solutions to southwest new mexico’s long-term …...solutions to southwest new mexico’s...

SolutionstoSouthwestNewMexico’sLong-termWaterNeedsUndertheArizonaWaterSettlementsAct

In2004CongresspassedtheArizonaWaterSettlementsAct(AWSA)thatauthorizeddiversionoftheGilaRiverifNewMexicoagreedtopayforCentralArizonaProjectwatertoreplacewhatwetakeoutoftheriver.$100million(2004$)hasbeenmadeavailablethroughtheAWSA.$66millionofthisisavailabletomeetlocalwaterneedsinSouthwestNewMexicowithoutdivertingtheGilaRiver.Adiversionprojectcouldcosthundredsofmillionsofdollars(construction,OM&R,andexchangecosts)andyieldlittletonowaterduetolowflowsontheriverandclimatechange,leavingNewMexicanswiththebillforaboondoggle.Non-diversionalternativesareavailabletomeetwaterneedsinSouthwestNewMexicofarintothefutureandcancreatejobsnow.TheSecretaryofInteriormustmakeadecisiononwhetherornottobuildadiversionbytheendof2019.

Waterneedscanbemetcost-effectivelythroughnon-diversionalternativesImplementationofprovenconservationandwaterefficiencymeasurescansharplyreducewateruseatafractionofthecostofaGilaRiverdiversion.Fullyfundingnon-diversionprojectscouldmeetfuturewaterneedsatatenththecostofanexpensivediversionproject.

$66millionisavailableundertheAWSAtomeetlocalwaterneedsinSouthwestNewMexicoAWSAfundsareavailableonanon-reimbursablebasisforGrant,Luna,Catron,andHidalgocountiesformeetinganywatersupplydemand.ThereisnorequirementthatthosefundsbeusedforaGilaRiverdiversion.

UseofGilaRiverwaterisunnecessary

Localwaterplansdemonstratethatwithongoingsustainablegroundwateruseandconservation,theMimbresBasinAquifercontainsenoughwatertosupplyneedsfarintothefuture.

Non-diversionAlternatives• MunicipalWaterConservation measuresreducethedemandforwaterandtherefore

minimizetheneedtodevelopnewwatersupplies.• AgriculturalWaterConservationreducesagriculturalwaterconsumptionthroughthe

installationofwater-efficienttechnologies.• EffluentReuse isawidelyusedstrategyforconservingwaterbyapplyingtreatedeffluentto

irrigatepublicfacilities,suchasathleticfields,cemeteriesandgolfcourses.• SustainableGroundwaterManagementbalancesgroundwaterusewithgroundwater

rechargetoensurethelong-termsustainabilityofouraquifer.• WatershedRestorationconsistsofavarietyofactivitiesthatcancontributetothehealthofa

watershed,includingprotectionorimprovementofwaterquality,enhancingwatersupply,and/orenhancingecosystems.

305ANorthCooperSt.SilverCity,NM88061575.538.8078

www.gilaconservation.orginfo@gilaconservation.org

Organizedin1984toprotectthefreeflowoftheGilaandSanFranciscoRiversandthewildernesscharacteristicsoftheGilaandAldoLeopoldWilderness areas,theGilaConservationCoalition(GCC)isapartnershipofthreeconservation groups,GilaResourcesInformationProject,UpperGilaWatershedAllianceandCenterforBiologicalDiversity,thatpromoteconservationoftheUpperGilaRiverBasinandsurroundinglands.

Photo:Den

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