Rio Grande Compact - Results

Results

Between 1939-1966, Colorado virtually ignored the compact. The result was that by 1966, due to Colorado's non-compliance with the Compact, Colorado owed New Mexico one-million acre feet (1.2 km³) of water, and New Mexico owed Texas 500,000 acre feet (620,000,000 m3). New Mexico and Texas collectively sued Colorado to try to force compliance, and between 1966–1967, the case progressed and was eventually heard by the Supreme Court of the United States.

In 1985, after several affluent years of water flow from the Rio Grande, the Elephant Butte and Caballo reservoirs reached capacity, having received more water than they could hold. The terms of the Compact state that once the Elephant Butte reservoir is filled, New Mexico and Colorado are immediately released from any water debt they have accrued. Colorado's debt to New Mexico at the time, 500,000 acre feet (620,000,000 m3) of water, was immediately cleared, settling the balance between the two states, but leaving New Mexico in an unfortunate position in its debt to Texas.

In 1996, when the reservoir was again close to capacity, the New Mexico water districts below Elephant Butte authorized water from the reservoir to be pulled out and dumped in the New Mexico desert, to prevent the reservoir from spilling, and again clearing Colorado's water debt.

The stress now is on New Mexico to meet its obligations to Texas. During dryer years, New Mexico will be short about 80,000 acre feet (99,000,000 m3) in its obligations, partially due to partial evaporation of the reservoir water before New Mexico can absorb it.