HOUSE MEMORIAL 33

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2016

INTRODUCED BY

William "Bill" R. Rehm

A MEMORIAL

REQUESTING CONGRESS TO FUND, AND THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO DESIGN AND BUILD, AN AQUEDUCT FROM THE MISSOURI OR MISSISSIPPI RIVER TO NEW MEXICO.

     WHEREAS, the San Juan-Chama project is a United States bureau of reclamation system of diversion structures and tunnels for transmountain movement of water from the San Juan river basin to the Rio Grande basin; and

     WHEREAS, the project provides about one hundred ten thousand acre-feet of imported water for municipal, domestic, industrial and agricultural uses as well as incidental recreation and fish and wildlife benefits; and

     WHEREAS, the project was initially authorized by congress in 1956 and began first phases of operation in 1972; and

     WHEREAS, the bureau of reclamation estimates costs of importing water to the Colorado front range from the Missouri or Mississippi river to be one thousand seven hundred dollars ($1,700) to two thousand three hundred dollars ($2,300) per acre-foot, or two hundred fifty-three million dollars ($253,000,000) if one hundred thousand acre-feet are diverted such as in the San Juan-Chama project; and

     WHEREAS, Mississippi river floodwaters continue to rise, making this year's floods among the costliest flood events in United States history, with estimates of damage from the floods topping one billion dollars ($1,000,000,000), which is likely to climb; and

     WHEREAS, diversion of some flood waters would be cost- effective given these numbers; and

     WHEREAS, New Mexico has been facing a multiyear drought of historic proportions with four times the water rights claimed by users that are available even in wet years; and

     WHEREAS, the bureau of reclamation and the army corps of engineers have expertise in building water diversion projects; and

     WHEREAS, the removal of water during flood occurrences on the Mississippi or Missouri river will help protect lands within those river valleys, save insurance money paid by the federal emergency management agency and lower future flood insurance premiums; and

     WHEREAS, the New Mexico legislature has investigated the western United States and has not found any western United States river with excess water to divert to New Mexico; and

     WHEREAS, the downstream state of Texas yearly requests additional waters from New Mexico;

     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that the New Mexico house of representatives encourage congress to authorize the bureau of reclamation, the army corps of engineers and the federal emergency management agency to complete a water diversion project from the Mississippi or Missouri river to New Mexico and request the New Mexico congressional delegation to support federal funding for an aqueduct connecting the Missouri or Mississippi river to New Mexico; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the New Mexico congressional delegation, the commissioner of the bureau of reclamation, the commanding general and chief of engineers of the army corps of engineers and the administrator of the federal emergency management agency.

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