The Estancia Basin Resource Association

News

EBRA Annual Meeting Scheduled

The EBRA 2008 Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 2 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Moriarty Civic Center. Officer elections will be held, and last year's minutes will be approved. Draft minutes may be viewed here.

EMW Gas Proposes Regional Water System

In January 2007, EMW Gas received approval from the three communities who own the utility (Estancia, Moriarty, and Willard) to begin exploring the possibility of creating a regional water system. EMW, a nonprofit entity, seeks both to provide water to existing water utilities and create new local pipelines to serve those who do not currently have access to a water utility. EMW's proposal would provide a means to keep local control of water transmission within the Estancia Valley. With existing gas pipelines throughout the Valley, EMW already has a substantial number of rights-of-way needed for the project.

EMW presented its initial proposal to EBRA's general membership on January 24, 2007. EBRA has expressed its support for the feasibility study, as has the Estancia Basin Water Planning Committee (Mountain View Telegraph, 2/8/07), and the Mountain View Telegraph has also expressed its support (Mountain View Telegraph, 10/18/07).

The EMW Board of Directors selected Wilson and Company of Albuquerque to prepare a Preliminary Engineering Report. Law and Resource Planning Resources, P.C. will also provide project assistance. Read the full press release here.

October 2006 - Great Basin Water Presents at October 23, 2006 EBRA General Meeting

From the press release - The Estancia Basin Resource Association called a general membership meeting for October 23, 2006, 6:30 PM at the Moriarty Civic Center. The purpose of the meeting was to allow WaterTexas to present its Great Basin Water proposal to the public. WaterTexas proposes to build a desalination plant on a ranch owned by John Turner in the southern part of the Estancia Basin and to build a water transmission line carrying treated water to the northern end of the basin where water supplies are short.

WaterTexas was seeking MOUs with Estancia, Moriarty, Edgewood, and various water companies, such as American Water, Thunder Mountain, and Entranosa. The proposed plan is to provide wholesale water which, according to WaterTexas, will be used only for the Estancia Basin Region. No exportation out of the basin is planned, according to Derek Saunders of Water Texas. Their stated goal was a regional water system "serving as much of the region as feasible, developed with regional input and designed for long-term regional ownership and operation."

Presentations by WaterTexas to EBRA and The City of Moriarty have aroused several serious concerns regarding protecting the future quality, availability, and accelerated costs of water to the region. Future ownership and control of the system is also worrisome. There is no law preventing the export of water from the Estancia Basin. EBRA board members feel that where profits become of concern, it is inevitable that water will flow to wherever the most money can be made. That may or may not be within the Estancia Basin Region. EBRA is encouraging all residents to make a real effort to attend this meeting where they can hear for themselves the proposals of WaterTexas and ask questions. According to Art Swenka, EBRA president, "An informed public can be a strong support and guide for elected officials who are being asked to make serious commitments."

Read our Vice President's opinion on this proposal.

September 2006 - Great Basin Water Proposes Regional Pipeline to Develop Brackish Water Resources for Use Within The Basin

On September 20, 2006, Great Basin Water Development Corporation - represented by former Governor Toney Anaya and Derek Saunders and Steve Mobley of WaterTexas - made a presentation to the EBRA Board of Directors regarding a proposed project to develop a regional pipeline and development project to treat brackish water for transmission to the basin's water utilities. GBWDC will present its proposal to an EBRA general meeting on October 23, 2006, 6:30 p.m. at the Moriarty Civic Center. Download the presentation (1.2 MB PDF).

May 2006 - Art Swenka and Wayne Metzger Elected to East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation District

On May 2, 2006, EBRA president Art Swenka and Wayne Metzger, who was endorsed by EBRA, unseated incumbents Ronnie Harral and Cyle Sharp (who was also president of the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts) in elections for the Board of Supervisors of the East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Both candidates won by wide margins. Art and Wayne ran on platforms opposing the exportation of water out of the Estancia Basin.

February 2006 - Senate Memorial Bill Passes, House Bill Fails

Initially introduced by Senator Pete Campos, EBRA's proposed Senate Memorial Bill SJM-36 survived the Rules Committee, despite opposition by Senators Kent Cravens, Dianne Duran, and Rod Adair, as well as strenuous opposition by Sierra Waterworks proponent and New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts President John Cyle Sharp, who is also a member of the East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors seeking reelection this year. After languishing in the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee until five days prior to the end of the legislative session, House Memorial Bill HJM-53 was tabled, after vigorous opposition by Representatives Joe Stell, Ray Begaye, and Andy Nunez. The bill did not emerge from committee before the end of the session. For more detail, visit the Regulatory Update section.