University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository Law of the Rio Chama The Utton Transboundary Resources Center 2004 2004 Calendar Year Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission Hal D. Simpson Colorado John R. D'Antonio New Mexico Joe G. Hanson Texas Bill Ruth Federal Chairman Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama Recommended Citation Simpson, Hal D.; John R. D'Antonio; Joe G. Hanson; and Bill Ruth. "2004 Calendar Year Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission." (2004). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama/49 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the The Utton Transboundary Resources Center at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Law of the Rio Chama by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. RECLAMATION Managing Water in the West ·. 2004 Calendar Year Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission COLORADO NEW MEXICO TEXAS Hal D. Simpson John R. D' Antonio Joe G. Hanson FEDERAL CHAIRMAN Bill Ruth Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region Albuquerque Area Office Albuquerque, New Mexico March 2005 I 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. RECLAMATION Managing Water in the West 2004 Calendar Year Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission r;;e;~ ." ™"55= -;- ~ .:-· ~- Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Upper Colorado Region Albuquerque Area Office Albuquerque, New Mexico March 2005 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 INTRODUCTION .. ............. ........ ....................................... ........................ ...................... 1 SAN LU IS VALLEY PROJECT, COLORADO ................................................................ 3 Conejos Division, Platoro Reservoir ... ............................................. ..................... 3 Pl atoro Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs ........... .. ..... .... ......... 3 Closed Basin Division ... ....................................................................................... 3 Closed Basin -Operations and Maintenance ....................................................... 5 Operations ............................................................... .. ... ....... ... .... ..... .......... 5 Maintenance ...... .. ... .... ... ... ..... .. ... .............. ....... ... ................... .................... 7 Water Quality ............ .. .. ........................ ....... ........................................................ 7 Rio Grande Water Conservation District ...................................... .................... .... 8 SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT, COLORADO-NEW MEXICO ................ ... ............... .... 9 San Juan-Chama Diversion Dams ............................................. ... .... .. ................. 9 Heron Dam and Reservoir Operations ... ...... ... ... ........... .. ........................... .......... 9 Heron Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs ............................... 12 Pojoaque Tributary Unit - Nam be Falls Dam and Reservoir .. ............................ 12 Nam be Falls Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Prog rams ..................... 14 M&I Water Use - National Environmental Policy Act Compliance .. ... ... ..... ... ..... 15 MIDDLE RIO GRANDE PROJECT, NEW MEXICO ......................... .. .. .... ................... 17 New Mexico Re linquishment of Rio Grand e Compact Cred it. ... .. ............... _. ..... .. 17 El Vada Dam and Reservoir Operations ........................................... ... .. .. .. ........ 19 El Vacio Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs ............................. 20 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Related Reservoir Operations ................... ....... 21 Middle Rio Grande Diversion Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Program ..................................... ..................... ............................................ 21 Cooperative Prog rams with th e State of New Mexico ........ .. .............................. 21 Water Salvage work fo r the Middle Rio Grande Project.. ....... .... ............. 21 Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoir Vegetation Management Cooperative Agreement ..... ........ ...... ............................................. 22 Temporary Channel into Elephant Butte 2000 ...... ... .. .. .. ... .. .............................. 22 Elephant Butte Temporary Channel 2002 .. .. ... ...................................... .. ........... 24 Elephant Butte Temporary Channel 2004 ........... ... ....... .. ................. ... ............... 25 River Maintenance .. .................................. ..................... .. .... .............................. 25 River Maintenance Priority Sites ............................................................. 25 La Canova ... ............... ...... ...... .. ....... ........................................................ 25 Salazar Pit ...... ....................................... ................ .. ...... ... ....................... 26 Santa Fe River Confluence ..... ... ..... .. .. ... .... .......... .. ................. ............. .. 27 Be rnalillo Area Priority Sites .. .. .. ........................ ....... .. ........ ..................... 28 San Acacia to Escondida Reach Priority Sites .......................... .............. 30 Arroyo de la Pa ri d a ... .... ............ ... .. ............ .......... .. .................................. 30 Bosque del Apache (BOA), Tiffany and San Marcial Levee Raising ....... 31 Red Canyo n Mine Riprap Development ................................ .. ..... ..... ...... 31 Low Flow Conveyance Channel (LFC C) Experimental Operations .. ....... 31 Santa Ana ... .................. .................. ... .... .... .... ..... ... ... ............................... 31 Truth or Consequences .................. ........................................... .............. 32 River Maintenance Priority Site Evaluation and Risk Analysis ... .. ........... 33 Rio Grande River Restoration Projects .......... .. ......................... ..... .. .. .. .. ............ 33 Los Lunas Habitat Restoration Project.. ............ .. ....... ... ........... ............... 33 Rio Grande and Low Flow Conveyance Channel Modifications and EIS ...... ..... 34 Endangered Species ............................ ... ........................................................... 35 Rio Grande Silvery Minnow .......... .... ..... ....... .................. .................. ....... 35 Southwestern Willow Flycatcher .. ... .. ........... ........ ............... ........ ... ... ....... 37 Middle Rio Grande Endangered Species Act Coll aborative Program .. ... .... ....... 38 Programmatic Water Operations and River Maintenance ESA, Section 7, Consultation ..... ..... ... .. ..... .. .... .... ... .. .... .......... .......... ..... ... ... ............ 39 Rio Grande Silvery Minnow v. Keys Litigation ...... ... .... ... .. ... ..... ... .. ... .. ... ........ .. ... 40 Temporary Pumping Program - San Acacia to Fort Craig Reach ..................... 40 RIO GRANDE PROJECT (N EW MEXICO - TEXAS) .................... ............................... 43 Water Supply Conditions ... ... ........................... .................................................. 43 Project Irrigation and Drainage Systems and Title Transfer ...................... ........ 46 Elephant Butte Reservoir and Powerplant ... ... ........... ....... ...... ....... ................... 47 Elephant Butte Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs .... ........ ..... 48 Cabal lo Dam and Reservoir ... .................................................................... ........ 48 Caballo Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs ... ....... .. ................. 49 Data Automation and Instrumentation and Flow Monitoring System .. .... ..... ...... 49 Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoirs Resource Management Plan ............... 49 Diversion Dam Facility Review and Safety of Dams Programs ... ...... .............. ... 50 Rio Grande Project Adjudications .. ..... ... ....... ... ..... ... ... ....................................... 50 Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoir Vegetation Management Cooperative Agreement ................... .. .. ... .. .......... ... ... ... .... ................................. 51 EL PASO FIELD DIVISION PLANNING STUDIES AND INTERACTION WITH THE NEW MEXICO - TEXAS WATER COMMISSION .......................... ......... ......... .. 53 Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoir Water Quality Assessments ................. 53 Rio Grande/Rio Bravo International Basin Assessment I Border Regional Environmental Workgroup ... .. ....................................