Anyone wanting to use water in New Mexico must have a permit from the State Engineer that can be obtained by contacting your local District Office. To facilitate speedier service, it is always recommended that you call the District Office closest to you to make an appointment.
How much do water rights cost in NM?
Recent prices for water rights have ranged as high as $35,000 to $45,000 per right to consume an acre-foot each year in the Santa Fe area to $9,000 to $35,000 in the Middle Rio Grande to $2,400 in the Roswell Artesian Basin.
What does water rights mean in New Mexico?
Article 16 of the New Mexico Constitution provides that the water of every natural stream, perennial or torrential, not appropriated prior to statehood belongs to the public and is subject to appropriation for beneficial use. A water right is actually a right to “beneficially use” water, not a right to own water.
How do I lease my water rights in New Mexico?
In order to obtain a water right one must apply for a water permit from the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer. A water permit is an inchoate right and is the necessary first step in obtaining a water right.
Do you need water rights to drill a well in New Mexico?
Section 72-12-12 NMSA states that it shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to drill or to begin the drilling of a well for water from an underground source without a valid, existing license for the drilling of such wells issued by the state engineer of New Mexico.
How much does it cost to dig a well in New Mexico?
Drilling a residential water well costs $25 to $65 per foot or $3,750 to $15,300 on average for a complete system and installation. Prices include the drilling, a pump, casing, wiring, and more. Total costs largely depend on the depth drilled and the well’s diameter.
How much is an acre foot of water worth?
California farmers pay an average of $70 per acre-foot for water to irrigate crops. Buy a $700 reverse osmosis water purification system; run 326,000 gallons of water (one acre foot) through it; bottle it, and the value of that acre-foot is $2.4 million.
How do you know if there is water in your land?
Public water is commonly provided by a governmental entity or water company. To find out whether public water is available, look at the details of the sales listing for the land or talk to the seller or a real estate agent (if one is involved).
Who owns the water in New Mexico?
§§72-3-2, 72-5-20. New Mexico first regulated groundwater in 1931. As amended, the law now makes all water in an underground water basin, declared to be such by the State Engineer, the property of the public subject to appro- priation for beneficial use.
How many acre feet of water is a residence in NM?
The New Mexico Supreme Court confirmed the authority of municipalities to restrict domestic wells in the 2007 case Stennis v. City of Santa Fe. Valid water rights may be transferred from elsewhere within the basin into a domestic well, but no well may divert more than three acre-feet per year.
Who uses the most water in New Mexico?
irrigated agriculture
Quick Facts: Over ¾ of New Mexico’s water goes toward irrigated agriculture (76%). Sprinkler and Flood irrigation are used in about 97% of irrigated acres in New Mexico. In the home, toilets use the most water, followed by washing machines & showers.
Does New Mexico have water problems?
But Magdalena’s innovative approach to water conservation is an anomaly in New Mexico. The state’s rural areas often lack the resources for robust water data systems. Instead of advanced well-monitoring systems, steel tape-measure soundings track water levels.
How much are water rights in Texas?
Water rights on the North and Main Concho sell for $800 to $1,000 per acre-foot. Water rights on the South Concho sell for $1,000 to $1,500 per acre-foot. water per acre of water rights.
How deep is the average well in New Mexico?
100 to 800 feet deep
Most of those are domestic wells; the typical well is about five inches in diameter and 100 to 800 feet deep, with a submersible pump at the bottom.
Can I dig my own well for irrigation?
Drilling a shallow well is a pretty simple task, going down about 25 feet or so when you hit first water (at least in my location). This type of well could be drilled in a weekend by hand using a general purpose, extendable post-hole auger. This type of well can be cased off with a manual pump and used for irrigation.
Is there an aquifer under New Mexico?
The two principal limestone aquifers in New Mexico (aquifers 13 and 14) are in the Pecos River basin and the Rio San Jose basin. These aquifers are segments of the areally extensive, but discon- tinuous, San Andres Formation of Permian age.
How deep should a well be for drinking water?
For drinking water wells it’s best to be at least 100 feet deep so that surface contaminants cannot enter the well. The average well depth for private homes is between 100 to 800 feet [2]. You may need a deeper or shallower well if your area has different geology than another region of the country.
How many years does a water well last?
The average lifespan for a well is 30–50 years. 2. How deep is the well? Drilled wells typically go down 100 feet or more.
How deep is the average well?
100 to 800 feet
Most household water wells range from 100 to 800 feet deep, but a few are over 1,000 feet deep. Well yields can be increased by fracturing the bedrock immediately around the drill hole and intercepted rock faults.
Are water rights a good investment?
Investing In Water Directly
The problem with water rights is that they don’t provide any intrinsic value, and there’s no active trading market for them. Water rights aren’t standardized (as compared to an ounce of gold, for example), which makes them a less viable type of investment.
How many gallons of water does it take to cover 1 acre?
The amount of water required to cover one acre to a depth of one foot. This is equivalent to 43,560 cubic feet or 325,851 gallons. acres have more than one water source.