WSP08819

• File Number: 8583
• Description: Rio Grande Decision Support System
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 3/1/1996
• Author: Dept of the Interior
• Title: 1996 Calendar Year Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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1996 Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission

Bureau of Reclamation

MIDDLE RIO GRANDE PROJECT, NEW MEXICO

EI Va do Dam and Reservoir Operations

EI Vado Reservoir storage at the beginning of 1996 was as follows:

Rio Grande Water: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 22,340 af

San Juan-Chama Water:
Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District ............. 46,069 af
City and County of Santa Fe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 19,371 af
Department of Energy, , . . . . , , . . . . . , , , . . . . . . . . . ., 9,315 af
City of Espanola ,.,.......................,... 5,376 af
Village of Los Lunas .......................,... 2,777 af
Town of Taos .........,.."....,.,........,.. 1 ,292 af
Twining Water and Sanitation District. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 af

San Juan-Chama total = 84,282 af

Total San Juan-Chama plus Rio Grande = 106,622 af

In late November 1995, releases from EI Vado were maintained between 230 and 250
cfs with the natural inflow bypassed and San Juan-Chama water used to supply the
balance through mid-March of 1996. The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District
offered a small part of their remaining storage space in EI Vado Reservoir to the City
of Santa Fe. The maximum total San Juan-Chama water in storage was 100,837 af
on April 30, 1996. The total San Juan-Chama water in storage at the end of the year
was .39,426 af.

Due to the spill in 1995, the State of New Mexico began 1996 with a balance of zero
in accordance with the Rio Grande Compact, so the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy
District, from mid-March to April, captured a portion of the total Rio Grande inflow,

The poor spring runoff resulted in earlier than normal demands for supplemental
irrigation releases, On April 4, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District began
using San Juan-Chama water to supplement its needs and continued to do so until the
end of the irrigation season. During the season, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy
District used 134,710 af of San Juan-Chama water for these purposes. Of the total
San Juan-Chama water used, 85,658 af was given by various San Juan-Chama
contractors to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District for irrigation purposes. The

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