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Construction by the Bureau of Reclamation started in 1980. RIO GRANDE COMPACT The States of Texas, New Mexico and Colorado dis- cussed the subject of their respective Rio Grande water rights in the early part of the century. A temporary compact was agreed to in 1928. The formal compact was ratified by the states in 1939. The Compact's purpose is to assure that the relation- ship of annual flows that cross state boundaries, which were developed by the early 20th century, are maintained. This does not mean that the same fixed quantity will flow across each state's boundaries every year. The terms of the Compact are flexible. Recognized natural flow variations occur from year to year and new sources of water for the Rio Grande Basin which will develop over the years are anticipated. Colorado has the most difficulty meeting its delivery requirement in years when there is a lot of snow. When high flows occur, Colorado must deliver more water. When low flows occur, Colorado's requirement is less and is more easily met. The Compact also has provisions which let the states accumulate water credits and debts, but it prevents any state from accumulating so much "credit" that it could shut off river flow to the downstream state for one or more years. In 1966, Texas and New Mexico brought the Compact dispute to the Supreme Court. The out-of-court settle- ment which was finally reached basically was a stipula- tion that New Mexico and Texas would not proceed with further litigation if Colorado would agree to honor its obligations to the Compact.A provision of the Compact allows for cancellation of all debits and credits if Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico spills. In June 1985, Colorado's debt was cancelled by high runoff in the Rio Grande which caused a spill at Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico. . ~"), HISTORY The San Luis Valley is located in the south-central part of Colorado. The valley was first settled by descendants of the Spanish Conquistadores. The Spanish influence is still prevalent in this large valley nestled between the San Juan Mountains on the west and the Sangre de Cristo Range on the east. Farms and ranches occupy the flat valley floor. Potatoes, malting barley, lettuce, and native and alfalfa hay are the main crops. Stock raising is also economi- cally important. Most of th~ valley floor gets less than 7 inches of rain a year so crops must be irrigated. Water has always been a major concern to the valley residents. The snow- and spring-fed Rio Grande, winding across the valley, is the main supply of water for the valley. The state of Colorado, acting through the Colorado Water ConselVation Board, advocated the development of a water resource development project in the San Luis Valley following the execution of the Rio Grande Compact in 1938. In 1939, the board employed a consulting engineer to study methods by which Colorado would meet its compact commitments, The investigation culminated in a report entitled "San Luis Valley Project" which was included in a U.S. Department of the Interior report entitled "ReselVoirs in the San Luis Valley Project." Congress subsequently authorized the construction of the San Luis Valley Project in 1941. However, action on the proposed project was interrupted by World War 11 and the Korean Conflict. Investigations were resumed by the Bureau of Reclamation in the early 1960' s and the Colorado Water Conservation Board contributed state funds to expedite the studies. The studies found that 60,000 to 190,000 acre-feet of water a year could be salvaged. That is water which would otherwise evaporate from the sump's high water table. Public Law 92-514, approved on October 20, 1972, gave the Secretary of the Interior authority to construct, operate, and maintain the San Luis Valley Project. It was later amended by Public Law 96-375, approved October 3, 1980, and PL 98-570, October 30, 1984. c' ~ . , f\:) U) CO