Middle Rio Grande Regional Water Plan

4.1.2.3 AWRM Implementation in the Basin
The Middle Rio Grande River Basin has not been designated as a high priority for implementing
AWRM regulations.
4.1.2.4 Special Districts in the Basin
Special districts are various districts within the region having legal control over the use of water
in that district. All are subject to specific statutes or other laws concerning their organization and
operation, found in Chapter 73 of the New Mexico Statutes. The most important special district
in relation to water use in the Middle Rio Grande planning region is the Middle Rio Grande
Conservancy District. Additionally, in the planning region there are acequias, mutual domestic
water associations, and other forms of special districts. These special districts are discussed in
detail in the 2004 RWP, Section 5.8.1, and the 2003 Overview, Supporting Document H-6,
Section II(E).
4.1.2.5 State Court Adjudications in the Basin
Section II(F) of the 2003 Overview, Supporting Document H-6 to the 2004 RWP, provides a
discussion of adjudications and final decrees.
In September 2002, the Court granted the joint motion of the State and the United States to
establish an expedited inter se subproceeding (Subproceeding 1) to adjudicate the water rights of
Acoma Pueblo and Laguna Pueblo based on past and present uses of water. Discovery began in
Subproceeding 1 in 2007 and concluded in November 2013. After the conclusion of discovery
and before the filing of dispositive motions on significant legal issues, settlement discussions
began in March 2014 involving New Mexico, the United States, Acoma and Laguna Pueblos,
and other significant water users in the Rio San Jose stream system. Trial was scheduled to
begin in July 2014, but the Special Master ordered a stay in the litigation schedule through
calendar year 2014 to allow settlement discussions to continue. Due to the parties failing to
reach a settlement, the Special Master in December 2014 denied a further stay of the
Subproceeding 1 litigation schedule. New Mexico, the United States, Acoma Pueblo, and
several other parties filed dispositive motions in May 2015, which were argued to the Special
Master in October 2015. Subsequently, the Special Master has granted multiple stays in the
litigation to allow for continued settlement discussions. Concurrently from late 2016 through
early 2017 the Special Master will be hearing the trial testimony of four expert witnesses for Tri-
State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. New Mexico, the United States, Acoma
and Laguna Pueblos, and several other significant water users continue to participate in regular
mediation sessions in the hope of reaching settlement on the matter.
No adjudication is in progress for the Middle Rio Grande (includes the mainstem pueblos).
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