Buckman board: December diversions steady but members ask for drought contingency planning
Loading...
Summary
The Buckman Direct Diversion Board received its December operations report showing daily diversions of about 4.21 million gallons and that BDD provided 59% of local supply; members asked staff to produce contingency plans and reserve details given low snowpack.
The Buckman Direct Diversion Board on Jan. 8 received its monthly operations report showing December averages of 4,210,000 gallons per day of raw water diverted and 4,080,000 gallons per day delivered as drinking water. Matt, the BDD presenter, told the board that BDD contributed 59% of the city and county water supply for December 2025.
Board members pressed staff about low mountain snowpack and whether BDD’s reserves are sufficient. "Are we concerned at all about the lack of snowpack in the mountains?" one board member asked. Matt replied that BDD is working with the city's resource team and relying on reserves in San Juan–Chama and Abiquiu reservoirs, and that staff were not yet overly concerned but are monitoring conditions.
Chair Chad Green asked that staff return at the February meeting with clearer contingency expectations for February through April so the board can track whether conditions worsen. Facilities staff and a state bureau representative noted that the Rio Grande annual operating plan is typically finalized in April when snowpack estimates are more settled, and they said April is the usual time to take a fuller accounting of San Juan–Chama yield.
The board also discussed whether county-held water portfolios — including water held for Las Campanas — might provide options during low-flow periods. Matt said he would gather information about county storage and report back to the board.
Why it matters: the BDD project supplies a large share of municipal water locally. Board members requested a short-term timeline and contingency planning to understand operational risk if snowpack and runoff remain low.
What’s next: staff agreed to provide additional reserve and contingency information at the board’s next meeting on Feb. 5.
