WSP05248

• File Number: 8507
• Description: Rio Grande Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Date: 1/1/1935
• Title: Resume of the Problem Concerning the Rio Grande Above Fort Quitman/ Texas
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

voir, which Mr. Debler estimated at 233,000 acre ~eet in the year 1902

would have been increased to 392,000 acre ~eet, and the shortage of

192,000 acre ~eet, estimated by Mr. Debler in 1904, would have been in-

creased to 340,000 acre feet. ~r. Debler's studies do not extend beyond

December o~ the year 1922. However, the study was completed by the writer

to include August, 1934, the extension being made on the same basis as Mr.

Debler's original set-up. It may be noted that the estimated contents of

the reservoir o~ 1,034,000 acre feet, as o~ August, 1934, would have been

reduced to 757,000 acre ~eet by the proposed reservoir development on

the Rio Grande in Colorado.

Columns 9, 10 and 11 indicate the estimated operation o~ the

Elephant Butte Reservoir on the basis of Mr. Debler's studies, assuming
the proposed reservoir development on the Rio Grande in Colorado, and

additional drainage development sufficient to recover 50,000 acre feet

per year to the stream. Under these conditions, it may be noted that

the assumed shortage of 233,000 acre ~eet in 1902 would be reduced to

192,000 acre feet, and the assumed shortage o~ 192,000 acre feet in 1904

would be increased to 251,000 acre feet. Instead of a contents of

1,084,000 acre feet, estimated ~or August, 1934, the studies indicate

that the contents on the above assumption ~rould be 1,256,000 acre feeL~ r~:'~
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on that date.

It, therefore, is believed that the major reservoir develop_

ment necessary on the Rio Grande in the San Luis Valley could be made

without materially a~~ecting the water supply o~ the Elephant Butte Re-

servoir, and this is particularly true if drainage development were made

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