The U.S.- Mexico border overlays two countries, 10 border states and numerous transboundary aquifers.
A recent study conducted by Texas Water Resources Institute (TWRI) researchers focused on identifying areas within these transboundary aquifers that may be in a fragile condition due to overutilization.
Led by Rosario Sanchez, Ph.D., TWRI senior research scientist, the research, titled Effective transboundary aquifer areas between Mexico and the United States: A border-wide approach, was published in the Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.
“In total, 73 hydrogeological units are along the border, and in this study, we identified those areas within the boundaries of those aquifers that are under the most pressure at binational scale,” Sanchez said.
Effective Transboundary Aquifer Areas
The team implemented an approach called Effective Transboundary Aquifer Areas, or ETAAs, to prioritize these fragile areas at a refined and local level.
TWRI researcher Rosario Sanchez and her team identified ETAAs by detecting density and depth information in the pumping areas of these hydrogeological units. Former TWRI scientists Duncan Kikoyo, Ph.D., now an associate research scientist in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M University, and Luna Yang, now a specialist at the Brazos River Authority, coauthored the study.
"The ETAAs are the most vulnerable areas of the transboundary aquifers, and therefore, the most impacted populations by over-extraction or potential contamination," Sanchez said.
The ETAA method delved into the aquifers’ quality and production and identified where over-extraction and water quality degradation were a potential threat to communities.
Data collection
Researchers collected data from all 73 of the transboundary hydrogeological units.
This data collection allowed the methodology used by Sanchez to identify both the density within the active pumping areas of each zone and depth information, as well as confirm the well-density patterns and potential water movement across the borderline at a local or regional scale.
"We can now estimate potential impacts both at a local, regional and transboundary scale," Sanchez said.
Looking to the future
Scientists and leaders can use the ETAA information to prioritize aquifers along the U.S.-Mexico border that could benefit from additional research or management, Sanchez said.
The results not only provide insight into the regions of this area that are vulnerable due to quality issues and overuse, but also allow for future water policies and management practices to be created with the data found, she said.
This can significantly pave the way for assessing shared groundwater conditions at a border-wide scale with a local focus.
Read the full study.
