WSPC00539

• File Number: 8530.300
• Description: Rio Grande Basin-Water User Groups and Conservancy Districts-Rio Grande Water Conservation District
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Water Division: 3
• Date: 7/20/1970
• Title: WCD-Rio Grande Water Conservation District-Corres Reports etc-1967-82-Preliminary Engineering Report for the Rio Grande Water Conservation District
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

I

3

I

I

and 1969. Credit deliveries in 1968 and 1969 were made successful
by changes in adminiatrative procedures and by the cooperation of
the San Luis Valley water users. On the basis of the schedules
for the Conejos River and the Rio Grande individually since 1951,
the Commission reports indicate that the Rio Grande delivered in
excess of its schedule in 1958, 1966, 1967, 1968 and 1969; con-
trariwise, the Conejos River has delivered its scheduled volume
only iu 1969, although it lacked only 500 acre feet of meeting
its delivery schedule in 1966.

I

I

I

I

At the end of 1967 it WBs claimed that Colorado hsd accumulated
a net debit of 944,400 acre feet as measured by the Compact schedules.
Apparently New Mexico and Texas believed that Colorado wouid con-
tinue to accumulate a greater debit unless they took necessary
action to require Colorado to meet the scheduled deliveries, and
accordingly brought suit against Colorado.

I

I

Colorado secured a continuance of the suit brought against it by
Texas and New Mexico on the condition that .... .the State of Colorado
shall exercise its best efforte and use all available administrative
powers including, if necessary, the curtailment of diversions...".
Accordingly, the State of Colorado, through the State Engineer,
decided to ailininister the Rio Grande and Conejos River in a manner
which would annually meet the delivery obligation as established
by the schedules in the Rio Grande Compact. The policy adopted by
the State Engineer to effect this decision was to estimate the
annual flow of each river to pass the index stations, relate the
estimated runoff to the scheduled Compact delivery in terms of
per cent and administer the diversions from the rivcrs in a manner
which at any time would allow the required percentage of flow to
remain lu the rivers to be measured as delivery at the Lobatos
gaging station. .

I

I

I

I

I

Diversion decrees along both rivers are baaed on the daily volume
of water in the riversj as the volume of water increases more decrees
can be met; as the volume of water decreases fewer decrees can be
met and junior appropriations are, in reverse order of decree
priority, not permitted to divert. Strict administrativc procedures,
to thc economic detriment of the water l1ecrs, have made it possible
for the past two years to meet the schedules included in the Rio
Grande Compact.

The Division Engineer of the State of Colorado spent 1967 collecting
data determining return flow and other information that would permit

0547