ALBUQUERQUE BERNALILLO COUNTY
WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY
BILL NO. R-21-28
RESOLUTION
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Authorizing the Approval and Continued Support of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamations Supplemental Water Program and Allowing Said Water to be Stored in the Water Authority’s Space in Abiquiu Reservoir at the Discretion of the Executive Director
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WHEREAS, the Water Authority has the right under Contract No. DACW47-86-C-0009, dated March 20, 1986, with the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to store up to 170,900 acre-feet and has the right to sub-allot storage space to other parties subject to approval from the Corps; and
WHEREAS, on August 24, 2016, the parties hereto executed an agreement under which the Water Authority provided to Reclamation up to 10,000 acre-feet of their contracted storage space in Abiquiu Reservoir; and
WHEREAS, the August 24, 2016 agreement and subsequent renewals of that agreement will expire in calendar year 2021; and
WHEREAS, Reclamation has the need for 10,000 acre-feet of storage space each year, beginning in October 2021 through September 30, 2035, in Abiquiu Reservoir as part of its Supplemental Water Program; and
WHEREAS, Reclamation is subject to the 2016 BO issued by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of December 28, 1973 (87 Stat. 884), particularly Section 1536 (a) (1) (16 U.S.C. §§ 1531-1543); and
WHEREAS, upstream conservation storage is a specific commitment under the 2016 BO to increase flexibility in water operations and for reducing negative impacts on species habitat; and
WHEREAS, in return for the ability to store Supplement Program Water in Abiquiu, USBR will provide one-year waivers for the Water Authority to store its San Juan-Chama water in Heron Reservoir for an additional Federal fiscal year as long as this agreement is in place; and
WHEREAS, while Reclamation and its 2016 BO partners seek permanent strategies for managing the existing limited water supply to meet the needs of the Middle Rio Grande water users, efforts need to be made to manage river flows to optimize minnow propagation and spawning as delineated in the 2016 BO.
HEREBY AUTHORIZES the Executive Director to act on behalf of the Water Authority to sign this agreement and subsequent agreements that the USBR provides for future requests for the storage of supplemental water.