December 17, 2013 1:30 to 4:40 p.m.
UNM Law School – Live presentation by Peter White and Victor Marshall
3 general credit hours
1. WHAT WATER? 1:30 – 2:45 [ 75 minutes ]
- The drought on the Rio Grande and the Pecos River.
- The drought on the San Juan River (in detail)
- Geography of the San Juan/Colorado River system
- The Colorado River Compacts overestimated the water supply.
- The Colorado River Water Supply and Demand Study by the Bureau of Reclamation: the droughts will get worse.
- Endangered fish on the San Juan: Beware of the Razorback Sucker – It’s 100 times bigger than the silvery minnow.
- How the San Juan shortage affects the Rio Grande via the San Juan – Chama project.
- Questions.
2. WHAT LAW? 2:45 – 3:40 [ 55 minutes with 10 minute break ]
Does New Mexico actually have a water law system? Not really.
- The doctrine of prior appropriation: Maybe someday it will be enforced.
- Active Water Rights Management: Will AWRM make things better or worse?
- What should the State Engineer do?
- Water courts: underfunded.
- Adjudicating the rivers: Will it take forever? How much will it cost?
3. SOLUTIONS: WATER LAW REFORMS. 3:40 – 4:40 [ 60 minutes ]
Water laws that have been enforced in name only, or completely forgotten.
What to do with AWRM ?
Water Courts: how to establish them and fund them.
Questions and discussion.