As the season of irrigation arrived, farmers in the drought-stricken Borderland welcomed a sign of relief – the Rio Grande flowing through El Paso sparkled under the early summer sun, providing much-needed water for the past three weeks, which was less than what they had seen earlier this year.

The Texas Water Development Board, the state agency responsible for water project planning and financing, reports that Elephant Butte currently holds more water than it has since spring 2020. The reservoir, located in New Mexico approximately 120 miles north of El Paso, is currently at 27% capacity, which is more than double its level at this time last year, thanks to the early release of water into the riverbed.

Water planners and farmers in both the Upper and Lower Valleys, primarily cultivating pecans, cotton, and alfalfa, are pleased with the timely arrival of water and the increased lake reserves, which provide a much-needed relief.

Due to the fact that we haven’t been able to release water from the Butte Elephant reservoir in the past few years, Jay Ornelas, the general manager of the Water Improvement District 1 in El Paso County, stated that we manage and deliver water to farmers for irrigation and infrastructure purposes.

He expressed, “We are all delighted and filled with great excitement as we began on May 17th, 2023, which marked the beginning of obtaining some water here with the allocated resources.”

This year, the early arrival of water from the Rio Grande to the Borderland is a result of heavy snowfall in the southern mountains of Colorado, near Pagosa Springs, which produced the thickest snowpack in five years during wintertime.

Water specialists indicated that the accumulation of snow in the mountains located towards the north or west would not significantly advantage the Rio Grande. Consequently, when it dissolves, it infiltrates the Rio Grande catchment area, typically near Wolf Creek in Colorado, where the snow must accumulate in the appropriate location. Additionally, there is a certain element of chance involved.

The recent drought in August, amidst a 4% decrease in capacity, has led to a drop in water levels at Elephant Butte and Rio Grande, as the melting snow has been providing a boost to the Colorado River.

Alex Mayer, director of the Center for Environmental Resource Management at the University of Texas at El Paso, expressed, “The farmers and irrigation districts are highly appreciative.” “This year is exceptionally favorable in comparison to the past two decades.” “The water flowing in the river is greatly impacted by the snowfall and subsequent thawing in the headwaters region.”

Scott Reinert, a hydrogeologist and water resources manager for El Paso Water, stated that water flowing from the Rio Grande has the potential to provide El Paso with up to 50% of its water supply during favorable conditions, but as little as 10% during severe drought years. In order to compensate for the lack of river flow, the city-owned water utility pumps additional groundwater from the underground Hueco Bolson aquifer. Reinert emphasized that solely relying on groundwater in El Paso would gradually exhaust the aquifer in an unsustainable manner.

Reinert mentioned that the Rio Grande is generating approximately 60 million gallons per day of water for El Paso consumers. This indicates that the majority of our requirements are fulfilled by river water. Consequently, during periods when we have access to river water, we are able to significantly reduce our reliance on wells. However, when the river water supply is insufficient, we are compelled to extract groundwater through pumping.

Ornelas stated, “During the period from the mid-1980s to around 2003, Butte Elephant was heavily irrigated, allowing farmers to benefit greatly from October through March.”

Ornelas stated that, particularly when temperatures increase during the summer months, water is required intermittently from March to October for pecan and alfalfa crops. In the case of cotton growers, they permit farmers to moisten their fields prior to planting cotton, enabling an earlier water allocation.

Ornelas stated, “significant expenses for farmers arise when they need to install electric-powered pumps that draw water from underground wells on their property, in cases where there is insufficient water from the river. This can result in long-term harm to the land and crops, as the groundwater may contain high levels of salt.”

Ornelas expressed, “In the absence of river water, one starts to question whether my tree or crop will survive.” Furthermore, those without wells either use a water hose for irrigation or refrain from irrigating altogether.

The water levels in Elephant Butte have decreased since the 2000s and have stayed at a low level for the past 20 years. The reservoir faced a comparable drought lasting several decades in the 1950s and 1960s, which has made it challenging for water planners to forecast the annual water supply from the Rio Grande.

Furthermore, climate change is further complicating the water supply situation in El Paso.

According to Mayer, over the last two decades, the soil has become drier, resulting in a greater absorption of water compared to when snow melts into the river. Additionally, a larger proportion of the snow evaporates into the air instead of flowing into the river bed, and the melting of snow in the mountains of southern Colorado has been occurring later in the year, in contrast to previous years.

Mayer stated, “In the southwestern region, particularly during more severe drought years, as well as in more intense rainy years, potentially,” “overall, as a whole, the impacts of climate change will lead to increased extremes.”

It is difficult to draw any long-term conclusions from the early arrival of water in the Rio Grande and elevated water levels in Butte Elephant this year. However, Ornelas said that it signals the start of another water boom era, similar to the 1980s, when water release in March could irrigate the district early.

Ornelas stated that the crucial region for farmers to maintain is Grande Rio. Currently, the 1st County Water Improvement District is constructing ponds and storage facilities to capture any excess rainwater for future use.

Reinert from El Paso Water stated, “Although we are currently in a drought situation, we need another big snowpack next year because that is the situation we are heading towards. This is a cautionary tale and it is now a refreshing change.”