Tempest

Nothing is more likely to set people's emotions off than threats to their water supply. Today my opponent let it be known that he would be claiming water rights for state land in San Juan County. That would be a huge amount of water. He will attempt to put the land office in the front of the line for water that has never been considered by the State Engineer to be owned by the land office. Nor was it ever thought to be a right conferred by the congress when these lands were given to the state upon entry to the Union in 1912. I studied this issue in the 1980's when El Paso took a run at our New Mexico water supplies. We felt there was no legal case for us to pursue. I don't think that has changed over the last 25 years.

How many folks might be a little upset with this water grab? Well, the Navajo tribe for starters, and then the farmers, ranchers, city and county governments, anglers and hunters......well you get the picture.

All of this over water that is already overappropriated and might not even exist, except on paper. I think there is little chance this will go anywhere, except to the court house. Lots of attorneys making a few bucks and some real estate developers waiting in the wings to see what happens.