Residents press county on groundwater, question EMWT governance as commissioners defer fiscal role

Dozens of residents told the Torrance County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 28 that the Estancia Valley aquifer is in crisis and that the rapid growth of commercial cannabis operations is worsening the problem. "We are in a severe water crisis," said Anne Schropp, who identified herself as a private citizen, and asked commissioners to urge the governor to impose "a temporary moratorium on new cannabis grow licenses" until the State Legislature can act.

Several speakers linked the visibility of large cannabis farms to rising youth exposure and to drivers of local water demand. Estancia school officials said that 20% of students reported current cannabis use on a 2021 Youth Risk Survey and raised concerns about adolescent brain development; "the human brain continues to develop until the age of 25," said Denise Shirlev of the Estancia Municipal Schools Mental Health Team. Public commenters urged county and state regulators to enforce water-use rules, meter growers, and consider moratoria while the State Engineer and Legislature act.

The public pleas dovetailed with a contentious agenda item: whether Torrance County should serve as fiscal agent for the Estancia Moriarty Willard Torrance (EMWT) Regional Water Association to receive multiple funding sources for water-system work. Commissioner Samuel Schropp said he had asked the State Auditor to audit EMWT after finding alleged filing problems and a history of missed public‑meeting requirements; he warned the county about legal risk if it assumed fiscal responsibilities for an entity with unresolved records. EMWT Chair Bobby Ortiz responded that the association is volunteer-run, had been vetted by state funders in prior rounds, and that its bylaws prohibit exporting water out of the Estancia Basin.

Commissioners did not approve the fiscal-agent requests. Chair Ryan Schwebach said he supports county involvement to protect county interests but agreed the committee should verify EMWT's standing; the board voted to defer items 13B and 13C to allow time for documentation and verification. Representative Stephanie Lord, who had sponsored capital-outlay funding during the Legislature, urged an open public meeting to address longstanding questions and recommended careful verification before funds are disbursed. The commission scheduled further review rather than act immediately.