[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3907 Introduced in Senate (IS)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3907

  To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of water 
                 resources in the State of New Mexico.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 18, 2006

 Mr. Domenici (for himself and Mr. Bingaman) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of water 
                 resources in the State of New Mexico.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``New Mexico Aquifer Assessment Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. NEW MEXICO WATER RESOURCES STUDY.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 
Director of the United States Geological Survey (referred to in this 
Act as the ``Secretary''), in coordination with the State of New Mexico 
(referred to in this Act as the ``State'') and any other entities that 
the Secretary determines to be appropriate (including other Federal 
agencies and institutions of higher education), shall, in accordance 
with this Act and any other applicable law, conduct a study of water 
resources in the State, including--
            (1) a survey of groundwater resources, including an 
        analysis of--
                    (A) aquifers in the State, including the quantity 
                of water in the aquifers;
                    (B) the availability of groundwater resources for 
                human use;
                    (C) the salinity of groundwater resources;
                    (D) the potential of the groundwater resources to 
                recharge;
                    (E) the interaction between groundwater and surface 
                water;
                    (F) the susceptibility of the aquifers to 
                contamination; and
                    (G) any other relevant criteria; and
            (2) a characterization of surface and bedrock geology, 
        including the effect of the geology on groundwater yield and 
        quality.
    (b) Study Areas.--The study carried out under subsection (a) shall 
include the Estancia Basin, Salt Basin, Tularosa Basin, Hueco Basin, 
and middle Rio Grande Basin in the State.
    (c) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the 
House of Representatives a report that describes the results of the 
study.
    (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.
                                 <all>