Ute Reservoir, located in northeastern New Mexico on the Canadian River, is the source of up to 16,415 acre-feet per year of water intended for Cannon Air Force Base, Clovis, Elida, Portales, Texico, and unincorporated areas in Roosevelt and Curry counties. The Ute Reservoir allocation is, in effect, a water right granted to New Mexico within a Compact agreement with Texas and Oklahoma. As owner of the water, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission has worked with ENMWUA and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to develop a project to use the allocation to relieve the critical municipal water shortage situation in eastern New Mexico. The shortage is caused by the steady decline in water level in the Ogallala (or High Plains) Aquifer that is the sole source of municipal and agricultural water for much of eastern New Mexico.

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The proposed project consists of the following major components:

  • About 130 miles of water conveyance pipelines.

  • A raw water intake structure and pump station at the south shore of Ute Reservoir, with a flow rate of 28 million gallons per day (mgd).

  • A 28mgd raw water booster pump station at the base of the Caprock and a 1million-gallon storage tank at the top of the Caprock in Quay County.

  • A 28mgd water treatment plant in Curry County to service downstream municipalities.

  • Finished water booster pump station in Roosevelt County to convey finished water to Elida.

  • Pressure reducing stations, where required, to serve Cannon Air Force Base and the communities of Clovis, Elida, Portales, and Texico.