HOUSE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 3

49th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2009

A JOINT MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE WATER CABINET, IN CONSULTATION WITH WATER USER AND CONSERVATION GROUPS, APPROPRIATE SCIENTISTS AND OTHER AGENCIES, TO IDENTIFY STREAMS AT RISK OF DEGRADATION BY HYDROLOGIC ALTERATION.

     WHEREAS, New Mexico's rivers are a keystone of the state's environmental and agricultural infrastructure; and

     WHEREAS, the essential interdependency of New Mexico's rivers, riparian areas and agricultural lands comprise an agro-ecosystem; and

     WHEREAS, the flow of water in New Mexico's rivers is critical to healthy agro-ecosystems, in that rivers have throughout time supported and been essential to economic prosperity, water supply, agricultural production, food security, cultural diversity, community viability and the health of people and ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, naturally varying stream flows provide valuable ecosystem services, including irrigation, aquifer recharge, flood attenuation, sediment transport, in-channel habitat for aquatic species and river and floodplain habitat for wildlife and native vegetation; and

     WHEREAS, the advance of invasive aquatic and riparian species with the decline of native aquatic and riparian species may be the result of impaired hydrological function, including altered surface water hydrology and surface-water to ground- water interactions; and

     WHEREAS, the continued loss of surface-irrigated farmland may result in further loss of habitat, aquifer recharge, water quality and the advance of nonnative species; and

     WHEREAS, federally listed threatened and endangered species in the state's rivers may be indicators of the declining health of ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, additional listings could result in further burdensome and costly conservation and recovery programs; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico water management policies and practices are necessary to ensure sufficient river flows to support viable river agro-ecosystems; and

     WHEREAS, anticipated changes in climate, water rights transfers and continuing increases in urbanization can only magnify the stress on the healthy functioning of river agro-ecosystems and may potentially result in future food and water supply shortages, interregional and interstate conflicts and serious economic and ecological distress;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the policy of the state of New Mexico be to use scientifically derived information appropriate to each stream system in managing stream flows so as to protect the environmental integrity of its rivers and riparian areas while maintaining the viability of the surrounding agricultural lands and compliance with legal mandates; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in furtherance of that policy, the state agencies represented in the water cabinet be requested to work cooperatively in preparation of a preliminary evaluation plan, using existing data and information, for identifying streams at risk of degradation from hydrologic alteration, and to evaluate relevant assessment methodologies and identify data gaps; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that nothing in this plan shall promote a regulatory scheme or a conversion of agricultural lands or practices; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the agencies be requested to prepare and disseminate an informational report containing results and recommendations from this evaluation; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the evaluation be developed in consultation with water user, water rights and conservation organizations, appropriate scientific specialists and other agencies; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the governor's office; to the secretaries of finance and administration, environment and energy, minerals and natural resources; to the state engineer; and to the directors of the interstate stream commission, the New Mexico finance authority, the New Mexico department of agriculture and the department of game and fish.

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