The beautiful state of New Mexico has water issues. Nobody in their right mind argues that point. Some areas have been hit harder by drought than others, with wells having run dry, in some cases forcing people to move out of their homes. Farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to water their crops. Ranchers in some areas are selling off much of their livestock because they can't get enough water to properly care for large herds of animals. Water is life, but it's becoming increasingly scarce for many New Mexicans. While drought cripples our progress in many areas, several industries seem to be oblivious or uncaring about the impact of their own water usage or their plans for projects that would give them more higher profits.
For instance, the oil and gas industry continues to use massive amounts of water for fracking to increase their production, while poluting the water table by introducing the waste water from their use. This is not an anti-oil and gas observation, but rather a call for that industry to find better ways to increase production, exploring other technologies that don't require water and don't pollute. Also, a major housing project that had been proposed for the East Mountain area has been successfully fought by existing residents, largely on the grounds that quickly building over 1,000 new homes would severely impact access to water by current users.
We still need fossil fuels going forward and we want an expanding population in order to continuing to increase our tax base and encourage companies to relocate here, but we need to think outside of the box to find new and better ways to conserve and increase our water supply, and find ways to more equitably share what's available. Simply telling homeowners to drill deeper doesn't cut it. New wells are prohibitively expensive for many families. Innovative projects like the San Juan-Chama Diversion Projet are helpful. We need more like them, but we need to do more. Our state's government can do more to assist those in agriculture in the implementation of below-the-surface irrigation systems to minimize evaporation while watering their crops. Water treatment facilities could improve their processes by applying modern technology and putting potable water back into the water delivery system. There are dozens of other ideas. All cost money, but it would be money well spent. After all, water is life!
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