The New Mexico Political Report published a comprehensive article about new changes to the Clean Water Act. Reporter Kendra Chamberlain got both sides of the story from ranchers and environmentalists.

She also talked to Stacy Timmons of the Bureau of Geology to get the scientific perspective on water issues in New Mexico and the West.

Here is an excerpt from the article, with a link to the full piece at the bottom.

Ranchers, conservation groups unhappy with the new clean water rule, but for different reasons

By Kendra Chamberlain/New Mexico Political Report

The Donald Trump administration only finalized its new clean water rule a few days ago and the regulation is already being challenged in federal court by ranchers, conservation groups and state governments. 

The conservation-focused New Mexico Wilderness Alliance joined a coalition of conservation groups that allege the new rule goes too far in gutting protections for many streams and wetlands in New Mexico and across the country. 

The New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, on the other hand, also filed a lawsuit against the administration, arguing that the new rule doesn’t go far enough in rolling back those protections. 

...     

Water systems are complex and connected

As water becomes more precious in New Mexico with each passing summer, it’s increasingly important to take a long-term and whole-system perspective to our water resources, said Stacy Timmons, associate director of hydrology programs and the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources at New Mexico Tech.

“A lot of our land surface is not covered with water, but has the capacity to move runoff,” Timmons said. “Each of these little drainages ultimately feed to one of those small amounts of water that we have, the Rio Grande, the Pecos, the Gila, the Canadia, the Animus, San Juan, Chama — they all have these ephemeral drainages that led to them. It’s quite a network.” 

...

 

For the full article, click here