Rio Grande water to be released from Caballo Reservoir

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — The first Rio Grande water of 2017 will be released Friday from the Caballo Reservoir. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports (http://bit.ly/2nPG2M7 ) that water could fill the riverbed near Las Cruces as soon as Saturday. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is slated to release the water early Friday. The riverbed in south-central New Mexico has been mostly dry since the end of farming season last fall. The first water being released is for farmers in the El Paso, Texas, area, which begins water delivery earlier than the Elephant Butte Irrigation District. El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 General Manager Jesus Reyes says the district is ready to start irrigation when the water reaches El Paso, which is expected to be Sunday or Monday by the latest.