Why Should You Plan for Water?

People at round tables in discussion

Who gets water when there isn’t enough? At a simplified level, the current “Priority Administration” regulations, if enforced when there isn’t enough water, would provide water to Nations/Tribes/Pueblos and other senior irrigators first, leaving very thirsty cities and towns. And with desperately thirsty cities and towns, the New Mexico economy would wither, taking down

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Water Rights … and Water Wrongs

While the rules about them are extremely complicated, “water rights” are simply your permission slip from the State to use water, if you can find it (often a big “if”).  ll too often people conflate paper water and wet water. The results can be seriously misleading or worse. 

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Clean Water in New Mexico

Climate warming and water supply reductions also produce a range of subsequent adverse effects on the quality of our surface waters, which are forecast to impact both human and environmental health negatively. These effects also require our increased focus and concern.

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A Tipping Point Foretold

Will the future see the 2023 Legislature’s approval of new water policy laws and funding as a tipping point? As advocates for the improved water governance that New Mexico’s future requires, let’s work together to make it so!

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Agencies Are Addressing Water Losses South of San Acacia

On February 1, 2023, the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission, the State Engineer, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District reported on their joint efforts to reduce Rio Grande water losses between San Acacia and the Elephant Butte Reservoir. 

The effort is being driven by the needs of endangered species in a more-often drying river, and the requirements of the Rio Grande Compact.  The Compact is

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State Engineer’s Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force Report

New Mexico enters 2023 in a water crisis. But with unprecedented peril comes unprecedented opportunity.
To address that challenge, and those opportunities, a diverse task force of stakeholders from across New Mexico came together from June to November 2022, studying the problems and coming to broad, shared conclusions: our challenges are dire, but there are things we can do if we act now.

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Voters across New Mexico are concerned about water resources.

Polling shows 75 percent of likely voters agree or strongly agree that we need to act now to ensure that future generations have an adequate water supply. Two thirds of voters agree or strongly agree that the New Mexico Government needs to modernize and dedicate more funding towards the management of our water quality and…

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