BRACKISH WATER IN NM BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS E.J. SULLIVAN GRAHAM UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO-CENTER FOR WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT NMWRRI ANNUAL CONFERENCE, SOCORRO, NM AUGUST 16, 2017
SOME HISTORY OF BRACKISH WATER STUDIES • NATIONAL STUDY (FETH) DONE IN 1965 (INCLUDING “THE MAP”!) • 1990’S CLASSIC PAPER BY R. HUFF • 1970’S-2000’S WORK: MANY RESEARCHERS-BUREAU OF GEOLOGY, USGS, AND OTHERS (E.G KELLLY, 1970 AND 1974) • NEW MEXICO BRACKISH GROUNDWATER ASSESSMENT PROGRAM WORKSHOP IN 2004 (NMBG AND AFFILIATES) • BW WORKING GROUP COORDINATED STUDIES IN 2016 (NMBG WITH EPA/NMED FUNDING) • CURRENT (JUST STARTED) STUDY (NMWRRI) – CENTRAL RIO GRANDE BASIN (OPEN) • USGS NATIONAL BRACKISH WATER SURVEY 2017-FIRST NEW NATIONAL STUDY SINCE FETH!
NM WORKING GROUP 2013-2016 • WIDE VARIETY OF PARTICIPANTS – ACADEMIC, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS, CONSULTANTS • SERIES OF MEETINGS TO DEVELOP PRIORITIES • SET OF PRIORITIES PRESENTED TO STATE AGENCIES DEC. 2015 • SOME FUNDING RECEIVED IN 2015 TO DO SHORT TERM STUDIES ON SELECT BW LOCALES AND PRODUCED WATER • WRAPPED UP 2016 DUE TO AGENCY LEADERSHIP CHANGES • LACK OF FUNDING WAS A MAJOR STUMBLING BLOCK. SENSE WAS THAT WE KNEW WHAT/WHERE TO LOOK, BUT FUNDING WAS NEEDED FOR MORE DATA, AND POLICY DIRECTION WAS NEEDED FROM STATE LEVEL AGENCIES.
BARRIERS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS • EXTEND FUNDED STUDIES TO INCLUDE ”VALUE-ADDED” DATA COLLECTION • NOT ENOUGH SPATIAL DATA • KEEP REVISITING LOCALES OF INTEREST OVER TIME (DEPTH+SALINITY) • SLOW STATE GROWTH HAS DE-PRIORITIZED BRACKISH WATER DEVELOPMENT. LONG-TERM THINKING AND • NOT ENOUGH TEMPORAL DATA POLICIES ARE NEEDED. (SALINITY+VOLUMES / TIME) • EXPAND WAYS TO STORE WATER LONG TERM- SUBSURFACE STORAGE. WATER SWAPS? • THE PARADOX OF DROUGHT • CLOSED BASINS NEED RISK-REWARD ANALYSIS • CLOSED VS OPEN BASINS • OPEN BASINS CAN BE PRIORITIZED FOR DEVELOPMENT • MINING AND DRAWDOWN EFFECTS • MINING EVALUATIONS NEEDED-HYDROLOGIC STUDIES TO EVALUATE INCREASED PUMPING COST EFFECTS WITH DRAWDOWN. RISK-REWARD ANALYSIS.
BARRIERS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS PORTABLE EQUIPMENT; FLEXIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT • (LEARN FROM OIL AND GAS); REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY • INTERMITTENT NEEDS VS PERMANENT ”LOW AND SLOW” TREATMENT PRIORITIZED (LOW VOLUME, • SLOW FLOW RATES, LONG TIMES-UTILIZE LOW-ENERGY USE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT METHODS) • COSTS TO TREAT DISPOSAL FLEXIBILITY-UTILIZE OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE • PER TEXAS MODEL? CHEAPER DISPOSAL WELL SPECIFICATIONS? • WASTE DISPOSAL CHALLENGES STATE ENGINEER COULD PUBLISH SCENARIO ANALYSIS FOR • • OWNERSHIP AND WATER RIGHTS CLARITY COMMUNITIES, INDUSTRY NMED COULD EVALUATE EXPECTED SCENARIOS FOR • • LOW FUNDING PRIORITY COMMUNITES TO USE AS MODELS KEEP UP PRESSURE ON STATE, FEDERAL, OTHER SOURCES AS A • PRIORITY AND VALUE-ADD
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