Scientific Studies

New Documents Available on the GCC Website

8/17/2011

Implementation of the Arizona Water Settlements Act in New Mexico: A Legal Overview (Adrian Oglesby, Natural Resource Legal Consultant, Ltd., February 2011)

Water attorney, Adrian Oglesby, has distilled down the core elements of the New Mexico-related sections of the Arizona Water Settlements Act so that the layperson can more easily understand this complicated piece of legislation and how it relates to New Mexico's use of money and water under the Act. Read the full report here.

Gila Conservation Coalition Presentation to the Water and Natural Resources Interim Legislative Committee (August 1, 2011)

Download Gila Conservation Coalition's presentation to the WNR Committee that outlines the tradeoffs between diversion and non-diversion alternatives that have been submitted by various stakeholders to the Interstate Stream Commission for consideration for AWSA funding. The Gila Conservation Coalition supports a balanced, fair, and fiscally responsible approach to meeting the water needs of southwest NM. Non-diversion alternatives 1) meet the water needs of everyone in southwest NM – municipalities, farmers/ranchers, environment 2) are cost-effective and don’t put the taxpayer and water users in financial risk and 3) Provide security in supply over the long term. View the presentation here.

Documents received from NM Interstate Stream Commission as a result of GCC's Inspection of Public Records Act Request

Because the Gila Conservation Coalition has serious concerns about the transparency of the ISC's AWSA planning process, GCC requested documents from the Interstate Stream Commission under New Mexico's Inspection of Public Records Act. This law provides an open window for the public and media to access information deemed of import to the public interest. This is one of the basic rights of our democratic society -- Open Government-- and is a crucial aspect of a functioning democracy.

Although we are still going through over 1000 pages of documents we received, here are a few of the more important ones previously unavailable to the public that you can download below.

Tom Pollard Work Order - Construct a Finance Plan to Identify and Evaluate a NM Unit

S.S. Papadopulos & Associates - Draft Analysis of Flow and Water Use Alternatives on Hydrologic Conditions in the Riparian corridor of the Gila-Cliff Basin

Hydrosphere Resource Consultants - Findings from the Mangas Trench and Gila Groundwater Basin Hydrologic Review

8/16/2011

Overview of the Geomorphology of the Upper Gila River Basin
Rebecca M. Summer, PhD

Evolution of the Upper Gila River Basin in New Mexico has been controlled by the earth’s structural movement, geology, climate and, over the last century, human activity. Current climatic changes of warmer temperatures and reduced snowpack appear to be modifying the sediment patterns, stream flow, flora and fauna. The extent of future impacts on the basin will depend on the adaptability of biophysical properties of the land and water under uncertain changing conditions. To read the complete report, click here.

Attributes of an Alluvial River and their Relation to Water Management:
Relevance to the Upper Gila River Basin, New Mexico
Reviewed and Condensed by Rebecca M. Summer. Reference quoted: Trush, W.J., S.M. McBain and L.B. Leopold, 2000. Attributes of an alluvial river and their relation to water policy and management, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 97.22.1158-1163.
Download the paper here.

Land & Water: Making the Connection
Download the paper here.

21st Century Climate Change in Southwest New Mexico:
What’s in store for the Gila?
with Dr. David Gutzler, Professor of Meteorology & Climatology
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico

Southwest NM Regional Water Plan