Water Trust Board

 The 2001 Legislature enacted the Water Project Finance Act which created the Water Project Fund in the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) and charged the NMFA with administration of the Fund and the Water Trust Board (WTB).

The WTB is a diverse 16-member board that recommends to the Legislature projects to be funded through the Water Project Fund.  Per New Mexico Statute Annotated (N.M.S.A.) 72-4A-5, Board; duties, the WTB responsibilities are:

“A.   adopt rules governing terms and conditions of grants or loans recommended by the board for appropriation by the legislature from the water project fund, giving priority to projects that have been identified as being urgent to meet the needs of a regional water planning area that has a completed regional water plan that has been accepted by the interstate stream commission; that have matching contributions from federal or local funding sources available; and that have obtained all requisite state and federal permits and authorizations necessary to initiate the project.”

Pursuant to the Act, members of the WTB are:

• Office of the State Engineer
• Director of the Department of Game and Fish
• Secretary of Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources
• Secretary of Environment
• Secretary of Finance and Administration
• Director of the New Mexico Department of Agriculture
• Executive Director of the New Mexico Municipal League
• Executive Director of the New Mexico Association of Counties
• President of the Navajo Nation
• Chief Executive Officer of the New Mexico Finance Authority
• New Mexico Indian Affairs Commission
• An Environmental Community representative from the public*
• An Irrigation or Conservancy District Surface Water representative from the public*
• An Acequia Water Users representative from the public*
• An Soil and Water Conservation District representative from the public*

• An Irrigation or Conservancy District Group Water representative from the public*

*Public members are appointed by the Governor for a four (4) year term