Hundreds of farmers formed a convoy that traveled from the Isleta Resort and Casino to the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) offices on 2nd Street to protest paying more for less water.
“We’re paying taxes. Like, if we’re getting all our water, I think we’re just giving money to the conservancy and not getting our water,” Mike Silva, who was part of the convoy, told KOB 4 News.
The convoy, consisting of tractors, trucks and supporters, was nearly a mile long. Farmers made the journey because they are upset about paying more for water delivery that has been spotty. The lack of delivery is causing it to take longer to irrigate crops.
State Sen. Joshua Sanchez (R-Belen) and his family joined the massive convoy. Since the district cut water delivery to 80%, there has been a drastic drop in his crops of pinto beans and watermelons.
“How is the river almost overflowing, and we have no water in our ditches for our local farmers to irrigate?” Sanchez said, citing high water levels at area lakes and the Rio Grande due to a heavy snowmelt.
Jason Casuga, CEO of the MRGCD, said an overflow of water is going to farmers.
“While we have this much water, the district’s diverting for demand,” Casuga told KOB 4 News. “We’re trying to route it around the system as efficiently as we can."
Casuga said the district serves more than 60,000 acres, and an aging infrastructure is another reason they can’t meet the water demand. That’s why a mill levy increase is being proposed. The funding would provide the improvements needed to efficiently bring much-needed water to farmers.
“All of that money is meant to help increase our ability to maintain and upgrade infrastructure,” Casuga told KOB 4 News.
Farmers aren’t necessarily convinced.
“We need better management from the top to the bottom,” Silva said, according to KOB 4 News.