Pete Domenici: “I comment this body for passing the National Drought Policy act of 1997. Our Nation must not forget that while the…”

“I comment this body for passing the National Drought Policy act of 1997. Our Nation must not forget that while the Midwest United States has recently suffered from severe flooding, and my home State of New Mexico is currently not lacking precious rainfall, last year the Southwest experienced the worst drought in over 100 years. The results were nothing less than disastrous. In New Mexico, for example, the drought decimated the State's agricultural community. Every county in the State received disaster declarations from the USDA. Farmers in the southern part of the State were forced to go to water wells, depleting an already-taxed aquifer. In northeastern New Mexico, winter wheat crops failed for the first time in anyone's memory. It was estimated that ranchers lost up to 85 percent of their capital, and 40 percent reductions in livestock herds was not uncommon. The drought also had a catastrophic impact on New Mexico's forests. The incredibly dry conditions brought on by the drought sparked fires, which were exacerbated by the lack of water needed to extinguish them. In all, there were over 1,200 fires in New Mexico last year that burned over 140,000 acres of land and wiped out dozens of homes and businesses. The drought also taxed municipal water systems to their limits, and forced many cities and towns to consider drastically raised water rates for their citizens.”