NM0084 Farmington Daily Times Publication Date: 11/21/2020 Page Number: 001 Title: ISC looks to lease water from Jicarilla Apache

Author: Hannah Grover Farmingtori Daily Times USA TODAY NETWORK ­ Size: 98.89 column inches Farmington, NM Circulation: 18952 ISC looks to lease water from Jicarilla Apache Deal could help fish recover, meet Compact requirements Hannah Grover Farmingtori Daily Times

USA TODAY NETWORK ­ NEW MEXICO AZTEC ­ The New Mexico Interstate Schmidt­Petersen to continue negotia­ 1992 and has the authority to lease this Stream Commission and The Nature tions with the Jicarilla Apache Nation to water to other entities to help the tribe. Conservancy hope to demonstrate that lease up to 20,000 acre feet of water an­ Up until recently, the nation has leased the strategic water reserve can help en­ nually that became available as it is no water to Public Service Company of dangered fish recover while also provid­ longer needed for operation of the San New Mexico to operate the San Juan ing the ability to meet water compact re­ Juan Generating Station. Generating Station. quirements in the San Juan Basin. The Jicarilla Apache Nation acquired But the potential of the power plant The Interstate Stream Commission rights to water stored in Lake in closing in 2022 as well as a reduction approved allowing ISC Director Rolf See WATER, Page 4A Water Continued from Page 1A includes New Mexico, is demand man­ ico, said the organization has been agement. This involves storing water in working on the San Juan River for 15 in the amount of water needed to oper­ designated reservoirs like years trying a variety of restoration

ate it due to the closure of two units in to release when needed to meet the projects to help create habitat. The fish rely on slow backwaters for reproduc­ 2016 means that this water is now tion. compact requirements. "We've made some progress, we've learned a lot," he said. available for the state to potentially In addition, the San Juan River is But while The Nature Conservancy has worked to restore habitat, it has lease. been limited in what it can do. home to two endangered fish species: "One of the things that we've real­ ized in the process of conducting these the Colorado pikeminnow and the ra­ projects is that the missing element is extra water," he said. Sullivan said the water lease is a Strategic water reserve zorback sucker. Having additional wa­ great step forward to achieve both com­ pact requirements and benefits to en­ could help fish, ter that can be released from Navajo dangered species. The amount leased each year would depend on funding available. One of water compact requirements Lake will help in efforts to improve hab­ the details of the lease agreement that has not yet been determined is the itat for those species, helping them re­ price.

Enchant Energy says The water would be placed in the cover and potentially be removed from Jicarilla Apache water strategic water reserve, which has two the endangered species classification. is not needed for SJGS Peter Mandelstam, the chief operat­ ing officer for Enchant Energy, said in a purposes: assisting with endangered statement that the company believes it has enough water rights without the Ji­ species recovery and ensuring the state 'Less and less water carilla Apache lease to successfully ret­ rofit the San Juan Generating Station with carbon capture technology and meets its obligations under water com­ for everybody and that operate it. "The City of Farmington and En­ pacts. When needed, the water could includes the fish' chant Energy have performed an exten­ sive analysis to determine the water needs for San Juan Generating Station be released from the reservoir to help with carbon capture," he said in the statement. "Based on the latest engi­ with the fish or to meet the require­ "The reason we're looking at this neering design, we believe that we have sufficient water available under the ex­ ments of the 1922 Com­ now is because the Nation has some isting permit (No. 2838) for the San Juan Generating Station. As part of our ongoing design work, we continue to pact. water available," said Dominque Work, have a dialogue with other water rights holders in the event that we determine that additional sources need to be ac­ The San Juan River is a tributary of an attorney for the Interstate Stream quired." Permit 2838 is ultimately held by the Colorado River and subject to the Commission. "Climate change means BHP, the former owner of Navajo Mine, and is appropriated for use at both the that there is less and less water for ev­ San Juan Generating Station and the Colorado Water Compact, which re­ Four Corners Power Plant. This allows for the withdrawal of 51,600 acre feet quires a certain amount of water to erybody and that includes the fish. And annually, however only 39,000 acre feet can be used annually. reach . The remaining two units at San Juan last but not least this is part of an effort Generating Station require approxi­ mately 12,000 acre­feet of water annu­ The seven Colorado River basin to foster and promote and build on gov­ ally. That will increase to about 18,000 acre­feet if it is retrofitted with carbon capture technology. states worked to develop drought con­ ernment to government relationships Hannah Grover covers government for The Daily Times. She can be reached tingency plans that were signed into with tribal nations." at 505­564­4652 or via email at hgrover@daily­times.com. Support local journalism with a law in 2019. A key component of the Terry Sullivan, the state director of digital subscription: http:// plan for the upper basin states, which The Nature Conservancy in New Mex­ bit.ly/2I6TU0e County: San Juan Page: 1 363454-11-21_001007.pdf NM0084 Farmington Daily Times Publication Date: 11/21/2020 Page Number: 001 Title: ISC looks to lease water from Jicarilla Apache

Author: Hannah Grover Farmingtori Daily Times USA TODAY NETWORK ­ NEW MEXICO Size: 98.89 column inches Farmington, NM Circulation: 18952

projects to help create habitat. The fish Jicarilla Apache water that additional sources need to be ac­ rely on slow backwaters for reproduc­ is not needed for SJGS tion. quired." Permit 2838 is ultimately held by "We've made some progress, we've Peter Mandelstam, the chief operat­ BHP, the former owner of Navajo Mine, learned a lot," he said. ing officer for Enchant Energy, said in a and is appropriated for use at both the But while The Nature Conservancy statement that the company believes it has worked to restore habitat, it has has enough water rights without the Ji­ San Juan Generating Station and the Four Corners Power Plant. This allows been limited in what it can do. carilla Apache lease to successfully ret­ for the withdrawal of 51,600 acre feet "One of the things that we've real­ rofit the San Juan Generating Station annually, however only 39,000 acre ized in the process of conducting these with carbon capture technology and feet can be used annually. projects is that the missing element is operate it. The remaining two units at San Juan extra water," he said. "The City of Farmington and En­ Sullivan said the water lease is a chant Energy have performed an exten­ Generating Station require approxi­ mately 12,000 acre­feet of water annu­ great step forward to achieve both com­ sive analysis to determine the water ally. That will increase to about 18,000 pact requirements and benefits to en­ needs for San Juan Generating Station acre­feet if it is retrofitted with carbon dangered species. with carbon capture," he said in the capture technology. The amount leased each year would statement. "Based on the latest engi­ Hannah Grover covers government depend on funding available. One of neering design, we believe that we have the details of the lease agreement that sufficient water available under the ex­ for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505­564­4652 or via email at has not yet been determined is the isting permit (No. 2838) for the San hgrover@daily­times.com. price. Juan Generating Station. As part of our ongoing design work, we continue to Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http:// Enchant Energy says have a dialogue with other water rights holders in the event that we determine bit.ly/2I6TU0e

The Jicarilla Apache Nation acquired rights to water stored in Navajo Lake in 1992. hannah grover/the daily times

County: San Juan Page: 2 363454-11-21_001007.pdf