CHCU is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as an important holy ceremonial site for the Navajo and Pueblo tribes. Nearly 60,000 visitors a year travel to the park, many of whom stay one or more nights in park campgrounds. These visitors, the park staff who make their experience possible, and neighboring Navajo families, all rely on a single vital resource—groundwater from the Gallup sandstone aquifer. The Gallup Sandstone and surrounding rock layers are a target for oil and gas development

This study will characterize the hydrogeology and water quality of the groundwater system relevant to the CHCU water supply. The objective is to assess the risk of contamination of the park’s water supply from oil and natural gas extraction activities.

Project Publications

• Groundwater Flow Model Investigation of the Vulnerability of Water Resources at Chaco Culture National Historical Park Related to Unconventional Oil and Gas Development

• Water quality at Chaco Culture National Historical Park and the potential effects of hydrocarbon extraction