Did you say drought?

NEW MEXICO- A climate change study conducted by the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources predicts the city will have 25% less water in streams over the next 50 years.

The climate change study was presented during a Water Utility Authority Board meeting on May 20 in Albuquerque. 

Drought is a prolonged period of abnormally dry weather that leads to a significant water shortage. 

The study states that drought conditions are significant in the Rio Grande area, where low water deliveries are supplied to irrigators and other water sources. Additionally, there are low allocations of the Colorado River Water imported through the San Juan Chama Project. 

Droughts in the state have been on an uptick this year. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham issued a statement regarding drought last month. 

“New Mexico is experiencing unprecedented drought and fire danger, and we must act decisively to safeguard our communities and water supplies,”  Grisham said via  governor.state.nm. “This executive order strengthens our statewide response and connects New Mexicans to the information and support they need.” 

Drought conditions have also increased over time and impacted the environment. 

According to the governor.state.nm, New Mexico experienced twice as many wildfires in the first four months of this year. The state recorded 366 wildfires before the beginning of May. 

OpGov.News learned more about drought conditions from the State Climatologist at New Mexico State University, David W. BuBois.  

“Cattle ranchers often need to rely on supplemental feed such as hay since there is not enough natural feedstock growing on their ranches,” DuBois, who has studied drought conditions in New Mexico since 2010, said. “The lack of water causes them to pump water from wells to feed their cattle. Farmers who rely on river water may have to either fallow their lands or rely on well water when the river doesn't provide enough for irrigation.” 

DuBois added that farmers have to compensate for droughts, and it impacts their wallets. 

“Droughts typically cost more to the farmers due to relying on water pumps to irrigate fields,” DuBois said. “Higher-than-average temperatures also occur during droughts.” 

DuBois encourages residents to educate themselves on drought conditions and how they impact the environment. 

Climate change is one of the factors contributing to dry conditions in New Mexico. 

New Mexico Wildlife Rivers and Water  Program Associate, Aidan Manning, told OpGov.News, provided insight into the climate factors. 

“We are coming off an exceptionally bad snow year, with many watersheds seeing some of the lowest and earliest-melting snowpacks ever recorded in the state,” Manning said. “Most of New Mexico’s water supplies depend on snow, which acts as a natural reservoir. It stores winter precipitation until spring snowmelt, when it feeds rivers and recharges groundwater aquifers. Secondly, the state experienced its warmest winter on record.” 

Manning elaborated on the current drought situation, detailing its significance. 

“This is not a one-time extreme, but rather, indicative of a large-scale warming trend across the Western US. Warmer temperatures mean the water we do have evaporates more readily, so it takes more water to meet even the most basic demands,” Manning said. “Overall, this drought puts us at immense risk for extreme wildfires, agricultural damages, and severely reduced quality and amount of water supplies.”

Manning stated New Mexico Wildlife has tried to educate residents about ways to conserve water during drought periods. 

“We are already asking a lot of New Mexico residents, many of whom have already made substantial sacrifices to share the burden of water scarcity,” Manning said.  “Frustratingly, we’ll need to do even more this year and in future years. Flexible and long-term solutions should be the focus, including switching to efficient water fixtures, replacing low-use lawns with drought-resilient native plants, and supporting farmers interested in switching to less water-intensive crops and farming practices.” 

Droughts are inevitable in places like New Mexico. DuBois provided his perspective on the future as it relates to the probability of more droughts.  

“We will always have droughts in NM, and we will always have wet years,” DuBois said. “It's a matter of how we plan for those droughts and take advantage of the wet years moving forward.” 

Drought isn't just local to New Mexico. OpGov.News reporter Robert MacMahon covered a story about drought and ancient civilizations.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or would like to provide a correction, please contact jorden.h@lead4earth.org.