Ramboll conducts airborne, ground-based surveys for NM aquifer mapping

Ramboll has completed the first phase of a major geophysical survey to support mapping and characterization of aquifer systems in New Mexico’s Middle Rio Grande Region, providing vital scientific data to support informed water management and planning decisions across one of the state’s most important water resource corridors.

The findings will support New Mexico’s ongoing efforts to map and characterize critical aquifer systems statewide, helping resource managers, planners, and stakeholders make science-based decisions about groundwater sustainability in a region facing increasing demands on water resources.

Conducted as part of New Mexico’s Aquifer Mapping & Monitoring Program (AMMP), the project was led by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources and the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. Ramboll was subcontracted by S.S. Papadopulos & Associates and led a multidisciplinary team that included SkyTEM, HydroAnalytics, and Eclogite.

Beginning in the winter of 2025 and completed this summer (2026), the project focused on mapping aquifer systems along the Rio Grande Rift between Belen and Truth or Consequences, encompassing portions of five alluvial basins: the Albuquerque-Belen, La Jencia, Socorro, San Marcial, and Engle basins. The Middle Rio Grande in New Mexico serves as a critical source of water for communities, agriculture, tribal nations, economic development, and interstate water compact compliance.

“Water is one of the most valuable natural resources in the American Southwest, and access to reliable, timely scientific data is essential for making informed decisions to help preserve its future,” said Cheryl Ginyard-Jones, Managing Director, Ramboll in the Americas. “We are proud to support New Mexico’s efforts to better understand its groundwater systems through advanced geophysical technologies that provide new insights into aquifer characteristics, groundwater recharge potential, and long-term water resource resilience.”

Ramboll led the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of approximately 1,550 miles (2,500 km) of airborne electromagnetic survey data across nearly 1,900 square miles (4,900 km2) of the Middle Rio Grande region. The survey, conducted by helicopter over eighteen days, measured subsurface electrical resistivity of sediments and bedrock to depths of up to 600 meters, creating one of the most comprehensive datasets available for understanding groundwater conditions in the region.

To strengthen interpretation of the airborne survey results, the project team compiled and digitized 3,886 well datasets that included lithologic records, geophysical logs, aquifer testing data, groundwater levels, and water quality information. These datasets were integrated with the AEM results to develop a detailed picture of subsurface geology and hydrogeology across the basin system.

Following data collection, Ramboll processed and inverted the geophysical data to produce a regional subsurface resistivity model, the results of which were then translated into a three-dimensional hydrogeologic conceptual model. These models help identify areas that may contain highly permeable sands and gravels associated with productive aquifers, as well as lower permeability aquitard zones dominated by silts and clays that can influence groundwater flow and storage.

The survey revealed and mapped several important characteristics of the region’s groundwater systems, including the extent of saline groundwater, the location of bedrock and volcanic units, potential groundwater recharge zones, basin boundary conditions, and potential interactions between the Rio Grande and underlying aquifers. The data also highlighted geologic structures such as faults and basin margins that play an important role in groundwater movement and storage.

For more information, contact Timothy Parker, Principal.