drought

Water managers across the West say they do not expect a new Trump administration will alter post-2026 Colorado River talks.

Engineering hurdles, high costs and political challenges stand in the way of an easy fix to the West's water shortages. This is Part 1 in the Western Water Myths five-part series.

Some experts say the System Conservation Pilot Program, or SCPP, is costly and may not be the most effective way to save Colorado River water.

Dendrochronologists found that high temperatures in the 21st century make the current drought unprecedented compared to other dry periods around the Colorado River across the past 500 years.

The limited snowfall could have big implications for the Colorado River, which gets most of its water from snow in the Rocky Mountains.

Policymakers say a wet winter has created space for discussions about long-term water management, but they have a diverse set of interests to consider while drawing up new rules.

The report analyzed water use in the state and criticized dairies, alfalfa farming and pecan farming as, "egregious examples of water misuse."

Cuts to water use along the Colorado River could be spread evenly across some southwestern states, or follow the more than a century-old priority system that currently governs water management. Those are two alternatives federal officials are considering to keep hydropower generation going at the nation’s largest reservoirs according to a draft plan released Tuesday.

People have called the Rio Grande a main artery, delivering life-giving water to and through our arid state. But year-after-year we see the river continuing to dry – and the ecosystems, communities, and industries that depend upon it are drying up too. On the next “Let’s Talk New Mexico” we’ll discuss the poor health of the Rio Grande and what’s at stake as it shrinks.

On the heels of extreme weather events, like New Mexico’s devastating 2022 fire season, lawmakers are aiming to establish a public health program and climate resiliency fund to address health related issues in rural communities. This week, that bill has cleared its first hurdle in the Roundhouse.