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<br />1996 Report to the Rio Grande Compact Commission <br /> <br />Bureau of Reclamation <br /> <br /> <br />002533 <br /> <br />balance of 49,052 af came from the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District's supply <br />which includes 20,000 af given each year by the City of Albuquerque to the Middle <br />Rio Grande Conservancy District in exchange for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy . <br />District to operate the system to assure flows at the Central Bridge in Albuquerque are <br />maintained at 250 cfs or above. A portion of the San Juan-Chama water released <br />from EI Vado storage during irrigation season was to payback the City pool in Abiquiu <br />for water borrowed earlier in the season. Those releases also provided flows for <br />rafting on seven weekends below EI Vado Dam on the designated Wild and Scenic <br />reach of the Rio Chama. <br /> <br />By September 10, 1996, EI Vado Dam releases were set at around 340 cfs until the <br />end of October when they were reduced to between 160 and 185 cfs .for winter <br />fishery flows. The natural inflow to EI Vado was bypassed and augmented with San <br />Juan-Chama water from Heron to maintain the total release below EI Vado, Under a <br />normal year, payback water from the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District to the <br />City of Albuquerque in Abiquiu would be used to maintain fishery flow releases below <br />EI Vado. By the end of the 1996 irrigation season, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy <br />District used their San Juan-Chama water; therefore, 1996 City of Albuquerque San <br />Juan-Chama water was delivered from Heron to Abiquiu to enhance the fishery <br />spawning success. <br /> <br />. } ~ <br />" <br /> <br />EI Vado Reservoir ended the year at an elevation of 6,836.55 ft (44,380 af), The <br />reservoir should continue to increase through mid-March 1997 as San Juan-Cha;~a <br />-.."'-' <br />water is delivered from Heron Reservoir. A summary of EI Vado Reservoir operations <br />can be found in Table 8. <br /> <br />During 1996, a total of 7,105 af of stored water was available in EI Vado Reservoir <br />for potential use by the Six Southern Pueblos on their prior and paramount water rights <br />lands. The Pueblos made no call for such water in 1996. <br /> <br />Channelization Works <br /> <br />The Albuquerque Area Office's responsibility for Rio Grande channel operation and <br />maintenance involves that part of the river from Velarde, New Mexico, to the narrows <br />of Elephant Butte Reservoir, and from Elephant Butte Dam to Caballo Reservoir. <br /> <br />In 1996, Reclamation performed river bank stabilization work in the Espanola reach <br />with a total of 300 cubic yards (cy) of boulders placed and 30 rootballs placed. The <br />work was located on the Santa Clara Tribal Reservation and was part of an <br />experimental bio-engineering effort. <br /> <br />14 <br />