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Settlements and Indian Water Right Settlements

Settlements

The Office of the State Engineer has the following settlement agreements and proposed agreements in progress.

Pecos River - Carlsbad Project Settlement Agreement - A settlement agreement signed on March 25, 2003 by the Interstate Stream Commission, the United States, the Carlsbad Irrigation District, and the Pecos Valley Artesian Conservancy District.

Gila River/Arizona Water Settlement Act - The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC), the Gila-San Francisco Water Commission, the New Mexico Office of the Governor (NMOG), and stakeholders including environmental groups from the Southwest region of New Mexico have met with stakeholders to help define the planning process used to make decisions regarding how New Mexico’s benefits under the 2004 Arizona Water Settlements Act (AWSA).

Indian Water Rights Settlements

Aamodt Settlement Agreement - The Aamodt Water Rights Settlement Agreement was developed through multi-party negotiations begun in 2000 between the Pueblos of Nambé, Pojoaque, Tesuque and San Ildefonso, the State of New Mexico, the United States of America, the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County and representatives of non-Pueblo water users to settle the Pueblos’ water right claims in the Pojoaque Basin. 

Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement Agreement - The Taos Pueblo Water Rights Settlement Agreement was developed through multi-party negotiations begun in 1989 between the Taos Pueblo, the State of New Mexico, the Taos Valley Acequia Association (and its 55 member acequias), the Town of Taos, El Prado Water and Sanitation District (EPWSD), and the 12 Taos-area Mutual Domestic Water Consumer Associations to settle Taos Pueblo’s water rights claims to the Rio Hondo and Rio Pueblo de Taos stream systems.

San Juan Basin/Navajo Nation Settlement Agreement- The State of New Mexico and the Navajo Nation on April 19, 2005, signed a water rights settlement that would resolve the claims of the Navajo Nation for the use of waters of the San Juan River Basin in northwestern New Mexico.

Ohkay Owingeh Rio Chama Water Rights Settlement - The State of New Mexico, ex rel. State E11gi11eer v. Roman Aragon, et al., Case No. 69-cv-07941-K WR/KK (D.N.M.) Local Settlement Agreement, July 5, 2023