ACTION ALERT! CALL THE ISC TODAY: Expensive Dam and Pipeline Boondoggle Puts NM Taxpayers at Risk
$66 Million is available to meet water needs in southwest NM and an additional $34 – 62 million to develop Gila River water ($128 million total): Stakeholders in southwest NM are trying to determine how to use funding from the Arizona Water Settlements Act (AWSA) to cost effectively balance water supply and demand while protecting the Gila River.
THE $200 MILLION QUESTION – Two Choices: Southwest NM (Grant, Luna, Hidalgo and Catron counties) can use up to $128 million in a federal subsidy to cover only 40% of the project costs to divert up to 14,000 acre-feet per year from the Gila River and its tributary, the San Francisco, through a Gila River DAM and PIPELINE project OR INSTEAD Southwest New Mexico can use $66 million to meet local water needs.
THE WRONG CHOICE LEAVES TAXPAYERS HOLDING THE $200 MILLION BAG:
~ No need for Gila River water has been demonstrated in the four county area. Studies show that the regional aquifer contains enough water to supply Silver City for hundreds of years. Deming’s 2009 water plan demonstrates that it has already acquired enough water rights to meet future demand over the 40-year planning period.
~ A massive taxpayer-funded boondoggle. Gila River diversion would require major infrastructure in the Cliff-Gila Valley. This project would require a diversion dam and some combination of a huge pumping station, a power station, a massive pipeline and/or canal system and an off-stream dam and reservoir.
~ The boondoggle won’t benefit the local area: The state is scrambling to meet obligations to big cities in New Mexico and Texas. It’s almost certain that this water will leave the local area and get piped to the Rio Grande and on to Texas.
~ Bottom Line WE CAN’T AFFORD IT: The construction cost has been projected AT LEAST $300 million – more than double the promised $128 million federal subsidy. The additional cost would be shouldered by local taxpayers and burden local government with debt. At a time when federal, state and local budgets are spread thin, a diversion project outstrips our financial resources.
~ No seriously, WE REALLY CAN’T AFFORD IT: Given that annual exchange costs plus operation and maintenance costs total more than $8M per year, each acre-foot of Gila River water would cost $589 before including the capital costs of the dam and pipeline. These costs would be paid by the water users directly. Estimates of total construction cost for a project range from $193M - $300 M, tens of thousands of $/acrefoot.
THE RESPONSIBLE CHOICE:
Real Solutions for Southwest NM’s Long-term Water Needs: Implementation of proven conservation and water efficiency measures can sharply reduce the amount of water needed in the future at a fraction of the cost of a Gila River dam and pipeline project. Conservation and sustainable use of groundwater can secure our water future without building a costly diversion project that will alter the character of the Gila River forever. These strategies range in cost from $11- $360/acre-foot for municipal conservation, $517/acrefoot for drip irrigation, and $98-$274/acre-foot for sustainable groundwater management. These solutions compare to tens of thousands of dollars/acre-foot for construction of a Gila River diversion project.
IT’S UP TO YOU:
Email or call the Interstate Stream Commission members today and tell them you want responsible and cost-effective non-diversion alternatives, such as municipal and agricultural conservation and sustainable groundwater management, evaluated during the 2012 – 2013 assessment phase of the AWSA planning process.
Jim Dunlap, ISC Chairman waterjim1@live.com; 505-598-5845
Estevan Lopez, ISC Director estevan.lopez@state.nm.us; 505-827-6103
Scott Verhines, State Engineer scott.verhines@state.nm.us; 505-827-6091
Patricio Garcia PAGarcia@rio-arriba.org; 505-753-4508
Blane Sanchez indnh2o@aol.com; 505-869-2068
Mark S. Sanchez msanchez@abcwua.org; 505-768-2504
Buford Harris bufordharris@yahoo.com; 575-644-8614
James Wilcox jrwilcox@pvtnetwords.net; 575-887-2871 x 421
Phelps Anderson; phelpsanderson@dfn.com; 575-625-9152
Randal Crowder rscrowder@suddenlink.net; 575-763-3901
Topper Thorpe topperthorpe@gmail.com