The Siphon Saga

Published October 15th, 2024 at 10:41 am

Gov. Felix Chaves of Sandia Pueblo delivered an update on behalf of the pueblo to the Corrales Village Council and residents during the Sept. 24 council meeting, addressing the status of the Corrales siphon project. 

During the presentation, Chaves outlined the recent history of the siphon project from Sandia Pueblo’s perspective and detailed the next steps for moving the project forward. Following his remarks, he answered questions from council members regarding the status and future of the siphon.

“We don’t necessarily have to speak to the farmers in your community, but out of respect to the Village of Corrales, the mayor and your City Council, we’re here to present our position this evening,” Chaves said.

The governor began by explaining how the pueblo discovered the siphon had ruptured. A sinkhole had formed along the western river boundary of the pueblo, east of Siphon Beach, caused by water flowing out of the rupture and rolling back toward pueblo lands.

Fast-forwarding to the fall of 2023, Chaves said Sandia Pueblo asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to review whether the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) held any right of way for the Corrales siphon.

In January of this year, the Sandia Tribal Council held discussions with Santee Lewis, the BIA superintendent for the Southern Pueblos Agency, regarding the lack of communication with tribal leadership.

“At that time, we were having a lot of difficulty trying to communicate with the Bureau of Indian Affairs because we recognized that this was an issue that needed immediate attention on both sides of the river,” Chaves said. “We’re not the only ones that are impacted here, the Village of Corrales has a stake in this too, because they need the water to irrigate their lands.”

During the same period, Jason Casuga, the CEO of MRGCD, requested permission to conduct geotechnical borings and acknowledged that construction activities should be placed on hold to address the impending issue. Sandia Pueblo permitted MRGCD to perform the test drillings and borings on the pueblo’s side of the river.

According to Chaves, the testing was completed and MRGCD finished about 90% of the planning and design work.

In September, the BIA determined that there was no federally approved right of way for MRGCD’s construction and operations, leading to a halt of activities on pueblo lands. The BIA found no records indicating a right of way for the existing structure beneath the river.

“The Pueblo of Sandia takes the position that we have to follow the federal process,” he said. 

Following the BIA announcement, the pueblo wrote to the New Mexico legislative delegation to seek assistance in obtaining the determination from the BIA, as both parties were awaiting clarity on the matter.

Chaves said he received a call on Sept. 23 from U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan’s office asking if the pueblo needed any further assistance with the BIA. He informed them that they would wait to see how the determination unfolds, as they still needed to complete their legwork with the BIA.

Going forward, the pueblo, BIA and MRGCD will continue discussions to secure the right of way for the siphon project. Sandia also plans to invite the MRGCD to present its position before the Tribal Council.

“It’s the responsibility of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District to provide water to the Village of Corrales,” Chaves said. “It’s not the responsibility of the Pueblo of Sandia nor the BIA.”

Following the presentation, the governor fielded questions from the mayor and village council members.

Mayor James Fahey said numerous letters from farmers, local officials and legislators had been sent to push the project forward, adding that it seemed progress had been made now that the pueblo was in communication with the BIA.

“Yes, we made contact with them,” Chaves replied. “Going forward, it’ll be government-to-government discussions and relationships.” 

He added, “We’re not the enemy. We’re just like you. We’re trying to preserve our community.” 

Village Councilor Zachary Burkett asked if Chaves had any sense of a timeline for the project. 

Chaves responded by saying that the timeline could be either swift or potentially lengthy. However, he stressed that the negotiations must occur between Pueblo Sandia and the MRGCD.

Burkett asked what the governors’ message to the Corrales farmers would be. 

“We’re there for you,” Chaves said. “We’ve been good stewards of the land for many, many years, decades, centuries. So we have a thorough understanding of your needs.’

Councilor Bill Woldman asked whether the pueblo has a clear negotiating position to move forward and establish a right of way.

“We need to meet with our tribal council and inform them,” Chaves said. “But it’s up to tribal council to determine what is needed, because there’s some very important issues that might have been overlooked historically.”