Committee frames interim work plan; members push hearings on Project Jupiter, produced water and Texas v. New Mexico

The Water and Natural Resources Committee used its May 21 organizational meeting to assemble a draft interim work plan and to prioritize a smaller set of deeper investigations and regional hearings over the coming months.

Chair opened the discussion by calling the plan a "menu" of topics and said staff will schedule meetings and panels from that list. Representative Patricia Roybal Caballero urged the committee to hear directly from stakeholders affected by Project Jupiter — including Doña Ana County residents, water advocates, acequia associations and the State Land Office — to examine water sourcing, infrastructure, permitting and long-term liabilities.

Roybal Caballero also asked that the committee examine produced and treated industrial water programs closely, noting potential pathways for discharges to watersheds and cultural impacts on acequia systems. She recommended inviting the New Mexico Environment Department, tribal governments, environmental law groups and local water associations to testify.

Members placed several other priorities on the draft work plan: closer scrutiny of brackish-desalination projects and their costs, panels on private-equity ownership of water and electric utilities, a review of post-fire watershed protection and a deeper briefing on the Texas v. New Mexico settlement and the state’s plan to retire 18,200 acre-feet over 10 years.

Lawmakers also proposed rotating the committee across the state — with members suggesting sites such as Roswell, Hobbs, Elephant Butte and Taos — to make the work plan more accessible to local stakeholders. Several members said they preferred fewer topics for longer meetings rather than brief panels on too many subjects.

Public commenters urged strong science and rulemaking on produced water and requested more support for local irrigation associations; the committee closed the meeting asking staff to incorporate members' suggestions into an updated draft work plan for future scheduling.