Legal Notices-Government

Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia, Socorro, and Sierra Counties 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 Rio Rancho Observer, Albuquerque Journal, Valencia County News-Bulletin, El Defensor Chieftain, and Sierra County Sentinel.

The co-applicants propose to temporarily discontinue for a ten (10) year period, from February 6, 2023 through February 6, 2033, the use of 500.2528 acre-feet per annum of consumptive use water rights, held, but not currently used, for the purpose of offsetting pumping effects to the Rio Grande from its 35 system production wells, all located within the Rio Rancho metropolitan area within Sandoval County, for municipal and related purposes with a place of use of the service area of the Rio Rancho municipal water system.

The co-applicants further propose to have said water remain in the Rio Grande to benefit the river ecosystem, including threatened and endangered species, as well as the adjacent and associated riparian lands between the flood control levees (where they exist), from Cochiti Lake to Elephant Butte Reservoir, spanning through parts of Sandoval, Bernalillo, Valencia, Socorro, and Sierra counties.

This Application is filed under the Water-Use Leasing Act, NMSA 1978, Sections 72-6-1 through 72-6-7.

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) Detriment; if detriment, 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 May 12, 2023. 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.