Shallow Aquifer Recharge from Irrigation in a Semiarid Agricultural Valley in New Mexico
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18, Issue 10
Abstract
Irrigation percolation can be an important source of shallow aquifer replenishment in arid regions of the southwestern United States. Aquifer recharge derived from irrigation percolation can be more significant in fluvial valleys overlying shallow aquifers, where highly permeable soils allow rapid water infiltration and aquifer replenishment. This study used data from various irrigation experiments and data at the piezometric level to assess the irrigation percolation effects on the recharge of a shallow aquifer in an agricultural valley of northern New Mexico. The water balance method (WBM) and the water table fluctuation method (WTFM) were used to estimate aquifer recharge at the field scale () and the WTFM was used to determine recharge at the entire valley scale (). Also, the temporal and spatial distribution of aquifer response to irrigation percolation and canal seepage inputs was characterized. The results showed that for separate irrigation events at the field scale, aquifer recharge values ranged from 0 to 369 mm when using the WBM and from 0 to 230 mm when using the WTFM. For the cumulative irrigation season at the valley scale, recharge ranged from 1,044 to . A relatively rapid water table response with sharp water table rises and declines was observed in all but dryland location wells in response to canal seepage and irrigation percolation inputs. The results of this study add to the understanding of the mechanisms of shallow aquifer recharge and the interactions between surface water and groundwater in a floodplain agricultural valley of northern New Mexico.
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Acknowledgments
Authors gratefully acknowledge the technical assistance of the NMSU-Alcalde Science Center staff, especially David Archuleta, Val Archuleta, David Salazar, and Estevan Herrera. This material is based upon work supported by the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture under Agreement No. 2005-34461-15661 and 2005-45049-03209, by the National Science Foundation, Award No. 0814449 and Award No. 1010516, and by the New Mexico Agricultural Experiment Station.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 18 • Issue 10 • October 2013
Pages: 1219 - 1230
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 30, 2011
Accepted: Sep 25, 2012
Published online: Sep 28, 2012
Discussion open until: Feb 28, 2013
Published in print: Oct 1, 2013
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