Letter from Mike Hammon, State Engineer |
August 8, 2022

Fellow New Mexicans

RE: Members of the Water Policy and Infrastructure T ask Force (Water Task Force)

I’m pleased to introduce the newly formed Water Task Force for New Mexico. This webpage, hosted by New Mexico First, contains the Task Force’s Charter, information used by the Water Task Force, and updates on the progress of the Water Task Force.

When Governor Lujan Grisham asked me to serve as State Engineer, we agreed on the critical need to establish a 50-Year Water Plan to address and plan for the impacts of climate change. Research shows that climate change is resulting in higher average temperatures and is exacerbating the effects of the current drought that is severely impacting New Mexico’s water supply and you, our citizens. Upon my recommendation, the Governor directed me to form a task force consisting of water and natural resources professionals and representatives of stakeholder groups from around the state. This new Water Task Force will first engage in a detailed review of the draft 50-Year Water Plan and provide input to its recommendations. Next, they will investigate current water administration and water infrastructure funding policies. The findings will be used to develop the Water Task Force’s own set of transformative recommendations for the Governor and the Legislature as we approach the 2023 Legislative session.

New Mexico First is assisting the New Mexico State Engineer and the Interstate Stream Commission as the Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force engages in its mission. The Water Task Force includes members of the natural resources agencies, finance administration, and the Indian Affairs Department as well as, the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA).

New Mexico First is assisting the New Mexico State Engineer and the Interstate Stream Commission as the Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force engages in its mission. The Water Task Force includes members of the natural resources agencies, finance administration, and the Indian Affairs Department as well as, the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA)

The Water Task Force’s Executive Committee includes the State Engineer as Chair, plus the Deputy Director of the Interstate Stream Commission, Deputy Secretary of the New Mexic

Environment Department (NMED), and the Chief Executive Officer of the NMFA. The Executive Committee helps guide the process facilitated by New Mexico First. We’re also helped by technical and legal research support from the Utton Center with additional support provided by the Thornburg Foundation

The Water Task Force has formed work groups to begin the process of developing recommendations that will be reported o n frequently throughout the next few months on this webpage. A final report on the Water Task Force recommendations will be published and provided to the Governor, Legislature and the general public with a release target of mid- October

I invite interested parties to stay in touch with our progress through this website and ask that all media inquiries be made through the Office of the State Engineer’s Public Information Officer, Maggie Fitzgerald, and she can be reached at maggie.fitzgerald@state.nm.us.

Sincerely,

Mike A. Hamman, P.E.
State Enginee