News Release Archive

Irrigation to Begin on Rio Grande Project

Media Contact: Mary Carlson, (505)462-3576, mcarlson@usbr.gov

For Release: March 17, 2016

Elephant Butte, N.M. – The irrigation season is set to begin on the Rio Grande Project in southern New Mexico.

Releases from Elephant Butte Reservoir will begin on Monday March 21 to move the water to Caballo Reservoir in preparation for irrigation. The initial release from Elephant Butte will begin at 8 a.m. and will go up to 600 cubic feet per second that day. The release rate will double on March 25. The release from Caballo Dam will begin March 26 at 550 cubic feet per second.

The dry riverbeds below both reservoirs will take on water quickly and the water will begin to flow downstream. The public is asked to stay out of the river channels for their safety. Flows will fluctuate according to the downstream irrigation demands.

The Rio Grande Project is used to irrigate lands in the Elephant Butte Irrigation District in southern New Mexico and in the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 in far west Texas. The Rio Grande Project also supplies water to Mexico in accordance with 1906 international treaty. In addition, water from the project is used for municipal and Industrial purposes by the city of El Paso, Texas.

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