[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 5196] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov][[Page 5196]] EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS INTRODUCING EASTERN NEW MEXICO RURAL WATER SYSTEM AUTHORIZATION ACT ______ HON. TOM UDALL of new mexico in the house of representatives Thursday, April 3, 2008 Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, today I am very pleased to introduce a bill that will authorize the Bureau of Reclamation to help communities in eastern New Mexico develop the Eastern New Mexico Rural Water System, ENMRWS. A companion to this bill is being introduced today in the Senate by my colleagues Senator Bingaman and Senator Domenici. There has long been a recognized need for a reliable and safe supply of potable water for eastern New Mexico. After years of drought and ever-increasing population growth, this water supply project is now absolutely critical for the continued economic well-being of Curry, Roosevelt, and Quay counties in eastern New Mexico. The Entrada and the Southern High Plains, or Ogallala, aquifers currently provide 100 percent of the municipal and industrial water supplies and the vast majority of agricultural water for communities in these east-central New Mexico counties. However, both the quantity and quality of these ground water reserves have declined severely in recent decades. Despite voluntary conservation efforts and improvements in agricultural water-use efficiencies, these ground water supplies will not sustain current use levels in as little as 12 years, and may be functionally depleted within 25 years. The water supply project authorized by this legislation builds upon more than 40 years of research, planning, and design. In 1959, after recognizing the water supply problems in eastern New Mexico, the New Mexico Legislature and Interstate Stream passed an Act authorizing the State Engineer to construct a dam on the Canadian River, thus establishing the the Reservoir. Since 1966, numerous congressionally- authorized studies have investigated the feasibility of a project that would utilize the Ute Reservoir as a reliable water supply for communities in eastern New Mexico. Finally, in the late 1990s, several communities, concerned about the increasingly urgent need, came together to begin planning for the development of a regional water system. The Eastern New Mexico Rural Water Supply Authority, consisting of nine communities in the Curry, Roosevelt and Quay counties of eastern New Mexico, was formed in 2001 to oversee the development of the ENMRWS. This authority has expeditiously and effectively finalized the studies and planning necessary to move forward with this project. Madam Speaker, as you can see from this brief history, the citizens of eastern New Mexico have both proven the critical need and completed the necessary steps to form the basis for a project of this magnitude. This project is not new, and the need for water is becoming increasingly more urgent. In fact, I introduced this bill with my New Mexico Colleagues in the Senate in both the 108th and 109th Congresses. In the 108th Congress the Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power in the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on the bill, which I understand brought out some very positive support and feedback. Since that time, the need for this project has only become greater and support for the venture has continued to increase in the local communities and State government. Without this project, it is clear that this important region will suffer economically. We cannot stand by and watch vibrant communities dissolve into western ghost towns, especially when solutions exist. I sincerely hope my colleagues will support this legislation and help provide a positive, long-term solution to a pressing water need in the rural West. This legislation represents the important next step toward addressing the overarching issue of water in the and West. ____________________