Is Deep Brakish Water a Sustainable Solution for New Mexico?

Dr. Bruce Thomson, Director of our Water Resources Program, writes on this issue in a guest post over at Water Wired:

But before we allow development of this resource the residents of the state of New Mexico need to understand a little bit about this resource and the consequences of its development.

Most importantly, we must acknowledge that, with few exceptions, deep brackish groundwater supplies are not sustainable. Generally these aquifers contain water that was trapped in place by geologic events that occurred hundreds of thousands of years ago or longer. They receive little or no recharge from surface water sources such as infiltration from rainfall or percolation from streams and river.

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