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Continuous water quality data from the Middle Rio Grande near Bridge Blvd, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 2021-ongoing
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Created: Sep 29, 2025 at 4:58 p.m. (UTC)
Last updated: Sep 29, 2025 at 9:17 p.m. (UTC)
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Abstract

This data resource contains continuous water quality measurements (water temperature, specific conductance, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen) collected from the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) near Bridge Blvd in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. These data support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Albuquerque District operations by quantifying water quality conditions in habitats important for the conservation of the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow. Data were collected using a YSI EXO2 sonde. Data collection is ongoing, with this release spanning July 15, 2021 through March 31, 2025.

Subject Keywords

Coverage

Spatial

Coordinate System/Geographic Projection:
WGS 84 EPSG:4326
Coordinate Units:
Decimal degrees
Place/Area Name:
This site is located on the Middle Rio Grande (MRG) near Bridge Blvd in Albuquerque, NM.
Longitude
-106.6605°
Latitude
35.0696°

Temporal

Start Date:
End Date:

Content

README.md

Middle Rio Grande at Bridge Blvd, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Files

  • README.md: this file
  • MRG_BridgeBlvd_level0-raw_20210715-20250331.csv: raw data (level 0)
  • MRG_BridgeBlvd_level1-qaqc_20210715-20250331.csv: processed data (level 1; refer to methods for further details)

Variables

  • timestamp: ISO 8601 formatted date and time in Mountain Standard Time (UTC-07:00)
  • DO_mgL: dissolved oxygen in milligrams per liter (mg/L)
  • pH: pH, unitless
  • spCond_uScm: specific conductance in microSiemens per centimeter (μS/cm)
  • turb_FNU: turbidity in Formazin Nephelometric Units (FNU)
  • temp_degC: water temperature in degrees Celsius (°C)
  • discharge: stream discharge measured at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) gage “Rio Grande at Albuquerque, NM (08330000)"

Methods

Site Selection

Study sites were chosen to 1) maximize data quality and continuity, 2) provide instrument stability/safety from storm events and vandalism, and 3) allow for safe access for servicing over the full range of the hydrograph (Jones et al. 2017). Where possible, sites were located in geomorphically constrained stream reaches where flow is continuous and stream depth is stable and permits sampling over a wide range of stream discharge. Additionally, we preferentially selected sites with either natural (e.g., rock outcrops) or man-made (e.g., bridge pilings) permanent structures for affixing instrument housings. Where no permanent structures were available, we selected sites with stable riverbanks and profiles. Sites were chosen to be safely accessible at a wide range of river discharges and, when possible, to not require entering the water to access the instrument. Finally, permitting and access issues were considered when selecting sites, with preference given to sites on lands managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or other federal agencies.

Instrument Installation

Instruments are housed in perforated aluminum or stainless-steel enclosures partially submerged in the river. The enclosures have a locking lid system that prevents vandalism and theft of the instruments. Where permanent structures are available, the enclosures are bolted or banded directly to a rock face, cement structure, or bridge piling. At sites without permanent structures, a piece of 4” angle iron is driven into the streambed at an angle to serve as the primary support for the instrument casing, with vertical and angled supports providing additional stability. The instrument casing is clamped to the primary support.

Data Acquisition

Foundational water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, specific conductance, pH, and turbidity data are collected at 15-minute intervals using Yellow Springs Instruments EXO multi-parameter sondes (YSI Inc./Xylem Inc., Yellow Springs, OH, U.S.A.). These instruments have been found to be robust and provide high quality data in highly turbid and dynamic river systems. Site visits are made at two to four week intervals to clean and calibrate the sondes following USGS standard operating procedures (Wagner et al. 2006). Briefly, equipment is cleaned and calibrated using laboratory-quality conductance, pH, and turbidity standards. Dissolved oxygen is calibrated in water-saturated air. Thermistors for temperature measurements are stable and do not require routine calibration. Batteries in the sondes are replaced when voltage falls below the manufacturer determined threshold. Readings before cleaning, after cleaning, and after calibration are taken alongside a laboratory calibrated comparison sonde to determine fouling drift and/or calibration drift.

Data Processing

All water quality data are quality controlled and quality assured (QA/QC'd) using Aquarius Workstation 3.3 (Aquatic Informatics, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) and graded according to USGS ratings for accuracy (Wagner et al. 2006). Suspect data are identified, and outliers and out of range data are be removed. Data are also corrected for fouling and calibration drift. This resource includes both raw (level 0) and QA/QC'd (level 1) data.

References

  • Jones AS, Aanderud ZT, Horsburgh JS, Eiriksson DP, Dastrup D, Cox C, Jones SB, Bowling DR, Carlisle J, Carling GT, and Baker MA. 2017. Designing and implementing a network for sensing water quality and hydrology across mountain to urban transitions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 53:1095-1120. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12557
  • Wagner RJ, Boulger RW, Oblinger CJ, and Smith BA. 2006. Guidelines and standard procedures for continuous water-quality monitors: Site selection, field operation, calibration, record computation, and reporting. U.S. Geological Survey Techniques and Methods 1–D3. https://doi.org/10.3133/tm1D3

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Credits

Funding Agencies

This resource was created using funding from the following sources:
Agency Name Award Title Award Number
United States Army Corps of Engineers Using high-frequency sensors to assess water quality trends and suspended sediment surrogates above and below reservoirs in New Mexico and Southern Colorado SOI W81EWF-20-SOI-0002

Contributors

People or Organizations that contributed technically, materially, financially, or provided general support for the creation of the resource's content but are not considered authors.

Name Organization Address Phone Author Identifiers
Micael T. Albonico U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

How to Cite

Van Horn, D. J., R. González-Pinzón, J. K. Reale, R. F. Brown, C. J. McGibbon, E. A. Joseph (2025). Continuous water quality data from the Middle Rio Grande near Bridge Blvd, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA, 2021-ongoing, HydroShare, http://www.hydroshare.org/resource/f036f19eeceb48d7a4c2bf25212df130

This data package is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0) which allows consumers (hereinafter referred to as "Data Users") to freely reuse, redistribute, transform, or build upon this work (even commercially) so long as appropriate credit is provided. Accordingly, Data Users are required to properly cite this data package in any publications or in the metadata of any derived products that result from its use (in whole or in part). A generic citation may be found on the summary metadata page in the repository where this data package was obtained. This data package has been released in the spirit of open scientific collaboration. Hence, Data Users are strongly encouraged to consider consultation, collaboration, and/or co-authorship (as appropriate) with the data package creator(s). Data Users should be aware these data may be actively used by others for ongoing research; thus, coordination may be necessary to prevent duplicate publication. Data Users should also recognize that there is context associated with every study, and that the data creator(s) understand this context best. As a best practice, Data Users are urged to contact the data package creator(s) if they have any questions regarding methodology or results. In addition, it is strongly recommended to include the data creator(s) in any analysis to ensure proper interpretation and use of the data. While substantial efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of this data package (with all its components), complete accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Periodic updates to this data package may occur, and it is the responsibility of Data Users to check for new versions. This data package is made available "as is" and comes with no warranty of accuracy or fitness for use. The creator(s) of this data package and the repository where these data were obtained shall not be liable for any damages resulting from misinterpretation, use, or misuse of these data. Finally, as a professional courtesy, we kindly request Data Users notify the primary contact referenced in the metadata when these data are used in the production of any derivative work or publication. Notification should include an explanation of how the data were used, along with a digital copy of the derived product(s). Thank you.
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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