Articles
Dive deeper into the complex world of New Mexico water issues with our curated collection of articles.
Explore a wide range of topics, from the impacts of climate change and water overuse to success stories found in communities around the state. We provide insights into water security policy and planning, governance reform, legislative actions, and more, empowering you to become a more informed advocate for our precious water resource.
Latest Articles
A recent comment on one of our articles posed a great question: What actually happens if the Rio Grande Compact is violated? Here’s a brief answer from NM Water Advocates board member Bob Wesley. Keep the questions and comments coming, and we’ll share them when we can! Q: As a relatively ignorant citizen, I find a great deal of useful information and excellent research at this site. IMO, however, I would appreciate more specifics concerning the consequences of violating the compact debit limit of 200 K acre-feet and subsequent Supreme Court litigation. I have found one example: “cutting off all non-essential uses for a period of time to make compact deliveries.” But even with this example, I do not understand what that would entail. For instance, for citizens of Santa Fe or Albuquerque, what are the non-essential uses that would […]
Telling the plain truth New Mexico is in a water overuse and scarcity emergency would clash with the Governor’s and the economic development community’s priority of recruiting data centers and other high water use industry.
A rare super El Niño is spreading across the Pacific, and it may bring New Mexico a brief reprieve from years of deepening drought. But forecasters warn that one or two wet seasons won't erase long-term water deficits — and […]
New Mexico carries an accrued compact debit of -132,000 acre-feet, trending toward the -200,000 acre-feet limit at -19,800 acre-feet per year. The New Mexico Water Advocates are calling on the Interstate Stream Commission to schedule a briefing, weigh management alternatives, […]
Brian Richter has spent four decades solving water crises in more than 40 countries. His verdict on New Mexico: it's among the worst he's seen. The state already owes Texas water it doesn't have — and if that debt keeps […]
New Mexico is undergoing aridification — a permanent, worsening shift in its hydrologic baseline. The state's draft Climate Adaptation and Resilience Plan uses the word "drought" throughout, cites a fifty-year projection, and averts its eyes from a collapse that is […]
Along the stretch of the Middle Rio Grande where I frequently walk, birdsong is scarce this spring, even in the early mornings. Already, more than 40 miles of the river are dry. As the Southwest grows more arid and the […]
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