Laserfiche WebLink
Mr. Travis Smith, Superintendent <br /> October 16, 2003 <br /> Page 7 <br /> The first area would be to temporarily store some compact water early in the irrigation <br /> season to use as a "cushion" against fluctuations in curtailments that might be caused during <br /> the course of the irrigation season by the inability to accurately predict the volumes of the runoff <br /> and the necessary curtailments. Fluctuations in curtailments during the course of the irrigation <br /> season could affect certain groups of water users disproportionately. For example, if it was <br /> necessary to increase the curtailment during the peak of the runoff, the more junior water rights <br /> would suffer a larger curtailment. If it turns out the Compact water so impounded during the <br /> early part of the irrigation season is needed to avoid an increase in the curtailment, it can be <br /> released and delivered to the State Line. If the Compact water so impounded is not needed, it <br /> can be released during the recession of the runoff so as to reduce the curtailments to all the <br /> water rights —juniors, mid-range, and seniors. This operation would not affect Colorado's or the <br /> Rio Grande's separate accounting under the Rio Grande Compact. We have not attempted to <br /> quantify the storage that could have been made for this purpose during water years 1946-2002, <br /> but we believe that it would have been helpful in many years when curtailments are necessary. <br /> The second area would involve some temporary storage of water that needs to be <br /> delivered to New Mexico and Texas but is occurring when the Rio Grande flow is at a high rate <br /> so as to suffer high conveyance losses. The water could be held in storage until the flow in the <br /> river has diminished and then released for delivery to the State Line. This would involve only <br /> water that is not available to Colorado water users under the Compact Administration. We have <br /> not yet attempted to quantify the storage that could be made for this purpose, but we believe <br /> that type of Compact storage would have had some benefit in as many as 20 years in the <br /> analysis period. <br /> The third area would be storage of Colorado Credit water. As you know, an over-delivery <br /> under the Compact in a year produces an annual credit in the Rio Grande Compact <br /> Commission accounting that is carried forward into the next year and considered as being <br /> contained in Project Storage. Having a credit carried forward into the next year may or may not <br /> make additional water available to the Colorado water users depending on whether curtailment <br /> is or would otherwise be necessary. If curtailment is necessary in the next year, the credit water <br /> will reduce the curtailment and will make additional water available to the Colorado water users. <br /> If curtailment is not necessary in the next year, the credit would be carried forward again, but <br /> reduced for evaporation and subject to spill under Article VI of the Compact. The evaporation <br /> charges in Project Storage are significant, amounting to about 4 percent of credits brought into <br /> the accounting year. Thus, the advantages of storing credit water in an enlargement of Rio <br />