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" OC25j1 1996 Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission Bureau of Reclamation Heron Resource Management Plan The Heron Resource Management Plan is addressing the land resource issues within the Heron Reservoir management boundaries in north-central New Mexico, Phase II activities are slightly behind schedule, It is anticipated that the Draft Environmental Assessment will be distributed for public comment in April 1997. Reclamation previously expected the Final Environmental Assessment to be completed by the same date. After incorporation of public comments on the Draft Environmental Assessment, a Final Environmental Assessment with the preferred alternative will be included in the completed Resource Management Plan document. Pojoaque Tributary Unit - Nambe Falls Dam and Reservoir Nambe Falls Reservoir began the year with 1,472 af (elevation 6,816.10 ft) and ended with 1,346 af (elevation 6,813.33 ft), As was the case with Heron and EI Vado, Nambe Falls Reservoir could not be filled during the 1996 spring runoff season because of low precipitation and snowpack conditions. The maximum storage occurred prior to any significant runoff inflows and was 1,936 af on March 26, The reservoir reached its lowest point of the year on September 12 at elevation 6,783.78 (429 af). As a result of the low runoff inflows, irrigation storage releases began in . March which is earlier than normal. Releases continued off and on throughout the irrigation season as supplies were available. An average release of 1.0 cfs was set as agreed to by the Pojoaque Valley Irrigation District and Indian water users to maximize conservation storage during the winter. Summer rains in July provided some relief to the poor water supply conditions. A maximum release of 37 cfs was reached on August 13 and 15. In an attempt to maximize water use, three times through the irrigation season releases were made for a specified period of time then stopped to allow for additional storage to take place. As a result of the cyclical operation, a higher than normal depletion of 1,374 af was computed at Otowi, San Juan-Chama replacement water was released from June to December (excluding November) to offset the depletions for Nambe Falls operations in the amount of 1,402 af (equivalent release from Heron), A summary of the reservoir operation is shown on Table 6, Sediment Deposition in U.S, Corps of Engineers Reservoirs At Abiquiu Reservoir, Public Law 97-140 authorizes storage of up to 200,000 af of San Juan-Chama Project water at Abiquiu Reservoir. Adjustments for sediment reduced the available storage allocations to 183,016 af in 1996. 10