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A free public forum and discussion
sponsored by the Middle Rio Grande
Water Assembly
Date:
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Time: 9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Place:
University of New Mexico
Dane
Smith Hall, Room 120
Location
Map
Water Budget -
In 1999, the Middle Rio Grande Water Assembly developed a Water
Budget. 31 experts from various
water-related fields investigated where our water came from and how it
was used, considering two dozen components. Based on data from 1972 to 1997, the
Water Budget showed that water consumption exceeded renewable supply by
15 to 20%. And that was during
New Mexico’s wettest quarter century in the past 2000 years!
Regional Water
Plan -That water imbalance provided the basis for our Regional
Water Plan. The Assembly, through an extensive public process and in
partnership with the Mid Region Council of Governments, developed the
2004 Regional Water Plan for Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia Counties. The Plan contains 43 recommendations
on how the Region should proceed to balance water use with renewable
supply.
Changes Have Occurred - More than a
decade has passed and we’ve seen numerous changes. Renewable inflows have declined
significantly. Conservation
efforts have reduced per capita use. The Conservancy District infrastructure
for distributing irrigation water has been improved. The Water Utility Authority has
started using some of its surface (San Juan / Chama) water, reducing
its groundwater pumping. Some
agricultural water has been re-purposed to domestic or urban use. Population has grown. Natural systems have continued to
suffer stress.
For Better or Worse? - Have we made
progress in reducing our deficit spending of water? Or have we lost ground? Have recent climatic changes already
impacted our supply? The Water
Assembly asked a team of technical experts to study the relation
between consumptive use and renewable supply for the follow-on period
1998 through 2013. The report of that technical group, a draft updated
water budget, will be presented during the public forum..
Likely Future Stresses - Recently, the
federal Bureau of Reclamation, in partnership with Sandia National
Laboratories, modeled future water availability, based, in part, upon
recent knowledge about climate change.
One of the main authors of that study will present projections
of water availability across the coming decades.
Possible Adaptations – An expert
presentation will indicate some candidate ways we could adapt to the
realities, as well as what it might mean if we don’t.
Next
Steps - The passage of time and increase in knowledge demand an
update of the 2004 Regional Water Plan.
In keeping with its mandate to provide an open, inclusive, and
participatory process, the Water Assembly will kick-off the Update to
the Regional Water Planning Process on June 28. The last hour of the forum will be
devoted to discussion by participants, on how to begin to create
adaptive strategies and update the Plan.
Agenda:
NOTE:
Affiliations
of speakers are listed for informational purposes only. TheSpeakers are serving as volunteer
individuals, not
as representatives of their respective organizations.
8:30 Conversation and Continental Breakfast
9:00 Welcome
Elaine
Hebard, Water Assembly Volunteer
link
to conference content
slides (0.8 MB)
9:05 Introduction/Background: Water Budget,
Regional Water Plan,
Conditions
Have Changed, Plan for the Day
Bob
Wessely, Water Assembly President
link
to slides (1.3 MB)
9:45 Water Budget Update
Bruce
Thomson, Research Professor, Civil Engineering, UNM
link
to slides (1.0 MB)
10:15 Our Water Budget in the Context of Longer-Term
Trends
Dagmar
Llewellyn, Hydrologist, US Bureau of Reclamation
link
to slides (3.8 MB)
10:45 Break
11:00 There Isn't Any Water (a song)
Larry
Goodell, nationally known poet
11:05 Transformational Solutions: Where Should
We Go From Here?
Howard
Passell, Ecologist, Sandia National Labs
link
to slides (0.4 MB)
11:30 Audience Discussion: Adddressing
Our Current Challenges
o Brainstorm Adaptive Strategies
o Prioritize Top Strategic Approaches
o Join a group to present ideas to the Annual
Assembly
Elaine
Hebard, Facilitator
12:30 Adjourn to Continue Conversations
1:00 Meeting - Water Assembly
Board of Directors
Location
Map Invitational
Flyer Invitational
Detail
Further Info: Elaine Hebard
(505) 247-8767 <EHebard@yahoo.com>
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