Laserfiche WebLink
<br />, <br /> <br />. -". <br /> <br />vr/; )~~ / ~ <br /> <br />NEW MEXICO INTERSTATE STREAM COMMISSId( <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />COMMISSION MEMBERS <br />J. PHELPS WHITE, III , Chairman, Roswell <br />TRACY SEIDMAN HEPHNER, Vice-Chairman, Wagon Mound <br />THOMAS C. TURNEY, PE, Secretary, Santa Fe <br />RICHARD C, JOHNSON. Silver City <br />PALEMON A. MART'NEZ, Valdez <br />PAULlNA SALOPEK, Las Cruces <br />HAL E, ENGLE. Edgewood <br />RICHARD P. CHENEY, Farmington <br />HOYT PATTISON. Clovis <br /> <br /> <br />BATAAN MEMORIAL BUILDING. ROOM 101 <br />STATE CAPITOL <br />POST OFFICE BOX 25102 <br />SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO B7504,5102 <br />(505IB27-6160 <br />FAX,(505)827-6188 <br /> <br />January 30, 1996 <br /> <br />RECEIVED <br />FEB 0 1 1996 <br /> <br />Colorado Waler <br />Conservation Board <br /> <br />U.S. Fish and wildlife Service <br />Ecological Services <br />764 Horizon Drive, South Annex A <br />Grand Junction, Colorado 81506-3946 <br /> <br />Dear Sir/Madam: <br /> <br />This letter provides the comments of the New Mexico Interstate <br />Strea on the draft Biological Opinion (draft) for the <br />imas-La Plata Proje~, Colorado-New Mexico, which was transmitted <br />'ew--bT-cne---Regional Director, Region 6, U.S. Fish and <br />wildlife Service and received in this office on January 22, 1996. <br /> <br />Page 4, second full paragraph. The draft refers to "average <br />annual depletion of 57,100 acre-feet" and also to "limits the <br />proj ect' s net annual depletion to 57,100 acre- feet" . At other <br />sections of the draft depletions are referred to as "net average <br />annual depletions", "annual maximum depletion" and "depletion", see <br />pages 7, 35, etc. Such varied modifiers of the word "depletion" <br />serve only to introduce confusion. Apparently in referring to <br />"maximum annual depletion" and possibly to "net annual depletion" <br />the draft assumes that the operation of reservoir storage <br />contributes to the amount of depletion. Such an assumption is not <br />consistent with the normal state of the art use of the term <br />"depletion" _ Whether it is "annual depletion", "average annual <br />depletion" or "maximum annual depletion", the word "net" further <br />exacerbates the confusion. <br /> <br />This office and other water management organizations including <br />the Bureau of Reclamation normally compute depletion as beneficial <br />consumptive use measured either empirically or as diversions from <br />the stream minus such amounts of return flow to the river system <br />