Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Water board affirms support of Ute project

The city's water policy advisory board unanimously affirmed support of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System Tuesday, after City Commissioner Randy Crowder presented research on the viability of pumping ground water from Fort Sumner to Clovis.

Crowder, who chairs the board, pointed to the Berrendo water project of 2009 as evidence that a proposal to pump water from the Pecos River basin is likely to fail.

The Berrendo project was an attempt by a private company in Santa Fe to pump ground water from the Pecos River basin to the Santa Fe municipal water system.

According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, the bid was denied by the Office of the State Engineer in February 2011.

"To say that it had little support would be an understatement," said Greg Lewis, Pecos Basin Manager for the Interstate Stream Commission. Lewis said ground water from the Pecos basin is regularly pumped into the Pecos River to meet the agricultural needs of Carlsbad. "I think Clovis should expect a long and contentious effort, should it decide to pursue such a transfer."

Lewis also indicated that water from the Pecos basin is poor quality due to brine or saltiness.

In another item of business, Clovis City Engineer Justin Howalt presented a drought report from New Mexico State Climatologist Dave DuBois. The report showed winter snowfall at 50 percent of normal for mountains that feed New Mexico streams and reservoirs. According to the report, an early spring caused snowpack to melt about six weeks prematurely. Howalt said water from the early melt off will arrive before crops need it and be unavailable when they do.

The report showed Santa Rosa reservoir depleted to 1 percent of its capacity and Fort Sumner reservoir to 5 percent of capacity. In summary, the report stated it is highly unlikely any improvements in water storage levels will be seen in 2012.

The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, also known as the Ute Water Project, involves building a pipeline from the Ute Reservoir in Quay County to Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority members in Curry and Roosevelt counties.

 
 
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