New Mexico Texas Water New Mexico Texas Water Commission Update for Commission Update for Good Neighbor Good Neighbor Environmental BoardEnvironmental Board

June 5 2002

Bobby Creel & John Burkstaller New Mexico Water Resources Institute / El Paso Water Utilities

History

• Formed as a means to settle ongoing legal battles over importing NM groundwater to El Paso

• Agreement signed in 1991 by Elephant Butte Irrigation District, New Mexico State University and El Paso Water Utilities

• University of Texas at El Paso, City of Las Cruces, Dona Ana County and El Paso County Water Improvement District #1 invited to participate

• Mission was to study surface municipal/industrial water supply development alternatives for the region

Population of the Dona Ana Population of the Dona Ana County/El Paso/Juarez County/El Paso/Juarez

Region is Dramatically IncreasingRegion is Dramatically Increasing

Year

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010 2030 2040

Cd. Juarez

City of El Paso

Dona Ana County

Total

Hueco Bolson Withdrawals and RechargeHueco Bolson Withdrawals and Recharge(1999, in acre-feet)(1999, in acre-feet)

Hueco Mts.

City of El Paso (EPWU)51,127

Fort Bliss4,713 Chaparral, NM

private wells1,075 (est.)

City of Juárez121,593Natural

Recharge5,640 (est.)

Fred HerveyPlant1,762

industrial& public

supplies, Texas 13,000 (est.)

brackish water

brackish water

Total Pumpage - 191,508Total Recharge - 7,4021999 Deficit - 184,106

fresh water

Previous Deficits 1998 : 181,6101997: 172,660

Franklin Mts.

Continued trends would exhaust the fresh Continued trends would exhaust the fresh ground water in the Hueco by 2025ground water in the Hueco by 2025

1990 2000 2010 2020 2030 20400

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Demand

Year

Su

pp

ly -

100

0 A

F/Y

R

Mesilla Basin

Rio Grande

Hueco Basin

Shortage

Alternative D

Leasburg Dam

SIERRA COUNTYDONA ANA COUNTY~

CIUDAD JUAREZMEXICO

U.S.A.American Dam

Upper Valley WTP (80 MGD)and Diversion Structure

Mesilla Dam

Canal WTP (40 MGD) J. Rogers WTP (80 MGD)

EL PASO

40 MGD to NW El Paso

Anthony WTP (16 MGD) and Diversion Structure

El Paso Aqueduct 40 MGD to NE El Paso

Caballo DamCaballo

Lake

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

ElephantButte Dam

Elephant Butte Lake

ASR

Rio Grande

Percha Dam

HATCH Hatch WTP (4.5 MGD )

and Diversion Structure

Las Cruces WTP (50 MGD ) and Diversion Structure

LAS CRUCES

International Dam

60,000 Acre-Ft/Yr

River Conveyance

with Anthony

and Upper Valley Plants

Del Rio Drain

Newmexus, West &Montoya Drains

East Drain

Rincon DrainHatch Drain

Garfield Drain

Recent History

• Record of Decision for Environmental Impact Statement issued February 2001

• Paso Del Norte Watershed Council established as vehicle for planning and monitoring effectiveness of environmental enhancements– Plant projects delayed by lack of immediate need and/or

acquisition of rights to use project water– Council starting to function as local watershed management

agency– Hired a staff coordinator– Starting a centralized quantity/quality GIS database including

real time data

Recent History (continued)

• BECC Funded Tri-Regional Plan attempting to address opportunities for joint water resource solutions with Mexico

• Concurrent Formation of Hewlett Foundation funded Paso Del Norte Task Force which includes Mexico

• Attempt to Coordinate Missions

Paso del Norte Water Task Force:• Majority of the maps available

for water planning in the Paso del Norte region whether produced by the US or Mexico, have the typical “blank” region on the other side of the border.

• This is also true for maps of Texas and New Mexico.

• In most cases the information is available, but the basic layers are at different spatial scale, resolution, and extent.

Project: Regional Geographic Information System to Support Water Planning in the Paso del Norte Region

Grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

Project period June 1, 2001 – May 31, 2002.

Cooperation of GIS professionals at three universities in the region.

John Kennedy - GIS Coordinator, Water Resources Research Institute, New Mexico State University.

Raed Aldouri - GIS Coordinator, Pan-American Center for Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso.

Alfredo Granados Olivas - Professor of Hydrology and GIS Coordinator, Centro de Información Geográfica, Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez.

The purpose of project is to develop a regional geographic The purpose of project is to develop a regional geographic information system (GIS) to support regional water planning in the information system (GIS) to support regional water planning in the Paso del Norte region.Paso del Norte region.

Deliverables from the project:

Acquire digital data useful to water planning activities and combine into a seamless map.

The information would be provided jointly by the participating entities from Internet websites as well as CDROM.

Digital GIS layers of framework basemap data themes.

Other themes useful for water planning would be incorporated.

Report & DataDownload at:http://wrri.nmsu.edu

New Mexico Water Resources Research InstituteNew Mexico State UniversityBox 30001, MSC 3167Las Cruces, NM 88003Phone: 505-646-4337