New Mexico and Rio Grande Water Journalism Project
We've expanded our support for water journalism in the Southwest.
Supported by the Thornburg Foundation, Water Funder Initiative, and Santa Fe Communit Foundation.
Project announcements
Participants selected for The Water Desk’s Rio Grande journalist training and workshop
The Water Desk is excited to announce the participants for the Rio Grande Journalist Training and Workshop, taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in...
Apply now for The Water Desk’s Rio Grande journalist training and workshop
The Water Desk is excited to announce an in-person training and workshop for journalists interested in covering the Rio Grande watershed.
The Rio Grande faces...
Stories and reports
The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande water use
Photos by Paul Ratje. Reporting supported by the Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder.
HATCH, N.M.—After 13 years, Texas and New Mexico have...
A New Mexico town is running dry. An immigration detention center is its biggest...
The town of Estancia and the ICE facility are trucking in water until a new well is drilled.
As a Colorado aquifer runs low, dangerous heavy metals threaten rural communities’ drinking water
In the San Luis Valley, the ongoing megadrought and a record-low snowpack are draining groundwater and increasing its concentrations of toxic metals. There are few protections for residents drinking from private wells.
Just add water: West Texas wetlands project brings new life to ancient riverbed
EL PASO, Texas — The wild waters of the Rio Grande have not flowed freely through the Rio Bosque wetland since 1943.
After being left...
Grantee stories
The clock is ticking for New Mexico to cut Rio Grande water use
Photos by Paul Ratje. Reporting supported by the Water Desk at the University of Colorado Boulder.
HATCH, N.M.—After 13 years, Texas and New Mexico have...
Just add water: West Texas wetlands project brings new life to ancient riverbed
EL PASO, Texas — The wild waters of the Rio Grande have not flowed freely through the Rio Bosque wetland since 1943.
After being left...
How New Mexico learned to love its ephemeral waters
In 2004, Michael and Chantell Sackett purchased a plot of land near Priest Lake, Idaho, in the picturesque northern reaches of the state’s panhandle....
Can New Mexico’s Ancient Water System Survive Climate Change?
Traditional irrigation canals, or acequias, could help balance the water supply during droughts — if they are protected.
Unanswered questions: New Mexico looks to fossil fuel byproduct to ease pressure on freshwater...
Mario Atencio’s family never received a notification that 1,100 barrels of produced water—a byproduct of oil and gas extraction—had spilled on their allotment in...
Data viz: Elephant Butte Reservoir levels
Last update: October 2026
Percent of total capacity
Source: US Bureau of Reclamation
Data viz: Navajo Lake levels
Last update: September 21, 2022
Percent of total capacity
Source: US Bureau of Reclamation
Map: Rio Grande drought tracker
This map depicts data from the National Drought Mitigation Center. Drought intensity categories are based on numerous indicators and local reports from more than...
Map: New Mexico drought tracker
This map depicts data from the National Drought Mitigation Center. Drought intensity categories are based on numerous indicators and local reports from more than...
Map: New Mexico monthly precipitation
This map shows total rain and snowfall in the New Mexico every month from 1981 to the present. The map's color scale runs from white (no...
Related multimedia
Photos: Rio Grande near Garfield, New Mexico, March 2026
This page in our free multimedia library features drone-captured photos of the Rio Grande, near Garfield, New Mexico.
The Rio Grande begins in the San Juan...
Photos: Rio Grande near Caballo Dam, New Mexico, March 2026
This page in our free multimedia library features drone-captured photos of the Rio Grande, near Caballo Dam in southern New Mexico.
The Rio Grande begins...
Videos: Taos Box rafting on Rio Grande, June 2023
This page in our free multimedia library features GoPro video of a rafting trip through the Taos Box on the Rio Grande in northern...
Photos: Rio Grande near Albuquerque, June 2024
This page in our free multimedia library features aerial photos of the Rio Grande near Albuquerque, N.M.
Albuquerque relies on pumped groundwater and surface water...
Photos: Rio Grande Gorge aerials, May-June 2024
This page in our free multimedia library features aerial photos of the Rio Grande Gorge, near Taos, N.M.
The Rio Grande Gorge, a striking canyon...