UNM Researcher Studies Hydrogeologic Influences
of Valles Geothermal System
Project on upper Jemez River focuses on natural trace elements
by Victoria Pena-Parr, University of New Mexico Communication & Marketing

University of New Mexico graduate student Jon Golla conducts his research along the Jemez River in the natural laboratory of the Valles Caldera located in northern New Mexico. Golla’s research focuses on his passions involving aqueous geochemistry and geothermal systems.

His scientific interests stem from an unfamiliarity with potable water during his childhood and from an early exposure to geothermal energy in the Philippines, so the opportunity to work on the waters associated with the Valles Caldera Geothermal System was part of what drew him to graduate study at UNM. Through this research, Golla is gaining a better understanding of the proximal and distal hydrogeologic influences of Valles Geothermal System on the upper Jemez River.

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Building on recent efforts of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC),  this event will bring together U.S. and Mexican federal, state, and local agencies, as well as non-governmental organizations
and the academic community.

Join us at the TecH2O Center in El Paso, TX on April 10-11 to share information and promote cooperation between the U.S. and Mexico on groundwater resource related issues. 

Find more information and register here!

Meet the Researcher

Saeed Pourmasoumi Langarudi, Postdoctoral Research Scientist, New Mexico State University
by Catherine Ortega Klett, NM WRRI Program Manager

NMSU Graduate Student Studying Metal-Contaminated Sediment in Irrigation Ditches and Agriculture Fields Along
the Animas and San Juan Rivers
by Cathrine Ortega Klett, NM WRRI Program Manager

Gaurav Jha is a PhD student in the NMSU Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, and he anticipates completing his studies in Spring 2020. Gaurav is also the recipient of a 2018 NM WRRI Research Grant for a project entitled: Speciation of metal(loids) in agricultural field soils impacted by Animas/San Juan River after the 2015 Gold King Mine Spill. In this effort, Gaurav is collaborating with his faculty advisors, April Ulery and Kevin Lombard, also of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.

On August 5, 2015, three million gallons of acidic, metal-laden water were accidentally released into the Animas River from the Gold King Mine (GKM). Some of the metal burden carried by the Animas and San Juan Rivers to the irrigation ditches and into the fields has become incorporated into the soil matrix over time. Large areas of the affected watershed also happen to lie in the Navajo Nation. It is clearly important to learn to what extent this metal contamination constitutes a toxic hazard to plants and the environment generally. The primary goal of the project is therefore to determine representative concentrations of the various relevant metals in irrigation ditch sediments and/or field soils irrigated by Animas River water, and to estimate thereby the toxic impact of the contamination.

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Join 250-300 Attendees and speakers at the two-day conference.
Academic institutions • Local, federal, inti. agencies • NGOs • Border communities • Professional consultants • Field engineers • Farmers • Researchers • Water planners & managers • Private industry

Agenda topics include:
Climate change and the Rio Grande • Understanding transboundary aquifers • Innovative technologies for new water supplies • Lessons from experiences throughout the West • Embracing One Water • Water policy to address change • Managing salinity

Confirmed and invited keynote speakers:
John D'Antonio, New Mexico State Engineer • Luis Cifuentes, NMSU VP for Research • Pat Gordon, Rio Grande Compact Commissioner • David Gutzler, UNM • Jane Harkins, IBWC Commissioner • Mike Hightower, UNM & NM Desal Assn. • 40+ panelists and presenters

               

In cooperation with Las Cruces Utilities, El Paso Water, Texas Water Resources
Institute, International Boundary and Water Commission, ReNUWIt, and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

 

        

NMSU Water Initiative Holds Spring Event
by Marcus Gay, NM WRRI Program Coordinator

On Wednesday, March 20, 2019, New Mexico State University and its coordinating institute, the New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI), hosted the NMSU Water Initiative Spring Event. The purpose of the Spring Event was to build collaborations between NMSU and stakeholders to help solve New Mexico’s urgent water challenges. Discussions at the Spring Event also helped identify the research needs of the local community. Community representatives included agencies, industries, agricultural producers, and private citizens. University participants included faculty researchers and graduate students, and extension agents from across New Mexico.

This event was a follow up to the first NMSU Water Initiative meeting that took place in the fall, where NMSU faculty involved in water-related research met to discuss their current research and learn about their colleagues’ efforts.

The NMSU Water Initiative is a project aimed at addressing NMSU’s involvement in water. The goal is to understand how better to position New Mexico with the resources required for alliance building, to help make the state sustainable in the future, and to communicate to stakeholders NMSU’s efforts in keeping agriculture and industry viable in New Mexico. The NMSU Water Initiative hosts a website https://nmsuwaterinitiative.nmsu.edu/ for more information.