An Overview: Upper Rio Grande Water Management and the …
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An Overview: Upper Rio Grande Water Management and the Rio Grande
Compact
09/19/06
Rolf Schmidt-PetersenNMISC Rio Grande Basin Manager
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Rio Grande Water Management Agencies/Entities
• U.S. Bureau Of Reclamation• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers• U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs• International Boundary & Water Commission• New Mexico Office of the State Engineer• New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission• State of Colorado DWR• Rio Grande Compact Commission• Pueblo’s and Tribe’s• Conservancy and Irrigation districts• Acequias• Cities, counties, mutual domestic water associations• Flood control authorities
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The Upper Rio Grande Basin
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Platoro Dam
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Rio Chama below Abiquiu Dam
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Cochiti Dam
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San Acacia Diversion Dam
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San Marcial Railroad Bridge
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Elephant Butte Dam and Reservoir
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Generalized History
• Late 1800’s – Drought and Increased Irrigation Diversion in Colorado
• 1896 – Federal Embargo on Water Development• 1906 – Treaty of 1906• 1916 – Elephant Butte Reservoir Operational• 1925 – Federal Water Development Embargo Lifted• Late 1920’s – Middle Rio Grande Conservancy
District– Construct the MRGCD diversion dams, canals, drains, and
El Vado Reservoir
• 1929 – Interim Rio Grande Compact– Sets limits on depletions of water
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Generalized History (Continued)
• 1935 – El Vado Reservoir Completed– Supreme Court Lawsuit by Texas
• 1938 – Rio Grande Compact Signed, – Supreme Court Lawsuit dismissed
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The Rio Grande Compact
• Signed in 1938 in Santa Fe following those four decades of controversy to: – Effect an equitable apportionment of the
waters of the Rio Grande above Ft. Quitman, Texas
– Remove all causes of present and future controversy
– Promote interstate comity
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The Rio Grande Compact
• The Compact apportions the waters of the Upper Rio Grande Basin amongst the three States
• The Compact does not affect the obligations of the United States to Indian Tribes or impair their Rights
• San Juan-Chama Project Water is not subject to Compact apportionment
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The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado
• Colorado is Required to Deliver Water to New Mexico at the Stateline
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The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado
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COLORADO ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION - RIO GRANDE
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200
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600
800
1000
1200
1400
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400
ANNUAL FLOW AT DEL NORTE (1000 af)
AN
NU
AL
CO
MPA
CT
ALL
OC
ATI
ON
(100
0 a
Available for Depletion in Colorado
Colorado Delivery Obligation to New Mexico
In above average year, flow in excess of 560,000acre feet must be delivered to New Mexico.
The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado
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COLORADO ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION - CONEJOS RIVER
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100
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700
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
ANNUAL CONEJOS RIVER INDEX SUPPLY (1000 af)
AN
NU
AL
CO
MPA
CT
ALL
OC
ATI
ON
(100
0 a
Available for Depletion
Delivery Obligation to Rio Grande
In above average year, flow in excess of 224,000acre feet must be delivered to Rio Grande.
The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado
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The Rio Grande Compact – New Mexico
• New Mexico is Required to Deliver a Portion of the Flow at Otowi Bridge to Texas at Elephant Butte Reservoir– An explicit Middle Rio Grande allocation
• If depletions change between the Stateline with Colorado and OtowiBridge, modify Middle Rio Grande allocation
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The Upper Rio Grande Basin
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Otowi Gage
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Elephant Butte Dam
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ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION CHART
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0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 2200 2400 2600 2800 3000
ANNUAL INFLOW AT OTOWI (Otowi Index Supply, 1000 acre-feet)
ANN
UAL
CO
MPA
CT
ALL
OC
ATI
ON
(100
0 ac
re-f
eet)
New Mexico Delivery Obligation to below Elephant Butte Dam
Available for Depletion above Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico
In above average year flow in excess of 405,000 acre-feet must be passed below Elephant Butte
Reservoir
Middle Rio Grande Compact Allocation and Obligation
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The Rio Grande Compact - Texas
• From Elephant Butte Reservoir to Fort Quitman, Texas– 57% of the Rio Grande Project Supply
delivered to New Mexican’s
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The Rio Grande Project
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Compact Storage Restrictions
• If We Accrue Debits to Texas: – Water Must be Retained in Storage in Post-
1929 reservoirs to the extent of the debits and cannot be used
• If Usable Storage in Rio Grande Project Reservoirs is low:– cannot increase the amount of native water
stored in post-1929 reservoirs• An accepted Relinquishment allows for some
upstream storage
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Credit, Debit, and Spills
• Colorado and New Mexico Credit Water is held in Elephant Butte Reservoir
• Colorado may accrue up to 100,000 acre-feet of debit
• New Mexico may accrue up to 200,000 acre-feet of debit
• Spills from Elephant Butte Reservoir eliminate credits and debits
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Generalized History (Continued)
• 1941 – Severe Flooding north of Elephant Butte Reservoir
• 1948 & 1950 Flood Control Acts– Jemez Canyon, Abiquiu, Galisteo, and Cochiti
dams– Rehabilitation of the MRGCD
• 1950’s – Severe Drought• Late 1950’s – Additional Supreme Court Compact
Litigation• Late 1960’s – San Juan-Chama Project
– Diversions from San Juan Basin to Heron Reservoir
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Rio Grande Floodway in 1952
Looking downstream from south boundary of Bosque del Apache (courtesy of Reclamation)
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The Middle Rio Grande Project –Flood Control Reservoirs
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The Middle Rio Grande Project – Rehabilitate the MRG
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The San Juan-Chama Project – Import Water to Rio Grande
Source: SSPA, July 2000 Water Supply Study of the Middle Rio Grande
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New Mexico’s Compact Compliance
Rio Grande Compact Cumulative Delivery Departure 1940 - 2006
-600
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-100
0
100
200
300
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Time (Calendar Years)
Dep
artu
re in
Tho
usan
ds o
f AF
2006 Credit = 37,100 AF
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Variable and Limited Surface Water Supply
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El Vado Reservoir - Historical End of Month Storage Levels
0
30,000
60,000
90,000
120,000
150,000
180,000
210,000
Jan-
35
Jan-
38
Jan-
41
Jan-
44
Jan-
47
Jan-
50
Jan-
53
Jan-
56
Jan-
59
Jan-
62
Jan-
65
Jan-
68
Jan-
71
Jan-
74
Jan-
77
Jan-
80
Jan-
83
Jan-
86
Jan-
89
Jan-
92
Jan-
95
Jan-
98
Jan-
01
Con
tent
(AF)
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Hydrologic Reality at Albuquerque
No. of Days At or Below 10 CFS
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50
100
150
200
250
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350
400
1941
1943
1945
1947
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1951
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1969
1971
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1975
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1989
1991
1993
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1997
1999
2001
YearRio Grande at Albuquerque, NM
Note: Period of Record is from 1941 - Present. USGS Gage No. 08330000
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0
500,000
1,000,000
1,500,000
2,000,000
2,500,000
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
ACRE
-FEE
T
Maximum Available Storage Capacity
RIO GRANDE PROJECT STORAGE
Note: Storage values as of Jan 1 each year. Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoirs included in analysis. Value for Jan 1, 2005 is estimated
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Some NMISC Rio Grande Basin Bureau Work
• Efforts to Balance/Increase Supply– River Maintenance with Reclamation– Elephant Butte Pilot Channel– Daily River Management– Compact Oversight– Hydrologic Investigations and Research
• Addressing Federal Natural Resource Issues– NEPA– ESA Collaborative Program– Litigation
• Addressing the Texas Litigation Threat