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“THE SILVERY MINNOW AGREEMENT” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E331-E332 on March 2, 2005.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
THE SILVERY MINNOW AGREEMENT
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HON. TOM UDALL
of new mexico
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 2, 2005
Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, water is a precious natural resource that we must manage as efficiently as possible. Benjamin Franklin wrote in Poor Richard's Almanac in 1746, ``When the well is dry, we know the worth of water.'' In parts of the West, the well is quickly running dry.
Drought conditions have affected nearly everyone in arid Western States in one way or another. Farmers are being forced to sell livestock, many cities are in various stages of water conservation, and many acres of land have been charred by fire. I believe we must use every tool available to confront these water problems, and doing so remains one of my top priorities.
We need to come at this from many different angles since water shortages present a multitude of complications. That is why I have crafted several pieces of legislation that focus on rural communities, water technology and augmentation, and insidious plant eradication.
I believe the combined effect of those bills plus continued efforts in desalination and formation of a national water council will greatly improve the situation of dry States like New Mexico.
Last week, a historic and long overdue agreement was announced in New Mexico regarding the silvery minnow. After five and a half years of court proceedings, not to mention millions of dollars in legal costs, the City of Albuquerque and an alliance of six environmental groups announced an agreement that will help ensure the endurance of the Rio Grande. The accord signals that water conservation and ecological goals on the Rio Grande are vital.
As part of the agreement, litigants in Silvery Minnow v. Keys agreed to drop any claim on the San Juan-Chama water for minnow purposes, as well as end their protest to Albuquerque's drinking water project and diversion of San Juan-Chama water from the Rio Grande. At the same, the City of Albuquerque has agreed to significant conservation measures that acknowledge the need for water to sustain the river itself as an ecosystem.
The project has been in legal jeopardy because the Endangered Species Act and the city's agreement with the Federal Government to transfer water from the Colorado River to the Rio Grande basin also recognize an essential need to use that water for ecological purposes.
The agreement gives the city and its residents legal relief, while requiring the city to do several things to protect the Rio Grande as a living, flowing, natural system.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud that the agreement reached encompasses a central component that I advanced through legislation in 2003. I introduced the Middle Rio Grande Emergency Water Supply Stabilization Act in an effort to find a common-sense approach to sustainable water management in New Mexico. I knew then that the ``solutions'' being bandied about were little more than quick-fix answers that would not solve our real water crisis.
My bill dealt with these realities and many other crucial issues. It set up incentives to conserve our water resources and develop collaborative solutions at the local level. It aimed to restore and protect the Rio Grande River and the surrounding Bosque, and encouraged technological solutions for new sources of water and methods to harness such technology to increase water efficiency.
My bill paved the way for the creation of a conservation pool of water to support a living river. This was a very different approach than advanced by others. The Albuquerque City Council and a host of other entities, including conservation groups, farmers, the New Mexico Conference of Churches, and AARP New Mexico endorsed my legislation.
I am pleased that the accord reached by the city and the environmental groups includes my provision. Indeed, for the first time on the Rio Grande space will be allocated in the city's Abiquiu reservoir for water that will be dedicated to environmental purposes, including sustaining endangered species such as the Rio Grande silvery minnow. Under the deal, Albuquerque has committed to provide 30,000 acre-feet of storage space for exclusively environmental purposes.
In addition, the city committed to help fund a $250,000 pilot water leasing program that would pursue agricultural water for environmental purposes, and change its water billing system to allow residents to add
$1 per month to their bills to fund environmental water acquisition for the Rio Grande.
While the agreement is welcome, our work is just beginning. The White House's 2006 budget requests $19 million in Bureau of Reclamation funds for the Middle Rio Grande Project. That represents a $10.2 million cut over current spending. At least $4 million would be cut from funds available for activities to maintain compliance with the Endangered Species Act.
In 2003, the Department of the Interior developed a 10-year plan to ensure a manageable balance between endangered species and water use in the Middle Rio Grande. Implementation of that plan, by the department's own estimates, will exceed $230 million. Yet, over the last three years, the Bush administration has only proposed investing $19.4 million.
Making matters worse, the fiscal year 2006 Fish & Wildlife Service budget calls for eliminating $542,000 in funding for the Middle Rio Grande Bosque initiative, labeling it a ``lower priority project.''
Without support from the Bush administration, it will be more and more difficult to maintain the balance that is desperately needed. I will again do everything I can to see that these disastrous reductions are reversed.
Mr. Speaker, to be a conservationist is to be an optimist. While I wanted all of the stakeholders to reach this agreement much sooner, I am glad that consensus has finally been achieved. It represents a significant step toward a fundamental change in how New Mexico and other Western States think about and manage crucial and limited water resources. As we approach similar confrontations in the coming years, I believe that we can use this historic pact as proof that seemingly divergent parties can reach a mutually acceptable and beneficial agreement.
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