Basin Issues February 1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

throughout the state to use them to plan and manage water supplies more efficiently and to avoid or resolve conflicts with greater confidence. Colorado first experienced interstate allocation conflicts concerning the Rio Grande in the 1950s, and the development of new supplies has been very difficult ever since then; unfortunately, we may find out in the Kansas v. Colorado rulings how expensive over - development of interstate streams can be to both the water users in the basin and to taxpayers statewide. Recent questions raised in the litigation concerning the AWDI proposal to develop water for export from the San Luis Valley and in the operation of Elephant Butte Reservoir to provide water for uses in New Mexico and Texas also highlight the need for a stakeholder- directed process to design and develop better decision support tools than are available today. In coordination with the Division of Water Resources, we have organized a stakeholder group, developed a scope of work (including a schedule and cost estimate) and selected a contractor to perform a $55,000 feasibility study that will provide the road map for development of the RGDSS. The feasibility study is now complete in draft form and available for consideration. The study has identified a three year development program expected to cost approximately $4.98 million dollars. The RGDSS will include an extensive data collection program and adapt the water right planning model, consumptive use model and administrative tools and Big River Model developed during CRDSS for use in the Rio Grande Basin. In addition, a groundwater model and a water budget model will be developed and incorporated into RGDSS. All data will be handled using the State Engineer's Hydrobase data management system as done for CRDSS. The feasibility study suggests that $2.0 million by provided for from the CWCB Construction Fund for development during the first year. This request is included in the CWCB Construction Fund Bill that the Legislature will consider during the 1998 legislative session. Lower Rio Grande Study. The Lower Rio Grande Study is being done to provide a background on the history of the Rio Grande Compact, the Rio Grande Project in New Mexico and Texas, and the effects on Colorado's compact entitlement resulting from changes in use of water in the downstream states: New Mexico, Texas, and subsequently in Mexico. The study is focused on how changes in uses result in changes in demands on Elephant Butte and Caballo Reservoirs, which are located in New Mexico. In turn, those effects are felt by Colorado when they result in a reduction of content of Elephant Butte and prevention of a spill. Such a spill eliminates the requirement that Colorado curtail diversions in Colorado for that Compact year, thus significantly increasing the water available for use in Colorado. Colorado has seen these water use changes cause sufficient change in demand and reservoir release patterns that the spill that would otherwise have occurred in 1996 did not occur. Rio Grande Compact and Issues. The Rio Grande Compact contains certain provisions with respect to the content and spill of water from Elephant Butte Reservoir in southern New Mexico. These provisions provide benefits to Colorado that must be protected. Because of changing demands from seasonal irrigation deliveries to year -round deliveries to supply the municipal demands of El Paso, Texas, Colorado's benefits under the Compact can be impaired. Colorado believes that a spill of Elephant Butte Reservoir in 1996 was prevented by the release and waste of water below El Paso. Texas has opposed Colorado's position, and the controversy remains unresolved. Colorado met with Texas' water users in June to discuss the issue and work toward a resolution by the Compact Commission to adjust the accounting of the content of Elephant Butte Reservoir for municipal releases. Endangered Fish Protection. The silvery minnow has been listed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the ESA as an endangered species; its historic habitat is thought to be in New Mexico below Cochiti Reservoir. A recovery plan is being finalized this year that could affect operations of C; \msoffice \win word \document \basinissues December 30, 1997 Page 11 of 19