A discussion with Nat Chakeres, OSE General Counsel, and Tanya Trujillo, Deputy State Engineer, discussing how the OSE is managing Rio Grande Compact compliance in the Middle Rio Grande and below Elephant Butte Dam in the Lower Rio Grande. Learn about incentives and motivators that the OSE can use to ensure that New Mexico complies with its legal water sharing mandates.
Our state is facing a catastrophic water crisis and is currently failing to meet a critical legal obligation under the Rio Grande Compact. New Mexico's cumulative water delivery debt to Elephant Butte Reservoir has reached 167,600 acre-feet—perilously close to the Compact’s 200,000 acre-foot legal limit. We are operating on borrowed time and borrowed water and […]