An Overview: Upper Rio Grande Water Management and the Rio Grande

Compact

09/19/06

Rolf Schmidt-PetersenNMISC Rio Grande Basin Manager

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

The Upper Rio Grande Basin

Platoro Dam

Rio Chama below Abiquiu Dam

Cochiti Dam

San Acacia Diversion Dam

San Marcial Railroad Bridge

Elephant Butte Dam and Reservoir

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

Generalized History (Continued)

• 1935 – El Vado Reservoir Completed– Supreme Court Lawsuit by Texas

• 1938 – Rio Grande Compact Signed, – Supreme Court Lawsuit dismissed

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

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

The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado

• Colorado is Required to Deliver Water to New Mexico at the Stateline

The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado

COLORADO ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION - RIO GRANDE

0

200

400

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

COLORADO ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION - CONEJOS RIVER

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

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

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

The Upper Rio Grande Basin

Otowi Gage

Elephant Butte Dam

ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION CHART

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

2200

2400

2600

2800

3000

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

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

The Rio Grande Project

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

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

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

Rio Grande Floodway in 1952

Looking downstream from south boundary of Bosque del Apache (courtesy of Reclamation)

The Middle Rio Grande Project –Flood Control Reservoirs

The Middle Rio Grande Project – Rehabilitate the MRG

The San Juan-Chama Project – Import Water to Rio Grande

Source: SSPA, July 2000 Water Supply Study of the Middle Rio Grande

New Mexico’s Compact Compliance

Rio Grande Compact Cumulative Delivery Departure 1940 - 2006

-600

-500

-400

-300

-200

-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

Variable and Limited Surface Water Supply

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)

Hydrologic Reality at Albuquerque

No. of Days At or Below 10 CFS

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1941

1943

1945

1947

1949

1951

1953

1955

1957

1959

1961

1963

1965

1967

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

YearRio Grande at Albuquerque, NM

Note: Period of Record is from 1941 - Present. USGS Gage No. 08330000

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

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