How will NM spend money on rivers, other waterways this year?

Interstate Stream Commission to meet Wednesday in Albuquerque

By Hannah Grover
Courtesy of NM News

The Rio Chama in Abiquiu. Roberto E. Rosales / City Desk ABQ

The New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission will hear fiscal year 2026 priorities and work plans when it meets Wednesday in Albuquerque.

The commission will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Office of the State Engineer/Interstate Stream Commission, 5550 San Antonio Dr. NE. The public can also join remotely. Information on how to remotely attend the meeting can be found here.

The first hour of the meeting will be a closed session. The public can tune in for the open meeting starting at 9:30 a.m.

During the open session, the staff will present work plans for fiscal year 2026, including details about how money will be spent in the Middle Rio Grande.

Middle Rio Grande

The Middle Rio Grande work plan includes a total budget of up to a little more than $8 million.

Some of the elements of the Middle Rio Grande work plan include analyzing how evaporation impacts how much water is available and refining a water supply forecasting tool.

The largest budget item for the Middle Rio Grande work plan is $3.4 million to support the strategic water reserve, which is a publicly-owned pool of water rights that helps New Mexico meet its compact obligations and comply with Endangered Species Act requirements. Earlier this year, the legislature passed a bill that added a third purpose to the reserve. That new purpose is to support aquifer recharge projects or to reduce groundwater depletion.

The strategic water reserve is not to be confused with the strategic water supply, which is a recent effort to use treated brackish water and produced water — a byproduct of oil and gas extraction — to support industrial operations.

The state may consider acquiring pre-1907 water rights to support the strategic water reserve, which could mean partnering with non-governmental organizations or other government agencies.

Another $2 million could be spent on channel maintenance and restoration in the Middle Rio Grande.

The work in the Middle Rio Grande basin — which includes the Albuquerque area — could also include endangered species work. The agency is looking at a budget of nearly $7 million to help endangered species that rely on the Rio Grande. 

The bulk of that money — $6 million — will be spent on habitat improvements and river restoration in the Middle Rio Grande. Some of the species that this funding will help support include the Rio Grande silvery minnow and the southwest willow flycatcher.

Other work plans and projects

Further south on the Rio Grande, the work plan for the Lower Rio Grande has a budget of up to $31.28 million.

The biggest single budget item for the Lower Rio Grande is $10 million for stormwater capture and aquifer recharge. Another $7.5 million is budgeted for a short-term groundwater conservation program and $6 million is budgeted to identify, characterize, and quantify the brackish groundwater aquifers that could be used in desalination efforts.

Albuquerque area residents may also be interested in the presentations on the Acequia and Community Ditch Infrastructure Fund Work Plan, which has a budget of about $5.58 million, and the Acequia Support Work Plan, which has a budget of up to $1.75 million. 

The Interstate Stream Commission will also hear the work plan for water planning initiatives, which is budgeted at around $7 million for fiscal year 2026.

The commission previously discussed the Colorado River, Canadian River and Pecos River basins work plans during a May meeting.

Other agenda items for Wednesday include agreements with the U.S. Geological Survey for river gaging statewide and the Mesilla Basin Groundwater and Surface Water Monitoring Program.

The ISC is also scheduled to hear an informational presentation about aerial surveys in southern New Mexico that are part of an effort to characterize the aquifers in the Lower Rio Grande area as the state looks into possible supply augmentation.

Closed session includes discussion of Texas v. New Mexico

The meeting will start with a closed session to discuss the Texas v. New Mexico and Colorado case that is pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. In this case, Texas argued that groundwater pumping in New Mexico was impacting the amount of water Texas was receiving through the Rio Grande and thus violating an interstate compact. 

​While it looked as if the case would go to trial this month, the United States government, as well as Texas, New Mexico and Colorado, requested that the trial be put on hold as they work on a possible settlement agreement. In addition to discussing the Texas v. New Mexico case, the closed session will also focus on the litigation on the Colorado River Basin.