New Mexico Geological Society Annual Spring Meeting — Abstracts

Controversy over the past 40 years has prevented construction on the Gila River of either the first proposed and congressionally authorized Hooker Darn or the alternate proposed Connor Darn, to make possible the utilization of some 18,000 acre feet of water annually to which New Mexico is legally entitled. New Mexico's water presently flows, unclaimed, to Arizona. The Franks Ranch and Woodward Rarich well fields operated by the Town of Silver City since 1945 and 1958, respectively, have created cones of depression inI the regional water table that could be recharged utilizing water from the Gila River. The cones constitute a potential storage reservoir of approximately 70,000 acre feet. A diversion structure on the Gila would involve no reservoirs on the Gila River, no major land acquisition, and little or no damage to wildlife habitat. Water would be pumped to an off-stream reservoir in Red Rock Canyon west of Silver City, and from that reservoir to the
adjacent well fields. Additional sites in Saddle Rock Canyon and Wind Canyon could be utilized if needed. Recharge could be accomplished by spreading, infiltration galleries, or well injection. All three methods, are being utilized successfully at countless sites worldwide. Geologic and hydrologic conditions are such that anyone or all three methods would be practical in the well-field area. The advantages of such a system over the proposed Hooker and Connor Dams are several: (1) Evaporation losses from a 70-acre Red Rock Canyon Reservoir would be about 400 acre feet annually, much less than the estimated 6,000 acre feet annually from the proposed Connor Reservoir, making that much more water available for beneficial use. (2) No endangered species of any sort would be threatened. (3) An excellent recreational lake comparable to Bill Evans and Lake Roberts would be available. (4) No large acreage of farm land would need to be withdrawn from production. (5) A large proposed addition to the wilderness system in the lower Gila Box would not be involved. (6) A market for the salvaged water could be developed gradually as the cones of depression recharged. (7) Underground storage "evens out" shortages that might occur in a large surface reservoir.