Friday, June 13, 2008

Amended Augustin Plains Ranch drilling application

Augustin Plains Ranch LLC has filed an amendment to their original application. The NM Office of the State Engineer expects the amendment to be approved and ready for publication in local newspapers around Monday, June 16.

Protests to the original application will be automatically carried over to the amended application, however the new publication will allow people to register additional protests with the State Engineer's office.

"The purpose of this amended application is to provide water by pipeline to supplement or offset the effects of existing uses and for new uses in the areas designated in attachment B, in order to reduce the current stress on the water supply of the Rio Grande Basin in New Mexico," the amended application states. "Any impairment of existing rights, in the Gila-San Francisco Basin, the Rio Grande Basin or any other basin that would be caused by the pumping applied for will be offset or replaced." (quote credit: Socorro El Defensor Chieftain, Saturday, June 14, 2008 http://www.dchieftain.com/news/80899-06-14-08.html)

Attachment B says the proposed places of use are any areas within Catron, Sierra, Socorro, Valencia, Bernalillo, Sandoval and Santa Fe counties situated within the geographic boundaries of the Rio Grande Basin.