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Pueblo of Laguna Testimony 



House Sub-committee on Native American Affairs 



Re: Indian Fish and Wildlife Management/ Enhancement 



March 1, 1993 



activities. Since we are located between two major cities 

 (Grants and Albuquerque being located approximately 20 and 40 

 miles to the west and east, respectively) , I am sure you can see 

 the enormous potential we have to benefit economically from 

 water-based recreation activities including fishing. 



Two existing reservoirs that also deserve mention are the Mesita 

 and New Laguna Reservoirs. Both reservoirs have historically 

 provided excellent waterfowl habitat and still have enormous 

 potential as waterfowl reserves but siltation over the past years 

 has just about filled both reservoirs. The New Laguna Reservoir 

 once sported a decent recreational warm water fisheries but has 

 since been reduced to a bog because of siltation. The earthen 

 spillway has also been breached in an effort to remove the silt 

 but to no avail. Downstream agriculture uses for farming have 

 also suffered due to the lack of irrigation water. 



The Rio San Jose was once touted as a good quality fishery but 

 due to upstream water quality degradation and siltation of the 

 majority of the stream, the fishery has been seriously degraded 

 and is almost non-existent. 



As you can see from this short synopsis of our surface water 

 situation, we are in dire need of assistance to remedy this 

 situation. Mr. Chairman, being from New Mexico and being 

 familiar with our Reservation, I am sure you can relate to our 

 concern for our lack of ability to store water. As you know, 

 water is the " lifeblood " of our Pueblo people. 



Another item I would like to bring to your attention is the 

 inequity in federal funding that appears to be prevalent not only 

 with our Tribe but throughout Indian country as a whole. 



Direct federal funding has been non-existent although the Bureau 

 of Indian Affairs (BIA) has contributed matching funding for 

 winter big game aerial surveys. However, this came to a halt 

 this past winter and we funded our own aerial survey. Since then, 

 we have been unsuccessful in obtaining any federal funding from 

 the BIA. Fortunately though, we have been able to receive 

 technical assistance from the BIA Albuquerque Area Office 

 Wildlife and Fishery Biologist's. However, they are also 

 responsible for coordinating wildlife management activities on 22 

 other Indian reservations in Southern Colorado and New Mexico. 

 Not only are they stretched pretty thin but these job 

 responsibilities are proposed to be shifted to the local BIA 

 agencies under the proposed BIA Reorganization Plan. However, 

 we are unaware of any plan by the Agency to fund these positions. 



