Editor's Note: This is part 3 of the Gila/San Francisco Water Commissioner meeting held Oct. 22. This article will cover a proposed reservation fund and some audience comments.

"The reservation fund agreement is a simple one we will present to the next ISC meeting," Vance Lee, GSFWC member representing Hidalgo County, said. "In addition, we are in the process of getting out invoices to GSFWC members for the reservation fund. In the letter, we say 10 percent of the fund is for administrative purposes. Even if there were no reservation fund, we would have to assess the amounts to keep us operating."


Rick McInturff, who will create the document to present to the ISC, said the whole committee would review it and send it to the ISC for review.

"We will also create a change in financial management," Alex Thal, treasurer, said. "The Grant Soil and Water Conservation District will continue as fiscal agent for the water commission, but the city of Deming would be the fiscal agent for the reservation fund."

McInturff protested that he was looking for volunteers, but agreed the audit procedures would increase the conservation district's budget by $1,000 to $1,500 a year. "Picking a fiscal agent for the reservation fund should be done first."

The commissioners approved the City of Deming as the fiscal agent for the fund. "It would expedite things to have the invoices pay to the city of Deming," McInturff said.

"Has each member entity or commission voted on the expenditure of $2,000?" M.H. "Dutch" Salmon of the Gila Conservation Coalition asked.

McInturff said Deming and Luna County, as well as Columbus and the Deming Soil and Water Conservation District, have voted and approved the expenditure. "I don't think Grant County has voted yet."

"This is a questionsrelated to the reservation fund," Claire Catlett of the GCC said. "What plans do you have for a public presentation to the public for use of the reservation fund? Mr. McInturff, was there public input?," to which McInturff said there was none, but there was an opportunity to give public input at all the meetings.

"What is the reservation fund for?" Catlett asked.

"The reservation fund was established by this commission as a set aside, where hopefully we will enter into an agreement with the ISC, providing there is a diversion project," Lee explained. "The money will follow the water."

"Is it to support one of the diversion projects?" a male questioner from the audience asked.

Thal confirmed it would support any diversion if one is chosen by the ISC. It will also be used for public education and submitting information to the ISC and the governor.

"In this process, is it going to support a diversion or give all sides?" the same man asked.

"In the guidelines for the reservation fund, it is $20,000 annually for the AWSA 14,000 acre-feet of water allocation," McInturff said.

"To try and support the allocation?" the man asked. "So more taxpayer money is being put into the diversion and will promote the diversion?"

"Yes, to secure the 14,000 acre-feet of water that was deprived of Southwest New Mexicans," Thal answered. "Withdrawal has to comply with the AWSA and CUFA."

Tom Bates, GSFWC chairman, clarified: "The funding is to secure the water and show the ISC our support of obtaining the water."

"So you're putting in more money at a cost to taxpayers?" the man persisted. "It's quite a bit of benefit to support a few water users."

"The thing being left out of the equation is that it is the user who will be paying for the water," Thal replied.

"Alex, I'm a Grant County resident, and I am disturbed by your saying our water is going to Arizona," Nancy Kaminski, representing the Southwest Audubon Society, said. "It's not our water. It belongs to the Gila River Indian Community. We can do a lot of good projects with the $66 million for conservation. Do you believe we can do a diversion for under $128 million? If you keep the water, you will pay for it as long as you take it."

"These waters, by way of the AWSA, are our waters," Thal replied. "The $66 million for conservation is still coming out of tax dollars."

"The storage is about storing some floodwater and keeping the river alive," Lee said. "When the rivers go dry, there is a potential to let out water to keep the rivers alive."

"Southwest rivers go dry," Kaminski said bluntly. "Now we have the garter snake and the southwest willow flycatchers. The crops in the valley are not food. It's hay. It's an excessive amount of money for beef. The costs are the environment and the water. Yes, I agree that food is grown in Virden.

"If there are diversions, the river will no longer be wild," she alleged. "The statement is that what makes it wild is its ability to flood. The water will not come just off the floods.

"Yes, we have different opinions," Kaminski said. "I say, no more diversions, in order to keep the river healthy. Let's take the $62 million without strings. Do not take my tax dollars promoting diversions."

"What about the endangered species going extinct if we don't do something?" McInturff asked.

"We are in the worst drought and this is the year we found the garter snake," Kaminski said. "Through time immemorial, they find ways to survive."

McInturff pointed out that it is the opinion of the recovery teams that if something is not done, the endangered species will go extinct. "There will be some judge who will take the water rights from the user to preserve some species."

"There are a lot of endangered species," Kaminski said. "I like research over rumors. If you're going to spread diversion, I don't want my tax dollars used."

"We need to be focused on getting the 14,000 acre-feet without it being on the backs of taxpayers," Thal said. "We need food sources and flood control. I know other folks see it differently. I will wait to see the results of the studies."

"I have a lot of respect for Nancy," Gerald Schultz, representing New Mexico RC&D activities, said, "but if the river is only wild with floods, two hurricanes still flooded unwild rivers. All waters will flood wild with enough water.

Bates pointed out that at least four of the commissioners are farmers or ranchers. "We don't want to damage the environment. A study showed that taking water would not impact the ecology. Yes, opinions differ. Farmers and ranchers make our opinions on experience and the data we have available. We try here to do whatever we feel is best for the public."

The final article will cover the publicist agenda item and more public comments and discussion.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.