El Paso County irrigation district names Oscar David 'Jay' Ornelas as new general manager

El Paso's irrigation district will have new leadership in 2023 for the first time in two decades.

Jesús "Chuy" Reyes stepped down this fall as general manager of the El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1. In November, board members voted for civil engineer Oscar David "Jay" Ornelas to serve as the next district general manager. On Jan. 9, Ornelas will take the reins of the irrigation district, which covers 69,000 irrigable acres and has an estimated budget of $13.7 million for fiscal year 2022-23. Amid a decadeslong drought, the district has managed declined water deliveries from the Rio Grande to El Paso area farmers.

Ornelas, 47, previously served as the district's assistant district engineer and now owns an independent engineering firm. He was raised in Fabens, where his family has deep roots, and studied engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.

"I'm humbled and thankful for the opportunity," Ornelas told the El Paso Times in his first interview since being named general manager. "It's a great team at the district."

Reyes could not be reached for comment. District engineer Al Blair and chief administrative officer Lisa Aguilar are serving as interim general managers until January.

More:Irrigation districts plan for another dry year as drought mars Rio Grande

Jay Ornelas, civil engineer with local roots, steps in to lead district

Reyes gave his last manager's report at the Oct. 12 board meeting and has not publicly stated his reasons for stepping down. Reyes' annual contract, with a salary of $205,000, was set to expire Jan. 31. Reyes told El Paso Matters he became general manager in 2001. His brother Silvestre Reyes served as chief of the Border Patrol El Paso Sector and in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The district's elected five-person board selected Ornelas in November to replace Reyes as general manager. George Brooks, Miguel Teran, Johnny Stubbs, Larry Ceballos and Art Ivey are the current board members.

Ornelas, who is married and has four children, was born in Ysleta and raised in Fabens, immersed in the agricultural heritage of El Paso's Cotton Valley. His great-grandfather owned a cotton farm in Cuadrilla, near Fabens, and he worked summers as a farmhand. After graduating from Fabens High School, he studied civil engineering at UT-Austin, graduating in 1999. Since then he has worked in both El Paso and Austin.

As the district's assistant district engineer from 2009 to 2021, Ornelas worked with chief engineer Al Blair on a range of projects for irrigation facilities and road, bridge and pipeline construction within the district's right of way. Since 2021, he has been working on water infrastructure projects with his engineering firm.

Ornelas said the district moved quickly after Reyes stepped down. He will take time this winter to familiarize himself with aspects of district management that he has not been previously involved with.

"I was asked if I was interested (in being general manager), and I said absolutely," Ornelas said.

"Not having water brings up a lot of questions, but we'll manage," he said. "At some point we will have some favorable weather patterns."

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Drought complicates mission of irrigation

The district is charged with managing El Paso's share of water from the Rio Grande. Cotton, alfalfa and pecans are the top agricultural products in El Paso. The Bureau of Reclamation releases water each spring from Elephant Butte Dam in New Mexico for use in the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 and for water deliveries to Mexico.

Prolonged drought, subpar snowpack runoff and rising temperatures are reducing the Rio Grande's flows. EPCWID1 has not been able to provide the full water allotment to farmers in recent years. Former general manager Reyes told the El Paso Times earlier this year that the district has prioritized conservation measures to maximize the amount of water delivered to farmers. Irrigated agriculture in El Paso County has declined as some landowners have chosen to subdivide and develop their land.

Ornelas knows the difficult work of farming in El Paso County and the pressures of urban development. After Ornelas' great-grandfather died, the family eventually sold his farm.

Ornelas, who has three acres of his own and calls himself a "weekend farmer," said he still maintains a small pecan orchard.

He said the yearslong drought has been "rough" for farmers, many of whom have drilled costly wells to make up for the decrease in water they have received.

"We need to be as efficient as possible to deliver every drop of water to the fields," he said.

The district also has been embroiled in legal cases over Rio Grande water. Texas brought a case against New Mexico to the Supreme Court in 2013, alleging that groundwater pumping in Southern New Mexico was depleting Texas' share of Rio Grande water. EPCWID1 is an amici, or friend of the court, in the ongoing case. The district's legal team has sided with the U.S. Department of Justice and voiced opposition to a settlement proposed by New Mexico and Texas.

More:January trial cancelled as Rio Grande Compact states move to settle Texas v. New Mexico case

Staff writer Martha Pskowski may be reached at mpskowski@elpasotimes.com and @psskow on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Oscar David 'Jay' Ornelas to lead El Paso County irrigation district