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MRGCD and Sandia Pueblo sign agreement to replace Corrales siphon after BIA finding of trespass
Summary
At a special Corrales Village meeting, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and Sandia Pueblo signed a right‑of‑way agreement to replace the Corrales Siphon after the Bureau of Indian Affairs told MRGCD it had not held a federally approved right‑of‑way. Officials say the project is fully designed and funded and construction is slated to begin January 2026.
Jason Cassuga, chief executive officer of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, and Governor Chavis of Sandia Pueblo signed a right‑of‑way agreement at a special Corrales Village meeting to replace the Corrales Siphon after a Bureau of Indian Affairs review concluded MRGCD lacked a federally approved right‑of‑way.
“The BIA found that MRGCD was in trespass with regard to the siphon,” Cassuga said, reading a prepared statement that traced the siphon’s damage, interim pump deliveries since 2022 and negotiations with tribal and federal partners.
Why it matters: the siphon — last used in the 2021 irrigation season before a sinkhole revealed extensive damage — serves irrigators in the Corrales service area. Cassuga said the replacement project is fully designed, that the New Mexico Water Trust Board committed $7.5…
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