A couple of bills pushed by the people of New Mexico to improve water supply last week caused a wildfire in Congress that engulfed the state and caused severe drought.
Records show the Hermits Peak Fire in the northern part of the state grew to 345,000 acres by Tuesday and 70 percent of the fires were extinguished this week in one of the worst wildfires in New Mexico’s history.
Meanwhile, in the Southwest, blackouts accounted for 68 percent of the area around 325,000 acres.
More searchingA wildfire in southeastern New Mexico has been contained after a lightning strike
The two fires, along with others in the state of New Mexico, Melanie Stansbury and U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, presented their bills to Congress, raising funds to improve water data collection and restore groundwater in the state.
The law was enacted at a time when the region’s drought was worsening, and according to the US Drought Monitor, by June 16, 90 percent of the state was in “severe” drought and 52 percent were “special”. “Drought is the worst drought in the world,” he said.
Both categories are defined as water bodies such as river drying and fire hazards.
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On Thursday, the bill was heard before the House Natural Resources Sub-Committee on Water, Ocean and Wildlife and could soon be voted into law.
The Water Information Act will include the collection of federal reports and water supplies across the country to provide information to farmers, ranchers and other consumers and water-dependent industries in the coming years.
This will help plan future impacts of desertification and other climate change impacts, Stansbury said.
More searching‘We want rain’ The fire in the northeastern part of New Mexico is on the rise
Rio Grande Water Safety Law will create a federal program to mobilize a number of organizations to rehabilitate one of the most widely used waterways in the Southwest and address the irrigation needs of Poulos and Indigenous people. .
“Our rivers are expected to dry up significantly on the Rio Grande in New Mexico this summer,” Stansbury said.
“Congress must pass legislation to support these communities and their future development.”
More searching‘There is a lot of danger’ The southeastern state has been supporting a wildfire in New Mexico.
Mike Haman, an engineer from New Mexico State, testified at the meeting on Thursday.
He said government agencies need to be able to adapt to the rising tide of air pollution and global warming in New Mexico and the western United States.
“I fully support these two accounts and agree that their transfers will help New Mexico, the dry west and the country.
“We can measure, manage, and administer well-designed mitigation strategies for future water resource challenges.”
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The two accounts were signed with the support of the New Mexico House of Representatives, with Democrat US Congressman Theresa Leger Fernandez and Republican Yvette Harel assisting.
“Long-term health and viability in Rio Grande is not a one-sided issue. Unless urgent action is taken, drought will have a devastating effect on our society and force farmers to sell their herds due to water shortages,” said Harel.
“Ensuring that federal agencies take coordinated action to report water information will enable states, tribes and local communities to access this information more easily, which is currently experiencing a severe drought in New Mexico.”
More searchingLegislators in New Mexico have set fire to the effects of wildfires.
Heinrich’s Law on Water Information and Safety, which merged the two chambers into one legislature, was first presented before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources and Energy Subcommittee on May 25.
“The West is facing a historic 1,200-year drought, and Rio Grande is expected to dry up significant areas this summer,” he said. “It is important to use all resources and tools to improve water safety.”
Adrian can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.
