From the Valley Courier:
Wet weather is swelling the streams, and it is making all the difference. The latest reports from the Division III Engineer’s Office show a gain in the Valley’s stream flows and aquifer, a result of the high precipitation the early autumn season brought the region. The Rio Grande’s projected annual index supply as of Oct. 8 is 450,000 acre-feet , which is 150,000 acre-feet more than forecasts predicted, according to the reports. The increase, however, creates a higher demand on the Rio Grande Compact, up to 25 percent, requiring Colorado to deliver a total of 112,000 acre-feet from the river. This month, the Rio Grande’s estimated to see a 47,700 acre-foot stream flow and a 31,000 acre-foot stream flow in November and December combined, according to the reports.
Curtailments are at 18-percent, three times what they were previously because of the flow increase.
Daily flows have stabilized at about 900 acre-feet at the Rio Grande at Del Norte, having dropped in the last few weeks, according to the reports. For the time of year, daily averages are usually 500 acre-feet.The Rio Grande obligations include sending 8,600 acre-feet downstream this month and an additional estimated 29,700 acre-feet by the end of the year, which is ultimately expected to under deliver 3,000 acre-feet from the Rio Grande, according to the report. The remaining Closed Basin Project share is 1,900 acre-feet , and its allocation is 100 percent.
“We are delivering water to the river,” said Rio Grande Water Conservation District Manger (RGWCD ) Steve Vandiver during the RGWCD quarterly board meeting on Tuesday. “We are meeting our obligations.”
The Conejos River looks like it will over deliver 7,000 acre-feet downstream to satisfy its Rio Grande Compact obligations, according to the reports. Its total obligation is 20,000 acre-feet, which it will easily meet since the river has a 27,000 acre-foot delivery credit. Estimates show the Conejos River will flow at 7,400 acre-feet this month, and at 7,700 acre-feet in November and December combined. There have been zero curtailments on the Conejos River this year, according to the reports. The obligations, however, could change depending on when Division III Engineer Craig Cotten sets the irrigation shut off date. Right now, he said during the meeting, he is considering Nov. 1, but he has yet to consult with the producers and consider their needs and understanding of the current water condition.
RGWCD confined aquifer monitoring reports show gains in several Valley test wells. Two wells in Alamosa County have increased 1.32 and 4.36 feet since 2012, and two Saguache County wells have increased .63 and 3.47 feet, according to the report. The 12 other test wells showed less promise. The highest decline is in Conejos County, minus 16.8 feet, and the lowest in Alamosa County, minus .06 feet. The average difference is minus 2.43 feet, according to the report.
“Rain and a lack of pumping is helping with significant recharge,” Vandiver said. “It is increasing the aquifer levels. The monitoring wells showed a nice response. It did what it should in these conditions.”