Calendar Year 2012 Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission
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Calendar Year 2012 Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission Colorado New Mexico Texas Dick Wolfe Scott A. Verhines Patrick R. Gordon Federal Chairman Hal Simpson U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Albuquerque Area Office Albuquerque, New Mexico March 2013 MISSION STATEMENTS The mission of the Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation's natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Cover photo – San Acacia Diversion Dam (Bui, 9/11/2012) Calendar Year 2012 Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission U. S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation March 2013 Information contained in this document regarding commercial products or firms may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes and is not an endorsement of any product or firm by the Bureau of Reclamation. The information contained in this document was developed for the Bureau of Reclamation; no warranty as to the accuracy, usefulness, or completeness is expressed or implied. Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... i List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ iii List of Photos ................................................................................................................................ iii Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 San Luis Valley Project, Colorado .............................................................................................. 3 Conejos Division, Platoro Reservoir .......................................................................................... 3 Platoro Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs ..................................................... 4 Closed Basin Division................................................................................................................. 4 Closed Basin – Operations and Maintenance ............................................................................. 4 Operations ............................................................................................................................... 4 Maintenance ............................................................................................................................ 5 Water Quality .............................................................................................................................. 6 Rio Grande Water Conservation District .................................................................................... 6 San Juan – Chama Project, Colorado – New Mexico ................................................................ 7 San Juan - Chama Project Accounting........................................................................................ 7 San Juan - Chama Diversion Dams and Tunnels ........................................................................ 8 Heron Dam and Reservoir Operations ........................................................................................ 8 Heron Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs .................................................... 10 Pojoaque Tributary Unit - Nambé Falls Dam and Reservoir .................................................... 10 Nambé Falls Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs .......................................... 12 2013 San Juan - Chama Outlook .............................................................................................. 12 Middle Rio Grande Project, New Mexico ................................................................................. 14 New Mexico Relinquishment of Rio Grande Compact Credit ................................................. 14 El Vado Dam and Reservoir Operations ................................................................................... 15 El Vado Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs ................................................. 16 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Related Reservoir Operations ................................................ 17 Cooperative Programs with the State of New Mexico .............................................................. 18 Elephant Butte Temporary Channel History ......................................................................... 19 Elephant Butte Temporary Channel — 2011 Maintenance .................................................. 19 Irrigation Drain Improvements ............................................................................................. 20 River Maintenance .................................................................................................................... 22 River Maintenance Priority Sites .......................................................................................... 22 San Ildefonso Pond ............................................................................................................... 22 Santo Domingo ..................................................................................................................... 23 San Felipe.............................................................................................................................. 24 Santa Ana Restoration........................................................................................................... 25 Santa Ana River Mile 205.8.................................................................................................. 26 Bosque del Apache Sediment Plug ....................................................................................... 27 Bosque del Apache Levee ..................................................................................................... 28 Fort Craig Bend..................................................................................................................... 28 Truth or Consequences ......................................................................................................... 29 Other River Maintenance Activities ......................................................................................... 30 Elephant Butte Narrows USGS Surface Water Gauging Station .......................................... 30 i 2012 Aggradation/Degradation Rangeline and Aerial Photography Data Collection .......... 31 Middle Rio Grande River Maintenance Plan ........................................................................ 32 Preparation for 2012 Spring Runoff ......................................................................................... 32 Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Collaborative Program ............................................. 33 Supplemental Water Program ................................................................................................... 34 Water Acquisition and Management .................................................................................... 34 Low Flow Conveyance Channel (LFCC) Pumping Program – San Acacia to Fort Craig Reach..................................................................................................................................... 34 Other Ongoing Water Management and Water Quality Related Projects ................................ 35 Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model (URGWOM) .................................................. 35 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Groundwater/Surface Water Interaction in the MRG Valley .................................................................................................................................... 35 USGS MRG River Gage Operation and Maintenance ......................................................... 35 RiverEyes .............................................................................................................................. 36 Endangered Species .................................................................................................................. 36 Programmatic Water Operations and River Maintenance ESA, Section 7, Compliance ..... 36 Rio Grande Silvery Minnow ................................................................................................. 37 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher .......................................................................................... 40 New Middle Rio Grande Water Management and River Maintenance ESA, Section 7 Consultation .......................................................................................................................... 43 Rio Grande Project (New Mexico - Texas) ............................................................................... 45 Water Supply Conditions .......................................................................................................... 46 Project Irrigation and Drainage Systems .................................................................................. 47 Elephant Butte Reservoir and Powerplant ...............................................................................