New Mexico Congress members fight drought through federal legislation
New Mexico's Congressional delegation are looking to combat water scarcity throughout the state and American West by introducing legislation to support water infrastructure and conservation, while New Mexico continues to experience drought conditions.
Last year, data from the U.S. Drought Monitor showed 99 percent of New Mexico was experiencing “abnormally dry” conditions. The state began to recover as 35 percent was reported in May.
But data released on Oct. 22 showed 60 percent of New Mexico was labeled as “abnormally dry,” while about 35 percent was under a “moderate drought” and about 9 percent was experiencing “severe drought.”
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The severe drought conditions were in the northwest and western portion of New Mexico, per the Drought Monitor map updated on Oct. 24.
Nearly all of San Juan County was suffering severe drought, per the map, along with about half of McKinley County and western portions of Catron and Cibola counties.
Moderate drought covered several more counties to the northwest such as Sandoval and Rio Arriba counties, while the abnormally dry conditions were in southwestern and central New Mexico, impacting major population centers in Doña Ana and Santa Fe counties.
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Bernalillo County was mostly in moderate drought, with abnormally dry conditions on its western tip.
Southeastern New Mexico, including Eddy, Lea and Chaves counties were not experiencing drought conditions, per the map.
In total, the Drought Monitor estimated about 1.1 million residents were in drought-stricken areas.
Check out a map of drought in New Mexico from the U.S. Drought Monitor:
Lawmakers mount response
U.S. Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) blamed climate change for growing water scarcity, worrying that New Mexico snow packs were getting smaller and unable to adequately feed the Rio Grande and the rest of the state’s groundwater supplies.
An analysis of tree rings suggested New Mexico could be suffering from a prolonged drought worse than any in 1,200 years, read a summary of the act from Udall’s office.
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“Make no mistake about it: we are in the midst of a water crisis in the West. Communities in New Mexico and across the country depend on fragile water ecosystems that are struggling to adapt to the wild swings in weather caused by climate change,” Udall said.
“In New Mexico and in the West, we are trying to cash checks from an account that is overdrawn, by relying on diminishing snowpacks and over-allocated surface water supplies and drawing on precious and dwindling groundwater resources."
Udall, Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and New Mexico’s Democrat U.S. Reps. Xochitl Torres Small, Deb Haaland and Ben Ray Lujan introduced the Western Water Security Act of 2019, per a Monday news release, intended to strengthen New Mexico’s water infrastructure and focus efforts on conservation and the restoration water supplies throughout the West.
As of Thursday, the bill was awaiting assignment to a U.S. Senate committee.
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“It is past time that Congress address this problem, which is hitting our most vulnerable communities the hardest, to ensure that future generations can sustain life in the American West,” Udall said.
“In New Mexico, we know how vital water is to preserving our economy, our environment, and our way of life. I will continue to fight for legislation like the Western Water Security Act to ensure we are making smart investments in water infrastructure and meeting the needs of our changing climate.”
Heinrich said such legislative efforts are needed as a decades-long drought continued in New Mexico and several other states in the region, along with scientific research to support efforts at restoring freshwater supplies.
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“In New Mexico, we know that water is life. Particularly in an era of prolonged droughts and climate disruption, we must use the best available science to protect and conserve our limited freshwater supplies,” he said.
“I’m proud to support this legislation to make smart investments in watershed restoration, scientific research, and infrastructure that will help our communities use water more efficiently.”
Torres Small called upon local communities and industries to preserve water supplies for the future, through conservation and providing funding for rural communities impacted by drought.
“The future of our state and the rest of the West depends on communities and industries’ ability to adapt in the face of a dwindling water supply,” she said. “Smart investments in water management will ensure that our way of life, economy, and environment are preserved for generations to come.
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What does the Act propose?
The Act would increase funding by $120 million for WaterSMART, a program through the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that offers grant funding for water conservation projects across the nation, while altering the program to allow non-government organizations to apply for grant funding.
It would also expand the authority of the states and Native American tribes to declare drought emergencies and access federal relief funds.
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The Transboundary Aquifer Assessment Program would be reauthorized, allowing New Mexico, Texas and Arizona to partner with water institutes in the West and the U.S. Geological Survey in collaboration with Mexican water management officials to study water issues in the region.
The federal Cooperative Watershed Management Program would be reauthorized, bringing representatives from across the country together to find local solutions to water management needs, while creating a pilot water leasing program to provide the Bureau of Reclamation and local water districts the ability to move water where it is needed for environmental purposes.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.