Heinrich Welcomes Final Passage of Water Infrastructure Bill and Southwest Border Regional Commission Expansion
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) is welcoming the Senate’s final passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), a bill that authorizes Army Corps of Engineers water projects in New Mexico and nationwide.
Within the bill, Heinrich championed provisions to restore the Middle Rio Grande Bosque, to support more collaborative management of the Upper Rio Grande Basin, renew and expand the nationwide Tribal Partnership Program, start feasibility studies for new water projects across New Mexico, increase federal support for acequias, and increase funding for Western drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
Heinrich also successfully secured the inclusion of his legislation to reauthorize and expand the scope of the Southwest Border Regional Commission within the underlying WRDA.
The House passed WRDA last week, and it will now go to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
“As New Mexicans continue to grapple with the strain of less predictable rainfall, reduced water supply, and more frequent extreme flash flood events, these investments in our stormwater management, irrigation infrastructure, and drinking water infrastructure are more important than ever,” said Heinrich. “I’m also proud that we secured the passage of my legislation to expand the impact of the Southwest Border Regional Commission so it can boost economic progress in our southern border communities. For years, I have worked to secure investments to stand up and grow this Commission that bolsters economic development and delivers strategic investments to communities all across New Mexico.”
New Mexico Water Infrastructure Priorities in the Water Resources Development Act include:
Bosque Wildfire Restoration Project Authorization Amendment
Authorizes a wildfire prevention and restoration efforts in the Middle Rio Grande Bosque, including the removal of jetty jacks.
National Academy of Sciences Rio Grande Basin Management Study
Authorizes a National Academy of Sciences study in collaboration with the Corps of Engineers on the management and operations of dams and reservoirs in the Upper Rio Grande Basin. The Bureau of Reclamation is also expected to participate as a collaborator in the study.
Funding Increase for Water Infrastructure
Authorizes an additional $100 million for drinking water, wastewater, and storm water projects for seven Western states, including New Mexico.
Funding Increase for the Tribal Partnership Program
Increases the Tribal Partnership Program authorization by an additional $2.5 million.
Acequias Reconnaissance Cost Share
Ensures that the federal cost share for reconnaissance studies related to acequias is 100 percent.
New Feasibility Studies
Authorizes feasibility studies for a water supply project in Doña Ana County, a flood risk management and ecosystem restoration project in the Nambe River Watershed, and a flood risk management project in Otero County.
Southwest Border Regional Commission Expansion:
The Water Resources Development Act also includes provisions that mirror Heinrich’s Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act, including expansion of the New Mexico counties included within the Commission’s reach, and a significant increase in authorized federal funding levels for the Commission.
The Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC) is one of eight authorized federal regional commissions and authorities, which are congressionally-chartered, federal-state partnerships created to promote economic development in their respective regions. Congress first authorized the establishment of the SBRC in 2008 to promote economic development in the southern border regions of New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas.
Last year, Heinrich led the introduction of the Southwest Border Regional Commission Reauthorization Act, legislation to reauthorize and fully fund the Southwest Border Regional Commission (SBRC). The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.).
The provisions that Heinrich successfully included:
- Expand SBRC’s jurisdiction to include the following counties in New Mexico: Bernalillo, Cibola, Curry, De Baca, Guadalupe, Roosevelt, Torrance, Lea, and Valencia. These are in addition to Catron, Grant, Hidalgo, Luna, Sierra, Socorro, Lincoln, Otero, Eddy, Doña Ana, and Chaves Counties in New Mexico, which are already included within the SBRC’s jurisdiction.
- Greatly increase federal grant authorizations to New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Texas, increasing to $40 million in annual funding for FY25-FY29.
Since its creation, Heinrich has fought to successfully stand up the SBRC and give southern border communities equitable access to federal investments that help them thrive.
In 2020, Heinrich, along with former U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), helped secure an initial $250,000 of appropriations for the SBRC to jumpstart and expand its operations.
In 2021, Heinrich, as a new member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, helped secure $1 million for the SBRC in the FY22 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The total funding that Heinrich secured in the overall FY22 Appropriations Bills for SBRC was $2.5 million. Heinrich also helped to pass the Infrastructure Law, which included $1.25 million for the SBRC.
In 2022, Heinrich applauded President Biden’s nomination of Juan Eduardo Sanchez to be the first Federal Co-Chairman of the SBRC and voted to confirm Sanchez to the SBRC later that year. He also helped secure $5 million in funding for the SBRC in the FY23 Appropriations Bills.
In 2023, Heinrich led efforts to secure $8 million in FY24 funding for the SBRC, including $3 million in the FY24 Agricultural Appropriations Bill that he authored as Chairman.
Earlier this year, Heinrich successfully included $14 million for the SBRC in the Senate Appropriations Committee-passed FY25 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill. This comes in addition to the $2 million that Heinrich successfully included in the Committee-passed FY25 Agriculture Appropriations Bill and the $5 million Heinrich successfully included in the Committee-passed FY25 Transportation Appropriations Bill.
According to a recent report published by Heinrich, as Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, the proven success of other regional commissions shows that a fully funded and active SBRC would support vital economic development goals, grow and diversify New Mexico’s economy, and create high-quality jobs.
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