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 people who can harness it.

When it comes to planning and taking action around New Mexico’s water future, there is a new tool that makes data not only more accessible, but richer and more insightful. Thanks to a collaboration between the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) and RS21, a New Mexico-based data science company, we’ve launched a new data map that is visual, interactive, full of stories of real people across the state, and, best of all, requires essentially zero training to use.

“This was originally thought up as a one stop shop to inform water planning across communities in New Mexico” says Sara Fox, Senior Water Planner at NMISC. “These data sets provide a picture of how people and water interact — all in a seamless, visual, and accurate way.”

The data map provides an introduction to water data which incorporates various tried-and-true data sets. It pairs population data from the Census with water data from the New Mexico Water Data Act, and overlays those with Water Use by Categories reports from both 2015 and 2020 (among other data sets). What results is a choose-your-own-adventure exploration of water availability and uses throughout New Mexico.

“It is really important, when we’re thinking about water planning, to understand who is using water and where it is being used,” said Sara. This “easy-button” mapping tool visualizes that interaction, surfacing important insights about where populations are distributed, how water is being used, and the interface between groundwater and surface water across regions.

But enough talking about the map, the best way to understand it is to experience it. Explore the map now to see what new insights and creative solutions you might discover.