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<br />c C' 1UJ
<br />
<br />47
<br />
<br />is needed in the city. Each year, the
<br />city enters a number of small leases
<br />(of a few acre feet) with commercial
<br />users, along with a major lease of
<br />1,200 af/yr with European wine
<br />producers with vineyards near Ele-
<br />phant Butte. Its contracts with the
<br />Bureau of Reclamation prevent
<br />Albuquerque from receiving a
<br />profit on resale of SjC water; there-
<br />fore the water is leased annually for
<br />its cost to the city, currently about
<br />$401 af.
<br />
<br />Even though current supplies
<br />appear sufficient for the next sev-
<br />eral decades, Albuquerque is buy-
<br />
<br />ing senior irrigation water rights for
<br />future use, It holds out a standing
<br />offer to purchase water rights from
<br />local farmers for $1,000 per af of
<br />historic consumptive use. Because
<br />the city does not currently need the
<br />water, it will let the selling irrigator
<br />continue to use the water for farm-
<br />ing, for at least ten years, Conse-
<br />quently, this offer can be quite
<br />attractive to irrigators who are fac-
<br />ing financial problems-they are
<br />able to obtain a substantial cash
<br />payment (approximately $100,000
<br />for each 50 acres from which they
<br />sell their water rights) and still con-
<br />tinue to farm. However, the long-
<br />
<br />term implications of such a sale, on
<br />both an individual and regional
<br />basis, are potentially significant.
<br />
<br />~~
<br />,
<br />
<br />Water marketing has many detrac-
<br />tors due to its potential effects on
<br />rural areas, The Middle Rio Grande
<br />Conservancy District, like other irri-
<br />gation districts in the West, has
<br />opposed the transfer of water rights
<br />outside district boundaries in order
<br />to protect the long-term viability of
<br />the district. Also, members of com-
<br />munity ditch associations are
<br />generally wary of having their
<br />neighbors sell water rights for trans-
<br />
<br />.,
<br />
<br />EXAMPLES OFWATERRIGflTSPURCHASES INJ987
<br />
<br />I. IN NEW MEXICO
<br />BASIN
<br />Rio Grande
<br />Rio Grande
<br />Rio Grande
<br />Rio Grande
<br />Pecos River
<br />Pecos Ri ver
<br />Pecos River
<br />Gila River
<br />Gila River
<br />
<br />II. REGIONAL SALES
<br />REGION
<br />Denver
<br />Northeastern Colorado
<br />Colorado Springs
<br />Phoenix
<br />Tucson
<br />Reno
<br />Las Vegas
<br />South Texas
<br />Salt Lake Oty
<br />Southern Utah
<br />
<br />,PRICE PER 1'Y)>E"
<br />ACRE-FOOT [,~J ~ -PURCtIASI;R
<br /> $1,250 Ground Develop~r
<br /> $1,200 Groilnd " ~ ~
<br /> Hbmeowner,ass'n
<br /> $1,000 " Surface City
<br /> $1,700 Ground Develop~r
<br /> 'll,
<br /> $1,100 Silrfa,ce Irri~atpr
<br /> $ 640 Ground Oty;
<br /> $1,100 Ground Irrigator
<br /> ',.. ,:::!l'
<br /> $1,670 Ground J;iomeowner
<br /> $1,200 *i Su~filt~. 'Irrigator III
<br /> \"j
<br /> ill
<br /> $2,300 Shares City ~
<br /> $1,050 ~, Shares City !j;
<br /> $ 4,300 1~: Shares Developer
<br /> $ 650 .Ground Developer
<br /> " rnvestor
<br />,$1,000 Ground
<br />III $2,500 Surface, ~~ Developer
<br /> $1,075 Ground: City t'
<br /> $ 650 Ground City
<br /> $ 164 Surface Water District
<br /> $ 290 Surface City
<br />
<br />AMOUNT IN
<br />ACRE-FEET [IJ
<br />
<br />30af
<br />,
<br />92af
<br />63af
<br />26af
<br />3,000 af
<br />170af
<br />276M
<br />3af
<br />21 af
<br />
<br />!Ill
<br />
<br />735 af
<br />6~af
<br />4af
<br />700af
<br />6 af
<br />16 af
<br />176af
<br />2,000 af
<br />60,000 af
<br />350af
<br />
<br />(1) Amount in acre-feet of permanent annual withdrawal right.
<br />
<br />[2] Ground=pumping right Surface=surface water rights ShareS=delivery'dghttmder shares h~id.ip. an irrigation distrt<:t,
<br />ditch company, or other water district.
<br />
<br />~
<br />
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