Q&A: Stream Commission member discusses priorities, sustainability

Caleb Chandler of Clovis was appointed to the Interstate Stream Commission by New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez in March. Chandler is a former Clovis police chief, state senator, Curry County commissioner and magistrate judge. He is also commissioner for the Canadian River Compact, and is secretary for the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority. We asked him about his role on the ISC and other questions involving water issues in the region.

Question: How long is your term on the Interstate Stream Commission, and what do you hope to accomplish?

Chandler: My term expires Dec. 31, 2016. I expect to serve New Mexico in my role on the ISC in a difficult, but important position as we all continue to navigate the issues confronting our arid state.

The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission has broad powers to investigate, protect, conserve and develop New Mexico’s waters, including both interstate and intrastate stream systems. This includes working with other states to ensure New Mexico’s obligation and entitlements under the eight interstate stream compacts to which it is a party and water planning.

This is no easy task and I am proud to be included in the important topics facing this commission. My overall goal is to be a thoughtful member of this community and do what is right by our citizens, our culture and our environment.

Q: What are the ISC’s short-term and long-term priorities for water issues in eastern New Mexico?

Chandler: Water planning is both a short- and long-term goal for not only eastern New Mexico, but statewide. We are currently working to complete the 16 regional water plans and will then embark on updating the state water plans. This is an important and significant accomplishment for our state.

The regional water planning steering committee for eastern New Mexico has been working diligently to move forward and meet deadlines.

Other priorities for the ISC include protecting New Mexico’s jurisdiction from outside threats, including those posed by expansion of federal jurisdiction, ensuring all interstate stream compacts are met, making sure that the staff has the right support and tools to accomplish their tasks, and the difficult challenge of balancing water demands with water supply.

I understand the importance of Endangered Species Act compliance in order to protect New Mexico water users and the importance of getting surface water to parched crops in the growing season.

Q: What projects or initiatives make you most hopeful for the future of water sustainability in eastern New Mexico?

Chandler: Almost everyone today understands the importance of a sustainable water supply and most people are actively involved in conserving water. Eastern New Mexico cities and Cannon Air Force Base are reusing treated water to irrigate parks, golf courses and school playgrounds.

Clovis is investing $17 million to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant to produce water for reuse. Cannon has increased use of reclaimed water, expanded base-wide xeriscaping, and modernized facilities to decrease the direct impact on the Ogallala Aquifer.

In the last year alone, these efforts resulted in a savings of 96 million gallons of water (25 percent decrease from previous years), even with the growth of nearly 1,000 personnel.

Since 1995, Portales has reduced its per-capita water use by over 60 percent. Portales is upgrading its wastewater treatment plant to produce water for reuse. Treated wastewater to irrigate Portales’ parks will reduce water from well fields by an estimated 25 percent to 30 percent.

Farmers and other agriculture business owners are developing more efficient ways to use and conserve water. The regional and state water plan is being updated by steering committees in 16 regions across the state. Water rights are being bought or leased from land owners in order to preserve and use water at a future time.

The most important piece of the sustainable water plan is the Ute pipeline, which will bring water from Ute Reservoir to eastern New Mexico.

Several entities are working on eradication of mesquite and salt-cedars. A good sized salt-cedar can consume about 200 gallons of water each day.

Q: Agriculture is an important economic driver in the region, but it is also a large consumer of groundwater through irrigation. How should farmers and agriculture-based businesses be involved in long-term water conservation?

Chandler: Farming and other agricultural businesses are a huge part of our economic base and use 95 percent of the groundwater. Farmers have reduced their planted acres by putting approximately 30 percent to 35 percent of farmland in the (Conservation Reserve Program). About 20 percent of that land was formerly irrigated land.

In addition to their current conservation efforts, which include planting crops that require less water, underground drip-line irrigation, and other more efficient ways to irrigate, we need to closely monitor the Texas Allegiance for Water Conservation Program.

This program is an ongoing on-farm demonstration project that was started in 2004, with a mission of conserving water by identifying agricultural production practices and technologies that will reduce the depletion of groundwater while maintaining or improving agricultural production and economic opportunities. The project is a partnership of producers, industries, universities, and government agencies that provides education and tools for producers in west Texas to improve efficiencies in water use. We may be able to learn something from this study.

It is not for me to tell farmers how to operate their farms, nor for me to say how business should be managed. My role as a commissioner of the Interstate Stream Commission is focused on meeting water deliveries and managing our stream systems to ensure a healthy environment, thriving economy and support for our agriculture community.

Q: In 2008, you said “public education is one of the most effective means of bringing down the average daily per capita water use.” Since then, do you think municipal and non-profit organizations have done enough to educate residents in the area about conservation methods? Are we making progress?

Chandler: Yes, we are making progress. Municipal, county and other organizations have made significant strides to provide information about water conservation. For instance, the city of Clovis provides information about water conservation and water restrictions to the public in a variety of ways including their web page.

Additionally, water is an important conversation statewide. For example, New Mexico First hosted a town hall on water in 2014 that produced data on how New Mexicans are prioritizing water issues including water conservation.

We must continue to be vigilant about public education. The Ogallala Aquifer is rapidly declining, 1/2-foot to 5.8 feet each year. While New Mexico is not currently experiencing any areas of exceptional drought and only 4 percent of extreme drought, almost 90 percent of the state is either abnormally dry or in a drought stage.

Statewide, the snowpack is at 62 percent of normal. Early February increased snowpack, but unseasonable warm temperatures nearly eliminated all gains.

— Compiled by Aubry Buzek, staff writer