>> Laura: SO YOU HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY, AND IN PARTICULAR WITH SOME WATER BILLS LATELY.

I KIND OF WANTED TO GO ONE-BY-ONE, AND I WAS HOPING WE COULD START WITH THE RIO GRANDE WATER SECURITY ACT.

>> Stansbury: YEAH.

WELL, JUST THE BIGGER PICTURE, ACTUALLY THIS LAST WEEK WE JUST PASSED A WHOLE PACKAGE OF DROUGHT AND WILDFIRE BILLS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

WE PASSED 48 BILLS THAT WERE PACKAGED TOGETHER TO HELP ADDRESS DROUGHT, WATER RESILIENCE, AND FIRE RESILIENCE IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES AS WE'RE FACING THESE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES.

AND IT WAS LED BY THE HOUSE NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE AND OUR LEADERSHIP, AND JOE NEGUSE, WHO IS MY COLLEAGUE TO THE NORTH FROM COLORADO.

AND I WAS EXTRAORDINARILY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THREE OF MY WATER BILLS INCLUDED, AS WELL AS OUR HERMIT'S PEAK/CALF CANYON FIRE RESPONSE BILL, AS WELL.

SO OF THE THREE BILLS THAT WERE INCLUDED, THE RIO GRANDE WATER SECURITY ACT IS A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WOULD CREATE A FRAMEWORK FOR COLLABORATION ON THE RIO GRANDE, AND AS YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING AND SO MANY OF OUR WATER EXPERTS HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE SEEING THE RIO GRANDE DRYING IN PLACES THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN IN DECADES, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE CENTRAL RIO GRANDE THROUGH THE ALBUQUERQUE AREA.

AND OUR BILL IS REALLY DESIGNED TO HELP CREATE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS TO HELP PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING GOING FORWARD.

SO WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE IS THAT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING THE SIGNATURE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN OUR RIVER SYSTEMS AND THE CHANGING WEATHER PATTERNS, THE LACK OF SNOWPACK, AND THESE STRANGE STORMS AND RAIN PATTERNS THAT WE'RE SEEING.

SO IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE LONG-TERM RESILIENCE OF OUR COMMUNITIES, WE REALLY NEED TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE OUR RIVER SCALE.

SO THIS BILL CREATES THAT FRAMEWORK.

IT BRINGS ALL OF THE FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT HELP TO MANAGE WATER TOGETHER.

IT BRINGS THE STATES OF NEW MEXICO, COLORADO AND TEXAS TO THE TABLE, OUR TRIBES AND OUR PUEBLOS, AND OUR LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS, AND THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT WATER, OUR ACEQUIAS AND WATER MANAGERS, IRRIGATION DISTRICTS, SO THAT WE CAN BUILD A COLLABORATIVE PLAN FOR THE RIO GRANDE AND NOT JUST SUE EACH OTHER OVER WATER.

AND IT ALSO PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY IN HOW OUR FEDERAL AGENCIES MANAGE THOSE WATER SYSTEMS.

SO ONE OF OUR BIG CHALLENGES, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR AS WE'RE TRYING TO MEET THE MOMENT AND THIS STRANGE DROUGHT THAT WE'RE HAVING ALONG WITH MONSOON RAINS, IS HOW DO WE MEET OUR COMPACT REQUIREMENTS AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE MAKE DELIVERIES TO OUR PUEBLOS AND OUR TRIBES, AND ALSO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR WATER CONTRACTORS, OUR FARMERS AND OUR CITIES.

AND IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY IN HOW WE MANAGE THE SYSTEM.

SO THIS BILL WOULD CREATE THAT FRAMEWORK SO THAT THE AGENCIES HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY IN MANAGING OUR FEDERAL RESERVOIRS AND THE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS HELPS TO AUTHORIZE NEW PROGRAMS FOR CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE RIVER, ITSELF.

>> Laura: SO THAT'S ALSO -- IT'S ALL GREAT TO HEAR.

IT WAS HARD FOR PEOPLE TO SEE THE DRYING IN THE RIO GRANDE IN THE ALBUQUERQUE REACH LAST WEEK.

AND WHAT I HEAR FROM SO MANY PEOPLE AS I'M COVERING IT IS, WHAT CAN WE DO?

PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO BESIDES CONSERVE WATER OR CALL THEIR LAWMAKER.

BUT I FEEL LIKE YOU REALLY KIND OF GOT AT THE MEAT OF THIS, THAT IT IS A BIGGER PROCESS AND IT REQUIRES THE HELP OF CONGRESS, IT REQUIRES FUNDING.

BUT I'M CURIOUS FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, WHEN PEOPLE FEEL HELPLESS AND SEEING THESE TRAGEDIES OCCURRING, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY WANT TO BE DOING SOMETHING?

>> Stansbury: WELL, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE BIGGER PICTURE, AND THAT'S WHY YOUR COVERAGE OF THIS ISSUE IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

WHILE EACH OF US HAS A PART TO PLAY IN TERMS OF CONSERVING WATER AND USING LESS WATER, THIS IS REALLY A PROBLEM THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED AT SCALE ACROSS THE ENTIRE WATERSHED.

SO THE RIO GRANDE IS ONE OF OUR MOST ICONIC RIVERS.

IT STRETCHES 1900 MILES FROM COLORADO DOWN TO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

IT SUSTAINS MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE, BOTH IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN MEXICO.

AND WHILE INDIVIDUAL CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN YOUR HOME AND YOUR YARDS IS IMPORTANT, IT REALLY HAS TO DO WITH THE LARGER WAYS IN WHICH WE MANAGE THE RIVER.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS SUMMER, BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF STORAGE IN OUR RESERVOIRS, BECAUSE FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS WE HAVEN'T HAD SNOWPACK YEAR AFTER YEAR, WE HAD ALMOST NO MONSOON SEASON LAST YEAR AND WE HAD VERY DRY SOILS, AND WE HAVE A LA NINA YEAR RIGHT NOW WHICH IS IMPACTING THE WEATHER PATTERNS, WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A BACKUP TO DEAL WITH THE WATER SHORTAGES THAT WE WERE GOING TO SEE THIS YEAR.

LUCKILY WE GOT SOME MONSOONS THAT HELPED US GET THROUGH THE SEASON A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT THERE WASN'T THAT FLEXIBILITY TO HELP MEET OUR COMPACT REQUIREMENTS TO TEXAS AND MAKE THOSE WATER DELIVERIES FOR OUR SENIOR WATER RIGHTS HOLDERS, SO THAT WE COULD KEEP WATER IN THE RIVER FOR OUR FISH AND FOR THE BOSQUE.

AND SO IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THAT, WE REALLY NEED SOLUTIONS AT SCALE.

WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THOSE BIG ANSWERS IN HOW OUR WATER MANAGERS CAN MANAGE THE OVERALL FLOW OF THE RIVER TO OPTIMIZE IT FOR ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT NEEDS.

AND I THINK THAT THE BEST THING THAT CITIZENS CAN DO IS TO LIFT UP THESE ISSUES AND TO CALL YOUR LAWMAKERS, TO CALL YOUR CONGRESS PEOPLE AND YOUR SENATORS, AND YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS, AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH THESE ISSUES MATTER TO YOU AND THAT YOU WANT TO SEE THESE BIGGER, LONGER TERM SOLUTIONS.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE DO NEED MORE WATER CONSERVATION AND WE DO NEED OTHER SMALLER SCALE SOLUTIONS, AS WELL, BUT THESE REALLY BIG STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS ARE WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO TACKLE IN THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES, BECAUSE CLIMATE CHANGE IS SO BIG AND SO MASSIVE, AND IT'S GOING TO AFFECT OUR HYDROLOGIC SYSTEMS IN SUCH SIGNIFICANT WAYS.

IT'S NOT JUST ENOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, WATER YOUR LAWN LESS AND PUT IN XERISCAPING, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE TO FUNDAMENTALLY RETHINK THE ENTIRE SYSTEM.

>> Laura: AS OVERWHELMING AS THAT IS TO HEAR, IT'S ALSO VERY REFRESHING TO HEAR, CONGRESSWOMAN.

SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TAKING SERIOUSLY THE SCALE OF THE ISSUE.

I WANTED TO MOVE ON TO THE WATER DATA ACT, WHICH MIGHT SOUND FAMILIAR TO NEW MEXICANS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE STATE LEGISLATURE.

WHAT IS THE WATER DATA ACT, AND WHAT WOULD THAT DO?

>> Stansbury: WELL, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE WATER DATA ACT.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING WATER ISSUES, YOU KNOW THAT NEW MEXICO PASSED OUR NATION'S SECOND WATER DATA ACT IN 2019, AND IN MANY WAYS IT WAS THE MOST FORWARD-LOOKING WATER DATA ACT IN THE UNITED STATES AND VERY MUCH WAS A MODEL FOR THIS NATIONAL LEGISLATION.

AND I HELPED TO CRAFT THAT LEGISLATION ALONG WITH OUR CATTLE GROWERS AND RANCHERS AND FARMERS AND CONSERVATIONISTS AND OUR STATE AGENCIES AND SCIENCE ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN THE STATE, MODELED AFTER SOME OF THE WORK THAT HAD BEEN DONE IN PREVIOUS FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIONS, TO REALLY STREAMLINE AND STANDARDIZE THE WAY THAT WE COLLECT DATA AND PROVIDE DATA, SO THAT WE CAN HELP THOSE WHO ARE MANAGING WATER ON THE GROUND.

AND THE BEST WAY THAT I CAN EXPLAIN THE IMPACT AND IMPORTANCE OF THIS LEGISLATION IS TO POINT OUT THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING THAT HAS PROBABLY TRANSFORMED OUR LIVES OVER THE LAST 20 TO 30 YEARS IS THIS, AND THAT IS THE ABILITY TO ACCESS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF DATA AND INFORMATION AT YOUR FINGERTIPS THROUGH MODERN ELECTRONICS.

AND WHILE WE'VE TRANSFORMED AND MADE DATA AVAILABLE ACROSS ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF SECTORS FROM GEO-SPATIAL AND MAPS AND SHOPPING AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT REALMS IN WHICH WE USE DATA EVERY SINGLE DAY, AMAZINGLY WE HAVEN'T DONE THE SAME IN THE FIELD OF WATER.

AND IT'S SORT OF INCONCEIVABLE SINCE WATER IS SO FUNDAMENTAL TO LIFE AND IMPORTANT TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, THAT WE HAVEN'T TRANSFORMED OUR WATER DATA IN THAT WAY.

BUT IF WE'RE REALLY GOING TO GET A HANDLE ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND DROUGHT AND BE ABLE TO MANAGE OUR WATER SYSTEMS IN REALTIME AND MEET ALL OF THESE COMPETING NEEDS, WE REALLY HAVE TO MODERNIZE THE WAY THAT WE COLLECT AND MAKE DATA AVAILABLE.

SO THE FEDERAL WATER DATA ACT CREATES A PROCESS THROUGH WHICH THE FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT COLLECT WATER DATA WOULD WORK WITH THE PRIVATE AND NONPROFIT SECTORS AND STATES AND TRIBES TO REALLY CREATE A FRAMEWORK THAT STANDARDIZES IT, SO THAT WE CAN UNLOCK THE POWER OF BIG DATA TO REALLY TRANSFORM HOW WE MANAGE WATER GOING FORWARD.

AND ULTIMATELY, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS EFFORT, NOT JUST IN PASSING THE BILL, BUT REALLY ABOUT DOING THE WORK, IT WILL TRANSFORM HOW WE MANAGE WATER.

AND I CAN POINT TO GEO-SPATIAL DATA, BECAUSE IN 2000 WHEN WE WERE FIRST SEEING THIS HUGE GROWTH IN THE USE OF MAPS AND GEO-SPATIAL DATA AND GOOGLE MAPS, IT WASN'T STANDARDIZED AND IT REALLY WAS A BARRIER TO DEPLOYING THAT DATA IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT REALMS.

AND A SIMILAR FEDERAL EFFORT CAME TOGETHER, AND THAT'S HOW WE MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO USE GEO-SPATIAL MAPPING DATA IN ALMOST EVERY APP THAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR PHONE AND iPAD.

SO WHAT OUR HOPE IS IS THAT WE'LL SEE A SIMILAR TRANSFORMATION WITH WATER DATA THAT WILL HELP OUR FARMERS AND RANCHERS AND RESEARCHERS REALLY PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION ON THE GROUND.

>> Laura: THE THIRD BILL THAT IS GETTING ROLLED INTO THIS BIGGER WILDFIRE RESPONSE AND DROUGHT RESILIENCY ACT IS YOUR WATER SMART ACCESS FOR TRIBES ACT.

WHAT IS THAT?

AND HOW WILL THAT AFFECT, OR COULD THAT AFFECT NEW MEXICANS?

>> Stansbury: SO THE WATER SMART ACCESS FOR TRIBES ACT IS VERY SIMPLE.

IT BASICALLY ALLOWS THE SECRETARY OF INTERIOR TO WAIVE COST-SHARING REQUIREMENTS TO GET FEDERAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT OUR TRIBES IN WATER CONSERVATION AND RESILIENCE PROJECTS.

AND WHAT WE KNOW IS ESPECIALLY HERE IN NEW MEXICO, SO MANY OF OUR COMMUNITIES DO NOT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO LEVERAGE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS ON THE GROUND, AND IT'S A BARRIER TO ENTRY TO GETTING FEDERAL MONEY WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE A COST SHARE.

AND THE WATER SMART PROGRAM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR OVER A DECADE AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL, AND WE'VE SEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY THAT OUR TRIBAL COMMUNITIES HAVE NOT BEEN ACCESSING THOSE GRANTS.

SO THIS BILL BASICALLY ALLOWS THE SECRETARY TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GOING TO WAIVE OR REDUCE THAT COST SHARE SO THAT YOU CAN ACCESS THIS FUNDING AND IMPLEMENT PROJECTS.

I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT OUR RIO GRANDE WATER SECURITY ACT INCLUDES ANOTHER TRIBAL WATER INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT IS A HUGE PRIORITY FOR THE PUEBLOS, ESPECIALLY HERE IN THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE, WHICH IS THE PUEBLO IRRIGATION FUND.

AND FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, OUR PUEBLOS HAVE FOUGHT TO GET FEDERAL FUNDING TO HELP UPGRADE THEIR ACEQUIA AND THEIR IRRIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR FARMING BUT JUST THE USE OF WATER ON THE PUEBLOS.

AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO FOLD THAT LEGISLATION INTO THE LARGER RIO GRANDE BILL AND GET BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR THAT.

SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AS WELL.