The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer have announced enrollment for the 2024 Irrigation Demand Management/Environmental Water Leasing Program.
In its fifth year, the program — more commonly referred to as “fallowing” — offers landowners within the Middle Rio Grande Valley the opportunity to lease water back to MRGCD.
The program’s purpose is to reduce overall water demand, increase the flexibility of MRGCD’s water resources and help balance multiple water management objectives in the middle valley, according to a recent press release from the district.
“Endangered species obligations on the river, growing Rio Grande compact debt and the inability to store water due to the ongoing rehabilitation project at El Vado Dam are just some of the reasons our team at MRGCD has decided to partner with the state and provide enhanced land management options to our constituents in 2024,” wrote Casey Ish, MRGCD conservation program supervisor, in the release.
Irrigators within the district with a minimum of one acre of irrigable land, can temporarily lease their water right to MRGCD for a partial season or full season. Once the lease has expired, participants can once again irrigate those lands. The program is voluntary and allows for a maximum of 8,000 acres of MRGCD irrigable land to be enrolled in the 2024 season.
In partnership with the state OSE, the Bureau of Reclamation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, MRGCD will pay participants $400 per acre for a partial-season lease and $700 per acre for a full-season lease. Enrollment for this program is now open and will run through Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Interested participants can visitmrgcd.com/fallowing-program for more information and to enroll in the program.
Once enrolled, the district will pay a portion of the total lease agreement amount following review of an irrigator’s application and the signing of a contract. Any field inspections will take place prior to signing a contract. The remaining portion of the total lease agreement will be paid once the district has inspected and approved the enrolled acreage at the end of the season. Full payment should be expected on or around Nov. 15, 2024.
“While keeping the valley green and promoting a sustainable environment for farmers to grow is always a priority for us, it’s also important that we work with our constituents in the district to offer options as their priorities, and our water supplies shift from year to year,” said Ish.
This year, the leasing payment will double from last year’s; in 2023 there were 101 irrigators who chose to participate.
“The Office of the State Engineer is pleased to be able to support this program in the Middle Rio Grande,” said State Engineer Mike Hamman in the same release.
“To help alleviate the effects of persistent drought that have contributed to New Mexico’s Rio Grande compact debit at Elephant Butte Reservoir, the state is providing up to $10 million through MRGCD for voluntary water leasing options to keep participating farmers whole while temporarily reducing agricultural water use for compact and environmental benefits. Additional state funds have been appropriated to improve river channel conditions to increase delivery efficiencies and environmental conditions within the Socorro reach on the Rio Grande.”
The Valencia County News-Bulletin is a locally owned and operated community newspaper, dedicated to serving Valencia County since 1910 through the highest journalistic and professional business standards. The VCNB is published weekly on Thursdays, including holidays both in print and online.
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April 25, 2024
