Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act

S. 5282, the Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act, would withdraw certain federal land in the Rio Chama Watershed area of New Mexico—an area defined by an official map dated April 22, 2026—from mineral entry. In practice, this means the land could no longer be claimed, entered, or patented under U.S. mining laws, effectively barring new mining claims on that federal acreage.

The withdrawal applies only to minerals owned by the federal government. It explicitly does not affect mineral rights held by "qualified land grant-mercedes" (community land grants recognized under New Mexico law with historical ties to the area) or by federally recognized Indian Tribes. The bill also protects traditional and customary uses: members of land grant-merced or acequia communities, and other individuals, may still gather common materials like stone, sand, gravel, clay, or adobe for domestic, cultural, religious, ceremonial, subsistence, agricultural, or noncommercial construction purposes, consistent with federal law and National Forest System management.

The bill was introduced in the Senate on August 6, 2026, by Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), with Sen. Martin Heinrich as a cosponsor. It has been read twice and referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, which would need to act—such as holding a hearing or markup—before it could advance to a full Senate vote.

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