[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 21 (Tuesday, March 1, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E323-E324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   50TH ANNIVERSARY OF JEMEZ SPRINGS

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, March 1, 2005

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and 
honor Jemez Springs, New Mexico on the occasion of its 50th 
anniversary. The citizens of Jemez Springs celebrated its golden 
anniversary this past weekend with games, food and a chili cook-off in 
the Jemez Village Park.
  I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Mayor John Garcia and 
all the residents of Jemez Springs on this historic occasion.
  Incorporated in 1955, Jemez Springs' caring citizens, diligent 
community leaders, superior schools, and growing economy have made for 
an exceptional and unique civic life for its citizens.
  Located in the Jemez River canyon, Jemez Springs is nestled amid the 
high, volcanically layered mesa walls of the Jemez Mountains. The 
Village is located along Highway 4, the Jemez Mountain Trail. This 
scenic route has been designated as a National Scenic Byway, an honor 
given to only 55 routes in the Nation, historic NM 4, and is the main 
downtown road. There you can find restaurants, galleries, a natural 
springs bathhouse and several bed and breakfast inns. Horseback tours, 
cross country skiing and snowshoeing trips are available.
  Native Americans inhabited the area as long ago as the 14th century. 
These were probably the ancestors of the current residents of nearby 
Jemez Pueblo. The community of Jemez Springs dates from the 19th 
century. It was originally known as ``Hot Springs'' and provided 
services for area ranchers. Today, the community is still best known 
for its hot springs which are warmed by geothermal activity beneath the 
Jemez Mountains. The principal industries in the area are tourism and 
forestry.

[[Page E324]]

  New Mexico may have a shortage of open water, but what it lacks in 
shoreline it makes up in volcanoes--and hot springs. When the Spanish 
explorers of the 15th and 16 centuries stumbled across New Mexico's 
natural hot springs, they discovered the healing properties that the 
Native Americans had known about for centuries. The Jemez Mountains are 
the remnants of a volcanic peak more than 14,000 feet high and date 
from 14 million to about 40,000 years ago. The hot springs in Jemez 
Springs are a product of the relatively recent eruption of the Valles 
Caldera. Naturally occurring minerals in the hot springs include acid 
carbonate, aluminum, calcium, chloride, iron, magnesium, potassium, 
silicate, sodium, and sulfate.
  The spectacular crimson-colored formations known as Red Rocks and the 
narrow and dramatic walls of the Jemez River valley as well as the 
surrounding public lands have helped preserve the intimate village 
setting of Jemez Springs. The U.S. Census in 2000 counted just 375 
people in Jemez Springs; 218 women and 157 men.
  Major attractions include year-round recreational opportunities in 
the Santa Fe National Forest, the hot springs, Jemez State Monument, 
and fishing the Jemez River. Fenton Lake, Bandelier National Monument, 
and the Valles Caldera National Preserve are also unique features in 
the region. The community also hosts a Fourth of July celebration and a 
fiesta in August.
  There is a saying that you find so much red in the Jemez Valley 
because it is the living, beating heart of New Mexico. Indeed, Jemez is 
where the sky, mesas and the water meet. I am proud to represent Jemez 
Springs where residents and visitors alike can find both peaceful 
sanctuary and fun recreation.
  Mr. Speaker, today I ask you and my esteemed colleagues to please 
join me in congratulating Jemez Springs on their five decades of 
success.

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