Learn from NM watershed advocates how riparian, wetland and upland forest/landscape restoration improve overall watershed function. Natural water shortage is an indicators of overall watershed functionality with important implications for human water use. In our time of increasing aridification watershed restoration is a key element in statewide water management and use. Healthy watersheds are critical not only for clean water for human consumption but also provide essential habitat for wildlife by creating a diverse ecosystem.
New Mexico faces a water governance crisis decades in the making. This article calls for urgent legislative and executive action, accountability for unsustainable groundwater and river overuse, and implementation of the 2023 Water Security Planning Act to empower regional solutions.