Environment, Conservation & Climate Archives - Page 3 of 7

Ciruela Pond/ reservoir shows drought conditions- completely dry due to not enough snowfall and climate change. The water level is normally near the top of the submerged stump. (Rodd Cayton)

Placitas drought crisis: Water shut-offs loom as springs run dry

by Rodd Cayton June 1, 2026June 1, 2026

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 […]

The bridge in Bernalillo is one of a few ways to cross the Rio Grande. (Roberto E. Rosales)

Sandoval County

The uncrossable Rio Grande: Gregg Hull says a new bridge will never happen

by Kevin Hendricks June 1, 2026June 5, 2026

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 […]

Parts of the Rio Grande flowing through Albuquerque will go dry again this summer, water managers warned Wednesday — repeating a pattern that has now struck the region multiple times in recent years — unless monsoon conditions improve significantly. (Roberto E. Rosales)

Environment, Conservation & Climate

U.S. Supreme Court approves Texas v. New Mexico settlement to end Rio Grande water dispute

by Source New Mexico May 28, 2026May 28, 2026

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 […]

Oil well in the Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape

Environment, Conservation & Climate

Greater Chaco landscape named one of America’s most endangered historic places

by The Paper staff May 21, 2026May 21, 2026

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 […]

Environment, Conservation & Climate

ABQ now pumping 100% groundwater as river sets 30-year drying record

by Kevin Hendricks May 13, 2026May 13, 2026

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 […]

Sen. Luján speaking at Canjilon on issues of Uranium drilling and mineral development.

NM.news

Luján meets with northern New Mexico communities to organize against uranium drilling in Chama watershed

by Noah Gollin May 12, 2026May 12, 2026

U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján led a community conversation in Canjilon recently to discuss a proposal for uranium drilling and mineral development by Gamma Resources Ltd., a Canadian-based company. During the meeting, Luján listened to the concerns of community members, ranchers, farmers, acequia members, Tribal leaders and Land Grant Members regarding the impacts the proposal […]

Petroglyphs in the Caja del Rio outside Santa Fe

Environment, Conservation & Climate

New legislation seeks permanent protection for Caja del Rio plateau

by Noah Gollin May 11, 2026May 11, 2026

All five members of New Mexico’s federal delegation to Congress are joining forces to protect the Caja del Rio outside Santa Fe. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., introduced the Caja del Rio Protection Act on May 8 to permanently safeguard the culturally and ecologically significant Caja del Rio plateau, according […]

Corrales

Smarter than the average bear?

by Rodd Cayton May 8, 2026May 8, 2026

The Village of Corrales and northwest Albuquerque have had an unusual — and elusive — tourist over the last couple of days. Residents report seeing a black bear in both communities, with state and local animal control authorities a step behind in their pursuit. In his weekly message to the community, Corrales Mayor Fred Hashimoto […]

An undocumented wellhead sits in the Rattlesnake Oil Field near Shiprock, New Mexico. A proposed natural gas pipeline would pass about a mile north of this spot, carrying the fossil fuel across the Navajo Nation. Photo: Jerry Redfern.

Environment, Conservation & Climate

With Promises of Money, Controversial Gas Pipeline on Navajo Nation Passes First Hurdle

by Capital and Main May 6, 2026May 6, 2026

By Jerry Redfern, Capital & Main — A 234-mile stretch of pipeline that could carry natural gas or natural gas-hydrogen blends across the Navajo Nation is a step closer to reality. This story is republished with permission from Capital & Main, an award-winning nonprofit publication repoorting on the most pressing economic, environmental and social issues of […]

Corrales

Weekend precipitation doesn’t get Corrales pumps going

by Rodd Cayton May 5, 2026May 5, 2026

The reprieve water regulators and irrigators were hoping for in the first weekend of May didn’t come. While parts of the Albuquerque area saw some rain and it snowed elsewhere in New Mexico, that precipitation was not enough to turn the pumps serving Corrales back on, according to Amanda Molina, a spokesperson for the Middle […]