This rule was filed as State Engineer Rule 66-1, Article 7-29 and Special Order No. 126.

TITLE 19 NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE

CHAPTER 27 UNDERGROUND WATER

PART 48 LOWER RIO GRANDE UNDERGROUND WATER BASIN

19.27.48.1 ISSUING AGENCY: Office of State Engineer.

[Recompiled 12/31/01]

19.27.48.2 SCOPE: [RESERVED]

[Recompiled 12/31/01]

19.27.48.3 STATUTORY AUTHORITY: Adopted pursuant to the authority of Sections 72-2-8, 72-2-12 and 72-13-4, New Mexico Statutes Annotated, 1978.

[Recompiled 12/31/01]

19.27.48.4 DURATION: [Permanent]

[Recompiled 12/31/01]

19.27.48.5 EFFECTIVE DATE: November 1, 1966

[Recompiled 12/31/01]

19.27.48.6 OBJECTIVE: This Rule is formulated for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of the statutes governing underground waters and describing the present extent of all declared underground water basins in New Mexico.

[Recompiled 12/31/01]

19.27.48.7 DEFINITIONS: [RESERVED]

[Recompiled 12/31/01]

19.27.49.8 LOWER RIO GRANDE UNDERGROUND WATER BASIN:

A. The lands declared within the Lower Rio Grande Underground Water Basin on September 11, 1980, are as follows: Beginning at a point described as boundary monument number 8 on the United States of America and the Republic of Mexico boundary; thence westerly along said United States of America-Republic of Mexico boundary to its intersection with the west line of Section 18, Township 29 South, Range 1 West; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 18, 7 and 6, Township 29 South, Range 1 West, and Section 31, Township 28 South, Range 1 West to the northwest corner of said Section 31; thence westerly along the south line of Section 25, Township 28 South, Range 2 West to its southwest corner; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 25, 24 and 13, Township 28 South, Range 2 West to the northwest corner of said Section 13; thence westerly along the south line of Section 11, Township 28 South, Range 2 West to its southwest corner; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 11 and 2, Township 28 South, Range 2 West and Sections 35 and 26, Township 27 South, Range 2 West to the northwest corner of said Section 26; thence westerly along the south lines of Sections 22, 21, 20 and 19, Township 27 South, Range 2 West, Sections 24, 23, 22, 21, 20 and 19, Township 27 South, Range 3 West, and Section 24, Township 27 South, Range 4 West to the southwest corner of Section 24, Township 27 South, Range 4 West; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 24 and 13, Township 27 South, Range 4 West to the northwest corner of said Section 13; thence easterly along the north line of Section 13, Township 27 South, Range 4 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west line of Section 7, Township 27 South, Range 3 West to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north line of Section 7, Township 27 south, Range 3 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west line of Section 5, Township 27 South, Range 3 West to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north line of Section 5, Township 27 South, Range 3 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 33 and 28, Township 26 South, Range 3 West to the northwest corner of said Section 28; thence westerly along the south line of Section 20, Township 26 South, Range 3 West to its southwest corner; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 20, 17, 8 and 5, Township 26 South, Range 3 West to the northwest corner of said Section 5; thence westerly along the southern line of Section 32, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to its southwest corner; thence northerly along the west line of Section 32, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north line of Section 32, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west line of Section 28, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north line of Section 28, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 22, 15 and 10, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to the northwest corner of said Section 10; thence easterly along the north line of Section 10, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west line of Section 2, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north lines of Sections 2 and 1, Township 25 South, Range 3 West to the northeast corner of said Section 1; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 31 and 30, Township 24 South, Range 2 West to the northwest corner of said Section 30; thence easterly along the north line of Section 30, Township 24 South, Range 2 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 20 and 17, Township 24 South, Range 2 West to the northwest corner of said Section 17; thence easterly along the north line of Section 17, Township 24 South, Range 2 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west line of Section 9, Township 24 South, Range 2 West to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north line of Section 9, Township 24 South, Range 2 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west lines of Section 3, Township 24 South, Range 2 West and Sections 34, 27, 22, 15, 10 and 3, Township 23 South, Range 2 West to the northwest corner of Section 3, Township 23 South , Range 2 West; thence westerly along the south lines of Sections 33, 32 and 31, Township 22 South, Range 2 West to the southwest corner of said Section 31; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 31, 30, 19 and 18, Township 22 South, Range 2 West to the northwest corner of said Section 18; thence easterly along the north lines of Sections 18, 17, 16 and 15, Township 22 South, Range 2 West to the northeast corner of said Section 15; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 11 and 2, Township 22 South, Range 2 West, and Sections 35, 26, 23, 14, 11 and 2, Township 21 South, Range 2 West to the northwest corner of Section 2, Township 21 South, Range 2 West; thence easterly along the north lines of Sections 2 and 1, Township 21 South, Range 2 West, to the southwest corner of Section 31, Township 20 South, Range 1 West; thence northerly along the west lines of Sections 31 and 30, Township 20 South, Range 1 West to the northwest corner of said Section 30; thence easterly along the north line of Section 30, Township 20 South, Range 1 West to its northeast corner; thence northerly along the west line of Section 20, Township 20 South, Range 1 West to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north lines of Sections 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, Township 20 South, Range 1 West, Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, Township 20 South, Range 1 East, Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, Township 20 South, Range 2 East and Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, Township 20 South, Range 3 East to the northeast corner of Section 24, Township 20 South, Range 3 East; thence northerly along the west line of Section 19, Township 20 South, Range 4 East to its northwest corner; thence easterly along the north lines of Sections 19 and 20, Township 20 South, Range 4 East to the northeast corner of said Section 20; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 20, 29 and 32, Township 20 South, Range 4 East, to the southeast corner of said Section 32; thence westerly along the south line of Section 32, Township 20 South, Range 4 East to the northeast corner of Section 5, Township 21 South, Range 4 East; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 5, 8, 17 and 20, Township 21 South, Range 4 East, to the southeast corner of said Section 20; thence westerly along the south line of Section 20, Township 21 South, Range 4 East to the southwest corner of said Section 20; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 30 and 31, Township 21 South, Range 4 East, to the southeast corner of said Section 31; thence easterly along the north line of Section 6, Township 22 South, Range 4 East to its northeast corner; thence southerly along the east line of Section 6, Township 22 South, Range 4 East to its southeast corner; thence westerly along the south line of Section 6, Township 22 South, Range 4 East to its southwest corner; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 12, 13, 24 and 25, Township 22 South, Range 3 East to the southeast corner of said Section 25; thence easterly along the north line of Section 31, Township 22 South, Range 4 East to its northeast corner; thence southerly along the east lines of Section 31, Township 22 South, Range 4 East, Sections 6, 7, 18, 19, 30 and 31, Township 23 South, Range 4 East and Section 6, Township 24 South, Range 4 East to the southeast corner of Section 6, Township 24 South, Range 4 East; thence easterly along the north line of Section 8, Township 24 South, Range 4 East to its northeast corner; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 8, 17, 20, 29 and 32, Township 24 South, Range 4 East to the southeast corner of said Section 32; thence westerly along the south line of Section 32, Township 24 South, Range 4 East to its southwest corner; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 6, 7, 18 and 19, Township 25 South, Range 4 East, to the southeast corner of said Section 19; thence easterly along the north line of Section 29, Township 25 South, Range 4 East to its northeast corner; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 29 and 32, Township 25 South, Range 4 East, and Sections 5 and 8, Township 26 South, Range 4 East to the southeast corner of said Section 8; thence easterly along the north line of Section 16, Township 26 South, Range 4 East to its northeast corner; thence southerly along the east lines of Sections 16, 21 and 28, Township 26 South, Range 4 East to the southeast corner of said Section 28; thence easterly along the north line of Section 34, Township 26 South, Range 4 East to its northeast corner; thence southerly along the east line of Section 34, Township 26 South, Range 4 East to its intersection with the New Mexico-Texas State boundary; thence westerly and southerly along the New Mexico-Texas State boundary to a point which is the intersection of the New Mexico, Texas and Republic of Mexico boundaries being further described as boundary monument number 1; thence westerly along the United States of America-Republic of Mexico boundary to a point described as boundary monument number 8, being the place and point of beginning.

B. The lands included by the extension of September 17, 1982, are as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Section 7, T-22-S, R-2-W, N.M.P.M., a point on the existing boundaries of the Lower Rio Grande and the Mimbres Underground Water Basins; thence north and west along the existing boundary of the Mimbres Underground Water Basin to the intersection of said boundary with the west surface drainage boundary of Silva Canyon on the south line of Section 22, T-21-S, R-3-W; thence from the existing boundary of the Mimbres Underground Water Basin northwesterly along the western surface drainage boundary of the Rio Grande passing through Magdalena Peak in Section 8, T-21-S,R-3-W, Sugarloaf Peak in Section 7, T-21-S, R-3-W, Big White Gap in Section 31, T-20-S, R-3-W, and Little White Gap in Section 30, T-20-S, R-3-W, to its intersection with the west line of Section 15, T-20-S, R-4-W, a point on the existing boundary of the Nutt-Hockett Underground Water Basin; thence northerly along the existing boundary of the Nutt-Hockett Underground.Water Basin to the northwest corner of Section 21, T-19-S, R-4-W and west to the southwest corner of Section 17, T-19-S, R-5-W; thence west from the existing boundary of the Nutt-Hockett Underground Water Basin along section lines to the northeast corner of Section 22, T-19-S, R-6-W; thence south along section lines to the southeast corner of Section 27, T-19-S, R-6-W, a point on the existing boundary of the Mimbres Underground Water Basin; thence north and west along the existing boundary of the Mimbres Underground Water Basin to Hillsboro Peak; a point on the existing boundary on the Las Animas Creek Underground Water Basin; thence northeasterly along the existing boundary of the Las Animas Creek Underground Water Basin to Granite Peak; thence southeasterly along said boundary to the intersection of the south line of the N 1/2, of Section 36, T-15-S, R-5-W, with the western boundary of Caballo Reservoir established at contour 4204 feet above mean sea level; thence northerly along the eastern boundary of the Las Animas Creek Underground Water Basin to the intersection of said contour 4204 with the north line of said Section 36; thence northwesterly along the existing boundary of the Las Animas Creek Underground Water Basin to its intersection with the west surface drainage boundary of the Rio Grande, the Grant-Sierra county line and the existing boundary of the Mimbres Underground Water Basin in projected* Section 24, T-14-S, R-10-W, near Mimbres Lake; thence northerly along county line and the existing boundary of the Mimbres Underground Water Basin to its intersection with the south surface drainage boundary of Palomas Creek, a point on the existing boundary of the Hot Springs Underground Water Basin near the section line between projected* Sections 35 and 36, T-13-S, R-10-W; thence southeasterly along the existing boundary of the Hot Springs Underground Water Basin to the Rio Grande in Section 32, T-14-S, R-4-W; thence northeasterly along the existing boundary of the Hot Springs Underground Water Basin to its intersection with the boundary of Rio Grande Underground Water Basin at the intersection of the north line of Section 3, T-14-S, R-4-W, with the west line of the Pedro Armendariz Grant; thence south and east along the existing boundary of the Rio Grande Underground Water Basin to the northeast corner of Section 10, T-15-S, R-3-W and north and east to the northeast corner of Section 28, T-13-S, R-2-E, a point on the existing boundary of the Tularosa Underground Water Basin; thence southerly along the existing boundary of the Tularosa Underground Water Basin to the southeast corner of Section 17, T-20-S, R-4-E, a point on the existing boundary of the Lower Rio Grande Underground Water Basin; thence west and south along the existing boundary of the Lower Rio Grande Underground Water Basin to the point of beginning.

*Projected sections are based on meridian and parallel projections or surveyed townships.

C. [TOWNSHIP AND RANGE MAP: See 7-29.1 Lower Rio Grande Underground Water Basin, PDF file No. 19.027.0048.8-LowRioGrande.]

[SE 66-1, Article 7-29; Recompiled 12/31/01]

HISTORY OF 19.27.48 NMAC:

Pre-NMAC History: The material in this Part was derived from that previously filed with the State Records Center and Archives.

SE 66-1, Rules and Regulations Governing Drilling of Wells and Appropriation and Use of Ground Water in New Mexico 1966, originally filed with the Supreme Court Law Library 11/1/66. Filed with the State Records Center 6/27/91.

SE 66-1, Amendment No. 16 (Rule No.2, Amendment No. 20), 7/29/83.

Special Order No. 126, In the Matter of State Engineer Special Order No. 126 Declaring the Lower Rio Grande Underground Water Basin in Dona Ana County, 9/11/80.

History of Repealed Material: [RESERVED]