I want to thank the City of Albuquerque and Mayor Chavez for the commitment, announced today, to provide Reclamation with storage space for 10,000 acre feet of water in Abiquiu Reservoir. I also want to recognize the Army Corps of Engineers, which has oversight of the reservoir, for supporting this agreement.

This leased water, which Reclamation has obtained from willing lessors, will be used to supplement river flows to meet the minimum requirements for the endangered silvery minnow. As a result of today’s agreement, Reclamation will now have greater flexibility to get the water to minnows when they need it.

This agreement will also help Reclamation manage the water for other uses, such as providing flows for rafters on the upper Chama when possible.

This river can be managed successfully only with the involvement and cooperation of all the citizens of the Middle Rio Grande Valley. Today’s agreement is the result of the excellent collaborative relationship we have with Mayor Chavez and the City of Albuquerque, enabling all of us to work to successfully protect an endangered species while balancing the needs of all the water users in the valley.