Experimental Salinity Alleviation at Malaga Bend of the Pecos River, Eddy County, New Mexico

摘要

Upward-leaking brine, from a confined aquifer at the base of the Rustler Formation, mixes with fresher water in a shallow aquifer, resulting in discharge to the Pecos River in southern Eddy County, New Mexico, of about 0.5 cubic feet per second of saturated brine. Pumping brine from the aquifer at a rate greater than 0.5 cubic feet per second lowered the potentiometric head in the confined aquifer. From July 22, 1963 through December 1968, approximately 3,878 acre-feet of brine had been pumped. Total brine storage in July 1968 was 540 acre-feet, including about 200 acre-feet of salt precipitate. From 1963 to 1968, water downgradient of the storage depression increased in chloride concentration by amounts ranging from 1,500 to 99,400 milligrams per liter, and water levels near the depression increased over 3 feet. For water years 1952-63, the Pecos River gained about 240 tons per day of chloride in the reach from Malaga gaging station to Pierce Canyon Crossing.