from the
Four Corners Construction Office

Reclamation celebrates major milestone for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project and Reclamation's 120th birthday

By Sterling Acree, Four Corners Construction Office and Upper Colorado Basin Public Affairs

On June 9, the NGWSP celebrated the acquisition of the San Juan Generating Station water conveyance system which was purchased from the Public Service Company of New Mexico for $8 million. The acquisition of the water conveyance system included a reservoir which was renamed the Frank Chee Willetto Reservoir during the ceremony.

Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton and New Mexico Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernandez joined Navajo Nation, State, and local leaders at an event celebrating the acquisition of the water system and the continued progress and collaboration on the NGWSP.

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"Water is crucial for the health, safety, and empowerment of Tribal communities. This is especially important within the Navajo Nation, as many residents are finally receiving water that has long been promised to them," said Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. "This acquisition continues the commitment and progress that the Interior Department and Reclamation have made towards the fulfillment of our trust responsibilities to the Navajo Nation and Jicarilla Apache Nation through the Navajo Nation Water Rights Settlement."

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"The acquisition of the Reservoir and Water Conveyance System is a major milestone, which will be a tremendous asset for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project," said Reclamation Four Corners Construction Office, Construction Engineer & Manager Bart Deming. "Its incorporation represents a significant cost savings to the project while also increasing operational flexibility and reducing operational risk by providing off-river storage, allowing increased drought resistance to support a sustainable water delivery system. The storage in this reservoir gives us the ability to shut down the river intake and continue water deliveries in the event of another Gold King Mine Spill, until river water quality improves."

During the ceremony, Reclamation and Navajo Nation leadership unveiled a new name for the former San Juan Generating Station Reservoir. The reservoir is now named after Frank Chee Willetto, a member of the Navajo Nation who proudly served as a Navajo Code Talker during World War II. Willetto also served on the Navajo Nation Council from 1974 to 1986 and held various other positions, including Navajo Nation Vice President from August 1998 to January 1999. Willetto remained active in his Tribal community and attended the signing of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which authorized the NGWSP, of which he was a huge proponent. He died in his home in Pueblo Pintado, New Mexico, on June 23, 2012, at the age of 87.

from the
Albuquerque Area Office

Water Swap authorized to help irrigators along the Rio Grande

By Upper Colorado Basin Public Affairs

Water managers signed an agreement in July to transfer up to 30,900 acre-feet of water stored in Abiquiu Reservoir for Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority to Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and Reclamation, making it available for immediate use. This will be exchanged with a corresponding amount of MRGCD and Reclamation-leased water currently held in Heron Reservoir further north.

The agreement between Reclamation, the Water Authority and the MRGCD to "swap water" was needed because of the inability to convey water downstream from Heron Reservoir due to construction activity at El Vado Dam, which water from Heron must move through on its way south.

Reclamation manages the reservoirs and other infrastructure associated with the San Juan-Chama Project, which provides surface water for use by New Mexico communities and water agencies. The Water Authority, which has plenty of additional water in Abiquiu for Albuquerque's use this year, will be able to access the exchanged water in Heron at a later date.

The ability to keep sending water downstream via this agreement is a huge benefit to irrigators, the riparian ecosystem and the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow.

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"Reclamation appreciates our continued partnership with the Water Authority and their willingness to problem-solve and partner on water management for the Middle Rio Grande," said Jennifer Faler, Area Manager for Reclamation's Albuquerque Area Office.

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This water exchange agreement is a good example of interagency cooperation in the Middle Rio Grande.

Modifications to El Vado Dam are being made to ensure the continued structural stability of the facility which provides irrigation water for the Middle Rio Grande Valley including six Pueblos. The first phase of construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. The second phase of construction, which includes replacement of the spillway and bridge next to the dam, is scheduled to begin in 2025. The highway over the dam will be closed during phase two of construction.

New Mexico water officials coordinate in response to low river flow, lack of rainfall

By Upper Colorado Basin Public Affairs

Reclamation officials from the Albuquerque Area Office joined water managers and fish biologists at the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District to prepare for possible river drying in the Albuquerque area and are also working to mitigate the effects on endangered silvery minnow. Middle Rio Grande water users were given notice to anticipate changes to water availability and delivery schedules starting in mid-August.

High temperatures and lack of rainfall have hindered the natural flow of the Rio Grande, critical to the delivery of irrigation water within the MRGCD and the riverine ecosystem. In response to higher-than-normal irrigation demand and lower than expected natural river flow, MRGCD began releasing water from the San Juan-Chama Project July 17. This release from upstream storage was needed earlier and at higher rates than anticipated. Approximately 40 percent of the current irrigation water supply is from SJCP storage releases, and the rest is from natural river flow, but MRGCD's SJCP water is projected to run out before August 23.

Once all the SJCP water is released, MRGCD will rely solely on the natural river flow to continue making irrigation deliveries through fall. In addition to extreme drought conditions over the past four years, other factors impacting upstream storage and the Rio Grande flow include rehabilitation work on El Vado Dam and New Mexico's Rio Grande Compact debit.

In addition to communicating with farmers and irrigators, Reclamation and MRGCD are working together to identify challenges facing wildlife in the Rio Grande.

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"Reclamation and our partners continue to coordinate closely to manage every drop of water for multiple purposes. In the last two decades, Reclamation has leased just under 500,000 acre-feet of water to supplement flows through the Middle Rio Grande for endangered and threatened species, which, at times, also increased inflow to Elephant Butte Reservoir," said Reclamation's Albuquerque Area Manager Jennifer Faler. "We remain committed to supporting agricultural and municipal uses while meeting Endangered Species Act requirements to support the Middle Rio Grande ecosystem. We continue to lease available water, but through this multi-decadal drought, our options are becoming increasingly more limited."

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Reclamation will release water to supplement Rio Grande flows in cooperation with the MRGCD and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to target specific areas of the river with known silvery minnow habitat and to manage the rate of anticipated river drying. The Service will be coordinating minnow rescue efforts as drying occurs.

from the
Power Office

Elephant Butte deluge valve replacement

By Larry Newberry, Mechanic – Elephant Butte Powerplant

Safety is an important part of our operations, and during a deluge functional test for fire suppression on the high voltage transformers at Elephant Butte Powerplant, employees found that the deluge valve would not open and needed to be replaced. A deluge system is a fixed fire protection system which floods an area with pressurized water through a system of piping with open nozzles and sprinklers.

An investigation of the system found the limit-torque deluge valve seized up and would need to be replaced. Market research was conducted to identify a new deluge valve and the Tyco DV-5 valve was found to meet NFPA requirements and provide reliable functionality for the critical fire suppression on K1 transformers.

The new valve required piping configuration and wiring changes and Plant Mechanic Larry Newberry completed all the work necessary before installation. The fire water isolation valve had to be rebuilt, the deluge valve outlet piping had to be shortened, and a new connection to a water line was built to provide higher-water pressure to hold the new deluge valve diaphragm closed.

Electronics Technician, Scott Stratton modified the control panel and re-configured the voltage for the deluge valve from 125 VDC to 24 VDC. This change will ensure communication to the differential relays and proper transformer protection, as well as notification in the control room.

A dry run was conducted that proved the modified control panel and valve would function as expected, but before doing a live run of the new equipment, all spray nozzles were removed and flushed, and hoses were installed on them so they would drain to the tailrace. The transformer fire suppression deluge system had not been tested in over 18 years and this effort proved valuable as the flush discharged dirty water for about 5 minutes.

The deluge lines were reconnected with the spray nozzles and a live test was conducted. This test not only provided spray coverage but tested the differential relay systems and notification functionality. The spray pattern observed provided confidence that the system would perform as needed during an actual fire.

Thank you to the team at Elephant Butte Powerplant for getting this important safety work completed!

from the
Provo Area Office

Provo Area Office's expertise helps grow recreational amenities throughout Utah State Parks

By Amee Andreason, Upper Colorado Basin Public Affairs

The Provo Area Office is helping build and restore campsites so quality amenities are available for enjoyable outdoor experiences. The office took part in several ribbon cuttings this summer to celebrate either the groundbreaking or completion of state campgrounds.

Red Fleet State Park recently had its groundbreaking to kick-off construction for a new renovation project. The Provo Area Office did the full redesign of this project which will consist of construction and renovation of the day-use areas, a complete redesign and reconstruction of the campground and managing construction until completion, slated for summer 2024. As the park's popularity has continued to increase, these renovations and improvements will accommodate more visitors comfortably and elevate guest experiences.

Rockport, Echo, and Deer Creek also finished their restoration projects this year and kicked-off the summer season opening the new areas to the public.

Echo State Park held a ribbon cutting in July for completion of phase II of the Echo State Recreation Project. The first phase was construction of the new Dry Hollow Campground (completed in 2020), and the second phase was updating the day-use area and marina. The Provo Area Office completed the National Environmental Policy Act process to assess the environmental considerations for planning, designing, and construction of this project. This project also required renegotiation of the 11-park agreement, which is the authority that allows state parks to occupy and manage recreation on Reclamation land, to add Echo State Park. Provo designed and managed construction for both the Dry Hollow Campground and the Red Rock Marina. The construction management was done in unison with Utah State Parks and the Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management who solicited the contract.

Rockport's new day-use area and Deer Creek's new addition of Fox Den campground are now open for the public. Both areas were designed by Meridian, hired by DFCM. The Provo Area Office provided expert advice and high-level input at construction meetings and offered liaison support for these projects.

Echo, Deer Creek, and Red Fleet were part of cost-share agreements which allowed Reclamation to provide Federal funds. Rockport was almost entirely state funded.

Check out the Echo State Park video for full updates.

A bigger Big Sandy

By Becki Bryant, Upper Colorado Basin Public Affairs

Big Sandy Reservoir is now bigger, with a higher crest constructed just in time to capture this past spring's remarkable runoff.

The construction project, which started in October 2021, included raising the crest of the spillway at Big Sandy Dam by 5 feet, excavating and rehabilitating existing dam and dike embankments, modifying the outlet works, toe drain, filter trench and feeder canal, and installing a cement-bentonite cutoff wall.

The work reached substantial completion in August 2023, increasing the reservoir's total storage capacity to 52,300 acre-feet – an increase of 13,700 feet. The additional storage will improve the operation of the reservoir, allowing for more consistent water deliveries throughout the irrigation season.

"The increased storage capacity allows the reservoir to capture more spring runoff, providing additional carryover water from wet to dry years and more irrigation water to extend the irrigation season," said Paul Christensen, Deputy Area Manager of Reclamation's Provo Area Office.

During peak runoff in June, Big Sandy Reservoir rose almost 1 foot per day – two times the average. The high inflows exceeded the reservoir's capacity, forcing water over the newly constructed higher spillway for a few days.

"Construction stayed on track – even finished a few months ahead of schedule – and because of that, we were able to capitalize on the spring's heavy runoff, capturing more of that water than we could have in years past because of the higher crest," said Spencer Strand, civil engineer with Reclamation's Provo Area Office.

Currently, the water level in Big Sandy reservoir is approximately 20 feet higher than this time last year and is storing nearly 39,000 acre-feet – that's just over its previous total storage capacity of 38,600 acre-feet with the lower crest.

"The modifications to the feeder canal and headworks support greater flexibility and efficiency in delivering and storing excess water," said Strand.

Big Sandy Dam is a major storage facility of the Eden Project. The Big Sandy dam, dike and reservoir are located on Big Sandy Creek, approximately 45 miles northwest of Rock Springs and approximately 10 miles north of Farson, Wyoming. The reservoir provides storage for irrigation, flood control and recreation. It is typically operated to maintain as much storage as possible for irrigation use. Irrigation flows are released directly into the Means Canal for irrigation of Eden Project lands. A larger reservoir and improved infrastructure will help meet a portion of the existing irrigation demand and help secure the water supply in the Farson/Eden areas.

The Wyoming Water Development Commission proposed the construction project to Reclamation. Reclamation's Provo Area Office, with help from the Technical Service Center, provided most of the project support including the risk analysis, value planning study and development of appraisal level design alternatives needed for the environmental assessment required by the National Environmental Policy Act. Once the project was approved, the Provo Area Office executed contracting and scheduling and oversaw engineering design and construction.

"It's good to get to the finish line on a project like this that provides great benefits to the water users in the area," said Christensen. "The Provo Area Office did an excellent job keeping work on schedule, ensuring we didn't miss the opportunity to capture and store additional water. To have Big Sandy Reservoir sitting at 79% capacity this late in the irrigation season is a positive position to be in and provides greater water security for those that depend on Big Sandy Reservoir for their water needs."

from the
Western Colorado Area Office

Navajo Reservoir Spring 2023 Releases

By Justyn Liff, Western Colorado Public Affairs

High snowpack in the San Juan River Basin last spring led to an above-average inflow into Navajo Reservoir located on the New Mexico/Colorado border, which allowed for an extended high flow release from Navajo Dam in late May and early June.

The purpose of the spring high flow release is to remove excess sediment that has accumulated during regular flows and to improve the habitat and wetland areas for the endangered Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker.

Release schedules and quantities from Navajo Reservoir through Navajo Dam are determined by the Record of Decision for Navajo Reservoir Operations that specifies different volume releases based on the reservoir inflow forecast and storage levels. Once the release volume has been determined, Reclamation coordinates the timing and length of target releases with the San Juan River Recovery Implementation Program (SJRIP) and interested stakeholders.

This year's above average hydrology led to a release that peaked for 23 days and achieved three of the four main flow targets set by the SJRIP. The flow targets are both by flow and duration and are measured at the USGS San Juan River at Four Corners gauge.

"It is important to consider a wide range of outcomes when modeling for the water year, so you are prepared when final numbers come in and you have an operating plan for the actual inflow," said Susan Behery, hydraulic engineer for the Western Colorado Area Office, who models and plans for the estimated inflow into the reservoir.

High flow releases are dependent on weather, inflows and on-the-ground conditions; it takes a lot of coordination and flexibility to set the schedule. Because operations are always subject to changes, the schedule is coordinated daily with local, state, and federal agencies to ensure objectives are met in a safe manner.

"Coordinating operations across three states (Colorado, New Mexico and Utah) is complex and involves daily discussions with upwards of 50 emergency managers, stakeholders, city officials, weather forecasters and more," said Ed Warner, Western Colorado Area Office, Area Manager. "Reclamation's priority is safety during high flow releases."

Spring 2023 releases ramped up slowly staring on May 12, with a goal of peaking at 5,000 cubic-feet-per-second (cfs) for approximately 21 days before ramping back down. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC), who have a 10-year agreement with the Jicarilla Apache Nation to lease up to 20,000 acre-feet of water per year, requested that 15,000 acre-feet be added as additional days to the peak release. This brought the total number of planned days at peak to 23.

Navajo releases ended up peaking at 4,600 cfs on May 30, just shy of the maximum release of 5,000 cfs, due to highwater concerns caused by sediment and changes to the river channel since the last spring release. The release remained at peak until June 15, and ramp down was completed by June 26. Three of the four critical habitat reach flow targets were met and the reservoir filled in a slow and safe manner to 81% full, which is significant after several years of drought.

"This year's spring release from Navajo Reservoir was successful in providing flood control at Navajo Dam and channel maintenance downstream of the dam, and it achieved all possible flow goals in the critical habitat for endangered fish given the hydrology available," said Warner.

In case you missed it:

• Removing invasive predatory fish from the Colorado River Slough at Glen Canyon:

  In late August, National Park Service deployed the EPA-approved fish piscicide rotenone (Prenfish) to kill invasive, predatory smallmouth bass and green sunfish. To facilitate the treatment, Reclamation held Glen Canyon Dam releases at approximately 10,500 cubic feet per second for three days (72 hours, from noon August 25 through noon August 28). Read the full story: National Park Service Taking Action to Remove Invasive Predatory Fish from the Colorado River Slough at Glen Canyon

• Socorro Field Division recipient of two Commissioner's Safety Awards:

  Reclamation's Commissioner presents safety awards in several categories. This year, the Socorro Field Division within the Albuquerque Area Office was named the recipient of two out of four of these important awards for their work in 2022: The Commissioner's Organization Award for Safety Excellence and The Commissioner's Individual Award for Safety Excellence to Brian Skornia, Construction Control Representative & Collateral Duty Safety Specialist in SFD. Reclamation reiterates commitment to safety, honors annual safety award winners

• Drought Contingency Planning funding:

  The Department of the Interior recently announced $50 million over the next five years to improve key water infrastructure and enhance drought-related data collection across the Upper Colorado River Basin. Reclamation is making an initial $8.7 million investment in fiscal year 2023 to support drought mitigation efforts in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming that will help ensure compliance with interstate water compact obligations, maintain the ability to generate hydropower at Glen Canyon Dam, and minimize adverse effects to resources and infrastructure in the Upper Basin. Read the full story: Biden-Harris Administration Announces $50 Million to Enhance Key Water Infrastructure in the Upper Colorado River Basin Through President's Investing in America Agenda

• Former Reclamation Deputy Commissioner Michael Brain named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science:

  Michael Brain served as Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation since March 2022. In this role, he oversaw the agency's media relations, internal communications and congressional relations programs to increase awareness and understanding of Reclamation's mission priorities, policies and programs Read more: Michael Brain Named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science

Reclamation Celebrates 120 Years

The Bureau of Reclamation was established June 17, 1902, and this past year celebrated its 120th anniversary with events held in our five Regions, and at our Denver Offices.