Pete Domenici: “water is the life's blood for New Mexico. When the water dries up in New Mexico, so will many of its communities. As…”

“water is the life's blood for New Mexico. When the water dries up in New Mexico, so will many of its communities. As such, the scarcity of water in New Mexico is a dire situation. Unfortunately, the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (NM OSE) lacks the tools necessary to undertake the Herculean task of effectively managing New Mexico's water resources. Today, I introduce legislation that would allow New Mexico to make informed decisions about its limited water resources. In order to effectively perform water rights administration, as well as comply with New Mexico's compact deliveries, the State Engineer is statutorily required to perform assessments and investigations of the numerous stream systems and ground water basins located within New Mexico. However, the NM OSE is ill equipped to vigorously and comprehensively undertake the daunting but critically important task of water resource planning. At present, the NM OSE lacks adequate resources to perform necessary hydrographic surveys and data collection. As such, ensuring a future water supply for my home state requires that Congress provide the NM OSE with the resources necessary to fulfill its statutory mandate. The bill I introduce today would create a standing authority for the State of New Mexico to seek and receive technical assistance from the Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Geological Survey.”