Water war roiling Pecos River Valley

ROSWELL, N.M. (KRQE) - A water war is about to boil over in southeastern New Mexico.

One side is demanding water from the other side, and both say their futures depend on what little water there is.

At the heart of this problem is a lack of rainfall. 

For the last couple years, water has been a rare sight in the Pecos Valley.

"We are experiencing the driest 24 months in 117 years; this is a historic drought," explained Superintendent Aron Balok, of PVACD, the Pecos Valley Artesian Conservancy District in Roswell.

It's been so dry, irrigation officials in Roswell and Carlsbad are fighting over water.

The Carlsbad Irrigation District passed a resolution to demand water owed to it by the Pecos Valley. The PVACD is charged with conserving water in the Roswell Artesian aquifer and the Pecos River.
    
The crux of the problem is a lack of water.

"We just got to have rain," said Morgan Nelson, a long-time Roswell farmer.  "We can't make water, and obviously we're draining the basin because there's no input."

On Wednesday water managers and officials gathered in Santa Fe to try and find a solution.

For years, a settlement agreement has regulated water deliveries for areas in New Mexico. However, in times of drought Carlsbad officials claim they're not getting what they need. 

"Some folks who have grown cotton for 30 years, over 30 years, weren't able to that this year," said Dudley Jones, Carlsbad Irrigation District manager. "In Carlsbad alone, the annual impact of missing one acre foot of water in the surrounding area of Carlsbad is over $100 million in lost revenue."

Crops have suffered throughout the Pecos Valley. Investments like pecan trees can disappear if there's no water to keep them alive.

But Pecos Valley Conservancy District officials say forcing them to give up water to Carlsbad in a priority call would have a devastating impact.

"If a priority call were administered, that would essentially curtail the water use of everybody not in Carlsbad," said Balok. "Everybody upstream from there."

That demand could affect 110,000 acres of irrigated farm land plus industrial and municipal water supplies, he added.

"I really don't think it's an exaggeration to say we could see a billion dollars of economic impact if that were to happen," Balok said.
    
Roswell farmers told KRQE News 13 giving up water when so many are lacking would put some out of business.

"If we don't have water we don't have income because we're 100 percent irrigated in this part of the country," said Doug Whitney, a fourth-generation farmer in Roswell. "And if you can't water it, it's not going to happen.  You can't grow a crop."

Officials with the Pecos Valley district in Roswell argue forcing them to deliver water to the Carlsbad district in a priority call wouldn't offer relief. So, they're hoping to come to an agreement to satisfy both parties when what they really need is lots of rain.

"(The) Legislature can do lots of things, but they can't legislate water or rain," said Jones.

Both sides said the hit agriculture is taking will affect many more people. Farmers are making less, and therefore have less to spend and contribute to the economy.

Other issues include food prices.  The more farmers have to spend and the less they produce, the more consumers pay.

Wednesday's meeting included representatives from the PVACD, CID, Interstate Streams Commission and the Bureau of Reclamation.