Interstate Stream Commission

Lower Rio Grande (LRG)
Groundwater Conservation Program

About the LRG Groundwater Conservation Program

The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) is expanding on the success of its Lower Rio Grande (LRG) Water Management Pilot Project and will be accepting grant applications for the LRG Groundwater Conservation Program starting September 25. A series of listening sessions and application information sessions to provide more information and answer questions about the expanded program will take place in Anthony, Hatch, and Las Cruces throughout September. All sessions will be in-person and virtual and include Spanish language support.

The purpose of the LRG Groundwater Conservation Program is to initiate groundwater conservation actions that will ensure that New Mexico has a sustainable groundwater supply not only today, but for future generations of New Mexicans. Under the program, grants will be provided to compensate willing irrigators in the Lower Rio Grande basin for temporarily conserving groundwater by not irrigating previously irrigated parcels for a period of two years. Applications to participate will be accepted starting September 25 through October 16, 2023.

Upcoming Events

A series of listening sessions and application information sessions to provide more information and answer questions about the expanded program will take place in Anthony, Hatch, and Las Cruces throughout September. All sessions will be in-person and virtual and include Spanish language support. Registration is required.

Register online for all events through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/J8ZKMB6. If you have problems with registration, please contact Lilly Irvin-Vitela with Community Connects Consulting at 505 234 0694 or email lilly@communityconnectsconsulting.com.

Listening Sessions:

The NMISC hosted three listening sessions about the expanded LRG Groundwater Conservation Program in Anthony, Hatch, and Las Cruces in early September, 2023. NMISC staff provided an overview of the program, eligibility requirements, and its benefits to irrigators and the overall Lower Rio Grande basin. Attendees were able to ask questions and express their thoughts about the program. Thank you to all who attended!

Unfortunately, we had some technical difficulties at some of the listening sessions, and the recording quality from the Hatch and Las Cruces listening sessions is poor. So while all of the listening sessions were recorded, we have only posted the recording from the listening session in Anthony. We’re sorry that not all of the recordings met our normal standards, but the Anthony listening session video, which is posted immediately below, provides a useful overview of the Program and eligibility requirements. The staff presentations delivered at all three listening sessions were identical.

• Zoom Recordings LRGB Groundwater Conservation Community Listening Session

Application Information Sessions:

• Friday, Sept. 22, 3-4:30pm and 5-6:30pm, Village of Hatch Community Center, 837Hwy 187, Hatch, NM Application Application Information Session Recording
• Saturday, Sept. 23, 9-10:30am and 11-12:30pm, Dona Ana Community College, Gadsen Campus, 1700 Ohara Rd., Anthony, NM Application Information Session Recording
• Saturday, Sept. 23, 3-4:30pm and 5-6:30pm, NMSU, Corbett Center Student Union, 3rd Floor, Suite 317, Las Cruces, NM Application Information Session Recording

Documentation

Spatial Database for use in completing the Application Form

Necessary Legal Documentation

History of the Pilot Program

The LRG Groundwater Conservation Program builds on the success and lessons learned through the LRG Water Management Pilot Program that operated from 2020 to 2023 with great success. In that project, the NMISC administered over 73 grant agreements from voluntary participants who chose to temporarily stop irrigating their parcels for one-year periods. Over the course of the three-year pilot program, a total of approximately 2,500 acres of land was temporarily fallowed, and NMISC issued $3.6 M in grant payments to participants.

The last round of the pilot program will conclude in December 2023. If you have questions about the pilot program, please contact Linda Tenorio at linda.tenorio@ose.nm.gov

Coming Soon

This webpage will be updated frequently throughout the course of the program.

• Recordings of Listening Session and Application Information Session
• Sample Contract
• Spatial Database (for use in completing the application form)

News Releases