Subsurface Hydrology of Strata Overlying the Salado Formation at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site, Eddy County, New Mexico

摘要

The fluid-bearing zones above the Salado Formation which have been identified at the WIPP site are the Rustler-Salado contact zone and the Culebra and Magenta dolomites of the Rustler Formation. The nearly saturated brines along the Rustler-Salado contact are found primarily in the area of Nash Draw. The high salinity of this water precludes its use for human or livestock consumption. The permeability of the Culebra dolomite is highly variable, thus, the Culebra contains water in some locations but is essentially devoid of moisture in others. Though the concentration of dissolved solids in the Culebra varies considerably, the water is generally too saline for human consumption and marginal in most locations for livestock. The Magenta is fluid-bearing in some places; however, the transmissivity of the dolomite is quite low, providing very slow recharge to wells in the WIPP site area. With the exceptions of a localized zone in the Santa Rosa Sandstone to the east and a thin sandy zone in the Dewey Lake Redbeds, no zones of saturation have been detected in the rocks above the Rustler Formation. (ERA citation 11:008451)