Untitled DocumentPhysical Assessment Project of the Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo
Macro Theme Area:
Knowledge Transfer [Project ID: K20]
PI:
Juan Valdes
CO-PI(s):
Gregory Thomas, Daene McKiney
Basin focus:
Rio Grande
Specific area in
basin /
field sites:
N/A
Summary/Goals: Transboundary water resource management on the U.S./Mexico border is becoming increasingly important for achieving and maintaining sustainable social, cultural, economic, and political systems in the region. Collaboration between U.S. and Mexican stakeholders is essential for developing water resource management strategies that are technically sound and which will be supported and implemented on both sides of the border.
In order to expand beneficial uses of water in the Lower Rio Grande basin, it is a key issue to find the right reservoir operating policies for the right scenario, whether this one is mostly climatic, agricultural or institutional. Thus, we strongly believe a contribution may be made to the project in this domain of expertise.
Especially important is the presentation of these rather complex reservoir operation optimization techniques to water managers and the public. As Labadie (2004) points out, these are unlikely to be adopted in the real world unless they are presented in an understandable way to decision makers and may be tested under a broad range of scenarios - hydrological and socio-economic - to evaluate its impacts in the system and provide an assessment of its convenience in each case.
Activities and outcomes during past year:
SAHRA developed a model for the operation of the river between Amistad and Falcon International Reservoirs. This model has been linked with upstream (Conchos and RG) and downstream models (RG, below Falcon until Gulf of Mexico), yielding a coarse resolution DSS model of the entire Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo.
The AguaNet web, a data sharing site for water informations in the Entire Rio Grande, has been upgraded into the SNL Water Portal (https://waterportal.sandia.gov/), where it now resides along with other SNL water projects.
The adaptation of Stochastic programming optimization policies into the Decision Support System's Model of the LRGB, in the Texas A&M University, allows for testing reservoir operating policies under a range of Scenarios for the future.
Plans for the upcoming year:
Previously: Further development of the current model and data collection and inclusion. Next year, expand modeling efforts to Pecos and other tributaries. Include Water Banking and Water Market possibilities between water users.
Currently: It has been a challenge to pursue this reasearch work as funding from the National Heritage Institute came to a stop with federal budget cuts half way in 2007. Funding to project partners is expected to resume during or after 2008 to be able to continue with this research project.
Organization Involvement:
Developed the Conchos basin component. Currently developing the joint reservoir operation of the five reservoirs in the basin. To explore water management scenarios.
Shared Resources / Joint Activities:
Salaries for researchers, travel expenses
