HOUSE MEMORIAL 32

51st legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2014

INTRODUCED BY

Bill McCamley

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING THE NEW MEXICO WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE TO REPORT TO THE INTERIM COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE FOR WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

     WHEREAS, in 1965, the New Mexico water resources research institute was officially approved by the United States department of the interior as New Mexico's designated state institute; and

     WHEREAS, water institutes are located in each state, the District of Columbia and three United States territories; and

     WHEREAS, in 1966, a memorandum of agreement was signed by the university of New Mexico, New Mexico institute of mining and technology and New Mexico state university establishing statewide cooperation for the institute; and

     WHEREAS, in 1970, the New Mexico state legislature appropriated funding to the institute as a line item in the New Mexico state university budget and in 2005, the legislature enacted statutory authority for the institute in Section 21-8-40 NMSA 1978; and

     WHEREAS, for more than five decades, the institute has administered more than three hundred sixty research and educational projects, funded more than three hundred New Mexico university investigators, provided training opportunities for more than two thousand five hundred university students, has published more than four hundred technical and miscellaneous reports, maintains a reference room with eleven thousand documents and maps, hosts a database of one thousand five hundred people and agencies, maintains a web site and provides geographic information system data on New Mexico water resources; and

     WHEREAS, the institute supports research to address critical water problems by encouraging university faculty statewide to pursue water research while providing training opportunities for students who will become future water resources scientists, technicians and managers, and provides an outlet for transferring research findings to the community and potential users of research results; and

     WHEREAS, the current drought is thought to be the new normal by some experts, making water policy discussions more critical;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico water resources research institute be requested to present water policy options, including efficiency, watershed restoration and desalination, to the interim committee responsible for water and natural resources by December 2014; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the co-chairs of the New Mexico legislative council and to the director of the New Mexico water resources research institute.

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