Water policy group to present 40-year plan

CLOVIS — A task force on water policy for Clovis and Curry County will unveil Tuesday its first complete public presentation of a five-component, 40-year plan for water management in the area.

The Water Policy Advisory Committee meets 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Clovis-Carver Public Library, with members expecting a large turnout and a long meeting.

"I really expect it to last probably upwards of around three hours," said committee chairman and city commissioner Chris Bryant. "We’re going to try to address everyone’s questions and concerns about this. That’s our main purpose. This is going to be a public document and we want to make sure that people understand that we’re looking at ways to help the public better understand the challenges and solutions to addressing our water needs in the coming years."

Commissioner Ladona Clayton, who chairs the task force that has met since January to craft the plan, said Tuesday's presentation will address "aggressive water conservation efforts," as well as the existing Clovis Effluent Reuse Project.

"We have some very specific steps," she said, "And we absolutely must be discussing how to identity and secure a water supply so we can save our ground water."

Bryant said other components of the plan include reducing the city's groundwater usage from the Ogallala Aquifer by 37 percent and building a delivery system for groundwater.

Also on schedule for Tuesday is a report on a water mapping project by representatives of the state Bureau of Geology and a report by Andy Worley from the Roswell location of the state Office of the Engineer.

Bryant said Tuesday's meeting is only the first of at least four other meetings that will be announced soliciting public input.

"We want to assure our citizens that we are working diligently to ensure a sustainable water supply for many years to come," he said.