U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation

English

University of New Mexico

University of New Mexico 
UNM Digital Repository 
Law of the Rio Chama The Utton Transboundary Resources Center 
4-2016 
2016 Annual Operating Plan 
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation 
Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama 
Recommended Citation 
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. "2016 Annual Operating Plan." (2016). 
https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama/57 
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sarahrk@unm.edu. 
2016 Annual Operating Plan
April 1 Runoff Forecast
Albuquerque District
Definitions
Native/Natural Rio Grande water:  Water that comes directly 
from the Rio Grande Basin
San Juan-Chama water:  Water that is imported into the Rio 
Grande Basin from the San Juan Basin through the San Juan-
Chama Project
Rio Grande Compact:  Agreement between the states of 
Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas that apportions Rio Grande 
water between the three states.
Article 7:  Section of the Rio Grande Compact that dictates 
storage in reservoirs.  If Rio Grande Project storage is less 
than 400,000 ac-ft at Elephant Butte and Caballo, no storage of 
Rio Grande water can take place at El Vado except to satisfy 
Native American needs or as part of the Emergency Drought 
Water Agreement.
Definitions (cont.)
cfs- cubic feet per second (roughly 7.5 gallons/second)
Acre foot - approximately 326,000 gallons or 43,560 cubic feet
Hydrograph – graph of flow rate per unit time
The District – Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District 
(MRGCD)
The City – City of Albuquerque now Albuquerque Bernalillo 
County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA)
NRCS – Natural Resources Conservation Service
Supplemental water – Water leased by Reclamation to meet 
flow targets specified in the 2003 Biological Opinion
P&P – Prior & Paramount 
What Drives the Process
Volume Forecast from the NRCS
Based on snowpack, soil moisture, climate forecast
Choose similar year based on similar volume
Actual hydrograph vs. average hydrograph
Can tweak timing of hydrograph to best match forecasted 
conditions (warm Spring vs. cool Spring)
Inflows/Outflows based on nature and policies
Article VII restrictions
Flood control and channel capacity
Timing of water deliveries
Demand curves from water users
Requirements of the 2003 Biological Opinion
Similar Year Hydrographs
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3/1 3/16 3/31 4/15 4/30 5/15 5/30 6/14 6/29 7/14 7/29
Rio Chama @ La Puente
2016
1956
2012
2003
2004
Mar-Jul Volume
1956: 117,279
2003:  143,907
2004:  145,170
2012:  119,740
Operated By:
Dams:
Reclamation Corps Water 
Supply Recreation
Flood 
Control
Sediment 
Control
HERON
EL VADO
ABIQUIU
NAMBE 
FALLS
GALISTEO
COCHITI
JEMEZ 
CANYON
ELEPHANT 
BUTTE
 
2015: The Year in Review
Heron Reservoir
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
Inflow Actual Inflow
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
Outflow Actual outflow
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000
160000
St
or
ag
e 
[a
c-
ft]
Storage Actual Storage
El Vado Reservoir
Abiquiu Reservoir
Cochiti Reservoir
Elephant Butte Reservoir
Current Snow Conditions
Rio Chama Snow Data
0
4
8
12
16
11
/2
/2
01
5
12
/2
/2
01
5
1/
2/
20
16
2/
2/
20
16
3/
2/
20
16
4/
2/
20
16
5/
2/
20
16
Sn
ow
 W
at
er
 E
qu
iv
al
en
t &
 P
re
ci
p 
(in
.) Chamita SNOTEL  2015-16
Elev. 8400'
15-16 SWE Data Avg. SWE 15-16 Precip. Avg. Precip.
Rio Chama Snow Data
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
11
/2
/2
01
5
12
/2
/2
01
5
1/
2/
20
16
2/
2/
20
16
3/
2/
20
16
4/
2/
20
16
5/
2/
20
16
Sn
ow
 W
at
er
 E
qu
iv
al
en
t &
 P
re
ci
p 
(in
.)
Cumbres SNOTEL Site 2015-16
Elev. 10,400'
15-16 SWE Data Avg. SWE 15-16 Precip. Avg. Precip.
Rio Chama Snow Comparison
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
11
/2
12
/2 1/
2
2/
2
3/
2
4/
2
5/
2
To
ta
l B
as
in
 S
W
E 
(in
ch
es
)
Rio Chama Basin
14-15
15-16
Average
Similar Snowpack Years
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
SW
E 
(in
)
2016 vs. Similar Years, and Average Rio Chama Snowpack Index
Average
2016
2007
2011
2012
1996
2013
2015
Runoff Volumes (ac-ft)
2007:  196,060
2011:  173,096
2015:  184,199
2012:  119,740
1996:  95,191
2013:  65,937
Rio Grande Snow Data
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
11
/2
/2
01
5
12
/2
/2
01
5
1/
2/
20
16
2/
2/
20
16
3/
2/
20
16
4/
2/
20
16
5/
2/
20
16
Sn
ow
 W
at
er
 E
qu
iv
al
en
t &
 P
re
ci
p 
(in
.) Upper Rio Grande SNOTEL  2015-16
Elev. 9,400'
'15-16 SWE data Avg. SWE '15-16 Precip. data Avg. Precip.
Rio Grande Snow Data
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
11
/2
/2
01
5
12
/2
/2
01
5
1/
2/
20
16
2/
2/
20
16
3/
2/
20
16
4/
2/
20
16
5/
2/
20
16
Sn
ow
 W
at
er
 E
qu
iv
al
en
t &
 P
re
ci
p 
(in
.)
Beartown SNOTEL  2015-16
Elev. 11,600'
'15-16 SWE data Avg. SWE '15-16 Precip. data Avg. Precip.
Sangre de Cristo Snow Data
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
11
/2
/2
01
5
11
/1
6/
20
15
11
/3
0/
20
15
12
/1
4/
20
15
12
/2
8/
20
15
1/
11
/2
01
6
1/
25
/2
01
6
2/
8/
20
16
2/
22
/2
01
6
3/
7/
20
16
3/
21
/2
01
6
4/
4/
20
16
4/
18
/2
01
6
5/
2/
20
16
5/
16
/2
01
6
Sn
ow
 W
at
er
 E
qu
iv
al
en
t &
 P
re
ci
p 
(in
.)
Gallegos Peak SNOTEL  2015-16
Elev. 9,800'
15-16 SWE data Avg. SWE 15-16 Precip. Avg. Precip.
Sangre de Cristo Snow Data
0
5
10
15
20
25
11
/2
/2
01
5
11
/1
6/
20
15
11
/3
0/
20
15
12
/1
4/
20
15
12
/2
8/
20
15
1/
11
/2
01
6
1/
25
/2
01
6
2/
8/
20
16
2/
22
/2
01
6
3/
7/
20
16
3/
21
/2
01
6
4/
4/
20
16
4/
18
/2
01
6
5/
2/
20
16
5/
16
/2
01
6
Sn
ow
 W
at
er
 E
qu
iv
al
en
t &
 P
re
ci
p 
(in
.)
Wesner Springs SNOTEL 2015-16
Elev. 11,120'
15-16 SWE data Avg. SWE 15-16 Precip. Avg. Precip.

Monsoon Season Temperature Outlook
Monsoon Season Precipitation Outlook
2016 Water Operations Modeling
March 2003 BiOp Flow Requirements – Dry Year
Cochiti
Central
Isleta
San Acacia
San Marcial
Nov 16 – June 15 June 16 – Nov 15
100 cfs
Major Assumptions
• April 1 50% most probable forecast
• Dry year target flow requirements
• Same monsoon conditions as forecast 
hydrograph year
• Storage occurs under the Emergency 
Drought Water Agreement for MRGCD
• Storage of water for Prior & Paramount 
lands
• Out of Article VII restrictions for several 
weeks, but back in late April
April Forecast Data
Most 
Probable 
Percent of 
Average
April 1 50% 
Probability 
Volume, ac-ft 
2015 2016 2016
Rio Grande nr Del Norte 58% 84% 435,000 
El Vado Reservoir Inflow 53% 60% 134,000
Rio Grande at Otowi 55% 60% 435,000
Nambe Reservoir Inflow 65% 71% 4,600
Jemez blw Jemez Dam 50% 44% 20,000
Rio Blanco @ Diversion 56% 76% 41,000
Navajo River @ Diversion 55% 75% 49,000
Heron Reservoir
Proposed 2016 Heron Operations
Storage Capacity=401,000 ac-ft
Reservoir will drop 8 feet from beginning of year to end
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
St
or
ag
e 
[a
c-
ft]
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 Heron Operations
Inflow
Outflow
Storage
El Vado Reservoir
Proposed 2016 El Vado Operations
El Vado Reservoir:
Lake Level:  47’ of fluctuation between May and Dec
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
St
or
ag
e 
[a
c-
ft]
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 El Vado Operations
Inflow
Outflow
Storage
ABIQUIU LAKE
Proposed 2016 Abiquiu Operations
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000
160000
180000
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
St
or
ag
e 
[a
c-
ft]
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 Abiquiu Operations
Inflow
Outflow
Storage
Estimated Hydrograph at Embudo
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 Flow at Embudo
COCHITI LAKE
Proposed 2016 Cochiti Operations
41000
42000
43000
44000
45000
46000
47000
48000
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
St
or
ag
e 
[a
c-
ft]
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 Cochiti Operations
Inflow
Outflow
Storage
Estimated Hydrograph at Central Ave.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 Flow at Central Ave Gage
Estimated Flow at San Acacia
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 Flow at San Acacia Gage
Proposed Elephant Butte Operations
Maximum Elevation = 4335.12’.  Minimum Elevation= 4298.21’
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
350000
400000
450000
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
St
or
ag
e 
[a
c-
ft]
Fl
ow
 [c
fs
]
2016 Elephant Butte Operations
Inflow
Outflow
Storage
Watershed and Infrastructure Protection
– Application to the WaterSMART Drought Response 
Program to fund the development of a Wildfire 
Emergency Response Plan for the SJC Project,
– Becoming a signatory to the Rio Grande Water Fund, 
a network of public, private, and non-profit partners 
that seeks to enhance the resilience of upland forests 
to the impacts of wildfires and post-fire debris flows 
through forest thinning and controlled burns.
– Participation in local watershed organizations that 
seek to prioritize resilience-building activities, such as 
those funded by the Rio Grande Water Fund.  
• Navajo-Blanco Resilience Project 
• San Juan-Chama Watershed Partnership
– Partnership with the Chama Peak Land Alliance to 
sponsor a VISTA Volunteer to perform community 
outreach and planning projects associated with efforts 
to build upland forest resilience in the San Juan and 
Chama watersheds.  A sequence of volunteers will be 
in this role for the next three years.
46
Reclamation has been taking steps to decrease the vulnerability of the San 
Juan-Chama Project and the watersheds that serve it, through:


2016 Annual Operating Plan

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2016 Annual Operating Plan

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