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Officials outline Del Norte Open Space irrigation upgrades and teff planting; trustees authorize negotiating water rights
Summary
Staff described completed and planned irrigation work at Del Norte Open Space — new ditches, culvert work, fencing and a planned north‑side pipeline tied to MRGCD infrastructure — and trustees authorized the mayor to negotiate purchase of water rights to support the project.
Village staff and contractors updated trustees April 21 on recent and planned improvements at Del Norte Open Space and secured board authorization to pursue water‑rights negotiations.
Jacobo Sanchez of Southwest Soil Health reviewed infrastructure completed over the past year: a walking path, filling of a tailwater pond, repurposing a perforated 48‑inch culvert, expanded parking, fencing and significant tree trimming. To improve irrigation under low‑flow conditions, staff installed an 18‑inch HDPE pipeline that transitions to a concrete ditch to better deliver water north and south across the long fields and reduce the inefficiency of low‑head dirt ditches.
Jacobo and facilities manager Keen Hinesman described a planned north‑side pipeline that will connect to Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) infrastructure to draw from a more reliable supply, reduce the field’s five berms, and preserve turnouts for supplemental water when available. They said the pipeline and ditch lining will enable more efficient laser leveling and seeding; the plan is to plant teff as a summer annual to provide ground cover while longer‑term plantings and no‑till rotations are developed.
Trustees pressed staff on past maintenance shortcomings, tree mortality and missed timelines. Staff explained that water‑right transfers in prior seasons and variable low flows limited plantings, that the village chose concrete lining as a cost‑effective alternative to an expensive pipeline loan, and that some infrastructure remains to be installed on the west field pending contractor start and water availability. Facilities manager Keen said the state provided a Notice of Obligation (NOO) for the remaining work; the contractor estimated two weeks to install and expected to begin in May, with planting windows driven by teff’s mid‑May ideal planting conditions and monsoon timing.
Because irrigation and planting depend on reliable water access, the trustees voted to authorize the mayor to pursue negotiations to purchase water rights for use at Del Norte (vote taken following closed‑session discussion). Staff agreed to provide monthly progress updates to the board, including firm target dates once the contractor confirms a start day and water is secured.
If water availability is constrained, the team said teff can still provide a low‑risk ground cover that may germinate with monsoon rains, but long‑term productivity will hinge on durable access to conserved surface water or rights.
