Letters to the Editor

Valencia County arroyo flood control district

Editor:

On April 10, 2023, a public information meeting hosted by the United States Department of Agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, Valencia County and Wilson & Company was held at the Belen Public Library to present the Belen Watershed Flood Protection Project and get public input.

On April 25, 2024, a second meeting was held to present the tentative plan to address the Belen flooding issues, receive public comment and introduce the proposed formation of the Valencia County Arroyo Flood District to operate and maintain the new infrastructure. Both the MRGCD and county (officials) erroneously claim there is no entity to take control of and maintain this project which of course will also require staff and mill-levy funding.

The statutory responsibility of the MRGCD is to manage floods. The statutory responsibility of the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District is to manage floods. The statutory responsibility of the Valencia County Commission is to manage our tax dollars for the benefit of everyone in this county.

The proposed Valencia County Arroyo Flood District will cover the entire county, incorporated and unincorporated areas and have taxing authority. We are already paying substantial mill levies and water delivery charges to the MRGCD. We already pay a mill levy to the VSWCD. And we are paying ever increasing taxes to Valencia County.

In 1927, an amended Conservancy Act stated that the powers of the MRGCD included providing and maintaining flood protection, river control, drainage, and water storage for supplementing irrigation needs, constructing and maintaining distribution systems for irrigation; other improvements for public health, safety, convenience and welfare.

The 1937, Soil and Water and Watershed Conservation Districts Act (NMSA 1978 73-20-1 through 73-20-24) and the Soil and Water Conservation District Act (NMSA 1978 73-20-25 through 73-20-48) both deal with water and flooding.

A watershed district is a sub-district of Soil and Water Conservation districts in a watershed area. The purpose of the watershed district is to develop and execute plans and programs relating to any phase of conservation of water, or water usage, including water based recreation, flood prevention, flood control, erosion prevention and control of erosion, and floodwater and sediment damages.

The legislative purpose of the Soil and Water Conservation District Act is: 1) control and prevent soil erosion; 2) prevent flood water and sediment damage; 3) further the conservation, development, beneficial application and proper disposal of water; 4) promote the use of impounded water for recreation, propagation of fish and wildlife, and irrigation for urban and industrial needs; and 5) by the application of these measures, conserve and develop the natural resources of the state, provide flood control, preserve wildlife, protect the tax base and promote the health, safety and general welfare of the people of New Mexico.

With our former Valencia County manager now COO of the MRGCD and the more than 100 employees, the 141 employees of the NRCS, the new administrative complex at the VSWCD, it appears we already have both expertise and office space available.

If these long-standing well-funded political subdivisions of the state, each with taxing power, cannot deal with their statutory mandates, if our system is simply broken and nobody wants to make anybody accountable, well, why then should we create yet another political subdivision of the state to do the same thing!

Think about this when you get your ballot in November. You can vote no to creating a Valencia County Arroyo Flood District.

Gail Goodman, EdD

Los Lunas