222,

U.S. Census Bureau, 2001, American p. 47,989-48,091.

 factfinder: accessed April 15, 2002,

 at URL http://factfinder.census.gov.

REFERENCES

By Jack E. Veenhuis

For more information contact:

District Chief

U.S. Geological Survey

5338 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Suite 400

Albuquerque, NM 87109-1311

Email:

lsweiss@usgs.gov

Internet:

http://nm.water.usgs.gov

Water-Quality Constituents cadmium, total extractable copper, total have been used to analyze the stormwater

Analyzed extractable lead, and total extractable samples. Quality-assurance procedures

zinc. Stormwater-runoff samples also used at the USGS National Water Quality

The were analyzed for the dissolved fraction Laboratory (NWQL) in Arvada, water-quality constituents

of selected trace elements to determine Colorado, the City of Albuquerque analyzed in the grab and in the composite

the effect that stormwater runoff has on laboratory at the wastewater-treatment stormwater samples are listed in table 2.

Twelve the Rio Grande. Fecal coliform and fecal plant, and the New Mexico State of the constituents analyzed in the

streptococcus bacteria densities have Laboratory in Albuquerque constitute the composite samples are priority

constituents selected by the U.S. been determined for each grab sample; the laboratory quality-assurance program

Environmental Rio Grande has a total maximum daily implemented for this study. All Protection Agency

load (TMDL) established for fecal laboratories have formal reviews of (USEPA) as major contaminants in

coliform. For most of the storms sampled laboratory procedures. Presently (2002), stormwater runoff. Annual stormwater

at the North Floodway Channel near the New Mexico State laboratory analyzes load is estimated for these priority

Alameda site, discrete suspended- nutrients and selected organic constituents. The priority constituents are

dissolved solids, suspended solids, total sediment samples also were collected. compounds, whereas the City laboratory

Kjeldahl Other constituents analyzed in the grab at the wastewater-treatment plant nitrogen, total nitrogen,

dissolved phosphorus, total phosphorus, samples were selected pesticides and analyzes all other constituents and

biochemical aroclors, selected semivolatile base bacteria. An average of two replicate oxygen demand, chemical

oxygen neutral acids, phenols, oil and grease, samples per year have been sent to the demand, total extractable

total organic carbon, NWQL since 1994.

and selected volatile

organic compounds. Four types of quality-control samples

are collected during field sampling:

Quality replicate samples, equipment blanks,

Assurance and spiked samples, and field trip-blank

Quality samples. Replicate samples, sometimes Control

called splits, are collected at all sites and

Quality- are obtained by dividing the water

collected for each analysis into two assurance

bottles. Separate laboratories analyze the procedures for the

split samples from a single site. The field and laboratory

purpose of a replicate sample is to have been conducted

evaluate laboratory precision between since 1992. Field

samples. Equipment blank samples quality-assurance

collected at each site are obtained by practices involve

passing inorganic-free or organic-free calibrating all field

meters blank water through all components of the and probes

sample-collection apparatus. Chemical and cleaning

analysis of these samples is designed to sampling equipment

determine the adequacy of the process of prior to all site visits.

equipment cleaning between sampled Immediately prior to

sites or to quantify carryover of any each sampling,

meters chemical contamination between sites. and probes

Spiked samples are additional samples of are recalibrated. All

known concentration that are analyzed by calibration

the laboratory at the same time as the information is

storm samples to make sure the analysis is recorded on USGS

water correctly identifying concentrations of a -quality field

constituent. Trip blanks are inorganic- or forms. Samples are

organic-free water that is carried along collected, preserved,

during sample collection and then and shipped in 

analyzed by the laboratory to detect accordance with

possible contamination during sample applicable USGS

collection. protocols. During

this study, three

different waterquality laboratories

Biochemical oxygen demand*

Chemical oxygen demand*

Dissolved solids*

pH

Specific conductance

Suspended solids*

Inorganic constituents

Alkalinity

Calcium, dissolved

Chloride, dissolved

Magnesium, dissolved

Potassium, dissolved

Sodium, dissolved

Sulfate, dissolved

Bacteria

Fecal coliform

Fecal streptococcus

Nutrients Organic constituents

Kjeldahl nitrogen, total*

Nitrogen, ammonia, 

dissolved as nitrogen

Nitrate, dissolved as nitrogen

Nitrite plus nitrate, dissolved

as nitrogen, total

Phosphorus, dissolved*

Phosphorus, total*

Nitrogen, total*

Physical properties

Trace elements

(all total concentrations are extractable)

Antimony, total

Aluminum, total

Arsenic, total

Beryllium, total

Cadmium, total*

Chromium, total

Copper, total*

Cyanide, total

Lead, total*

Mercury, total

Nickel, total

Selenium, total

Silver, total

Thallium, total

Zinc, total*

Aluminum, dissolved

Arsenic, dissolved

Beryllium, dissolved

Cadmium, dissolved

Chromium, dissolved

Copper, dissolved

Lead, dissolved

Mercury, dissolved

Nickel, dissolved

Selenium, dissolved

Silver, dissolved

Zinc, dissolved

Organochlorine pesticides and

aroclors

(27 compounds)

Semivolatile base neutral acids

(56 compounds)

Volatile organic compounds

(61 compounds)

Total organic carbon

Phenols

Oil and grease

Table 2. Water-quality constituents analyzed

in stormwater samples

(* indicates the 12 USEPA priority constituents)