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Corrales' 40-Year Water Plan Forgotten? |
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Written by Jeff Radford
Corrales Comment
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Monday, 25 January 2010 |
No review has taken place to determine whether Corrales is complying with —or even implementing— its 2004 water use plan.
How, for example, does the municipal sewer system now under way for the
business district affect the goals, objectives and policies set out in
the plan which is supposed to guide Corrales’ water use for 40 years?
Prospects for reductions in aquifer recharge are clear, but
implications for ground water quality are somewhat less so.
Theoretically, Corrales’ water plan should be undergoing a five-year
update at this point, but no such effort has been initiated or even
discussed.
But Corrales was well-represented at the 16th annual state-wide
meeting of The N.M. Water Dialogue January 14 at the Indian Pueblo
Cultual Center where the theme was “State Water Planning: a path
forward?”
At least nine Corraleños attended, including Evelyn Losack, Stacia
Spragg-Braude, Sarah Cobb, Al Gonzales, Jan Northrup, Judy and Hoyt
Hart, Theresa Isaacson and John Brown. Brown is former executive
director of the project “to promote the wise stewardship and ensure the
availability of water resources for future generations of New Mexicans
through support of community-based planning” and ongoing educational
efforts.
Among the panelists was Janet Jarratt, current chairman of the Middle
Rio Grande Conservancy District board of directors. She vowed to crack
down on landowners who sell their water rights yet continue to
irrigate from the district’s water.
Until recently, Jarratt said, the Conservancy District had no way of
knowing when water rights were sold from under lands that continued to
be irrigated. But that is changing, she said.
“We will lock those water turn-outs and weld them shut,” she said
vehemently. “It’s going to happen. We’re going to stop that theft of
water.”
Farmers who have sold the water rights for their lands can still
irrigate, but only if they lease water or “borrow” from the
Conservancy’s water bank.
Jarratt’s remarks came during her presentation on the need for
governmental entities that regulate land use (such as the Village of
Corrales) to link approvals to availability of water.
“There has been a repeated failure to link land use to water,” she
said. “It’s a fundamental problem to not connect that. We all talk
about the importance of doing that, but we have to hold governments
accountable to do these things.
“People need to stand up and be the government, rather than expect government to take care of this.”
Al Gonzales, now running for a seat on the Village Council, said he had
been attending Water Dialogue meetings for the past three years.
Contacted after the meeting, he said, “We need more citizens to
participate, to be informed about the impact water, or lack of water,
can have on our village.
“Selling pre-1907 surface rights is the most significant. Water is
being treated as a commodity with total disregard about future
consequences.”
Gonzales said he was pleased with Jarratt’s comments. “It was
refreshing to listen to the chair of MRGCD’s board talk about
agriculture. Long-standing opinions about agriculture’s water use being
wasteful was discussed.
“In reality, one-third of the water from the river is used for
environmental purposes, one-third for agriculture and a final one-third
is for urban economics.”
“When communities implement water-saving measures to appease
conservationists, the communities still use the same amount of water as
before due to population growth. As a community, we need to be more
involved whether at a governmental, administrative or personal level.
Water is life at every level.”
Losack picked up on the same tired assertion that farmers are
wastefully using too much water. “It’s a deliberate, twisting lie to
say that farmers use 75 percent of the water,” she said.
Losack said she was heartened to learn that the Conservancy District could help farmers claim their pre-1907 water rights.
She said she is not aware of farms still operating here after water
rights on that acreage have been sold. More of an issue for her is
developers who sell water rights and then homeowners on that land who
pump from the aquifer to irrigate vineyards and orchards.
“The chief crime here is to sell water rights and use groundwater for irrigating. That really sets in my craw.”
Losack spoke up near the end of the Water Dialogue to chastise people
who give lip service to water conservation but then go back home to
their water wasteful lifestyles. “When the water starts running out,
they’re going to take water away from us farmers and give it to you.”
In fall 2004, Village officials “accepted” a 40-year water plan which
could, if rigorously implemented, drastically change the community’s
appearance as well as its water usage.
Among many other provisions, the plan calls for an “aggressive program”
to remove elm and Russian olive trees from Corrales, while exempting
“large, specimen trees.”
It also states that “xeriscaping is encouraged, but is not
mandatory,” for existing residences east of Loma Larga, and that
“xeriscaping is recommended for all municipal and commercial
locations,” although “existing large specimen trees and mature
plantings may remain in all areas.”
At their October 26, 2004 meeting, Village Council members formally
accepted the plan produced by the appointed Corrales Water Advisory
Commission over the previous two and a half years. The immediate effect
of that acceptance was that the plan would be submitted to the State
Engineer’s Office as an outline for how Corrales intends to proceed in
balancing its water needs to available supply.
In introducing the topic at the October 26, 2004 council meeting,
then-Mayor Gary Kanin pointed out, “This is a plan that we realize may
not be perfect at this particular point, and the water commission
agrees that we may have to make some adjustments as we go along. But I
think it is a good starting point.”
Councillors accepted the plan —not necessarily approving it or adopting
it— with just one basic question at that October 2004 meeting.
Councillor Melanie Scholer asked water commission chairman Glenn Young
whether the Village’s engineer, Steve Grolmann of The Larkin Group, had
determined that the plan is consistent with Village plans for a sewer
system. Young responded that the plan referenced those Village’s plans,
particularly regarding ground water quality as a result of
proposed waste water treatment at a constructed wetlands.
That anticipated treatment and re-use has apparently been foreclosed, at least for now.
(See Corrales Comment Vol.XXIII, No. 15, September 25, 2004 “Council Studies Restrictions on Water Use Oct.5”)
Although discussion was minimal at the meeting at which the plan was
accepted, the mayor and council had met with Young and other members of
the commission for two previous work-study sessions that month.
No provisions in the Village’s 40 Year Water Plan were put into law at
that time, and there was no timetable for when property owners had to
eradicate all elms, Russian olives and salt cedars (exempting mature
specimens).
Corrales’ farmers and orchardists would be delighted if elms were
eliminated since their proliferation makes agricultural work enormously
more difficult.
But groups of elms provide the only shade that some homeowners have,
and other villagers have struggled for years to get hedges of Russian
olives established.
In any event, the Village has still not hired any “tree police” more than five years after the plan was adopted.
Of more immediate relevance was a policy established through the plan
that encouraged xeriscaping at all future municipal and commercial
developments. Water conservation in general, and xeriscaping in
particular, are worthwhile objectives, but the probable result of such
a Village policy is to transform the appearance of “downtown” Corrales
Road into a gravel-and-cactus streetscape.
Any site development plan approval by the Planning and Zoning
Commission for a commercial property would not insist upon such a
landscaping treatment, but that would be the most likely outcome.
From the commercial developer’s perspective, laying down a weed fabric,
spreading gravel and planting a few yucca or cactus is the easiest,
most economical, maintenance-free way to satisfy the Village’s
requirement for landscaping.
But if that becomes the preferred landscaping treatment all along
Corrales Road from Meadowlark to Dixon (Corrales’ commercial district)
it could seriously jeopardize Corrales’ attractiveness.
Unlike the City of Albuquerque which insists that a minimum of 50
percent of required landscaping be vegetation, landscape
provisions in Corrales’ zoning ordinance do not set such a minimum in
vegetation.
For Corrales’ commercial district, for example, the ordinance states,
“A minimum of ten percent of the lot shall be landscaped area. Corner
lots or double-fronted lots shall provide a minimum of 15 percent of
the lot as landscaped area. Landscaping or natural vegetation shall be
required in accordance with the landscaping requirements as specified
in Section 8-1-16-B of this ordinance.”
But the section referred to has only the following “Landscaping Minimum” requirements.
• “Trees. a) There shall be a minimum of one shade tree or ornamental
tree planted for each 500 square feet of required landscaped area; b)
Shade trees or ornamental trees, shall be at least one and a half
inches in caliper measured at the trunk two feet above grade or the
tree shall be at least 10 to 12 feet in height at the time of planting;
c) Chinese elm trees and salt cedars are not allowed to be planted to
meet the requirement of this section.
• “Groundcover. Groundcover shall be planted to provide general ground coverage within one growing season after planting.
• “Shrubs and Bushes. Shrubs and bushes shall be at least five gallon or larger container sizes.”
The lack of requirements for what percentage of “landscaping” must be
vegetation has led to the mostly-gravel treatment around commercial
buildings in downtown Corrales in recent years.
As the City of Albuquerque’s xeriscape incentives officer, Claude
Ceniceros, explained in 2004, “You don’t want to get yourself cornered
so that all you end up with is rocks and yucca.”
Another part of the 40 Year Water Plan, acquisition of water rights by
the municipality, got started early but has now petered out.
In 2003, the Village Council voted to allocate $50,000 a year to
purchase water rights. While acquisitions did take place, that
program has not continued.
The 40 Year Water Plan has a set of 15 recommendations, a number
of which were controversial. The Corrales water plan recommends laws
and voluntary programs to encourage water conservation by
homeowners. It would also force Village officials to consider
water availability before committing to new public facilities and
before approving private developments.
Among those are removal of elm and Russian olive trees throughout the
village, encouraging xeriscaping in the business district, encouraging
installation of water meters on domestic and irrigation wells and not
encouraging gray water re-use and rain harvesting.
Seven pages of recommendations are included as Table 1 at the end of the final 40-year water plan, and contain the following:
• “Ordinances to Insure Adequate Water Availability. Planning and
Zoning should confirm that all new commercial, municipal and
residential construction has adequate water permits and/or rights. This
would include requiring well permits from the Village for all new or
replacement wells.
“A two-tiered structure of permit fees would be to permit replacement
wells at a relative small fee, new wells at a standard fee, and fee
waiver for replacement wells where residents are 65 years or older.
Adding septic permit fees should also be investigated by Planning and
Zoning.
• “Xeriscaping and Green Zone. Xeriscaping should be practiced
throughout Corrales consistent with horticultural legacy, history and
topography of the various areas in Corrales.
“West of Loma larga, in keeping with the Village Comprehensive Plan and
topography, xeriscaping should be mandatory for all new construction
and strongly encouraged for existing residences.
“East of Loma Larga, in keeping with the Comprehensive Plan and
historical precedent, xeriscaping is encouraged but is not mandatory.
“Municipal and commercial locations… existing large specimen trees and mature plantings may remain in all areas.…
“Water usage based on location will be controversial. Further,
continued water use for the ‘green zone’ east of Loma Larga will not
significantly affect consumption due to aquifer recharge.”
A recommendation against rain water harvesting and re-use of domestic
gray water which appeared in the draft plan has been deleted from the
final. It read: “Rain water harvesting, gray water reuse and low-flow
appliance should not be encouraged in Corrales. The Village water
system is currently almost entirely based on individual wells and
septic systems. None of the above actions would result in meaningful
reductions in water consumption.
• “Bosque Restoration. Develop an aggressive program to reduce
evapotranspiration water losses from the bosque by removing non-native
phreatophytes (especially salt cedar, Russian olives and Chinese elms).
• “Village Wide Removal of Phreatophytes. Develop an aggressive program
to reduce evapotranspiration water losses throughout the village by
removing non-native phreatophytes (especially salt cedar, Chinese elms
and Russian olives).
“Large specimen trees may be exempted. Prohibit planting of these
plants by residents and advise area nurseries and other outlets.
• “Village Wide Water Quality Testing Program. Implement a village wide
water quality testing program. Each year, sample a percentage of the
wells geographically distributed throughout the village. Measuring
static well levels at the same time should be considered. Data will be
incorporated in a data base that will provide the Village with current
data and trends on our water status.
• “Village Well Metering. Implement a voluntary well and ditch
water metering program for each residence. This will help the Village
determine what actual water usage is. If implemented, this will help
evaluate the effectiveness of planned conservation programs. Without
measurements, water conservation progress and effectiveness will be
difficult to assess.
“Actual water use is also a defensible position against reduction of
permits and certainly of rights. A program that includes Village
education will be required. this program should be voluntary and made
mandatory if State mandated or as part of a severe drought plan.
“Installing well metering could cost $500 or more per residence. This
cost, if borne by the resident, will not be well-received. Further, the
metering could be viewed as a first step that could lead to usage
restrictions and even water usage [reduction]. However, any resident
who believes they may have ground water rights should have a well meter
in order to properly establish those rights with the State Engineer.
• “Irrigation of Residential and Commercial Property. Implement a
program that maximizes watering effectiveness while minimizing water
consumption. Restrictions on time of day that spray watering is
permitted should be implemented.
“Drip/spray watering education should be developed that emphasizes
maximum water conservation through optimal duration and timing of
watering, use of drip where ever possible, selection of
large-drop, lower pressure spray whenever possible, careful design and
monitoring of system to ensure only intended areas are watered.
“Minimizing the use of water for irrigation is complex task that may not be well understood by village residents.…”
This recommendation has the following “Action Required” advice: “Enact
ordinances restricting time of day for spray watering. Require a permit
for new underground irrigation systems.”
• “Irrigation Efficiency for Cultivated Fields. Implement a program
that maximizes irrigation effectiveness while minimizing water
consumption. Incentives and/or education for laser leveled fields
irrigated by flooding should be
considered.
• “Improve Well Drilling Regulations. Establish well drilling
requirements that minimize water contamination from ground water. This
includes proper capping and casing sealing. This could be implemented
through a Corrales Well Permit process. Well drilling
requirements in New Mexico do not minimize exposure to ground water
contamination.… While we believe that village wells are not
contaminated, there is a significant contamination exposure.
Implementing this program will increase the cost of new or re-drilled
wells.
• “Adult Education Outreach Programs. Establish adult education
outreach programs that include topics not otherwise specified above.…
• “Student and Child Outreach and Education Programs. Establish
children and school education outreach programs that include topics not
otherwise specified above. Topics would include how the river affects
the water in our homes, the inter-relationship of water and farming,
the river, and wells.
• “Legislative Impact. Establish a response system to the citizens on
legislative issues or rule making that affects the Village or
residents. Currently there is no timely way to determine what changes
may affect all citizens in Corrales in relationship to water.…
• “Well Level Measuring. Implement a voluntary program to regularly
measure static well levels in selected areas in the village. The number
of wells required, their depths and their locations would have to be
determined based on a review of the village’s aquifers.
“These measurements may be required as often as weekly. The information
would be stored in a data base that will provide the Village the status
and the trends of our aquifer levels.… A program administrator will be
required to co-ordinate the program.
• “Maintain Open Space and Preserve Farmland. Implement programs to
maintain open space and farmlands in Corrales. By maintaining open
space and farmlands, fewer wells and septic systems are required. Slow
percolation into the aquifer from this land also improves water quality.
• “Establish Active Water Management for Recreation Center. Install and
maintain a system that monitors rainfall and/or sensors that override
automatic watering systems (well-supplied).
The executive summary of the plan noted that “The Village of Corrales,
at the end of 2003, did not have sufficient water rights to supply the
demands of the municipal government or the potential needs of a water
system. No justification for a water system has been supported,
although triggering events are referenced in this document. The Village
is currently working on obtaining priority (1907) water rights to
satisfy current and short-term water needs.
“The potential for a Village water system was evaluated. At the time of
the creation of this plan, one is not deemed necessary, but provisions
to continuously monitor water quality are in …the plan.
“The Village is also evaluating the need for a sewage treatment system that is being evaluated separately.…”
The plan stated six goals:
• ensure water rights and availability to preserve the local
agricultural traditions and a balanced supply for other domestic uses;
• restore the bosque to enhance water conservation, and reduce the threat of wildfire;
• retain land use patterns that support and ensure a rural and
agricultural lifestyle and economy in accordance with the Comprehensive
Master Plan for the Village;
• promote education for residents regarding the connection between land
use, water and environmental health, and ways to conserve water. These
concepts should be put in place as a balanced approach between
incentive-based, regulatory and educational curriculum, both in area
schools as well as public outreach programs;
• provide for monitoring the implementation of the water plan; and
• promote the conservation of water.
When the mayor and council first created the Water Management Task
Force in June 2002, they established its mission this way: “…to advise
the governing body in the development and implementation of a
village-wide Water Master Plan which will examine the following issues:
1) long-term water quality and availability; 2) the relationship of
growth and development on Village water resources; and 3) procedures to
respond to short-term drought and/or emergency situations.”
The task force was given six months to complete its work. But at
Young’s urging a year later, it was re-constituted as a water
management advisory commission and asked to prepare a 40-year water
plan.
Corrales’ 40 Year Water Plan is presumably incorporated into the State
of New Mexico’s Water Plan, which is itself undergoing a five-year
update. The review of the state plan was completed in 2008 and findings
are now being incorporated.
As the Interstate Stream Commission’s Angela Bordegaray wrote in the
fall 2009 issue of the N.M. Water Dialogue newsletter, “There have been
significant changes since 2003, so an update is appropriate.”
A draft of the updated State water plan is expected in March 2010, with
completion in June. The document will address compatibility of regional
plans produced. The review called for improvements in the following
areas:
• stronger linkages to 40-year municipal plans and local land use plans;
• increase stakeholder involvement, especially from water providers;
• more consistent methodologies;
• greater dialog with neighboring regions;
• use of scenario planning to reflect uncertainty and variable conditions;
• greater emphasis on planning for drought;
• greater emphasis on constraints to water delivery;
• greater emphasis on potential environmental impacts;
• greater emphasis on energy considerations;
• increased focus on implementation of key programs and projects;
• regular updates;
• annual progress reports; and
• need for ongoing funding for regional plans.
The State Water Plan, the regional water plans and currently proposed
update can be found at the Office of the State Engineer’s website,
which is ose.state.nm.us.
The N.M. Water Dialogue will hold its day-long 16th annual statewide
meeting January 14 at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque.
Corrales’ John Brown has served on its board of directors for many
years.
The non-profit organization’s fall newsletter contained an article
co-authored by geohydrologist John Shomaker which offers advice
relevant for Corrales’ situation as a municipality without “return flow
credits” (returning used water to the Rio Grande) to offset water usage.
The article, “Municipal Water Re-use Isn’t Necessarily Conservation,”
explains “If the community receives return flow credit, the
re-use does not constitute a conservation measure [due to the
distinction between “consumptive use” and “diversion” of water]. The
only way to conserve water is to reduce evaporate losses.
“This same observation holds for re-use by individual households in
this community, for example, through gray-water recycling. It is true
that using gray water to water the backyard tomato plants will reduce
the household demand measured at the water meter. But it also means
that less water is sent down the drain to the waste waer collection
system and then back to the river. Therefore, the consumptive use by
that household remains the same. Remember, a gallon of water transpired
by a tomato plant is a gallon of water lost to the atmosphere, whether
it is high-quality tap water or gray water from the bathtub.”
But, in communities like Corrales, the article points out
(without mentioning us by name) the benefits of re-use are greater. “If
return flows cannot be claimed to offset demand, the benefits of water
re-use increase; an example would be a community that uses septic tanks
and absorption fields for waste water treatment and disposal.
“If no return flow credit is given for waste water infiltration from
the leach fields, all of the water sent to the septic tank can be
re-used with no impact on water rights. The community would have a
strong incentive to use very drop through an aggressive re-use program,
although the actual consumption of water would still be the same.” |
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