Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Facing a persistent drought, the Arch Hurley Conservancy District’s board of directors on April 13 voted to not allocate any irrigation water to area farmers for the time being.
It was the first time since 2017 the district had not allocated water for the beginning of the growing season.
District manager Franklin McCasland reported Conchas Lake’s water level had dropped to 4,159 feet, which is more than 15 feet lower than a year ago.
The district cannot discharge any water by gravity feed when it is lower than 4,162 feet, though it is possible to pump water from the lake to the 4,155-foot level.
McCasland said snowfall in the region was good last month, but snowpack during the winter overall was only 87% of normal through April 7.
He said the water-supply forecast for tributaries supplying the Canadian River was “not real promising.”
Board President Robert Lopez said the board will go month-to-month during regular meetings in deciding whether to discharge water from Conchas Lake into its irrigation system.
He also said the board could schedule a special meeting to allocate water if a significant rainfall event occurs.
“As we get water, we’ll allocate it, he said.
Conchas Lake’s website states boating conditions are only “fair” under current water levels. Ideal boating conditions are when the lake rises to about the 4,200-feet level.
The U.S. Drought Monitor showed as of April 15, much of Quay County remained in extreme or severe drought, with the southwestern part of the county in exceptional drought.
Virtually all of southeast New Mexico and much of southwest and northern New Mexico were in an exceptional drought.
In other business:
• The board approved property-tax rates of 5.784 mills per $1,000 assessed value for the 2022 fiscal year. McCasland said those rates are stable compared to the previous year, thought he acknowledged the possibility of increases with the arrival of a minimum-wage hike next year.
• The board declined a request to allow use of its trencher to dig a 20,000-foot-long ditch for a new water line at a Ute Lake subdivision, which exists outside of the district’s boundaries. Board members expressed concerns about wear and tear on the trencher and being subject to liability suits with non-district work.
• The board discussed an Inspection of Public Records Act request of 325 pages of district records from state Sen. Clemente Sanchez (D-Cubero). McCasland said Sanchez paid the $325 fee for copies of the records. The senator indicated he was considering drafting legislation that would cap the district’s budget at 2% increases per fiscal year.
• The board discussed a likely election bill in 2022 from state Sen. Daniel Ivey-Soto (D-Albuquerque) where the district could opt in to a hybrid model where three board members who are Class A land owners in the district could run for election in 2023. Those three members then could appoint the remaining at-large and municipal board members to the district. Board members voiced tentative support for the opt-in measure.