Taos Valley Groundwater Structure

A new groundwater structural model for Taos Valley reveals that faults frequently disrupt water levels, with warm, saline waters rising along these fault planes to precipitate minerals. This finding provides critical insights into the region's aquifer dynamics, influenced by recent watershed management actions such as forest thinning and deep drilling required by the Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement Agreement (Abeyta Settlement). The study compiled geological data from water wells across the valley, plotted at a 1:24,000 scale for precise topographic mapping. Drillers' logs distinguished between hard basalt and soft clastic formations, while structural cross-sections highlighted lateral offsets caused by faults, offering a detailed understanding of groundwater behavior in this complex geological setting.

Benson, T., Williams, S., Fire, S., & Powell, G. (2023). Taos Valley Groundwater Structure. New Mexico Geological Society, 2023 Annual Spring Meeting, Proceedings Volume, Theme: “Geological Responses to Wildfires”. https://doi.org/10.56577/sm-2023.2911