Corrales siphon project moves forward with Sandia Pueblo agreement

CORRALES — A momentous act happened in the Corrales council chambers Sept. 25 as a long-awaited agreement between Sandia Pueblo and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District for the new Corrales Siphon project was signed, much to the pleasure of village farmers, residents and leadership.

The Pueblo called for the special meeting with the expectation the signing would occur. Sandia Pueblo Gov. Felix Chavez had one requirement of the MRGCD Chief Engineer and CEO Jason Casuga before he agreed to sign.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve been back to your council room here. This is the last step the Pueblos and theater is going to request of MRGDC, and that is a statement that they have been trespassing for over 100 years,” he said.

What Chavez meant by trespass is that the current siphon was built without tribal permission and continued to run without that permission.

“This came out from many discussions from our tribal council. This is the last step brought by us to the table today, and I want to hear it from the executive director Mr. Jason Casuga with regard to this last piece that needs to be done before I sign on on this agreement,” he said.

Casuga stated he was happy to and shared a statement to that effect. His apology was not just directed at the Pueblo, however.

“I want to extend my deepest respect and gratitude to the Pueblo of Sandia, Governor Chavez, and the tribal officials present tonight,” he said at the beginning.

The siphon was last used during the 2021 irrigation season before a significant sinkhole appeared at the end of that year, revealing catastrophic damage to the area, according to Casuga. Since 2022, the MRGCD has been delivering irrigation water to the siphon service area by using pumps that draw directly from the river and feed into the Corrales main, he said.

“While this operation has allowed irrigation deliveries to continue, prolonged drought has lowered river levels so severely that the pumps have often been unable to operate for extended periods of the irrigation seasons,” Casuga said.

Due to irrigation interruptions, “extra burden” compared to other communities along the river has been put on the Corraleños who farm and grow throughout the seasons, he added.

“The MRGCD Board of Directors and I acknowledge and understand the hardship this has caused, and I want to thank our farmers, donors, members for your patience and perseverance during this difficult time,” he said.

As part of the process to design a new siphon, the Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted a review of the right-of-way documents held by both the MRGCD and BIA, Casuga said.

“Through that review, the BIA informed MRGCD for the first time in September of 2024 of its opinion that MRGCD did not and has not had a federally approved right-of-way for the construction and operation of the Corrales siphon,” he said.

“MRGCD has a long-standing partnership with Sandia Pueblo, one of the six Middle Rio Grande Pueblos, and both the board and I understand the deep importance of land, water and tribal sovereignty to all our tribal partners. Since September 2024, the MRGCD has worked continuously with the Pueblo to negotiate a right-of-way agreement that meets the needs of the Pueblo. By removing the trespass, the Pueblo has diligently engaged with the MRGCD to move this process forward as efficiently as possible while honoring their own decision-making structures and sovereignty.”

Casuga stated there are challenges ahead with water but felt residents could get through it with strong partnerships.

As of Sept. 25, the project is fully funded and designed. All that awaits is construction, which is expected to take about a year but could take less than that, according to Casuga, with work scheduled to begin in January.

According to Casuga, the MRGCD still has to apply for right-of-way but that the BIA seems as ready as they can be to receive it.

“This is a project that will safeguard the cultural heritage of the village of Corrales and support its irrigators for generations to come, and we look forward to a successful commission,” Casuga said.

Mayor Jim Fahey thanked the governor for signing and extended an open invitation for Chavez to attend future meetings and discussions with the village.

In the meantime, farmers got a little bit of help from the MRGCD thanks to recent rainfall, which allowed the MRGCD to store a little bit of water, according to Casuga.

When the signing had been completed, local growers cheered and thanked the MRGCD as well as Chavez. A few residents brought the governor gifts to thank him for the signature.