WSP10134

• File Number: 8510.100.40
• Description: Rio Grande Compact Commission
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 1/1/1998
• Title: Report of the Civil Works Activities of the Albuquerque District Corps Engineers in the Rio Grande Basin During Calendar Year 1997
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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e. Las Cruces. New Mexico. The Feasibility Report was completed in 1996 and the project
was authorized fur construction in the Water Resources Development Act of 1996. Identified in the
report were flooding problems which have resulted from extensive urbanization. The report
recommends the construction of the project which includes the modification and enlargement of two
existing detention basins and an irrigation canal to reduce flooding damages in the downtown and
residential areas of Las Cruces. The estimated project cost is $8,800,000 with construction
scheduled for December 1999.

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[ E~anola Valley. NM. In 1990, the state of New Mexico and several communities within
the Espanola Valley requested that the Corps investigate flood problems throughout this area of
northem New Mexico. The January 1992 Reconn.i<.<;ance Report recommended that further Federal
studies be undertaken for the city of Espanola. Other flood problems within the valley lacked the
necessary economic benefits to warrant further Federal studies. A cost sharing agreement was signed
with the city of Espanola, and the Feasibility Study was initiated in February 1993. The draft
feasibility report was completed in September 1995. It concluded that the best plan to address the
problems at Espanola consists of constructing an earthen levee along the Rio Grande west bank.
Negotiations with the City from September 1995 to September 1996, concluded that the City did not
have the necessary funds to cost share in the construction of the recommended levee. Therefore, the
Feasibility Study was terminated in September 1996 and no further Federal involvement is possible.
Since the cost sharing provisions for the conduct of the Feasibility Study require the city to pay 50%
of the study costs, a final accounting is currently underway, such that the City can be billed for their
share of the total costs. This final accounting will be completed in February 1998.

g. Rio Chama: Abiquiu Dam Emergency CJ'3tes. The Corps received a new start construction
funding in FY 96. A contract for fabrication and installation of the emergency gates was awarded
in May 1997, to Triton Marine of Houston, Texas. Fabrication is expected to take approximately one
year. Installation is scheduled to begin in November of 1998, and will be completed by March 1999.
The contractor will be required to maintain an average flow of 55 cfS below the dam

This construction activity will complicate the evacuation of any carryover water that might be
held in storage. Early season irrigation operations in 1999 may also be affected. The Corps is
developing alternatives to address these possibilities and will be working with the Rio Grande
Compact Commission and other stakeholders to minimize the impact of this project.

4. CONSTRUCTION. El Paso Texas The El Paso Local Protection Project provides flood
protection to the city ofEl Paso. This project consists of a single-purpose flood control system of
detention dams, diversion dikes, conduits and channels to collect, regulate and discharge arroyo
runoffinto the Rio Grande. Runofffrom the tnl)Utary arroyos on the eastern, southern, and western
slopes of the adjacent Franklin Mountains often inundates sections of the City and its outlying
suburban developments. The project is divided into three independent elements: Northwest area,
Central area, and Southeast area. Construction for the Northwest and Central areas are complete.

Three of the seven features in the Southeast area have been completed. These are Phelps
Dodge Basin and Channel, and the Americas Basin. In January 1997, a contract was awarded for

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