About the Socorro Division Schematic:
(date:9/28/2012)

This page is intended to provide information to the viewer about the current operation of 
the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District's (MRGCD) Socorro Division.  Before using, 
the viewer should be aware of the following:

1.  This is a schematic representation of major features of the Socorro division.  It 
illustrates how the MRGCD facilities and the Rio Grande are functionally related.  It is 
not a map, or a literal illustration of the system.  There are many lesser canals and drains 
which are not shown, and which in general are not measured.  

2.  These pages were designed primarily for water managers, and so assume some knowledge of
terms.  Flow is typically given in cubic feet per second (CFS).  Other parameters which 
may be reported are stage (HG) which is elevation of the water surface as referenced to 
some arbitrary point, or pool height (HP) which is the depth of the water above the bottom 
of the canal.

3.  Clicking the link to any of the data boxes will bring up a graph showing the data for 
that gauge over the past 20 days.  There will also be a tabular list of the same data to the
right of the graph.  Clicking on the name of the gauge will bring up a photo to give the 
viewer an idea of what that particular site actually looks like.  Clicking on the navigation
bar at the top of the page will allow the viewer to move to other division schematic pages, 
or to the ET Toolbox.  There is a wealth of data which may be found from the ET Toolbox 
page, including climate data, NEXRAD and satellite images, reference ET values, 
acreage/cropping patterns, and estimated water consumption for specific areas of the 
Rio Grande. 

4.  The data shown is near Real-time.  It is generated from electronic devices, operating 
in sometimes less than ideal conditions, and is transmitted and displayed without any 
human intervention.  While MRGCD strives to keep this equipment working correctly, all
data should be considered provisional, and subject to revision at a later date.  
Occasionally data may be missing or incorrect.

5.  This data is made available through a cooperative effort between the MRGCD and the 
US Bureau of Reclamation (BOR).

6.  Downloading and use of MRGCD data, identified by bright green boxes, is possible but 
discouraged due to the provisional status of the data.  MRGCD may be contacted to provide 
final data, though this may require some time.

7.  Data provided by other entities is also displayed here, color coded to identify the 
operator of that gauge.  USGS gauges are identified by yellow boxes, USBOR gauges are
orange, and those of the USFWS are mint green.  These respective agencies should be 
considered the source for acquisition of that data, and contacted for permission to use it.

8.  The MRGCD data collection system does not adjust for daylight savings time.  The time 
shown is Mountain Standard Time.  Since much of the irrigation season occurs during 
daylight savings time, the user should be prepared to add one hour for correction.  
For example, the reading for the Socorro Main Canal labeled as 14:00 MST is actually the
correct reading for 3:00 PM during daylight savings time.

9. The Socorro Division is the southernmost (downstream) end of the MRGCD system.  In 
general, it is a little younger than some other parts of the MRGCD, and is a little more 
logical in its arrangement.  It tends to serve larger farms, and is less urbanized than 
the Albuquerque and Socorro divisions.  The diversion point for the Socorro Division is
San Acacia Dam, but from a practical standpoint there is no new diversion at San Acacia.   
All water used by the Socorro Division has been in the MRGCD system at least once already 
before arriving at San Acacia.   

In addition to diversion at San Acacia, the Socorro Division receives flow directly from 
our canals in the Belen Division.  When Belen Division is operating normally, that source 
may provide up to 100% of Socorro Division water.  This water was diverted at Isleta dam 
and arrives via the Unit 7 Drain.  The Unit 7 Drain is a complex system of canal outfalls 
and collector drains which come together near the Bernardo area, and then travel south to 
San Acacia.  The Unit 7 Drain may directly enter the Socorro Main Canal.  When not needed 
(winter months) Unit 7 returns may be directed to the Rio Grande through a wasteway just
upstream of San Acacia Dam.

At San Acacia Dam, an automated Langemann gate controls the flow of water from the Rio 
Grande to the Socorro Main Canal.  Flow through this gate is measured directly and appears
as SNA02.  The total diversion at San Acacia (SNADV) should normally be equivalent to SNA02.
Flow in the Socorro Main Canal is measured just downstream of where the Unit 7 and the 
San Acacia diversion come together.  There is a large broad-crested weir in a concreted 
section of the canal at this point which provides a very precise measurement (SOCCN).  
Though they are all measured independently, the sum of UN7DR+SNADV should always be 
equivalent to SOCCN.  If there is any discrepancy it will most likely be due to gauge error
from the open channel measurement at UN7DR. 

The Socorro Main canal has 3 distinct segments; north, center, and south.  Water is recycled 
from each segment to provide the supply for the next segment.  This may be in the form of 
direct surface flows, or drain returns captured and directed back to the Socorro main canal. 
Unlike the other MRGCD divisions, Socorro Division is mostly isolated from the Rio Grande by
the presence of the Low Flow Conveyance Chanel (LFCC).  The MRGCD interacts with the LFCC, 
instead of the river itself.  Return flows go into the LFCC, and MRGCD may recover these 
flows into its system at 3 check structures along the LFCC.  The only exception to his is 
a small wasteway which discharges to the Brown arroyo, which in turn flows over the LFCC 
and into the Rio Grande. 

At the south end of the MRGCD Socorro Division, MRGCD tailwater is delivered onto the 
Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (BdA) owned and operated by the US Fish and 
Wildlife Service.  Every year, MRGCD delivers a large volume of water onto the BdA.  The 
BdA combines the flow from two MRGCD canals into a canal called Socorro Tailwater Inflow.
They also divert flow from the LFCC, combine it with flow from the Socorro Drain, and 
direct it to the Riverside Canal. The BdA uses this water for various purposes, including 
farming, bosque restoration, and ponds for waterfowl. Farther south BdA makes another 
diversion from the LFCC called the Low Flow South Inflow. Some of this water is left over, 
and eventually emerges from the south boundary of the refuge through the Langemann Outflow
and Southern Wetlands Outflow, eventually finding its way back to the Rio Grande via 
the LFCC.