Water Administration and Law in New Mexico Border Governors October 21, 2005 Marilyn C. O’Leary...
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Transcript of Water Administration and Law in New Mexico Border Governors October 21, 2005 Marilyn C. O’Leary...
![Page 1: Water Administration and Law in New Mexico Border Governors October 21, 2005 Marilyn C. O’Leary Utton Transboundary Resources Center University of New.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062718/56649e7f5503460f94b84032/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Water Administration and Law in New Mexico
Border GovernorsOctober 21, 2005
Marilyn C. O’Leary
Utton Transboundary Resources CenterUniversity of New Mexico
School of Law
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New Mexico Water Law Basics
Prior Appropriation
• Surface Water
• Ground Water
• Conjunctive management
• Water is a property right
First in Time = First in Right
Beneficial use
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Dual Aspect
• Private use
• Public right– All water belongs to the state and is subject to
appropriation for beneficial use
• Is a use right that is a property right
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Beneficial Use
• Beneficial Use is the Basis, the Measure, and the Limit of water rights in the West.
– The Basis: A water right is based on when and how much water is first put to beneficial use.
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Beneficial Use (cont’d)
– The Measure: The amount of water of the right is determined by the amount put to beneficial use.
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• New Mexico water administration is partly administrative (state engineer) and partly judicial (adjudications)
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Water management structures that have evolved in New Mexico
• Acequias• Conservancy Districts and Irrigation Districts• New Mexico Office of the State Engineer • Interstate Stream Commission • Interstate Compacts • National legislation – ESA, CWA, NEPA • Tribal Waters • Water Markets
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Office of the State Engineer
• Engineer
• Appointed by the Governor
• Administers water rights– surface water– groundwater
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ACEQUIAS
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Ground water
• Declared basin– Reasonably ascertainable boundaries
• Overdraft issues
• 7 binational aquifers, 4 subject to administration by State Engineer
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Surface water
• 8 Interstate compacts
• 2 international implications– Rio Grande– Colorado
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Interstate Compacts
• Like a treaty between states.• Control the quantity of water coming into
and leaving the state.• New Mexico is a party to 8 interstate
compacts.• The Rio Grande Compact, The Pecos River
Compact and the Colorado River Compacts are the most significant.
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Interstate Compacts (cont’d.)
• Rio Grande Compact– Colorado, New Mexico, Texas– Colorado delivers at Otawi gage– New Mexico delivers at Elephant Butte
• Storage and delivery issues
• Effect on recreation and fish
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Interstate Compacts (cont’d.):
• The Colorado River Compacts – The City of Albuquerque owns 48,200 acre feet of the
San Juan-Chama water.
• Constructing infrastructure to divert, filter, and deliver water from the Rio Grande.
• Project includes an inflatable, adjustable-height dam which filters-out fish and diverts San Juan-Chama water from the Rio Grande, and miles of underground delivery infrastructure.
• Expected completion - 2007.
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Interstate Compacts (cont’d.)
• Pecos River Compact - Texas and N.M.– Signed in 1948.
– New Mexico failed to meet its delivery obligations.
– Texas sued New Mexico.
– Court orders New Mexico to repay Texas in water.
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National Legislation
• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Endangered Species Act (ESA)
• Environmental Protection Agency regulations (EPA regs.) – Safe Drinking Water Act– Clean Water Act
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NM Environment Department
• Sets water quality standards
• Surface, ground, and drinking water
• NM Environmental Improvement Board
• NM Water Quality Control Commission
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Programs and Initiatives
• Paso del Norte TF – NGO– NM, Chih. Tx.
• SWCERP – NGO– Ground water quality– Socioeconomic conditions – Along border
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State
• Water Trust Board– Grants for water projects
• NM Border Health Council
• NM Chihuahua Border Commission– Water Table
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Federal
• IBWC– Implements treaties and minutes– Provides funding for assessment studies
• BECC, NADBank, Border 2012
• Good Neighbor Environmental Board
• Gov. Richardson interested in state and local initiatives
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Issues
• Mimbres Valley Basin– Palomas, Columbus– Large transnational aquifer
• Good candidate for binational cooperation
• Local effort
• Water quality and infrastructure concerns
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Issues
• Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Act
• Purpose– To understand hydrogeology of transboundary
aquifers
• Priority aquifers in NM– Hueco Bolson and Mesilla
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Cooperative efforts
• Border aquifer map
• Data sharing– Sandia National Labs water portal– Bingaman bill
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Water Markets
• There is a market in water rights.
• Seen as a way to reallocate water.
• Water banks exist.
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