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Colorado

Impacts of Salinity on El Paso’s Surface Water Supply presented at the Annual Salinity Management and Desalination Summit December 8, 2003

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  1. Impacts of Salinity on El Paso’s Surface Water Supply presented at theAnnual Salinity Management and Desalination Summit December 8, 2003 Michael P. Fahy Planning and Development Manager

  2. Colorado Colorado New Mexico Taos Texas Rio Grande Santa Fe Albuquerque New Mexico Socorro United States Las Cruces El Paso Juarez Texas Mexico Ft. Quitman

  3. Rio Grande Project • Bureau of Reclamation Project (1916) • Extends from Elephant Butte Lake in New Mexico to Fort Quitman in Texas • 90,500 irrigated acres in New Mexico • Originally 69,010 irrigated areas in Texas • During full allocation years, Bureau delivers 931,841 AF at canal headings with Reservoir release of 790,000 AF

  4. Rio Grande Project (con’t) • Encroachment by urbanization in both states • Complex systems of diversion dams, canals, laterals and agricultural drains • Agricultural and municipal releases are made from March through September during full allotment years, shorter period during droughts

  5. Elephant Butte Reservoir Spillway Elev. Average Elev.

  6. History of Agricultural Drains • Project was originally constructed without drains • Drains were constructed in the 1930’s to improve drainage, mitigate saturated soil conditions, and generally improve crop production • Excavated between fields, 8 to 12 feet deep, variable width depending on flow capacity • All drains eventually discharge back into the river

  7. Leasburg Dam Rio Grande Las Cruces Picacho Drain I-10 Mesilla Dam Del Rio Drain La Mesa Drain East Drain Rio Grande Project Major Drains in Mesilla Valley River Points of Entry New Mexico Texas Montoya Drain Americn Dam El Paso

  8. Water System Elephant Butte NEW MEXICO TEXAS Anthony Rio Grande Vinton McCombs North-South Freeway Franklin Mts. Railroad Dr. Canutillo Transmountain Doniphan Dyer St. Military Reservation j Sunland Park Airport Montana Fort Bliss Mesa Dr. USA Zaragosa Yarbrough Ave. MEXICO Robertson/Umbenhauer Water Treatment Plant Americas Ciudad Juarez Jonathan Rogers Water Treatment Plant Alameda N Rio Grande

  9. Note: Average Individual Annual Drain Flows Range from 25 to 65 cfs

  10. Rio Grande Average Monthly TDS Concentrations at American Diversion Dam Under Current Conditions 1461 1461 1459 1313 1302 TDS Limit 1005 836 844 819 784 TDS (mg/L) 786 744 Month % Exceedance Ref: Boyle-Parsons Drain Mitigation Report to the NM-TX Water Commission (1998)

  11. Rio Grande Average Monthly Sulfate Concentrations at American Diversion Dam Under Current Conditions 478 478 478 427 430 331 Sulfate Limit 277 279 271 260 260 Sulfate (mg/L) 245 Month % Exceedance Ref: Boyle-Parsons Drain Mitigation Report to the NM-TX Water Commission (1998)

  12. El Paso’s Current Methods for Planning and Operation of Two Water Treatment Plants • Routine monitoring of water quality at canal diversions • Plants are shut down when sulfates near 300 ppm or TDS approaches 1000 ppm • Routine flow monitoring at upstream gauging stations • Regular communications with irrigation districts and Bureau of Reclamation regarding release orders and water quality

  13. El Paso’s Current Methods for Planning and Operation of Two Water Treatment Plants (con’t) • Conductivity meters have been installed in the Rio Grande and within four drains at the state line • Intent is to provide continuous, “real-time” water quality monitoring with approx. 1-day lead time to El Paso • EPWU provides financial support for the newly formed Paso del Norte Watershed Council with established goal of improving river water quality

  14. El Paso’s Current Methods for Planning and Operation of Two Water Treatment Plants (con’t) East Drain Rio Grande @ Anthony Bridge Newmexas Drain Anthony Drain West Drain EPWU/EBID Conductivity Probes

  15. Potential Longer-Term Techniques for Managing Salinity • Studies conducted as part of the Regional Sustainable Water Projects of the NM-TX Water Commission: • Retire agricultural land/manage saline lands • Treat drain flows • Dilute drain flows with ground water

  16. Potential Longer-Term Techniques for Managing Salinity (con’t) • Impound and release drain flows • Relocate point of discharge for critical drains • Relocate water plant diversion locations • Costs for some of these alternatives range from $1.0 million to more than $15.0 million • Most require approval by agencies with jurisdictional authority

  17. Questions ?

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