The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy district has been caught with their pants down. They have been playing favorites in granting leases from their water bank to people who have sold their water rights for irrigating. Their pants are down because they have been doing it for some people and not for others.
Now they have been exposed and they are doing the right thing by saying anyone who sells pre-1907 water rights can no longer irrigate. They did it because of possible civil rights law suits where some were able to do this leasing if they were in the good graces of the powers that be. If you were not in good graces then you were not afforded the ability to lease.
Add to that the District is blaming the State Engineer for this situation. They say the engineer didn't tell them when someone sold their water rights. That is a bogus charge and really shows the district didn't want to vet possible lessees who came in for the water.
The fact is, if you sell your water rights then you should not be able to irrigate. The MRGCD has been forced to act accordingly because bad policy and corruption were exposed. So what else is new?
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