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Resource Agencies Release Annual Operating Plan for Rio Grande
Media Contact:
Reclamation: Mary Perea Carlson, (505) 462-3576, mperea@uc.usbr.gov
Army Corps of Engineers: Bruce R. Hill
For Release: April 18, 2006
The Bureau of Reclamation's Albuquerque Area Office and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today released their Annual Operating Plan (AOP) for the Rio Grande.
As detailed in the AOP, the agencies expect to have sufficient supplies available for the irrigation season and to meet the flow requirements mandated in the Biological Opinion that aid in the recovery of the Rio Grande silvery minnow. However, they expect to fully use supplemental water supplies.
The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District expects to have a full irrigation season.
The state again entered Article VII restrictions under the Rio Grande Compact last week. The compact restricts storage of water in reservoirs above Elephant Butte that were built after 1929 including El Vado Reservoir when the combined level of usable project storage water in Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs falls below 400,000 acre-feet. An acre-foot is enough water to meet the annual needs of two U.S. households or 326,000 gallons. Reclamation expects to remain under the Article VII restrictions through the summer.
The April forecast data released by the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows snow pack levels throughout northern New Mexico to be below average. The inflow at El Vado Reservoir is expected to be about 91,000 acre-feet of water or 38 percent of average. The inflow at Heron Reservoir is expected to be about 58,000 acre-feet or about 44 percent of average.
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