Stormwater as a Potential Source for Artificial Recharge in the Rio Grande Basin

Within the past decade, artificial recharge has become a viable option for water resources management within the State of New Mexico. Because of existing scarcity issues throughout the State and especially within the Rio Grande Basin, several entities are actively pursuing artificial recharge projects. Sources of water for projects currently underway include surface water from the Rio Grande and treated wastewater effluent. 

Within the past decade, artificial recharge has become a viable option for water resources management within the state of New Mexico. Because of existing scarcity issues throughout the state and especially within the Rio Grande Basin, several entities are actively pursuing artificial recharge projects. Sources of water for projects currently underway include surface water from the Rio Grande and treated wastewater effluent.

Few (if any) current projects are using stormwater as a source for artificial recharge. This is likely due to a variety of factors. The large spatial and temporal variability in the volume of available stormwater also complicates planning efforts, and large suspended sediment loads can reduce recharge efficacy. Water rights of stormwater runoff are often interpreted as belonging to downstream users; however, increases in stormwater due to urbanization provide additional water beyond the naturally occurring runoff. Moreover, current regulations do not encourage the use of stormwater as a source for artificial recharge (as opposed to regulations in other states).

Despite these complicating issues, stormwater is a valuable resource that could provide substantial volumes of water for artificial recharge, especially during wet years. As scarcity continues to be a driving factor for water resources management in the Rio Grande and throughout the Southwest (and the world), stormwater deserves careful consideration. In addition to functioning as a source for artificial recharge, the appropriate application of stormwater for recharge could help reduce the water quality burden of stormwater on receiving water bodies (the Rio Grande) while increasing surface water base-flow and protecting downstream users’ water rights. In this presentation, we examine opportunities for potential recharge of stormwater in the Rio Grande Basin and provide case studies where stormwater capture and aquifer recharge is being conducted to augment surface water base-flow and protect riparian habitat.