Join three professionals who worked as members of the 2022 NM Water Policy and Infrastructure Task Force to learn about the Water Security Agenda for the 2025 Legislature. The plain truth is the Legislature has, for years, neglected to adequately fund implementation of the laws it has passed and the programs it has started to increase the resilience of New Mexico’s overused and shrinking water supplies. Modernization of state water agencies, robust regional water security planning, and stopping illegal water overuse are essential steps toward improved water security for all New Mexico regions and communities.
The Interstate Stream Commission’s proposed rule to implement New Mexico’s Water Security Planning Act overreaches its legal bounds and undermines regional authority. This article exposes the rule’s structural flaws—and offers a better path forward: pause rulemaking, empower local councils, and restore lawful, science-based water planning across the state.