BRACKISH WATER IN NM BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS E.J. SULLIVAN GRAHAM - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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

• NOT ENOUGH SPATIAL DATA

(DEPTH+SALINITY)

• NOT ENOUGH TEMPORAL DATA

(SALINITY+VOLUMES / TIME)

• THE PARADOX OF DROUGHT
• CLOSED VS OPEN BASINS
• MINING AND DRAWDOWN EFFECTS
• EXTEND FUNDED STUDIES TO INCLUDE ”VALUE-ADDED”

DATA COLLECTION

• KEEP REVISITING LOCALES OF INTEREST OVER TIME
• SLOW STATE GROWTH HAS DE-PRIORITIZED BRACKISH

WATER DEVELOPMENT. LONG-TERM THINKING AND POLICIES ARE NEEDED.

• EXPAND WAYS TO STORE WATER LONG TERM-

SUBSURFACE STORAGE. WATER SWAPS?

• CLOSED BASINS NEED RISK-REWARD ANALYSIS
• OPEN BASINS CAN BE PRIORITIZED FOR DEVELOPMENT
• MINING EVALUATIONS NEEDED-HYDROLOGIC STUDIES

TO EVALUATE INCREASED PUMPING COST EFFECTS WITH DRAWDOWN. RISK-REWARD ANALYSIS.

BARRIERS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• INTERMITTENT NEEDS VS PERMANENT

INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT

• COSTS TO TREAT
• WASTE DISPOSAL CHALLENGES
• OWNERSHIP AND WATER RIGHTS CLARITY
• LOW FUNDING PRIORITY
• PORTABLE EQUIPMENT; FLEXIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE DEPLOYMENT

(LEARN FROM OIL AND GAS); REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY

• ”LOW AND SLOW” TREATMENT PRIORITIZED (LOW VOLUME,

SLOW FLOW RATES, LONG TIMES-UTILIZE LOW-ENERGY USE METHODS)

• DISPOSAL FLEXIBILITY-UTILIZE OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE

PER TEXAS MODEL? CHEAPER DISPOSAL WELL SPECIFICATIONS?

• STATE ENGINEER COULD PUBLISH SCENARIO ANALYSIS FOR

COMMUNITIES, INDUSTRY

• NMED COULD EVALUATE EXPECTED SCENARIOS FOR

COMMUNITES TO USE AS MODELS

• KEEP UP PRESSURE ON STATE, FEDERAL, OTHER SOURCES AS A

PRIORITY AND VALUE-ADD