In its dash to build President Trump’s signature border wall, the federal government is drilling unpermitted wells into already-depleted aquifers in New Mexico, according to state officials. The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer told Here & Now it counted at least six wells under development along the border, but none have the necessary permits required by state law. … [Rancher Russell] Johnson relies on a natural spring to supply water for his cattle and his home. “These wells that they’re drilling for border wall construction, they’re talking about trying to attain 300-plus gallons a minute, and it’s going to pump us dry,” he said.

Other Western drought news:

• Nevada Current: Drought persists across Nevada in July
• Sky-Hi News (Granby, Colo.): How one organization is working to help keep water in rivers during extreme drought
• AZ Free News: USDA issues drought disaster designations for ten Arizona counties
• KUNC (Greeley, Colo.): How universities in the West justify staying green during drought
• Audubon magazine: As water-sharing negotiations heat up, wildlife habitats along the shrinking Colorado River are at risk
• PBS News Hour: Video: Dry winter leaves farmers along Colorado River facing greater water shortages