CALL TO ACTION – Support Acequia Disaster and Infrastructure Funding

Please join us in supporting two bills being heard in the Senate Conservation Committee which would increase funding for acequia disaster and infrastructure funding and more agency staff to complete acequia infrastructure projects statewide! 

SB 176 (Campos, Jaramillo, Stefanics) Acequia Fund for Disaster Recovery. This bill amends the Acequia and Community Ditch Infrastructure Fund (ACDIF) Act to include “disaster recovery” to the purpose of the fund and increases the annual appropriation to the ACDIF from $2.5 million to $5.0 million. 

SB 239 (Campos, Sanchez) Stream Commission Acequia Bureau. This bill creates at Acequia Bureau at the Interstate Stream Commission. The purpose is to ensure that the acequia program, which administers Capital Outlay and the ACDIF, has dedicated staffing. This will improve the timely completion of acequia infrastructure projects. 

* SB 176 and SB 239 promote rural equity by ensuring access to infrastructure funding and disaster recovery in New Mexico’s underserved rural communities. 

​* Improved funding and agency capacity will improve outcomes and timely completion of acequia infrastructure and disaster recovery projects. 

* SB 176 and SB 239 address the increased need for acequia infrastructure funding arising from disasters related to fires and floods in New Mexico. ​ 

For more talking points, click on the links below:

​SB 176 Acequia Fund for Disaster Response

SB 239 Stream Commission Acequia Bureau

To follow up, here are the phone numbers for each of the committee members:

Please attend in person or via Zoom. The Senate Conservation Committee will meet Thursday, February 9, 2023 at 9am in Room 311. You can also join via Zoom at the link below:

For public participation click on the link to join the ZOOM WEBINAR: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7739881331 or via telephone US: +1 253 215 8782 Webinar ID: 773 988 1331