Water and Natural Resources Committee Will Meet in Taos  

State of New Mexico
New Mexico Senate

For Immediate Release: Contact: Gerald González at 505-490-1357
Monday, August 21, 2007                                        


TAOS WILL BE THE VENUE FOR THE NEXT WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING

Santa Fe, New Mexico – “Water continues to be a dominant concern in New Mexico. The August meeting of the Legislative Water and Natural Resources Committee will focus on the impact of regulatory, economic and judicial activity on the Taos and Espanola basin areas,” said Senator Phil Griego (D-Los Alamos, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe and Taos-39), Chair of the Committee. “We look forward to meeting with water advocates in Taos,” he added.
Representative Andy Nuñez (D-Dona Ana-36), Vice-Chair of the Committee said “Water resource management is a critical issue in the Taos area and al of New Mexico. We want to know the thoughts of the experts as well as local experts.”
The August meeting of the Committee will convene in the Chamisa II meeting room of the Sagebrush Inn Convention Center in Taos starting at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, August 28 and will adjourn at 1:00 p.m. the following day, August 29. Tuesday morning the Committee will hear from acequia representatives regarding the impact of the State Engineer’s Active Water Resources Management Program on acequias. That afternoon, following a lunch-time field trip, the Committee will hear acequia representatives discuss the effects of water rights sales and transfer on the acequias as well as recommendations coming out of the Acequia Construction Program Task Force. There will also be testimony from a couple of mutual domestic water consumer associations regarding the associations’ current issues.
On Wednesday, beginning at 9:00 a.m., Taos Pueblo and Taos Valley Acequia Association representatives will address matters surrounding the proposed Taos Valley Water Agreement. This topic will be followed by two related items: a discussion concerning the Taos Regional Water Plan and a presentation by Water Adjudications Subcommittee attorneys.
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