The irrigation system for Hatch was long ago built for the farmers. It is the only such project that any farm group has paid off.
The ditch is not just a dirt ditch, not sure if they used pipe from Elephant Butte, that lake was built for the purpose of irrigation. Water rights in NM is critical.
Long ago William Joseph (”Wild Bill”) Donovan, used States Compact agreements to solve Western Water disputes. (somewhere around 1931) He resolved the disputes when no one before could get an agreement. The City attorney for Silver City NM was a friend of mine, when I was a councilman. We discussed this. Some of that has evaporated from my memory. The City Attorney was an expert on water rights.
There was a book I read long ago called Cadillac Desert, about water rights in the West. Interesting stuff. You’re right, water rights are a very big deal in the dry country.