A Sandoval County pueblo and New Mexico’s largest winery are joining forces to grow premium wine grapes on tribal land — a deal both parties say will strengthen local agriculture and tribal economic independence. The Pueblo of Santa Ana and Lescombes Family Vineyards of Deming announced the partnership June 1, covering cultivation of chardonnay, pinot […]
Environment, Conservation & Climate
Stories related to our ongoing coverage of environmental issues in New Mexico.
Posted inNew Mexico Legislature #nmleg
NM revenue increases $850M due to Iran war, state economist estimates
By Patrick Lohmann, Source New Mexico — The ongoing war in Iran means $850 million more will flow into state coffers by the end of the current fiscal year ending June 30, according to new projections from the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee. The projected windfall results from a sharp increase in the price-per-barrel of […]
Posted inCorrales
Mayor Hashimoto: Corraleños need to keep up water conservation efforts
Corrales Mayor Fred Hashimoto says recent rains are delightful, but that residents should still remember the village is in a drought. “It doesn’t take a meteorologist to tell us that,” he said, citing low winter snowpack and high early-spring temperatures. In his weekly message to the community, Hashimoto wrote that meteorologists say chances are good […]
Posted inPlacitas
Not a forecast, but a warning: US Forest Service ranger details wildfire possibilities for Placitas
By Rodd Cayton, The Paper. A recent presentation about a theoretical wildfire threatening Placitas was a success, according to leaders of the host organization. District Ranger Ken Born of the U.S. Forest Service visited the community earlier this month, using the agency’s FSPro program to demonstrate how a blaze might behave under a pair of […]
Posted inNew Mexico Statewide News
No sparks allowed: Local governments enact sweeping burn and firework bans in New Mexico
By Rodd Cayton, The Paper. State and local governments are sharing the goal of keeping New Mexico from burning up. This week, the Village of Corrales and Bernalillo County approved new restrictions aimed at fire prevention. The Bernalillo County Commission voted to ban all open burning in the unincorporated areas of the county. “One small […]
Posted inPlacitas
Placitas drought crisis: Water shut-offs loom as springs run dry
By Rodd Cayton, The Paper. Placitas, like numerous other New Mexico communities, is in dire straits in terms of water supply. The village is looking at severe conservation rules and possibly waterless nights, if help doesn’t come from the skies Harvey Vigil, mayordomo of Las Acequias de Placitas, told the Sandoval Signpost a second consecutive […]
Posted inSandoval County
The uncrossable Rio Grande: Gregg Hull says a new bridge will never happen
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Republican governor candidate Gregg Hull has a clear message for Corrales residents worried about a new Rio Rancho river crossing: relax. Hull, the former Rio Rancho mayor, said at an Albuquerque Journal town hall on May 11 that any new crossing would require navigating approvals from Corrales, Sandia Pueblo and […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
U.S. Supreme Court approves Texas v. New Mexico settlement to end Rio Grande water dispute
By Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico — In a single-paragraph assent this week, the U.S. Supreme Court accepted a deal between Texas and New Mexico, ending the 13-year lawsuit between the states and the federal government over the waters of the Rio Grande. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES. SUBSCRIBE With the dismissal of the case, the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Greater Chaco landscape named one of America’s most endangered historic places
The National Trust for Historic Preservation unveiled its 2026 list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places on May 20, 2026, honoring the upcoming 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding and New Mexico’s Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape is on the list. The areas around Chaco Canyon are an ancestral homeland and ceremonial space that Pueblo […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
ABQ now pumping 100% groundwater as river sets 30-year drying record
Albuquerque stopped drawing water from the Rio Grande on April 24 and processed its last surface water three days later — leaving the water authority running entirely on groundwater reserves months before summer heat peaks, a water authority spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The early shift marks a significant milestone in what water managers are calling one […]