Author: amanda.wylie

Otero Soil and Water Conservation District

3501 Mesa Village Drive, Alamogordo, NM 88310 (575) 437-3100 x 3

The Otero SWCD hosted its Annual Luncheon on December 4th. We were pleased to have the following legislators in attendance: Vickie Marquardt, and Gerald Matherly.
The district’s annual report was presented by Rick Baish. He highlighted the condition of our three watershed dams and their need for repairs and improvements. These dams are classified high hazard due to their age and the threat to life and property should they fail. The USDA NRCS recently funded the development of Dam Rehabilitation Plans. NRCS Watershed Program Manager, Merceidez Fabok presented an update on the planning progress. These plans will address environmental impacts, costs, benefits, planned conservation practices, and the responsibilities of involved parties for each dam. The plans are projected to be completed in 2026.

Inside this issue:
Annual luncheon continued / New staff in Alamogordo	2
Pesticide Workshop	3

Winter 2024/2025

Kristi Wright provided an update on the success of the Alamogordo Field Office in getting conservation on the ground. Through Farm Bill Implementation, conservation practices applied were: 3,063 acres of Aerial Brush Management and 331 acres of Mechanical treatment, 24,022 feet of fence installed, 169,016 acres of Prescribed Grazing, Livestock and wildlife water development systems: 7,834 ft of Livestock Pipeline – roughly 1.5 miles through various types of terrain, 4 storage tanks for 20,000 gallons, 5 troughs for 3,750 gallons, 2 solar pumping plants, and 2 wells.
Ethan Mamer from the NM Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources updated us on the regional water levels. Below is a chart of the changes in the Tularosa Basin.
The reports from NRCS and NM Tech are available on the OteroSWCD.org website.

We are online! Check us out on the web @ oteroswcd.org/

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Mr. Clinton Hughes is a 4th generation rancher of the Hughes Brothers Ranch. The ranch was originally homesteaded in 1913 by his great-grandfather and is located near Carlsbad, New Mexico where he was born and raised. Mr. Hughes says he does what he does in the agriculture field because he has a deep appreciation for all the hard work that goes into the job and the results of working long hours in the field making sure everything is running the way it should be. Another reason is because he has children and a grandchild who are interested in the agriculture, and he hopes one day they can take over the ranches after him.
In 2020, Clinton Hughes bought the ranch from George & Barbara Rauch, who had owned and operated there for well over 40 years. This ranch neighbors his family’s ranch that he grew up on. The ranch is a little over 50,000 acres which consists of private land, BLM, FS, and SLO. Mr. Hughes worked diligently with NRCS to complete an EQIP contract and completed all 20 contract item numbers in two years. He implemented practices such as 6,456 feet of fence, 17,250 gallons in watering facilities, over 9,435 feet of livestock pipelines, pumping plants, and brush management treatments. Following his EQIP contract, he applied for and was awarded funding under the Conservation Stewardship Program where he will develop and maintain prescribed grazing management as well as implement more conservation practices to improve the infrastructure and management of this ranching operation, over the next 5 years.
Mr. Hughes has worked diligently to enhance a better ranching environment for the land, livestock, wildlife, his family and himself by working tirelessly in the rough and rugged terrain of southern New Mexico to sustain the agriculture way of life. Therefore, Mr. Clinton Hughes is the recipient of the 2024 Otero Soil & Water Conservation District Outstanding Land Stewardship Award.
In conclusion Rick Baish stressed the importance of understanding our water resources, and thanked everyone for their continued support.

Starting in January, Vanessa Hernandez is the newest addition to the Alamogordo Service Center.
I’m originally from El Paso, TX, but I lived in Mexico for 6 years of my life. I came back at 21 years old and discovered my love for the outdoors, wildlife and conservation. I pursued my career at New Mexico State University where I graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in Wildlife Science and Conservation Ecology. I worked for the Forest Service here in New Mexico out of the Gila National Forest and the Lincoln National Forest- Sacramento Mountains where I worked with wildlife, noxious/invasive weeds, and recreation. I joined NRCS in 2022 out of Oklahoma as a Natural Resource Specialist and transitioned to Wildlife Biologist for the East Zone. I look forward to working back in New Mexico as the new Soil Conservationist out of the Alamogordo Field Office and getting to know our producers while continuing our conservation efforts.

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Otero Soil and Water Conservation District

Current SWCD Board of Supervisors:
Bob Nichols, Chairman
Rick Baish, Vice Chairman
Jeff Rabon, Secretary/Treasurer
Eddie Vigil, Supervisor
Colt Howland, Supervisor
James Evrage, Supervisor
Clifton Varbel, Supervisor

3501 Mesa Village Dr. Alamogordo, NM 88310 (575) 437-3100 ext.3

District Employee:
Victoria Milne, District Manager

NRCS Staff:
Kristi Wright, District Conservationist
Vanessa Hernandez, Soil Conservationist
Erika Rodriguez, Range Management Specialist
Morgan Smith, Civil Engineering Technician
Amalia Montoya, Area Range Conservationist

District board meetings are generally, the first Wednesday of each month at 9:30 am. The meetings are held in the same building, in the Forest Service's conference room located at 3463 Las Palomas Dr.

FSA Staff:
Cheyanna Reyes, County Executive Director
Amanda Wylie-Largeteau, Program Analyst

The USDA Alamogordo Service Center will be closed:
February 17th, Presidents Day, May 26h - Memorial Day and July 4th - Independence Day