SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – As New Mexico continues to deal with drought, some lawmakers are looking at ways to make sure the state doesn’t go dry. One bill is aimed at making funds available to buy water and use it for recreational and cultural reasons. The Strategic Water Reserve was established in 2005 and gave the state power to buy water rights for various reasons.
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The Democrat-sponsored bill wants to expand what that money can be used for. “As you know many of our lakes and ponds and rivers dry up in the summer when people want to go to the state parks, when they want to go out and do outdoor recreation so that’s the purpose of this,” said Senator Elizabeth Stefanics, (D- Cerrillos).
The Strategic Water Reserve is administered by the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, which buys water rights in the state for water conservation efforts. It has been used to help the state settle water-related lawsuits or pay farmers not to use water in times of droughts. Now, Sen. Elizabeth Stefanics (D-San Miguel, Santa Fe, Torrance & Valencia) is sponsoring a bill that would give the reserve $15 million and allow it to be used for more purposes.
That would include cultural uses such as Native American pueblos and tribes who need access to water for blessings or traditions. She said it could also be used for protecting recreational opportunities, as well as habitat conservation. “Indigenous species, it could be the trout in the Pecos River, it could be some other area in the state where if the water dries up, those endangered species are gone. They die or they just don’t spawn,” said Sen. Stefanics.
Sen.Stefanics said the bill sets limits for how much money can be used at a time so that the fund can also gain interest for future bodies of water purchases. The bill has yet to be heard in any committee.