U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5138

Prepared in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and 

the U.S. Air Force

Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones 

Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe 

Group Aquifer System near Southeast Albuquerque, 

New Mexico, 2013–16
Cover. Construction of the wells at the Southern sentinel well nest and the Sandia Mountains in the background, 

Albuquerque, New Mexico, February 2015. Photograph by Frederick Gebhardt, U.S. Geological Survey.
Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of 

Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater 

Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group Aquifer 

System near Southeast Albuquerque, 

New Mexico, 2013–16

By Rebecca E. Travis and Nathan C. Myers

Prepared in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility 

Authority and the U.S. Air Force

Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5138

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

DAVID BERNHARDT, Acting Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

James F. Reilly II, Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2019

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Suggested citation:

Travis, R.E., and Myers, N.C., 2019, Hydraulic and water-quality indicators of aquifer zones contributing groundwater 

flow to wells in the Santa Fe Group aquifer system near southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2013–16: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5138, 21 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20185138.

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)
iii

Contents

Abstract...........................................................................................................................................................1

Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................1

Purpose and Scope ..............................................................................................................................4

Description of Study Area ...................................................................................................................4

Climate...........................................................................................................................................4

Geology and Hydrology...............................................................................................................4

Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................4

Methods...........................................................................................................................................................7

Well-Bore Flow Logging ......................................................................................................................7

Water-Quality Sampling.......................................................................................................................7

Groundwater Flow To Wells.......................................................................................................................13

Geology.................................................................................................................................................13

Hydrology .............................................................................................................................................13

Hydraulic Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells ...................17

Water-Supply Wells...................................................................................................................17

Aquifer-Test Pumping Wells.....................................................................................................17

Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells............17

Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells .............................................................19

Summary........................................................................................................................................................19

Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................................20

References....................................................................................................................................................20

Figures

1. Maps showing location of observation wells, sentinel well nests, and watersupply wells and estimated water-level decline from predevelopment to 2008, 

and location of the Bulk Fuels Facility, Kirtland Air Force Base, ethylene dibromide 

plume, observation wells, water-supply wells, and sentinel well nests, southern 

Albuquerque, New Mexico .........................................................................................................2

2. Cesar Chavez aquifer-test pumping well construction diagram ..........................................8

3. Southern aquifer-test pumping well construction diagram ..................................................9

4. Diagram of an electromagnetic flowmeter, with an undersized flow diverter 

installed in a borehole with zones of differing hydraulic head and direction of 

flow in the borehole, and photograph of Century Model 9721 electromagnetic 

flowmeter with rubber diverter installed ................................................................................10

5. Diagram showing well construction and lithology starting at 400 feet below 

land surface and graphs showing vertical flow and inflow and outflow under 

nonpumping and pumping conditions in the Cesar Chavez aquifer-test pumping 

well, southern Albuquerque, New Mexico.............................................................................11

6. Diagram showing well construction and lithology starting at 400 feet below 

land surface and graphs showing vertical flow and inflow and outflow under 

nonpumping and pumping conditions in the Southern aquifer-test pumping 

well, southern Albuquerque, New Mexico.............................................................................12

7. Geologic section showing the shallow, middle, and deep QTsa units and the 

A1 and A2 units ...........................................................................................................................14
iv

8. Schematic diagram showing the generalized sentinel well construction and 

locations of the screened intervals in relation to the shallow, middle, and deep 

QTsa units and A1 and A2 units and a well screened across the water table.................15

9. Hydrograph showing the depth to water for the shallow, middle, and deep JC-1, 

JC-2, and JC-3 observation wells from 2005 through June 2016, southern 

Albuquerque, New Mexico .......................................................................................................16

10. Hydrograph showing the depth to water for the water table, middle, and deep 

Trumbull sentinel wells from October 2014 through September 2016, southern 

Albuquerque, New Mexico .......................................................................................................16

11. Piper diagrams showing the general chemical composition of water from 

sentinel wells, aquifer-test pumping wells, and water-supply wells, southeast 

Albuquerque, New Mexico .......................................................................................................18

12. Graph showing chloride to bromide ratios and chloride concentrations in water 

from sentinel wells, aquifer-test pumping wells, and water-supply wells, southeast 

Albuquerque, New Mexico .......................................................................................................19

Table

1. Well construction information, well-bore flow logging dates, discrete waterquality sampling dates, and continuous groundwater level collection dates for 

sentinel, water-supply, and observation wells in the southeast Albuquerque, 

New Mexico, study area .............................................................................................................5

Conversion Factors

U.S. customary units to International System of Units

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

square mile (mi2

) 259.0 hectare (ha)

square mile (mi2

) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Flow rate

gallon per minute (gal/min) 0.06309 liter per second (L/s)
v

Datum

Vertical coordinate information is referenced to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88),

except where noted.

Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83).

Elevation, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.

Supplemental Information

Concentrations of chemical constituents in water are given in either milligrams per liter (mg/L) or 

micrograms per liter (μg/L).

Abbreviations

AFCEC Air Force Civil Engineer Center

BFF Bulk Fuels Facility

bls Below land surface

EDB Ethylene dibromide

KAFB Kirtland Air Force Base

QTsa Axial-fluvial facies of the Sierra Ladrones Formation

QTsp Piedmont facies of the Sierra Ladrones Formation

USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

USGS U.S. Geological Survey

VA Veteran’s Administration

Water Authority Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority

Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones 

Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe 

Group Aquifer System near Southeast Albuquerque, 

New Mexico, 2013–16

By Rebecca E. Travis and Nathan C. Myers

Abstract

An ethylene dibromide (EDB) plume extends approximately 5,880 feet northeast from the Bulk Fuels Facility on 

Kirtland Air Force Base. The leading edge of the EDB plume 

is about 3,700 feet upgradient from several water-supply 

wells. The water-supply wells are screened in the upper Santa 

Fe Group aquifer system. Within the upper Santa Fe Group, 

two primary clay-rich layers, the A1 and A2 units, separate 

water-producing zones. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility 

Authority and the U.S. Air Force, installed four sentinel well 

nests and two aquifer-test pumping wells between the EDB 

plume and the water-supply wells. The purpose of the sentinel 

wells is to provide early warning of EDB plume migration 

towards water-supply wells. The sentinel well nests include 

at least three wells that are screened above, in between, and 

below the A1 and A2 units. The two aquifer-test pumping 

wells, installed for performing hydraulic tests on the aquifer 

system, are screened across both clay layers, as are the nearby 

water-supply wells. Well-bore flow logging indicated that 

greater than 60 percent of groundwater flow to the wells was 

through the deepest interval below the lowermost clay layer 

(A1 unit). The interval between the A1 and A2 units is the second most productive interval. Water-quality data also indicated 

that water drawn from the aquifer-test pumping wells and 

previously studied nearby water-supply wells is most similar 

in composition to water from the sentinel wells screened in the 

middle and deep intervals.

Introduction

The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority 

(Water Authority), Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB), and the 

Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospital complex operate 

production wells located in and near southeast Albuquerque, 

New Mexico, that supply drinking water to the Water Authority distribution system, KAFB facilities, and VA facilities, 

respectively (Air Force Civil Engineer Center, 2013; fig. 1A). 

Leaks in an underground pipe used to transfer aviation fuels 

at the KAFB Bulk Fuels Facility (BFF) were discovered in 

1999 during pipeline pressure testing (U.S. Air Force, 2011). 

While it is not clear when the pipeline began leaking aviation 

fuel, the BFF (fig. 1B) area has been in use for fueling operations since the 1950s (U.S. Air Force, 2011). After migrating 

through the unsaturated zone and to the water table, the fuels 

formed an ethylene dibromide (EDB) plume composed of 

components of leaded aviation fuel within the groundwater. 

Prior to widespread development of groundwater 

resources in southeastern Albuquerque, groundwater near the 

present-day location of the BFF flowed to the southwest. In 

about 1980, however, groundwater began flowing to the northeast towards a large area of potentiometric surface decline 

caused by groundwater pumping from water-supply wells 

(Falk and others, 2011; Powell and McKean, 2014; Rice and 

others, 2014; fig. 1A). The most laterally extensive fuel component, EDB, has moved parallel to the mapped groundwater 

flow direction and has formed a plume that, as of December 

2016, extended about 5,880 feet (ft) northeast from the BFF 

area (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [USACE], 2017). The 

leading edge of the EDB plume (defined as the 0.05 microgram per liter [μg/L] concentration contour) is about 3,700 ft 

away from the nearest downgradient water-supply well (RC-5, 

fig. 1B) operated by the Water Authority. In December 2015, 

detectable concentrations of EDB (method detection limit 

0.019 μg/L) extended below the water table at depths ranging 

from 65 to 85 ft within the EDB plume (USACE, 2016). 
2 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

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Albuquerque 

International 

Sunport

Cesar Chavez 

nest

Southern 

nest

A

See figure 1B

VC-1

ZM-2 GN-3

GN-2

GN-2

Studied supply well 

(Bexfield and others, 2012)

PN-3

LV-6

Rio Grande

106°50' 106°45' 106°40' 106°35' 106°30' 106°25'

35°15'

35°10'

35°05'

35°

34°55'

EXPLANATION

! Observation well

! Sentinel well nests

! Water-supply well and name (Labeled 

 wells are discussed in the report)

Kirtland Air Force Base boundary

Albuquerque municipal limits

Estimated water-level decline, in feet, 

 predevelopment to 2008 

 (Falk and others, 2011)

Greater than 120

101 to 120

Base from New Mexico Geospatial Data 

Acquisition Coordination Committee, 2006, 1:24,000

New Mexico State Plane, Central Zone

North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) coordinate system

0 2.5 5 MILES

0 2.5 5 KILOMETERS

NEW MEXICO

Middle Rio 

Grande Basin

Enlarged

Area

laf18_0883_fig 01A

Figure 1. A, Location of observation wells, sentinel well nests, and water-supply wells and estimated water-level 

decline (Falk and others, 2011) from predevelopment to 2008, and B, location of the Bulk Fuels Facility, Kirtland Air 

Force Base, ethylene dibromide plume, observation wells, water-supply wells, and sentinel well nests, southern 

Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Introduction 3

Figure 1. A, Location of observation wells, sentinel well nests, and water-supply wells and estimated water-level 

decline (Falk and others, 2011) from predevelopment to 2008, and B, location of the Bulk Fuels Facility, Kirtland Air 

Force Base, ethylene dibromide plume, observation wells, water-supply wells, and sentinel well nests, southern 

Albuquerque, New Mexico.—Continued

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B

106°35'

35°05'

LV-8

RC-4

RC-5

RC-3

RC-3

Southern

Southern

Trumbull

Cesar Chavez

VA

Veteran's Administration 

water-supply well

JC-1,2,3

JC-1,2,3

GIBSON BLVD. NE

CENTRAL AVE. NE

LOMAS BLVD. NE

WYOMING BLVD. NE

SAN MATEO BLVD. NE

CARLISLE BLVD. NE

LOUISIANA BLVD. NE

40

Base from New Mexico Geospatial Data 

Acquisition Coordination Committee, 2006, 1:24,000

New Mexico State Plane, Central Zone

!

!

!

Shallow ethylene dibromide (EDB) plume, 

 4th Quarter (Oct.–Dec.) 2016

 (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2017)

As shown, the outer edge of the plume corresponds 

to an EDB concentration of 0.05 microgram

per liter 

EXPLANATION

Observation well (Jerry Cline) and name

Sentinel well nests and name

Roads

Cross-section (figure 7)

Kirtland Air Force Base Boundary

Bulk Fuels Facility

Water-supply well and name (Labeled 

 wells are discussed in the report)

0 0.5 1 KILOMETER

0 0.5 1 MILE

laf18_0883_fig 01B

A

A’
4 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a 

cooperative project with the Water Authority to drill a nest of 

sentinel wells at the Trumbull well site (fig. 1B; table 1). The 

purpose of the sentinel wells is to provide early warning of 

EDB plume migration towards water-supply wells through 

groundwater level monitoring and quarterly water-quality 

sampling. In 2014, the USGS began a cooperative project with 

the U.S. Air Force through the Air Force Civil Engineer Center 

(AFCEC) to drill additional sentinel wells at the Southern and 

Cesar Chavez well sites, and in 2016 the AFCEC funded the 

USGS to drill sentinel wells at the VA well site (fig. 1B; table 1). 

The sentinel wells were placed in potential EDB plume 

pathways, based on groundwater flow modeling by CH2M, 

formerly CH2M Hill (Air Force Civil Engineer Center, 2013), 

and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Ellinger, 

2013). Installation of the Trumbull, Cesar Chavez, Southern, 

and VA sentinel wells was completed in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 

2016, respectively, at locations near the EDB plume (fig. 1B; 

table 1). 

In addition to the sentinel wells, aquifer-test pumping 

wells were installed at the Cesar Chavez and Southern sites. 

The aquifer-test pumping wells were installed for performing 

hydraulic tests on the aquifer. The depths of the two aquifertest pumping wells are similar to the depth of the RC-5 watersupply well (fig. 1B), the nearest water-supply well directly 

downgradient about 3,700 ft from the EDB plume. 

Purpose and Scope

The primary purpose of this report is to identify aquifer 

zones contributing groundwater flow in the aquifer-test pumping wells at the Cesar Chavez and Southern well sites by using 

flow-logging and water-quality data. Data used in the analysis 

include well-bore flow logging data collected from the Cesar 

Chavez and Southern aquifer-test pumping wells in August 

and September 2015; water-quality data collected from the 

aquifer-test pumping and sentinel wells between 2013 and 

2016; and water-quality data collected from water-supply 

wells RC-3 and RC-4 during a previous study (Plummer and 

others, 2012) in 1996 and 1997, and from water-supply wells 

RC-3 and RC-5 in 2013 for this study (table 1).

Description of Study Area

The Middle Rio Grande Basin (fig. 1A) encompasses 

about 3,060 square miles along the Rio Grande Valley in 

central New Mexico (Thorn and others, 1993). The basin, in 

this report, is defined by geology, with Cenozoic-age deposits 

along the Rio Grande from Cochiti Dam to about San Acacia 

(Bartolino and Cole, 2002). To the north, east, and south, the 

basin is bound by mountainous areas, and the basin is bound 

by a plateau to the west. The Rio Grande flows from north 

to south through the basin and, as the largest river in New 

Mexico, is an important source of water for the inhabitants of 

the basin.

Climate

The climate of the Middle Rio Grande Basin is semiarid 

(Thorn and others, 1993). From 2013 through 2016, annual 

precipitation ranged from 6.7 to 11.5 inches at the Albuquerque International Sunport airport, which is adjacent to 

KAFB, with most rainfall occurring between July and October 

(National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2017). 

Annual evaporation ranges between 50 and 60 inches throughout the basin (Thorn and others, 1993). Large fluctuations in 

the daily temperature and low humidity are also prevalent in 

the basin (Plummer and others, 2012). 

Geology and Hydrology

The geology and hydrology of the study area are discussed in detail in the Groundwater Flow to Wells section 

of this report. Surficial sediments underlying the study area 

have been assigned to the geologic unit known as the Santa Fe 

Group. The Santa Fe Group consists primarily of unconsolidated to moderately consolidated basin-fill sediments of Oligocene to Middle Pleistocene ages (Thorn and others, 1993). 

Within the Middle Rio Grande Basin, the Santa Fe Group 

aquifer system is the principal aquifer (Plummer and others, 

2012) and is as much as 14,500 ft thick in the Albuquerque 

area (Lozinsky, 1994). The Santa Fe Group has informally 

been subdivided into lower, middle, and upper lithostratigraphic units on the basis of lithology and age (Connell and 

others, 1998; Hawley and others, 1995). In the study area, the 

upper Santa Fe Group is composed primarily of the Sierra 

Ladrones Formation which informally has been subdivided 

into axial-fluvial (QTsa) and piedmont (QTsp) facies (Connell 

and others, 1998).

Regional groundwater flow in the upper Santa Fe Group 

is generally southward. In southeast Albuquerque, however, 

the local groundwater flow direction is affected by pumping 

from water-supply wells, and currently groundwater flows to 

the northeast (Powell and McKean, 2014). Depth to groundwater in the study area is about 500 ft below land surface (bls).

Previous Investigations

Thorn (2000) conducted well-bore flow logging for 

water-supply wells in Albuquerque in the late 1990s. The 

study included well-bore flow logging at six Water Authority 

wells throughout Albuquerque—PN-3, LV-6, VC-1, GN-2, 

GN-3, and ZM-2 (fig. 1A)—with a trolling impeller-type flow 

meter. Thorn (2000) delineated the most productive waterbearing zones, which were in sand and gravel units. 

Bexfield and others (2012), as part of a USGS National 

Water-Quality Assessment Program study investigating factors 

affecting transport of contaminants, collected well-bore flow 

data at an unidentified water-supply well in Albuquerque, 

which is referred to as the studied supply well in the 2012 

report and in this report (fig. 1A). The well-bore flow data 
Table 1. Well construction information, well-bore flow logging dates, discrete water-quality sampling dates, and continuous groundwater level collewater-supply, and observation wells in the southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico, study area.[USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; NA, not available; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NGVD 29, National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929; VA, Veteran's AUSGS (2018b) unless otherwise noted. Dates are in month/day/year or month/year format]

Site name 

(See fig. 1 for location) 

USGS site 

identification 

number

Elevation 

(feet above 

NAVD 88, 

except where 

noted)

Construction 

date

Well 

depth 

(feet 

below 

land 

surface)

Screened 

interval 

(feet 

below 

land 

surface)

Screen 

location 

category 

(sentinel 

wells 

only)

Type of well

Well-bore 

flow 

logging date

Dis

water

sampl

(discusse

Trumbull sentinel well A 350408106335601 5,338 4/18/2013 522 437–517 Water table Sentinel NA 5/2013; 3/2

(sample

Trumbull sentinel well B 350408106335602 5,338 4/18/2013 1,018 998–1,008 Middle Sentinel NA 5/2013; 3/2

(sample

Trumbull sentinel well C 350408106335603 5,338 4/18/2013 1,432 1,412–1,422 Deep Sentinel NA 5/2013; 9/2

(sample

Cesar Chavez sentinel well A 350359106335201 5,351 11/20/2014 519 459–509 Water table Sentinel NA 6/2015

(sample

Cesar Chavez sentinel well B 350359106335202 5,351 10/28/2014 620 580–600 Shallow Sentinel NA 6/2015

(sample

Cesar Chavez sentinel well C 350359106335203 5,351 10/28/2014 1,040 1,000–1,020 Middle Sentinel NA 6/2015

(sample

Cesar Chavez sentinel well D 350359106335204 5,351 10/28/2014 1,338 1,298–1,318 Deep Sentinel NA 6/2015

(sample

Cesar Chavez aquifer-test 

pumping well

350359106335205 5,350 9/25/2014 1,410 460–810; 

850–1,230; 

1,270–1,410

All aquifers Aquifer-test 

pumping

9/9/2015 8/2015

Southern sentinel well A 350359106333901 5,363 12/11/2014 538 468–518 Water table Sentinel NA 9/2015

(sample

Southern sentinel well B 350359106333902 5,363 3/22/2015 610 570–590 Shallow Sentinel NA 9/2015

(sample

Southern sentinel well C 350359106333903 5,363 3/22/2015 1,090 1,050–1,070 Middle Sentinel NA 9/2015

(sample

Southern sentinel well D 350359106333904 5,363 3/22/2015 1,400 1,360–1,380 Deep Sentinel NA 9/2015

(sample

Southern aquifer-test 

pumping well

350359106333905 5,363 2/7/2015 1,500 500–860; 

900–1,300; 

1,340–1,460

All aquifers Aquifer-test 

pumping

8/25/2015 9/2015

VA sentinel well A 350304106345401 5,341 4/26/2016 660 620–640 Shallow Sentinel NA 6/2016

(sample

VA sentinel well B 350304106345402 5,341 4/26/2016 860 820–840 Middle Sentinel NA 7/2016

(sample
Table 1. Well construction information, well-bore flow logging dates, discrete water-quality sampling dates, and continuous groundwater level collewater-supply, and observation wells in the southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico, study area.—Continued [USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; NA, not available; NAVD 88, North American Vertical Datum of 1988; NGVD 29, National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929; VA, Veteran's AUSGS (2018b) unless otherwise noted. Dates are in month/day/year or month/year format] Site name (See fig. 1 for location) USGS site identification number Elevation (feet above NAVD 88, except where noted) Construction date Well depth (feet below land surface) Screened interval (feet below land surface) Screen location category (sentinel wells only) Type of well Well-bore flow logging date Dis

water

sampl

(discusse

VA sentinel well C 350304106345403 5,341 4/26/2016 1,040 1,000–1,020 Deep Sentinel NA 6/2016

(sample

GN-2 350635106415001 5,103 19891 1,115 400–1,1001 NA Water-Supply 1/14/1996 N

GN-3 350715106420301 5,105 19972 1,2002, 3 420–9,402 NA Water-Supply 1/30/1996 NLV-6 350553106313801 5,505 1973 1,521 756–1,512 NA Water-Supply 2/23/1996 N

LV-8 350538106333001 5,314 (NGVD 29) 6/21/1989 1,455 640–1,440 NA Water-Supply NA N

PN-3 350820106321701 5,529 (NGVD 29) 10/19/1977 1,602 870–1,590 NA Water-Supply 2/14/1996 N

RC-3 350401106331401 5,385 (NGVD 29) 11/15/1974 1,448 620–1,436 NA Water-Supply NA 6/1996, 11RC-4 350445106334001 5,345 12/11/1974 1,424 572–1,412 NA Water-Supply NA 6/RC-5 350420106334401 5,352 (NGVD 29) 19901 1,470 636–1,2601 NA Water-Supply NA 5/

Studied supply well (Bexfield and others, 2012) NA 5,131 1973 1,191 351–1,179 NA Water-Supply 11/30/20074 N

VA water-supply well NA NA NA NA NA NA Water-Supply NA N

VC-1 350950106434001 5,340 9/24/1968 1,080 528–1,056 NA Water-Supply 3/4/1996 NZM-2 350852106425701 5,160 12/13/1977 997 440–640 NA Water-Supply 1/21/1996 N

JC-1 350545106335901 5,287 12/5/2003 1,455 1,435–1,445 NA Observation NA NJC-2 350545106335902 5,287 12/5/2003 1,050 1,030–1,040 NA Observation NA NJC-3 350545106335903 5,287 12/5/2003 510 400–500 NA Observation NA N

1Bexfield and others, 1999. 2Thorn, 2000. 3Value is approximated based on log in figure 10 from Thorn, 2000. 4L.M. Bexfield, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2018.
Methods 7

indicated that 61 percent of the water entered the well through 

what was categorized as the intermediate portion of the aquifer, extending from about 360 to 560 ft bls, and the remaining 

water entered through the deep portion of the aquifer, from 

about 700 to 1,170 ft bls (Bexfield and others, 2012). 

Methods

To identify aquifer zones contributing to the pumped well 

volumes in the study area, well-bore flow logs and waterquality data were needed. The methods used in this study to 

perform well-bore flow logging using an electromagnetic 

flowmeter and to collect samples for water-quality analyses 

are discussed in this section.

Well-Bore Flow Logging

The aquifer-test pumping wells were constructed of 

8-inch-diameter schedule 80 polyvinyl-chloride (PVC) casing 

with well screens (water intakes) that extend from near 

the recent (2016) water table to near the total depth of the 

well (figs. 2 and 3). Two 40-ft intervals of blank (unslotted) 

sections of casing were included in each aquifer-test pumping 

well with a layer of bentonite pellets outside of each blank 

section to prevent vertical circulation of water in the sand pack 

between aquifer zones. In February 2016, the Cesar Chavez 

and Southern test wells were plugged back from total depth up 

to 826 ft bls and 877 ft bls, respectively, with bentonite pellets.

 Vertical well-bore flow logging is a technique where an 

electromagnetic, spinner, or heat-pulse flowmeter is inserted 

into a well and used to measure the vertical flow of water in 

the well. Flow logging is typically conducted under nonpumping and pumping conditions to provide data needed to calculate additional hydraulic properties (USGS, 2017). Flowmeter 

data indicate the depth of intervals where water flows into or 

out of a well, the direction of well-bore flow, and the magnitude of the vertical flow. USGS Branch of Geophysics guidance was followed during the well-bore flow logging operations for this study (USGS, 2017).

Under nonpumping conditions, vertical hydraulic head 

differences at different depths in the aquifer cause groundwater to flow into the well in zones of higher hydraulic head 

and flow out of the well in zones of lower hydraulic head 

(fig. 4A). The proportional amount of water that each aquifer 

zone contributes is dependent on the change in hydraulic head 

from the static (no pumping) condition, the transmissivity, and 

the storage coefficient for each zone (Morin and others, 1988, 

equation 4). Conditions that may affect transmissivity, such as 

well construction, the completeness of well development, and 

the age and condition of the well, can also affect the amount of 

water contributed from each aquifer zone. 

During flow logging operations, flowmeter measurements are taken at discrete depth intervals over the screened 

interval(s) of a well. The flowmeter measures the vertical flow 

of water in a well; by convention, upward flow in the well is 

positive, and downward flow is negative. By calculating the 

difference between the magnitude of vertical flows at adjacent 

depth intervals, inflow to or outflow from the well from each 

interval can be computed. Under nonpumping conditions, 

the sum of individual flow values should be zero because the 

amount of water flowing into the well should equal the amount 

of water flowing out of the well. Under pumping conditions, 

however, the sum of the individual flow values should equal 

the pumping rate. 

Well-bore flow logs were collected from the Cesar 

Chavez aquifer-test pumping well (fig. 5) on September 9, 

2015, and from the Southern aquifer-test pumping well (fig. 6) 

on August 25, 2015 (USGS, 2018a). Vertical flow in the 

well was measured at 10-ft intervals (flow station) over the 

screened portions (figs. 5 and 6) of the wells. At each flow station, the electromagnetic flowmeter was held steady until the 

flow stabilized to obtain a measurement of the average vertical 

flow. Each well was first logged at each flow station under 

nonpumping conditions, and then this was repeated under 

pumping conditions. Under pumping conditions for this study, 

a submersible pump was set approximately 60 ft below the static 

water level in the well and pumped at a rate of about 100 gallons 

per minute. Rates of inflow to and outflow from the wells 

(figs. 5 and 6) were determined by subtracting the vertical flow 

values at each set of successive measurement points.

Water-Quality Sampling

Water-quality samples were collected from the sentinel 

wells on a quarterly basis, starting within months of well 

construction (table 1). Samples were collected once from 

water-supply wells RC-3 and RC-4 in the late 1990s during 

a previous study (Plummer and others, 2012) and again in 

2013 as part of this study (table 1). The analytes used for this 

report include alkalinity, major inorganics, and trace elements. 

Groundwater samples were collected by using a submersible 

pump in accordance with procedures described in the USGS 

National Field Manual (USGS, variously dated). A submersible pump was used to purge three well casing volumes and to 

sample each well, and samples were submitted to the USGS 

National Water Quality Laboratory for analysis. 

Alkalinity was titrated in the field by using the incremental equivalence method (USGS, variously dated). Fluoride, 

chloride, and sulfate were analyzed by ion-exchange chromatography (Fishman, 1993), and calcium, iron, magnesium, 

manganese, potassium, silica, and sodium were analyzed by 

inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometry (Fishman and Friedman, 1989). Trace elements were 

analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry 

(Garbarino, 1999).

Water-quality data are available from the USGS National 

Water Information System (USGS, 2018b). The data can be 

retrieved from the system by using the USGS site identification number in table 1.
8 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

Borehole total depth (at 1,510 feet)

Depth below

land surface, in feet

0

200

400

600

800

1,400

1,200

1,000

Well construction

Top of well installation is

flush with land surface. Wells are

inside a locked steel vault.

16-inch-diameter 40-foot

steel surface casing

8-inch-diameter

schedule 80 polyvinyl 

chloride (PVC) casing 

Schedule 80 PVC screen 

with 0.040-inch slots 

from 460 to 810 feet 

Schedule 80 PVC screen

with 0.040-inch slots

from 1,270 to 1,410 feet 

8-inch-diameter

schedule 80 PVC casing

from 810 to 850 feet 

8-inch-diameter

schedule 80 PVC casing

from 1,230 to 1,270 feet 

Schedule 80 PVC screen

with 0.040-inch slots

from 850 to 1,230 feet

Bentonite pellets

from 436 to 444.5 feet

10/20 silica sand from 444.5 to 821 feet

High solids bentonite grout

from 1.5 to 436 feet

Bentonite pellets

from 821 to 834 feet

10/20 silica sand from 834 to 1,235 feet

Bentonite pellets

from 1,235 to 1,251 feet

10/20 silica sand from 1,251 to 1,420 feet

Borehole materials

High Solids Bentonite Grout

from 1,420 to 1,510 feet

15-inch-diameter borehole

from 40 to 1,420 feet 

7-7/8-inch-diameter borehole

from 1,420 to 1,510 feet 

22-inch-diameter borehole to 40 feet

laf18_0883_fig 02

Figure 2. Cesar Chavez aquifer-test pumping well construction diagram. Well construction was 

completed in September 2014.
Methods 9

200

0

400

600

800

1,400

1,200

1,000

1,500

Borehole total depth (at 1,515 feet)

Top of well installation is

flush with land surface. Well is

inside a locked steel vault.

16-inch-diameter 50-foot

steel surface casing

8-inch-diameter

schedule 80 polyvinyl 

chloride (PVC) casing

from 0 to 500 feet 

Schedule 80 PVC screen 

with 0.040-inch slots 

from 500 to 860 feet 

Schedule 80 PVC screen 

with 0.040-inch slots 

from 900 to 1,300 feet

Schedule 80 PVC screen 

with 0.040-inch slots from

1,340 to 1,460 feet 

8-inch-diameter

schedule 80 PVC casing

from 860 to 900 feet 

8-inch-diameter

schedule 80 PVC casing 

from 1,300 to 1,340 feet 

8-inch-diameter schedule

80 PVC sump 1,460 to 1,500 feet 

Bentonite pellets

from 464 to 479 feet

10/20 silica sand from 479 to 873.5 feet

High solids bentonite grout

from 1.5 to 464 feet

Bentonite pellets

from 873.5 to 885 feet

10/20 silica sand from 885 to 1,305 feet

Bentonite pellets

from 1,305 to 1,320 feet

10/20 silica sand from 1,320 to 1,515 feet

15-inch-diameter borehole

from 50 to 1,515 feet

22-inch-diameter borehole to 50 feet

Depth below

land surface, in feet

Well construction Borehole materials

laf18_0883_fig 03

Figure 3. Southern aquifer-test pumping well construction diagram. Well construction was completed in 

February 2015.
10 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

Production

zone with 

lower

hydraulic

head

Upward flow in

the borehole or well

Centralizer

 A B

Production

zone with

higher hydraulic

head

Undersized 

flow diverter

Bypass flow

Flow measured

through tool

Figure 4. A, Electromagnetic flowmeter, with an undersized flow diverter installed in a borehole with zones of differing 

hydraulic head and direction of flow in the borehole, and B, Century Model 9721 electromagnetic flowmeter with rubber 

diverter installed (from Thomas, 2012).
Methods 11

A1

A1

Axial-fluvial member of the Sierra Ladrones

 Formation (ancestral Rio Grande deposits) QTsa

QTsa

QTsa

QTsa

A2

A1 unnamed subdivision of the Sierra Ladrones

 Formation (interbedded sand and clay layers) 

A2 unnamed subdivision of the Sierra Ladrones

Well casing Formation (interbedded sand and clay layers) 

Well screen

EXPLANATION

A2

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

A. Well construction and lithology

–25 0 1251005025 150

2520151050–5

gallons per minute

Outflow (–) Inflow (+)

Vertical flow in well, 

 gallons per minute

C. Pumping conditions

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

Vertical flow in well, 

 gallons per minute

–2.0 0 2.0 4.0

gallons per minute

Outflow (–) Inflow (+)

–0.4 0.40 0.8

B. Nonpumping conditions

Depth below land surface, in feet

Vertical flow

Vertical flow

laf18_0883_fig 05

Figure 5. A, Well construction and lithology starting at 400 feet below land surface and vertical flow and inflow and 

outflow under B, nonpumping and C, pumping conditions in the Cesar Chavez aquifer-test pumping well, southern 

Albuquerque, New Mexico.
12 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

A. Well construction and lithology B. Nonpumping conditions C. Pumping conditions

2520151050–5

gallons per minute

Outflow (–) Inflow (+)

gallons per minute

Outflow (–) Inflow (+)

–0.4 0 0.4 0.8

Depth below land surface, in feet

400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

–2.0 0 2.0 4.0 –25 0 100 755025 125

500

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

Vertical flow in well, 

 gallons per minute

Vertical flow in well, 

 gallons per minute

Vertical flow

Vertical flow

Axial-fluvial member of the Sierra Ladrones

 Formation (ancestral Rio Grande deposits)

A1 unnamed subdivision of the Sierra Ladrones

 Formation (interbedded sand and clay layers) 

A2 unnamed subdivision of the Sierra Ladrones

Well casing Formation (interbedded sand and clay layers) 

Well screen

EXPLANATION

A1

QTsa

QTsa

QTsa

A2

A1

QTsa

A2

laf18_0883_fig 06

Figure 6. A, Well construction and lithology starting at 400 feet below land surface and vertical flow and inflow 

and outflow under B, nonpumping and C, pumping conditions in the Southern aquifer-test pumping well, southern 

Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Groundwater Flow To Wells 13

Groundwater Flow To Wells

To understand the groundwater flow to the aquifer-test 

pumping wells and, therefore, the Water Authority wells, the 

geology and hydrology of the area are discussed in greater 

detail in this section. Hydraulic and water-quality indicators 

are analyzed to determine which zones are contributing to 

the wells. 

Geology

The aquifer-test pumping wells, sentinel wells, and watersupply wells referred to in this report are screened within the 

Sierra Ladrones Formation (Connell and others, 1998) (fig. 7). 

Within the Sierra Ladrones Formation, the QTsa is composed 

of yellowish sand, pebbly to cobbly sand, and some interbedded mud (Connell, 2006). QTsa is estimated to be 1,000 to 

2,600 ft thick. QTsa interfingers with QTsp, which is a reddish 

to yellowish conglomerate, sandstone and mudstone, with 

some upward-fining sequences of gravel, sand, and mud. QTsp 

is poorly consolidated and varies from not present to approximately 2,000 ft thick (Connell, 2006). Locally within, two 

lithologic units characterized by sand and silt-clay sequences 

and which are identifiable on geophysical logs have informally 

been named the A1 and A2 members (Connell and others, 

1998) and are referred to herein as the A1 and A2 units. The 

A1 and A2 units effectively subdivide the QTsa into shallow, 

middle, and deep intervals which we refer to herein as the 

shallow, middle, and deep QTsa units. The water-supply wells 

and aquifer-test pumping wells have screens that span both the 

A1 and A2 units and part or all of the upper, middle, and lower 

QTsa units. The KAFB sentinel wells were constructed such 

that each well screen was within one of the shallow, middle, 

or deep QTsa units. Table 1 identifies which wells have been 

screened across the water table, in the shallow QTsa unit, and 

which wells have been screened in the shallow, middle, and 

deep QTsa units, and a generalized well construction diagram 

shows where a well is screened relative to the shallow, middle, 

and deep QTsa units and A1 and A2 units (fig. 8). 

Hydrology

Prior to widespread development of groundwater 

resources in southeastern Albuquerque, groundwater near the 

present-day location of the BFF flowed to the southwest (Powell 

and McKean, 2014; Rice and others, 2014). Around 1980 

when the Water Authority increased pumping, a large area of 

potentiometric surface decline occurred near the water-supply 

wells, and groundwater flow changed directions towards the 

northeast (Powell and McKean, 2014; Rice and others, 2014). 

After a period of widespread development and increased 

pumping from around 1980 to 2008, the Water Authority 

began using surface water in 2008 to supplement its municipal 

supply, and the resulting decrease in groundwater use has led 

to rising groundwater levels in southeast Albuquerque (Powell 

and McKean, 2014). From early 2009 to mid-2016, shallow 

and deep groundwater levels have risen by about 25 ft and 30 ft, 

respectively, at the JC-1, JC-2, and JC-3 observation wells 

(figs. 1B and 9), which are the nearest observation wells to the 

center of the Water Authority drawdown (USGS, 2018b).

An upward vertical gradient exists in the area of the 

aquifer-test pumping wells. The Trumbull sentinel wells 

(figs. 1B and 10), which are screened across the water table, 

within the shallow QTsa unit, and middle and deep QTsa units 

(fig. 8), have the longest and most consistent groundwater 

level records of all of the sentinel wells. Water levels in the 

Trumbull sentinel wells were consistently higher in the deep 

well during the measurement period than in the middle and 

water table wells. Although water levels in the middle well 

were higher than in the water table well during the measurement period, water levels in the water table well were periodically higher than in the middle well, indicating a downward 

vertical hydraulic gradient. The relatively large upward and 

periodic downward gradients indicate that water has the potential to move vertically within the aquifer; vertical movement, 

however, is limited because of the presence of the A1 and 

A2 units, which, because of their silt and clay content, act as 

confining or semiconfining layers. 
laf18_0883_Fig 07

Elevation above NAVD 88, in feet

Distance along section from Cesar Chavez aquifer test pumping well borehole (fig. 1B), in feet

468.232/13/15

485.73

2/25/15 

0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 

5,5005,0004,5004,0003,5003,000

0 20 40 60 80 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 

A 

Cesar Chavez

aquifer-test pumping well

borehole

Southern

aquifer-test pumping well

borehole

W

A2 UnitA1 Unit

QTsaQTspQTsaQTsa

Estimated bottom of QTsa

EXPLANATION

QTspQTsa

A1 A2

Santa Fe Group, Sierra Ladrones Formation, piedmont memberSanta Fe Group, Sierra Ladrones Formation, axial-fluvial memberSanta Fe Group, Sierra Ladrones Formation, A1 and A2 units

Uncertain geologic contact

Resistivity, ohm-meter (U.S. Geological Survey, 2017a)

Depth to water below land surface and date of  measurement, dashed where water level  is from a different time period

476.85 4/1/15

Borehole location

Figure 7. Geologic section A–A’ showing the shallow, middle, and deep QTsa units and the A1 and A2 units. Lithologic unit tops for 

from Connell and others (1998), and lithologic unit tops for Cesar Chavez and Southern aquifer-test pumping wells were based on lithgeophysical logs (U.S. Geological Survey, 2018a). Trace of section shown on figure 1B.
Groundwater Flow To Wells 15

Approximate 

depth, in feet

0

100

700

600

500

400

300

200

900

800

1,000

1,100

1,500

1,400

1,300

1,200

Shallow

Deep

Middle

Water 

table

Geology

QTsp

Alluvial fan sediments

QTsa

Rio Grande axial-fluvial deposits

QTsa - A2

clay layers

QTsa - A1

clay layers

QTsa

Rio Grande axial-fluvial deposits

QTsa

Rio Grande axial-fluvial deposits

Water 

table

laf18_0883_fig 08

Sand 

pack

Figure 8. Generalized sentinel well construction and 

locations of the screened intervals in relation to the shallow, 

middle, and deep QTsa units and A1 and A2 units and a well 

screened across the water table.
16 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

400

410

420

430

440

450

460

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Depth to water below land surface, in feet 

Year

EXPLANATION

Deep (JC-1)

Middle (JC-2)

Shallow (JC-3)

Screen Location

laf18_0883_fig 09

Figure 9. Depth to water for the shallow, middle, and deep JC-1, JC-2, and JC-3 observation 

wells from 2005 through June 2016, southern Albuquerque, New Mexico (U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2018b).

2014 2015 2016

Year

Data gap caused by 

equipment failure

in the deep well

430

440

450

460

470

480

490

500

510

Depth to water below land surface, in feet

O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S

EXPLANATION

Deep

Middle

Water table

Screen Location

Figure 10. Depth to water for the water table, middle, and deep Trumbull sentinel wells from 

October 2014 through September 2016, southern Albuquerque, New Mexico (U.S. Geological 

Survey, 2018b).
Groundwater Flow To Wells 17

Hydraulic Indicators of Aquifer Zones 

Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells

Well-bore flow logs from past studies in water-supply 

wells and from the aquifer-test pumping wells from this study 

were used to determine which aquifer zones contribute most of 

the water.

Water-Supply Wells

Many of the water-supply wells downgradient from the 

EDB plume are screened such that they produce groundwater 

from depths ranging from about 600 to 1,400 ft bls (Bexfield 

and others, 1999). Depending on the permeability of aquifer 

materials penetrated by the water-supply wells, certain depth 

intervals are more productive than others. Well-bore flow logs 

from Water Authority wells in eastern Albuquerque show that 

depth intervals with coarser grained aquifer material, such 

as the QTsa facies, produce more water per vertical foot than 

intervals with finer grained aquifer material in the LV-6 well 

(Thorn, 2000) and in the studied supply well (Bexfield and 

others, 2012). The LV-6 well (Thorn, 2000) and the studied 

supply well (Bexfield and others, 2012) produce most of their 

water from the upper one-quarter to one-third of their wellscreen intervals, but these wells are located in areas where 

QTsa deposits are relatively thin or are above the water table 

(Thorn, 2000; Connell, 2006; Bexfield and others, 2012), so 

the zone of greater production is limited. In contrast, downgradient from the EDB plume, QTsa deposits are more than 

1,200 ft thick at the RC-5 well (Connell and others, 1998) 

and as much as 1,800 ft thick at the LV-8 well (Connell, 2006, 

where LV-8 is known as CH-6), meaning that these wells have 

a greater production capacity than the LV-6 well and studied 

supply well (Bexfield and others, 2012).

Aquifer-Test Pumping Wells

Well-bore flow logs collected under nonpumping 

conditions from the Cesar Chavez and Southern aquifer-test 

pumping wells indicate that the majority of water entered each 

aquifer-test pumping well below the A1 unit and exited each 

well within and above the A1 unit (figs. 5 and 6). Water levels 

in the Trumbull nest sentinel wells, which are screened in the 

deep and middle QTsa units, as well as screened across the 

water table, in the shallow QTsa unit (fig. 10), indicate that the 

upward flow in the aquifer-test pumping wells under nonpumping conditions was a result of higher hydraulic heads in 

the deep QTsa unit than in the middle or shallow QTsa units.

Well-bore flow logs collected under pumping conditions 

indicate that, in the Cesar Chavez and Southern aquifer-test 

pumping wells, the majority of the pumped water entered 

each well below the A1 unit with less water entering the 

wells above the A2 unit (figs. 5 and 6). In the Cesar Chavez 

aquifer-test pumping well, 68 percent of the total flow into the 

well was from the interval below the A1 unit, and 28 percent 

entered between the A1 and A2 units. In the Southern aquifertest pumping well, 65 percent of the total flow into the well 

entered below the A1 unit, and 18 percent entered between the 

A1 and A2 units.

The zones where most of the water enters the wells are 

relatively more permeable than the other zones and allow 

water to flow more easily to the well. The results from the 

well-bore flow logs indicate that water-supply wells could 

obtain most of their water from deeper zones within the 

aquifer if the aquifer properties at the water-supply wells are 

similar to those at the aquifer-test pumping wells. In addition, 

the pumping rates and the design and construction of each 

water-supply well could affect the contribution of each zone.

Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones 

Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells

The water-quality indicators used in this study, major-ion 

composition and chloride to bromide ratios, were analyzed 

in samples from the aquifer-test pumping wells, all sentinel 

wells, and three nearby water-supply wells (RC-3, RC-4, and 

RC-5). These data were used to indicate which aquifer interval 

is the dominant contributor to the aquifer-test pumping wells 

(USGS, 2018b). 

The major-ion composition of water from wells shown 

on a Piper diagram (Piper, 1944), analyzed by depth of the 

screened interval, indicates that the water being pumped from 

the Cesar Chavez and Southern aquifer-test pumping wells is 

most similar in chemical composition to that of water from 

the middle and deep sentinel wells (fig. 11). The dominant 

cations of the aquifer-test pumping and water-supply wells are 

calcium and sodium, and the dominant anions are bicarbonate 

and chloride. The dominant cations and anions of the water 

from the aquifer-test pumping and water-supply wells are 

similar to those of the water from the sentinel wells screened 

in the middle and deep intervals, whereas the water is of 

mixed chemical composition in the wells screened across the 

water table and in the shallow interval. However, the dominant 

anion in water from the Southern and VA shallow sentinel 

wells appears to be bicarbonate.

Chloride to bromide ratios in relation to chloride concentrations indicate that water from the aquifer-test pumping 

wells and water-supply wells is more similar to water from 

middle and deep sentinel wells than water from water table or 

shallow sentinel wells (fig. 12). This similarity suggests that 

the RC-3, RC-4, and RC-5 water-supply wells obtain more 

water from the deep and middle QTsa units than from the 

shallow QTsa unit. Samples collected from RC-3 in 1996 and 

1997 (Plummer and others, 2012) are similar to the samples 

collected from the Cesar Chavez and Southern aquifer pumping test wells in 2016, indicating that prior to recent sampling, 

RC-3 may have drawn more water from the middle and shallow aquifers. 
18 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

Calcium Chloride + Fluoride

Magnesium

Sulfate + Chloride

Calcium + Magnesium

Sulfate

Carbonate + Bicarbonate

Sodium + Potassium

Percent

Percent

Percent

20

40

60

80

20

40

60

80

0

20

40

60

80

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

100 80 60 40 20 0 0 20 40 60 80 100

20

40

60

80

0

20

40

60

80

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

20

40

60

80

Water table

EXPLANATION

Shallow

Middle

Deep

All aquifers

Water-supply wells

Screen location of sentinel wells

Aquifer-test pumping wells

Southern and 

VA samples

laf18_0883_fig 11

Figure 11. General chemical composition of water from sentinel wells, aquifer-test pumping wells, and watersupply wells, southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Summary 19

Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow 

to Wells

The well-bore flow logging data indicate that the majority 

of water, under nonpumping and pumping conditions, is entering the well below the A1 unit. In both aquifer-test pumping 

wells, at least 65 percent of water in the wells enters below the 

A1 unit, with 18 percent or more entering the wells between 

the A1 and A2 units.

Water-quality data, including cations, anions, and chloride to bromide ratios, indicate that the aquifer-test pumping 

wells and water-supply wells produce water that is geochemically similar to the water from the sentinel wells screened in 

the middle and deep QTsa units. 

The well-bore flow logging data, along with the waterquality data, indicate that the deep and middle QTsa units 

of the Sierra Ladrones Formation that are penetrated by 

water-supply, aquifer-test pumping, and sentinel wells are 

the primary contributing zones to the aquifer-test pumping 

wells. These results suggest that the nearby water-supply wells 

(RC-3, RC-4, and RC-5) receive most of their water from the 

intervals below the A2 unit. 

Summary

The leading edge of the ethylene dibromide (EDB) 

plume, which extends northeast from the Bulk Fuels Facility 

area on Kirtland Air Force Base, is about 3,700 feet upgradient 

of water-supply wells screened in the upper Santa Fe Group. 

Two clay-rich units, A1 and A2, are within the upper Santa Fe 

Group. Between the EDB plume and the water-supply wells, 

the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority and the U.S. 

Air Force, constructed sentinel wells, which are screened in 

laf18_0883_fig 12 the intervals between the A1 and A2 units. Two aquifer-test 

450

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

RC-3 (1996)

Cesar Chavez 

(8/2015)

Southern (9/2015)

Cesar Chavez (11/2016)

Southern (10/2016)

RC-3 (1997)

RC-4 (1997)

RC-3 (2013)

RC-5 (2013)

Chloride, in milligrams per liter

Chloride to bromide ratio

Water table

EXPLANATION

Shallow

Middle

Deep

All aquifers

Water-supply wells and name 

 and date

Screen location of sentinel wells

Aquifer-test pumping wells

 and name and date

Figure 12. Chloride to bromide ratios and chloride concentrations in water from sentinel wells, 

aquifer-test pumping wells, and water-supply wells, southeast Albuquerque, New Mexico.
20 Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group

pumping wells that are screened similarly to the RC-3, RC-4, 

and RC-5 water-supply wells, spanning the A1 and A2 units, 

also were constructed between the EDB plume and the watersupply wells. 

Well-bore flow logging results from the Cesar Chavez 

and Southern aquifer-test pumping wells indicate that 65 to 

68 percent of the water entering those wells is from below the 

A1 unit. Only 18 to 28 percent of the flow to the wells enters 

the middle interval, which is between the A1 and A2 units. 

Water-quality data also indicate that the intervals between 

the A1 and A2 units and below the A1 unit contributed most 

of the water pumped from the wells. The dominant anions 

(calcium, sodium, bicarbonate, and chloride) of the sentinel 

wells screened in the middle and deep intervals were similar 

to those of the aquifer-test pumping and water-supply wells, 

and the water from sentinel wells screened in the water table 

and shallow interval is of mixed composition. The chloride to 

bromide ratios for the sentinel wells screened in the deep and 

middle intervals were similar to those for the water-supply and 

aquifer-test pumping wells.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Jonathan 

Thomas, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), who completed the 

well-bore flow logging for this study, the USGS hydrologic 

technicians who conducted the quarterly water-quality sampling, and the USGS New Mexico Water Science Center staff 

and colleague reviewers who provided constructive comments 

to a first-time author.

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For more information about this publication, contact

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6700 Edith Blvd. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87113

For additional information visit

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Travis and Myers—Hydraulic and Water-Quality Indicators of Aquifer Zones Contributing Groundwater Flow to Wells in the Santa Fe Group—Scientific Investigations Report 2018–5138

ISSN 2328-0328 (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20185138