89.9 FM Live From The University Of New Mexico
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Let's Talk Water Rights And The Rio Grande

Paul Tashjan, USFWS

Let's Talk New Mexico 3/8 8a. Call 277-5866. A U.S. Supreme Court case could threaten New Mexico’s use of water from the Rio Grande. This week, justices allowed the federal government to join in a case brought by Texas, which alleges New Mexico has been taking more than its fair share and not letting enough flow downstream.

As our region falls back into severe drought, what’s the importance of this decades-old inter-state water rights dispute? What could a future settlement agreement look like? And what's at stake for rural farmers and urban dwellers alike? Tweet #LetsTalkNM, email LetsTalk@KUNM.org or call in live during the show.

Guests:

  • Peter White, Santa Fe water rights attorney
  • Jay Stein, attorney for City of Las Cruces
  • Joe Cervantes, Democratic state Senator for District 31 
  • Tania Maestas, New Mexico Deputy Attorney General for Civil Affairs
  • Samantha Barncastle, attorney for Elephant Butte Irrigation District

***

This show was produced in partnership with Laura Paskus, the Santa Fe Reporter, NM Political Report and New Mexico In Focus.

Related Content
  • As severe drought returns to New Mexico, farmers and skiers alike fret over the state’s lack of snow. Meanwhile, on a cold, cloudy Monday morning in…