Analysis of Unsaturated Flow Based on Chemical Tracers and Comparison with Physical Data, Chihuahuan Desert, Texas

Personnel from the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority office in Fort Hancock, Texas, assumed responsibility for all field service of rain gauges and erosion pins in January 1990. Since then, they have monitored the rain gauges monthly and have measured the erosion pins five times: once in March, twice in July, once in August, and once in October. All monitoring activities have been carried out as prescribed in Specific Work Instruction (SWI) 3.6. Data collection has been quite satisfactory, with no data losses due to operator error, and only minor errors in record keeping. The system of repairing gauges has functioned reasonably well by balancing the economics of repairing gauges only when necessary against possible data loss caused by occasional lack of a spare gauge when one in operation fails unexpectedly.