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Water Planning

50 Year Water Plan - Water Program Planning Activities

Water Data Act for New Mexico

A multi-year, collaborative effort to share and integrate New Mexico's water data for effective decision-making.

New Mexico Forest & Watershed Health Restoration Advisory Board

A board with the purpose of restoring forests and watersheds in the state of New Mexico and establishes a Forest and Watershed Advisory Board to evaluate and recommend projects. When projects have been selected and approved, New Mexico State Forestry will administer, implement, and report on the projects.

New Mexico Climate Change Task Force

The Climate Change Task Force has ten interagency Climate Action Teams responsible for proposing, planning, and implementing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance New Mexico?s ability to adapt to climate change

New Mexico Drought Task Force

The Drought Task Force is chaired by the State Engineer and includes experts in water, the environment, wildfires, New Mexico recreation, agriculture and health. The current drought has impacted all New Mexicans. The drought, climate change, mitigation, education and preparation are central to the task force and remains as a central focus of their discussions. This task force has been a key convener for multiple state agencies to discuss and plan for drought. Over 40 people participated in this meeting representative of State Cabinet Secretaries and their staff from the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (NMOSE), New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC), New Mexico Indian Affairs Department (NMIAD), New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD), Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (NMDHSEM), Department of Agriculture (NMDA), New Mexico Department of Tourism (TD), Economic Development Department (NMEDD), New Mexico State Parks (NMSP), New Mexico Acequia Commission (NMAC), New Mexico Finance Authority NMFA, New Mexico Department of Health (NMDoH), New Mexico Rural Water Association (NMRWA) and the Governor's office.

Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District Operates, Maintains and Manages Irrigation, Drainage, and River Flood Control in the Middle Rio Grande Valley, promotes efficient and responsible water management, protects the environment, wildlife and endangered species in cooperation with other local, state and federal agencies, and provides multi-use recreational opportunities within the Middle Rio Grande Valley.

Rio Grande Basin Study

Bureau of Reclamation leads Basin Studies are collaborative studies, cost-shared with non-Federal partners, to evaluate water supply and demand and help ensure reliable water supplies by identifying strategies to address imbalances in water supply and demand. Each study includes four key elements:

  • State-of-the-art projections of future supply and demand by river basin.
  • An analysis of how the basin's existing water and power operations and infrastructure will perform in the face of changing water realities.
  • Development of strategies to meet current and future water demands.
  • A trade-off analysis of strategies identified.

NM Water Dialogue

The Dialogue's work involves planning, convening, facilitating and reporting on a variety of forums that bring together individuals and groups concerned with water issues to share information and perspectives, to explore differences and commonalities in interests and values, to foster a deeper understanding of the implications of policy choices on others interests. The NM Water Dialogue is comprised of a diverse and knowledgeable board who have helped to foster thoughtful discussions about water planning and the development of the 50-Year Water Plan.

NM Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI)

Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico at NM State University, the institute funds research conducted by faculty and students from universities across the state to address water problems critical to New Mexico and the Southwest. The institute also participates in joint efforts to solve water-related problems along the U.S./Mexico border. NM WRRI mission is to develop and disseminate knowledge that will assist the state and nation in solving water problems. Through the funding of research and demonstration projects, the institute utilizes knowledge and experience of researchers throughout the state to solve New Mexico's pressing water problems. NM WRRI is working closely with the Water Planning Program at producing outreach at their 66th Annual New Mexico Water Conference for the 50-Year Water Plan.

Regional Water Planning

The New Mexico Legislature recognized the state's need for water planning and created the regional water planning program in 1987 72-1-43 and 72-14-44 N.M.S.A., Cum Supp. 1993). This legislation designated the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission to implement the state's regional water planning program. Between 1999 and 2008 the Commission officially accepted regional water plans from all sixteen water planning regions.

Between 2011 and 2013 New Mexico experienced one of the most extreme droughts on record. This signaled an urgent need for regional water plan updates from all sixteen planning regions. Application of a consistent technical approach in all regional water plan updates serves to better support integration within an updated State Water Plan as required by state statute (72-14-3.1 N.M.S.A.) In 2013 the ISC created an Updated Regional Water Planning Handbook and in 2015 the Commission approved updated Acceptance Criteria for this round of regional water plan updates.

Regional Plans and PPP lists can be found on ISC Water Planning website