Use and Management of Hydrologic Resources in New Mexico

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1 Use and Management of Hydrologic Resources in New Mexico

2 Water Work Table Mesa de Trabajo Sobre Agua NEW MEXICO REPORT August, 2006 Utton Transboundary Resources Center University of New Mexico School of Law New Mexico

3 New Mexico s Geographic and Socioeconomic Profile State Capital Santa Fe Geographic Boundaries North - Colorado South - Mexico and Texas California Nevada Utah Colorado Oklahoma East - Texas and Oklahoma West - Arizona Arizona New Mexico Total Area: Surface area = Texas 315,114 km 2 121,666 Square Miles Mexico Federal Lands 34.2% State Lands 11.8% Native American Lands 9.4% Political Subdivisions 32 counties

4 Population and Socioeconomics State Population 1,903,000 (2005) Rural 672,876 Urban 1,230,410 Major Urban Areas Albuquerque Metro Area Las Cruces Metro Area Santa Fe Socioeconomic Profile Per Capita Income Rural USD $21,321 Urban USD $27,033 Poverty Rate Rural 20.2% Urban 16.3% Population 603, , ,855 (U.S. Census Bureau)

5 Economic Activities (in millions USD) Industry Total Gross State Product Mining Manufacturing Retail Trade Finance and Insurance Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing Health Care and Social Assistance Agriculture ,078 4,181 5,238 4,204 2,158 6,635 3,801 1, ,012 4,766 5,466 4,431 2,284 7,105 4,107 1,001 (U.S. Department of Commerce 2005)

6 Hydrologic Resources of New Mexico Precipitation averages: Desert / valleys 8 inches (20.3 cm) / year Mountains 30 inches (76.2 cm) / year Most rainfall occurs in intense seasonal storms Most precipitation falls in the mountains as snow Gila River

7 Major River Systems Major river systems include: Rio Grande Pecos River Gila River (tributary to Colorado River) Canadian River San Juan River (tributary to Colorado River)

8 New Mexico's Major Lakes and Reservoirs

9 Drought in New Mexico Reservoir levels as of March 2006 as a percent of capacity: Reservoir Name Capacity Level Current Storage* Maximum Storage* Navajo 89% 1, ,696.0 Heron 38% El Vado 59% Abiquiu 31% Cochiti 10% Elephant Butte 22% ,065.0 Caballo 6% Brantley 23% Santa Rosa 15% Conchas 38% *thousands of acre-feet (CLIMAS, University of Arizona) (USGS )

10 Surface water 11 surface water basins Managed on watershed scale (NMED )

11 Groundwater 33 Declared groundwater basins State Engineer can only regulate water use in declared basins (NMED )

12 Office of the State Engineer Established by New Mexico Statute Responsible for managing the allocation of groundand surface water resources New Mexico Environment Department primarily responsible for monitoring water quality

13 New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission Operates within the Office of the State Engineer Manages and oversees New Mexico s compact obligations in 8 interstate basins Animas-La Plata River Compact Canadian River Compact Upper Colorado River Compact Colorado River Compact La Plata River Compact Pecos River Compact Rio Grande Compact Costillo Creek Compact

14 Rio Grande Compact Purpose: To allocate the waters in the Rio Grande above Fort Quitman, TX Signed in 1938 Includes Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas Establishes a commission including the state engineers of Colorado and New Mexico, an appointed commissioner from Texas, and a representative of the U.S. This commission meets annually Pecos River Compact Purpose: To establish delivery obligations to Texas. This compact is managed by a Pecos Compact commissioner Signed in 1948 Includes New Mexico and Texas Problems: U.S. Supreme Court prohibits net shortfalls in delivery rates. Drought and well-pumping have brought deliveries below this level for many years

15 Colorado River Compact Purpose: To determine and coordinate the flows, appropriation, consumption, and use of water in the Colorado River Basin Signed in 1922 Upper Basin States Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and parts of Arizona Lower Basin States California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and parts of Arizona Upper Colorado River Basin Compact Purpose: Creation of the Upper Colorado River Commision Signed in 1948 Commission includes United States, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

16 1906 Treaty with Mexico Convention between the United States and Mexico Equitable Distribution of the Waters of the Rio Grande 60,000 acre feet delivery requirement at Mexican Canal Extraordinary drought provision (USFWS )

17 Water Use Public Supplies and Domestic Use, 9% Evaporation, 10% Irrigated Agriculture, 76% Livestock, Commercial, Industrial, and Mining, 5% (

18 Domestic Water Use 90% of state population uses groundwater for drinking Albuquerque Aquifer not as large as originally thought. Moving to use of surface water from San Juan-Chama Project. This is NM water pursuant to Colorado Compact, transbasin diversion for use in Rio Grande Basin Santa Fe Also relies primarily on groundwater. Will use San Juan-Chama water and lease surface water rights from Pueblos

19 San Juan-Chama Project Encompasses many planning regions Colorado River Compact water 110,000 AF annually Water to be used by: Albuquerque (largest share) Jicarilla Apache Santa Fe City and County Los Alamos County Espanola Belen Los Lunas Taos Bernalillo Red River Twinning Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District Pojoaque Valley Irrigation District (City of Albuquerque ) (USBOR )

20 Institutional Framework and Management of Hydrologic Resources New Mexico follows the prior appropriation doctrine All appropriated waters must be put to beneficial use Beneficial use shall be the basis, the measure and the limit of the right to the use of water Priority shall give the better right State Engineer - Administers the Water Codes for Surface and Groundwater

21 Adjudication of Water Rights Judicial process Who owns what water and in what amount Less that 20% of the state is fully adjudicated About 60% of the state has active adjudications in progress Middle Rio Grande, area of ½ population of state, has not been adjudicated (OSE )

22 Water Planning in New Mexico State Water Plan was completed and approved by the Interstate Stream Commission in Extensive public involvement Integrates regional planning efforts conducted statewide Both the Office of the State Engineer and the Interstate Stream Commission are working to implement 98 strategies outlined in the Plan 2006 Status Report

23 1 - Northeast New Mexico 2 - San Juan 3 - Jemez y Sangre 4 - Southwest New Mexico 5 - Tularosa, Salt and Sacramento River Basins 6 - Northwest New Mexico 7 - Taos 8 - Mora-San Miguel 9 - Colfax 10 - Lower Pecos Valley 11 - Lower Rio Grande 12 - Middle Rio Grande 13 - Estancia Basin 14 - Rio Arriba 15 - Socorro-Sierra 16 - Lea County Water Planning Regions

24 SW New Mexico Regional Water Planning Population growth near border Economic growth attributed to industrial operations and retirement communities will drive population increase (SWNM Regional Water Plan, 2005) Majority of water use in border region is from groundwater Irrigation Domestic Industrial / Mining Commercial Water quality and quantity in transboundary Mimbres Basin Salinity increases from Columbus, NM (north) to Palomas, CH (south) Groundwater pumping has reversed water flow direction from south to north (NMWRRI, 2000 & SWNM Regional Water Plan, 2005) (NM WRRI )

25 Lower Rio Grande Regional Water Planning Water Management Alternatives Developed for each aquifer Recommendations to decrease demand in some sectors, and increase supply through desalination, phreatophyte management and use of reclaimed water Elephant Butte Reservoir Stores water for irrigation for both New Mexico and Texas Established to help U.S. meet meet treaty obligations to Mexico (LRG Regional Water Plan, 2003) Groundwater aquifers Mesilla, Hueco Bolson, Jornada del Muerto, Rincon Valley Mesilla and Hueco Bolson are shared with Mexico and Texas Groundwater is recharged by leakage from the Rio Grande and irrigation return flows (NM WRRI )

26 Active Water Resource Management State Water Plan Goals: To ensure water is available for the continued and future economic vitality of the state; Protecting senior water rights Measurement Measurement and monitoring of ground-water, surface-water, snowpack, and water diversions Management Creation of water districts to allow the Office of the State Engineer to enforce priority-based water administration of water in times of short supply Markets The state will streamline water markets in order to encourage the more efficient use of limited resources

27 Lower Pecos Basin Additional efforts being made to comply with the Pecos River Compact and U.S. Supreme Court Amended Decree Hired additional water masters Lower Rio Grande AWRM will help meet critical needs in times of reduced surface water flow Recent metering order and hiring of a water master San Juan Negotiations with the State Engineer for shortage sharing agreements Hired a water master Mimbres The upper portion of the Mimbres will be managed under the AWRM Hired a water master Rio Gallinas Area dominated by surface water rights with controversy between acequias and municipal water use Nambe-Pojoaque-Tesuque Basin Hired water master for Aamodt adjudication. Affects Pueblo and non-pueblo water users Rio Chama State Engineer oversees administration of the San Juan-Chama Project water

28 Sources Bureau of Business and Economic Research. University of New Mexio. Accessed on April 3, Updated on March 28, Available at: Bureau of Economic Analysis. U.S. Department of Commerce. Available at: Accessed on March 20, Updated on October 26, City of Albuquerque San Juan-Chama Drinking Water Project. Available at: Accessed August 18, Daniel B. Stephens & Associates, Inc. (2005) Southwest New Mexico Regional Water Plan, May Available at: Accessed August 16, Economic Research Service. United States Department of Agriculture. State Fact Sheets: New Mexico. Accessed on March 20, Updated 12/8/2005. Available at:

29 Sources Lower Rio Grande Regional Water Plan, August Available at: Accessed August 18, New Mexico Environment Department Water Quality Control Commission. State of New Mexico. Water Quality And Water Pollution Control in New Mexico. A State Report Required By The U.S. Congress Under 305(b) of the Clean Water Act. Available at: New Mexico Office of the State Engineer Accessed on April 3, Updated Available at: New Mexico State Water Plan, Available at: Accessed August 18, US Bureau of Reclamation San Juan-Chama Project. Available at: Accessed August 16, 2006.