In second of bipartisanship, New Mexico’s complete congressional delegation, Democrat and Republican, got here out in help of two payments that will enhance entry to water of their state because it was ravaged by unprecedented wildfires all through spring.
New Mexico’s Democrat U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Lujan, together with Democrat U.S. Reps. Teresa Leger Fernandez and Melanie Stansbury have been joined by Republican U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell in help for 2 payments launched this month: The Water Information and Rio Grande Water Safety acts.
Each payments have been launched by Stansbury within the U.S. Home of Representatives and had companion laws within the U.S. Senate.
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The Rio Grande Water Safety Act would set up a federal program to enhance situations on New Mexico largest river and supply of floor water, together with its tributaries just like the Pecos River and all through the Rio Grande Basin which encompasses most of New Mexico’s waters.
The Act would require the federal authorities to create a useful resource administration plan for the Rio Grande, convene a working group and acceptable federal funds to irrigation infrastructure for Pueblos all through the area.
“Water is life and the lifeblood of our communities,” Stansbury mentioned. “As we face historic drought and wildfires, we should deal with the rapid wants of our communities whereas reworking water administration throughout the West.”
Extra:‘We want rain’: Southeast New Mexico wildfire danger grows as northern area burns
She mentioned the laws was supposed to see federal companies accomplice with native leaders, landowners and others impacted by water shortage.
“These payments will present the important assets and coordination we have to deal with our largest water challenges, in partnership with our farmers and ranchers, acequia mayordomos, and communities who dwell these realities daily,” Stansbury mentioned.
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Herrell, the state’s lone Republican consultant in Congress for its southern Second Congressional District, which was experiencing a number of the state’s worst drought situations and highest threats for wildfires mentioned addressing drought would help struggling ranchers and different sectors of New Mexico’s agriculture business.
Extra:NM Interstate Stream Fee approves cloud seeding to help southeastern counties
“The long-term well being and viability of the Rio Grande just isn’t a partisan challenge,” she mentioned. “Until we take swift motion, drought will proceed to have adverse results on our communities, inflicting losses in crop yields and forcing ranchers to dump cattle herds attributable to lack of water. Jobs might dry up together with the water that helps them.”
As for the Water Information Act and its provisions to make info on water availability extra accessible, Herrell mentioned this could enhance future planning efforts as drought situations in New Mexico and the American West proceed to worsen.
“Making certain that federal companies undertake coordinated requirements for reporting water information will allow states, tribes, and native communities to extra simply entry this info, which is important in the course of the extreme drought situations in New Mexico is presently experiencing,” Herrell mentioned.
“This identical collaboration can be mandatory throughout the West as main water sources, such because the Rio Grande, are strained attributable to dry situations.”
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Extra:Lea County grass hearth signifies urgency for drought and wildfire consciousness in New Mexico
Heinrich, who Sponsored companion invoice the Water Information and Safety Act within the Senate, mentioned higher information and data on New Mexico’s water availability was “crucial” amid the impacts, he mentioned, of air pollution and subsequent local weather change.
He mentioned the payments would mix with funding from the latest Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act, a signature invoice pushed by President Joe Biden and Signed into regulation Nov. 5, 2021, to deploy federal assets to battle drought.
“Within the face of threats from the local weather disaster, it’s crucial that we unite our efforts to guard our most valuable useful resource – our water,” Heinrich mentioned. We’ve made historic progress on funding water infrastructure initiatives by way of the Infrastructure Regulation.”
Extra:Fireplace restrictions put in place throughout New Mexico, as legislators work to mitigate wildfire impacts
Each payments noticed help from conservation teams, who argued the motion was wanted to deal with water shortage and air pollution.
Brian Snelten, president of the Nationwide Floor Water Affiliation, mentioned the federal actions might assist deal with nationwide contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), each industrial pollution acknowledged by the U.S. Environmental Safety Company as impacting human well being.
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“Because the nation continues to face increasing drought and rising contaminants comparable to PFAS and PFOA, the function of water information is enjoying a bigger function in how we fight these challenges,” Snelten mentioned.
“The Water Information Act will give groundwater scientists and contractors the data they should tackle right this moment’s water challenges and hold offering water to households and farms throughout the nation.”
Adrian Hedden might be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.
With nearly 20 percent of the conference’s men’s basketball games in the books, the top teams in the Mountain West have already separated themselves.
New Mexico (12-3, 4-0), Utah State (12-3, 4-0) and UNLV (9-5, 3-0) are all undefeated in conference play. Boise State (11-4, 3-1), Colorado State (8-6, 2-1) and San Diego State (9-3, 2-1) have just one MWC loss.
The Broncos, who were picked to win the MWC in the preseason coaches poll, dropped their first home game of the season Saturday afternoon to San Diego State, 76-68. Boise State had won five straight game overall entering the showdown with the Aztecs.
After beginning conference play with victories over three of the MWC’s weakest teams in Air Force (3-11, 0-3), San Jose State (7-9, 0-4) and Wyoming (9-6, 2-2), the Broncos are now in a tough portion of their schedule.
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Boise State hosts UNLV at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night before traveling to Utah State on Saturday. The Broncos then return home to face Wyoming as a tuneup for road matchups with New Mexico and Colorado State.
“We won’t look that far ahead,” Broncos head coach Leon Rice said after the San Diego State loss. “I always tell our guys that our issues are our issues until we solve them. This time of the year, you’re still solving issues and figuring stuff out. And new ones can pop up.”
Utah State has been the story of the MWC this season.
Picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches poll under first-year head coach Jared Calhoun, the Aggies have been perfect outside of a mid-December home loss to Big West leader UC San Diego (13-2). Utah State’s biggest margin of victory in MWC play was Saturday’s 89-83 win over Fresno State (4-11, 0-4), a game in which the Aggies trailed by 17 points in the first half.
Friday night, Junior Joseph hit an overtime buzzer-beater against Nevada (8-7, 0-4) to keep New Mexico’s perfect MWC record intact. The Lobos boast an early-season win over UCLA but sit way down at No. 70 in the NET Rankings, trailing Utah State (No. 29), San Diego State (35), Boise State (57) and Nevada (64) among MWC teams.
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San Diego State and Utah State were the only MWC representatives in the latest NCAA Tournament projection by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi.
While sitting at 3-0 in conference play, UNLV has yet to face a team with a MWC victory. The Rebels own wins over Air Force, Fresno State and San Jose State.
The Aztecs bounced back from a Dec. 28 home loss to Utah State — also on a buzzer-beater — with a big road victory at Boise State. San Diego State is the top MWC team in KenPom at No. 34, followed by Utah State (No. 48), Nevada (58), Boise State (60) and New Mexico (65).
“They are a great defensive team. Not a good defensive team, a great one,” Rice said of the Aztecs, who check in at No. 13 in KenPom’s defensive rating. “I think they’re protecting the paint maybe better than — I mean they always do a good job of it — but this team has really stepped it up there.”
PORTLAES, New Mexico (KFDA) – Eastern New Mexico basketball each fall to the Lubbock Christian Chaps by six on Friday.
On the Women’s side, the Greyhounds lost to the #20 Lady Chaps by a score of 59-53.
After the first 10 minutes of play, the Lady Chaps held an early 14-8 lead.
They followed that up with 14 more points in the second quarter, while they Greyhounds scored 13 of their own, going into halftime with a 28-21 lead.
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After the break, the Greyhounds got to work on both sides of the ball, forcing several turnovers and converting down low, taking the lead after the third and heading into the final frame up 40-38.
The Lady Chaps saved their best basketball for last, scoring the most by any team in all four quarters (21) and stealing the win on the road.
Ishauna Hunter finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with six rebounds and three steals.
Julieta Ceja played a key piece in the rotation, finishing with an 11 point, 12 rebound double-double in her 26 total minutes.
The Greyhounds are now 10-2 on the year, 5-1 in the Lone Star Conference, and will complete their homestand tomorrow against the Midwestern State Mustangs.
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Eastern New Mexico vs. Lubbock Christian WBB(KFDA)
On the Men’s side, they got off to a hot start but ultimately found themselves behind at the end with a final score of 77-71.
Treyvon Byrd was the star of the first half for the Greyhounds, scoring the first nine points by himself.
After the first 20 minutes of play, both teams were knotted at 32.
Chaps’ Ethan Duncan came to life in the second half, and helped lead Lubbock Christian to 45 points in the last 20 minutes, while the defense allowed 39.
Eastern New Mexico vs. Lubbock Christian MBB(KFDA)
Byrd finished with a team-high 24 points, 6 rebounds and four assists.
Jaden Clarke got going as well, shooting 7-14 from the field to finish with 19 points, with four rebounds and one steal.
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A double-double from Jose Murillo (14 pts, 10 reb) kept the Greyhounds going as well.
They too are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Midwestern State Mustangs.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — Christian Cook had 19 points in New Mexico State’s 78-48 win against Louisiana Tech on Saturday night.
Cook shot 7 for 11, including 5 for 6 from beyond the arc for the Aggies (9-6, 2-0 Conference USA). Robert Carpenter scored 16 points and added six rebounds. Peter Filipovity shot 5 of 9 from the field and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line to finish with 15 points, while adding eight rebounds.
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The Bulldogs (11-4, 0-2) were led by Sean Elkinton, who posted 12 points. Amaree Abram added 10 points for Louisiana Tech.
New Mexico State took the lead with 13:31 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Carpenter led his team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them up 44-19 at the break. New Mexico State pulled away with an 8-0 run in the second half to extend a 24-point lead to 32 points.
New Mexico State’s next game is Saturday against UTEP on the road, and Louisiana Tech hosts Florida International on Thursday.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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