2025: A Turning Point in New Mexico’s Water?
In the face of frequent droughts and wildfires, extreme weather, and predictions of tougher times to come, it can feel hard to be optimistic. Hope may spring eternal, but when it comes to climate change, it seems to peek its head out only every once in a while.
And yet in New Mexico, there is cause for hope. “This feels like the moment in some ways,” said Hannah Riseley-White, the director of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC). “We have a vision and leadership, and we have state and federal funding and good partnerships. People are anxious and willing to show up for the work ahead. I’m super hopeful that we can continue to seize upon that and leverage it for beneficial change.”
This is, in part, because there is cause for urgency. New Mexicans are putting in the collaborative work to prepare for a future with less water.
There is significant momentum at the governor's office and roundhouse, building on the passage of the Water Security Planning Act of 2023 and culminating with last year’s launch of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s 50-Year Water Action Plan. The Governor’s proposed FY2026 budget includes important increases in funding for the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, NMISC, and other natural resource agencies which will be critical to support New Mexico in taking on the challenges ahead.
We’ve also been observing increased community engagement in water planning all over the state. Riseley-White and her team kicked off the state’s first regional water planning process in nearly a decade last year with 16 open house events in communities across New Mexico. At each stop, she says, they found engaged, committed community members excited to contribute to New Mexico’s water future.
Listening and Learning from Communities
More than 2,300 New Mexicans answered the call to participate in the first phase of NMISC’s regional water planning in 2024. Of these, 54 percent had never been involved in water planning before — a fact that, to Riseley-White, indicates more interest, but also has to do with NMISC’s increased focus on making water planning accessible online and in Spanish.
Of the 2,300 participants, more than 1,600 engaged online. Just as the urgency of climate change is inspiring action, the COVID-19 pandemic introduced more digital tools. Now it is possible for New Mexicans to engage in water planning without having to drive tens and sometimes hundreds of miles. In rural communities in New Mexico, this is a powerful and much needed shift.
“It’s historically been a big challenge to reach rural communities,” Riseley-White said. “And yet in some ways, New Mexico’s rural communities have the most at stake in what’s coming. Being able to build a broad array of ways to engage, including virtually, is a total game changer.”
A summary of the 2024 water planning open houses is available for review online here. NMISC’s next step is to promulgate a rule and guidelines for the Water Security Planning Act. A Discussion Draft of the rule and guidelines, informed by 2024’s public input, is available for review online in advance of the formal rule promulgation. The Discussion Draft lays out a proposed new framework for regional water planning, including development of new regional water planning boundaries, governance structures, and strategies for bringing public welfare considerations into water administration. The public is encouraged to provide feedback on the Discussion Draft through February 21 using the online survey. NMISC will begin formal rule promulgation and guideline adoption later this spring, and Riseley-White expects the final rules and guidelines to be completed later in 2025.
Community Buy-in for the Win
By statute, NMISC is charged with undertaking regional water planning, but it’s not the only organization responsible for securing New Mexico’s water future. Water runs through nearly everything, and it finds its way through many state agencies. It takes strong partnerships and even stronger leadership to steer a ship with so many sails.
Gov. Lujan Grisham’s 50-Year Water Action Plan is a central part of the solution — spurring collaboration among community members and leaders of all corners of government, NMISC included. It provides a plan to adapt to a new and drier normal through a combination of conservation, increased supply, and smart stewardship .
Are you ready to join the stream? Visit the get involved page to learn how you can contribute your voice to planning for New Mexico’s water future, and stay informed with articles like these, featuring insights and solutions to inspire possibilities and shed light on our shared water future.
