NOTICE is hereby given that on September 21, 2020 and again on October 7, 2020, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Deborah William, agent, P.O. Box 280, San Antonio, NM 87832, filed with the STATE ENGINEER Application No. SP-2 & RG-1937 POD18 for Permit to Change Point of Diversion of Groundwater within the Middle Rio Grande Underground Basin of the State of New Mexico.

Socorro County is the county affected by the diversion and in which the water has been or will be put to beneficial use. This notice is ordered to be published in the El Defensor Chieftain.

The applicant proposes to drill and commence the use of well no. RG-1937 POD18, drilled under emergency authorization issued October 16, 2020, in accordance with §72-12-22 NMSA, to an approximate depth of 200 feet, with 18-inch casing to replace existing well no. RG-1937-S-10, to be located within a 100-foot radius of said existing well located at X=327,759 and Y=3,743,529, UTM (NAD83, Zone 13, meters), within the SW¼ NE¼ NW¼ of Section 5, Township 6 South, Range 1 East, NMPM, for the continued diversion of 12,417 acre-feet per annum of water for protecting, production of feed, resting, and propagation of wildlife on 8,239 acres of land owned by the applicant as described in permit no. SP-2 & RG-1937 et al.-ENLGD approved on February 11, 1999. The proposed well no. RG-1937 POD18 and place of use are located approximately 6.9 miles southeast of the intersection of I-25 and 2nd Street, San Antonio, Socorro County, New Mexico.

The applicant states that the current well no. RG-1937-S-10 is unrepairable due to a collapsing well casing. This well is essential to maintaining habitat for the critically endangered New Mexico Meadow Jumping Mouse (NMMJM). The proposed location of the new well will be within 100 feet from existing well no. RG-1937-S-10. The exact location of the new well will be subject to site conditions at the time of drilling.

To view the application and supporting documentation contact the State Engineer District 1 Office to arrange a date and time for an appointment at (505) 383-4000 located at 5550 San Antonio Dr. NE, 87109.

Any person, firm or corporation or other entity asserting standing to file objections or protests shall do so in writing (objection must be legible, signed, and include the writer’s complete name, phone number, email address, and mailing address). If the protest does not include the complete name, phone number, email address, and mailing address, it may be deemed invalid and not accepted for filing unless Protestant provides with the protest an affidavit stating that it does not have one of the above-listed elements/requirements (phone number, mailing address, email address, etc.). The objection to the approval of the application must be based on: (1) Impairment; if impairment, you must specifically identify your water rights; and/or (2) Public Welfare/Conservation of Water; if public welfare or conservation of water within the state of New Mexico, you shall be required to provide evidence showing how you will be substantially and specifically affected. The written protest must be filed, in triplicate, with the State Engineer, District 1 Office, 5550 San Antonio Dr. NE, 87109, on or before December 30, 2020. Facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted as a valid protest if the hard copy is hand-delivered or mailed and postmarked within 24-hours of the facsimile. Mailing postmark will be used to validate the 24-hour period. Protests can be faxed to the Office of the State Engineer, (505) 383-4030. If no valid protest or objection is filed, the State Engineer will evaluate the application in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 72 NMSA 1978.

Published in the El Defensor Chieftain on October 29 and November 5 & 12, 2020