SENATE MEMORIAL 18

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

INTRODUCED BY

Linda M. Lopez

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE CONSERVANCY DISTRICT, IN COOPERATION WITH THE MID-REGION COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS, TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO STUDY THE STATUS OF THE RIO GRANDE LEVEES WITHIN VALENCIA, BERNALILLO AND SANDOVAL COUNTIES.

     WHEREAS, the levees along the Rio Grande are of differing designs and ages, and some of these levees have been constructed as engineered levees while others are spoil bank levees constructed from dredged materials removed from riverside drains; and

     WHEREAS, in some reaches of the Rio Grande no levees exist at all; and

     WHEREAS, the federal emergency management agency has remapped the Rio Grande floodplain in Bernalillo county, and, lacking engineering certification of a certain reach of spoil bank levee, in September 2008 designated two thousand five hundred acres in the south valley of Bernalillo county as zone "A" floodplain; and

     WHEREAS, the federal emergency management agency floodplain designation has now resulted in the need for flood insurance to be purchased for approximately one thousand five hundred residences on the valley floor at the cost of approximately two thousand dollars ($2,000) per year; and

     WHEREAS, the federal emergency management agency has also remapped the Rio Grande floodplain in Sandoval county and, lacking engineering certification of certain reaches of spoil bank levee, in September 2008 designated a little over one thousand six hundred thirty-two acres in the town of Bernalillo as zone "A" floodplain; and

     WHEREAS, the federal emergency management agency has advised local floodplain managers that in the next federal emergency management agency floodplain remapping efforts, the engineered levees will need to be certified as meeting the post-hurricane Katrina and new United States army corps of engineers levee standards; and

     WHEREAS, certain portions of the engineered levees have been studied by the United States army corps of engineers, which determined that major portions of the engineered levees are fifty years old and do not meet the post-hurricane Katrina and new United States army corps of engineers levee standards and may not be recognized by the federal emergency management agency; and

     WHEREAS, according to the United States army corps of engineers, the reconstruction cost of the levees within Bernalillo county is estimated at one hundred twenty million dollars ($120,000,000); and

     WHEREAS, environmental studies, permitting and design of the reconstruction of the levees within Bernalillo county are estimated to take two years, with reconstruction of the same levees taking at least five years, for a total of seven years, subject to local and federal funding availability; and

     WHEREAS, maintenance of the levees within Bernalillo county, even when reconstructed, is estimated at over two million dollars ($2,000,000) per year to comply with the new levee standards, and

     WHEREAS, levee reconstruction and maintenance costs of similar magnitude are expected for levees within Valencia and Sandoval counties;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the middle Rio Grande conservancy district, in cooperation with the mid-region council of governments, be hereby urged to form the mid-Rio Grande levee task force to evaluate the current state of the Rio Grande levees along the reach of the Rio Grande within Sandoval, Valencia and Bernalillo counties; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the middle Rio Grande conservancy district, in cooperation with the mid-region council of governments, invite participation from municipalities, local bodies, special districts, state and federal agencies and tribal governments within Sandoval, Valencia and Bernalillo counties to create and participate in the mid-Rio Grande levee task force; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the mid-Rio Grande levee task force recognize the existing statutory authority of the middle Rio Grande conservancy district as the local sponsor for the mid-Rio Grande levees and evaluate the feasibility of local cost-sharing; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the mid-Rio Grande levee task force evaluate the flood readiness, ownership and maintenance responsibilities for the levees; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the mid-Rio Grande levee task force, in cooperation with the middle Rio Grande conservancy district, analyze the economic impacts of impending federal emergency management agency floodplain remapping efforts for the Rio Grande; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the mid-Rio Grande levee task force analyze the reconstruction needs and costs, strategies for funding local and federal cost shares, strategies for accelerated reconstruction of these levees and the evaluation of long-term levee maintenance funding and responsibilities; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the mid-Rio Grande levee task force, in cooperation with the middle Rio Grande conservancy district, analyze the impacts of the new levee standards on the Rio Grande bosque environment; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the mid-Rio Grande levee task force, in cooperation the middle Rio Grande conservancy district, report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the appropriate legislative committees of the legislature by December 31, 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the chair of the mid-region council of governments; the secretary of energy, minerals and natural resources; the state engineer; the chair of the middle Rio Grande conservancy district; the chairs of the boards of county commissioners of the counties of Sandoval, Bernalillo and Valencia; the mayors of the city of Albuquerque, the towns of Bernalillo, Los Lunas and Belen and the villages of Algodones, Corrales, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, Bosque Farms and Tome; the governors of the Pueblos of Cochiti, Santo Domingo, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Sandia and Isleta; the chairs of the eastern Sandoval county arroyo flood control authority, the southern Sandoval county flood control authority and the Albuquerque metropolitan arroyo flood control authority; the president of the middle Rio Grande flood control authority; the district commander for the Albuquerque district of the United States army corps of engineers; the area manager for the Albuquerque district of the United States department of the interior bureau of reclamation; and the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation.

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