AUTHORIZATION INCLUDED IN JUST-FINISHED WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT ACT.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                CONTACT:  AGNES CECILE OCZON
September 27, 1996                                 (202) 224-7073

DOMENICI: SENATE GIVES FINAL APPROVAL TO INCREASED FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR ACEQUIAS REHABILITATION

Senate Sends Bill With Domenici Acequias Amendment to President

WASHINGTON -- The Senate has approved and referred to the President a bill that includes an amendment authored by Senator Pete Domenici that will require the federal government provide for the full cost of preliminary work to rehabilitate the acequias in northern New Mexico.

The Senate passed the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 1996. The bill will be sent to the President to be signed into law. It includes a Domenici-authored amendment that instructs the Army Corps of Engineers to pay the full cost of scoping and reconnaissance work on local acequias rehabilitation projects.

"This puts the acequias projects in northern New Mexico on par with similar Corps projects in other parts of the country. It is simply a matter of fairness," Domenici said.

The current WRDA law stipulates that local acequias sponsors must pay 25 percent of preliminary work for rehabilitating acequias even though such a cost share is not required for other similar Corps projects.

"With this amendment, better progress can be made on the much- needed rehabilitation of these acequias. It will be a help to the many communities that depend on these water systems," Domenici said.

Domenici, as chairman of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, secured $1 million for acequias rehabilitation in the 1997 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. The Energy and Water Bill has been sent to the President to be signed into law.

Acequias are irrigation systems which Congress has recognized as "significant in the settlement and development of the western portion of the United States." Many of the acequias in New Mexico date from the 1700s and still serve New Mexico irrigators.

At a Senate hearing in March, Domenici elicited support for this change in federal-local cost shares from Martin Lancaster, Assistant Secretary of the Army Corps of Engineers-Civil Works Division. Senator John Chafee, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, also supported the measure.

In 1986 Domenici was instrumental in getting Congress to recognize the historical and cultural significance of the acequias. The 1986 WRDA bill established the program whereby the Corps of Engineers works with the State and small irrigators to protect and maintain the acequias.

Domenici in July attended a mass and blessing of the acequias of the Chimayo river, with Archbishop Michael Sheehan of Santa Fe.