By Martha Pskowski, Inside Climate News — Following years of drought, the wells in Estancia, N.M., are running dry. After declaring a water emergency last week, the small town in Torrance County is hauling in water to fill its pipes. Estancia has also reduced water sales to the Torrance County Detention Facility, a federal immigration […]
Environment, Conservation & Climate
Stories related to our ongoing coverage of environmental issues in New Mexico.
Posted inJemez & Jemez Spring
Sierra de los Pinos residents head home as McCauley Springs fire holds at 43% containment
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. After six days of evacuation, residents of Sierra de los Pinos can finally sleep in their own beds again. Sandoval County and fire officials began a phased return to the community Tuesday morning, even as crews continue battling the 712-acre McCauley Springs Fire east of Battleship Rock. The fire, burning […]
Posted inSandoval County
Sandoval County deploys mist truck to zap mosquitoes before they hatch
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Sandoval County is rolling out a new weapon in its war on mosquitoes this summer — a specialized truck that shoots a bacteria-laced mist 100 feet into the air to kill larvae before they ever become adults. The Public Health Road Runner 54564 truck goes into service in July, starting […]
Posted inElections & Politics, Environment, Conservation & Climate, New Mexico Legislature #nmleg, Opinion & Analysis
Defending our public lands, from Teddy Roosevelt to Martin Heinrich
Commentary by New Mexico State Senator Carrie Hamblen — More than a century ago, Theodore Roosevelt pioneered the American conservation movement. Using the Antiquities Act of 1906, he declared vast tracts of land as national monuments, notably the El Chaco, Morro, and Gila Cliffs National Monuments in New Mexico (subsequent presidents would later add Bandelier, […]
Posted inJemez & Jemez Spring
Wildfire near Battleship Rock forces evacuations in Sandoval County’s Jemez Mountains
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Residents in two Sandoval County mountain communities must leave their homes immediately as firefighters battle a growing wildland blaze near Battleship Rock in the Jemez Mountains. Sandoval County Fire Rescue confirmed an evacuation GO order — meaning leave now — is in effect for Sierra Los Pinos and Vallecitos. The […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
West Nile virus detected in Bernalillo County mosquitoes
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus have turned up in Bernalillo County, and health officials want residents to act before monsoon season makes things worse. The infected insects were collected near the Rio Grande through the joint mosquito surveillance program run by the City of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, with testing […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Lightning-caused Deer Canyon fire forces evacuations near Mountainair
A lightning-caused wildfire south of Mountainair sent residents of the Deer Canyon neighborhood scrambling for safety over the weekend. The fire had burned over 100 acres and was 0% contained by Monday night and 15% on Tuesday, state forestry officials said. More than 140 crew were assigned to the fire including helicopter and bulldozer crews […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Testing the waters: Feds stop paying to sample LANL runoff
By Alicia Inez Guzmán, Source New Mexico — With every spring snowmelt or heavy summer monsoon comes the chance that radioactive particles and toxic chemicals could run down the lobed canyons that are etched into the sides of the Pajarito Plateau and outside the boundaries of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Evidence of Cold War experiments […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Did you feel the New Mexico earthquake this past weekend?
Earthquakes aren’t normally cause for much thought in the quiet desert landscape across Central New Mexico, but some Valencia County residents got a reminder on Sunday that the ground under their feet is still very much active. The Valencia County Fire Department’s Facebook page generated hundreds of comments after it shared that they had received […]
Posted inEnvironment, Conservation & Climate
Tree deaths in New Mexico tripled in 2025 as warming summers increases insects, stress on forests
Tree deaths tripled in New Mexico during the second warmest year on record, according to new analysis of the state’s forest health from the U.S. Forest Service and New Mexico Forestry Division. 2025 saw a rapid expansion of bark beetle-caused deaths with 209,000 acres of conifers now dead — up from 67,000 acres in 2024 […]