No water allocated to canals for second spring

The Arch Hurley Conservancy District last week began its second straight growing season of not allocating water to its irrigation system due to persistent drought.

The district’s board of directors on April 12 officially voted to not allocate water “at this time” after hearing manager Franklin McCasland’s monthly report on the levels of Conchas Lake, which supplies the irrigation system.

The lake dropped a half-foot from the previous month, to 4,160.5 feet as of that morning.

Arch Hurley typically does not discharge water until the lake level reaches 4,174 feet.

McCasland said snowpack in the mountains of northern New Mexico won’t provide any relief, either.

“There’s nothing in the mountains that will come to us,” he said.

McCasland said he already has received letters from area farmers who anticipate making claims on their crop insurance policies because of the lack of water.

Indicative of the long dry spell, McCasland’s report stated Conchas Lake’s elevation a year ago was 4,159.25 — almost the same as now.

The district can pump water from the lake using diesel engines but must stop once the level drops to 4,155 feet. Due to the relative lack of water available and high fuel prices, McCasland and the board agreed pumping from the lake would not be feasible.

On Thursday, the U.S. Drought Monitor map showed virtually all of New Mexico in a drought, especially the eastern third of the state. Quay County was listed as being in extreme drought conditions. Much of neighboring Union County was in exceptional drought.

In other business:

n McCasland also stated in his report the district was down to six employees in its water and maintenance departments, with two sidelined with medical issues. He stated he would begin advertising for seasonal help “to get us through the summer.”

“If we have a storm event, we’re going to be in jam,” board President Robert Lopez said.

The board met in closed executive session to discuss personnel matters after the open meeting.

n The board approved a resolution to the New Mexico Property Tax Department to establish mills. McCasland said he anticipates a flat budget for the district, and “the bottom lines are the same.” Because the region’s property values have risen in general, taxes “will be a little less for the taxpayers,” he said.

n The board discussed U.S. Fish and Wildlife recently moving the peppered chub minnow from the threatened to endangered-species list on the Canadian River. McCasland said the effects on the Arch Hurley district are unknown.