The New Mexico Supreme Court has cleared the way for the state's top water manager to continue considering an application by a commercial venture that calls for piping drinking water from western New Mexico to more populated areas.
The court this week denied a motion filed by a ranching family that sought to toss the latest application filed with the state engineer's office by Augustin Plains Ranch.
It will be up to the state engineer whether to grant a public hearing on the application.
The venture has proposed drilling more than three dozen wells capable of pumping more than 17 billion gallons of water a year to supplement dwindling supplies in the Rio Grande Valley.
Residents surrounding the San Augustin Plains are concerned the pumping might suck the aquifer dry.
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