This Saturday, Feb 13. at 1pm, HB200 - Water Trust Board Projects & NM Unit Fund will be heard in the House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee.

**Please contact House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee members before the vote and urge them to support this bill--especially if you are a constituent or have a relationship with them. (Contact information is provided below.)

HB200 instructs the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) to consult with the Water Trust Board, a statewide entity of technical water project experts appointed by the Governor, instead of with the N.M. CAP Entity, on funding water projects in Southwest New Mexico.

This bill would also prohibit the expenditure of $80 million in unspent federal funds (N.M. Unit Fund) on a Gila River diversion. For 16 years, the N.M. CAP Entity has pursued diverting the Gila River and wants to have a say in how these funds are allocated. Thanks to Governor Lujan Grisham the project was defunded, but that’s not stopping the N.M CAP Entity from continuing to prioritize water development on the Gila. That’s why this bill is important. By stopping spending of any of the remaining $80 million on a diversion – HB200 closes the door on the Gila diversion for good.

It’s critical that this funding instead be used to support urgently needed water infrastructure projects for communities in the region.

Fact sheet on the bill and information on the Water Trust Board

What HB 200 does:

Designates the Water Trust Board (WTB) 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.

Prohibits expenditure of NM Unit Funds to evaluate, plan or construct a Gila River diversion

**Please contact House Agriculture and Water Resources Committee members and urge them to support this bill--especially if you are a constituent or have a relationship with them.

LINK to join the meeting and give public comment (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82072641109#success). Please keep all comments to under a minute, ideally 30 seconds.

Rep. Derrick J. Lente- D Chair; derrick.lente@nmlegis.gov, Capitol: (505) 986-4852, Home: (505) 507-3063

Rep. Susan K. Herrera- D Vice Chair; susan.herrera@nmlegis.gov, (C): (505) 986-4249, (H): (505) 579-0092

Rep. Anthony Allison- D; anthony.allison@nmlegis.gov, (C): (505) 986-4436, (H): (505) 787-8494

Rep. Cathrynn N. Brown - R; c.brown.nm55@gmail.com, (C): (505) 986-4227, (H): (575) 706-4420

Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell - R; csecows@aol.com, (C): (505) 986-4454, (H): (575) 625-0550

Rep. Dayan Hochman-Vigil- D; dayan.hochman-vigil@nmlegis.gov, (C): (505) 986-4432, (H): (505) 948-2320

Rep. Marian Matthews -D; marian.matthews@nmlegis.gov, (C): (505) 986-4242

Rep.Martin R. Zamora -R; martin.zamora@nmlegis.gov, (C): (505) 986-4211, (H): (575) 309-2334