PUB00128

• Year: 1986
• Title: Rio Grande Water Supply Study Phase I Plan of Study
• CWCB Section: Interstate & Federal
• Author: Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers, Inc.
• Description: A plan submitted to the San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District by the CWCB
• Publications - Doc Type: Tech Report

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Task No.2

EVALUATION OF EFFECT OF RIO GRANDE COMPACT ON NEW
STORAGE PROJECTS

Purpose: The Rio Grande Compact is an extremely important
component in estimating legally available flows to a new
storage project in the Rio Grande Basin.

Approach:

1. Rev iew the annual reports of the Rio Grande Compact
Commission (obtained in Task 1b) to obtain an understanding
of the compact and its historic operation from an
engineering perspective. Particular attention will be
paid to differences in Compact operation before and
after the 1968 time when Colorado initiated curtailment
of diversions for benefit of the Compact.
2. Review the January, 1984 Colorado Supreme Court decision
on the State Engineer's rules and regulations for the
Rio Grande Basin. This decision addresses the Compact
and its del ivery to New Mexico. Decisions or discussions
subsequent to that decision will also be reviewed.
3. Interview the current Colorado representative on the
Rio Grande Compact Commission to learn of his
interpretations and any recent events related to the
Compact.
4. Based on an engineering review of the Compact, LRCWE
will develop an algorithm or methodology for, or prepare
a table of, monthly water requirements for the Compact
for the study period. This review will investigate the
operation of Compact features downstream of Colorado
(i.e. Elephant Butte Reservoir) for the appropriateness
of considering these features in our study. The derived
Compact demand will be imposed in the model ing.
5. Legal counsel will be arranged by LRCWE (with approval
of CWCB) to discuss legal implications of the operation
of the Compact. A task memorandum (combined with Task
4) will also be provided for review to the CWCB, SLVWCD,
U SB R.

Work Product: A task memorandum discussing the operation of
the compact (historic and future) from an engineering perspective
and outlining a water demand scenario to reflect the Compact
in the storable flow analysis.

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~ Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engineers, Inc.