Board hears county presentation on regional water line; told to decide within about 60 days

Santa Fe County project manager Scott Casey told the Milwaukee Valley School District board the regional Milwaukee Basin Regional Water System is moving quickly and that the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) controls design, construction and the budget for the project. "The Bureau of Reclamation is the entity that is in charge of design, construction, and the budget for this," Casey said, and added the county's role has been acquiring easements and encouraging customers to hook up to the system.

An Office of the State Engineer presenter identified in the meeting as Moss summarized three settlement options the district could choose: (A) transfer groundwater rights and fully buy into the system; (B) retain current uses but accept a roughly 15% reduction to groundwater use while reserving hookup for later; or (C) enter negotiated terms that could preserve more of the district's existing rights. "C gives us a lot of leeway to be able to negotiate how many water rights you can keep," Moss said. The presenters said option C likely requires attorneys and direct negotiations but offers the most flexibility for future growth.

Casey and Moss also provided cost and schedule context. Presenters said the BOR estimates about $200 per foot to install the planned distribution line and that the design/build contractor schedule means the district should decide soon so crews can place the line on the contractor's route. "In the next 60 days, we need a decision so that when they start coming down through there, they can put that line in at that time," Casey said. Board members were told the board must also approve a well election and deliver that to project staff by the end of April; presenters stressed that up-to-date, site-level water‑use figures are the biggest outstanding information need to choose among the options.