7a BDDB Operations report September 2026

Extracted text

1
Date: September 3, 2026
To: Buckman Direct Diversion Board
From: Matthew Sandoval, BDD Operations Superintendent
Subject: Update on BDD Operations for the Month of August 2026
ITEM:
1. This memorandum is to update the Buckman Direct Diversion Board (BDDB) on BDD
operations during the month of August 2026. The BDD diversions and deliveries have
averaged, in Million Gallons Per Day (MGD), as follows:
August 2026 2025
Raw water diversions 6.16 MGD 3.75 MGD
Raw water delivery to Las Campanas at BS2A 0.75 MGD 0.78 MGD
Drinking water deliveries through Booster Station 4A/5A 6.00 MGD 3.79 MGD
2. Water supply to the City and County from all sources.
August 2026 2025
BDD 41.0 % 30.4 %
Canyon Rd WTP 16.4 % 14.8 %
City Wells 25.2 % 12.2 %
Buckman Wells 17.4 % 42.6%
3. The BDD year-to-date diversions are depicted below:

2
Regional Water Overview
Daily metered regional water demand for the month averaged approximately: 12.69 MGD
Rio Grande flows averaged approximately: 250 CFS (cubic feet per second)
City/County/Las Campanas Storage- as updated by partners. As of August 26, 2026 City of SF
Abiquiu SJC storage is at about 982.41 AF.
Regional Water Supply
CRWTP reservoir storage: Nichols: 55.6% McClure: 12.4% Watershed Inflow: 0.50 MGD
• Santa Fe SNOTEL
o Cumulative snow Water/Equiv. Inches 0.0
o Cumulative Snow in Depth in Inches 0.0

3
Current Rio Grande Watershed Snowpack Storage Data:
The snowpack in the upper Rio Grande Basin is gone, and the spring runoff is complete. Currently,
Rio Grande flows (measured at the Otowi gage, shown below) are much below normal (5-10% of
historic mean flows).
Source: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/USGS-08313000/statistical-graphs/
Current El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) Status Summary
At the time this report is being prepared (8/20/26) NOAA is reporting the presence of El Niño
conditions. Sea surface temperatures are above average in the eastern equatorial Pacific, with a
temperature index of +2.0°C. Additionally, the equatorial subsurface temperature index increased in
July, now reaching +10.0°C at depth. NOAA is forecasting that the El Niño system will continue to
strengthen and expects (greater than 90% chance) that a very strong event will occur in the fall and
winter of 2026 - 2027.
Source: cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

4
Seasonal Precipitation and Temperature Outlooks:
The current NOAA one-month forecast suggests an equal chance of above- or below-normal
precipitation for most of New Mexico, leaning toward above normal precipitation in the northwest
portion of the state and the Colorado River basin. The one-month forecast indicates above average
temperatures for the entire state. Both the current NOAA three-month precipitation outlook and the
three-month temperature forecast are leaning toward above normal for the region.
Maps of one- and three-month temperature and precipitation forecasts are provided below.
Source: https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov

5

6
Summary/Interpretation
No snowpack remains in the Upper Rio Grande Basin and the historically low spring runoff is
complete. Observed low Rio Grande flows are likely to continue unless/until monsoon precipitation
becomes a significant source of flow. San Juan Chama Project allocations for 2026 will likely be
significantly less than 100%, with allocations through July at 27.2% of full allocations. The three-
month precipitation outlook is promising, with the current presence of El Niño conditions
potentially resulting in higher-than-normal precipitation during late summer and fall monsoons.

7
Data is current as of 8/27/2026

8