By Mary Alice Murphy

At the Gila Basin Irrigation Commission meeting Wednesday evening, the various ditch members talked about their needs.

The first order of business was to hear the Treasurer's Report from Topper Thorpe. He said the commission has a $139.75 balance, but he said ditch dues should be coming in soon. He noted the only expenditure of the past year was to send $1,000 as its portion to the Gila/San Francisco Water Commission Reserve Fund to promote the utilization of the Arizona Water Settlements Act allocation of 14,000 annual average acre-feet of water from the Gila and San Francisco river basins.

David Ogilvie, GBIC chairman, said the ditches are in arrears in last year's dues, which are again due in this January-February timeframe.

Thorpe said he knows the Fort West Ditch and the others had more immediate needs and ran out of money. "We in this commission have minimal expenses."

Ogilvie said most ditches have their annual meetings this time of year. "The Fort West Ditch held its annual meeting last night, and the Upper Gila Ditch will be tomorrow (Thursday). The Gila Farm Ditch is in two weeks."

Wendel Hann of the Gila Farm Ditch said the ditch is in fairly good shape, although the diversion had washed out. "The river is still high enough to get some water into our ditches."

Ogilvie said the Fort West Ditch was not in as bad a shape at this point as it was last year.

Jerry Woodrow said he wasn't sure about the ditch's "long dam." Martha Cooper of the Nature Conservancy said it was "gone."

Thorpe said getting the sediment out would help get enough water for minimal irrigation and for livestock.

Woodrow said it didn't look too bad on the Upper Gila Ditch. "The Nature Conservancy is helping us out. Putting the diversion back in is the most expensive part." He said the Bear Creek sand-and-dirt berm had washed out.

Donnie Stailey reported when the berm washes out, it runs down into the Gila Farm Ditch and fills it with sand.

Thorpe reminded the members that when dealing with Bear Creek, they must get the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers involved. "In the past, it has not been a problem, but there are a multitude of regulations and hoops to jump through. Whose responsibility is it to take care of the problem? Is it to repair or protect the ditch or the homes below it? I think the homes should be part of the repair, too. We didn't resolve anything at our meeting last night."

Stailey said the Highway Department can maintain the ditches with a permit from the Corps, but "they don't want to do it anymore."

Cooper said: "It seems there should be support to protect the homes."

Thorpe agreed, but said the agency didn't offer any funding. "Fort West continues to find something to work."

Hann said the Gila Farm Ditch would work with Fort West on the project, too.

Thorpe then gave an update on what had transpired since the GBIC's October meeting.

"On. Nov. 24, 2014, the Interstate Stream Commission voted to inform the U.S. Secretary of the Interior that New Mexico wanted to develop a New Mexico Unit, with a decision to utilize the 14,000 acre-feet of water or some portion available," Thorpe reported. "For the 15 remaining projects $66 million is available, plus an estimated $62 million for construction of the unit. The ISC staff made recommendations, which can be found on the nmawsa.org website. No projects were funded at estimated full cost. The GBIC's project for more permanent diversions received $1.25 million. The estimated cost is $1.8 million according to the 10 percent engineering appraisal. GBIC is responsible for obtaining the additional funding. The AWSA funding is done on a reimbursement basis, which means invoices have to be sent. Each ditch can apply for $150,000 from the Acequia Program, but it is in competition with other ditches throughout the state, and must be in compliance with the state procurement code."

He said before construction is begun, the GBIC must have obligated the additional funding before Dec. 31, 2016. "There is no specific deadline for completion. The ditches are then responsible for maintenance and operation for the project's life."

Ogilvie read from a letter received from the ISC to the GBIC, saying that the GBIC's original proposal was comprised of three major components-replacement of the existing earthen diversions with permanent diversion structures; surface storage in the canyons of the Cliff-Gila Valley; and aquifer storage using injection wells, and on-farm storage in the Cliff-Gila Valley.

The ISC, as Thorpe said above, agreed to allocate the $1.25 million for the permanent diversions. The ISC said the second component had been combined with others from Deming and Hidalgo County into one integrated proposal called the Southwest Regional Water Supply. The third component was analyzed by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and by ISC consultants and was determined to be infeasible.

The letter also said because of the ISC's recommendation to notify the Secretary of the Interior, the ISC has directed staff to 1) investigate financing; 2) investigate creation of the New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity; 3) begin a 30 percent engineering design; 4) coordinate with Reclamation to begin the National Environmental Protection Act process and 5) conduct additional studies, as required.

Thorpe said the letter is the "first step of securing the water. The project could also be changed depending on environmental or engineering findings."

Vivian Gonzales of Reclamation said she had a correction to Thorpe's report. "Not all of the $62 million is available. The $34 million is available, but the remaining $28 million was dependent on the Lower Colorado River Basin Fund, and is not likely to be available."

Helen Sobien, representing ISC staff, said: "We have our work cut out for us."

Cooper asked about the date for funding to be secured for the permanent diversion structures. Thorpe replied that it has to be obligated by Dec. 31, 2016 for the final figure of $1.8 million. "It could increase or decrease." Cooper asked if the engineering would be an extra cost, to which Thorpe said the engineering is incorporated into the estimate.

Thorpe said the GBIC would explore every funding avenue, as well as every option to minimize the engineering and construction costs.

Gonzales said Reclamation was waiting on ISC to designate the CAP entity before proceeding with next step toward the NEPA process.

Sobien said the ISC was working its way through the procurement code to hire additional engineers.

During new business, Ogilvie asked for a designated representative to the GSFWC, as he is often unable to attend the meetings. Stailey volunteered for the position.

Also approved at the meeting was the 2015 Open Meetings Act Resolution.

The next meeting of the GBIC will be determined, as needed.