Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Judge allows more time for review of Rio Grande cap

A decision on a major aspect of Lower Rio Grande water adjudication will be delayed slightly longer, to give objectors more time review a proposed settlement revised last week among farmers, a state judge decided Tuesday. Third Judicial District pro tem Judge Jerald Valentine opted to give objecting groups another week to review a proposed settlement, which would establish a yearly cap on water used throughout the Lower Rio Grande Basin. The parties that reached the settlement - pecan farmers, non-pecan farmers, the local irrigation district and the state - revised the document and circulated it just last Friday, in an attempt to address objectors' concerns. Tuesday, some of the objectors told Valentine they hadn't seen the document yet or had time to review it thoroughly. They also highlighted concerns about an initial version of the settlement, claiming it covered more ground than just the amount of water. Some objectors took issue with a provision that would reduce the amount of depletable water with a given right, if it were transferred out of agriculture, such as to municipal use. Farmers Edmund Ogaz of Garfield and Joe Corona of the south county, part of the non-pecan farmers group, said they're hoping for a speedy resolution, because more time just adds to the cost of an already expensive lawsuit. As far as the terms of the settlement, "it's livable," Ogaz said...more

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