The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande water use
After 13 years, Texas and New Mexico have finally reached a settlement in a Supreme Court case over Rio Grande water management. Now comes the hard part. Texas sued New Mexico in 2013, arguing that its upstream neighbor was hogging water on the river that millions depend on for irrigation and drinking water. The settlement requires New Mexico to reduce the amount of water drawn from wells that deplete the flow of Rio Grande water to Texas. The agreement also introduces a new accounting method to determine how much water New Mexico owes Texas. And for the first time, the volume of water flowing into Texas will be measured at the state line.
Other water shortage news around the West:
- Colorado Public Radio: Nearly 460 miles of rivers in Colorado under fishing restrictions as a result of heat and drought
- Aurora Sentinel (Colo.): Aurora considers penalties for Niagara Bottling over drought water use
- Ark Valley Voice (Salida, Colo.): Is Salida prepared for Colorado’s growing water crisis? City officials say yes, for now
- Los Angeles Times: How climate change could redraw California’s wine map
- Colorado Newsline: Opinion: Climate horrors in Colorado are no longer just a threat. They’ve arrived.
