Utility authority solidifies plan for pipeline

After months of hearing concerns from Quay County officials about intake structures at the Ute Reservoir, the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority made its stance official on a matter repeatedly brought up by Tucumcari City Commissioner Robert Lumpkin.

The authority is responsible for the construction and operation of the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, a pipeline project extending from the Ute Reservoir in Quay County to member communities in Curry and Roosevelt counties.

That plan includes an intake structure, or pumping station.

Lumpkin said during the Tuesday authority meeting at the Clovis-Carver Public Library that Tucumcari has its own intake structure already at the lake, but the Interstate Streams Commission does not want multiple intake structures at the lake and the structure for the authority would take higher priority.

Lumpkin asked for relief from the authority on the matter, because its current mode of acquiring reserved water does not affect the authority and hooking up to the authority's intake structure would add a $6 million cost for Tucumcari taxpayers.

"I felt like we owed it to the community and Mr. Lumpkin to give them a definitive statement," Portales Mayor Sharon King said, before noting she and other members of the authority met with the ISC about the issue.

The response they received, King said, was that the ISC was pretty set in its desire to not have multiple intake structures, and the authority would hold the same stance.

Lumpkin said city officials would continue to look for other ways to stay with their current intake structure, and understood the authority's position.

"When we made the request, we thought there was some merit to it," Lumpkin said, "and we still do. But I appreciate your point, and I appreciate your effort."

In other business during the meeting:

• Project Manager Paul van Gulick recommended turning in the authority's most current draft on a drought management plan, while continuing to work with interested parties on the plan.

That would satisfy a deadline for grant money that helped facilitate the creation of the plan.

"Turning in our best draft," van Gulick said, "does not preclude final effort."

Lumpkin said based on van Gulick's explanation, and a stated intent to keep working for common ground, he had no problem with such a move.

• Federal consultant John Ryan and van Gulick spoke about federal efforts to fund the project, with Senate Bill 3385 on the horizon.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., would create a mechanism to fund seven rural water projects across the country, including the ENMRWS.

Authority members believe it would have broad-based support based on the number of states involved in the respective projects, many of which are receiving piecemeal funding and could be built if the full budget amount "landed in our laps," van Gulick said.

"We believe it's something we need for rural water projects like this to be funded in our lifetime," van Gulick said. "The current budget process is not going to be satisfactory."

• The reservoir has dropped 20,875 acre feet from Jan. 1 to Monday, according to a report submitted by dam manager Kent Terry.

The reservoir is currently at 63 percent capacity of its authorized elevation at 3,773.41 feet.

An acre-foot is the measurement of 1 foot of water covering a square acre of land, and is equal to approximately 325,851 gallons.

z The authority will meet again in Santa Fe in February during the New Mexico Legislature.