ON THE RIO GRANDE, one of the Southwest’s major lifelines, this year is expected to be among the driest in recent history. New Mexico officials project drought conditions to be worse than they’ve been since the 1970s. The upcoming season highlights a difficult reality in this state: Farming and ranching to pay the bills could become an unsustainable way of life in New Mexico, as the water supply dwindles and farms resort to pumping more groundwater to irrigate.
And while state lawmakers and regulators have a wealth of information on the current and future water crises, there has been little interest in radical changes to water policy.
In an attempt to address the immediate water challenges, hydrologists with the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission are taking the rare step of asking farmers along the river, as well as a major tributary, the Rio Chama, to either cut back their farming this year or brace for a short irrigation season.
Source: Megadrought: New Mexico farms face uncertain future — High Country News – Know the West





You must be logged in to post a comment.