Ground-Water Atlas of Colorado Special Publication 53

• Description: Ground-Water Atlas of Colorado Special Publication 53
• State: CO
• Author: Topper, Ralf; Spray, Karen; Bellis, William; Hamilton, Judith; Barkmann, Peter
• Title: Ground-Water Atlas of Colorado Special Publication 53
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

Colorado Geological Survey
domestic, and stock - watering wells are
limited by statute to a maximum pumping rate of 15 gpm, resulting
in a bias of reported yield values. Hydraulic characteristic data
reported by Geldon and Abbott (1985) for the various aquifers
within the Raton Basin are presented in Table 6.7 -2.
Table 6.7 -2. Raton Basin hydraulic characteristics.
Aquifer
Transmissivity
(ft2 /day)
Conductivity
(ft/day)
Alluvium
nd
nd
Cuchara- Poison Canyon
0.20 -575
0.062 -2.41
Raton
0.10 -110
0.002 -1.06
Raton - Vermejo- Trinidad
0.016 -79
0.02 -0.61
nd = no data
10
From Geldon and Abbott, 1985
22
20 Cuchara- Poison Canyon Aquifer
(8 samples)
18
16
14
CONSTITUENT
Raton - Vermejo- Trinidad
Calcium
12
Aquifer, Wells and
o
Magnesium
Springs (28 samples)
U
® Sodium and Potassium
10
silica
® Bicarbonate
8
c
® Sulfate
0
Chloride and Fluoride
6
Nitrogen
4
2
DRAFT
WA TER USE / WI TI/ DRAWAL S
Most of the nearly 1,370 water supply wells of record presented in
Figure 6.7 -1 are for domestic and stock use. Community water Sys-
tems using ground water for public water supply include: Aguilar,
serving 650 people from 304 taps; Huajatolla Valley L & C WC,
serving a population of 100 from 38 taps; Echo Canyon Guest
Ranch, serving a population of 25 from 6 taps; and The Shop'n Bag
in Weston, serving 25 from one tap (Colorado Dept. of Public
Health and Environment, 2001). Alluvial and bedrock wells also
provide water for several subdivisions in the Raton Basin.
WATER QUALITY
The quality and classification of the ground water in the Raton
Basin varies with the aquifer. The Trinidad Sandstone generally
37'
30'
KYA
105°
104° 30'
H U E R F A N O j 1\
/. i�
uguilar
I,
Q
i P
I ,
—i Trinidad
/ P,,r84torr !`
/ e Trinidad
River Lake
LAS ANIMAS )
..J...L —..- _ COLORADO ,..._..._.._......:.
. ..NEW MEX10O
EXPLANATION Modified from Geldon, 1989
Dissolved Solids
Concentration
(milligrams per liter) Water type
1,000 -5,000 Sodium Chloride
Y'r* 500 -1,000 Sodium Bicarbonate
GROUND -WATER ATLAS OF COLORADO
contains potable calcium- sodium - bicarbonate type water. Water in
the Vermejo and Raton aquifers is most commonly a sodium- bicar-
bonate or bicarbonate - sulfate type water. Poison Canyon ground
water is typically a calcium- bicarbonate type with minimal dis-
solved solids, but is excessively mineralized in the axial region of
the basin (Geldon, 1981). Average concentrations of dissolved con-
stituents in the two major aquifers in the Raton Basin are shown in
Figure 6.7 -14. Total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations and
water types for the Cuchara- Poison Canyon aquifer are shown in
Figure 6.7 -15. Higher dissolved solids concentrations generally
occur in the deeper portions of the aquifer. TDS concentrations for
the Raton - Vermejo- Trinidad aquifer are shown in Figure 6.7 -16.
Dissolved solids concentrations in this aquifer generally increase
along flow paths.
37
30
37`
105° 104° 30'
H U E R F A N 0 1
lot
` m
of
�q
Apishapa f F
v �
Ali\ f
09 500 \
'.J
J
i v
-� Trinidad
1000 Lake Trinidad
i / nt`r8atvire 1500
O J/ Ri'ey
0
O \ LAS ANIMAS
�\ I `\
�J \
COLORADO .�:
NEW MEXICO
EXPLANATION Modified from Geldon, 1989
—500— Line of equal dissolved solids concentration;
contour interval -500 milligrams per liter
Figure 6.7 -I6. Water quality in the Raton - Vermejo- Trinidad aquifer,
SP 53
3 250 -500 Calcium Bicarbonate at depths of 60 to 350 feet, southern Raton Basin.
0 Modified from Geldon, 1989
Figure 6.7 -14. Average concentrations of major dissolved constituents Figure 6.7 -1 S. Water quality in the Cuchara- Poison Canyon aquifer,
in ground -water samples from the southern Raton Basin. southern Raton Basin.
: ,Mk Agh, A► AAk .11ik AM ,Mk Aftk .m Ab 44k Adb Am Aft el oft Ab Aft, Ak A& !l, Ah 91b ga 40 . ft f, ft �► r� ft f % ftIft!1 �l rl