Upper Rio Grande Basin: Finding Flexibility in Federal Reservoir System Operations Within the Web of Water Laws, Policies, and Institutions

Authors

Gail Stockton
William DeRagon
Lisa Robert

Publication Date

2001

Document Type

Article

Abstract

An intricate structure of water laws, policies and institutions in the upper Rio Grande basin provides the framework for operation of nearly a dozen federal reservoirs and related projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. These two agencies are responsible, respectively, for controlling and safely passing flood flows, and for storing and releasing water for agricultural, municipal / industrial use and other uses. The institutions encountered or affected by the Rio Grande as it flows from its headwaters in Colorado to Fort Quitman, Texas, include two counties, as many local governments and a myriad of acequias and irrigation districts. Associated directly with storing and releasing river water in the upper Rio Grande basin are an international treaty with Mexico, an interstate compact among Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, more than a dozen federal water project authorizations, water laws, and state and tribal water quality standards. Adding to this tangle are about three dozen or so other and cultural resources, and to protect the rights of Native Americans. Through ongoing collaborative and cooperative efforts, including the Upper Rio Grande Water Operations Model, the Upper Rio Grande Basin Water Operations Review, and others, some flexibilities in operation are being identified, providing a critical step in developing water management solutions.

Recommended Citation

Stockton, Gail; William DeRagon; and Lisa Robert. "Upper Rio Grande Basin: Finding Flexibility in Federal Reservoir System Operations Within the Web of Water Laws, Policies, and Institutions." (2001). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/uc_rio_chama/34