Water reform in the drought-stricken state is an uphill battle, and advocates say the current system is careening down a dangerous path and climate-change disaster.
Officials in charge of New Mexico’s water said they need more staff to fend off lawsuits clawing at the state’s water supply, which is limited and shrinking. They expect more court battles to come as human-caused climate change increases average temperatures and aridity in the Southwest.
New Mexico’s water problems are getting worse and some legislators are pushing for more funding beyond what’s being offered in the current budget proposals
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) With a legal battle over management of the Rio Grande before the U.S. Supreme Court and more hot and dry weather in the forecast, New Mexico’s top water official said Wednesday that lawmakers have to provide enough funding to protect one of New Mexico’s most precious commodities.