Results of Artificial Recharge of the Ground-Water Reservoir at El Paso, Texas

摘要

In 1947 the city of El Paso requested the United States Geological Survey to make an investigation to determine the feasibility of storing treated surface water from the Rio Grande in the ground-water reservoir of the Hueco bolson, which is the principal source of municipal and industrial water supply at El Paso. At that time the following pertinent facts were known: (1) Pumping from the ground-water reservoir was exceeding the natural recharge or replenishment to the city's well field by an average of about 5,000,000 gallons a day, or 25 percent of the total pumpage, (2) chloride content of the ground water in parts of the heavily pumped area was increasing steadily, in some places at an alaming rate; (3) records of stream flow showed that excess surface water from the Rio Grande was usually available during the winter when the demands for irrigation were at a minimum; (4) the demands for water to supply the city of El Paso were at a minimum during the winter, (5) the surface-water and ground-water supply facilities of the city of El Paso were adequate during the winter and pumping could be controlled in a manner that would facilitate any pumping and recharge tests that might be made; and (6) existing distribution facilities were such that, during the winter, the city could pump treated surface water from the Rio Grande into the wells in the Hueco bolson at the Montana well field at a moderate cost to the city.