OSE News:
LAS CRUCES —The deadline to enroll in the 2026 Lower Rio Grande Groundwater Conservation Program is Aug. 29.
Participation in the program will help ensure that New Mexico maintains a sustainable groundwater supply in the Lower Rio Grande region for present and future generations of New Mexicans. Applications are available online or can be picked up at the Office of the State Engineer/Interstate Stream Commission District 4 Office.
“We have about 6,200 acres currently enrolled, and we’ve received nearly 50 applications for the new enrollment period,” Ryan Serrano said, ISC Lower Rio Grande Basin Manager. “We need our neighbors to come together to help support the health of our aquifer and ensure a healthy future for our booming agriculture sector.”
Under the program, funds are provided to compensate willing irrigators in the Lower Rio Grande basin for conserving groundwater by not irrigating previously irrigated parcels for between 12 and 36 months.
Payments per non-irrigated acre, per year, beginning January 1, 2026, will be awarded as follows:
- 12 months: $750/acre
- 24 months: $775/acre
- 36 months: $800/acre
Interested participants can deliver their completed application by mail or in person to the District 4 Office. Applications will not be accepted via email, and all application criteria must be met to be accepted for processing. Interested participants are also encouraged to make an appointment with a New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission team member for assistance in completing their application:
- Kate Fauske Maynard: Kfauske.maynard@ose.nm.gov, 575.680.0509
- Anita Tafoya: Anita.tafoya@ose.nm.gov, 505.618.0101
When irrigators temporarily stop using groundwater on even small portions of their land, it helps reduce the strain on the aquifer. Reduced surface water supplies from the Rio Grande and below average precipitation over the last several years have led to an increased reliance on the groundwater reserves in the Lower Rio Grande Basin. This year is shaping up to be a particularly difficult one for drought conditions in New Mexico. More than half of the state, including the Lower Rio Gande, is experiencing extreme to exceptional levels of drought, and current forecasts predict streamflow into the Lower Rio Grande to be about a quarter of normal.
For more information about the Lower Rio Grande Groundwater Conservation Program and to see a sample application, visit https://www.ose.state.nm.us/LRGGWCP/index.php.