Shallow Aquifer Recharge from Irrigation in a Semiarid Agricultural Valley in New Mexico

Abstract

AbstractIrrigation 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 (<1 ha) and the WTFM was used to determine recharge at the entire valley scale (40 km2). 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 r...