Water Quality
Water Quality – Core Sampling Study
Study Finds BDD Will Not Disturb LANL-Legacy Contaminants in Sediments
Early in 2008, representatives from the City of Santa Fe, the BDD Board, Santa Fe National Forest Service, NMED and LANL examined the sediments near the BDD diversion site to determine whether BDD construction of the diversion would intercept an abandoned Rio Grande channel that contains LANL legacy contaminants. NMED provided professional support, arranged for and paid for all of the laboratory analyses, and prepared a professional report. The BDD paid for the drilling and sample collection work.
Some 11 boreholes were drilled to collect samples in and near the diversion site from ground level and below ground level. Chemical analysis of the samples determined that the southern edge of the contaminated sediments in the abandoned channel is about 500 feet north of the area to be disturbed by BDD construction. NMED determined that the planned construction of the BDD will not disturb any sediment containing LANL legacy contaminants.
Map of sites (indicated with white boxes) where the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) drew core samples to determine and confirm that construction and operation of the BDD would not disturb sediments containing LANL Legacy contaminants.