For Your Safety:

• While the river channel and drainage ditches can handle higher flows, we urge the public to stay away from areas in the immediate vicinity of the river channel.

  • These areas may be unstable and dangerous.

  • Please use extra caution near the river channel and protect or remove any valuable property in these areas.

  • If boating, please use the proper life jacket.

     
    General Information:

• The 2019 spring runoff is the highest volume of snowmelt runoff in the Rio Grande since 2005.

  • It is also the highest sustained releases from Cochiti Dam since 2005.

     

• While the releases are higher than seen in recent years, we are NOT in flood-control operation stage.

  • There is plenty of capacity behind Cochiti Dam to handle flood-control storage if this should become necessary.

     

• The Rio Grande flow is unpredictable due to weather and snowmelt. The Corps continues to monitor and make adjustments as needed.

   

• As of May 2, 2019, the release rate from Cochiti Dam is 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and the main stem of the Rio Grande continues to increase in flow.

  • For reference, one cubic foot per second is roughly equivalent to the volume of a basketball, so we are releasing about 5,000 basketballs out of Cochiti Dam each second.

  • For the most current release rate at all Albuquerque District dams, visit http://w3.spa.usace.army.mil/wc/htmlrpts/CorpsResSum.htm

  • Water takes 3-4 days to travel down the Rio Grande from Cochiti Dam to Elephant Butte.

     

• Downstream conditions are being closely monitored by USACE as well as our partners to ensure that the higher flows can safely pass downstream.

  • Our partners include:

    • MRGCD

    • Bureau of Reclamation

    • NM Interstate Stream Commission

       

• Legal reasons for the higher releases:

  • We can’t store any water at Cochiti Lake

    • Except for flood control operations

  • By law (Rio Grande Compact and the federal authorizations Cochiti has), we have to pass what comes into the lake through the dam.

  • Cochiti is only authorized for flood-control and a recreation pool.

     

• Higher flows are beneficial to the general health of the river and its ecosystem.

  • Higher flows help flush sediments out of the river channel, increasing its capacity so that it can pass higher flood flows.

  • Higher flows also help the diverse ecosystem, including endangered species (such as the silvery minnow).

  • It also helps the cottonwood trees reproduce.

     

• The higher releases are part of our normal operational procedures.

  • We will adjust our actions as needed, depending on changes in conditions both up and downstream of Cochiti Dam.

     

     

    Rio Chama/Abiquiu Dam:

     

• Releases from Abiquiu are currently at 1,600 cfs and expected to increase to 1,800 cfs by the end of the week (April 29).

• Downstream conditions are being closely monitored by USACE.

• The release rate may be changed or reduced if the precipitation forecast shows a risk of exceeding safe channel capacity in the Rio Chama, or if river conditions warrant.