Dr. M. Karl Wood

Director

Water Resources Research Institute

New Mexico State University

Water Quality Research by

New Mexico state university

Water Supply

• Quite visible

• Easy to measure

• Easy to say if too much or too little

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Y e a r

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E le p h a n t B u tte R e s e rvo ir D a ily S to ra g e

Water Quality

• May not be visible

• Visibility may be deceiving

• Often difficult to measure

• Difficult to say if too much or too little

• Water quality is often poorest when the runoff is lowest

• When runoff (supply) is low, then quality is of lesser concern

Present Research ProgramsWater Supply Water Quality

Many Fewer

• Growing population• Mined groundwater• Exhausted surface storage• Drought suppressing surface and groundwater recharge

• Clean Water Act• Health Concerns• Arsenic Standards• Perchlorate, MTBE, & sulfate levels

Water Supplies contain:• Natural elements or compounds such as:

1. Salts2. Pathogens3. Organic matter4. Arsenic5. Fluoride 6. Boron7. Uranium

• Human introduced elements or compounds such as: 1. Salts2. Pathogens3. Organic matter4. Perchlorate 5. Uranium 6. Lead 7. Pharmaceuticals 8. Nitrates

Sampling of Past Research Programs

Ag Chemicals In Shallow Groundwater

Sewage Sludge Applications

Wells Near Surface Water Bodies

Water Quality And Rhizobia

Coal Burning And Water Quality

Recreation Impacts

Irrigation Return Flows

Bioassays Of Quality

Trace

Metals

Specific Areas Critical to the Regions Water Quality

• Potable water• Wastewater disposal• Wastewater reuse• Irrigated agriculture• Dairy operations • Extractive industries

Research

Existing Research Programs

• Alternative adsorbents for treatment of drinking water• On-site wastewater treatment• Nutrient management in water• Groundwater and surface water quality and quantity

monitoring• Dairy waste management• Agricultural drainage management• Effects of natural evaporative processes on water quality• The nature and occurrence of brackish waters in

southern New Mexico and west Texas

ResearchNew Focus Programs

• Colonia water issues such as health problems, development needs, and wastewater treatment

• Mutual Domestic Water Users Associations treatment systems

• Agricultural Community mitigating agriculture impacts

• Development of Desalination Technology

• Beneficial use of marginal quality water such as graywater, domestic and industrial wastewater, agricultural drainage, desalination reject water, and naturally brackish groundwater

• Extractive Industry water quality issues

ResearchNew Focus Programs

• A Rio Grande Basin Salinity Control Program

• Possibly four segment areas

1. Southern Colorado to Elephant Butte Reservoir

2. Elephant Butte Reservoir to Ft. Quitman

3. Ft. Quitman to the Gulf of Mexico

4. Pecos River

ResearchNew Focus Programs

• A Rio Grande Basin Salinity Control Program

• Probable Participants for the Elephant Butte to Ft. Quitman reach?

Paso del NorteWater Task Force

Collaborators

Collaborators

Collaborators

Collaborators

Who is in the Paso del Norte Water Task Force

Associate Members and Potential Collaborators

Texas A&M UniversityFort BlissHouston Advanced Research CenterDona Ana CountyEl Paso CountyU.S. Geological SurveyBureau of ReclamationBureau of Land ManagementNatural Resources Conservation ServiceArmy Corps of EngineersEnvironmental Protection AgencySoil and Water Conservation DistrictsTexas Water Development BoardNew Mexico Office of the State EngineerNew Mexico Interstate Stream CommissionNew Mexico Environment DepartmentRio Grande Compact CommissionComision Nacional del AguaCongressional Staffs El Colegio de Frontera NorteTechnológico de MonterreyNew Mexico-Texas Water CommissionLower Rio Grande Water Users OrganizationPaso del Norte Watershed CouncilSandia National Laborator

Regular Members

International Boundary and Water Commission (U.S. and Mexico Sections ex officio)

Municipalities El Paso Cd. Juarez Las Cruces

Non-Government Organizations Jaime Burmudez Charlie Crowder Elaine Barron

Irrigation Districts Elephant Butte El Paso #1 Juarez #009

Universities University of Texas at El Paso New Mexico State University Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez

What can the Paso del Norte Water Task Force Do?

B. Coordinate water quality research across universities and within the region

D. Disseminate technologies to the regions water providers and users

C. Provide education programs to all socio-economic groups

A. Coordinate formulation of a Salinity Control Team

Solutions to Water Quality Problems?

• Meaningful Water Quality Standards

verified by research• Fast and affordable detection

verified by research• Outreach and Education

supported by research

• Government support where needed

with monitoring and verification

“Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors”African proverb

This is a sunrise, not a sunset!A new day!