Rio Grande No Más as River Appears to Run Dry

Albuquerque –

While driving across the Montaño Bridge in Albuquerque, we were met with a startling sight: the Rio Grande appeared completely dry. The river or observed by many as just a creek usually stretches for miles both north and south of the metro. We went down to the river and there were no visible pools or flowing sections of the river in sight.

Walking across the riverbed, we found it parched and barren, scattered with logs and trash. New Mexico, Colorado, and Texas have a compact concerning the the rivers flowing water. The Rio Grande Compact is an agreement dating back to 1938 between the three states.

The compact governs how water from the Rio Grande is distributed among the three states, with each bearing specific responsibilities:

• Colorado is required to deliver a designated amount of water to the New Mexico state line near Lobatos, based on a sliding scale that reflects the river’s flow levels.
• New Mexico must then pass that water down to Elephant Butte Reservoir, ensuring minimal losses. The state is prohibited from storing or diverting water in a way that would impact Texas’s legally allotted share.
• Texas receives its portion from the Elephant Butte Reservoir, and delivery compliance is measured at that point.

The current dry conditions suggest that water deliveries may be strained or reduced, especially if upstream states are experiencing low flow rates themselves.

The National Weather Service forecasts scattered thunderstorms over the next 10 days. However, it would take a substantial and sustained increase in moisture to noticeably raise water levels in the Albuquerque stretch of the Rio Grande.