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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Cisneros

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/6/06

2/7/06 HB

SHORT TITLE NM Tech Aquifer Mapping

SB 683

ANALYST Earp

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY06

FY07

$3,750.0 Non-Recurring

General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to SB343, SB515, SB 565, SB569 and HB553

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Higher Education Department (HED)

Office of State Engineer (OSE)

New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology (NMTech)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 683 appropriates $3,750,000 from the general fund to the Board of Regents of New

Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology for the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources to

conduct a statewide aquifer mapping program.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

Information provided by NMTech states that the $3,750,000 appropriation is intended to support

a five-year aquifer mapping project. Therefore, the appropriation is identified as a non-recurring

expense to the general fund. As introduced, any unexpended or unencumbered balance remain-

ing at the end of fiscal year 2007 shall revert to the general fund (see Technical Issues below).

As of the date of this analysis (2/07/2006), SFCS/SB415 contains an appropriation of $300,000

for the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources to map underground water in the state.

Senate Bill 683 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

This proposal (at a funding level of $750,000) was included among the special program funding

requests submitted by the HED for review. However, it was not included in the HED fiscal year

2007 funding recommendations to the Legislature.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

NMTech provides administrative support for the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. No

significant additional impact is anticipated if this legislation is adopted.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

This bill is generally related to SB343, SB 415, SB 565, SB569 and HB553, all of which appro-

priate funding for aquifer mapping and studies.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

NMTech states that its proposal was for $3.75 million to cover a five-year period of mapping at

$750,000 per year. As written the bill requires return of unexpended funds at the end of the first

year. NMIMT states that it will be impossible for the bureau, with limited staff, to do this map-

ping in a single year and, therefore, the reversion date should be changed to allow carryover for a

five-year period (through fiscal year 2011).

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

OSE notes that aquifer mapping provides the foundation for managing and administering the

state’s groundwater resources. These studies quantify groundwater supply and quality. The

studies also help protect surface water sources and help planning by local and other governmen-

tal entities. Aquifer mapping has been an ongoing activity within the state for many years but

additional mapping is required. The NMBGMR, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and OSE have

been involved in mapping and characterizing the state’s aquifers. Coordination between the

agencies is required to set priorities, share information, and to encourage the pooling of resources

to achieve the highest benefit. Coordination of water research is lacking within the state. The

OSE has a close working relationship with the NMBGMR and the USGS and would appreciate

the opportunity to bring agencies together to add support for the project.

NMTech states that the request is to provide funding for the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Re-

sources to provide aquifer mapping in conjunction with the Office the State Engineer, county and

local governments over a five-year period. Aquifer mapping involves field studies of the units

that carry groundwater, delineation of their geographic extent below the land surface, definition

of bounding features (such as faults) that interrupt water flow, measurements of rates of water

transmission and water quality and related work that helps to define and model the potential

groundwater supplies of the mapped areas. The Bureau, with collaboration from the NMOSE, is

fully capable of conducting such work and has completed a number of such projects in recent

years. Substantial new staffing will be needed to carry out a program of this magnitude. It re-

quires trained and experienced hydrogeologists who will have to be hired to conduct this pro-

gram. That takes time and an offer of at least five years of employment to be feasible.

Senate Bill 683 – Page

3

AMENDMENTS

The bill could be amended to allow carryover of funds through fiscal year 2011 (a five-year pe-

riod).

DKE/nt