Current Projects

New Mexico Water Dialogue

Projects: Current and Completed

When the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission completed a State Water Plan (SWP) at the end of 2003, the Dialogue called it a "good start." But it was immediately clear that that first SWP failed to address adequately some important issues. The Dialogue’s annual statewide meeting in January 2004 focused on this “unfinished business” in the adopted SWP (see Dialogue, July 2004). Our work plans since then have addressed many of these issues, and more. The links below will take you to descriptions of current and recently completed projects and related resources.

THE UPSTREAM-DOWNSTREAM PROJECT

The Middle Rio Grande Water Supply Study, Phase 3, projected for the Middle Rio Grande Basin (the Jemez y Sangre, MRG, and Socorro-Sierra regions between Otowi Gage and Elephant Butte Dam) a likely scenario – with full implementation of all mutually compatible alternatives in all of the regional water plans – resulting in an average RG Compact deficit of 7,100 acre-feet per year. This scenario adopts the over-ambitious assumptions built into the plans themselves about achievable water savings from implementing those alternatives. Under more realistic assumptions, given the variations in supply, a Compact default does not seem unlikely. This constitutes a collective problem for the three regions affected; to address it realistically requires collaboration among all interested parties in these regions.

With major support from the McCune Charitable Foundation, the Interstate Stream Commission and the Utton Center, the Water Dialogue initiated a series of professionally facilitated one-day workshops, involving a wide spectrum of stakeholder interests in the regions including local public officials. Participants are exploring coordination and the collective dilemma they faced in how to share the limited renewable supply available within the Basin.

Link to Upstream-Downstream Project (formerly the Water Transfer Policies Project).

THE TEMPLATE FOR UPDATES OF REGIONAL WATER PLANS COMMITTEE

In June 2007 the Board set up a new committee to look at development of a new "Template for Updates of Regional Water Plans." Draft work products from this effort were discussed at the Dialogue's 14th Annual Statewide Meeting in January 2008, and can be read by clicking on the link below.

Link to Template for Updates of Regional Water Plans

CONSISTENCY IN PLANNING TERMS AND METRICS

A"committee on consistency" is developing a proposed work plan to address major discrepancies in the water budgets of regional water plans, in order to improve understanding about water supplies and uses.

THE WATER CONSERVATION INCENTIVES PROJECT (Completed)

The SWP and most RWPs are silent on the effects of New Mexico water code's “use it or lose it” rules that shape New Mexicans’ incentives, thwarting effective conservation practices. The Water Conservation Incentives Project (WCIP) addressed the question of whether market-based incentives for farmers to lease bulk water temporarily could be designed so as to reduce consumptive use ane achieve other "public welfare" objectives. The project has been completed and a full report is available here.

Link to Water Conservation Incentives Project.