{"id":43072,"date":"2023-08-22T11:48:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-22T18:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/?p=43072"},"modified":"2023-08-28T11:49:28","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T18:49:28","slug":"the-rivers-drying-because-were-running-out-of-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/the-rivers-drying-because-were-running-out-of-water\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018The river\u2019s drying because we\u2019re running out of water\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button has-custom-font-size is-style-fill has-small-font-size\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-white-color has-vivid-cyan-blue-background-color has-text-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/lp.constantcontactpages.com\/su\/woyxJ21\/ourland\">Subscribe to Our Land Weekly<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:46px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This summer, the sweet spot for visiting the Albuquerque bosque has been narrow. You can go during the scorching daylight hours or visit at dawn or dusk and be eaten alive by mosquitoes.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Bike riders and speedy runners might outpace the bloodsuckers. As a meanderer easily distracted by bird calls and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CwOtR5xrdRH\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">animal tracks<\/a>, I&#8217;m easy prey.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019d finally worked out some complicated calculations regarding time of day, level of sunscreen, amount of clothing, and number of tolerated mosquito bites and was happy to hit my usual trails and revel in summertime birdsong. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CwDWs41umgs\/?img_index=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Last week, I was fully in the throes of Happy Bosque Time,<\/a> when I came home and heard the Albuquerque reach of the Rio Grande will dry again this summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll remember that <a href=\"https:\/\/portal.knme.org\/video\/ecosystem-impacts-of-river-drying-vdlrky\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">last year, it dried in the Albuquerque stretch for the first time in decades<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the river has consistently dried in the summer south of Socorro. For a couple of decades now. And it\u2019s dry there right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a long time\u2014for better or for worse\u2014water managers kept drying from occurring in the Albuquerque stretch. In part because of the endangered silvery minnow, but also because \u2026 let\u2019s face it, it looks bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a sand dune with plants growing in it, showcasing resilient vegetation in arid environment.\" class=\"wp-image-43074\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-24x18.jpg 24w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-36x27.jpg 36w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/IMG_7289-48x36.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>But things <em>are<\/em> bad. I\u2019ve been covering this for a long, long time. Even when we have a normalish snowpack, the Middle Rio Grande doesn\u2019t flow perennially through the year. We demand too much of a river that\u2019s further diminished by warming.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s got to rain, Laura,\u201d the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District\u2019s Chief Engineer Jason Casuga said to me on Monday. \u201cOr we\u2019re in a tough spot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/cerro-pelado-fire-plus-rio-grande-goes-from-rip-roaring-to-muddy-dry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the water utility and the irrigation district, along with the federal government, worked to trade some interbasin water stored upstream.<\/a> Right now, if you peer over a bridge in Albuquerque and look down at the Rio Grande, you\u2019ll see two types of water, legally and logistically speaking: Water that\u2019s native to the Rio Grande and its tributaries and water from the Colorado River Basin that\u2019s piped from tributaries of the San Juan River into the Chama River, which flows into the Rio Grande in Espa\u00f1ola. A little less than half of the water you\u2019ll see in the Middle Rio Grande right now is San Juan Chama water, said Casuga.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But on Wednesday\u2014tomorrow\u2014that San Juan Chama water will be spent. By the weekend, the Rio Grande will start drying in Albuquerque.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike last year when later summer rainstorms showed up to nourish the valley, the forecast isn&#8217;t good this year. \u201cAlways, pray for rain&#8230;but the forecast for rain is not on the horizon like it was last year,\u201d Casuga said, adding that the district is telling irrigators to plan accordingly if they were considering planting fall crops.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe river isn\u2019t drying because water is being delivered to farmers,\u201d said Casuga. \u201cThe river\u2019s drying because we\u2019re running out of water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This week, <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/our_land_nm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">I\u2019ll keep up with the Rio Grande over on Instagram<\/a><strong>. But we won\u2019t be covering it on New Mexico in Focus on Friday. That\u2019s because we\u2019re airing a special episode.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As most of you know, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved a 40-year license for Holtec International to build a facility on land owned by the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance that would store nuclear waste from power plants the private company is decommissioning in other states.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As planned, the facility would eventually hold up to 10,000 canisters, with each canister holding 8,680 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from commercial power plants.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The New Mexico Legislature passed Senate Bill 53 this year, which would prohibit state agencies from issuing permits, contracts or leases for the facility\u2014unless the state approves the facility, or the federal government moves forward with a permanent storage spot for the nation&#8217;s commercial nuclear waste.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fGSx8BOP2rE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">On this special episode of Our Land<\/a>, you\u2019ll hear from John Heaton, chair of the Eddy Lea Energy Alliance and a former New Mexico state representative; Sen. Jeff Steinborn, the sponsor of Senate Bill 53; and Dr. Myrriah G\u00f3mez, a professor at the University of New Mexico and the author of <a href=\"https:\/\/uapress.arizona.edu\/book\/nuclear-nuevo-mexico\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Nuclear Nuevo M\u00e9xico: Colonialism and the Effects of the Nuclear Industrial Complex on Nuevomexicanos<\/a>.(Dr. G\u00f3mez was interviewed on University Showcase last week, too. You can listen to that conversation with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kunm.org\/show\/university-showcase\/2023-08-18\/author-details-the-nuclear-colonization-of-new-mexico\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">KUNM\u2019s Megan Kamerick online<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In fire news: On Sunday, according to the Santa Fe National Forest, lightning ignited a fire in the Jemez Mountains.<\/strong> In cooperation with Valles Caldera National Preserve, the Forest Service is working to fully suppress the McKinney Fire. I haven\u2019t seen an update ahead of sending out this newsletter, but on Monday afternoon the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish closed the kids\u2019 pond at Seven Springs Hatchery north of Fenton Lake State Park and is \u201cputting together a plan to prioritize the relocation of fish inventories currently at the hatchery should that become necessary.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Black Feather Fire continues to burn on the other side of the Jemez near the Pe\u00f1as Negras Trail in the San Pedro Parks Wilderness. As of this morning, it was around 2,100 acres and 28 percent contained. According to the Incident Management Team, there are 126 people working the fire, which even within the wilderness is being managed for suppression. The communities of Mesa Pinabetal, Mesa Poleo, and Wetherill remain in \u201cReady\u201d status for evacuation. <a href=\"https:\/\/inciweb.nwcg.gov\/incident-information\/nmsnf-black-feather-fire\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">For more information, including closure orders, visit InciWeb.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For those interested in some of the logistics, here are the highlights sent out by the Incident Management Team:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Resources have moved into a more direct attack due to decrease in current fire behavior and in order to mitigate threats to values at risk. In switching to more direct attack, prior hazards have been mitigated. Crews are utilizing UAS (unmanned aircraft system) with infrared capabilities in order to mitigate exposure. Suppression repair work will continue, graders will be performing the necessary work according to the suppression repair plan across the fire area. Hotshot crews were able to reach portions of the fire within the wilderness, locating areas of more active fire and scouting locations that can safely be accessed for future suppression activities. Crews outside of the wilderness finalized chipping operations and continued to work on containment lines along the eastern edge of the fire.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>More for you to read:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/sourcenm.com\/2023\/08\/21\/nuclear-waste-storage-permit-slated-for-september-public-meeting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cNuclear waste storage permit slated for September public meeting\u201d<\/a> (Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/sourcenm.com\/2023\/08\/22\/lawmakers-request-third-party-in-chromium-plume-fight\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cLawmakers request feds and state officials find third party in chromium plume fight\u201d<\/a> (Danielle Prokop, Source New Mexico)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.santafenewmexican.com\/news\/local_news\/state-and-federal-officials-support-mediation-in-dispute-over-treatment-of-lanl-chromium-plume\/article_ef858634-3fc3-11ee-b0ab-ffdf289b352a.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cState and federal officials support mediation in dispute over treatment of LANL chromium plume\u201d<\/a> (Scott Wyland, <em>Santa Fe New Mexican<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/nmpoliticalreport.com\/2023\/08\/21\/wildlife-advocates-say-game-and-fish-allows-for-overhunting-bears-and-cougars\/?mc_cid=3efb83d6d0&amp;mc_eid=0f2a8ea932\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cWildlife advocates say Game and Fish allows for overhunting bears and cougars\u201d<\/a> (Hannah Grover, New Mexico Political Report)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022<a href=\"https:\/\/www.daily-times.com\/story\/news\/local\/four-corners\/2023\/08\/21\/deb-haaland-faces-ethics-complaint-from-washington-based-group\/70619114007\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> \u201cGroup files ethics complaint against Interior Secretary Haaland for Chaco moratorium\u201d<\/a> (Mike Easterling, <em>Farmington Daily Times<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kob.com\/new-mexico\/portales-residents-frustrated-with-water-restrictions-lack-of-communication\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cPortales residents frustrated with water restrictions, lack of communication\u201d<\/a> (Alike Medina, KOB-TV)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/tucson.com\/news\/local\/subscriber\/arizona-courts-endangered-species-jaguar-mining-habitat\/article_a1b95acc-3b07-11ee-878b-a7dde73ba0bd.html?utm_source=tucson.com&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=top5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201c50,000 acres will be removed from jaguar critical habitat, judge rules\u201d<\/a> (Tony Davis, <em>Arizona Daily Star<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/insideclimatenews.org\/news\/15082023\/central-texas-dry-wells-water-shortage\/?utm_source=InsideClimate+News&amp;utm_campaign=e3c5e4789c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_08_19_01_00&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_29c928ffb5-e3c5e4789c-328718026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cDry Springs in Central Texas Warn of Water Shortage Ahead\u201d<\/a> (Dylan Baddour, Inside Climate News)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/wildfiretoday.com\/2023\/08\/15\/has-the-smoke-made-you-forgetful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wildfire Today has a post about the links between exposure to wildfire smoke and cognitive decline.&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/08\/18\/opinion\/heat-wave-utah-climate-change.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201c47 Days in Extreme Heat, and You Begin to Notice Things\u201d<\/a> (Terry Tempest Williams, <em>The New York Times<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.harpersbazaar.com\/culture\/features\/a44819303\/climate-crisis-maui\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cHeat Is Not a Metaphor\u201d<\/a> (Alexis Pauline Gumbs, <em>Harper\u2019s Bazaar<\/em>)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yesmagazine.org\/environment\/2023\/08\/10\/climate-conversations-solutions\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cCan Climate Conversations Be a Solution?\u201d<\/a> (Katherine Rapin, Yes! Magazine)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And in case you missed it on the show last week, correspondent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=acBOC_W5p14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Antonia Gonzales interviewed Leona Morgan<\/a>, a Din\u00e9 community organizer, about uranium mining and its impacts on Indigenous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>And thank goodness for Source New Mexico.<\/strong> For real. Here are links to the outlet\u2019s stellar reporting on the plastics fire in Albuquerque two weeks ago:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/sourcenm.com\/2023\/08\/15\/burned-plastic-metal-rubber-diesel-and-propane-released-into-albuquerque-sky-by-fire-at-plastic-facility\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cBurned plastic, metal, fuels released into Albuquerque sky by fire at plastic facility\u201d<\/a> (Austin Fisher, Source NM)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2022 <a href=\"https:\/\/sourcenm.com\/2023\/08\/16\/it-smelled-like-plastic-that-creates-a-memory\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201c\u2018It smelled like plastic. That creates a memory\u2019\u201d<\/a> (Austin Fisher and Megan Gleason, Source NM)&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yesterday, Pueblo of Isleta Governor Max Zuni hosted a meeting with various other government agencies about the Aug. 6 fire\u2014and about the growth of industry at Mesa del Sol.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a press release from the pueblo, Atkore has submitted an initial report to the state and is also required to submit a corrective action plan. The pueblo is also looking forward to the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department\u2019s air quality testing report. \u201cThe Pueblo of Isleta is downstream, downgradient, and downwind of Mesa del Sol and southern Bernalillo County,\u201d said Governor Zuni. \u201cWe will continue to work with local, state, and federal regulators to ensure that proper environmental remediation, including air, water, soil monitoring, occurs in the wake of the Atkore fire.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lastly:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This month, a district court judge in Montana ruled that the state had violated the constitutional rights of young people in supporting fossil fuel development. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.desmog.com\/2023\/08\/14\/montana-youth-activists-win-historic-climate-change-lawsuit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dana Drugmand over at DeSmog has a good article<\/a> about the lawsuit and the ruling\u2019s implications. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/08\/14\/us\/montana-youth-climate-ruling.html?searchResultPosition=2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The New York Times<\/a> covered the ruling as well, noting:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The ruling means that Montana, a major coal and gas producing state that gets one-third of its energy by burning coal, must consider climate change when deciding whether to approve or renew fossil fuel projects.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Montana attorney general\u2019s office said the state would appeal, which would send the case to the state Supreme Court.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking of Montana&#8230;in not-New Mexico and not-environment news, I wanted to share that my friend Chris LaTray <a href=\"https:\/\/montanafreepress.org\/2023\/08\/15\/storyteller-chris-la-tray-selected-as-montanas-next-poet-laureate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">was just named Montana\u2019s Poet Laureate<\/a>. I\u2019m super happy about that, and someday, I\u2019ll tell y\u2019all about the project I\u2019m working on with him and a whole crew of amazing writers\u2014including Daniel Rothberg, <a href=\"https:\/\/westernwaternotes.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">whose newsletter I mentioned recently<\/a>. Chris has a newsletter, <a href=\"https:\/\/chrislatray.substack.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cAn Irritable M\u00e9tis,\u201d that you can sign up for, as well<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lastly, head on over to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CwOtR5xrdRH\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Instagram and identify the animal tracks&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>P.S. If a friend forwarded you this message, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lp.constantcontactpages.com\/su\/woyxJ21\/ourland?mode=preview&amp;source_id=09a22542-c702-473f-a61b-06dfe8898cb2&amp;source_type=em&amp;c=${Contact.encryptedContactId}\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">sign up here to receive the newsletter yourself<\/a><em>. You can also <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/our-land-newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">read recent newsletters online<\/a><em>. And if you miss us throughout the week, follow <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/our_land_nm\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Our Land on Instagram<\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-1024x341.png\" alt=\"Our Land Logo\" class=\"wp-image-41765\" style=\"width:312px;height:104px\" width=\"312\" height=\"104\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-1536x512.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-2048x682.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-24x8.png 24w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-36x12.png 36w, https:\/\/www.newmexicopbs.org\/productions\/newmexicoinfocus\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/OL-Logo-Master-Dark-Text-48x16.png 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 312px) 100vw, 312px\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This summer, the sweet spot for visiting the Albuquerque bosque has been narrow. You can go during the scorching daylight hours or visit at dawn or dusk and be eaten alive by mosquitoes.&nbsp; (Bike riders and speedy runners might outpace the bloodsuckers. As a meanderer easily distracted by bird calls and animal tracks, I&#8217;m easy&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":43075,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-our-land-newsletter"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018The river\u2019s drying because we\u2019re running out of water\u2019 - New Mexico In Focus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Rio Grande Compact, signed in 1939, divvies up water between Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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