New Mexico's U.S. senators are backing legislation they say would help conserve water and promote sustainability.
Sens. Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich say the measure would expand grants and increase federal funding for conservation and drought-mitigation projects. It would also provide resources for collecting data and analyzing water supplies and use.
The bill was introduced by Democrat Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii. It's scheduled for a hearing Thursday.
Heinrich says the drought has taken a heavy toll on New Mexico. With the legislation, the state could tap into more resources to plan for and combat the dry conditions.
With little to no snow or rain over the winter, the drought in New Mexico has worsened. More than half of the state is dealing with severe conditions or worse.
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