Arch Hurley board keeps same officers

The Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors swore in three incumbent members to four-year terms and kept the same officers during its Nov. 14 meeting.

Quay County Clerk Ellen White swore in board members John Griffiths, Debra Mitchell and Robert Lopez after they were unopposed during the October election.

The board also approved electing the same officers — Lopez as president, Larry Perkins as Vice President and Mitchell as secretary-treasurer.

In other business:

— Franklin McCasland said during his manager’s report that Conchas Lake’s elevation that morning stood at 4,172.3 feet — 8 1/2 feet higher than a year ago.

McCasland said the lake received 2,951 acre-feet of water in October, with evaporation and other losses at 2,663 acre-feet. Diversion to the canals totaled 7,732 acre-feet during the month.

McCasland reported the lake’s irrigation gate was opened on Oct. 2 and closed on Oct. 30. The district delivered irrigation water through Nov. 10.

Lopez said the lake’s level has dropped 2 feet since the district allocated water this summer, and there currently would be no water to allocate to area farmers.

— Also in his manager’s report, McCasland said its long-reach excavator will need repairs so it can finish work on a ditch at Bascom Cut. He said the canal contains 4 to 5 feet of sediment when floodwaters overtopped a ditch bank during a May 25 storm.

— The board approved a capital outlay request of $125,000 to purchase a new mini-excavator. McCasland said he worked with the Eastern Plains Council of Governments to submit the application to the New Mexico Legislature before its 30-day session in January.

— McCasland said the state has proposed a 10% increase in employees’ health insurance premiums, effective Jan. 1.

— During public comments, Paul Estrada accused McCasland and the board of ignoring requests dating to 2016 to clean ditches around his farm.

Perkins said 2023 was “a rough year” because district employees lacked the time to clean ditches.

McCasland refused to engage with Estrada on many of his complaints, saying Estrada is “argumentative” and “there’s other sides to the story.”

McCasland and board members said they would discuss the issues and possibly take action during its December meeting.