Editor's Note: This is part 2 of a multi-part series on the Nov. 14, 2014, Interstate Stream Commission meeting in Silver City. This article covers the rest of the proposals being considered by the ISC for water utilization and/or funding for non-diversion alternatives.

By Mary Alice Murphy

Janice Kiehne of the 1892 Luna Irrigation Ditch Association proposed improving the entity's ditch irrigation delivery system. "The association gets its irrigation water from Luna Lake in Arizona, which was established before statehood. The founders of Luna filed on all unappropriated water rights on the San Francisco. The water stored in the Arizona lake is released in the spring, summer and fall to water-righted land in New Mexico. The proposal will provide conservation, will increase water flows, will allow better utilization of the water, and will also provide for increased crop production."

Kiehne said Catron County is below the poverty line. Luna has 200 residents and few employment opportunities. "Almost all have land with water rights," she said. "Luna is high altitude and some crops grow well. Some are looking at planting berries and other high value crops. We can even stock ponds and let people on the land to fish. Ponds will benefit migratory birds, rainbow trout, elk, deer, bear, and mountain lion. The area has a lot of hiking and backpacking, as well as hunting and other recreation. I encourage you to update our water delivery system."

A representative of the Pleasanton East-Side Ditch presented its improvement proposal. "We have a 20,000 foot long ditch, which belongs to 24 members on the Frisco River. The ditch is on the south side of Catron County," he said. "Water rights vary from .75 to 110 acres of water rights, some of the most senior on the river. The issues are that in the 1960s the ditch was built. Deterioration has compromised water delivery. We all have issues with post-fire sediment. Erosion on the canyons is threatening the ditches. We try to maintain with the dues we receive. We have laid in pipe. The scope of this proposal is to reline or set in pipe into the ditches. Some parts don't need to be replaced on the upper end. It will be 40 percent over the estimated costs, which hasn't been acknowledged in the recent reports. Improving the ditches will offer water conservation, better water delivery, and more instream use for wildlife."

Jim Massengill, Deming public works director, talked about the Southwest Regional Water Supply System proposal.

"It is a regional diversion and storage project, which uses all the 14,000 acre-feet of water," Massengill said. "It combines portions of the Deming proposal, the Hidalgo County diversion project and the Gila Basin Irrigation Commission proposal. Studies have shown the technology is feasible. Southwest New Mexico needs this water. The project is for diversion, storage, conveyance and delivery to users. The users are human, for agriculture, and environmental benefits in the Cliff-Gila Valley and Virden. The water will be moved to storage to maintain the riparian areas and for agricultural use. We have proposed pumping it over the Continental Divide for municipal and industrial use. The river has a number of diversions, and the bulk of the water is used below the proposed diversion site. Water-rights owners have a 30,000 to 40,000 acre-foot deficit. More water is also being drawn out of the aquifer than can be recharged. There is a three-quarters of a foot annual drop in the aquifer in Luna County. Supplemental water will be appreciated in the future. I ask you to encumber the water prior to the end of the year."

Grant County Planner Anthony Gutierrez presented the Grant County Reservoir proposal. "It originated as an effluent reuse, but evolved into water from storage of the regional water supply project that Jim just described. Hanover and Vanadium have to have water delivered. Santa Clara and Bayard have aquifer issues. The reservoir water can serve as a recharge with an estimated 60 acre-feet annually. The original intent continues for recreational use. Throughout Bayard, Santa Clara and Hurley, there is little economic development. They generally benefit the least from most recreational use in the area. This reservoir could provide economic benefit to these municipalities. Santa Clara has attempted to develop an industrial park to gain businesses. It would be next to the reservoir area. There are 90 acres undeveloped that have a potential for businesses. I think we also want to utilize the effluent, with a potential to use it upstream in wetlands for purification before it gets to the reservoir and aquifer."

David Ogilvie, Gila Basin Irrigation Commission chairman, presented the GBIC proposal. "We formed in early 2007, as a result of concern for representation in meetings on the Arizona Water Settlements Act process. Members are water rights owners since the late 1800s. They represent diversions from the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the Gila River to the Cliff-Gila Valley to Redrock."

"We have constant disruptions from floods, which render our earthen diversion structure unusable," Ogilvie said. "We have no water storage for the excess. Another common problem is low water flows. Diversion and storage would allow dependable water for agriculture. Capturing the excess water and releasing it for agriculture will also provide water to stretches that go dry. The GBIC shares a commitment to use the water. We are vested in current and future water use. I urge you to support the GBIC proposal for the future of all of southwest New Mexico."

Allyson Siwik, Gila Conservation Coalition executive director, spoke on the organization's proposal for municipal conservation, which was also proposed by the city of Deming. As part of her presentation she proposed the setting up of a fund to provide money to municipalities for implementation of several conservation measures.

"Funding could be used to replace less efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances... with the great potential to reduce indoor water use," she said. "Increasing the block water rate structures... charges more per unit of water...protecting lower-volume users and penalizing high-volume users."

She also suggested outdoor water-use requirements, such as time of day and day per week limits on turf and landscape irrigation, non-essential water use restrictions, and prohibition on letting irrigation, pool or wash water run off or drain into a street or public right-of-way.

Leak detection and repair programs can reduce unaccounted for losses from the water distribution system.

"Conservation can be cost-effective to delay infrastructure needs," she said. "New Mexico law underscores the importance of water conservation...by requiring that any public water supply system with diversions greater than 500 acre-feet per year must adopt a conservation plan. Silver City and Deming have such plans."

She said the GCC plan proposed to provide funding for implementation of water conservation programs that would extend the water supply by approximately 3,679-4,269 acre-feet annually throughout the four-county region.

The ISC funded two pilot programs, with $50,000 each, which, Siwik said, demonstrated savings.

Siwik said all the non-diversion alternatives put together would produce or save 12,000-14,000 acre-feet per year for a cost of $68 million to $81 million, based on information in preliminary engineering reports and the Bureau of Reclamation's final appraisal report.

She questioned, with $1 billion in water infrastructure needs across the state over the next 10 years, how the state could justify investment in a Gila River diversion project "when cost-effective water projects have been proposed by stakeholders in the region that can get the job done more quickly, easily and at least cost."

"Conservation is almost always the least costly water supply alternative," Siwik quoted from the State Engineer's Office. "Choose the cost-effective non-diversion alternatives."

The last presentation was on the Sunset-New Model ditches. Stan Jones said the ditches are the last two canals to divert from the Gila River in New Mexico before it crosses into Arizona. "The canals extend into Arizona. The ditches are under the administration of a federal court, which allocated to the Sunset Ditch on the north side of the river, 14,600 acre-feet per year for use in agriculture only. The New Model on the south side also has several thousand acre-feet allocated for agriculture. There is not always enough water to meet the needs. We also have no allowance for seepage or evaporation."

Jones said the measuring station at the top of the valley means that the state has to stand for the evaporation and seepage. "Our proposal is to put in a pipe system, so there is no seepage and no evaporation. Meters at every farm gate will allow everyone to be charged fairly. The three benefits are that the system will cut down on loss, accurately measure the water going to each farmer and the safety of removing an open ditch."

The next article will begin to cover public comments.