Transcript Active Water Resource Management

Active Water Resource Management
in the Lower Rio Grande
TOOLS FOR A NEW ERA
IN WATER MANAGEMENT
presented by
Peggy Barroll, Hydrologist
New Mexico Office of the State Engineer
Lower Rio Grande Water Users Association
8/19/05
This Presentation
More details on the problem
 How will our draft regulations address this
problem
 The basis for administration

The Problem
Demand and use of water is increasing
 Groundwater use is increasing
 Junior Groundwater use impacts senior surface
water rights

Even Though EBID Irrigated Acreage
is Down…
Depletion of Water within EBID Has
Increased
EBID Consumption of Irrigation Water
CIR (crop) x Acreage(crop)
250000
200000
150000
EBID Cotton
EBID Other Forage
EBID Hay-Pasture
EBID Grain
100000
EBID Vegetables
EBID Alfalfa
EBID Pecans
50000
Year
1995
1992
1989
1986
1983
1980
1977
1974
1971
1968
1965
1962
1959
1956
0
1953
Acre-feet/year
EBID Misc
Alfalfa CIR
ramped up as
yields increase
from about 4
tons/acre to 7.5
tons/acre
With Additional Depletion
on Groundwater-only Lands
Lower Rio Grande: Consumption of Irrigation Water
CIR (crop) x Acreage(crop)
250000
200000
EBID Misc
150000
EBID Cotton
EBID Other Forage
EBID Hay-Pasture
EBID Grain
100000
EBID Vegetables
EBID Alfalfa
EBID Pecans
50000
Year
1995
1992
1989
1986
1983
1980
1977
1974
1971
1968
1965
1962
1959
1956
0
1953
Acre-feet/year
GW only
Alfalfa CIR
ramped up as
yields increase
from about 4
tons/acre to 7.5
tons/acre
Plus Increasing Municipal and
Industrial water use
The Facts We Must Deal With
Groundwater and surface water behave as single
resource
 State Engineer Reynolds did not declare state’s
jurisdiction over most of the LRG’s groundwater until
1980 and 1982
 Most pumping already established

The Facts We Must Deal With
Groundwater pumping has been increasing in the
LRG
 Groundwater pumping for irrigation use alone may
be as high as:
 50,000 -100,000 AFY in full project supply years
 200,000 - 300,000 (?) AFY in low project supply
years

Groundwater Pumping Dries up Drains
Total Drain Inflows to Rio Grande by Sub-Reach
NMSU Data set
300,000
Mesilla
280,000
Leasburg
260,000
Rincon
240,000
220,000
Interpolated
Data in 90's
180,000
160,000
140,000
120,000
100,000
80,000
60,000
40,000
20,000
Year
1995
1990
1985
1980
1975
1970
1965
1960
1955
1950
1945
1940
1935
0
1930
Acre-feet per year
200,000
Drain Flows are Part of the Water
Supply of the Rio Grande Project
Historically drain flows have added about 20% to
Project diversions
 When the drains are dry, the Rio Grande Project
water supply is reduced, and Project water
cannot be delivered efficiently
 Surface water rights associated with the Rio
Grande Project are senior in priority

This Effect has been Evident in
the Recent Drought
Groundwater pumping has been high during the
recent drought
 The drains have been dry
 The drains dried up rapidly, and have not yet
recovered.

To Address this Problem:
The State Engineer is Increasing
Regulation of Groundwater Use
Metering Order
 District Specific Regulations
 Enforcement against over diversion

In Addition, the District Specific
Regulations Will Include Priority
Administration

Junior groundwater rights will be curtailed in priority,
as necessary
 to protect the historical operations of the Rio
Grande Project
 to ensure protection of senior surface water
rights owners
The Regulations Depend on a Priority
Administration Target
This target has been set as the historical operating
efficiency of the Rio Grande Project since the 1950s
(the D2 curve)
 Once a new operating agreement is developed, and
is accepted by all parties, the State Engineer will
administer to that agreement

What is D2?
•D2 is a plot of Project Release vs.
Project Supply Using data from 19511978
•Project Release: Water released from
Caballo for the Rio Grande Project
•Project Supply: Divertible Water at River
Headings: includes
•release from Project Storage,
•return flows, and
•any useable inflows to the Rio Grande
Net Diversions (US + Mexico) AF
USBR D-2 Curve
1200000
1000000
Gross Diversions at Headings
931,840
800000
600000
Release at Caballo
763,840
400000
200000
0
0
- 200000
100000 200000 300000 400000 500000 600000 700000 800000 900000 100000
0
Release from Proj. Storage AF
D2 is an Efficiency Relationship


IN: Release from Reservoir
Storage
IN
OUT: Delivery at River
Headings or Project Supply
Efficiency: OUT / IN
 If it really were a pipe
Efficiency would be 100%

Out
Actual Project (River) Efficiency
IN

In good years, drain flows
come back in to the River,
and thus water is recycled.

Full Supply Year Efficiency:
120%
Actual Project (River) Efficiency

In bad years, drain flows dry
up, and water is lost to the
River conveyance losses.

Bad Supply Year Efficiency:
80 - 90%
IN
Losses
D2 Curve with All Data Through 1992:
Reflects Historical Operating Efficiency
D2 Plot
With Data 1940-1992
1,200,000
Project Supply
1,000,000
800,000
600,000
400,000
200,000
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
Reservoir Supply: Project Releases (acre-feet)
800,000
1,000,000
In Recent Years?

BOR has said that Project still operates
at close to D2 efficiency, except for
during the recent drought
How are we using D2 in our
Regulations?
Junior groundwater will be curtailed, if
necessary, to ensure that the Rio
Grande Project can operate at the level
of efficiency described by D2
 Under Depletion Limit Administration
this curtailment would be either
 Temporary, for critical years, or
 Long term if necessary

Why Administer to the Historical
Operating Condition?
Gives us a quantified target for surface
water delivery
 Documented in US BOR Rio Grande
Project Water Supply Allocation
Procedures
 It has been the basis of Rio Grande
Project operations for 50 years
 It is generally favorable to New Mexico

Priority Administration Will Not Be
Easy or Pleasant




Seniors get a full supply before juniors get
any
When determining who gets curtailed: only
seniority counts
 although the State Engineer will not curtail
essential domestic uses
Groundwater rights are generally junior
The burden imposed by shortages is not
shared
The State Engineer Prefers
Alternative Administration
Local water users agree on a workable
alternative solution
 For example
 Shortage sharing
 Reserve pools of water in reservoir
storage to ensure Project deliveries
 Other options

Your Comments & Ideas



End