Water and Watershed Protection
New Mexicans enjoy iconic rivers and aquatic playgrounds at our many beautiful lakes and reservoirs. Yet, many of our precious surface waterbodies, forested watersheds, and groundwater resources are polluted or at risk of degradation due to human activity, natural disasters, extreme weather, and other threats. As we face realities of diminishing freshwater supplies in the coming decades, we are reminded that every drop counts. That means we have a responsibility to keep healthy water from becoming polluted while we double-down on efforts to clean up contaminated groundwater and impaired rivers and lakes in all corners of the State.
The priority actions set forth in this section highlight four key areas of increased focus that will ensure we are working toward access to clean water for all our communities and prevent certain sources of freshwater from becoming polluted or degraded sacrifice zones. Future generations of New Mexicans and our vibrant agricultural and outdoor recreation sectors depend on New Mexico to protect and restore water quality. As drought intensifies and new water pollutants emerge, we must simultaneously cleanup legacy waste and put strong programs in place to protect healthy watersheds and pristine aquifers through pollution prevention, forestland restoration, and fixing aging infrastructure.
Water and Watershed Protection Actions
Action: C1
Cleanup contaminated groundwater across 15 Superfund sites, hundreds of legacy uranium mining and milling sites, federal facilities (such as Los Alamos National Lab and military institutions), hundreds of petroleum storage tank releases, and up to 200 other pollutant plumes scattered across rural and urban communities where groundwater fails to meet State water quality standards.
Immediate Next Steps:
In 2024, in partnership with the New Mexico Water Data Initiative and the state uranium mining reclamation programs, develop a dashboard of all known contaminated groundwater sites, including the status and estimated cost of cleanup for each site. In 2025, fund and launch a State program to pay for remediation of groundwater contamination at over 100 neglected sites that have no responsible party and that do not rank for the federal Superfund program.
Return on Investment
By 2035, average federal and private sector investments in legacy uranium cleanup in New Mexico are 500% of 2023 levels; 30 non-uranium groundwater contamination sites are remediated, of which at least 50% are located in underserved or disadvantaged communities; there are zero active petroleum storage tank sites with human health risk; and all active Superfund sites are on schedule with an approved and funded remediation plan.
Action: C2
Develop and implement a State surface water discharge permitting program to protect watersheds and reduce the amount of pollution entering New Mexico’s rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. New Mexico is one of three states that is not authorized by the federal government to administer the Clean Water Act discharge permitting program. Instead, New Mexico businesses and utilities rely on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency out of Dallas, TX to write and enforce these permits. In addition, given that the majority of New Mexico’s surface waters are not protected from pollution under current federal law, a state program would ensure protection of all waters of the State and the communities and ecosystems that rely on them.
Immediate Next Steps:
In 2024, fund the New Mexico Environment Department’s five-year plan to build the surface water discharge permitting program. In 2025, enact legislation to remove any statutory barriers to full program development and assumption of federal program authorization.
Return on Investment
By 2030, NMED is implementing a State permitting program for all types of regulated discharges. By 2040, 20% fewer surface water impairments are caused by point source pollution.
Action: C3
Fix or replace aging municipal wastewater treatment plants and build modern stormwater infrastructure to prevent surface and groundwater pollution and address emerging contaminants, while saving communities money in the long run and protecting public health. In addition to controlling pollution and protecting water quality, these infrastructure investments will make communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change and decrease risks of loss of life and property destruction from flooding. Improved wastewater and stormwater infrastructure will also increase groundwater recharge during heavy precipitation events and create greater opportunities for water reuse.
Immediate Next Steps:
In 2024 and 2025, develop a list of community wastewater treatment facilities in need of repair or replacement to protect water quality and work with local communities to develop tailored capacity and funding strategies to plan, design and construct projects. In addition, continue state, regional and local efforts to support adoption of regionalization approaches that mitigate local capacity shortfalls to operate and maintain wastewater systems.
Return on Investment
By 2040, the pollution control compliance rate at municipal wastewater treatment plants is 95%. By 2045, major stormwater management and flood prevention projects, including those that utilize green infrastructure practices, are complete or substantially underway in all cities, towns and villages.
Action: C4
Accelerate watershed restoration projects to reduce risk of catastrophic wildfires, flooding, and large-scale erosion to protect critical surface water sources. The record-breaking wildfire season of 2022 made clear the devastating impacts that wildfire can have on municipal water supply and irrigation water sources and infrastructure. New Mexico will utilize the abundant federal and new State conservation funding to invest in wildfire-risk reduction in critical water source areas across the State, including mechanical thinning, responsible prescribed burning, and reforestation. The 2020 Forest Action Plan provides detailed steps to reduce the risk of high-intensity wildfires in forested watersheds that supply the bulk of our State’s surface water supplies.
Immediate Next Steps:
In 2024 and 2025, continue implementation of the 2020 Forest Action Plan to accelerate the pace and scale of water source protection projects. Secure additional federal funding for New Mexico projects and utilize Good Neighbor and other cooperative agreements with the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior agencies to manage wildfire risk on federal lands across New Mexico. Use the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund and other State appropriations to increase conservation work on private, Tribal, and public lands. Continue investment in the New Mexico Reforestation Center to expand post-fire reforestation and mitigate the risk of permanent forest loss posed by climate change.
Return on Investment
By 2035, New Mexico collectively restores and reduces wildfire risk on 300,000 acres annually per year in critical watersheds and water source areas, including 140,000 acres per year of treatments on State and private lands. New Mexico’s capacity to reforest burned areas increased from 300,000 seedlings per year to 5 million.