C150221 Water Potential Report

• Contract/PO #: C150221
• Contractor Name: San Luis Valley Irrigation District
• Contract Type: Grant
• Water District: 20
• County: Hinsdale
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Report

Mr. Travis Smith, Superintendent
October 16, 2003
Page 4
water years 1946-67, it would have reduced the water available to Colorado water users and it
would have increased the water available to Colorado water users in 1968-85.
The use of an enlargement to Rio Grande Reservoir would appear to us to be subject to
Articles III, VI, VII, and VIII of the Compact. Article III requires that the Del Norte index flow be
adjusted upward for any water retained in reservoir storage constructed after 1937. The
applicable provision in Article VI states
In the case of Colorado, no annual debit nor accrued debit shall exceed 100,000
acre feet, except as either or both may be caused by holdover storage of water in
reservoirs constructed after 1937 in the drainage basin of the Rio Grande above
Lobatos. Within the physical limitations of storage capacity in such reservoirs,
Colorado shall retain water in storage at all times to the extent of its accrued
debit.
Article VII states
Neither Colorado nor New Mexico shall increase the amount of water in storage
in reservoirs constructed after 1929 whenever there is less than 400,000 acre-
feet of usable water in Project Storage; provided, that if the actual releases of
usable water from the beginning of the calendar year following the effective date
of this Compact, or from the beginning of the calendar year following actual spill,
have aggregated more than an average of 790,000 acre-feet per annum, the time
at which such minimum stage is reached shall be adjusted to compensate for the
difference between the total actual release and releases at such average rate;
provided, further, that Colorado, or New Mexico, or both, may relinquish accrued
credits at any time, and Texas may accept such relinquished water, and in such
event the state, or states, so relinquishing shall be entitled to storage water in the
amount of the water so relinquished.
Article VIII states
During the month of January of any year the Commissioner for Texas may
demand of Colorado and New Mexico, and the Commissioner for New Mexico
may demand of Colorado, the release of water from storage reservoirs