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Thursday, September 11, 2003

Residents Voice Water Concerns

By Kathy Louise Schuit
Mountain View Telegraph
    Ask New Mexicans about water, and you'll get answers as varied as the people who drink water, grow crops with it, swim in it or use it to wash the dog.
    All those types of people— and more— showed up in Moriarty to spout off about water as part of an effort to create a statewide water plan for New Mexico.
    Attempting to settle once and for all the oft-asked question of life in the desert— what about water?— Gov. Bill Richardson has proposed a statewide water plan. He charged the Office of the State Engineer and the Interstate Stream Commission with conducting a region-by-region public opinion tour.
    Eight weeks ago Rhea Graham, chief of the stream commission's planning and communications bureau, embarked on the 29-stop tour to find out what New Mexicans feel should and shouldn't be done with water.
    Stop No. 26 was the Moriarty Civic Center on Sept. 4.
    Given the importance of the issue and the opportunity to voice their opinion more or less directly to the governor, more than 80 people from East Mountains and Estancia Valley communities attended.
    Two area mayors, a school superintendent, water professionals, formulators of the Estancia Basin Water Plan— the first of its kind in the state— and ordinary citizens all showed up to speak their minds.
    Many of the comments centered on the handling of water rights and the state's current "use it or lose it" water rights policy.
    Under the policy— established years ago when the state's economy depended on agriculture, and farmers were encouraged to use more water to produce more crops— water rights are preserved only when water is used. If farmers conserve water today, they could lose the right to use water in the future.
    Still, people at the meeting agreed that most Estancia Valley farmers have taken measures to reduce their water use.
    "Irrigation has improved in this valley," one man said. "Sprinklers used to shoot water into the air. Now they're low to the ground."
   
Estancia Basin
    Graham emphasized that the governor's plan is to protect water for all New Mexico residents— not just those who have it. That statement, combined with the thirsty eye turned toward Estancia Basin water by Albuquerque and Santa Fe in recent years, sent up a few red flags among those at the meeting.
    From the back of the crowded room, Amy Logan described herself as a young woman who grew up in the Moriarty area and who would "like to continue living and raising my family here." If the state allows exportation of basin water, she said, that hope grows dim.
    So far, Estancia Basin water has escaped exportation agreements or compacts with other regions or states. Water compacts between states, like those now compelling the continued flow of Rio Grande water from Elephant Butte Lake into Texas, force water exportation regardless of changing availability or local demand.
    Regional compacts could have the same effect, and Estancia Valley residents would like to prevent that from happening here.
    One man's opinion that "we have no water to spare" met with resounding agreement from the Moriarty crowd.
    Mike Schwebach said that as a member of the committee that established the Estancia Basin Water Plan he believed that plan would protect the basin from water exportation. But now he's not so sure.
    "There's a danger the state will take it anyway," he said.
    Schwebach said he considers the possibility of fresh or brackish water exportation the biggest issue facing the Estancia Valley region.
   
City criticism
    People at the meeting also expressed their belief that as a whole, Estancia Valley residents are doing their part to conserve. They feel, however, that Albuquerque would rather take Estancia Basin water than do what it takes to really save the water in its own back yard.
    One woman talked of a news report that Albuquerque loses billions of gallons of water each year through leaky water pipes in the city's 60- to 70-year-old water system. Edgewood resident John Rutz backed up the comment and said he believes there is no plan to fix the leaks because the cost is prohibitive to the city.
    "They don't fix anything until it actually breaks," he said, adding that Estancia Valley residents and their needs are no more important to water users in Albuquerque than the silvery minnow.
    "People in Albuquerque are not seeing the whole picture," he said.
    Discussion at one point turned to the possibility of a water pipeline to ship water to New Mexico from wetter states. Many people thought the idea had merit but conceded it would be costly.
    Chuckling at how quickly the tables can turn, one man said, "We're OK with taking water from somewhere else, but we don't want ours going anywhere."
    Ray Seagers agreed, and pointed out another big flaw in the idea— the ecology of wetter areas depends on more water.
    "If we take (their water) it could change their ecology— they have to conserve too, they have droughts," he said.
    By Nov. 1 the stream commission team expects to present the governor with the compilation of water ideas gathered on the statewide tour. If all goes according to schedule, the state's water plan will be finalized no later than Dec. 31.
    For more information on the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission or the state water plan, or to read comments from the Moriarty meeting or other meetings around the state, log on to the Web site at www.ose.state.nm.us.