>> Gene: MONSOON SEASON HAS ARRIVED BEAUTIFULLY IN NEW MEXICO.

IN THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY HAS GOTTEN SOME GREAT RAINS.

BUT, THE DROUGHT ISN'T OVER.

EARLY THIS MONTH, OUR LAND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER LAURA PASKUS INTERVIEWED JASON CASUGA, CHIEF ENGINEER AT MIDDLE RIO GRANDE CONSERVANCY DISTRICT.

HE SAYS EVEN AFTER MONSOON RAINS, FARMERS AND AS WELL AS THE RIVER ITSELF WILL CONTINUE TO FACE TOUGH TIMES THIS YEAR AND CERTAINLY AGAIN IN FUTURE YEARS.

>> Laura: IF FARMERS WERE TO SAY LOSE THEIR CROPS OR ORCHARDS THIS YEAR DUE TO A LACK OF WATER, WHAT SORTS OF RESOURCES, LIKE, ARE WE ALREADY AT THE POINT WHERE WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO DO THIS YEAR?

>> Casuga: YEAH.

I THINK THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR IN TERMS OF HELPING FOLKS RIGHT NOW ARE LIMITED IN TERMS OF CAN WE PAY THEM IF THEY LOSE THEIR CROP?

I AM HOPING THAT FOLKS WHO ARE INVESTING IN CROPS ARE GOING THROUGH AN APPROPRIATE ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE CROP INSURANCE AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

I DO THINK THAT COULD BE A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AS WE GET INTO THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

ONE THING I THINK THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF IS AT THE LAST 30 DAY SESSION THERE WAS ABOUT 15 MILLION-DOLLARS GIVEN TO THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY TO HAVE A TEMPORARY FALLOWING PROGRAM WHICH I THINK IS GOING TO BE USEFUL AND I KNOW -- AND THIS IS A HOT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AMONG FARMERS.

YOU KNOW, FARMERS WANT TO FARM, RIGHT?

THAT IS WHO THEY ARE.

THAT IS WHAT THEIR LIVELIHOOD IS AND SO THERE IS AN IDEA OUT THERE, I THINK, THAT WE WANT TO -- THAT IF WE FALLOW LAND, IT WILL STAY FALLOW FOREVER.

I DON'T THINK THAT IS THE INTENT OF THE PROGRAM.

INTENT OF THAT PROGRAM IS TO GIVE OPTIONS TO FARMERS.

AND I THINK MY HOPE WOULD BE IF PEOPLE CONSIDER A PROGRAM LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN 2023, 2024 AND 2025, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY, INVEST IN THEIR FARM, MAKE SOME EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS AND/OR INVEST IN SOME DROUGHT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT THEY LOVE.

BUT MY JOB AT THE DISTRICT AS CEO AND CHIEF ENGINEER IS TO PROVIDE OPTIONS TO FARMERS.

THE FALLOWING PROGRAM IS OPTIONAL BUT I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.

I THINK THAT THERE IS OTHER THINGS THAT CAN BE VISITED BUT I THINK THOSE ARE THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW ALONG WITH, I THINK, SOME MRGCD INTERNAL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS TO HELP FARMERS WITH ON-FARM EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS.

>> Laura: SO WE TOUCHED A LITTLE BIT ON INFRASTRUCTURE.

FARMERS IN CORRALES HAVE HAD A PARTICULARLY HARD YEAR.

I WON'T EVEN TRY TO DESCRIBE HOW THE SIPHON WORKS BUT CAN YOU JUST KIND OF LAY OUT WHAT PROBLEMS ARE RELATED TO THE SIPHON AND THAT INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE AND WHAT PROBLEMS ARE RELATED TO SIMPLY A LACK OF WATER IN THE RIVER IN THE SYSTEM?

>> Casuga: YEAH, SO, THE CORRALES COMMUNITY FACES AND HAS FACED AN EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT YEAR ON TOP OF HAVING DROUGHT, RIGHT, AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS A KEY PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE, AS YOU MENTIONED, CALLED THE CORRALES SIPHON.

AND THE SIMPLEST WAY TO EXPLAIN IT, IT IS AN UNDERGROUND PIPELINE UNDERNEATH THE RIO GRANDE AND IT ALLOWS US TO TRANSPORT WATER FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE RIO GRANDE TO THE WEST AND ALLOWS US TO TRANSPORT A PRETTY DECENT VOLUME OF WATER.

THAT PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IS BROKEN AND NEEDS REHABILITATION.

SO, MRGCD DEPLOYED A PUMPING OPERATION THIS SEASON TO TRY TO PROVIDE SOME WATER KNOWING THAT WE WERE GOING TO DELIVER SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN WHAT THE SIPHON COULD BRING UNDERNEATH THE RIO GRANDE FROM THE EAST TO THE WESTSIDE AND DELIVER TO FARMERS.

SO, I WILL SAY THE WHOLE VALLEY FACES DROUGHT IN TERMS OF THE LENGTH OF AVAILABILITY AND TIME WE MAY HAVE WATER BUT CORRALES IS ALSO FACING AN INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUE WHICH LIMITS OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER VOLUME TO THEM WHILE WE HAVE WATER.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF AND I AM VERY MUCH AWARE OF.

THAT SOLUTION IS GOING FORWARD BUT WE ARE PROBABLY APPROACHING A TIME WHERE THOSE PUMPS WON'T BE OPERATIONAL.

WE MAY BE DIVERTING WATER AND DELIVERING TO OTHER FARMERS, BUT THE RIVER WILL HAVE DROPPED SO LOW THAT WE CAN'T PUMP OUT OF IT ANYMORE.

THAT IS WHY I SAY, I THINK, CORRALES' SITUATION IS EXCEPTIONAL AND WE ARE TAKING EVERY STEP THAT WE CAN TO FIX THAT PIECE OF INFRASTRUCTURE AS SOON AS WE CAN, BUT MY EXPECTATION IS THERE WILL BE A PUMPING OPERATION NEXT YEAR AS WELL.

HOPEFULLY THAT WON'T BE DIESEL DRIVEN BUT IT WILL BE ELECTRICAL PUMP DRIVEN.

THAT WILL ALLOW US TO PROVIDE A LITTLE MORE SURETY OF WATER AND MORE CONTINUOUS OPERATION.

DIESEL PUMPS REQUIRE A LOT OF ATTENTION AND THESE PUMPS ARE ALSO A STONES THROWN AWAY FROM THE BOSQUE SO WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL KNOWING THE FIRE DANGER THAT WE HAVE.

SO, IT IS -- I WANT TO BE HONEST AND WHEN I TALK TO THE CORRALES COMMUNITY OR ANYBODY, I MEET THEM WHERE THEY ARE.

I ACKNOWLEDGE THEY FACE AN EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT YEAR THIS YEAR AND ANOTHER ONE NEXT YEAR.

IT IS HARD TO HEAR THAT, HARD TO SEE FARMERS AND SEE THE STRUGGLES THEY ARE GOING THROUGH, BUT I DO BELIEVE THE DISTRICT IS DOING THE BEST JOB WE CAN WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND THE PROCESS WE NEED TO GO THROUGH TO GET THAT FIXED.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IS ANOTHER PROJECT, LAURA, THAT I AM PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO SEEK STATE OR FEDERAL FUNDING BECAUSE I EXPECT WHEN WE GET A PRICE TAG AFTER WE ARE DONE DOING OUR ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, THAT IS GOING TO BE LARGER THAN WHAT WE CAN GENERATE AT THE DISTRICT ALL BY OURSELVES.

SO I THINK WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT POTENTIALLY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.

>> Laura: I WANTED TO TOUCH ON RAIN A LITTLE BIT.

WE ARE ALL HOPING THAT IT WILL RAIN.

FORECASTS CERTAINLY IN THE NEXT WEEK HERE DOESN'T LOOK GREAT, VERY HOT AND DRY.

WHEN AND IF -- WHEN IT RAINS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE DITCHES WON'T JUST IMMEDIATELY FILL AND EVERYTHING WILL BE EFFICIENT RIGHT AWAY.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT SORT OF THE FAIRNESS ISSUE THAT I HAVE HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT AND ALSO ABOUT HOW THE DITCHES, YOU KNOW, WORK WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN DRY AND THEN THERE IS WATER?

>> Casuga: LAURA, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS TO REMEMBER IS WHEN I TALK ABOUT RAIN FOR THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, I ALSO TALK ABOUT AN ABUNDANCE.

WE NEED QUITE A BIT OF RAIN.

WHEN IT RAINS WE NEED IT TO MAKE IT TO THE RIVER.

I THINK THAT IS THE FIRST CHALLENGE WITH RAIN RIGHT NOW.

IF IT RAINS IN OUR TRIBUTARIES, THE SOIL CONDITIONS THERE ARE SO DRY THAT I THINK THE AMOUNT OF WATER THAT ACTUALLY MAKES IT TO THE RIVER WILL BE IMPACTED BY THAT, OBVIOUSLY.

ONE, WE NEED A GOOD AMOUNT OF RAIN.

THEN IF IT MAKES IT TO THE RIVER AND WE ARE ABLE TO DIVERT IT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE STRUGGLING WITH AT THE DISTRICT THAT WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT IS IF THESE CANALS SIT DRY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, THERE IS ALWAYS LOSSES WHEN YOU KIND OF RECHARGE A CANAL, RIGHT?

THE CANAL IS NO LONGER WET.

IT IS NOW SOIL AND EARTH THAT WANTS TO TAKE A PORTION OF THIS WATER AS WELL.

WHILE THE CANALS SIT EMPTY WHAT MOISTURE IS LEFT IS OFTEN TAKEN UP BUT VEGETATION THAT WANTS TO GROW.

NOW TRYING TO KEEP THAT VEGETATION UNDER ORDER.

A LARGE PART OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT ESPECIALLY BELOW THE FLOW LINE IS DEALT WITH BY THE WATER ITSELF IN THAT NOTHING GROWS IF IT IS BEING DROWNED BY THE WATER.

SO, THE LAST PIECE OF THAT IS IF WE HAVE ENOUGH WATER TO DIVERT AND BEGIN TO DELIVER, SOME OF OUR SYSTEMS ARE EXTREMELY LONG.

THE DISTRICT I THINK HAS APPROXIMATELY 1200 MILES WORTH OF CANALS, LATERALS AND DRAINS AND MOST OF THAT IS EARTHEN.

VERY LITTLE IS CONCRETE.

AND SO, THE FURTHER YOU GET AWAY FROM THE POINT OF DIVERSION, THE HARDER IT IS FOR THE DISTRICT TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER A SUSTAINED VOLUME OF WATER TO REACH FARMERS FURTHER DOWN THE SYSTEM.

SO, I DO THINK THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE INSTANCES WHERE WE HAVE A SHOT OF WATER, WE ARE DIVERTING IT AND DELIVERING IT AND NOT EVERYBODY MAY BENEFIT FROM THAT BECAUSE OF THE SHEER DISTANCE WATER HAS TO MOVE.

AND I KNOW THAT IS A FAIRNESS ISSUE.

AND I THINK THE ONLY WAY I CAN REALLY EXPLAIN THAT IS SOME PROPERTIES ARE EASIER TO IRRIGATE BECAUSE THEY ARE CLOSER TO THE POINT OF WHERE OUR IRRIGATION IS.

THE FURTHER YOU GET AWAY FROM DIVERSIONS, THE LONGER THE WATER HAS TO RUN IN A CANAL AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT IS A REALITY IN THE SYSTEM AS LONG AS MRGCD'S.