No improvement in lake levels

Conchas Lake saw no improvement in water levels in December, dimming hopes the Arch Hurley Conservancy District board of directors would allocate water to farmers in the early spring.

District manager Franklin McCasland said during the board’s Jan. 11 meeting the lake saw just 159 acre-feet of inflow in December with 1,457 acre-feet of evaporation and other losses.

The lake’s levels that morning stood at 4,161.4 feet — slightly over a foot higher than one year ago, when the district decided not to allocate water during growing season due to persistent drought.

McCasland previously has said he wouldn’t be comfortable recommending a discharge of water until the lake’s level reaches 4,174 feet.

After the meeting, McCasland said snowpack in the northern part of the state was “nothing to really record” and would be insignificant for the lake.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor website, much of northern New Mexico remained in extreme drought conditions through Jan. 13.

All of Quay County remained in a severe drought, despite ample rainfall during the late spring and summer.

In other business:

• McCasland said the district had planned to implement a federal COVID-19 vaccination mandate for workers in early February, but the U.S. Supreme Court issued a stay until it decided on its constitutionality.

He said he was optimistic the court’s justices would overturn the mandate.

Two days later, the high court overturned the mandate except for healthcare workers.

Under the mandate, if an employee refused the vaccine, he or she was required to undergo weekly testing.

“Right now, there’s not enough nasal swabs to test weekly,” McCasland said.

• The board voiced support for McCasland to place a bid to the Bureau of Reclamation for a 1992 Caterpillar D7 bulldozer in Truth or Consequences valued at $17,144 that has undergone $20,000 in repairs.

Arch Hurley owns three 1960s-model bulldozers that need extensive repairs or cannot run under certain conditions.

McCasland said Native American tribes hold first priority to acquire the bulldozer if they want it. However, he expressed optimism because the screening agency also considers physical proximity to interested parties.

The district has enough money in the budget for McCasland make such a purchase, but he said he wanted to inform board members before pursuing it.

• In his manager’s report, McCasland said the district purchased two brush firetrucks from the state forestry department. The district also is rebuilding a pump in one truck and installing a new pump in the other. That gives the district three working trucks and a water transport truck if it burns brush from the canals this year.

• The board without discussion adopted a $1.7 million budget for 2022-2023.

• The board approved an audit contract with Dan Austin CPA of Ruidoso, which audited the district last year. McCasland said Austin’s fee would remain unchanged.