The Estancia Basin Regional Water Plan

Photo - Rain on Pinon

In the late 1980's and early 1990's residents of the Estancia Basin became increasingly concerned about declining water levels, and their perception that water quality was deteriorating in the Basin. In late 1993 Torrance County established the Estancia Basin Water Planning Committee composed of citizens representing major stakeholders in the Basin to address water resource related concerns In mid-1995 the Committee was formally established as a tri-county entity (Torrance, Bernalillo and Santa Fe) to address water resource related issues through an integrated Basin-wide approach.

In 1995, 1996 and 1998 the Committee held a series of public meetings throughout the Basin to gather public input about water related concerns and possible recommended solutions, and to obtain public input on the Phase I Report (past and present water resource related data and future growth, population and use projections). Several concerns, comments and suggestions were offered.

Given the concerns and recommendations of Basin residents, the Committee compiled and reviewed known data on water resources in the Basin and developed future economic, population and water use projections (Phase I Report); evaluated and summarized the data; developed conclusions, goals and alternatives; applied the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission Criteria from the NMISSC Regional Planners Handbook and Template to analyze five basic scenarios; developed the Water Plan; presented the Water Plan for public scrutiny and comment; finalized the Water Plan and presented it to the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission.

2010 Regional Water Plan Update

Original 1999 Water Plan