50-Year Water Action Plan Implementation Dashboard

As one of the driest states in the west, New Mexico is no stranger to drought. The 50-Year Water Action Plan focuses on expanding water conservation in cities and on farms, developing new water supplies and enhancing water quality protections.
Read The Full 50-Year Water Action Plan

Scientists predict within the next 50 years, New Mexico will have 25% less water, a shortage of up to 750,000 acre feet.

This dashboard measures progress towards the goals laid out in the 50-Year Water Action Plan, which are divided into three major categories: water conservation, development of new water resources, and protection of existing water resources.

Water
Conservation

New Water
Supplies

Water & Watershed
Protection

These goals encompass many diverse projects, metrics, and agencies, but all are essential to meet New Mexico’s projected water shortfall.

The data shared in this dashboard documents the collaborative, cross-departmental work that is happening right now across our state to secure New Mexico’s water future.

The 50-Year Water Action Plan covers a broad variety of actions and complementary efforts that work together to collectively protect New Mexico's freshwater resources now and into the future.

Check back for regular updates and new data as projects progress across the 50-year timeline laid out in the Water Action Plan.

Total Water Savings

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Produced in partnership with the following agencies:

New Mexico Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
New Mexico Environment Department
Office of the State Engineer Interstate Steam Commission

Recent Highlights

A1: Main Stream Regional Water Planning Campaign

Mainstreamnm.org provides information regarding regional water planning and water conservation as a Guide to A Sustainable Shared Water Future In New Mexico
Learn More

A2: NMSU Holds 70th New Mexico Annual Water Conference

New Mexico state hosted the 70th New Mexico Annual Water Conference from October 21-23, 2025 at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces, NM and online. This year’s conference theme was “Research With Impact.”
Read Conference Agenda

A3: New Mexico Supports Local Utilities with an Integrated Innovative Leak Detection Program

New Mexico’s innovative work in leak detection and water conservation featured in the September/October 2025 issue of Rocky Mountain Water (pages 14 & 15).
Read Article

A4: Nichols Dam Rehabilitation Project

Learn More

B1: New Mexico announces $26 million for brackish water projects

In total, 13 grant applications requesting more than $94 million were submitted for consideration, along with $40 million in private sector contract proposals. The Governor’s fiscal year 2027 executive budget request will include additional funding to support future brackish water projects through the Strategic Water Supply.
Learn More

B3: Beginning to map New Mexico’s aquifers using airborne geophysics

In FY2025, the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources (NMBGMR) at New Mexico Tech began to address the 50 Year Water Action Plan – action B3. With an initial state appropriation of $7.5M, new mapping and data collection is underway in 5 large regions of the state.

NMBGMR is launching a major new effort to better understand the state’s groundwater resources using geophysics, particularly airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys. AEM is a non-invasive geophysical method that uses low-flying aircraft equipped with specialized instruments that send weak electromagnetic signals into the ground. By measuring how the subsurface responds, combined with multiple other datasets, scientists can map variations in geology, aquifer structure, and groundwater quality down to 600 to 1500 ft (~200 to 450 m) below the land surface.

Learn more about AEM

C1: Watch The Kickoff of the New Mexico Uranium Mine Cleanup Program at Schmitt Decline Mine

Watch the Video

C2: New Mexico Featured in High Country News Article, “Western states step up to save their wetlands”

Read Article

C4: After major wildfires, New Mexico foresters aim to produce 5 million 'climate-adapted' tree seedlings annually

New Mexico Reforestation Center set for April 27 groundbreaking in Las Vegas
Read the story

    What We Are Doing To Increase Water Security

    50-Year Water Action Plan

    The Water Plan actions will help address the reality of a reduced supply in the future.

    Water
    Conservation

    New Water
    Supplies

    Water and
    Watershed
    Protection

    A1
    Develop a water education template
    A2
    Incentivize agricultural water conservation and resiliency
    A3
    Reduce leaks in drinking water infrastructure and increase municipal conservation
    A4
    Improve water storage and delivery system efficiencies
    View Progress on Water Conservation Goals
    B1
    Establish a Strategic Water Supply to spur investments in treated brackish water development
    B2
    Adopt policies to expand potable and nonpotable water reuse
    B3
    Improve groundwater mapping and monitoring
    View Progress on New Water Supply Goals
    C1
    Clean up contaminated groundwater sites
    C2
    Protect surface water by controlling pollution through a discharge permitting program
    C3
    Modernize wastewater treatment plants and storm water infrastructure
    C4
    Protect and restore watersheds
    View Progress on Water and Watershed Protection Goals
    Image
    Water Conservation
    A1
    Develop a water education template
    A2
    Incentivize agricultural water conservation and resiliency
    A3
    Reduce leaks in drinking water infrastructure and increase municipal conservation
    A4
    Improve water storage and delivery system efficiencies
    View Progress on Water Conservation Goals
    Image
    New Water Supplies
    B1
    Establish a Strategic Water Supply to spur investments in treated brackish water development
    B2
    Adopt policies to expand potable and nonpotable water reuse
    B3
    Improve groundwater mapping and monitoring
    View Progress on New Water Supply Goals
    Image
    Water and Watershed Protection
    C1
    Develop a public education campaign
    C2
    Incentivize agricultural water conservation
    C3
    Reduce leaks in drinking water infrastructure and increase municipal conservation
    C4
    Improve water storage and delivery systems
    View Progress on Water and Watershed Protection Goals

    The Context

    Learn More About The Current State of Water in New Mexico