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<br />i::,Aith?ugh._UridergroUn~~aters_ are often
<br />: - hydrologically connected Jo su:face _water,
<br />, \rheJalt;1's, of aIlthree state~ treat ground~'
<br />\>Vat~r differentIY.,!eias has a completely
<br />, different legal concept g9verning .the use,
<br />ofqroun~wate~..It is:the rule of absolute,
<br />1b\.Vne:rship~ Un4er:tllis ~ple,: anyofl(!:.:\'Iho
<br />O-wl1sland is free to'pump ant~e water~;
<br />t'?el1.~ath th~t land without restr~ctiot\.
<br />:; )'his<rp.eanstha,t e~n if tl.',e gr?undwater
<br />'isl\~Qrologicallyrela-tedto a surfac~
<br />s~reazn_an?plimpi:tlg carih~ shown to,
<br />:.'d~plete t;hesurface'supply, there,is,nc
<br />; Jegal bar,te such a'9_epletion/d~spite the
<br />" ~act~~~"t seJtiO~lurfa'ce:~ppropriator~ are.
<br />;,aa~f1gedhy t~egr;>und\Vater \u":ll'ing.
<br />
<br />Botfl New Mexico and Colorado, contror
<br />F,~o.undw~~r under 'permit syste~s
<br />, .~hich use. the priority co~ceptwith
<br />:inodificatipns that all()w'certain levels of
<br />iimp~iIment to'senior wen (l~ners.What
<br />.,is'~;~atest concer~ her~ is:the ,regula.
<br />:tion-o~groundwat~ that is hydrologkally
<br />related to'sl,1rfacewatec Both states
<br />;t~qtlif~'applicants:~o,fs~oundwater.weII5
<br />;th~t~oUt4aff~,t't s~nior s;fa~'rights,
<br />t+'b~e~ ~~refue'~uffacerights to()ffs~t t~e
<br />,irrtl',,<;l olll]~pun:\ping,This windpl~ ofn
<br />'~9()~:d.~Ilat~ngth7: ~a~agem~~~ 9f:surfac~
<br />~~dgI:Olln?yvater to protect senioiri~hts
<br />Js.caUJaconju~~ive,~atu'lge~ent,li~~ ~;l
<br />
<br />~tirfilcewater _appry:ipriatiOn:s irlC?loraqq;;
<br />,fir:e;un<ter thejiirisdiction,- of a '$'yste.rCo,f' ~
<br />_~ye,Jl.regi,(ma!,~~ter cout1swhil~ ground;:
<br />~at,erperipits ~refhapdled.,bY ~\separa~e~
<br />) ?!otll1cl~ahrr c()mmission iUld thes~~te
<br />:~pgi~~er,!in'New~~ic~\bot~~ surf<!<ce,~
<br />fIDd~~()U1l~water,appHc~tions,are..p"an~
<br />dled,~'y th~, stit~~engip~et. le~s. has- ,c
<br />"!:(~at~4 aw~terf.t:pmritissionw1th'author~'
<br />i~,}c o~r appropriiltipns, Be~aus~of. the
<br />title '?fabsolute,~.~;ri'mhip'9fground;~
<br />:o/ater i~Texas, tlierejsnocentra~~d
<br />~tat~~gUlaJiot'\of this resource,At the ~~
<br />'lq~aJ:l~vel~::undergrpund wa~r con:serva~'
<br />~h:mdistricts ma~ ~e formed ~ith the
<br />,~ppr()val ofvote~~; al}d t?~se.di~.tricts
<br />h~v?1i~i(e~, poWers toregulat~^ ground~
<br />~"(lt€r pumpingJoce:~set;r~. th~,.~source.
<br />
<br />1'111erellt,e_ ,miu"lY,:corilp'iexitieI'J6 the
<br />. ~~mi~istratl(ln'Dftig~ts~nderthe 1'1'101';
<br />ilPP,rf)priatiM syste,m,. and in recent yeal1';
<br />tl1Cdl~tribtitiori of water, urtder:service
<br />'~ej~ve~y:cbl1tracts throughthe~ure<lu of
<br />:Reclarnat~qn ha,~ assumed great .,
<br />iinpq1:ta~lC,~,,;~ut .....!'tile newarrangem~nts
<br />tUld:pr~ssuresa~e ca~sing (l1ang~ in th.e . ..~
<br />~~~rappr(rF:ria,tion~ysten}.i' r~n1ains the:
<br />f'Qrne~sto!leofwgi~e.dawintheRiP... . '
<br />p'ran4e};asin and throughoutniost of the'
<br />West, ~
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<br />Elephant Bulte Dam and Reservoir comprise the largest slorage projecl of the
<br />upper Rio Grande. PHaro BY PAUL WGSDON.
<br />
<br />water within the state and is not
<br />otherwise detrimental to the pub-
<br />lic welfare of the citizens of New
<br />Mexico:' (N,M, Stat. Ann, See,
<br />72,126,1)
<br />
<br />" The following year, the New Mex.
<br />ico Legislature placed a two-year
<br />moratorium on the granting of
<br />new permits for ground water
<br />pumping that could affect the Rio
<br />Grande below Elephant Butte,
<br />which included EI Pasds pro'
<br />posed appropriations,
<br />
<br />. In August 1984, the federal district
<br />court generally upheld New Mex.
<br />ico's modified export regulation
<br />statute (so long as it was fairly and
<br />evenly applied by the State
<br />
<br />Engineer), but struck down the
<br />legislature's two year moratorium
<br />on permit approvals.
<br />
<br />" In December 1984, the State
<br />Engineer issued an order setting
<br />the hearing dates on EI Paso's
<br />applications to begin on May 15,
<br />1986,
<br />
<br />" In December 1987, the State
<br />Engineer denied EI Paso's initial
<br />application for well permits,
<br />reasoning that the city had ade.
<br />quate water for a 40 year planning
<br />period and that New Mexico law
<br />did not allow appropriations for
<br />needs beyond that planning
<br />period, EI Paso indicated that it
<br />would contest the decision in court.
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