t
AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO ENTER INTO A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
b
WHEREAS, the Water Authority currently has previous annual allocations of San Juan Chama Project (SJCP) water stored in Abiquiu Reservoir (Stored Water) and has previously leased Stored Water to the United States for beneficial consumptive use within the State of New Mexico consistent with applicable State and Federal laws; and
WHEREAS, the Rio Grande silvery minnow has been listed as a Federal endangered species and can be found in a reach of the Rio Grande between Cochiti Dam and San Marcial, New Mexico, which is prone to critically low flows during the irrigation season lasting from March 1 through October 31 each year; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority has the right under Contract No. DACW47-86-C-0009 dated March 20, 1986 with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (Corps) to store up to 170,900 acre-feet in Abiquiu Reservoir and has the ability to sub-allot storage space to other parties subject to approval from the Corps; and
WHEREAS, Reclamation intends to use 3,000 acre-feet for enhancing flows on the Rio Grande to support Endangered Species and 2,000 acre-feet to store in the environmental conservation pool established in the "Settlement Agreement between Rio Grande Silvery Minnow v. Keys Plaintiffs, the City of Albuquerque and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority" (2005) in furtherance of a key conservation measure in Reclamation's 2016 Biological Opinion for Abiquiu Reservoir.
WHEREAS, at this time, drying is imminent within critical habitat reaches within the Middle Rio Grande, and the Water Authority and Reclamation are reacting, and acting upon this one-time lease of SJCP Water Authority Supplies in Abiquiu Reservoir;
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE WATER AUTHORITY THAT:
The Water Authority Board authorizes the Executive Director to negotiate and execute a lease contract with the Bureau of Reclamation for...
Click here for full text