NM WRRI Transboundary Water Research

April 10, 2019

Dr. Sam Fernald, Director

New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute

Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program

(TAAP)

TAAP Purpose

“…cooperat[ion] with the States on the border with Mexico and other

appropriate entities in conducting a hydrogeologic characterization,

mapping, and modeling program for priority transboundary aquifers, and

for other purposes.”

-United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act

U.S. Public Law 109-448

TAAP Timeline• November 25, 2003: Senator Bingaman (NM) introduces the United

States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act

• December 22, 2006: United States-Mexico Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act signed into law

• August 19, 2009: Agreement between IBWC & CILA signed

Principal Engineers John Merino and Luis Antonio Rascon Mendoza signing the Joint Report on August 19, 2009

TAAP Priority Aquifers• Santa Cruz

• San Pedro

• Hueco Bolson

• Mesilla Basin

Source: University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center

TAAP Research for the Conejos Medanos/

Mesilla Basin by NM WRRI and USGS

TAAP Project Description • To better understand the Mesilla Basin priority transboundary aquifer,

NM WRRI is addressing five major research efforts

• In addition, NM WRRI will work on two coordination efforts:

1) Ongoing development of a strategic work plan for activities in collaboration with USGS

2) Coordination of activities with Mexico

TAAP Project Description, continued• Remote sensing to develop

evapotranspiration (ET) fluxes for the Mesilla Valley Aquifer

• S Bawazir (Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, NMSU), Z Samani(Professor of Civil Engineering, NMSU), Juan Solis (graduate student, NMSU), Kevin Bokyo (graduate student, NMSU), Jusep Artola(graduate student, NMSU)

• Estimating recharge of alfalfa fields by measuring ET and soil moisture in the semi-arid Mesilla Valley Aquifer

• K Boyko (Graduate Research Assistant, NMSU), A Fernald (Director, NM WRRI), S Bawazir (Associate Professor of Civil Engineering, NMSU), Z Samani (Professor of Civil Engineering, NMSU)

TAAP research station inside an 80 acre alfalfa field. The instruments monitor Evapotranspiration with a weather station, Eddy co-variance tower, and net radiometer sensor in Santo Tomas, NM. Just south of Las Cruces

TAAP Project Description, continued• Effects of changing water

availability on riparian vegetation habitat and water use in the Mesilla Valley Basin Aquifer, New Mexico, US

• A Tellez (NMSU Graduate Research Assistant), K Boykin (Associate Professor of Wildlife and Conservation, NMSU), A Fernald (Professor of Watershed Management, NMSU)

Figure from M.S. student Aracely Tellez’s thesis

TAAP Project Description, continued• Geochemical and isotopic determination of deep groundwater as a

source of discharge and salinity to the shallow groundwater and surface-water systems, Mesilla Basin, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico

• KC Carroll (Assistant Professor of Geohydrology, NMSU), AJ Robertson (Hydrologist, USGS NM Water Science Center), C Kubicki(Graduate Research Assistant, NMSU), A Fernald (Director, NM WRRI), Roland Purtschert (Senior Scientist, University of Bern)

M.S. student Chris Kubicki presenting his poster Isotopic and Geochemical Characterization Data for Deep and Shallow Groundwater in the Mesilla Basin, New Mexico

TAAP Project Description, continued

Photo credit: (Torres, 2017)

• Evaluating Policy and Management Instabilities in the Transboundary Mesilla Basin Hydrologic-Social System to Rectify Public Health Concerns

• A Page (Program specialist, NM WRRI), S Fernald (Director, NM WRRI), S Langarudi (Post-doctoral research scientist), S Forster-Cox (Professor of Public Health, NMSU), H Rahman (Assistant Professor of Public Health, NMSU)

Transboundary Research Coordination Beyond

TAAP

Border Alliance: series of NSF-funded workshops • Focus: “complex set of problems related to health, education,

environment, security, inequality and the movement of goods and people faced by communities along the U.S.-Mexico border”

• San Diego | Tijuana: June 5-7, 2019

• El Paso | Las Cruces | Cd. Juarez: June 10-12, 2019

U.S. planning partners for the Border Alliance

Border Alliance Breakout Session • June 11, 2019: Las

Cruces, New Mexico

• Title: Innovative, multi-disciplinary themes and partnerships to produce water research that addresses needs of the US-Mexico border corridor

The session will take place on NMSU’s campus Photo credit: Peggy Risner, NM WRRI

NSF-funded follow-up meeting • August 8-10, 2019: San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico

• Purpose: Researchers will build on the themes developed during the Border Alliance breakout session to determine tangible research outcomes and objectives for funding

The meeting will take place at Hacienda Santa Clara in San Miguel de AllendePhoto credit: Hacienda Santa Clara

Contact Information

Dr. Sam Fernald

New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute

Water Science and Management

https://nmwrri.nmsu.edu/

575-646-4337

afernald@nmsu.edu