Seepage investigations of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, 2006-13

Open-File Report 2013-1233
By: , and 

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Abstract

Seepage investigations were conducted annually by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1988 to 1998 and from 2004 to 2013 along a 64-mile reach of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, as part of the Mesilla Basin monitoring program. Results of studies conducted from 2006 to 2013 are presented in this report. Seepage investigations were conducted over a period of 1–2 days in February of each year, during low-flow conditions in the non-irrigation season. During the seepage investigations, discharge was measured at as many as 24 sites along the Rio Grande and as many as 20 inflow sites within the study reach.


Net seepage gain or loss was computed for each subreach by subtracting the discharge measured at the upstream location from the discharge measured at the closest downstream location along the river and then subtracting any inflow to the river within the subreach. An estimated gain or loss was determined to be significant when it exceeded the cumulative measurement uncertainty associated with the net seepage computation. Study reaches during 2006 to 2013 ranged from 20.2 to 64 miles in length, and seepage losses ranged from 8.2 ± 3.1 to 47.9 ± 8.2 cubic feet per second.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Seepage investigations of the Rio Grande from below Leasburg Dam, Leasburg, New Mexico, to above American Dam, El Paso, Texas, 2006-13
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2013-1233
DOI 10.3133/ofr20131233
Year Published 2013
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) New Mexico Water Science Center
Description Report: viii, 34 p.; Tables 1-10 and Appendix 1
Time Range Start 2006-01-01
Time Range End 2013-12-31
Country United States
State New Mexico;Texas
City El Paso;Leasburg
Other Geospatial Rio Grande
Datum North American Datum of 1983
Projection Universal Transverse Mercator
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details