Management Strategies for the Hueco Bolson in the El Paso, Texas, USA and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico Region

Groundwater resources in the Hueco Bolson aquifer are shared by the City of El Paso, Texas, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and several small communities in New Mexico, USA. Based on recent estimates utilizing numerical model projections, Juarez could deplete its reserve of fresh groundwater (TDS less than 1000 mg/l) from the Hueco Bolson within approximately five years, and El Paso could deplete its fresh water portion in less than 25 years, if current pumping trends continue. Over the past several years, a series of projects have been undertaken to improve regional knowledge of the current conditions of the aquifer, and to establish better management strategies for groundwater use. Authors will summarize the current challenges that both El Paso and Juarez are facing due to depletion of the Hueco Bolson fresh water reserves, along with management strategies developed to preserve the resource. Since groundwater in the Hueco Bolson has been mined for almost a century, large water level drawdowns have occurred in several wellfields. This has promoted the intrusion of brackish water into fresh water zones, and consequently reduced the volume of fresh water stored in the aquifer. In addition, groundwater drawdowns at the individual well site cause particular well pumps to break suction, the exposure of well screens to air, and other associated maintenance and operational problems. At the end of this paper, the authors recommend several comprehensive strategies to safeguard the remaining fresh groundwater resource, and to optimize the use of existing brackish water resources. By integrating resource protection with responsible utilization of the aquifer to achieve efficiency and maximize capacity, it is hoped that the proposed new aquifer management approach will bring drawdown into equilibrium, increase the longevity of the aquifer, and gradually restore water quality.