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. Elephant Butte Reservoir for evaporation and, likewise, the reduction of debit water for evaporation held in post-l 929 reservoirs in both states. Article VII provides protection to water users below Elephant Butte Reservoir from the storage of water in post-l 929 reservoirs if project storage is less than 400,000 acre-feet of usable water. Article VIII permits the Commissioners of Texas and/or New Mexico to demand the Telease of wateT stored in post-I929 reservoirs limited by the accrued debits of New Mexico and/or Colorado necessary to bring the quantity of usable water in project storage to 600,000 acre-feet by March 1 and maintain it until April 30 of a Compact year with the intent that a normal release of 790,000 acre-feet may be made from project storage in that year. Current Issues oflmnortance to Colorado ColoTado believes that all three states must comply with the pTovisions and intent of the Rio Grande Compact. One issue is the increasing pressure to release usable water year-round for municipal demand. This is not in accordance with Article I (I) where usable water is to be released from project storage in accordance with irrigation demands. Irrigation demands in 1929 was nearly zero in January and February. Because of the rapidly expanding population in the El Paso area, project water is being converted to municipal use and the El Paso Water Department would prefer to have releases throughout the year. Colorado cannot accept or agree to this proposed operation unless an accounting procedure is adopted that adjusts the content of project storage so that the potential for spill in Mayor June is not reduced or lost. A second looming issue is the endangered Silvery Minnows which was listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 1993 along with its proposed critical habitat which covers the Rio Grande from , >i'