State engineers urge lawmakers to fund Rio Grande settlement, warn of urgent staffing and trust‑fund gaps

State Engineer Elizabeth Anderson and Interstate Stream Commission Director Hannah Risley White told the Legislative Appropriations & Finance Committee on Jan. 14 that New Mexico faces urgent water administration needs in the Rio Grande basin and that funding decisions this session will determine how effectively the state can implement settlement commitments.

Anderson said the agency has reduced its vacancy rate and modernized some tools but still needs more field staff to administer compacts and settlements. “We need more administration to be able to do that,” Anderson said, arguing recurring funding would place more staff in the field to help water users share scarce supplies.

Risley White described progress on regional water planning and the governor’s 50‑year water action plan, and she emphasized the deadline and scale of settlement implementation. “We do anticipate that the court will act on this settlement this year, likely by June, and that the court will adopt the proposed settlement,” Risley White said, urging lawmakers to fund groundwater purchases and conservation programs that are part of the settlement package. The department said the state’s commitment for settlements awaiting congressional approval is $240,000,000 and that $45,000,000 has already been aligned.

LFC staff outlined differences between the Legislative Finance Committee recommendation and the executive budget for the Office of the State Engineer: the LFC recommends a $57.3 million total agency budget, roughly $305,000 lower than the executive request, reflecting greater reliance by LFC on fund balances such as the irrigation works construction fund to cover employee benefits and settlement‑related staffing in some programs.

Lawmakers pressed officials on timing and scale. Committee members asked whether funds must be front‑loaded; general counsel Nat Chaykris said obligations would be payable over 10 years but that front‑loading can reduce total cost. The panel also questioned how many acre‑feet would be retired: staff said the proposed settlement requires reducing depletions by about 18,200 acre‑feet per year — roughly 5–7% of current pumping in the Lower Rio Grande — which could be achieved by purchases, leases and other measures.

Committee action: the committee moved to adopt the LFC recommendation for the agency budget and, after no recorded opposition, adopted it.

What’s next: Committee members noted the nonrecurring package (capital and special appropriations) will be debated separately; staff said capital bills and special appropriations could provide additional funds to implement settlement projects and strategic water reserves.