Identifying Areas of High Salinity in the Pecos River Basin

Over the years, increased salinity of the Pecos River has become a major concern among water users and water managers. Although many studies have contributed to the understanding of salinity increases in the basin, managers and researchers identified the need for consistent sampling of the same constituents at the same sites along the Pecos River. This data gap reduced the ability to analyze long-term salinity changes and identify sources of high salinity within the basin. To fill in this data gap, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected water-quality and streamflow data, which was used to complete a gain-loss study at a finer resolution to help locate areas or reaches where water was being added at the Pecos River.