The Rio Grande supports much of New Mexico agriculture and industry. With headwaters in Colorado and a terminus in the Gulf of Mexico, political, trans-state-boundary conflicts have existed for decades. In an effort to distribute water in a fair manner, the Rio Grande Compact was signed by the three US states and Mexico in 1938. The signing of this compact forced New Mexico into a debt/credit system of water delivery to Texas.

Maintaining a fair and even balance of water distribution in New Mexico while continuing to deliver the appropriate volume of water downstream is a daunting task. The goal of this project is to study the surface water/groundwater interactions between San Acacia and Elephant Butte Dam. This reach of the Rio Grande shows distinct losses to the shallow aquifer and if a better understanding of the system is achieved, it may be possible to more efficiently deliver water to Elephant Butte Reservoir and ultimately, Texas.

This is a joint project funded by the ISC and Army Corps of Engineers, under the authority of Section 729 of the Water Resources Development Act.