With anticipated continued changes in climate, less water will be available while demands continue to increase. This is the issue facing New Mexico in the coming years, and officials from water agencies and organizations are working to develop a water plan through a series of meetings and workshops.

“Across the state, regions and the communities within them have different water supplies and water uses. Most have one thing in common. Current water demands are more than diminished and declining water supplies can sustain,” said Andrew Erdmann, Interstate Stream Commission Water Planning Manager, at a Zoom meeting last Thursday with over 50 other officials and stakeholders. “Given this new reality, we must plan ahead to ensure continued economic development and the needs of all new Mexicans are met.”

The meeting was the latest in a series hosted by the Middle Rio Grande Water Advocates and environmental nonprofit Amigos Bravos last week, focusing on the Interstate Stream Commission’s plans to stand up the statewide water planning program over the next two years.

Running the meeting were Erdmann and Senior Water Planner Sara Goldstein.

“Current levels of groundwater use are not sustainable,” Erdmann said. “It’s in a substantial decline because, for the most part, because groundwater doesn’t recharge at a significant rate around the state. So all the water we’ve seen from wells is more or less, in the last nine years, more than we can sustain.”

Currently, water rights are administered based on priority dates

“Surface and groundwaters are already over-appropriated. Several aquifers are being rapidly depleted, and surface water supply is projected to fall 25 percent in 50 years.”

The ISC sees persistent drought being exacerbated by rising average annual temperatures.

“Just to use as an example, we had a really small spring, and here we are with the hottest summer ever stretching these rivers more than one might expect,” Erdmann said.

Additional challenges include wildfires from reduced surface water supplies and declining aquifers from reduced surface water supplies.

“New Mexico needs to find a new water balance, between water availability and water needed,” he said. “It’s a different way to look at supply and demand. We’re trying to recognize that difference.”

Erdmann explained the ISC’s plans over this year and the next were to engage the public, develop rules and guidelines, and prepare to approve the composition of regional water planning entities and fund their detailed regional water planning proposals and work.

“The new law, SB 337, passed by the legislature this year authorizes regions and communities to voluntarily self-organize and apply for state funding to publicly conduct the planning and prepare regional water resilience plans to live within our means while preserving water supplies for future generations,” Erdmann said. “Each participating region, such as the Middle Rio Grande, will prepare its plan to improve regional water security and resilience. Implementation is the goal. Prioritized projects justified in plans approved by the ISC will go on a special list for award by the Legislature of state-matching funding for implementation.”

At present, Erdmann said, agriculture is the largest user of water at 77.5 percent.

“But agriculture returns a substantial portion of that water,” he said.

The public water supply uses 10 percent.

Additionally, reservoir evaporation accounts for 7.4 percent, and ICPM (Industrial, commercial and municipal water systems) is 5.1 percent.

“Across the state, regions and the communities within them have different water supplies and water uses. Most have one thing in common. Current water demands are more than diminished and declining water supplies can sustain.”

Advocates recognize that the 2023 law mandates the Interstate Stream Commission to set rules and guidelines for a new, robust regional water resilience planning program. The legislation was needed, advocates say, because the existing 1987 water planning statute does not address current and future water shortages.

John Larson, El Defensor Chieftain