Relative to elevations elsewhere in New Mexico, altitudes for recharge are clearly higher in much of the Upper Rio Grande, Rios Chama and Gallina Watersheds.
This high altitude, for both runoff and recharge of ground waters, is essential for water quality in supplementing supplies throughout the rest of the state downstream.
Such flows prevent water stagnatation, evaporation, and salinity, enabling its use for drinking water and irrigation.
Groundwater salinity, either from “brine” waste injection wells or its geology, is reported for the San Juan “Basin”.