11

R egional water planning in New Mexico,funded by the Interstate Stream

Commission, is intended to answer three questions foreach of New Mexico’s sixteen planning regions:

This water plan provides answers to these questionsfor the watershed of the Rio Chama, Planning Region14 on the map below. Certain basic facts havebecome clear in several years of research, and theseare the essential background for understanding waterin our region.

Ninety percent of the water produced within the RioChama watershed, an average of 376,000 acre-feetper year, leaves the region and flows down the RioGrande. Nevertheless, short-ages of both irrigation anddomestic water occur chronical-ly throughout the region.

An average of 26,700 acre-feet per year is depleted withinthe region by intentional humanactivities. About 25,100 acre-feet of that is depleted (evapo-rated or transpired) for irriga-tion or livestock, while about1,600 acre-feet is depleted fordomestic and commercial uses.

Agricultural water needs willprobably remain constant,while domestic and commercialneeds will at least double overthe next 40 years.

The San Juan-Chama Project has added an averageof 92,700 acre-feet per year to the Rio Chama anddelivered about 67,900 acre-feet to downstreamusers, but almost no San Juan-Chama water is usedwithin the region.

Reservoir evaporation is a significant “use” of water,depleting over 5,000 acre-feet of native water andnearly 25,000 acre-feet of San Juan-Chama Projectwater every year.

About 8 percent of our intentional depletions comefrom ground water, but this provides nearly 90 per-cent of all domestic and commercial water for theregion’s 12,250 residents. No existing evidence suggests any large undeveloped ground waterreserves, although hydrologic data are scarce in mostof the region.

Water and the way we use it has strong cultural valuehere. Acequia irrigation made possible a cherishedway of life in the Chama valley, and still determinesthe look of the landscape and the fabric of our com-munities. The acequia system provides the frameworkfor community government as well as water delivery

in northern New Mexico. Thepreservation of traditionalcommunities, local culture,agricultural opportunities, andthe historic acequia system arewidely shared and deeply feltvalues that shape our waterplan.

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R i o c h a m aw a t e r p l a ne x e c u t i v e s u m m a r y

overview

• How much water is available?• How much water is being used now, and how much will be

needed in the future?• What is the best way to make sure we have enough water for

our future needs?

REGIONAL WATER PLANNING AREAS

San JuanRio Arriba Taos Colfax

NW New Mexico

Middle Rio Grande Jemez y

Sangre

Tierra y Montes

NE New Mexico

EstanciaBasin

Socorro/Sierra

SW New MexicoLower Rio Grande Tularosa/

Sacramento

Lower Pecos Valley

LeaCounty

1

23

45

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

10&16

15&11

I n 1995, the New Mexico Interstate StreamCommission contracted with Rio Arriba County

to produce a water plan for Region 14, the RioChama watershed. The County arranged for the Riode Chama Acequias Association (RCAA) to coordi-nate the planning work. Fred Vigil, President of theRCAA, supervised planning activities including thedata gathering, public participation, and administra-tive oversight. He was assisted by other officers of theRCAA: Vice President Aubrey Owen, SecretaryAgapita Martinez, Treasurer Joseph M. Salazar, andRecords Manager Fidel Trujillo. David Morgan of LaCalandria Associates, Inc. and Linda Fluk, an inde-pendent geological consultant, were contracted to domost of the technical work, with assistance fromCipriano Martinez and Miguel Santistevan. Legalconsultation was provided by Fred Waltz, Esq.

The first step in the water planning process was toestablish a Citizens’ Advisory Committee, with fifteenmembers drawn from throughout the region, selectedbecause of their interest and involvement in both com-munity and water issues. This Committee, along withother interested residents, participated in a workshopled by staff from the Interstate Stream Commissionand Western Network (a nonprofit facilitator), tobecome familiar with the process of regional waterplanning. Following the workshop, additionalAdvisory Committee meetings were held to identifycommon concerns about water in the region and toset the agenda for the technical work to be done.

In the years that followed, discussions about the waterplan have taken place in many settings: at meetings ofacequia commissioners and parciantes; at meetings todiscuss the Rio Arriba County General Plan; at publicmeetings held in communities around the Rio Chamawatershed specifically to discuss regional water plan-ning; and in individual meetings and other personalcommunication with key stakeholders such as electedofficials, Rio Arriba County staff, water system opera-tors, and acequia association officials. A final roundof meetings, each in a different location within the RioChama watershed, was held during the summer of2003. About 60 community members, both those whoattended meetings and those who could not, respond-

ed to questionnaires about water issues in their local-ity. The Rio Arriba County Commission conducted aworking session on the Water Plan in April of 2005,prior to submission to the Interstate Stream Commission.

P ublic welfare in our region, as it relates towater, requires a safe and adequate water

supply for domestic use, adequate water for agricul-ture and livestock, and a proper method of treatingwastewater to prevent contamination of surface orunderground water resources. The most importantobjectives expressed by residents in public meetingson the water plan throughout the region were to keepexisting water rights in the region to maintain the ruralacequia agricultural lifestyle, and to provide safedrinking water while protecting the environment.

It is imperative that federal and State agencies workwith Rio Arriba County, the village of Chama, ace-quias, Native American tribes and Pueblos, mutualdomestic water associations, and individual stakeholders in a non-adversarial climate to achieve thepublic welfare objectives of the regional water plan.More specifically, protection of public welfare is oneof the most important considerations the StateEngineer is required to bear in mind when decidingwhether to approve an application to change theplace and/or purpose of use of a water right.

In the Rio Chama planning region, publicwelfare depends on the stability and vital-ity of our communities that contribute his-torically unique and economically valuabletradition, culture, and landscape to NewMexico. There are three key principles crit-ical to maintaining our community stabilityand vitality:

• Keep water within our region for ourfuture needs

• Provide safe, adequate, and reliabledomestic and community water supplies

• Protect the culture as well as the physi-cal infrastructure of the acequia sys-tem.

the planning process

PUBLIC WELFARE

22

33

Flexibility to meet changing needs is essen-tial, but must be balanced against the pro-tection needed to maintain our culture andcommunity structure. Most importantly,the extensive experience and local expert-ise of acequia and community water sys-tem officers should be given great defer-ence by the State Engineer in consideringtransfer requests. Local communities are inthe best position to determine what degreeof flexibility in water rights transfers, andwhat kinds of new uses, may improve oureconomy and rural way of life withoutdestabilizing long-standing and essentialpractices and traditions. Local backgroundand expertise must be accorded very sig-nificant respect in the State Engineer'sdeliberations.

T he legal framework for water management inthe Rio Chama watershed is established in

three principal ways: by international treaties andinterstate compacts; by statutory law; and by legalprecedent in court decisions. The principal treatiesand compacts that affect our region include the Treatyof Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Kearny Code, the 1906Treaty with Mexico governing water in the RioGrande, the Rio Grande Compact, and the ColoradoRiver Compact. Relevant New Mexico water law iscodified in the state constitution, the water code, andin various environmental statutes. Federal laws affect-ing our region include the San Juan-Chama Act, theEndangered Species Act, the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and theWater Pollution Control Act (the “Clean Water Act”).Many of the day-to-day requirements affecting wateruse in the region stem from agency procedures, inter-pretations, and regulations rather than from statutorylanguage itself. The principal state agencies involvedinclude the Office of the State Engineer, the InterstateSteam Commission, the Environment Department, andthe Energy, Minerals, and Natural ResourcesDepartment. The main federal agencies affectingwater in the Rio Chama are the Bureau ofReclamation, the Corps of Engineers, the Fish andWildlife Service, the Forest Service, and the Bureau ofLand Management.

Water rights within the region are established primar-ily by the ongoing adjudication suit (New Mexico vs.Aragon), along with the record of judicial precedent.The interrelationship of these rights, held largely byhistoric acequias, along with those held by mutualdomestic water associations, tribes, and Pueblos, sig-nificantly affects our entitlement to use water withinour planning region. This constraint, and other legalconsiderations, are examined in detail in the LEGALISSUES chapter of the Water Plan.

T he Rio Chama watershed covers 3,157 squaremiles, entirely within Rio Arriba County except

for a sliver of Taos County near Tres Piedras andabout 75 square miles in Colorado just north of thetown of Chama, in the south San Juan Mountains. Thewestern boundary includes the Continental Divide andthe northeastern slopes of the Jemez Mountains aboveAbiquiu, while the eastern boundaries are along theTusas Mountains and Black Mesa. The southernboundary of the watershed is defined by the northslopes of the Jemez mountains and the confluence ofthe Rio Chama with the Rio Grande, just north ofEspañola.

regional geography

AbiquiuReservoir

Rio Chama

El VadoReservoir

HeronReservoir

El RitoRio Vallecitos

Willow Creek

Rio Brazos

Rio Puerco

de Cha

ma

Rio

Gal

lina

Rio Cebolla

Rio

Gr

ande

Canji

lon C

reek

Canones C

reek

Rio Tusas

Rio Nutrias

Rito de Tierra Amarilla

Rio del Oso

Rio

Ojo C

alie

nte

Abiqu

iu C

reek

Cano

nes

Cree

k

UT CO

AZ NM

RioChama

Rio

Gran

de

10 mi

10 km

Rio Chamawatershedboundary

Rio Chama watershed map

legal issues

The Santa Fe and Carson National Forests combinedtotal almost 50 percent of the land in the watershed.Private land accounts for 28 percent; Indian tribesmake up about 10 percent; and both the State of NewMexico and the Bureau of Land Management haveabout 6 percent.

Elevations in the planning region range from 11,410feet atop Brazos Peak to 5,620 feet at the confluenceof the Rio Chama and the Rio Grande. Most of thelandscape within the Rio Chama watershed is rugged,mountainous, and wooded. Woodland types varyfrom sparse piñon-juniper at lower elevations,through ponderosa pine and Douglas fir at intermedi-ate elevations, to alpine spruce-fir forest and montanegrassland meadows with large stands of aspen at thehigher elevations above Chama and Tierra Amarilla.

About 30,000 acres in the valley bottoms of the RioChama and its thirteen major tributaries are used forirrigated agriculture, where topography and watersupplies have made it possible to construct acequiasand irrigate land. The thirteen tributaries largeenough to support appreciable irrigated agricultureare Cañones Creek, the Rio Brazos, Rito de TierraAmarilla, Rio Nutrias, Rio Cebolla, Rio Gallina, Ritode Canjilon, Rio Puerco de Chama, a secondCañones Creek, El Rito, Rio del Oso, Abiquiu Creek,and the Rio Ojo Caliente, which itself is fed by the RioVallecitos and the Rio Tusas.

B ecause of limited data, water supplywas estimated using multiple tech-

niques with cross-checked results. Water yieldfor the entire watershed was estimated fromprecipitation and evapotranspiration data andwas independently calculated by adding thefollowing components:

The most reliable measurement relating to our watersupply is, ironically, the amount of water that flows outof the region and down the Rio Grande just below theU.S. Geological Survey stream gage near Chamita.Other water yield components were calculated usinginformation supplied by the Office of the StateEngineer, the U.S. Geological Survey, the NationalWeather Service, and a variety of other publishedsources.

A flow duration analysis, calculating the streamflowavailable 10, 50, and 90 percent of the time, wasperformed by the U.S. Geological Survey specificallyfor the water plan. Flows were analyzed on the RioChama at the Chamita gage near the Rio Grandeconfluence, at the La Puente gage near TierraAmarilla, and on the Rio Ojo Caliente at the LaMadera gage.

In the absence of good stream-gage data, the wateroriginating in each Rio Chama tributary watershedwas estimated using an adaptation of the methoddeveloped by Hearne and Dewey of the U.S.Geological Survey for the Taos plateau in 1988.These estimates resulted in a range of predictedwatershed yields that includes a substantial margin ofuncertainty, but the sum of the predicted tributaryyields correlates reasonably well with the overall RioChama watershed yield estimated independently.

Water available within the Rio Chama watershed wasanalyzed in terms of total water yield, rather than sep-arating surface flows and ground water recharge.This was done because insufficient data exist to reli-ably separate the two yield components without dou-ble counting; or to quantify stream-aquifer interac-tions. In much of the region water probably cyclesrepeatedly between surface and subsurface flowsbefore leaving the watershed, making it especially dif-ficult to separate ground and surface water compo-nents. In many places aquifers are not deep andground water is closely connected to surface water.

Little information is available on ground water hydrol-ogy in the region. However, ground water is criticallyimportant because the majority of the region’s resi-dents depend on it for their domestic water suppliesand periodic shortages occur. Geologic informationwas found in published sources, and information onground water use came mainly from estimates com-

xx44

• streamflow leaving the region at the Chamita gage, • surface water depletions within the region, • evaporation from reservoirs, lakes, and the river itself, • riparian water use, • ground water flow out of the region, and ground water depletions.

calculating watersupply and demand

55

piled by the Office of the State Engineer and frompersonal communications with supervisors of commu-nity water systems. Water quality information wasobtained primarily from the New Mexico EnvironmentDepartment, supplemented by results from water test-ing by the Rio de Chama Acequias Association.

Future population estimates were made from CensusBureau information, independent demographicresearch in the lower Chama valley, and projectionsmade by the Rio Arriba County Planning Department.

A water budget calculating inflows and outflows forthe region was prepared using long-term average val-ues as well as drought-year estimates. Information onboth supply of and demand for water in the region issummarized in the WATER BUDGET chapter of thewater plan, while the details of the calculations andsources of information are discussed in the WATERSUPPLY and WATER DEMAND chapters of theplan.

O ur water supply comes from precipitation.There are no ground water flows into the

region, and there is no evidence of significantuntapped ground water reserves in storage. Mostground water used in the region appears to be close-ly connected to surface water.

An annual average of more than 3 million acre-feet ofwater falls as precipitation over the 2 million acres ofthe Rio Chama watershed. However, only about418,000 acre-feet per year appears as watershedyield, or the combination of streamflow and accessi-ble ground water recharge. The San Juan-ChamaProject has diverted an additional 92,700 acre-feetper year into the Rio Chama on average, since begin-ning operations in 1972. The chart on page sixgraphically illustrates the region’s water supply.

While the San Juan-Chama Project has diverted anaverage of 92,700 acre-feet per year into the RioChama since 1972, essentially none of it is used with-in the region. The San Juan-Chama Project has pro-vided little benefit to water users along the Rio

Grande. Project water available for use within theregion would be a great help in easing our chronicwater shortages.

Total depletions within the region average about42,200 acre-feet per year. Some 15,500 acre-feet ofthat evaporates from reservoirs, natural lakes, and theriver itself; or is used by bosque vegetation along theriver. Intentional human uses deplete about 26,700acre-feet per year. Almost 375,900 acre-feet, or 90percent of watershed yield, flows downstream into theRio Grande for use outside the region.

Our total intentional human depletion of26,700 acre-feet per year is only 6.4 per-cent of the total Rio Chama watershed yield.In practical terms this is a good approximation of thelong-term sustainable water supply available withinthe region under current conditions. Available watersupplies could be increased if storage were available– current reservoir storage is almost entirely for usersoutside the region – or if watersheds could be man-aged for some increase in watershed yield along withsound ecological, environmental, and flood-manage-ment practices.

These figures are the best long-term averages avail-able. Four considerations, however, make it impossi-ble to precisely quantify the total water supply :

1. Effective water supply often depends more onwater rights than on the total amount of water avail-able. Because water rights have not been adjudicatedin much of the area, the amount of water to whichright holders are entitled is uncertain.

2. Surface flows are highly variable from year toyear and from one tributary to another, so that evenif rights were fully adjudicated, “wet water” availablein any given year cannot be precisely predicted.

3. No tributaries are gaged except the Rio Ojo Cal-iente, so all water supply information for those water-sheds has to be estimated from very limited data.

4. Few data exist for ground water, but we do knowthat aquifer characteristics in much of the regionseverely limit ground water availability.

55

water supply

xx

Surface water

Our water supply cannot be rigidly separated intosurface and ground water components because bothare closely connected geologically throughout most ofthe region. Still, we deplete over 24,250 acre-feet peryear for acequia irrigation, and all of this – the greatmajority of our water supply – comes from surfacewater. The water really available to users within theregion is subject to many constraints other than totalwatershed yield or annual streamflow. Irrigation wateris limited by streamflows during peak mid-summer

demand, and these are often inadequate to provideenough water for land that has irrigation rights. Thereal water supply is also constrained by lack of avail-able water storage and by water rights that are basedon native flows in the Rio Chama – the water thatwould be in the river without San Juan-Chama diver-sions or the operation of Heron, El Vado, and Abiquiureservoirs.

It is important to distinguish between theaggregate total of water rights held withinthe region and reported average water

66

372,200 surface flow past Chamita gage

26,700 intentional human depletions15,500 natural evaporation/transpiration

3,700 subsurface flow into Rio Grande

Native streamflow and ground water

67,900 San Juan-Chama deliveries

24,800 San Juan-Chama reservoir evaporation

San Juan-Chama diversion water

All figures are long-term averages in acre-feet per year

Water supply components

77

use. As our region was settled, acequias were dugand land brought under irrigation in a way that per-mitted flexible use of the highly variable runoff. Ourfield and acequia system evolved to allow farmers totake advantage of relatively high runoff to grow morefood on more land, but still permit the system to workon a smaller total acreage in dry years. Accordingly,the total acreage irrigated and total water use varieswith the weather and available streamflow.

Acequias and parciantes hold valid water rights toirrigate the land that can be irrigated when there isadequate streamflow, even though not all that land isirrigated every year. This is an inherent and valuablecharacteristic of the acequia system. Water rights toland that can only be irrigated in times of abundantstreamflow are entirely valid. Irrigation rights must notbe subject to forfeiture for non-use simply becausethey pertain to land that is only irrigated when thereis enough water. Reported average water use figuresattempt to take the diminished water use during dryyears (historical shortage) into account, and thereforeunderstate the quantity of water needed and used inperiods of higher streamflow. In other words, even ifreported average irrigation use within the region is24,250 acre-feet per year, irrigators have a right touse significantly more water than that and water plan-ning must recognize the larger need and use duringwetter years.

Ground water

While surface water provides most of the water avail-able in the Rio Chama watershed, ground water iscrucial for domestic and community water supplies:approximately 90 percent of domestic water suppliesin the region come from ground water. Availability ofground water is highly variable within the region,depending on the capacity of local aquifer systems tostore water and allow it to flow through permeablesoil, sediment, or rock.

The Rio Chama watershed consists of three differentgeologic provinces, each containing distinct aquifersystems:

The Española Basin province, in the southernpart of the watershed, consists of Tertiary Period sed-iments, primarily the Santa Fe Group. These deposits

are moderately permeable, contain large amounts ofsand and gravel, transmit a fair amount of water, andhave a relatively large recharge potential, meaningthat the ground water is easily renewed by surfacewater percolating down. Española Basin aquifers usu-ally yield relatively ample supplies of good qualitywater.

The Chama Basin province, in the north-centraland northwestern parts of the watershed, consists pri-marily of the Mancos, Dakota, Morrison, and Chinleaquifer systems. Generally, only the coarser-grainedstrata in these formations yield water. These aquifersystems produce small amounts of water in some loca-tions and are dry in other locations. There can beproblems with taste, odor, or other chemical contami-nation of water from these aquifers.

The Crystalline and Volcanic province, in themountainous eastern parts of the watershed and in theJemez mountains to the southwest is characterized byTertiary deposits over Precambrian bedrock. TheTertiary deposits are similar to those of the EspañolaBasin, but most deposits are shallow. Where there areTertiary deposits, the ground water is of sufficientquantity and quality, but the Precambrian bedrock isseldom a useful aquifer because little or no water canbe obtained unless open fractures are penetrated.

Shallow alluvial aquifers are found throughout thewatershed, in all three geologic provinces, and manywells in the region draw water from these aquifers.Alluvial aquifers, composed largely of gravel andsand, can be a good source of water if the depositsare deep and extensive. However, in the Rio Chamaregion, the alluvial deposits are shallow and general-ly not extensive. Wells drawing water from theseaquifers often run short of water in dry years.

Total ground water depletions now average about2,150 acre-feet per year, or 8 percent of intentionaldepletions. Additional ground water production maybe possible on a limited scale in certain areas.However, taking the Rio Chama watershed as awhole, there do not appear to be significant untappedground water resources that could replace any largefraction of surface water use, or provide major newwater supplies within or outside the region.

77

xx

Current water uses

A s shown in the graph above, about 90 per-cent of all the 418,000 acre-feet per year

that originates in the Rio Chama watershed flows outof the region, as surface flow in the Rio Chama andsubsurface flow of ground water. Only 10 percent ofthe total average watershed yield, 42,200 acre-feet,is depleted within the region. Agriculture uses about25,100 acre-feet, or 60 percent of total depletions butonly 6 percent of watershed yield. Reservoir, lake,and river evaporation (including riparian evapo-tran-spiration) account for 15,500 acre-feet per year, 37percent of depletions and 3.7 percent of total yield.We use about 1,600 acre-feet per year for all domes-tic, community, and commercial water uses, 3.7 per-cent of depletions or 0.37 percent of the total water-shed yield. However, even though domestic or com-munity water use makes up a very small part of thetotal, most of that domestic water supply comes fromground water sources that are barely adequate tomeet current demand, and probably inadequate forgrowing future demand.

It is important to distinguish between diversions(sometimes called withdrawals) and depletions indiscussing water demand. To get water where weneed it, more water has to be diverted from astream or pumped from an aquifer than is depleted,or permanently removed from the local hydrologicsystem. In acequia irrigation, usually three or fourtimes as much water needs to be diverted from a riverinto the entire acequia system as is actually evaporat-ed or taken up by plant roots from the fields. The restof the water becomes return flow and stays in the sys-tem, soaking into ground water aquifers or returningto its original stream as irrigation tailwater. The terms“water use” or “water demand” in this water planrefer to depletions – water permanently removed fromthe local system – and not to diversions, unless specif-ically stated.

The chart on the next page shows the relative magni-tude of both diversions and depletions within the RioChama watershed. San Juan-Chama diversions anddepletions are shown separately, and neither surfacenor subsurface outflows are shown on the chart.

Evaporation from reservoirs is a significant “use” ofwater in the Rio Chama watershed. A total of about30,000 acre-feet a year evaporates from the three

88

total flow out of region: 376,000 acre feet per year

evaporation and riparian use: 15,500 acre feet per year

domestic and community uses: 1,600 acre feet per year

agricultural depletions: 25,100 acre feet per year

total Rio Chama watershed yield: 418,000 acre feet per year

total depletions: 42,600 acre feet per year:

Current Water Uses

water demand

99

reservoirs in the region, although the majority of theevaporation – almost 25,000 acre-feet – is from SanJuan-Chama Project water diverted into the region.The remaining 5,000 acre-feet of evaporation mainlyresults from storage of Middle Rio GrandeConservancy District irrigation water at El VadoReservoir.

Future demand

The water planning goal most frequently and stronglyvoiced during public meetings was the preservation ofagriculture and the acequia system in the region.Future agricultural demand is expected to remain con-stant; in fact, we need additional irrigation water.

Domestic water demand is increasing. According tothe 2000 census, approximately 12,500 people livein the watershed, a population increase of 22 percentsince 1990. Previous predictions have significantlyunderestimated population growth, especially alongthe lower Rio Chama from Abiquiu to Española. Low,medium, and high projections of future regional pop-ulation were made for the water plan. The low esti-mate assumed population loss from the entire region

apart from the lower Chama Valley, while the mid-range estimate assumed a continuation of 1990-2000population growth rates. The high estimate was basedon population growth rates projected by the RioArriba County Planning Department. The low popula-tion estimate for the region in 2040 is essentially thesame as the current population. The mid-range pro-jection is for double the current population, while thehigh estimate suggests a population of over 32,000,or 2.6 times the current level.

Water systems are aging throughout the region andmany wells tap relatively unproductive aquifers. Themajority (68 percent) of the Mutual Domestic WaterUsers Association wells have sporadic and sometimeschronic water shortages. An increase in domesticdemand will not have a large impact on overall watersupplies in the region, since domestic use makes upless than 6 percent of the total demand. The region asa whole could supply additional domestic water, butthat does not mean that any individual community willbe able to provide additional water. There are fewinstitutions or large commercial users in the region atpresent, but consideration must be given to wateravailability for them in the future.

99

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

Agriculture and livestock

Domestic and community

Commercial and industrial

Native reservoir evaporation

Lake, river, and riparian ET

San Juan-Chama deliveries

San Juan -Chama evaporation TOTAL NATIVE WATER USE Ground water depletion

Ground water diversion (withdrawal)

Surface water depletionSurface water diversion (withdrawal)

Diversions and depletions–categories of water use

xx

All these considerations – increasing population aswell as the need to upgrade existing water supply sys-tems and provide water for economic growth – suggestthat demand for domestic and commercial water willincrease substantially over the next 40 years, proba-bly at least doubling from the existing 1,600 acre-feetper year. Depending on precisely what level ofincreased population and commercial uses we expe-rience, we should plan to provide 3,000 to 5,000acre-feet of domestic and commercial water per yearfor the region as a whole.

There are both practical and water rights issuesinvolved in providing more water for domestic orcommercial uses. The practical issues involve provid-ing additional water where aquifers and/or wells areincapable of increased production, or there are otherlocal problems like inadequate storage tanks or poorwater quality. Water rights issues involve finding ade-quate domestic water supplies without forcing com-munities to choose between acequia water suppliesand drinking water. The region as a whole has plentyof water for its future domestic and community needs,but many communities within the region face limitedwater supplies and significant technical or economichurdles in providing additional water. Local waterbanking may offer creative solutions to some commu-nity water supply needs.

W ater planning concerns and prioritieshave been expressed in discussions with

residents and stakeholders in the region in many ven-ues over nine years. Participants have said over andover that there is one main objective we need toachieve before any other goals will matter: We needto keep the water (and water rights) wehave within our communities and ourregion.

If we can’t keep water rights within the region ourother water planning goals will serve little purpose.We need water to provide for growing communities,to make local economic development possible, and topreserve and enhance the agricultural opportunities inthe Rio Chama watershed. Already 90 percent of thewater produced in our watershed is available for useelsewhere, so we need to keep what we have.

To help do this and make sure water is available whenand where we need it, there are seven principal goalsthat the water plan seeks to address:

• Preserve the acequia system and strengthen its role in community life

• Enhance growing season streamflows(by increasing storage or other means)so that agriculture is less limited bylow peak-season flows

• Develop local agriculture with informa-tion, marketing, and financial support

• Provide reliable water supplies tocommunity water systems

• Protect water quality

• Conserve and reuse water resourceswhere appropriate

• Protect and restore upper watershedareas

Perhaps the best ways to keep water within the regionare to preserve and strengthen the acequia systemand to support local agriculture. These goals areclosely related: acequias need water and secure waterrights as well as physical participation and upkeep;and water rights without the acequia system would belargely unusable. At the same time, unless local farm-ers can make a living, the long-term survival of theacequias will be uncertain.

Within the framework of these goals, water use andmanagement within the Rio Chama watershed mayoffer some opportunities for win-win situations thatcould benefit users in other areas—but only if thereare genuine benefits to communities within the region.

A number of alternative actions or scenarios wereconsidered as a means to move towards achieving thegoals mentioned above. The principal alternativesrecommended by the water plan are summarizedbriefly below, in relation to the relevant planning goal.

* GOAL: PRESERVE THE ACEQUIA SYSTEM

Strategies

11.. IInnssuullaattee aacceeqquuiiaass ffrroomm ccoommmmooddiittyy--vvaalluuee eeccoonnoommiicc pprreessssuurreess..

1100

planning alternatives

1111

• Continue preventing the transfer of water uses across the Otowi gage.

• Consider establishing a community-account-able entity to administer any transfers of ace-quia water rights and/or to administer financialproceeds from water transfers.

• Make sure the State Engineer considers thepublic welfare of acequias and communitieswhen considering water rights transfer appli-cations involving acequias.

22.. IImmpplleemmeenntt aapppprroopprriiaattee--ssccaallee wwaatteerr bbaannkkiinngg..• Take advantage of the ability of acequia par-

ciantes to bank water among themselves.

• Oppose an unconstrained state-wide waterbanking system.

• Work with the State Engineer to expand water banking into a larger (but carefully limited)area than just one acequia: for instance, withina single tributary watershed, or within an asso-ciation of acequias.

• Explore options for storing water in existingreservoirs or in new local reservoirs.

33.. MMaaiinnttaaiinn aanndd rreeppaaiirr aacceeqquuiiaa ssyysstteemmss——bbuutt ddoonn’’ttsseett tthheemm iinn cceemmeenntt!!• Look for targeted assistance for intractable ace-

quia maintenance problems—for instance,headgates that can withstand flood flows butstill allow for natural stream geomorphology; orreinforcing areas of chronic washouts.

• Acequias are not interested in wholesale ditch lining or piping because the water “leaked”from unlined acequias returns rather quickly tostream systems, helps recharge ground waterand maintain water levels, and expands ripar-ian environment and wildlife habitat.

44.. MMooddiiffyy tthhee aaddjjuuddiiccaattiioonn pprroocceessss..• The State Engineer should collaborate with ace-

quias to modify the adjudication process to bemore cooperative and less adversarial, whileplacing fewer burdens on holders of small waterrights. This would serve our region better andcomplete the adjudication process sooner.

• Recognize the unique legal status of acequias. Acequias are legal subdivisions of government,local political systems, instruments of communi-ty cohesion, and historic monuments, as well aswater conveyance systems. Acequia rights arerecognized under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hi-dalgo and are usually quite senior water rights.

• Recognize that acequia irrigation is by nature variable with available runoff, and parcianteshave valid water rights to use more water in wetyears than they use on average.

*GOAL: ENHANCE GROWING SEASON FLOWS

Strategies

11.. IImmpplleemmeenntt iimmpprroovveedd hhiigghh--aallttiittuuddee ffoorreesstt aannddggrraassssllaanndd mmaannaaggeemmeenntt..• Explore the potential for carefully thinning

dense, relatively young forests in some parts ofthe watershed that may result in increasedwater yield.

• Augment vegetation management with smallcheck dams, swales or impoundments in areaswith a potential for recharge enhancement(encouraging or re-introducing beavers andmuskrats may have a similar effect).

22.. EEnnhhaannccee ggrraassss ccoovveerr aanndd iinnffiillttrraattiioonn iinn lloowweerr--aallttiittuuddee aarreeaass..• Restore damaged lower-altitude watersheds by

reseeding and otherwise enhancing nativegrass cover. It may be necessary to build manysmall swales, check dams, and similar struc-tures to slow runoff, reduce erosion, increaseinfiltration and ground water recharge, andjump-start revegetation.

Note: Watershed restoration such as this could helprestore more perennial flow patterns to some tributar-ies – making more water available for midsummerirrigation – as well as reducing erosion and sedimentproblems. Good ground cover vegetation is the bestway to prevent massive erosion and flash flooding, aswell as enhance overall water supplies and improvethe timing of streamflows.

33.. EExxpplloorree ooppttiioonnss ffoorr nneeww rreesseerrvvooiirr ssttoorraaggee..• Seek storage rights for region acequias in exist-

ing reservoirs.

• Explore the options for constructing a numberof relatively small reservoirs along existing ace-quias.

• Explore the possibility of locating relativelysmall reservoirs in the upper reaches of the RioChama and its tributaries.

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Note: New reservoirs could provide additional effective water supply within and perhaps even out-side the region.

* GOAL: SUPPORT LOCAL AGRICULTURE

Strategies

11.. EEnnhhaannccee mmaarrkkeettiinngg ooppppoorrttuunniittiieess..• Coordinate existing services and resources that

help local growers find good markets.

• Make sure local farmers know about servicesand opportunities for better production and-marketing.

• Work with potential institutional buyers likeschool districts, LANL, and NNMCC.

• Pursue appropriate-scale food-processingindustry that could be located in the region,including meat-processing facilities.

• Support and help expand farmers’ markets andother direct marketing opportunities.

• Work with State government to expand mar-keting opportunities outside the local area.

22.. HHeellpp ffiinnaannccee llooccaall aaggrriiccuullttuurree..• Evaluate capital needs among local farmers.

• Work with local financial institutions, Rio ArribaCounty, and perhaps private foundations to seethat capital needs can be met, either throughexisting markets or by creating new opportuni-ties.

• Consider setting up a mechanism to re-investproceeds from any future water transfers inlocal agriculture or community infrastructure.

33.. HHeellpp wwiitthh iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn sshhaarriinngg aanndd tteecchhnniiccaall aassssiissttaannccee..• Rio Arriba County (or another region-wide

entity) should keep track of information sourcesand local farmers’ needs to help make connec-tions as easy as possible.

• Help make sure success stories and relevant technical information are widely shared.

• Provide information and assistance with grantapplications or similar opportunities.

• Help find ways to involve young people in agri-cultural activities and vocations.

44.. CCoollllaabboorraattee wwiiddeellyy.. • Implementing these strategies will not be easy.

Rio Arriba County should perhaps be thespearhead to organize help for local farmers,but many other entities will need to be involved.A great many services are potentially avail-able, and coordinating among them and mak-ing the right connections is perhaps the crucialjob to be done.

* GOAL: ENSURE RELIABLE COMMUNITYWATER SUPPLIES

Strategies

11.. CCoonnssoolliiddaattee ccoommmmuunniittyy wwaatteerr ssyysstteemmss wwhheerree aapppprroopprriiaattee..• Evaluate where existing systems may be close

enough that consolidation or other forms of col-laboration could help cope with drought ortechnical difficulties.

• Help find potential funding sources for systemenhancement.

22.. DDeevveelloopp aalltteerrnnaattiivveess ffoorr pprroovviiddiinngg aaddddiittiioonnaall wwaatteerr rriigghhttss wwhheerree nneeeeddeedd..• Identify water systems where additional water

could be physically supplied if water rightswere available.

• Explore alternative methods to provide ade-quate rights for community needs from willingprovider(s).

• Consider local water banking possibilitieswhere water rights are a limiting factor.

• Enable transfer of water rights from privatewells to community systems.

33.. OOppttiimmiizzee llooccaattiioonn aanndd ddeepptthh ooff ccoommmmuunniittyy wweellllss..• Identify systems most constrained by lack of

production from existing wells and evaluate theavailable hydrologic information to assess thelikelihood of improving performance by re-drilling or modifying the well(s).

44.. PPrrootteecctt eexxiissttiinngg ccoommmmuunniittiieess ffrroomm uunnssuussttaaiinnaabblleenneeww wwaatteerr ddeemmaannddss..• Make sure proposed new developments are-

carefully and conservatively analyzed for water-demands and long-term availability before theyare approved. Rio Arriba County should

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employ a staff or contract hydrologist of its ownto evaluate the water supply impacts of pro-posed developments or water transfers.

55.. GGaatthheerr bbaassiicc ddaattaa ttoo ppeerrmmiitt iinnffoorrmmeedd ddeecciissiioonn--mmaakkiinngg..• Collect data on ground water depth, community

well production, and other hydrogeologicalinformation on ground water level trends andlong-term water supplies.

• Perform water system audits to find leaks andinefficiencies.

66.. UUnnddeerrssttaanndd ssuurrffaaccee wwaatteerr –– ggrroouunndd wwaatteerriinntteerraaccttiioonnss aalloonngg tthhee RRiioo CChhaammaa..• Request help to define and quantify the interac-

tion between surface water flowing in the RioChama and the shallow aquifer system in con-nection with the river.

* GOAL: PROTECT WATER QUALITY

Strategies

11.. CCoonnssiiddeerr aanndd eennccoouurraaggee ccoommmmuunniittyy wwaasstteewwaatteerr ttrreeaattmmeenntt..• Explore suitable locations for small-scale

package wastewater treatment plants and theeconomics of providing community treatment.

• Explore the possibility of providing community treatment for septic tank effluent from existingsystems (rather than leaching directly into theground).

22.. EEnnccoouurraaggee oorr rreeqquuiirree bbeetttteerr iinnddiivviidduuaall wwaassttee--wwaatteerr ttrreeaattmmeenntt..• Rio Arriba County and the state Environment

Department should enforce existing liquidwastedisposal regulations more effectively.

• Provide incentives, including educationalresources, for individual alternatives to leachfields (such as subsurface flow wetlands, aero-bic decomposition, composting toilets, etc.).

33.. MMiittiiggaattee nnoonn--ppooiinntt ssoouurrccee aanndd aaggrriiccuullttuurraall wwaatteerrppoolllluuttiioonn..• Encourage organic or chemical-free agriculture,

since permeable soil and shallow water tables in agricultural areas make the entire regionhighly vulnerable to potential agri-chemicalpollution.

• Provide incentives and regulatory requirementsfor road construction to minimize runoff anderosion.

• Encourage and seek funding or assistance forwatershed restoration activities that enhanceground cover (primarily grass) in poorly vege-tated areas. These include constructing swales,check dams, and detention structures, andreseeding with appropriate native grasses.

• Protect stream banks and riparian areas frominappropriate grazing or other degradation.

44.. RReegguullaattee ddeevveellooppmmeenntt iinn uuppppeerr wwaatteerrsshheeddss..• Prohibit or severely limit residential or other

development in upper watershed areas.

• Establish stringent standards for road con-struc-tion that prevent damaging runoff, erosion, andsediment transport.

• Establish stringent standards for erosion pre-vention and revegetation following any distur-bance in upper watershed areas (for instance,utility construction or logging activities).

* GOAL: CONSERVE WATER

There are many ways to use water more efficiently,and perhaps to make some available for alternativeuses. However, New Mexico water law as it currentlyaffects our region provides little incentive for such sav-ings and water conservation will not be widely prac-ticed. The first priority for water conservation is toprovide some incentive, or at least remove the dis-incentives, for efficient water use.

Strategies

11.. PPrroovviiddee iinncceennttiivveess ffoorr ccoonnsseerrvvaattiioonn..• Complete adjudication in a reasonably efficient

and non-adversarial way.

• Ensure that right holders or acequias that investin efficiency benefit from the investment.

22.. SSttoorree ccoonnsseerrvveedd wwaatteerr..• The value of conserved water (whether used

later or elsewhere) is much greater if it can bestored – but this involves tradeoffs with evapo-ration from reservoirs, or provision of alterna-tive means of storage, such as aquifer storageand recovery. Some water could be stored in

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existing reservoirs, and there may be other alternatives for storing water.

33.. FFoosstteerr pprraaccttiiccaall wwaayyss ttoo ccoonnsseerrvvee..• Provide technical and financial help with field

leveling and other on-farm water management .

• Repair chronic or excessive leakage from cer-tain acequia sections.

• Encourage more active water management,including soil moisture testing and additionalflow measurement.

• Implement water banking so unneeded watercan be used elsewhere without loss of rights.

• Encourage agricultural research and extensionservices to help grow and market more water-efficient crops.

• Support re-use alternatives, such as gray watersystems, water harvesting, cisterns, constructedwetlands for waste treatment, or re-use of efflu-ent from community wastewater treatment.

* GOAL: PROTECT & RESTORE OUR WATERSHEDS

We can manage watersheds to enhance both ecolog-ical health and hydrological functioning. This will helpachieve all our water planning goals. Good water-

shed management can help with acequia water sup-plies, make both community and individual water sup-plies more secure, protect water quality, make acequia maintenance easier, and even contribute tothe long-term viability of the entire acequia system.

There are opportunities for better watershed manage-ment throughout the region. Higher altitude areasmay benefit from improved fire management, forestthinning, beaver re-introduction, better grazing man-agement, and development restrictions in criticalareas. At lower altitudes erosion control and grasscover enhancement are needed almost everywhere,along with managing the timing and intensity of graz-ing so that livestock can enhance rather than degradesoil cover. Better road construction and runoff man-agement offer advantages everywhere. Better water-shed management will need to be achieved in closecollaboration with federal land management agen-cies, particularly the Forest Service, the Bureau ofLand Management, and the Fish and Wildlife Service.

For our region, one of the most important issues isensuring that local residents benefit from watershedrestoration or other water management alternatives,with sustainable land-based employment, more stablewater supplies, and protected environmental quality.These benefits may be shared outside the region, butproposed actions need to genuinely involve and benefitlocal residents and communities.

B old leadership and creative thinking areneeded to implement both this regional water

plan and the State Water Plan. Vision and leader-ship are needed by commissioners of acequias, coun-ty officials, state water managers, the Governor, andlegislative leaders to protect and defend traditionalwater use, while allowing planned growth.Traditional uses of water, by Native Americans, par-ciantes of acequias, and community water systems,should in general be “off the table” for the commer-cial water market. The environmental and culturalvalues embodied in traditional water uses, and ourfuture agricultural possibilities, are worth far morethan quick profits for a few generated by sprawling,uncontrolled population growth.

To implement this Water Plan, Rio Arriba County crit-ically needs at least two people within the PlanningDepartment with specific skills: a hydrologist and oneor more agricultural and natural resource specialist(s).Hydrological expertise is needed to evaluate theeffects of proposed development of all kinds and torepresent the interests of the County and the planningregion with the Office of the State Engineer and otheragencies. The region and the county also need alocally accountable staff member with a vision foragriculture and natural resources in northern NewMexico. For local agricultural producers, the Countyneeds to help coordinate existing sources of assis-tance, find additional funding, and work with stateand federal agencies, private enterprises, the StateLegislature, and the U.S. Congress to expand agricul-tural opportunities and success in our region.

Coordination and advocacy are also needed at thecounty level in sustainable watershed management,both in upland forest areas that may need thinning orcontrolled burning; and in lower-altitude areas thatmay need erosion control and revegetation.

New Mexico has a unique water history, includinginternational and interstate treaties and growing,thirsty urban areas. We do not have to become a bat-tleground or a statewide water auction. With creativeleadership and active cooperation, New Mexico canbe an exporter of innovative ways of dealing with agrowing worldwide problem.

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Moving Forward

Photo by Fidel Trujillo