BOARD00069

• Board Meeting Date: 5/24/1999
• Description: ISF Section - Colorado River Basin Issues - San Juan/Chama Project - ISF By-Pass Issues
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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EI Vado Operation for San Juan-Chama Water

EI Vado operation is affected by the SJ-C Project in two ways. The first is that
SJ-C Project water released from Heron Dam for use downstream of EI Vado Reservoir
is simply passed through. The second is that storage of large volumes of SJ-C Project
water in EI Vado Reservoir may take place for extended periods of time.

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District has contracted for 20,900 ac.ft per
year of SJ-C Project water and maintains as much of this water in EI Vado Reservoir
as conditions permit. In addition, MRGCD has contracted with various contractors of
SJ-C Project water for storage in EI Vado Reservoir. Current MRGCD agreements with
other water management bodies or agencies allow for MRGCD to borrow, for irrigation
use, a portion of the agencies' SJ-C Project water held in EI Vado Reservoir.

SAN JUAN-CHAMA PROJECT OPERATIONS FOR MIDDLE VALLEY CONSTITUENTS

The majority of SJ-C contractors are municipalities, of which the City of
Albuquerque has the largest allocation, amounting to 48,200 ac-tt per year. The
allocation for the remaining three middle valley contractors is 400 ac-tt for the Town
of Bernalillo, 400 ac-tt for the Village of Los Lunas, and 500 ac-tt for the Town of
Belen. The main agricultural entity using SJ-C water is the MRGCD, with 20,900
ac-ft. The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District stores its allocation in EI Vado
Reservoir for release during the mid-summer to early fall months to supplement natural
flows for irrigation purposes.

In recent years, the City of Albuquerque has used between 50 and 65 percent
of its annual SJ-C Project allotment for a variety of purposes. These uses include:
delivery of 5,000 to 10,000 ac-tt to replace evaporative losses from the sediment pool
in Jemez Canyon Reservoir and recreational pool in Elephant Butte Reservoir; transfer
of 20,000 ac-ft to MRGCD to assure a minimum flow 01250 ft'!s in the Rio Grande
through the Albuquerque reach' south of Central Avenue; and release of 500 to
1,500 ac-ft to offset depletions to natural flows from pumping by City subcontractors.
These uses are based on short-term agreements that will eventually expire. To date,
the City's only requirement to release SJ-C water to offset depletions from its own
groundwater pumping activities in the middle valley occurred in 1992 (960 ac-ft). City
projections in 1990 for using its SJ-C water allocation to offset depletions from the
City's groundwater pumping activities indicate steadily increasing use until the
maximum is reached by the year 2,030. Estimates in 1994 now indicate that the
City's SJ-C allotment will be fully utilized by the year 2.005. During the period of
increasing use, the City may elect to retain more of its SJ-C water as agreements
expire.

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