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ask.heather@mail.house.gov
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In Washington DC
442 Cannon House
Office Building
Washington, DC
20515
202-225-6316 Phone
202-225-4975 Fax |
In Albuquerque
20 First Plaza NW
Suite 603
Albuquerque, NM
87102
505-346-6781 Phone
505-346-6723 Fax |  |
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Congresswoman Heather Wilson, First Congressional District of New Mexico
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| Wilson Calls on Secretary Norton to Intervene in Middle Rio Grande Water Dispute |
June 01, 2001 |
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Washington, DC - Congresswoman Heather Wilson has asked Interior Secretary Gale Norton to intervene and overturn the Bureau of Reclamation’s stunning move to federalize the ownership of New Mexico water.
The dispute between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District centers around the early repayment of a loan for $2.4 million due in 2022, and the repayment of a loan from 1951 which was used to repair canals and ditches. The 1951 loan was repaid in full last year; however, the Bureau of Reclamation is now taking the position that it retains control over the project indefinitely.
In a letter to Secretary Norton Wilson said, “To claim that anyone who has ever taken advantage of a federal loan program to maintain ditches will permanently lose ownership of those waterways and the rights to the water in them even after the loan is repaid is a stunning power grab by a federal agency that goes far beyond any intent of Congress. It provokes the kind of backlash against any federal program that might help conserve one of our most precious resources -- water. You and I both know, this policy will not stand.
“As a fellow Westerner, I urge you to immediately review and correct the policy espoused by the District Bureau of Reclamation office and resolve this matter without the need for New Mexicans to go to court. If it is not resolved, I will work with my colleagues in Congress to impose a legislative remedy that protects New Mexico`s water rights,” Wilson concluded.
Enclosed: Copy of Wilson’s letter to Secretary Norton
--END--
Friday, June 1, 2001
Dear Secretary Norton:
I commend to your attention to the attached article from the May 31, 2001 edition of the Albuquerque Journal in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The article describes a distressing situation that has developed between the District Office of the Bureau of Reclamation and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District.
The dispute centers around the early repayment of a loan for $2.4 million due in 2022, and the repayment of a loan from 1951 which was used to repair canals and ditches. The 1951 loan was repaid in full last year; however, the Bureau of Reclamation is now taking the position that it retains control over the project indefinitely. This position is clearly unacceptable and I would ask for your immediate review and correction of it.
A federal government agency refusing to accept early payment of loan shows a lack of common sense, and may possibly be contrary to law. I know of no other programs where the federal government refuses to accept early payment of a loan.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is using a specious "back-door" claim to federalize the ownership of western water. To claim that anyone who has ever taken advantage of a federal loan program to maintain ditches will permanently lose ownership of those waterways and the rights to the water in them even after the loan is repaid is a stunning power grab by a federal agency that goes far beyond any intent of Congress. It provokes the kind of backlash against any federal program that might help conserve one of our most precious resources -- water. You and I both know, this policy will not stand.
As a fellow Westerner, I urge you to immediately review and correct the policy espoused by the District Bureau of Reclamation office and resolve this matter without the need for New Mexicans to go to court. If it is not resolved, I will work with my colleagues in Congress to impose a legislative remedy that protects New Mexico`s water rights.
This is a very serious issue, and I urge your immediate attention. I am available to answer questions at your convenience.
Sincerely,
signed
Heather Wilson |
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