BACKGROUND Town hall participants are urged to read this report before REPORT the event. April 15-16, 2014, Albuquerque, NM CONVENER New Mexico First BACKGROUND REPORT: 2014 Water Town Hall SPONSORS We gratefully acknowledge the following sponsors who generously support the April 2014 town hall, as well as the extensive planning and research effort that preceded it. Lead Sponsors Los Alamos National Laboratory Hatton W. Sumners Foundation Signature Sponsors Intel NM Office of the State Engineer Sandia National Laboratories PNM Thornburg Investment Management Concho Resources Additional Sponsors Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority BP Chevron Modrall Sperling NM EPSCoR Comcast Eastern New Mexico University Montgomery and Andrews New Mexico State University Middle Rio Grande Water Assembly University of New Mexico New Mexico Tech New Mexico First © 2014 ii BACKGROUND REPORT: 2014 Water Town Hall Copyright 2014 New Mexico First P. O. Box 56549 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87187 Phone: 505-241-4813 Website: nmfirst.org New Mexico First typically grants permission to reproduce all or part of this document for educational or public policy purposes . Contact us for reproduction authorization. New Mexico First © 2014 iii BACKGROUND REPORT: 2014 Water Town Hall CONTENTS Sponsors ............................................................................................................................................................................. ii Contents ............................................................................................................................................................................. iv Foreword ........................................................................................................................................................................... vii Purpose of Report .................................................................................................................................................................. vii Pre-Town Hall Input ............................................................................................................................................................... vii Research Committee .............................................................................................................................................................. vii Where Did We Get Our Information? .............................................................................................................................. viii Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Water in New Mexico ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 How We Get Our Water .......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Surface Water ......................................................................................................................................................................... 3 New Mexico Reservoir Volumes ..........................................................................................................................................3 Reservoir Summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Canadian River Basin ..........................................................................................................................................................4 Rio Grande Basin ................................................................................................................................................................5 Colorado River Basin ..........................................................................................................................................................5 Pecos River Basin .................................................................................................................................................................6 Groundwater ........................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Groundwater Hydrographs .................................................................................................................................................7 How Much Water Can We Expect in Coming Years? .............................................................................................................. 8 Historical Precipitation Data................................................................................................................................................8 Rainfall Across a Millenium .................................................................................................................................................8 Forecasts and Climate .........................................................................................................................................................8 Climate Modeling ................................................................................................................................................................9 Policy Considerations on Water Supply .................................................................................................................................. 9 Legal Matters .....................................................................................................................................................................10 Water Rights ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Prior Appropriation/Priority Administration .....................................................................................................................10 Priority Call in Carlsbad .....................................................................................................................................................11 Shortage-Sharing Agreements ..........................................................................................................................................11 Adjudications ........................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Water Right Process ..........................................................................................................................................................12 Why Do Adjudications Take So Long? ...............................................................................................................................12 Senate Joint Memorial 3 (2009) ........................................................................................................................................13 Indian Water Rights ..........................................................................................................................................................13 Summary: New Mexico Water Rights Cases......................................................................................................................14 Active Water Resource Management ................................................................................................................................... 14 Water Rights Transfers and Markets .................................................................................................................................... 14 Water Compacts ................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Rio Grande Compact .........................................................................................................................................................15 Policy Considerations on Legal Matters ................................................................................................................................ 16 New Mexico First © 2014 iv BACKGROUND REPORT: 2014 Water Town Hall Watersheds and Water Supply ...........................................................................................................................................17 Water Supply and Mountain Fires ........................................................................................................................................ 17 Watersheds and Basins Defined ........................................................................................................................................17 Fire Impacts on Water Quality ..........................................................................................................................................17 Number of New Mexico Wildfires .....................................................................................................................................17 Mountain Snowpack ..........................................................................................................................................................18