NOTICE is hereby given that June 22, 2020, United States of America, National Park Service, Contact: Paula A. Cutillo, 1201 Oakridge Drive, Suite 250, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80525, filed with the STATE ENGINEER Application No. T- 06350 for Permit to Change Point of Diversion of Groundwater within the Upper Tularosa Underground Water 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 discontinue the diversion use of 1.0 acre-feet per annum of ground water, from declared well T- 06350, which is located at a point where Latitude 34°15’1.44″N and Longitude l06°6’41.88″W, within NW¼ NE¼ SW¼ in Section 4, Township 01 South, Range 08 East, NMPM, Socorro County, for domestic, irrigation, sanitary, and National Park purposes, within the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, Socorro County, New Mexico. Well T-06350 is a declared well, with a priority date of January 30, 1959, for domestic, irrigation, sanitary, and National Park purposes, for the diversion of 1.00 acre-feet per annum. The move-from well T-06350 is on land owned by Jack L. Kite and Louise P. Kite. The place of use, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, is owned by United States of America, National Park Service.

The applicant further proposes to transfer said water right for the diversion use of 1.0 acre-feet per annum of ground water to exploratory well RG-88237 POD2, approved on May 4, 2020, to be drilled to a depth of 700 feet, with an outside casing of 6.625 inches, to be located approximately 50 feet north of declared well T-06350, at a point where Latitude 34°15’1.44″N and Longitude l06°6’4l.88″W, within Section 4, Township 0l South, Range 8 East, NMPM, on land owned by Jack L. Kite and Louise P. Kite.

The applicant filed an Affidavit on June 1, 2020, requesting emergency action pursuant to NMSA 1978, 72-12-22. The Emergency Authorization was approved on August 4, 2020.

The applicant states the proposed new point of diversion will replace declared well T-06350, because the declared well is severely corroded and has sedimentation. The move-to point of diversion is on land owned by Jack L. Kite and Louise P. Kite. The place of use is owned by the applicant. No new appropriations are requested under this application and declared well T-06350 will be plugged.

To view the application and supporting documentation contact the State Engineer District Office to arrange a date and time for an appointment located OSE District 1, 5550 San Antonio NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 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, 5550 San Antonio NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87109, on or before November 20, 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 15, 22 & 29, 2020

El Defensor Chieftain