LEGAL NOTICE – Permit to Temporarily Change Purpose of Use

NOTICE is hereby given that on March 20, 2024, Nick and Deborah Carrasco, 1380 Los Lentes Rd., Los Lunas, NM 87031, and the Village of Los Lunas, c/o Gergory Martin, Village Administrator, 660 Main St., Los Lunas, NM 87031 filed Application No. (RG-17065 et al. into SP-5219)-T with the STATE ENGINEER for Permit to Temporarily Change Purpose of Use, Place of Use, and Point of Diversion of Ground Water to Surface Water within the Rio Grande Basin of the State of New Mexico. This application was filed under the Water-Use Leasing Act (NMSA 1978, Sections 72-6-1 thru -7). Preliminary approval was not requested. Valencia and Socorro Counties are the counties affected by the diversion and in which the water has been or will be put to beneficial use. This notice is ordered to be published in the Valencia County News-Bulletin and the El Defensor Chieftain. The applicants propose to temporarily discontinue for a ten (10) year period, from January 1, 2025, through December 31, 2034, the use of 35.7 acre-feet per annum (afa) of consumptive use water rights, originally related to a farm delivery requirement (fdr) of 51 afa which are held, but not currently used, for the purpose of offsetting pumping effects to the Rio Grande from its 7 system production wells, previously described in permit RG-17065 POD7 approved November 30, 2018, used for municipal, industrial, and commercial purposes. All wells are located on land owned by the Village of Los Lunas. The place of use is owned by various parties and is located within the Village of Los Lunas service area in Valencia County. The applicants further propose to commence the above described diversion of 51 afa fdr, inclusive of a 35.7 afa consumptive irrigation requirement, under new permit SP-5219, for the above-described time period, from the San Acacia Diversion Dam works of the MRGCD, located on land owned by the MRGCD, located along the Rio Grande at a point where x=326,225 meters and y=3,792,219 meters, UTM, NAD83 coordinate system, via the Lemitar Lateral, for the irrigation of 17 acres described as most of Tr. 13B and the western portion of Tr. 13C on MRGCD Map 151. The move-to lands are owned by Nick and Deborah Carrasco generally located 0.25 mi. northeast of the intersection of Encantada St. and Valley Loop Rd. near the town of Polvadera in Socorro County. Upon termination or expiration of the desired permit, the subject water right will automatically revert to the move-from place of use pursuant to the applicable provisions in that permit. No new appropriation of water is sought by this application. To view the application and supporting documentation contact the State Engineer District 1 Office to arrange a date and time for an appointment at (505) 383-4000 located at 5550 San Antonio Drive NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109. Any person, firm or corporation or other entity having standing to file objections or protests shall do so in writing (objection must be legible, signed, and include the writers complete name, phone number and mailing address). The objection to the approval of the application must be based on: (1) Detriment; if detriment, you must specifically identify your water rights; and/or (2) Public Welfare/Conservation of Water; if public welfare or conservation of water within the state of New Mexico, you must show how you will be substantially and specifically affected. The written protest must be filed, in triplicate, with the Office of the State Engineer, 5550 San Antonio Dr. NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109, on or before June 21, 2024. Facsimiles (faxes) will be accepted as a valid protest if the hard copy is hand-delivered or mailed and postmarked within 24-hours of the facsimile. Mailing postmark will be used to validate the 24-hour period. Protests can be faxed to the Office of the State Engineer, (505) 383-4030. If no timely protest or objection is filed, the State Engineer will evaluate the application in accordance with the Water-Use Leasing Act. Published in the El Defensor Chieftain on April 18 & 25, 2024 and May 2, 2024