Arch Hurley board votes to not allocate water

The Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors voted last week to not allocate water into its irrigation canals for now but remained hopeful they might do so after rainier weather this spring.

Board Chairman Robert Lopez said during the March 14 meeting the water-allocation vote was a formality for crop-insurance purposes, though a lack of water had been apparent for months.

District manager Franklin McCasland reported Conchas Lake’s water elevation that morning was 4,162.4 feet, which was 0.2 feet lower than the previous month.

The district typically needs the lake to reach 4,174 feet before it releases water into its canals.

The lake received just 537 acre-feet of water in February with 1,202 acre-feet of evaporation and other losses, he said.

McCasland said he didn’t expect melting snowpack in the mountains to provide much relief.

Though mountains north of the lake received 43% more snow than normal in February, he said the total for the winter was just 1% higher than the norm.

“Snowpack is good, but it’s not great,” he said. “It’s nothing to be excited about.”

McCasland said no snow had fallen in those mountains so far in March.

Snowpack this year is better than the previous winter, which was 66% below normal.

The district has endured two straight growing seasons without allocating because of drought.

Though dry conditions have eased in recent weeks in New Mexico, the U.S. Drought Monitor map of March 16 showed the eastern part of the state to still be in extreme, severe or moderate drought conditions.

In other business:

— McCasland detailed recent efforts to burn brush and clean canals. McCasland and Lopez said opinions were split among area farmers on whether to continue those, especially with the lack of an imminent water release.

“Some are glad we’re getting ready,” McCasland said. “Some say we’re wasting our time.”

Even if Conchas Lake suddenly received enough water, he said it would take a month to prepare the canals.

— McCasland stated in his manager’s report the district has been invited to participate in a Water Protection Collaborative at Conchas Lake led by Martha Graham of the New Mexico Real Water Association. Other participants are the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Conchas Lake State Park and the village of Big Mesa.

Asked to submit concerns for the event, McCasland said one of the district’s chief concerns is invasive aquatic species such as zebra mussels that can clog water intakes.

— McCasland said most district employees recently attended training on the Common Ground Alliance’s “Call Before You Dig” initiative to protect underground utility lines. He said landowners must call 811 before digging, or else face a fine of up to $20,000.