Rio Grande Compact
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An Overview: Upper Rio Grande Water Management and the Rio Grande Compact 09/19/06 Rolf Schmidt-Petersen NMISC 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 The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado COLORADO ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION - RIO GRANDE 1400 1200 a 1000 In above average year, flow in excess of 560,000 acre feet must be delivered to New Mexico. 800 Colorado Delivery Obligation to New Mexico 600 400 ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION (1000 (1000 ALLOCATION COMPACT ANNUAL Available for Depletion in Colorado 200 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 ANNUAL FLOW AT DEL NORTE (1000 af) The Rio Grande Compact - Colorado COLORADO ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION - CONEJOS RIVER 700 600 a In above average year, flow in excess of 224,000 acre feet must be delivered to Rio Grande. 1000 500 400 Delivery Obligation to Rio Grande 300 200 ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION ( ALLOCATION COMPACT ANNUAL Available for Depletion 100 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 ANNUAL CONEJOS RIVER INDEX SUPPLY (1000 af) 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 Otowi Bridge, modify Middle Rio Grande allocation The Upper Rio Grande Basin Otowi Gage Elephant Butte Dam Middle Rio Grande Compact Allocation and Obligation ANNUAL COMPACT ALLOCATION CHART 3000 2800 2600 2400 In above average year flow in excess of 405,000 2200 acre-feet must be passed below Elephant Butte 2000 Reservoir 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 New Mexico Delivery Obligation to below Elephant Butte Dam 800 600 ANNUAL COMANNUAL PACT ALLOCATION (1000 acre-feet) 400 200 Available for Depletion above Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico 0 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) 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 300 200 100 0 -100 -200 2006 Credit = 37,100 AF -300 -400 Departure in Thousands of AF of Thousands in Departure -500 -600 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Time (Calendar Years) Variable and Limited Surface Water Supply Content (AF) 120,000 150,000 180,000 210,000 30,000 60,000 90,000 0 Jan-35 Jan-38 Jan-41 ReservoirEl Vado - Historical Storage End of Levels Month 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 Hydrologic Reality at Albuquerque 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 No. of Days At or Below 10 CFS 50 0 1941 N ote: Period of Record is from 1941 - Present. USGS1943 Gage No. 08330000 1945 1947 1949 1951 1953 1955 1957 1959 1961 1963 1965 Rio Grande at Albuquerque,1967 NM 1969 1971 1973 Year 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 RIO GRANDE PROJECT STORAGE 2,500,000 Maximum Available Storage Capacity 2,000,000 1,500,000 ACRE-FEET 1,000,000 500,000 0 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 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.