Research Paper on Water in New Mexico

New Mexico faces a looming water crisis, and it is considered as the 10th most water-stressed country globally, according to the World Resource Institute report (Johnsen). That implies that the state's municipalities and industries use most of New Mexico's annual available water supply; hence little water has left the reserves for dry spells and drought. In spite of the New Mexican growing economies and population that demands more water, the water supply faces climatic changes threats, coupled with pollution and water waste hence a manifestation of water stress, which creates a demand for annual rival water supply (Holden). New Mexico, therefore, faces extremely high water stress, and drought with industries, agriculture, and municipalities drawing most of its groundwater annually, thus threatening the growing population and rising economies that continue to bring water from dwindling resources of water.

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Due to the acute water shortage, coupled with the drought, New Mexico is faced with drawing water from the Colorado River reservoir that it depends on for the supply of water and energy. New Mexico forms one of the upper basin states that are subject to the Colorado River Compact, and it is allocated 11% of the 7.5 million acre-feet of annual allocation (Paskus). Colorado River itself does not flow through the state, albeit it does through its tributaries of San Juan River. The water from Colorado River is used in New Mexico in the supply of the San Juan Chama Project, Navajo Indian Irrigation Project, and Navajo Water Supply Project. Additionally, it is used by New Mexican farmers for Conservation and to help boost Lake Powell's storage. Moreover, the water is used for supplying in Mexican cities, utilities, and economic activities like in industries and municipals.

However, New Mexico faces huge issues with water suppliers, prevalently the scarcity of water in the Colorado River since it has to supply water to seven states. That has led to the river's rules that would soon be tweaked; hence Mexico is compelled not go hung on to their full entitlements of the water as the available water has become scarce to supply all states, thereby calling for a need for cuts. That has made the New Mexicans make difficult choices regarding the availability of water for agriculture, municipalities, the environment, and n its rivers. The hard decisions underlie draining reservoirs in the quest to comply with the endangered species Act. Another issue that New Mexico faces with its water suppliers is being compelled to take less amount of water to allow for the establishment of Mexican Apportionment under the 1944 Treaty Agreement that was designed to increase Mexico-U.S Treaty (Water Education Foundation). Another issue they face is the fact that they did not spell out the owners of water rights and in what quantities, making Mexico pursue adjudication of the same. A process which is lengthy and expensive

The issues that water in Mexico faces with water suppliers can be solved by the Mexican government considering conservation by the use of Aquifer storage and recovery to replace reservoirs that would subsequently reduce water losses through evaporation. Besides, New Mexico needs to find new and alternative water sources like cloud seeding and exploring the basins (Turney).Similarly, they should organize water exchanges to support the sales of water rights or leasing water from rights holders (National Academies Press). They should also measure the prices of water in terms of scarcity to encourage new water, conservation, and smooth transfer of water from one user to the next. Additionally, they should also reduce the obstacles of the legal processes regarding water to ensure protected transfers of water rights from one user to the future similarly. They should lease water through the incorporation of the state with more leasing programs (The Business Water Task Force). That would allow farmers and water rights owners who are unwilling to sell their water rights to lease them for some periods like during dry years. Finally, there should be proper water management through initiated programs of Active Water Resources Management that would enhance monitoring and mentoring, coupled with expansive water and market management, especially the ones tailored to individual basins.

Works Cited

Holden, Emily. "U.S. States Face Water Crisis as Global Heating Increases Strain on Suppliers."The Guardian.Aug.2019, https://www.theguardian.com/globaldevelopment/2019/aug/06/us-states-water-stress-new-Mexico-California-ArizonaColorado

Johnsen, Morgan. "New Mexico Faces Extreme Water Scarcity on Par With the United Arab Emirates; Experts Warn More `day zeros` are Looming." Business Insider.2019,https://www.businessinsider.com/new-mexico-faces-extreme-water-stress-2019-8?IR=T

Paskus, Laura. "On the Colorado River, Will New Mexico Be Left in the Dust?" The NMPolitical Report.2018, https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2018/10/24/on-the-colorado-riverwill-new-Mexico-be-left-in-the-dust-en/

The Business Water Task Force. "New Mexico Water Basics." Economic Forum ofAlbuquerque.2010, https://aquadoc.typepad.com/files/nm-water-brochure-final.pdf

The National Academies Press. "Northern New Mexico: Different Notions of Water, Property,and Community." The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.1992,https://www.nap.edu/read/1803/chapter/9

Turnet, Tom. "Water, Growth, and Sustainability: Planning for the 21st Century, Water IssuesFacing New Mexico. New Mexico Water Resource Research Institute.2000,https://nmwrri.nmsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/watcon/proc45/turney.pdf

Water Education Foundation. "Mexico and Colorado River Water." Water EducationFoundation.2019, https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/mexico-and-colorado-riverwater