Water board aims to raise awareness

Deputy Editor

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It's no secret the groundwater supply in the High Plains is depleting and that is why the Clovis Water Policy Advisory Board plans to spend today raising awareness about water conservation.

According to a press release from City Manager Larry Fry, the day kicks off at 10 a.m. at the Clovis-Carver Public Library North Annex with a presentation of findings from a water use, quality and quantity study through the U.S. Geological Survey and the Eastern Plains Council of Governments.

Following the presentation is a tour of a playa conservation program and a working lunch with State Conservationist Xavier Montoya to discuss a regional conservation partnership program funding opportunity through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the release.

“Conserving water is in everyone's best interest,” said Clovis Mayor David Lansford. “We have a depleting aquifer.”

Lansford said the number one reason for the water conservation education day is to increase the public’s awareness of the importance to conserve water and increase the “activism” for developing more water resources and conserving what we have.

City Commissioner and Water Policy Advisory Board Chairman Chris Bryant said communication with Clovis citizens and farmers has increased and helps raise awareness.

“I think we're communicating more with them. They know our needs, and I think they're willing to work with us and will try to preserve the aquifer as much as we can to make sure we have sustainable water,” Bryant said.

The second objective, Lansford said, is to look at conservation strategies specifically impacting the agricultural community.

“We're wanting to utilize and leverage local assets and dollars with federal and state dollars to convert irrigation farming to dry land farming, and turn off irrigation wells in specific areas that offer a very productive resource of water for the community in the future,” Lansford explained. “It's a two-pronged approach basically. It's compensating producers that irrigate to turn their wells of and convert their farms to dry land farming or grassland … to conserve that groundwater.”

Lansford said farmers are still controlling their groundwater “to the extent that state law allows,” and that there was nothing mandatory about that strategy “in any way shape or form.”

“This is a voluntary program,” Lansford said. “It's an incentive program where we hope resources would compensate those farmers who want to participate in the program.”

Bryant said every year there is some kind of conservation program in the city, but if the agriculture communities can help preserve their water as well, it will help everyone.

“Ninety-five percent (of water use) is for agriculture, and if we can preserve that and take care of what we have, it's going to be a good thing not only for Clovis and Cannon Air Force Base, but the good water is northwest of Clovis where the paleochannel is, and we need to preserve that as much as we can,” Bryant said.

The third thing Lansford said the city hopes to accomplish is to compensate farmers with playa lakes that are restored to their natural condition. Playa lakes, he said, are lakes that can help recharge the Ogallala Aquifer.

“The natural condition of playa lakes in this country wasn't overgrazed, wasn't overfarmed, and it had a perimeter that would filter out the water shed so it wouldn't silt in,” Lansford said. “You wouldn't be cultivating or grazing, so cattle wouldn't be pounding the surface into a non-natural condition.”

Lansford said the purpose would be to “enhance the recharge of those playa lakes.”

Bryant said this is the first year he is aware of that they've looked at playas and studied how they work and replenish the aquifer.

“This is something that's new,” Bryant said. “Anytime we can get out to the public how important conservation is in every aspect, I think it's important. Right now we have to save … it's a valuable resource to us.”

While the Ute Pipeline is a long-term solution to the area's depleting water supply, Lansford said there is still a sense of urgency to find a short-term solution in conserving what groundwater we have left.

“The reason for the urgency is simply that the Ute Water Project is certainly a long-term solution, but it's unknown when that will be fully funded and how many years it will be until water is delivered,” Lansford said. “In the meantime, we need to be doing something to preserve as well as recharge (the aquifer). That's what this is about, to educate the public on our water supply issues in this area.”