New Mexico’s intertwined river systems strained by climate change
When New Mexico water users convinced the federal government to build the San Juan-Chama Project in 1962, they hoped it would relieve stress on the Rio Grande. The pipeline from southern Colorado to Northern New Mexico would bring water from the Colorado River Basin to the Rio Grande Valley. But in recent years, as Northern New Mexico has seen historic shortages on the Rio Grande, water managers say the Colorado River has not softened the blow. Rather, the two water sources have both become more unreliable, linked to one another by legal and natural systems that have turned stretches of wet river into highways of mud and sand.
Other Colorado River Basin infrastructure news:
- Fort Collins Coloradoan: Chimney Hollow Reservoir plans postponed to allow for more testing after uranium discovery
- Colorado Hometown Weekly (Denver): Water flow into Chimney Hollow delayed until early 2026
