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| Wilson Works to Conserve Middle Rio Grande |
April 22, 2000 |
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ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson celebrated Earth Day 2000 by announcing that she has requested $400,000 in federal funding for a major effort to help conserve the middle Rio Grande and specifically to help restore habitat for the Silvery Minnow without taking people’s water rights. In a letter to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), Wilson requested that the committee provide funding for water acquisition, for the installment of fish passage structures and for channel restoration.
“Finding the balance between conservation of the Rio Grande, respecting water rights and meeting the needs of the people living in the Albuquerque area is a continuing challenge,” said Wilson. “The Rio Grande is a major water supply source for the city of Albuquerque, several Indian Pueblos, a substantial area of irrigated farmland and contains the last remaining population of the endangered Silvery Minnow. It is my hope that the Congress will provide the funds that I have requested so that we can work to protect the river while continuing to allow for responsible use of this precious resource.”
Specifically, Congresswoman Wilson has requested:
* $100,000 to lease water from various entities to help ensure flows through river to the maximum extent possible in the Middle Rio Grande during the irrigation season.
* $150,000 to install these fish passage structures as part of the US Fish and Wildlife Silvery Minnow recovery effort. These funds will be used to: 1) conduct field reconnaissance of the diversion structures on the Middle Rio Grande; 2) conduct feasibility analyses to identify the appropriate type of fish passage structures at these diversion structures; 3) develop cost estimates; 4) select the most feasible alternatives; and 5) initiate NEPA compliance for these passage structures.
* $150,000 for the Army Corps of Engineers channel restoration planning and design actions in the Middle Rio Grande to restore habitat for the Silvery Minnow. This effort would begin planning for channel restoration efforts to be followed by design, NEPA compliance, and construction in subsequent years.
There are clearly conflicts in federal and state law concerning the Rio Grande. We have an obligation in federal law to deliver a certain amount of water to Texas down the Rio Grande. Farmers, landowners, Pueblos and the City of Albuquerque have water rights in the river and the Endangered Species Act may conflict with both of these obligations.
“I would prefer to see people work together to address New Mexico’s water problems than resort to court,” Wilson said. “These small projects are intended to ease some pressure on the river in the short term while engineers study and present different options to the community for managing the Rio Grande.”
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