WSP03343 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

this reservoir allows for the re-regulation of water released from Elephant Butte Reservoir for power generation and replaces part of the storage lost in Elephant Butte Reservoir because of sediment deposition. The capacity of the reservoir originally was 345,900 acre-feet at the spillway crest (elevation 4,182) and currently is 331,500 acre-feet according to the 1981 survey. At this elevation, the reservoir has a water surface area of about 11,600 acres or 18.1 square miles. Of the total capacity in the reservoir, 100,000 acre-feet are reserved for flood control. The historical operation of Caballo Reservoir is considered in Section 4 of this report. Caballo Dam is situated in Caballo Narrows approximately 17 miles south of Truth or Consequences. It is a zoned-earthfill dam, 96 feet high and 4,558 feet long. The spillway is a concrete-lined open channel in the left abutment, controlled by two 50- by 22.5-foot radial gates. The outlet works consist of a concrete-lined tunnel through the left abutment controlled by two 6- by 7.5-foot slide gates. A 3D-inch steel pipe located below the tunnel invert and controlled by a gate valve provides an additional outlet to the Bonita Lateral. Tributaries of the Rio Grande in this reach include Palomas Creek, Seco Creek, Las Animas Creek. and Percha Creek. These streams are dry most of the time but occasionally produce intense flash floods. Palomas Creek, Seco Arroyo, and Las Animas Creek discharge directly into Caballo Reservoir. A diversion dam and conveyance canal have been constructed to divert the flow of Percha Creek into Caballo Reservoir. Prior to the construction and operation of Caballo Reservoir, the Palomas Valley contained about 5,000 acres of irrigable land, of which about 500 or 600 acres were actually irrigated. It was originally contemplated that at least some of this land would receive Rio Grande Project water. The construction and operation of Caballo Reservoir has obviously precluded this demand for irrigation water. A stream gaging station has been operated on the Rio Grande approximately 0.8 mile downstream from Caballo Dam by the USBR since January 1938. The Rio Grande at this location drains an area of about 30,000 square miles. Table 2-4 summarizes the records for the monthly and annual flows at this location. During 1938-95, the annual flows averaged 671,633 acre-feet annually and ranged from 206,101 acre-feet in 1964 to 1.795,644 acre-feet in 1942. 2-7 r .~ C.- "\ .. ,,' . "..J_ " ,1-'- ~_-~ .