HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 7

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2013

INTRODUCED BY

Mimi Stewart

FOR THE WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING CONGRESS TO REAUTHORIZE THE WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2007, SECTION 5056, AND TO APPROPRIATE SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO CARRY OUT THE PURPOSES OF THE ACT.

     WHEREAS, the Rio Grande basin spans the territory of three states, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas, and twenty-two Native American tribes and pueblos and is one of the most rapidly growing areas in the United States; and

     WHEREAS, the Rio Grande runs the entire length of New Mexico, for more than four hundred fifty river-miles, and major tributaries to the Rio Grande are located in New Mexico, including the Pecos river, the Rio Chama, the Jemez river and the Rio Puerco, and many other smaller tributaries too numerous to list; and

     WHEREAS, the Rio Grande mainstem and tributaries provide a renewable water supply for irrigation and drinking water and support nationally significant ecosystems for fish and wildlife and renowned tourism destinations; and

     WHEREAS, the water quality of the Rio Grande and the Pecos river and other tributaries is impaired, in part, by high concentrations of dissolved salts and elevated levels of bacteria that can limit available water supply for municipal and agricultural use; and

     WHEREAS, the recent catastrophic fires in the upper Rio Grande basin watersheds have further degraded water quality in the basin's streams and rivers and the ecological health of the river ecosystem; and

     WHEREAS, the Rio Grande and Pecos watersheds in New Mexico have the highest total number of New Mexico species of greatest conservation need across all taxa and are predicted to contain some of the greatest diversity of aquatic species of greatest conservation need; and

     WHEREAS, water quality, supply, conveyance and delivery; ecosystem degradation; and flooding are major issues in the Rio Grande basin in New Mexico, and state and local funding to address these issues is inadequate; and

     WHEREAS, while the United States army corps of engineers has nationwide watershed assessment and construction authorities to study problems, recommend solutions and construct projects to restore the health of rivers, all Rio Grande basin projects must compete nationally for these limited federal funds; and

     WHEREAS, the United States congress and president of the United States established a Rio Grande basin-specific funding authority in the Water Resource Development Act of 2007 under Section 5056, called the Rio Grande environmental management program, which authorized federal funding of up to fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) annually for the Rio Grande mainstem and tributaries and directed the secretary of the army to rehabilitate and enhance fish and wildlife habitat in partnership with local sponsors and to implement long-term monitoring, data collection and analysis, applied research and adaptive management; and

     WHEREAS, the Rio Grande environmental management program authority expired in September 2011 before any funds could be appropriated to carry out the program, and congress is considering draft language for the next water resource development act;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that congress be requested to reauthorize Section 5056 of the Water Resource Development Act of 2007 and to appropriate sufficient funds to carry out work related to that legislation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the president of the United States, the speaker of the United States house of representatives, the president of the United States senate, the members of the New Mexico congressional delegation, the commanding general of the United States army corps of engineers, the assistant secretary of the army (civil works), the district commander of the United States army corps of engineers, Albuquerque district, and the chair of the president's council on environmental quality.

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