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Photo: Wick Beavers
Tell state legislators to fast track funding
to local water projects!

You helped us get House Bill 200 through House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee last weekend.

Now we need your support to pass HB200 through the House Judiciary Committee on Saturday.

Under the Arizona Water Settlement Act, the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) determines how the New Mexico Unit Fund will be used “in consultation with the Southwest New Mexico Water Study Group or its successor.” 

The NM CAP Entity claims that it is the "successor" group and wants to control how the $80 million remaining in the NM Unit Fund is allocated to water projects in southwest New Mexico. Although the state ended diversion planning last June, the Entity continues to prioritize development of a Gila diversion.

The NM CAP Entity’s lack of technical expertise, failure to get badly-needed funds into southwest New Mexico communities, and continued focus on pursuing a Gila River diversion show it is clearly not the right group to move this process forward. 

HB200 (McQueen, Stewart, Small, Correa Hemphill) fast tracks NM Unit Funding to priority water projects, creating long-term water security and jobs in southwest New Mexico.

HB200 amends the NM Unit Fund Act (2011) by:

  • Designating the Water Trust Board as the successor to the Southwest New Mexico Water Study Group to advise the ISC on how the NM Unit Fund is allocated to water projects in southwest New Mexico.

  • Prohibiting expenditure of NM Unit Funds to evaluate, plan or construct a Gila River diversion project.

With $137 million in priority water projects in southwest New Mexico in need of funding, we can't afford to waste any more time and money.  The ISC and the NM CAP Entity have wasted 15 years and $15+ million on the failed diversion planning process.

The Water Trust Board is the best entity to advise the ISC on allocation of the NM Unit Fund. The Water Trust Board has the diverse representation, organizational infrastructure, technical expertise in place, and experience to best advise the ISC on how to allocate the NM Unit Fund to critically needed water projects in our communities.

HB200 will be heard in House Judiciary Committee on Saturday, February 20th at 1pm.

Please help us make sure that this legislation passes by contacting committee members and asking them to vote "YES" on HB200.

Rep Gail Chasey chair D  gail@gailchasey.com  505-986-4411
Rep Micaela Lara Cadena D  micaela.cadena@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4210
Rep Eliseo Lee Alcon D  eliseo.alcon@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4416
Rep Deborah Armstrong D  deborah.armstrong@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4344
Rep Zachary Cook R  zachary.cook@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4221
Rep Brian Egolf D  brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4782
Rep Daymon Ely D  daymon.ely@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4243
Rep Georgene Lewis D  georgene.louis@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4329
Rep Matthew McQueen D  matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4423
Rep Greg Nibert R  greg.nibert@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4211
Rep William Rehm R  bill.rehm@nmlegis.gov  505-986-4214
Rep James Townsend R  townsend@pvtn.net  505-986-4757

Testifying at the House Judiciary Committee Meeting
If you'd like to testify at the hearing, you can connect to the Zoom webinar and click on the raise hand icon when asked to indicate that you'd like to testify. You will be unmuted when your name is called to testify. You will have 1 - 2 minutes to speak.

Please click the link below to join the webinar:

More information:


Fact sheets:

Thank you for taking action on behalf of our water future!
Gila Conservation Coalition
305A North Cooper St.
Silver City, NM 88061
Organized in 1984 to protect the free flow of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers and the wilderness characteristics of the Gila and Aldo Leopold Wilderness areas, the Gila Conservation Coalition (GCC) is a partnership of three organizations - Gila Resources Information Project, Upper Gila Watershed Alliance, and Center for Biological Diversity - that promote conservation of the Upper Gila River Basin and surrounding lands.