t
2019 Annual Operations Plan
b
Water Authority staff are prepared for a higher than average runoff and projected better than average monsoon season this water year. Surface water flows should allow the Water Authority to provide around 70 percent of its service area demand with San Juan-Chama (SJC) water between April 2019 and March 2020. Staff expects to be able to divert SJC to the DWP all year long, barring any unseen events and or short-term maintenance activities. Demand not met by surface water will be served with groundwater. The Water Authority also plans to operate its Large-Scale Aquifer Storage and Recovery project later this year. The amount of SJC to be stored during the AOP will be dependent on the timing and conditions of a permit from the OSE and NMED.
In addition to scheduling releases of its SJC water for DWP operations, the Water Authority will coordinate its SJC water releases to augment flows for recreational rafting on the Rio Chama. In drier years, the Water Authority adjusts operations to participate in a “spring pulse” to help with silvery minnow spawning. Due to the higher than average flows, flow enhancements are not expected to be needed this year. Water resource management strategy efforts were set forth in Water 2120 that anticipated years where the service area would experience high surface water flows, ensuring that the Water Authority could meet its customers demand with its diversified water resources portfolio.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.