Collaborative solutions to complex problems: a Pecos River Basin, New Mexico case study
Date
2006-10
Authors
Sims, Elisa, author
Smith, Coleman, author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
The Pecos River, a tributary of the Rio Grande, flows through eastern New Mexico for 500 miles and across four dams until it reaches the New Mexico-Texas state line south of Carlsbad, NM. The complex river system gains flows from snowmelt, flood inflows, and groundwater base inflow. The Pecos River Basin provides water to three irrigation districts, two of which rely primarily on surface water flows; the third pumps groundwater for irrigation. The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and the Office of the State Engineer (NMISC/OSE) are the primary state agencies jointly charged with water resource management in the basin. One of the most important legal constraints on the system is the Pecos River Compact, which was ratified by New Mexico and Texas and approved by the U.S. Congress in 1948. Additionally, the fully appropriated basin is not completely adjudicated, adding additional legal stresses. To further complicate the basin's legal setting, the Pecos River is home to a federally threatened species of fish, the Pecos bluntnose shiner. As a result of the complex hydrologic conditions and legal constraints present in the Pecos River Basin, the NMISC/OSE has responded in innovative ways to provide solutions for meeting the water demands of various stakeholders in the basin. The State has served as a facilitator, to bring numerous stakeholders with varying interests together to negotiate a settlement to a long-standing adjudication suit. To support the settlement process, the NMISC/OSE created a suite of models known as the Pecos River Decision Support System (PRDSS), which models the complex hydrology and river operations of the Pecos River system. As a result of the settlement, the agency is purchasing land and appurtenant water rights, the majority of which will be transferred to a large capacity well field, currently being constructed. These actions are intended to increase river flows and to prevent a priority call for Compact compliance. Additionally, the agency has become involved in Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act compliance activities, traditionally considered federal processes. Overall, the NMISC/OSE has been compelled to expand its role as water resource manager in the basin in order to provide long-lasting solutions to the water conflicts on the Pecos River.
Description
Presented at Ground water and surface water under stress: competition, interaction, solutions: a USCID water management conference on October 25-28, 2006 in Boise, Idaho.