Investing in Farm- and Ranch-Led Drought Solutions An interview with Sam Fernald of New Mexico State University Dec / 2025 The image of a multi-million-dollar water treatment facility sitting abandoned and inoperable in the Dominican Republic is still fresh in Sam Fernald’s mind. A professor of watershed management at New Mexico State University and the director of the state’s Water …

Supporting Acequia Resilience An interview with Paula Garcia, executive director of the New Mexico Acequia Association Nov / 2025 There is perhaps no better place in New Mexico to experience the joys — and challenges — of community than on the banks of an acequia in early spring. As days get longer and snowmelt collects in streams and rivers, communities …

Conservation, Modernization, and Action: An Interview with State Engineer Liz Anderson Nov / 2025 In other Western states, the old maxim may ring true: “Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting over.” It’s not surprising, perhaps, that it occasionally raises the temperature of public discourse, given water’s scarcity in the arid Southwest. But in New Mexico, where we’re facing …

The Future of Fly Fishing in New Mexico Conservation at the Confluence of Science, Sport, and Culture Oct / 2025 Fly fishing and conservation have always gone hand in hand — at least for as long as world-renowned New Mexico fly fisherman Norm Maktima can remember. As a child, when he wasn’t walking with his father along a lonely stretch …

Water Belongs to All of Us Working Together to Secure Its Future Aug / 2025 In our unique desert climate, where record droughts, rising temperatures, and less snow each year threatens our water future, the path forward depends on how we find ways to work together to plan, conserve, and thrive together. Through the Water Security Planning Act (WSPA), the …

New Mexico’s Water Data: Now an Interactive Journey May / 2025 Data is at its best when it reveals hidden patterns and possibilities. When it helps us connect the dots, identify or anticipate problems, and find solutions. It is at its worst when it’s confusing, hard to understand, locked in a white paper on a shelf, or inaccessible to the …

Water Conservation 101: Simple Hacks for a Water-Wise Home Apr / 2025 Every day, it seems, headlines warn of hotter summers, more intense fire seasons, lower snowpack, and less water to go around. It can feel overwhelming, and it begs the question: “What is a concerned New Mexican to do?” As grim as the predictions can be, remember: You can …

How Data Can Inspire Action: A Closer Look at the Water Use by Categories Report Mar / 2025 A wise water leader once said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” When the future developers of New Mexico’s regional water plans begin their work, they’ll have a treasure trove of data to draw upon — and some knowledge gaps to …

From ‘Just a Bill’ to a Law, Fully Enacted Here’s What’s New in New Mexico’s Regional Water Planning Process Feb / 2025 We all remember that eager, cautiously hopeful bill sitting there on Capitol Hill. But here’s something that classic Schoolhouse Rock jingle doesn’t tell us: A bill’s journey rarely ends with a signature from the chief executive. There’s a …

2025: A Turning Point in New Mexico’s Water? Jan / 2025 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 …