Senate panel hears of water woes facing region

Diana Washington Valdez
El Paso Times
August 15, 2001

LAS CRUCES -- Population trends are likely to decide how the border region plans for its future water needs, experts said at Tuesday's hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

One of the experts, Jim Peach, said the region's population is increasing by about 75,000 a year, about the same size as Las Cruces in 2000.

Assuming present growth rates, he said "the region's population could reach 4.5 million persons by the year 2025," about double the current combined population of Doña Ana County, El Paso County and Juárez.

U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., presided over the daylong hearing at New Mexico State University. Besides Peach, a border economics expert, Bingaman called on several water experts from West Texas and New Mexico to describe the region's water scene.

Bingaman said the hearing is meant to learn more about how the federal government can help border communities meet future water needs

"The goal is to learn more about the current projections of available water supply, plans to address increasing and changing demands, and issues which need to be resolved as part of that process," said Bingaman, chairman of the committee that oversees national water issues.

He also said it was apparent that to make strides in regional water planning, U.S.-Mexico cooperation must be strengthened.

Other experts at the hearing were Edd Fifer, manager of El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1; Gary Esslinger, manager of Elephant Butte Irrigation District; New Mexico State Engineer Tom Turney; John Burkstaller, chief technical officer of El Paso Water Utilities; and Arturo Herrera, commissioner for the Mexican section of the International Boundary and Water Commission.

They described complex laws and regulations that govern different water uses, such as irrigation and city use, as well as importing and exporting water. "Water is difficult, and the things we do with water are difficult," Fifer said.

Burkstaller listed the steps El Paso's water utility has taken to conserve water and plan for the future. Because of some of those measures, he said, "we have one of the lowest per capita consumption rates in the country."

Turney outlined several of New Mexico's concerns, including reports that Mexico plans to pump 12,000 acre-feet of water from Chihuahua state's Conejo-Medanos, which he said would affect the amount of surface water available in the Mesilla Valley.

Diana Washington Valdez may be reached at dvaldez@elpasotimes.com