Two University of New Mexico researchers say state water managers based their decision to pursue a multimillion-dollar diversion and storage project along the Gila River based on studies that lacked credibility.
The Albuquerque Journal reports the researchers outlined their concerns in a letter to the Bureau of Reclamation.
The Interstate Stream Commission last year informed the U.S. Interior Department that the state intends to divert water from the river should the effort be deemed economically and environmentally feasible.
Researchers Jim Brooks and Dave Propst say the commission's studies were planned, proposed and presented behind closed doors and there wasn't a transparent peer review.
The commission is defending its decision, saying there were more than 200 public meetings on the proposed diversion and that the research was exhaustive.
___
Information from: Albuquerque Journal.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.