At least one Corrales pump is now back on after a summer of extreme drought and low rainfall caused the Corrales pumps to shut down mid-July.
According to a public notice sent to all Corrales residents July 12, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) alerted Corrales residents that if it was not able to gain access to storage water or if the Corrales area did not see significant rainfall to replenish the river flow, Corrales pumps were expected to shut down.Â
After the pumps shut down, the low river flow allowed MRGCD contractors to inspect both pumps, and they were found in need of repair. According to a release from the MRGCD, the inspections revealed that the north pump had extensive damage and the south pump was in need of maintenance as well.
On Aug. 10, the MRGCD was able to make repairs to the south pump which is now operational.
According to MRGCD spokesperson Amanda Molina, the operation of the pump is completely driven by the water level in the river, there is no date on when the north pump will be turned back on. There is a chance that the San Juan Chama Project water the MRGCD has stored will help, once that’s released. MRGCD says its current projections are that all water stored from the Abiquiu Dam will be depleted on August 20. Rainfall could affect that date.
The last time the pumps shut down due to low river levels was Aug. 16, 2023. River levels did not return to operational limits until this season.