Appendix V Status of Hydrographic Surveys H ydrographic surveys play an important role in securing the adjudication of water rights in New Mexico.
Surveying includes aerial photography, field studies, ownership determination and map compilation.
Once the survey is finished, the findings, along with ownership, water right abstracts, and historical data on water use, are compiled into a report. Technical assistance is then provided to attorneys who prepare evidence for the court adjudication of water rights. In some situations, two or more phases may go on at the same time. In April 1999, the Hydrographic Survey Bureau, previously a bureau in the Technical Division, was moved to the Legal Services Division, so that the technical and legal functions would be integrated more tightly. Engineers and attorneys now work closely together, with more timely and accurate results on both sides.