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Corrales residents press lawmakers for updates on conservation easements and water projects
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Summary
At a Corrales forum attendees asked about local conservation easements and water infrastructure. Rep. Kathleen Cates said no immediate updates on local easements in the 30‑day session but outlined state and federal funding programs, and described legislative proposals to protect agricultural status after infrastructure failures.
An early question at the Corrales forum asked specifically for updates on conservation easements in Corrales. Rep. Kathleen Cates said there were no immediate updates arising from the 30‑day session but described state and federal programs that can help communities after natural catastrophes and infrastructure failures.
Cates told attendees she had carried bills addressing aging irrigation infrastructure and the tax status of agricultural land when delivery systems fail. She said the bills would let an organization that is required to deliver water — such as an acequia association or the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District (MRGCD) — notify the tax assessor that infrastructure failures prevented normal agricultural production and preserve agricultural tax status for up to six years if the owner can demonstrate intermittent production during that period.
She referenced the New Mexico Finance Authority (HB63) as the vehicle that had vetted over 118 water projects across the state and said her district had received capital outlay items intended to support Corrales. "We are making investments of water," she said, noting the state engineer and NM Tech produced a 50‑year water plan projecting substantial long‑term declines in supply.
Why it matters: Corrales residents rely on nearby irrigation and drinking‑water infrastructure; legislative funding and clearer rules about agricultural status can affect local property taxes and farmers’ ability to retain working land designations during drought or infrastructure failure.
What’s next: Cates said she will continue to work with acequia associations, MRGCD, county assessors and local leadership to improve communications and protections and encouraged residents to raise these priorities at village council meetings and assessor forums.
