New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 19 - NATURAL RESOURCES AND WILDLIFE
Chapter 25 - ADMINISTRATION AND USE OF WATER - GENERAL PROVISIONS
Part 13 - ACTIVE WATER RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Section 19.25.13.17 - SPECIFIC DUTIES OF A WATER MASTER

A. determine the physical capacity of diversion and delivery structures for each point of diversion expressed as a maximum rate of flow in cubic feet per second (cfs);

B. determine the maximum rate of flow, expressed in cfs, required to meet the total demand for administrable water rights served by that point of diversion;

C. take into account water needed to provide for adequate hydraulic pressure to ensure maximum irrigation efficiency and charge of the system;

D. take into account water needed for additional uses such as, but not limited to, silt-flushing;

E. during times of high stream flow, when there are no legal constraints imposed upon the physical administration of the available water supply, relax limits on the amount of water that may be diverted in order that the delivery system might operate more efficiently, except that under no circumstances may the total CIR of water rights served from the project increase;

F. with respect to all agricultural uses, require the designation by the water right owner of land to be irrigated in a particular season and verify the irrigability of that land;

G. ensure that water diversions do not exceed the amount needed to serve administrable water rights, except as provided in Subsections C through E, above;

H. administer direct flow water for delivery to in-priority administrable water rights, curtail diversions by out-of-priority administrable water rights, ensure the delivery of storage water to those having rights to its use, and protect storage water releases from diversion by those without rights to its use;

I. establish protocols for communication and exchange of information with water right owners as required for administration;

J. maintain accurate records of all administration activities, including meter readings, and establish a protocol for the inspection and copying of such records, at the requestor's expense;

K. identify waste and illegal use of water, including re-diversion and reuse of return flows other than as specifically provided for in an administrable water right;

L. upon a determination that a use is illegal or constitutes waste, cap, lock or otherwise temporarily disable any mechanism for illegal diversion; no permanent disablement may occur without hearing before the state engineer;

M. where he has determined that a facility must be permanently disabled, issue an order directing that the diversion be permanently disabled, which order shall be heard by the state engineer as provided below; pending review of the water master's order, the temporary disablement of the disputed diversion shall remain in place;

N. perform all such duties as are required to accomplish administration.