Groundwater in New Mexico: Our Precious Shared Resource - An Interactive Atlas

Visit Application

Description

Groundwater in New Mexico: Our Precious Shared Resource is an interactive story map from the New Mexico Bureau of Geology & Mineral Resources that provides a comprehensive exploration of the state's groundwater resources through detailed geological mapping and educational content. The application presents New Mexico's complex geology spanning 1.8 billion years across five distinct regions (Great Plains, Colorado Plateau, Basin and Range, Transition Zone, and Southern Rocky Mountains), explaining how these geological formations control groundwater occurrence and movement. Users can explore interactive maps showing different aquifer types including sediment aquifers (the most productive, found beneath major cities like Albuquerque and Las Cruces), fractured rock aquifers (least common with variable water availability), and karst aquifers (featuring dissolved caves and cavities, supporting areas like Roswell and Artesia). The application emphasizes the critical relationship between geology and hydrology, demonstrating how groundwater flows through fractures, pore spaces, and underground pathways from mountain recharge zones to valley discharge areas, while highlighting that groundwater and surface water systems are intimately interconnected and dependent on careful management of this precious shared resource in New Mexico's arid environment.

Groundwater in New Mexico: Our Precious Shared Resource - An Interactive Atlas

Additional Info

Field Value
Source https://nmt.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=6be697576378473593115c22795593f0
Data contact email NMBG-webmaster@nmt.edu
Last Updated June 6, 2025, 22:43 (UTC)
Created June 6, 2025, 20:02 (UTC)

5 Linked Datasets