Chance missed for conservation

The water in New Mexico’s rivers isn’t the only thing drying up with the drought. So is the flow of cash to conserve our land and water.

As New Mexico’s 2013 legislative session wrapped up, there was lots of talk about the myriad initiatives that went unaddressed. What floats to the top for Audubon New Mexico is the missed opportunity to appropriate any money towards statewide restoration of New Mexico’s rivers.

More than one-third of New Mexico’s streams and rivers lack clean water.

Unlike many other initiatives that were vying for funding during the session, with a $1.5 million investment in the Healthy Rivers Initiative, New Mexico could have leveraged two federal dollars for every state dollar invested from federal clean water programs.

This is a missed opportunity because healthy rivers sustain New Mexico’s second largest industry — tourism, including outdoor recreation.

The most recent report from the Outdoor Industry Association states that at least 65 percent of New Mexico residents participate in outdoor recreation every year, generating $6.1 billion in consumer spending. This translates to 68,000 direct New Mexico jobs, and $458 million in state and local tax revenue.

Healthy rivers not only support our economy, they also purify water and sustain our birds, fish and wildlife. With this premise in mind, Audubon worked to promote legislation to protect water quality and conserve fish and wildlife habitat by putting water back in our rivers.

The legislation would have clarified that existing law allows water right holders to temporarily lease water for in-channel fish and wildlife habitat provided other water rights are not injured. The water leases would be completely voluntary, uphold private property rights, and increase water for downstream users.

Unfortunately, the bill did not even get its day in committee.

Still, the opportunity is there to submit an application for approval by the State Engineer, and we expect an application could be successful. Interested water right holders are encouraged to contact us.

With the support of Rep. Mimi Stewart and Sen. Peter Wirth, we are happy to report that a Joint House Memorial unanimously passed asking Congress to reauthorize and fund the Rio Grande Environmental Management Program. This federal program, in part, authorizes up to $15 million annually to rehabilitate and enhance fish and wildlife habitat in partnership with local sponsors. It’s a great opportunity to leverage large amounts of federal funding to keep our rivers healthy and alive.

Audubon was also busy the last two months fighting some bad bills including legislation and funding requests to divert and pipe water from the Gila River to Deming or Las Cruces.

These pipeline proposals are costly, estimated at over $300 million (with at least half to be paid by state taxpayers or water users at the end of the pipe).

What’s truly alarming is that even the usual fiscal watchdogs, like Sen. John Arthur Smith, were itching to throw state dollars at an expensive pipeline despite clear evidence that common-sense, cost-effective alternatives to a diversion and pipeline are available to meet long-term water needs. Fortunately these pipeline proposals received no funding this year, but stay tuned, as the Gila River and other rural areas haven’t seen the last of these pipeline proposals.

This is where our lament about the 2013 New Mexico legislative session ends, but it is just the beginning of problems for our land and water.

In another year where drought is expected to deepen its hold on New Mexico, it appears that money to address the health of our rivers has dried up as well. In a 2012 poll conducted by Colorado College, 84 percent of New Mexicans agree we should find the money to invest in our rivers.

Our hope is that state government will take a serious look at the chronic lack of funding for river restoration and establish a sustainable, dedicated funding source for conservation of land and water before it’s too late.