By Jesse Jones
As the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District begins the irrigation season by recharging the middle valley irrigation system, which began Feb. 24, several bills in the 2025 legislative session aim to address key issues for the conservancy district, including water management, liability protections, election procedures and wildfire prevention.
The proposed legislation includes a range of measures, from shifting drought declaration authority to local entities to expanding recreational access on district land. Additionally, a bipartisan bill would revise MRGCD election procedures, while another allocates $5 million for wildfire mitigation efforts on district-managed lands.
One key piece of legislation, House Bill 28, introduced by Democratic Rep. Kathleen Cates of Rio Rancho, would allow the MRGCD to declare drought conditions locally, rather than waiting for the federal government to intervene. This bill aims to speed up the response to water shortages, particularly affecting areas like Corrales, where limited water delivery has already impacted farmers.
“Some New Mexico county assessors have decided to reclassify farmland as residential land because the crop yields dropped or land was not farmable due to lack of water,†Cates said. “In particular, Corrales farmers have been hit hard because the MRGCD siphon is broken and limited water is being fed to their farmlands.â€
Another bill, House Bill 29, also introduced by Cates, seeks to expand liability protections for special districts like the MRGCD. It would allow public recreational activities on district lands without fear of lawsuits, potentially increasing public access for activities such as fishing, hiking and camping. It clarifies that granting access does not guarantee safety or impose a duty of care. However, it does not protect against liability if fees are charged unless paid by government agencies.
Meanwhile, House Bill 308, with bipartisan sponsorship from Rep. Derrick Lente, a Democrat from Sandia Pueblo, Rep. Gail Armstrong, a Republican from Magdalena, and Sen. Pat Woods, a Republican from Broadview, would remove the conservancy district from the Local Election Act and establish new guidelines.
The bill, which would take effect immediately if passed, establishes election dates for the first Tuesday after the first Monday in October in odd-numbered years. It outlines procedures for compiling voter lists, candidate filing, and vote casting and counting.
It also adjusts voter qualifications, requiring proof of property ownership in the district, and removes certain absentee ballot, election notice and polling place requirements.
The Local Election Act, passed in 2019, streamlined procedures for local government elections by setting dates, eliminating write-in candidates, and requiring mail ballots in certain cases.
Additionally, Senate Bill 332 was introduced by Sen. Joshua Sanchez, a Republican from Bosque, to address the risk of wildfires in riparian and agricultural areas.
The bill would allocate $5 million for wildfire prevention efforts within MRGCD-managed lands. It would fund wildfire prevention measures, such as underbrush cleanup to remove flammable materials, tree thinning to reduce overgrown vegetation and cattle grazing to naturally manage dry grass and underbrush.
The bill would direct funding from the general fund to the Local Government Division of the Department of Finance and Administration and be allocated to be spent between 2026 and 2031, with any unspent funds reverting to the general fund after 2031.