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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GROUNDWATER RIGHTS AND WELL PERMITS

1. If there is paperwork on your well on file with the Office of the State Engineer (OSE), but it is in the name of the person who owned the property, then fill out form wr-02i, which transfers the water rights from the previous owner to you. Download the form here or click on WR-02i on the left side of this page.

2. If your well was dug before 1956 and there is no paperwork with the OSE, you only need to fill out the Groundwater Declaration Form (WR-03), or click on WR-03 on the left side of this page. You will have to explain in the Additional Statements section approximately when the well was dug (i.e, early 1930's). You should also add this comment to the Surface Water Rights that you are filling out, in the Additional Statements section and on both forms mention that you are filing for both rights at the same time.

3. If your well was dug after 1956 and there is no paperwork with the OSE, you need to fill out form WR-01.

4. If you have not been using your well for 16 consecutive years, you will automatically lose the water right, by law. If you have not been using your well for 4 consecutive years, the OSE can challenge your water right, but it is highly unlikely to do so, according to officials at the Office of the State Engineer.

5. The forms have a lot of questions about file numbers, well depths, drillers, etc. If you have a well, most of this information is stored in a database at the State Engineers office called iWaters, which is available online. You can find out about your own well (and anyone else's) at http://iwaters.ose.state.nm.us:7001/iWATERS/ Start by creating a new registration (it only takes 30 seconds). After you log in, you will see the following menu:

If you know your well permit number (also called DB File No), select the Water Right Summary option. For example, my file # is RG-4957. Here is what I entered...

and here is the result. All the pictures and links (underlined words) will open documents to view.

HOWEVER, if you don't know your well file #, select POD/Surface Reports and Downloads option from the main menu, which lets you search any number of ways, as shown below.

which gave this. Notice that Enrique's DB File No (or well file no) is RG-78064.

Unfortunately nothing may show up when you search for your name (that's what happened for me!), which means you don't have any official documentation showing that you own your well. You will have to look at your deed and find the person who originally dug the well. I had to look up documentation for W. E. Hunt, from whom I bought the house. I suspect most of us are in the same predicament. For example, I looked up information on a number of longtime residents (Bill Shiver, Mark Gutierrez, Red Phillips) and none of them have valid well permits!

As always, if you have any questions, send email or call me at 344-7151.
Robert Greiff
Chairman, Acequia de los Alamos de los Griegos