This was a presentation from the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources featuring Stacy Timmons, Rachel Hobbs, and Laila Sturgis and addressing project updates from the Aquifer Mapping effort for New Mexico, how these efforts tie to the Water Data Initiative, and the long-term goals to build a modern and complete aquifer characterization for New Mexico.
The Middle Rio Grande through Albuquerque dried for 50 days last summer — and this year it could happen even earlier. With reservoirs at historic lows and 85% of New Mexico's Rio Grande water use deemed unsustainable, water managers and advocates say the region faces not a temporary drought but permanent aridification.