The
winter of 2005-2006 was one of the driest on record in the desert southwest.
With little or no snowpack in the watersheds of the Rio Grande, a seriously inadequate runoff is
expected. How willl New Mexico’s
most populated region fare in the year ahead? What governs the sharing of scarce
water in a time of crippling drought?
On Wednesday, April
26, 2006, the Middle Rio Grande Water Assembly,
the University of New Mexico Water Resources Program and the New Mexico
Water Dialogue sponsored a free public forum on the Rio Grande Compact, the
interstate agreement that determines the amount of river water that Colorado, New Mexico and
Texas will
receive over the coming months.
New Mexico is party to eight interstate compacts that govern surface water flowing across
its borders. One of those agreements, the Rio Grande Compact, guarantees a
portion of the annual flow of the Rio Grande to Colorado, New Mexico,
and Texas,
and establishes a limit on the amount of water we may use in the middle basin.
The Interstate Stream Commission, which oversees New Mexico’s compact
compliance, is ultimately responsible for the distribution of a very limited
water supply to a myriad of middle basin water users, with consideration for a
host of federal, state and local mandates. How will that huge task be
accomplished in 2006? Featured speakers include Estevan López, Director of the
Interstate Stream Commission, who will offer an overall outline of Compact
issues (link
to presentation), and ISC Rio Grande Basin Manager Rolf Schmidt Petersen, will address
the specific requirements for 2006 (link
to presentation). Through
questions and public discussion, learn why the Rio Grande Compact is important to you,
and how this year’s drought-driven decisions affect all basin residents.
link
to introduction by Elaine
Hebard
(266 kb)
link
to presentation by Rolf
Schmidt Petersen
(964 kb)
link
to presentation by Kevin
Flanigan
(904 kb)
Flyer
for Rio Grande Compact Forum
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