Section 75-2-4 - Interstate stream commission; additional powers and duties. - New Mexico Statutes

75-2-4. Interstate stream commission; additional powers and duties.

In addition to its other powers and duties, the interstate stream commission shall:   

A.     meet upon the call of its chairman;   

B.     review and approve or deny water research, conservation or development project proposals submitted to the commission by institutions of higher learning, political subdivisions or other appropriate nonprofit research or development entities on the basis of potential merit, benefit to the state and feasibility;   

C.     adopt guidelines for project preparation, review, application and approval;   

D.     upon approval of a project, allocate available funds for such water research, conservation or development project, provided:   

(1)     no single project shall receive more than forty percent of the total available funds;   

(2)     no less than forty percent of the total available funds shall be allocated for conservation or development projects which have the potential of providing immediate solutions to problems facing the people of the state; and   

(3)     no funds appropriated to the water research, conservation and development fund shall be used for water distribution system construction, including, but not limited to, irrigation canals, acequias, reservoirs, dams or domestic or municipal water distribution systems;   

E.     adopt reporting and monitoring procedures for evaluation of research, conservation or development projects being conducted by recipients of disbursements under the Water Research, Conservation and Development Act [75-2-1 NMSA 1978], and, after making the appropriate evaluation of the project, make arrangements for termination of the project, if so indicated;   

F.     report annually to the governor and the legislature on the status of the various research, conservation or development projects, including a report on total funds expended under this act, including the amounts and sources of outside matching funds; and   

G.     expend no more than fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) from the water research, conservation and development fund for the administrative purposes of the Water Research, Conservation and Development Act during any fiscal year.