The commission shall keep full and complete accounts concerning all matters and things relating to the works and annually shall prepare balance sheets and income and profit and loss statements showing the financial condition of each project, and file copies thereof with the secretary of state. All books and papers pertaining to all matters provided for in this act [72-14-9 through 72-14-23, 72-14-25 through 72-14-28 NMSA 1978] shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of any party interested or any citizen of the state. Except as otherwise provided in this act, the commission shall have full charge and control of the construction, operation and maintenance of the works and the collection of all rates, charges and revenues of whatsoever character therefrom. The commission shall proceed immediately with the construction of the works upon funds being made available therefor and shall prosecute such works to completion as rapidly as possible. The commission shall have power to sell, lease and otherwise dispose of all waters which may be impounded under the provisions of this act, and such water may be sold for the purpose of irrigation, development of power, watering of stock or any other purpose. To the extent that it may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this act, and subject to a compliance with the other provisions of this act, the board may take full control of all the water of the state not under the exclusive control of the United States and not vested in private ownership, and it shall be its duty to take such steps as may be necessary to appropriate and conserve the same for the use of the people.

The commission shall have power to institute in any of the courts of this state, or in any other state, or in any of the federal courts of this state or any other state, any actions, suits and special proceedings necessary to enable it to acquire, own and hold title to lands for dam sites, reservoir sites, water rights, rights-of-way for diversion and distributing canals, and lateral ditches and other means of distribution of water, and may also in all said courts institute, maintain and prosecute to final determination any and all actions, suits and special proceedings necessary to have the water rights adjudicated upon any stream or source of water supply from which is derived the water for such reservoir, diversion and distributing canals, lateral ditches and other means of distribution of the water; and said commission may join any and all owners of waters heretofore appropriated by any person, association or corporation from any of the streams of the state of New Mexico so that adjudication may be had of all surplus water upon all the streams and sources of water supply of any project so constructed by said commission. All costs and expenses of such actions, suits or special proceedings shall be paid by said commission out of funds provided under the authority of this act.

History: 1953 Comp., § 75-34-21, enacted by Laws 1955, ch. 266, § 13.

Public inspection of records and papers. — Records and papers of commission are decreed to be subject to free public inspection at all reasonable times. 1962 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 62-80.

Construction of public works project. — Section 10-1-6 NMSA 1978, when read together with provisions of Sections 10-1-7 and 10-1-8 NMSA 1978, would have specific application to construction of the public works project contemplated by commission, and would have to be considered by the commission in carrying out of construction work. 1962 Op. Att'y Gen. No. 62-80.

Am. Jur. 2d, A.L.R. and C.J.S. references. — 78 Am. Jur. 2d Waterworks and Water Companies §§ 6, 27 to 30.

93 C.J.S. Waters § 91.