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<br />10
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<br />0011rJ7
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<br />:) D'e'(ember19~5 The Compact Commissi~H'"
<br />, m,eE!hJ wit~ the National Resources Commit~
<br />tee to discuss mutual studies and the need'
<br />: f0t additional hydrologic and water use data
<br />;,'?~lli1~'upper Rio ,Grande. J:.. resolut,ionis
<br />t",adi:)pted by the Commission requestingfcd~
<br />,,'~'ralil5sistan<:e in undertaking a Joint loves.'
<br />,_ligation.
<br />
<br />! ,May1936 ,A special inaste,r is appointed by
<br />the,SJlpreme Court to hear the case of Texas
<br />,,'v.,Nem Mexico filed in th~ previous October.
<br />I.. .. ....'
<br />~,June1937 The National Resolln:es',Com;;
<br />~ xgitte'J:! d,elivers its.nnal reportbfth~:1oint
<br />I InVt;'sti1?fion to th~ ::tates,:'", .,. <{.
<br />!-S_eptentl:!er-Pe~!~ber 1937 T,he Cornm,is-
<br />1,s,ion meet~ to review..t,pe Jojn~_Investigation
<br />(+eporL.A technl"al co!!,mittee reyiew$ the
<br />,~,_engirwer,jo_gaspectsof possible solutions
<br />';\ ~ndissu~~a report with recommend~tio:ns
<br />',j {orc6mpac,t provjsl~ns.;,. , "
<br />1 Marcl1. 3,1938The,Ri~ Grande Compact
<br />'j' Commis?ione~s;,~fter revie1Nlng :the techni~
<br />- ,cal, report, meet toJinalit.e compact pro~
<br />~ visions. "
<br />f ,'.~:~ ~~
<br />~',Ma~ch 18, 1938 'The ~io Grande C()mpact
<br />.l,t;;orI'nnission aPPloves f\ compact :aUocating
<br />, ,the,,\\'atersoftheupperRio Grande. '-
<br />
<br />, !lr;
<br />\ 11-fErosr,<::qMPAp' pERIOD
<br />
<br />',,:', ',,' ~"
<br />~bmary 2],,1939~.,~ol()rado_approves the
<br />r~rOposed comp~~:. ,~ ,'~ .-
<br />,~ Maic~,1, 1939, ,,Ne_\v Mexico andT~s
<br />; '~pptp.ve,the proposed corrlpact.' ,,,
<br />'-~aY~1~1939,_,fres'{~entR.~osevelt signs the,
<br />cpmpactfollowing Congressional ratifica-
<br />tioIlea.rlier in th~ daY'i} , ,"
<br />October 1939 The, Supreme CQUI't dis~
<br />~ -"mi~:~~'the caseof~asv;New Mexico in
<br />;,ll,ght of the agreement,E;mbodied irdh~
<br />:; ',c~P'p~ct. " ~, ~" '.'
<br />~,Det':e.mber 1939 c:The_CoIl1)11issiort"a:4opts
<br />~ "niIe$'~nd regulations for administermg the
<br />..'corrlpact.
<br />~'J!ln'U<tty1940 'Thecomp~ct's deiivery
<br />i' "schedule and requirements take ~ffect;
<br />" " <I
<br />~$pring'1942 Elephant Butte and Caballo
<br />r';l~eivo'irs are fill~~,,~o ~apacitY'and spill.
<br />~"Febr:uary ~48, At iisannual meetin~ ~he
<br />~ -,C()n~.rni~Si'6nmodifie's New'Mexico'sdeliv~
<br />;,ery, sChe4ule, ~ovitlg th,e gaging statio~ ~
<br />~,fnJU1San l'1<!rdaI _~?\~flo~v ElephantButte;_
<br />1948, The"Middlfi,gio. Gra~de Project is:
<br />authorized by,Congress for-additional flood
<br />~'mttr:ol"storage, charlnel rectiOcation, rt?-
<br />;\st(}ratlon of irrigation works, a1,'d other,;
<br />1eI~ortsabov~ Elephant Bu_~~e.
<br />1951, ;New Mexicdsaccrocd waterdebit
<br />1 :u~det the compact reaches 331.000 at
<br />! Odoper 1951 lexadiles suifin the
<br />1 :-Sup[e,me Court ~ga:ir\st New Mexico and th~;
<br />jMiddle:Rio Grande Conservancy District,
<br />j ,:ch~rging ,violation o{ the compact and
<br />l,requestingenj?inderpf di"f.!TSions until the
<br />! al::\:rued Water debit is reduced to 200,000 af:'
<br />11952, Coloradds a~ed water debit
<br />e)(ce,eds its 100..00 af ceiling.
<br />1'956 The N'ew Mexiso State Engineer
<br />1 ~~ssuntc:rsjurisdiction bver groundwater use
<br />'~.in ~l1e Riq Grande Valley in order,to protect
<br />f,'l'lujac_e rights as well as to facilitate the
<br />stattfs'ability t~,iJ1e,et compact ob~igations,
<br />~
<br />
<br />orado was removed shortly there~
<br />after, and Valley water users began
<br />assessing ways in which to use
<br />Platoro Reservoir and other water
<br />management tools with more flexibil~
<br />ity, The spill at Elephant Butte was
<br />
<br />.,:,
<br />
<br />also celebrated in New Mexico where
<br />that state's accrued debit had likewise
<br />constrained post.compact reservoir
<br />operations and management
<br />strategies.
<br />
<br />"
<br />
<br />PART II: THE NEW MEXICO REACH
<br />ABOVE ELEPHANT BUTTE
<br />
<br />SUMMARY OF THE
<br />PHYSICAL SETTING
<br />
<br />~
<br />
<br />1. THE MAINSTEM IN NORTHERN NEW
<br />MEXICO: The Rio Grande cascades
<br />into New Mexico from Colorado deep
<br />within a steep canyon. The difficult
<br />terrain makes irrigation canals and
<br />other diversions along this stretch of
<br />the river impractical. The river, there-
<br />fore, flows relatively undiminished
<br />through its first 70 miles in northern
<br />New Mexico, gaining in size from
<br />tributary inflow and from ground
<br />water that emerges into its bed.
<br />
<br />Even though little water is diverted,
<br />the Rio Grande is intensively used in
<br />this reach. Rafters, sightseers, and
<br />others who appreciate free flowing
<br />water find this stretch of significant
<br />value. Because of its increasing
<br />popularity and importance, Congress
<br />designated a 48~mile segment of the
<br />Rio Grande in northern New Mexico
<br />a Wild and Scenic River in 1968.
<br />
<br />As the river emerges from its canyon
<br />north of Espanola, irrigators are quick
<br />to take advantage of its flow, Major
<br />ditches run from the mains tern of the
<br />river, and diversion dams span its
<br />course. These rock and brush dams,
<br />recently replaced with permanent
<br />structures by the Bureau of Reclama-
<br />tion, are only a few feet high but effi.
<br />ciently divert the river's flow into irri-
<br />gation canal headgates,
<br />
<br />Irrigation also takes place along the
<br />tributaries of the Rio Grande in
<br />northern New Mexico. Pueblo Indian
<br />crops have been irrigated in this area
<br />for centuries and acequia associations
<br />have operated for many decades as
<br />well. More recently, municipalities,
<br />ranchers, miners, and other new set-
<br />
<br />tIers have tapped the tributary waters
<br />of the Rio Grande. As a consequence
<br />of this increased use, water quality
<br />problems and concerns over limited
<br />supplies have arisen along local tribu-
<br />taries.
<br />
<br />2. RIO CHAMA: As the Rio Grande
<br />enters Espanola, it is joined by the
<br />Rio Chama. This flow from the nerth~
<br />west originates in part from the natu-
<br />ral runoff of the Rio Chama water-
<br />shed and in part from water imported
<br />from the San Juan River basin. A
<br />series of diversions and tunnels, built
<br />with federal funds by the Bureau of
<br />Reclamation as part of the San Juan~
<br />Chama Project, diverts water from
<br />the San Juan tributaries and trans~
<br />ports it through the Continental
<br />Divide to Heron Reservoir.
<br />
<br />Water released from Heron Reservoir
<br />enters the Rio Cham a riverbed and
<br />soon flows into EI Vade Reservoir. El
<br />Vado Dam was buill by the Middle
<br />Rio Grande Conservancy District to
<br />store spring runoff and supplement
<br />the supply of District irrigators.
<br />Releases from El Vado enter a prime
<br />recreational stretch of the Rio
<br />Chama-a reach designated by the
<br />New Mexico legislature as a Scenic
<br />and Pastoral River. This run empties
<br />into Abiquiu Reservoir; then the river
<br />flows 35 miles before joining the Rio
<br />Grande at Espanola,
<br />
<br />,
<br />
<br />3. THE MIDDLE NEW MEXICO REACH:
<br />The Rio Grande journeys for more
<br />than 200 miles from Espanola before
<br />reaching Elephant Butte Reservoir, In
<br />this middle reach, the river is highly
<br />regulated, controlled, and gaged,
<br />with the first flow measurements
<br />made at Otowi Bridge near Espanola.
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