News Release Archive

Pecos River to rise as irrigation release begins

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

For Release: April 20, 2018

FORT SUMNER, NM - Water levels on the Pecos River will rise in the coming days as the Bureau of Reclamation moves water downstream for the Carlsbad Irrigation District.

A block release from Sumner Reservoir will begin on Monday, April 23, 2018, at 8:00 am. The Carlsbad Irrigation District has called for approximately 10,000 acre-feet to be released from storage. The release rate is expected to be between 1,300 to 1,600 cubic feet per second, and it is expected to last three-and-a-half days. The block release is to reduce the storage volume of water in Lake Sumner to its permitted summer conservation storage.

The public is asked to use caution when working or playing in or near the Pecos anywhere between Santa Rosa Lake and Brantley Reservoir, which is located north of Carlsbad, through the summer as water levels could change significantly due to irrigation water movement, releases for endangered species or weather events.

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.