Water Planning

Region 11 - Lower Rio Grande Regional Water Plan

Accepted by the ISC in 1999

The water planning region encompasses Doña Ana County and that portion of Sierra County comprised of the boundaries of the Elephant Butte Irrigation District. The principal river basin is the Rio Grande River. The principal aquifers are the Jornada del Muerto, the Mesilla, the Palomas and the Hueco Bolson. The region is bounded on the north by Sierra County, on the west by Luna County, on the south by Mexico and Texas, and on the east by Otero County.

1. Cover

2. Executive Summary

3. Lower Rio Grande Regional Water Plan

4. Illustrations

Chapter 2: Figures 2.1 and 2.2

Figure 2.1: Water Planning Region
Figure 2.2: General Soils Map

Chapter 4: Figures 4-1 thru 4.5

Figure 4.1: January Average Daily Minimum Temperature
Figure 4.2: July Average Daily Maximum Temperature
Figure 4.3: Land Ownership in the Region
Figure 4.4: Land Use in the Region
Figure 4.5: Population Density

Chapter 6: Figures 6.1 thru 6.4

Figure 6.1: Total Annual Precipitation Caballo Dam Station 291286 - 1936-2000
Figure 6.2: Total Annual Precipitation Hatch Station 293855 - 1931-1994 (No Data from 1995-2000)
Figure 6.3: Total Annual Precipitation Jornada Experiment Station 294426 - 1926-1999 (No Data for 1929 and 1947-1952)
Figure 6.4: Total Annual Precipitation New Mexico State University Station 290131 and 298535 - 1892-2000 (No Data for 1944)

Chapter 6: Figures 6.5 thru 6.10

Figure 6.5: Temperature Data Caballo Dam Station 291286 - 1948-2000 (No Data 1985)
Figure 6.6: Temperature Data Hatch Station 293855 - 1948-1999 (No Data 1987-88, 1995-98)
Figure 6.7: Temperature Data Jornada Experiment Station 294426 - 1953-1999 (No Data 1960 and 1963)
Figure 6.8: Temperature Data NMSU Weather Station 290131 and 298535 - 1893-2000 (No Data 1899, 1914, 18, 20-22, 24, 26, 28, 30, and 47)
Figure 6.9: Precipitation Countour Map
Figure 6.10: Watersheds

Chapter 6: Figures 6.11 thru 6.14

Figure 6.11: Waste Water Treatment Plant Location Map
Figure 6.12: Stream Gage Location Map
Figure 6.13: Annual Rio Grande Flows at Major Gauge Stations 1930 to 1995
Figure 6.14: Location of Mesilla, Jornada, Hueco, and Rincon Basins

Chapter 6: Figures 6.15 thru 6.20

Figure 6.15: Geologic Map of Dona Ana County
Figure 6.16: Generalized Hydrogeologic Cross-Section Across the Northern Part of the Mesilla Basin and the Southern Part of the Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.17: Cross-section A-A.
Figure 6.18: Generalized Geologic Cross-Section, West to East, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.19: Map Showing Thickness of Basin-Fill Deposits, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.20: Cross-Section of the Rincon Valley and Rincon Arroyo Valley, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Chapter 6: Figures 6.21 thru 6.24

Figure 6.21: Illustration Showing Hydraulic Conductivity Distribution with Depth, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.22: Map Showing Depth to Water Contours, 1995-2000, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.23: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1960 and before, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.24: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1978, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Chapter 6: Figures 6.25 thru 6.30

Figure 6.25: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1995-2000, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.26: Map Showing Water-Level Changes from 1978 to 2000, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.27: Map Showing Depth to Water Contours, 1995-2000, Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.28: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, pre-1970 Development, Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.29: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1978-1983, Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.30: Map Showing Water-Level Elevations Contours, 1995-2000, Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Chapter 6: Figures 6.31 thru 6.34

Figure 6.31: Map Showing Model Predicted Water-Level Changes from 1962 through 1999, Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.32: Map Showing Depth to Water Contours, 1995-Current, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.33: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1954, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.34: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1978-1983, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Chapter 6: Figures 6.35 thru 6.40

Figure 6.35: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1995-2000, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.36: Map Showing Water-Level Changes from 1978 to 2000, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.37: Map Showing Depth to Water Contours, 1995-2000, Rincon Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.38: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1960 and before, Rincon Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.39: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1978-1983, Rincon Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.40: Map Showing Water-Level Elevation Contours, 1996-2000, Rincon Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Chapter 6: Figures 6.41 thru 6.44

Figure 6.41: Map Showing Water-Level Changes from 1978 to 2000, Rincon Valley, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.42: Illustration Showing Zones of Recharge for Southern Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.43: Map Showing Simulated Recharge to the Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.44: Illustration of Recharge/Water Budget for the Hueco Basin

Chapter 6: Figures 6.45 thru 6.50

Figure 6.45: Map Showing Saturated Thickness of Lithofacies I-III Containing Water with a Total Dissolved Solids Concentration Less than 1,000 mg/L in the Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.46: Map Showing Saturated Thickness of Lithofacies V Containing Water with a Total Dissolved Solids Concentration Less than 1,000 mg/L in the Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.47: Graph Showing Estimated Operation and Maintenance Costs (in 2001 dollars), Simulated Quantity of Ground Water Pumped from Storage, and Simulated Stream-Flow Depletion from Pumping Six Additional Well Fields Each at 14,529 ac-ft/yr for Four Years in the Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.48: Graph Showing Estimated Operation and Maintenance Costs (in 2001 dollars), Simulated Quantity of Ground Water Pumped from Storage, and Simulated Stream-Flow Depletion from Pumping Four Additional Well Fields Each at 15,000 acre-feet per Year for 40 Years in the Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.49: Map Showing Specific Conductance, 1960 and Before, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.50: Map Showing Specific Conductance, 1978-1983, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Chapter 6: Figures 6.51 thru 6.57

Figure 6.51: Map Showing Specific Conductance, 1995, Mesilla Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.52: Aquifer Vulnerability
Figure 6.53: Map Showing Specific Conductance, 1960 and Before, Jornada Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.54: Map Showing Specific Conductance, 1960 and Before, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.55: Map Showing Specific Conductance, 1995-2000, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.56: Map Showing Approximate Thickness of Basin-Fill Deposits that Contain Water Having Dissolved-Solid Concentrations Less than 1,000 milligrams per liter, Hueco Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Figure 6.57: Map Showing Specific Conductance, 1960 and Before, Rincon Basin, Dona Ana County, New Mexico

Chapter 7: Figures 7.1 thru 7.4

Figure 7.1: Dona Ana County 2000 Census Tracts
Figure 7.2: City of Las Cruces Project Water Demand Versus Total Water Rights
Figure 7.3: Village of Hatch Project Water Demand Versus Total Rincon Water Rights and Total Nutt-Hocket Water Rights
Figure 7.4: Dona Ana Mutual Domestic Water Consumers Association Projected Water Demand Versus Total Water Rights

Chapter 8: Figures 8.1 thru 8.5

Figure 8.1: Hydrologic Schematic of the Rio Grande Between Caballo Dam and Courchesne Bridge (Rio Grande at El Paso Gauging Station)
Figure 8.2: Center Pivot Irrigation System (from Zimmatic, Inc.)
Figure 8.3: High Flow Turnout on Pecans in the Elephant Butte Irrigation District
Figure 8.4: Tentative Structure for Transfers of Water to Special Water Users Associations
Figure 8.5: Potential Structure for Environmental Water Users Association Within EBID

Water Rights

Water Use & Conservation

Well Drilling

Water Planning

Office of the State Engineer

Interstate Stream Commission (ISC)

Litigation & Adjudication Program (LAP}

Program Support

Water Resource Allocation Program (WRAP)

Geographic Information System (GIS)

State Engineer Hearing Unit

Dam Safety

New Mexico Water Rights Reporting System

Real Time Water Measurement Information System

Available Maps

Irrigation Calculator

New Mexico Plant List

Downloadable Spatial Data

MRWeb - Water Rights Online Meter Reading Web Application

District 1 - Albuquerque

District 2 - Roswell

District 3 - Deming

District 4 - Las Cruces

District 5 - Aztec

District 6 - Santa Fe

District 7 - Cimarron

Water Planning

Region 11 - Lower Rio Grande Regional Water Plan

Accepted by the ISC in 1999

4. Illustrations

5. Appendices

Other Documents