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<br />Western States Water Council <br />Water Resources Committee Minutes <br /> <br />Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico <br />October 28, 2004 <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />WORKING WITH THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION <br /> <br />Mark Limbaugh, Deputy Commissioner, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, spoke briefly and <br />emphasized their commitment to working in partnership with western states. He used the Bridging-the- <br />Headgate Partnership as an example. He also explained OMB's emphasis on performance measures <br />and performance-based budgeting. He added the BOR wants to work more closely with the Council, <br />adding he learned a lot from the 17 -states Water Supply Challenges meeting in September. <br /> <br />Reclamation, in its planning, is thinking more about system optimization reviews and district <br />operations. How can we "get the most bang for the buck!" What things that are really going to pay <br />off? "We have a limited budget." The West needs more water development and the BOR already <br />faces problems with aging infrastructure. As part of planning for future rehabilitation and betterment <br />work, the BOR is considering new project designs and operations. <br /> <br />The BOR is also asking if a federal loan guarantee program is possibility to meet demands for <br />needed water infrastructure. Perhaps a program with a 90% loan guarantee for up to 20-25 years, with <br />reasonable interest rates. This is not federal money, but a federal repayment guarantee. "We need <br />new tools for our toolbox. " <br /> <br />Norm Semanko asked when the Bridging-the-Headgate agreement would be renewed, and <br />Mark responded hopefully by the end of the year. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Roger Patterson asked, "How do you do the project optimization?" Mark responded that the <br />Water 2025 budget included money for technical assistance - $8.4 million for FY 2004 and $20 <br />million in the FY05 budget. <br /> <br />Pay Tyrrell was quoted as saying, "Conservation has to be well thought out - not just <br />conservation for conservation's sake." <br /> <br />ACEOUlAS: RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND SPECIAL USE PERMITS <br /> <br />Margret Carde, an attorney with the Community and Indian Legal Services in Santa Fe, New <br />Mexico addressed members regarding work on a consent decree with the federal government and local <br />acequias or community ditches. Acequias are not well funded. She said, "We represent poor people." <br />Acequias are part of New Mexico's cultural heritage. Acequias are faced with a "David and Goliath" <br />situation with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) regarding rights-of-way and special use permits for their <br />ditches. We try to foster negotiation without litigation. <br /> <br />The Nacemiento Acequia is a community ditch that serves 98 parcientes or members. It <br />involves a transbasin diversion, and three native pueblos challenged the acequia's water right. A <br />consent decree allows the acequia to build a better diversion, higher up in a wilderness area, to be <br />completed in two years. It took two years to get the required USPS permits. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />8 <br />