2015

February 11, 2015
Legislators introduced four bills over the past week related to the Arizona Water Settlements Act planning process and reform of the Interstate Stream Commission.

This suite of legislation will advance efforts to implement cost-effective, non-diversion alternatives to meet SWNM’s water needs rather than a $1 billion Gila River diversion project, require fiscal responsibility and transparency in the ISC’s Gila River planning process, and reform the structure of the ISC to depoliticize the state’s water planning and management decisions, like the decisions over diverting the Gila River.

Legislators and citizen lobbyists from around New Mexico gathered in the State Capitol Rotunda for Wildlands, Water and Wildlife Day on Wednesday to advocate on behalf of critical legislation in the 2015 60-day session, including the Gila River bills and a ban on coyote-killing contests. (KUNM story)

“I want you all to know there is a group of us here who understand what an extraordinary, precious place we have in the Gila,” said Senate Conservation Committee chairman Senator Peter Wirth (D-Santa Fe). “We’re going to do everything in our power to ensure that our state doesn’t continue down the road that it’s on. This decision doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint, and it doesn’t make sense from an environmental standpoint. This is the last free-flowing river in our state, and to go and spend $1 billion for 7,500 acre-feet of water makes absolutely no sense to me.”

Senator Howie Morales (D-Grant, Catron, Socorro) introduced SB461 to require that at least $77 million of Arizona Water Settlement Act funds be spent on non-diversion alternatives for high-priority community water needs in Southwest New Mexico.

“The low funding levels set by the Interstate Stream Commission would make it nearly impossible for local communities and irrigators to access the AWSA funds for these high-priority projects,” Morales said. “Non-diversion projects meet our future water needs for far less money than the $1 billion diversion project.”

Senator Joseph Cervantes (D-Doña Ana) introduced SB455, which requires the Interstate Stream Commission to provide a written report to the Legislature by November 1 that demonstrates the New Mexico CAP Entity has the technical, legal and financial capacity to build, operate and maintain the Gila River diversion project.

“The ISC moved forward with a diversion proposal without answering legislators’ questions about the yield of this project and how it will be financed,” Cervantes said. “The funds available in the Arizona Water Settlement Act alone are insufficient to pay for this project, and we should know the full source of investment required.”

Senator Wirth has introduced SB467, which would make the Interstate Stream Commission more representative of water users around the state and less partisan by limiting the number of commissioners appointed by the governor, limiting the number of commissioners representing any single party and requiring membership by a broader range of water stakeholders.

SB 542 , sponsored by Senator Sander Rue (R-Bernalillo), was introduced Tuesday and would require public participation, greater transparency and accountability from the Interstate Stream Commission in its AWSA decision-making.

The bills have been assigned committees and will be heard in the coming weeks. Please stay tuned to find out how you can help get these important bills through the legislature!