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Colorado River System - Gila River Basin
Gila River Basin Water Uses in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley

Gila River Adjudication – The State Engineer in 1966 completed a Hydrographic Survey of water uses in the Gila River Basin in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley. The water rights of users in the basin, exclusive of the Virden Valley, were subsequently adjudicated in the Gila River Adjudication.

Decree in Arizona v. California – The US Supreme Court in 1964 issued a decree in this case that limits New Mexico’s consumptive uses of water from the Gila River, its tributaries and underground water sources in New Mexico, exclusive of uses in the Virden Valley adjudicated by the Globe Equity Decree. Under the decree in Arizona v. California, the State of New Mexico is enjoined from irrigating more than specified amounts of acres from designated stream reaches or subbasins, and from consumptively using more than specified amounts of water annually and over periods of ten consecutive years from the Gila River, the San Francisco River and San Simon Creek. The decree also requires New Mexico to maintain accurate records of acres irrigated and diversions, and to prepare annually reports of consumptive uses from the Gila River stream system in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley. The Court in 2006 issued a consolidated decree in this case to incorporate amendments made over time to the 1964 decree.

Consumptive Use Accounting – The Office of the State Engineer’s Deming District Office annually conducts field surveys of crop acreage in the Gila River Basin in New Mexico, and the Interstate Stream Commission uses the survey notes for estimating consumptive uses in the Basin. As updated orthorectified aerial photography becomes available, the Interstate Stream Commission prepares corresponding updated base mapping of farmlands in the Basin, and transfers the field survey notes from the Deming District Office to the most recent base mapping, storing the data in Geographic Information System databases. The commission also periodically prepares reports of consumptive uses from the entire Gila River Basin in New Mexico, which reports are available for inspection at the commission office in Santa Fe. Diversion records for irrigation ditches prepared through the commission and for municipal, industrial, domestic and commercial uses collected and reported by the Deming District Office are also used to make annual computations and reports of consumptive uses and diversions in the Gila River Basin in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley. The annual consumptive use reports and associated backup data and computations are available for inspection at the commission office in Santa Fe.

	Interstate Stream Commission> Basins and Programs> Colorado River Basin> Gila River Basin Uses Colorado River System - Gila River Basin Gila River Basin Water Uses in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley Gila River Adjudication – The State Engineer in 1966 completed a Hydrographic Survey of water uses in the Gila River Basin in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley. The water rights of users in the basin, exclusive of the Virden Valley, were subsequently adjudicated in the Gila River Adjudication. Decree in Arizona v. California – The US Supreme Court in 1964 issued a decree in this case that limits New Mexico’s consumptive uses of water from the Gila River, its tributaries and underground water sources in New Mexico, exclusive of uses in the Virden Valley adjudicated by the Globe Equity Decree. Under the decree in Arizona v. California, the State of New Mexico is enjoined from irrigating more than specified amounts of acres from designated stream reaches or subbasins, and from consumptively using more than specified amounts of water annually and over periods of ten consecutive years from the Gila River, the San Francisco River and San Simon Creek. The decree also requires New Mexico to maintain accurate records of acres irrigated and diversions, and to prepare annually reports of consumptive uses from the Gila River stream system in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley. The Court in 2006 issued a consolidated decree in this case to incorporate amendments made over time to the 1964 decree. Consumptive Use Accounting – The Office of the State Engineer’s Deming District Office annually conducts field surveys of crop acreage in the Gila River Basin in New Mexico, and the Interstate Stream Commission uses the survey notes for estimating consumptive uses in the Basin. As updated orthorectified aerial photography becomes available, the Interstate Stream Commission prepares corresponding updated base mapping of farmlands in the Basin, and transfers the field survey notes from the Deming District Office to the most recent base mapping, storing the data in Geographic Information System databases. The commission also periodically prepares reports of consumptive uses from the entire Gila River Basin in New Mexico, which reports are available for inspection at the commission office in Santa Fe. Diversion records for irrigation ditches prepared through the commission and for municipal, industrial, domestic and commercial uses collected and reported by the Deming District Office are also used to make annual computations and reports of consumptive uses and diversions in the Gila River Basin in New Mexico, exclusive of the Virden Valley. The annual consumptive use reports and associated backup data and computations are available for inspection at the commission office in Santa Fe.
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