Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Staff Writer
Ute Reservoir is storing 75 percent of capacity after having received almost 10 inches of rain, the Eastern New Mexico Water Utility Authority learned Thursday at its meeting in Texico.
Chairwoman Gayla Brumfield also announced Curry County Commissioner Wendell Bostwick will be replacing outgoing member Caleb Chandler, Clovis Mayor David Lansford will be replacing outgoing member Clovis Mayor Pro-Tem Juan Garza, and Ronald Moore of Melrose will be replacing Lewis Cooper of Texico. The changes become effective July 18.
Before Rex Stall's Interstate Streams Commission report, Brumfield said “I have a feeling it's going to be really, really good.”
Stall said the Ute Reservoir had received year-to-date precipitation of 9.64 inches and was storing 75 percent of authorized capacity.
Wendy Christofferson from engineering firm CH2MHILL said final completion at the intake site is delayed due to two issues — a frayed cable on a winch due to over-torquing, and corrosion issues.
“We discovered it really wasn't an engineering error it was an error with either installation or the way we coated it,” Christofferson said.
Christofferson said the cable will be replaced, and the contractor will recoat the exterior pieces above the water and put in an anode system to protect the structure from corrosion and “get the equivalent of what the authority paid for.”
“The system they are putting in, which you aren't paying for, you would have had to put in within a matter of 15 or 20 years,” said Barbara Crockett from CH2MHILL. “It's just another way to protect the structure.”
In his report, Executive Director Justin Howalt said the authority had received $110,000 in capital outlay money for easement acquisition.
At the end of the meeting, members returned from a brief executive session to announce they had engaged in a discussion regarding easement acquisition.
Crockett announced they were planning an educational workshop for August to talk about an New Mexico Finance Authority finance plan and financial strategy.
The authority unanimously approved seven action items, including a request for approval of change order 4 from ASI for Ute Reservoir intake construction, DFA budget change resolution No. 2015-09, NonDFA budget changes resolution No. 2015-10, open meetings act resolution 2015-11, a request for approval of sole source renewal for CH2MHILL for 2016, infrastructure capital improvement plan resolution No. 2015-12, and property insurance for Ute Reservoir Intake.
