The Bureau of Reclamation is pro­posing is to convert water service contracts to repayment contracts at the request of seven San Juan-Chama (SJ-C) Project contractors: the City of Santa Fe, County of Santa Fe, County of Los Alamos, Town of Taos, Village of Taos Ski Valley, Village of Los Lunas , and City of Española. The water service contracts have expiration dates ranging from 2016-2021 and are renewable with the United States, possibly pursuant to changed contract provisions. The proposed amendments would eliminate expiration dates and the need to renegotiate and renew the contracts. In general, there is a current reliance on mined groundwater or on inadequate or junior water rights. The contractors have a need to obtain secure and long-lasting water supplies for their respective communities.

The Proposed Action would make the form of contract consistent for all thirteen SJ-C Project contractors such that all SJ-C Project contracts would be in the form of repayment contracts with no termination date. With perpetual contracts, contractors would continue to use, store, or lease the SJ-C water. Some contractors have plans to develop direct diversions of their SJ-C water. Since the contracts would have no expiration dates, it is expected that financing water development projects would be achievable.

For more information contact: Charles Fischer, Albuquerque Area Office, 555 Broadway NE, Suite 100, Albuquerque, NM 87102, (505) 462-3656, cfischer@uc.usbr.gov.