New Mexico’s water resource management agencies are telling the Legislature that New Mexico faces Middle Rio Grande compact jeopardy and lacks capacity to prevent that jeopardy from becoming a disaster. What jeopardy, you might be thinking? This is how the Office of the State Engineer (OSE) describes it (emphasis in the original): If hydrology does not improve, and without further action, New Mexico could violate the Rio Grande Compact – an agreement between New Mexico and our neighboring states related to how the waters of the river are shared. A compact violation could trigger curtailment and/or costly litigation that may result in severe and unpredictable shocks to the economy and water supply for agricultural and municipal users in the middle and lower Rio Grande. […] If depletion reductions are managed in a proactive manner, New Mexicans can retain local […]
Legislature
Stay informed about the latest legislative actions and policy developments related to water management in New Mexico, including bills, hearings, and advocacy efforts.
This is a critique of the water-related special appropriations in House Bill 2, the 2025 General Appropriation Act that passed the House on February 24. The appropriations emphasize treating brackish water as a niche water supply rather than seeking broad […]
House Bill 2, the 2025 General Appropriation Act, favors dirty water clean-up over good water stewardship. This is a huge mistake. Learn more and why we are asking the Senate to now allocate $6.9 million to cover "shovel-ready" implementation work.
Development of the annual state budget starts with the Governor’s and the Legislative Finance Committee’s recommendations. The State Engineer and Interstate Stream Commission prepared this comparison between the two. The Governor’s formal recommendation cut millions from the line item increases that […]
The Water Advocates encourages action on three significant funding requests for the 2025 New Mexico legislature. Our toolkit offers easy to follow instructions to voice your support this legislative session. Updated 2/14/25
The Governor has allowed water agencies to request badly needed staff capacity improvements but has not provided for the one-time expenses needed to implement the laws and a vastly improved knowledge of New Mexico’s groundwater, recognizing New Mexico is more […]
The Legislature must augment the funding the Governor has permitted the Office of the State Engineer (OSE) and Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) to request by authorizing funds from rich oil and gas revenues to accelerate work that only the State […]
What becomes possible when our agencies are well-funded, our water security laws are fully implemented, and we all work together?
Now is the time to build on these foundation of good water law already on the books. Fully funding the implementation of key legislation—is crucial for securing our water future. These acts provide a framework for addressing critical water challenges, yet […]
You won’t learn from the Feasibility Study Review Draft that desalination of Permian Basin fracking wastewater, the explicit 2028 goal of the Governor’s 50-Year Water Action Plan, would require all the energy from multiple San Juan Generating Station-sized power plants to produce […]
While many steps are being taken in the right direction, we are short on reliable facts, trusted data, and funding; and long on misinformation. The Governor’s water leadership focus is badwater treatment, justified by oil and gas industry disinformation. The […]
The oil and gas industry, enabled by our Governor and New Mexico regulatory agencies, is making a significant political push for the treatment and reuse of fracking wastewater. Unfortunately, their campaign relies more on disinformation than on scientific facts.
While many steps are being taken in the right direction, we are short on reliable facts, trusted data, and funding; and long on misinformation. The Governor’s water leadership focus is badwater treatment, justified by oil and gas industry disinformation. The […]
This ongoing mismanagement of vital water data hampers effective decision-making needed to address the state’s water crisis. New Mexico is at a crossroads. Without a significant shift towards a water governance framework that recognizes and integrates hydrologic and climate realities […]
New Mexico faces a critical water governance crisis, endangering its future. Political conflict hinders vital reforms, risking both water resources and economic security. The Leap Ahead Analysis underscores the need for immediate adaptation to increasing aridity for the state's survival.
Part II – "Co-Creation of a Sustainable Water Future for the Middle Rio Grande." The past two years have set the stage for accelerated progress in managing New Mexico's water resources for much greater resilience, as described in Part I, […]
Together, New Mexicans made significant strides in addressing the multifaceted challenges of water management and conservation in New Mexico in 2023.
Part I – Good Work Is Converging Introduction Together, New Mexicans made significant strides in addressing the multifaceted challenges of water management and conservation in New Mexico in 2023. Multiple related accomplishments represent badly needed steps toward improved water governance […]
The legislature’s Water and Natural Resources Committee conducted its only water-focused meeting this year July 25-26 at Sandia Pueblo. Legislators heard from expert panels on topics selected by ...