Agriculture & New Mexico’s Groundwater Future

Please join the Northern NM Chapter of Rocky Mountain Farmers Union for a virtual conversation on Agriculture & New Mexico’s Groundwater Future on Tuesday, July 14, from 6:00–7:30 PM MT.

While many farmers and ranchers are experiencing the severe impacts of surface water shortages this year, groundwater challenges can be even more difficult to see and address. Because groundwater is largely out of sight, declines may feel less immediate, but they are often more dire and longer lasting. In many places, groundwater is being depleted far more quickly than it can be replenished, raising urgent questions about how New Mexico can support agriculture, rural communities, and long-term water resilience.

Gretel Follingstad, Ph.D., of Environmental Defense Fund will present on groundwater challenges in New Mexico and invite questions and comments about how agriculture can help craft solutions for a sustainable water future in a hotter, drier climate.

This session intends to support farmers and ranchers in better understanding the big picture of groundwater issues in New Mexico, how some communities are creating solutions, and opportunities for engaging decisionmakers to help move toward more resilient agriculture in the state.

Register here: bit.ly/4yhBvD1. You must register to access the Zoom info for this call. 

Participants are also encouraged to review the related research paper here: www.nmgroundwateralliance.org/report

This event is part of a larger Northern NM Chapter series on water and agriculture. Future sessions will include presentations by agricultural community leaders developing solutions for groundwater conservation, as well as a presentation on a UNM and World Wildlife Fund survey of farmers and ranchers on Middle Rio Grande water use.