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Lake Superior has once again been
found here in the desert
-- our water worries are over! Or are they?
A forum on the promises and perils
of desalination of saline or brackish waters
for producing drinking water.
Recently,
new water supplies were declared to have been found in the Rio Puerco. Deep, very mineralized water is now touted as
the way to supply future growth. In the
1970s, the aquifer under Albuquerque was declared to be another Lake Superior. Twenty years later, we discovered that the
geology was much more complex and the water was not as plentiful as hoped. Ground-water levels have declined
significantly. The search is on for
additional water.
What are
the pros and cons of relying on brackish water for our future? The Middle Rio Grande Water Assembly and
UNM's Water Resources Program are sponsoring this public forum to discuss the
issues surrounding desalination and deep wells.
The agenda includes perspectives by advocates for the development and
use of such waters and by proponents presenting the limitations and risks.
Saturday,
February 21, 2009
1:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
University
of New Mexico
Continuing
Education Center
Co-Sponsors
- Middle
Rio Grande Water Assembly
- UNM Water Resources Program
AGENDA
9:00 Welcome
- Kevin Bean,
Chair of the MRG Water Assembly
- Bruce
Thomson, Director of UNM Water Resources Program (link
to presentation)
9:10 Setting the Stage
9:20 What
Is Desalinated Water?
9:50 What Is Being Proposed?
A Focus on Sandoval County's Project
10:15 Why Desalinated Water Matters?
- Sanford
Gaines, Director of the Utton Transboundary Resources Center at UNM School of
Law (link to presentation)
10:30 Break
10:45 In-depth Perspectives Panel
Regulatory
and Legal Issues
- John
D'Antonio, New Mexico State Engineer
- Amy
Haas, Counsel for Interstate Stream Commission (link to presentation)
- Bart
Faris, Environmental Scientist, Ground Water Quality Bureau, NM Environment
Department
- Dan
McGregor, Hydrogeologist, Bernalillo County Public Works Division - Water
Resources
Business
Viewpoints
Economic
Considerations
Environmental Impacts
Ethical
Issues to be Considered
- Peter
Pino, Tribal Administrator for Zia Pueblo
12:15 What Policies Might Be Needed?
- Panel
Question & Answer
- Facilitated
Discussion
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