HR: 1330h
AN: H42E-1129    [PDF]
TI: Pecos River Water Management Project
AU: * Roberts, J D
EM: jdrober@sandia.gov
AF: Sandia National Laboratories, Carlsbad Programs,\break 4100 National Parks Highway, Carlsbad, NM 88220 United States
AU: James, S C
EM: scjames@sandia.gov
AF: Sandia National Laboratories, Geohydrology Department,\break P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, NM 87185-0735 United States
AB: Sandia National Laboratories is providing technical assistance to farmer members of the Carlsbad Irrigation District (CID) to better plan the storage, delivery, and application of water to the Carlsbad Project. The surface waters along the Pecos River are allocated by the State of New Mexico to three major entities: 1) The State of Texas - each year a percentage of water from the natural river flow must be delivered to Texas as governed by the Interstate Streams Commission; 2) CID farmer members - a fixed portion of water must be delivered to the farming members of the CID; and 3) wildlife - an amount of water must be allocated to support the wildlife habitat in the Pecos River, most notably, the endangered Pecos Bluntnose Shiner Minnow. The Pecos Bluntnose Shiner Minnow habitat preference is under investigation by other state and national agencies and preliminary work has established that water depth, water velocity, and sediment activity (dunes, ripples, etc.) are the key parameters influencing minnow habitat preference. The amount of water (river flow rate) necessary to maintain a preferable habitat to support this species has yet to be determined. With a limited amount of water in the Pecos River and its reservoirs, it is critical to allocate water efficiently such that habitat is maintained, the farmers of the CID are supported, and New Mexico meets its commitments to the State of Texas. This study investigates the relationship between flow rate in the river and water depth, water velocity, and sediment activity. The goal is to establish a predictive tool that supports informed decisions about water management practices along the Pecos River that will maximize water available for agriculture and the State of Texas while maintaining the aquatic habitat.
DE: 1824 Geomorphology (1625)
DE: 1836 Hydrologic budget (1655)
DE: 1860 Runoff and streamflow
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting