**Good Neighbor**  **Environmental Board**  **June 28, 2012** 

# Shared US **- Mexico**  **Transboundary Water Resources** 

**Principal Engineer Carlos Pena** Texas A&M AgriLife Research, Texas Water Resources Institute: Ari Michelsen , Zhuping Sheng , Danielle Kalisek  NM Water Resources Research Institute: Phil King, John Hawley, Sam Fernald, Bobby Creel  AZ Water Resources Research Center: Sharon Megdal & Chris Scott  USGS: Bill Alley, John Schefter ; TX, NM, AZ Science Centers: Mike Darr , James Calgary, Rodger Ferriera , Doug McCda , Ann Ardis , John Bumgarner  IBWC/CILA: Gilbert Anaya, Ramiro Lujan



## Pr **oject Te**  **am**

## Backgr **ound and Relevance**  **Population gr** **owth along US**  **- Mexico**  **border is among**  **the highest nationally** 

**.**  **Gr oundwater** 

**i s the major** 

**w ater**  **sour ce for** 

**much of the US**   ** MX****b order** 

**re gion. Gr** **oundwater**

**i s used for** 

**a ll the drinking**  **water in southern**  **NM, all of Juar** **ez, and mor e than**  **half of the El Paso ar** **ea.**  **Ther e is inadequate**  **information on**  **the extent, quantity**  **, quality**  **and interaction of**  **border a**  **quifers.**  **Av ailability**  **of gr** **ound water**  **is a key economic & health**  **issue in the U.S.**

**– Mexico**  **border re**  **gion**  **Economic development is/will be r** **estricted by**  **lack of adequate, re**  **liable, safe water**  **How extensive ar e the aquifers?**   **Which dir ections ar**  **e the aquifers flowing?**  **How deep ar e the aquifers?**   **What is the quality of the aquifers at various depths?**   **How fast ar e they declining in supply and quality?**   **What is the long -**  **term availability?**  **What is the r elationship**  **between surface supplies and**  **aquifer**

**r echarge/depletion (conjunctive use)?**  

## I **nformation about border**  **a quifers is**  **inadequate -**  **many questions r emain:** 

###  **Public Law 109 -**  **448 enacted December**  **2 006**   **Authoriz ed**  **$50 million over 10 years, 2006**  **- 2015**   **Develop scientific**  **knowledge of US -**  **MX bi -**  **national aquifers in**  **Te xas, New Mexico**  **and Ariz**  **ona (not**  **CA)**  **Joint pr ogram**  **of USGS and the thr ee W** **ater Resour** **ces Resear** **ch Institutes**   **Specified four** 

**priority aquifers, Mesilla**  **Bolson (NM, TX, MX),**  **Hueco Bolson (NM, TX MX)**  **and San Pedr** **o and Santa Cruz A**  **quifers (AZ ,**  **MX)**  **Additional aquifers may be added** 

## US **- MX**  **Tr ansboundary**  **Aquifer A**  **ssessment Act** 

###  **WRRI’ s to work with USGS, stakeholders,**  **agencies and MX to coordinate,**  **develop and implement plans**  **of work (using IBWC framework)**  **$2 million funded to date**   **Funding split 6 ways, 3 USGS State Offices and the 3**  **WRRIs in TX, NM and**  **AZ**  **WRRI portion shar ed with MX and State entities**  **for data collection**  **in Mexico, at a minimum**  **of 1:1 cost shar** **e** 

## US **- MX**  **Tr ansboundary**  **Aquifer A**  **ssessment Act** 

###  **Nothing in the TA** **A A ct**  **or Pr** **ogram will affect**  **jurisdictions or** 

**existing water**

**r ights, laws, compacts**  **or tr** **eaties**  **Major S**  **tate and bi**  **- national concern**   **Differ ence**  **in governance US States/MX**  **Federal**  **Scientific knowledge period. Not to be used to**  **contr ol,**  **coer ce,**  **or**

**develop/change tr** **eaties** 

## US **- MX**  **Tr ansboundary**  **Aquifer A**  **ssessment Act**  **Develop high -**  **quality ,**  **compr ehensive,**  **bi -**  **national gr** **oundwater**

**q uantity**  **and quality databases**   **Assess the extent, availability**  **, quality and use of border**  **a quifers**   **Analyze tr ends**  **in gr oundwater**  **q uality**  **, including salinity** 

**, nutrients,**  **toxics, and pathogens**   **Develop and impr ove**  **gr oundwater**  **f low models for** 

**bi -**  **national aquifers**  **to facilitate**  **re gional**  **water a**  **ssessment and planning**   **Assess the movement and use of conjunctive**  **surface -**  **gr ound**  **water**  **Develop updated watershed delineations**   **Apply the new data and models to evaluate**  **strategies to**  **enhance supplies and pr** **otect water**  **quality** 

## US **- MX**  **TA AP** 

**Objectives**

## U.S. - MexicoTransboundary Aquifer

Assessment Program Designated priority transboundary aquifers

# Transboundary Aquifers in NM - TX

## Arizona
– Sonora Santa Cruz and San Pedro Shared

Aquifers

Santa Cruz River valley

at Rio Rico, Arizona

###  Joint USGS
- WRRI, US stakeholder and public meetings have been held identifying and prioritizing needs  Coordinated USGS
- WRRI US plans of work have been developed and reviewed by stakeholders  MX scope of work developed for TX and NM research in consultation with US
- MX (IBWC).  MX
- AZ scope of work developed through IBWC  Interim report to Congress in preparation



## TA**A Pr** **ogram Activities** 

## Scientific Studies in the Mesilla Basin **Aquifer System of NM, TX and Chihuahua**   An updated Lower Rio Grande hydrologic model of the Rincon Valley and Mesilla Basin is being integrated with an agricultural water use model to assess groundwater and surface water interaction and conjunctive uses  Geochemical samples and analyses are being performed  Existing hydrogeologic framework models will be evaluated for an expanded scope extending into Mexico  Study completed by Mexico “Hydrogeological Activities in the Conejos Medanos
- Mesilla Basin Aquifer, Chihuahua Phase I”, May 2011

## Scientific Studies in the Mesilla Basin

**Aquifer System of NM, TX and** 

**Chihuahua**  Data gaps and additional information needed for US, MX and bi
- national hydrogeologic model development are being identified  Coordinated US
- MX work plans for data collection and models have been developed  US and bi
- national groundwater models will be developed and refined using existing and new data

## Scientific Studies in the Mesilla Basin **Aquifer System of NM, TX and Chihuahua**   A comprehensive review of US literature and identification and initial review of existing models has been conducted. The literature has been entered into a digital database allowing bibliographic searches and sharing  Existing geological, hydrogeologic monitoring data, ancillary databases, and GIS information has been compiled  An overview analysis of the Mesilla Basin Aquifer hydrogeologic framework and related aspects of groundwater flow and chemistry is under development  The hydraulic connection between Mesilla Basin and adjacent basins will be characterized using existing and new data

###  Santa Cruz and San Pedro aquifer scientific and other published materials will be compiled in a searchable, online, bilingual data base  Wo rk on contaminant transport modeling and development of hydrogeological framework models in the Santa Cruz Valley has been initiated  Development of recharge/runof f monitoring and modeling of the San Pedro has been initiated  A bi
- national report is being developed to compile data in the Santa Cruz and San Pedro Aquifers into one document 

## AZ

**– SONORA** 

**T AA**  **Pr ogram**  **Activities**

## Joint Cooperative Framework  

### The objective of the joint cooperative process for groundwater research is to improve the knowledge base of transboundary aquifers.
 

### Assure concurrence of the US and MX for binational aquifer assessment activities
 

### Establish and coordinate binational technical advisory committees for each aquifer
 

### Serve as an official repository for binational studies developed

17Distribution between Mexico and the U.S. of the waters originating in the Upper Rio Grande watershed. U.S. to deliver 60,000 acre - feet per year to Mexico at the headworks of the Acequia Madre Canal Proportional reduction in deliveries in case of extraordinary drought Project water stored in Elephant Butte and Caballo Dams
– New Mexico American Dam **Unit ed**  **States Me**  **xico**
**American**

**Dam American**  **Canal** 

## Con **ve nt**  **ion of 1906**International Dam Mexico’ s Deliveries

US Deliveries 3 Primary Entities served with Project Wa ter from Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs

• Elephant Butte Irrigation District

• El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1

• Mexico Poor contingency planning in winter of 201 1 led to a delivery timing conflict in 2012.• Initiate early

contingency

p lanning with all three irrigation entities (Fall of 2012)

• Need better understanding of how surface water in channel interacts with aquifer
.

• Need better understanding of how groundwater pumping impacts channel conveyance ef

ficiencies.

• Federal study - (USIBWC/Reclamation) with input from 3 irrigation entities to analyze surface/groundwater interactions of system and propose operational strategies to better manage precious resource. 

### Lesson’s Learned from 2012 Deliveries under the 1906 Convention