Project details - Rio Grande Project

Full Irrigation Service	159,942 acres
Supplemental Service	18,342 acres
Temporary Irrigation Service	0 acres
Number of Irrigated Farms	4,334
Residential, Commercial, Industrial Lands	18,273 acres
Total Irrigable Lands	196,557 acres

Population Served:

Farm Population Served	27,907
Non-Farm Population Served	538,273
Total Population Served	566,180

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Area Irrigated and Crop Value

Year	Actual Area Irrigated (Acres)	Crop Value (Dollars)
1983	135,934	150,879,263
1984	140,941	125,048,693
1985	139,182	153,358,760
1986	138,591	144,967,409
1987	140,068	153,701,514
1988	142,454	146,407,375
1989	143,456	160,692,757
1990	141,231	179,190,484
1991	144,253	204,534,004
1992	145,866	210,261,885

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Project Water Supply

Current Conditions

Streamflow Forecast Map

Spring and Summer (NRCS)

Snowpack Information

Mountain Snowpack Maps for Colorado, Rio Grande, and Arkansas Rivers

Drought Index

Palmer Drought Index Map

Annual Precipitation

Normal	9.53 in
Maximum - 1986	1.41 in
Minimum - 1970	5.07 in
Socorro, New Mexico 1961-1990

Temperature

Mean Annual	57.5 ?F
Daily Maximum - 06/26/1994	109 ?F
Daily Minimum - 11/29/1976	-13 ?F
Socorro, New Mexico 1914-1996
Growing Season	247 days
Elevation of irrigable area	3,500 - 4,100 ft

Rio Grande

Drainage area at San Marcial, New Mexico	24,760 mi2
At Elephant Butte Reservoir	25,960 mi2
At Caballo Reservoir	27,260 mi2
Annual discharge at San Marcial, New Mexico
Maximum	acre-ft
Minimum	acre-ft
Average	acre-ft

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Project Water Quality

Caballo

Elephant Butte Reservoir

El Paso - Las Crucas

Rio Grande - Albuquerque

Rio Grande - Fort Quitman

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Facilities in Operation

Storage Dams	2
Canal Protection Dams	4
Diversion Dams	5
Canals	141 mi
Laterals	462 mi
Drains	457 mi
Powerplants	1

Storage Facilities

Canal Protection Facilities

Lucero Dike

Picacho North Dam

Picacho South Dam

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Diversion Facilities

Type:	Rock-faced earthfill
Location	On Percha Arroyo, 1 mile west of Caballo Dam.
Year Completed	1939
Dimensions:
Structural height	29 ft
Hydraulic height	19 ft
Total crest length	2,489 ft
Crest elevation	4,200.0 ft
Volume	193,000 yd3
Spillway	None
Headworks	Flood diversion channel, no gates, highway bridge drop chute into Caballo Reservoir.
Diversion capacity	30,000 cfs

Dike constructed to divert storm runoff into Caballo Reservoir; no direct connection with irrigation system.

Type:	Concrete ogee weir, embankment wings
Location	On the Rio Grande, about 2 miles south of Caballo Dam.
Year Completed	1918
Dimensions:
Structural height	18.5 ft
Hydraulic height	8 ft
Weir crest length	350 ft
Total crest length	2,720 ft
Crest elevation	4,103.0 ft
Volume	43,000 yd3
Spillway	Overflow weir, 2 radial sluice gates, each 20 ft by 8 ft.
Headworks	Rincon Valley Main Canal headworks at west abutment: 8 slide gates, each 4.3 ft by 3.75 ft.
Diversion capacity	350 cfs

Rincon Valley Main Canal headworks at west abutment: 8 slide gates, each 4.3 ft by 3.75 ft.

Type:	Concrete ogee weir, embankment wings
Location	On the Rio Grande, about 15 miles northwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Year Completed	1907 Crest raised 1.25 ft in1919
Dimensions:
Structural height	10 ft
Hydraulic height	7 ft
Weir crest length	600 ft
Total crest length	2,865 ft
Crest elevation	3,922.3 ft
Volume	22,500 yd3
Spillway	Overflow weir, 3 slide sluice gates, each 5 ft by 8 ft.
Capacity	17,000 cfs
Headworks	Leasburg Canal headworks at abutment; 7 slide gates 5 ft by 6.75 ft.
Diversion capacity	625 cfs

Type:	Concrete weir, radial gate structure
Location	On the Rio Grande, 6 miles south of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Year Completed	1916. Crest raised 1.66 ft in 1940.
Dimensions:
Structural height	22 ft
Hydraulic height	10 ft
Weir crest length	303 ft
Crest elevation	3,819.8 ft
Volume	2,900 yd3
Spillway	Nine radial gates, each 21.58 ft by 6 ft; 4 radial gates, each 21.58 ft by 8.42 ft.
Capacity	15,000 cfs
Headworks	Canal headworks at each abutment. 8 slide gates, each 4.33 ft by 3.75 ft at west end; 6 slide gates, each 4.33 ft by 3.75 ft at east end.
Diversion capacity
West side	650 cfs
East side	300 cfs

Type:	Radial gate structure between river levees
Location	On the Rio Grande near El Paso, Texas.
Year Completed	1938
Dimensions:
Structural height	18 ft
Hydraulic height	5 ft
Weir crest length	286 ft
Crest elevation	3,683.5 ft
Volume	2,900 yd3
Spillway	Thirteen radial gates, each 20 ft by 7.5 ft.
Capacity3	12,000 cfs
Headworks	American Canal headworks at east abutment; 2 radial gates, each 20 ft by 11 ft.
Diversion capacity	1,200 cfs

American Diversion Dam and Canal constructed and operated by American Section, International Boundary and Water Commission, United States-Mexico, for diversion and allocation of water in accordance with treaty between the United States and Mexico.

These are flood discharges which the International Boundary and Water Commission is using for the Rio Grande Channelization Project at the indicated points and are not necessarily the maximum which the dams will pass safely, nor which they were designed to pass.

Type:	Concrete weir, radial gate structure
Location	On the Rio Grande, 15 miles southeast of El Paso, Texas.
Year Completed	1928
Dimensions:
Structural height	17.5 ft
Hydraulic height	8 ft
Weir crest length	267 ft
Crest elevation	3,621.1 ft
Volume	2,500 yd3
Spillway	Six radial gates, each 16 ft by 8.17 ft, overflow weir.
Capacity	11,000 cfs
Headworks	Riverside Canal headworks at east abutment; 5 radial gates, each 16 ft by 6 ft.
Diversion capacity	900 cfs

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Carriage Facilities

Rincon Valley Main Canal

Location	From Percha Diversion Dam generally southeast along the Rio Grande.
Construction period	1916-1919
Length	27.1 mi
Diversion capacity	350 cfs
Typical section in earth:
Bottom width	22 ft
Side slopes	2:1
Water depth	4.2 ft
Typical section, concrete lined:
Bottom width	14 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	4.2 ft
Lining thickness	4 in

Garfield Flume - Rincon Valley Main Canal

Type:	Steel truss structure carrying twin barrels.
Location	Across the Rio Grande, about 4 miles south of Percha Diversion Dam.
Construction period	1917-1918
Length	800 ft
Diameter	No. 156 Hess flume
Capacity	320 cfs

Hatch Siphon - Rincon Valley Main Canal

Type:	Reinforced concrete
Location	Across the Rio Grande, about 13 miles south of Percha Diversion Dam.
Construction period	1918
Length	650 ft
Diameter	6 ft
Capacity	200 cfs

Rincon Siphon - Rincon Valley Main Canal

Type:	Reinforced concrete
Location	Across the Rio Grande, about 21 miles south of Percha Diversion Dam.
Construction period	1918-1919
Length	550 ft
Diameter	5 ft
Capacity	150 cfs

Leasburg Canal

Location	From Leasburg Diversion Dam on the Rio Grande about 15 miles northwest of Las Cruces, New Mexico, generally southeast along the river.
Construction period	First 6 miles: 1906-1908; Extended to 11 miles in 1915-1916. Constructed to present length and capacity in 1921-1922
Length	13.7 mi
Diversion capacity	625 cfs
Typical section in earth:
Bottom width	34 ft
Side slopes	1:1
Water depth	4 ft

East Side Canal

Location	From Mesilla Diversion Dam on the Rio Grande River 6 miles south of Las Cruces, generally southeast along the river.
Construction period	First 10.5 miles: 1914-1915. Constructed to present length and capacity in 1918-1919
Length	13.5 mi
Diversion capacity	300 cfs
Typical section in earth:
Bottom width	24 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	3.2 ft

West Side Canal

Location	From Mesilla Diversion Dam on the Rio Grande about 6 miles south of Las Cruces, generally southeast along the river.
Construction period	First 14.4 miles: 1914-1915. Constructed to present length and capacity in 1920
Length	27.9 mi
Diversion capacity	650 cfs
Typical section in earth:
Bottom width	52 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	3 ft
Typical section, concrete lined:
Bottom width	52 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	3 ft
Lining thickness	4 in

American Canal

Location	From American Diversion Dam near El Paso, southeast along the Rio Grande to beginning of Franklin Canal.
Construction period	1937-1938
Length	2.1 mi
Diversion capacity	1,200 cfs
Typical section, concrete lined:
Bottom width	12 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	8.75 ft
Lining thickness	3 in

Franklin Canal

Location	From end of American Canal, near El Paso, generally southeast along the Rio Grande.
Construction period	Privately constructed in 1889-1890. Purchased by Reclamation in 1912, and enlarged in 1914-1915
Length	30.5 mi
Diversion capacity	325 cfs
Typical section in earth:
Bottom width	24 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	5 ft
Typical section, concrete lined:
Bottom width	16 ft
Side slopes	0.5:1
Water depth	5 ft
Lining thickness	4 in

Riverside Canal

Location	From Riverside heading on the Rio Grande near Yselta, Texas, generally southeast along the river.
Construction period	1927-1940
Length	17.1 mi
Diversion capacity	900 cfs
Typical section in earth:
Bottom width	84 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	4 ft

Tornillo Canal

Location	From end of Riverside Canal near Fabens, Texas, generally southeast along the Rio Grande.
Construction period	1922-1924
Length	12 mi
Diversion capacity	325 cfs
Typical section in earth:
Bottom width	26 ft
Side slopes	1.5:1
Water depth	5.4 ft

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Power Facilities

Elephant Butte Powerplant

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Last updated: May 16, 2011