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Approving Supplemental Agreement for INTERA to Continue Work on Water Budget Model and Support for Update to Water Resources Management Strategy
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The Water Authority is in the midst of performing the decade (2017) update to the Water Resources Management Strategy (WRMS). The update is based on principles first articulated in the 1997 WRMS, and subsequently brought forward and augmented by the 2007 WRMS update. The current update builds upon and adds to previous WRMS strategies by focusing on ongoing replenishment of the aquifer coupled with a long-term plan for ensuring groundwater sustainability. In addition, the 2017 WRMS update seeks to extend the planning horizon 100 years into the future, while at the same time contemplating the potential effects of climate change to water resources in the region.
An extensive amount of work has been completed over the last five years in support of the 2017 WRMS update by the Project Team, which consists of senior Water Authority staff, INTERA, and several other consultants. The Water Authority is in the process of developing a water budget model for simulation and planning of various supply and demand scenarios, in support of future water planning.
The Water Authority convened a Scientific Task Force (Task Force) to review and evaluate the development of the model. The Task Force consisted of representatives from the Corps of Engineers, the US Bureau of Reclamation, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and active and retired academic experts from the University of New Mexico. The Task Force included technical experts from a variety of fields including climate change, systems modeling, surface-water modeling, groundwater modeling, habitat management, river management, and economics. The Task Force provided feedback and comments in updating the model. The updates requested have been completed and the Project Team continues to update the water budget model on a regul...
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