# 119-s-5282: Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act

119-s-5282, Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM); status introduced (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5282
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-5282
- Congress: 119
- Title: Chama Basin Watershed Protection Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-08-06
- Sponsor: Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## Summary

**Withdrawal of federal minerals within the Rio Chama Watershed** would bar location, entry, and patent claims under federal mining laws on minerals owned by the United States inside the watershed. The bill preserves minerals owned by qualified land grant-merced communities and by Indian Tribes and protects traditional, cultural, subsistence, and domestic uses of common minerals consistent with federal law and National Forest System management. - Members of qualified land grant-merced and acequia communities and Indian Tribes keep access to common variety materials like stone, sand, gravel, clay, and adobe for domestic, cultural, ceremonial, subsistence, agricultural, or noncommercial construction uses. - Miners and companies could not establish federal mining claims or seek patents on U.S.-owned minerals within the watershed boundary. - The withdrawal is tied to National Forest System management and to a withdrawal map dated April 22, 2026 that defines the boundary.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2026-08-06T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Protect Rio Chama watershed minerals: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would withdraw Federal land inside the Rio Chama Watershed from new federal mining claims. The withdrawal would apply to the area shown on the map titled "Rio Chama Watershed Draft" dated April 22, 2026, and would bar location, entry, or patent under the mining laws for mineral…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act
- 119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025
- 119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026

## Sources
- [119-s-5282 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5282)

## Related
- [119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4504)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [119-s-2120: Older Americans Act Reauthorization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2120)
- [119-s-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-51)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5282 (as of 2026-09-10).