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How Will Climate Change Impact New Mexico's Water Resources?

 “In the Southwest, water is absolutely essential to our quality of life and our economy. Addressing climate change now, before it is too late, is the responsible thing to do to protect our water supplies for future generations.” 

Governor Bill Richardson

Water is a precious resource, especially in New Mexico. Water is crucial not only for our ecosystem but also our economic growth and development. However, the availability and health of New Mexico’s water resources are endangered by the trend of climate change. Temperatures across New Mexico have already increased and are predicted to continue to increase. 

Rising temperatures cause an earlier snow melt, decreasing soil moisture, and lead to greater evaporation and a decrease in water availability, thereby creating a cycle that increases the intensity, frequency and duration of drought.

An increase in temperature leads to:

Greater evaporative loss from lakes, reservoirs, soils and plants

• In 2005, evaporation from reservoirs resulted in more water loss than used by the commercial, industrial, mining, power, and livestock sectors, combined. Increased evaporation due to higher temperatures will cause reduced surface water availability, especially during summer months.

Reduced snowfall, decreased snowpack, earlier snow melt, and less runoff.

• Warmer temperatures means less snow, and thus less snowmelt, to provide water supplies evenly throughout the summer. Rising temperatures will result in a higher freezing altitude and a reduction in snowpack over the coming decades (fig. 2). The increase in temperature will shorten the snow season, accelerating spring snowmelt and leading to less, faster, and earlier seasonal runoff.

Reduced surface and groundwater recharge.

• Mountain snowpack is responsible for recharging New Mexico’s surface and groundwater resources. Reduced snowpack and less runoff mean less available water, especially during the summer. Increased evaporation from lakes and rivers, reservoirs, and soils and plants, also lessen and slow recharge.

Flooding.

• Warming at high elevations will decrease winter snowfall and snowpack and accelerate spring snowmelt and runoff. Earlier, more rapid snowmelts will contribute to winter and spring flooding and more intense summer storms will increase the likelihood of flash floods.

The anticipated impact of climate change is particularly important to New Mexico since the state is highly dependent on climate-sensitive water resources and on natural resource based economic activities, such as agriculture and recreation and tourism. Lowered water supplies will likely mean higher water prices. Although urban areas will be most heavily hit, higher prices and lowered supplies could have severe consequences for many sectors in the region, including farming,  ranching, and mining.