Temporal variation of groundwater quality in the transboundary Paso del Norte Hueco Bolson-evaluation of 45 years of data
Show full item record
Title:
|
Temporal variation of groundwater quality in the transboundary Paso del Norte Hueco Bolson-evaluation of 45 years of data |
Author:
|
Del Hierro-Ochoa, J. C.; Granados-Olivas, A.; Dominguez-Acosta, M.; Garcia, T.; Hibbs, B.; Eastoe, C.;
|
Abstract:
|
Water supply and water quality are technical and social challenges for border communities that share common ecohydrological regions such as in the Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua-El Paso, Texas transboundary region. Lack of water resources in this region, such as treated surface waters from the Rio Bravo, problems with overpumping of the local aquifers, and salinization of groundwater resources, are major concerns for agencies responsible of providing water resources for a demanding binational community. Over-pumping of shared water resources from the Hueco Bolson have resulted in excessive drawdown of the water table, encroachment of brackish groundwater, and the early retirement of wells because of the dissolved solids concentration now exceeding the maximum recommended limit of 1,000 mg/L for potable water on some wells. Dissolved solid concentration data in time series tend to correlate to drawdown in wells. Several possible sources of saline waters have been suggested, which include: upcoming of saline groundwater; leakage of saline groundwater from mud interbeds; downward movement of saline groundwater from the brackish zone near the Rio Grande; and lateral migration from the saline groundwaters along the axis of the basin (Hibbs, 2003). Our research concentrates on a variety of geochemical data (1965 to 1999) to evaluate geochemical evolution of groundwter resources of the urban area for Cd. Juarez (Mexican side of the Hueco Bolson) which might be related to increasing salinity of pumped water. These data sets where plotted on computer programs using Stiff Diagrams to give a temporal and spatial interpretation in the developed parts of the aquifer system. Stiff diagrams show the absolute and relative concentratios of the three most abundant cations (Na- K+1, Ca+2, Mg+2) and the three most abundant anios (Cl-1, HCO3+CO3-1, SO4-2). Water quality data indicates that a high degree of variability exist throughout the Cd. Juarez area. Wells with high concentratios of sodium are related with historial irrigation sites for active agriculture as well as for those near the Rio Bravo on the north part of the city bordering the United States. Wells with high concentration of Calcium and Sulfate, as well as, high concentration of chlorine are related to the oldest wells drilled on the city, specially those in the dowtown area. Water quality decline threatens existing freshwater resources in this aquifer, which are being extracted at a rate 15 to 20 times the rate of natural recharge, limiting the extent of the aquifers life. |
URI:
|
http://bva.colech.edu.mx/xmlui/handle/123456789/HASH01673be32981592c8affe5e4
|
Date:
|
2012-03-09 |
Files in this item
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
Show full item record