NOTICE is hereby given that on May 5, 2023 and amended on May 23, 2023, Santa Fe County, P.O. Box 276, Santa Fe, NM 87504 and El Paisano Ranch, LLC, P.O. Box 513, Tome, NM 87060 (the Applicants), filed with the STATE ENGINEER Leaseback Application No. (SP-4842 into SD-03615-B)-T for Permit to temporarily Change Point of Diversion (POD) and Purpose and Place of Use of the surface water of the Rio Grande within the State of New Mexico.
Santa Fe County and Valencia County are the Counties affected by the diversion and in which the water has been or will be put to beneficial use. This notice is ordered to be published in the Santa Fe New Mexican, Albuquerque Journal, Rio Rancho Observer, and Valencia County News-Bulletin.
The Applicants seek to temporarily change the POD of 95.04 acre-feet per annum (afa) farm-delivery requirement, inclusive of 66.50 afa consumptive use water rights, for up to 5 years and not past March 14, 2028, from the Buckman Direct Diversion, OSE File No. SP-4842 located on the Rio Grande at a point where X=394,970 meters and Y=3,966,413 meters UTM (NAD 83) zone 13N, on land owned by the US Forest Service and operated by Santa Fe County, to its original POD and through La Constancia Acequia and Hell Canyon Lateral by way of the Isleta Diversion Dam (SP-1690-3), located at X=346,037 meters and Y=3,863,880 meters UTM (NAD 83) zone 13N, on land owned by Isleta Pueblo. The proposed change in purpose of use is from domestic, industrial, commercial, and county utility purposes to irrigation. The proposed change in place of use is from the service area of Santa Fe County to the original place of use of OSE File No. SD-3615-B, 15.988 acres of Tract 18E2A2, in projected Section 15 & 22, Township 6 North, Range 2 East, NMPM, and 4.67 acres of Tract 18E3B, 7.45 acres of Tract 18E3A1, and 3.572 acres of part of Tract 18E3A2A1, in projected Section 22, Township 6 North, Range 2 East, NMPM, all on MRGCD Map 88 and on land owned by El Paisano Ranch, LLC. The Applicants request a preliminary authorization for the use of the leased water. The subject application states, the water right is not within a Community Ditch or Acequia and therefore, the application does not require documentation pursuant to NMSA 1978 §72-5-24.1. This application does not request to increase the amount of water through a new appropriation.
To view the application and supporting documentation contact the State Engineer District 6 Office at (505) 827-6120 to arrange a date and time for an appointment. The District 6 Office is located in suite 102 of the Bataan Memorial Building at 407 Galisteo Street, Santa Fe, NM.
Any person, firm or corporation or other entity asserting standing to file objections or protests shall do so in writing (objection must be legible, signed, and include the writer’s complete name, phone number, email address, and mailing address). If the protest does not include the complete name, phone number, email address, and mailing address, it may be deemed invalid and not accepted for filing unless Protestant provides with the protest an affidavit stating that it does not have one of the above-listed elements/requirements (phone num7ber, mailing address, email address, etc.). The objection to the approval of the application must be based on: (1) Detriment: if detriment, you must specifically identify your water rights; and/or (2) Public Welfare/Conservation of Water: if public welfare or conservation of water within the state of New Mexico, you shall be required to provide evidence showing how you will be substantially and specifically affected. The written protest must be filed, in triplicate, at the District 6 Office or by mail at PO Box 25102, Santa Fe, NM 87504-5102, on or before Friday, October 6, 2023, Facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted as a valid protest if the hard copy is hand-delivered or mailed and postmarked within 24-hours of the facsimile. Mailing postmark will be used to validate the 24-hour period. Protests can be faxed to the Office of the State Engineer, (505) 827-6682. If no valid protest or objection is filed, the State Engineer will evaluate the application in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 72 NMSA 1978.
Observer: August 31, September 7, 14, 2023