NOTICE is hereby given that on August 1, 2022, the Bureau of Reclamation, c/o Jennifer Faler, 555 Broadway Blvd NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, NM 87102, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, c/o Jeffrey Sanchez, P.O. Box 1248, Socorro, NM 87831, filed with the STATE ENGINEER Application No. SD-05010-A-T for Permit to Temporarily Change Point of Diversion, Place and Purpose of use of Surface Water within the Middle Rio Grande Basin of the State of New Mexico, under §§ 72-6-1 to 72-6-7.
Bernalillo and Socorro are the counties 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 Albuquerque Journal and the El Defensor Chieftain.
The applicants propose to discontinue the diversion and use of a farm delivery requirement (FDR) of 220 acre-feet per annum of surface water, inclusive of a consumptive irrigation requirement (CIR) of 154 acre-feet per annum, from the Barr Canal & Williams Lateral, with a point of diversion on the Rio Grande at the Angostura Diversion Dam (SP-1690-2), on land owned by the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD), at a point where X = 363,856 meters and Y = 3,916,198 meters intersect; and from wells RG-118 POD2 at a point where X = 347,009 meters and Y = 3,872,752 meters intersect, RG-118 POD3 at a point where X = 347,653 meters and Y = 3,872,735 meters intersect, RG-118 POD4 at a point where X = 347,724 meters and Y = 3,872,673 meters intersect, RG-36304 POD1 at a point where X = 347,726 meters and Y = 3,871,623 meters intersect, & RG-36304 POD2 at a point where X = 347,688 meters and Y = 3,871,396 meters intersect, all coordinates UTM Zone 13N, NAD 1983, for the irrigation of 73.33 acres of land owned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service described as Tract 1A (35.2173 acres) on MRGCD Map 55, within Section 25 , Township 9 North, Range 2 East, NMPM and Tracts 5A1 and 5A2 (38.1160 acres) on MRGCD Map 55, within Section 30, Township 9 North, Range 2 East, NMPM. The move-from place of use is approximately located about 1 mile southwest of the intersection of 2nd St SW and Desert Rd SE, Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico.

The applicants further propose to transfer the above-described water right to be diverted from the Unit 7 Drain, with a point of diversion on the Rio Grande at the Isleta Diversion Dam (SP-1690-3), on land owned by Isleta Pueblo, at a point where X = 346,037 meters and Y = 3,863,880 meters intersect, UTM Zone 13N, NAD 1983, for irrigation purposes and for the purposes of protecting, production of feed, resting and propagation of wildlife and associated habitat on 66.5 acres of land owned by the US Fish and Wildlife Service described as Unit B on the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, within Section 28, Township 1 North, Range 1 East, NMPM. The move-to land is generally located 2.83 miles northeast of San Acacia, Socorro County, New Mexico.

This Application is filed under the Water-Use Leasing Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 72-6-1 through 72-6-7. Application is made for a permit that, if granted, would expire on August 1, 2032. Upon termination or expiration of the desired permit, the subject water right will automatically revert to the move-from place of use pursuant to the applicable provisions in that permit.

To view the application and supporting documentation contact the State Engineer District Office to arrange a date and time for an appointment located at 5550 San Antonio Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 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, at 5550 San Antonio Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, on or before November 14, 2022. 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 September 29, 2022 and October 6 & 13, 2022