The value of clean water in NM is both cultural and economic. Tribes, pueblos, and traditional rural communities rely on fresh water for ceremonial purposes and to feed their families.
New Mexico is full of
Iconic
Rivers
But under a new federal rule, New Mexico’s rivers, streams, lakes, and wetlands are at risk like never before.
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The Dirty Water Rule, finalized in 2020, strips Clean Water Act protections from 90% of New Mexico’s waterways.
= Unprotected Waters
= Protected Waters
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The state’s robust outdoor recreation and agriculture economies rely on clean water and watersheds.
The Threat
Officially called the “Navigable Waters Protection Rule”, the 2020 Dirty Water Rule negatively impacts New Mexico more than any state in the nation. The rule removes federal Clean Water Act protections for the vast majority of our waterways. New Mexico is one of only three states that does not have a state program in place to control dumping of contaminants into state waters.
Spotlight on Threatened Waterways of New Mexico
Details Threatened Waterways of New Mexico
Impacts
Officially called the “Navigable Waters Protection Rule”, the 2020 Dirty Water Rule negatively impacts New Mexico more than any state in the nation.
The rule removes federal Clean Water Act protections for the vast majority of our waterways. New Mexico is one of only three states that does not have a state program in place to control dumping into state waters.
Stream and acequia networks that support multi-generational farms make up the vast majority of waterways in New Mexico. These waterways are threatened by unregulated dumping, which would irreparably harm traditional land-based communities through the state.
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Waterways that tribes, pueblos, and traditional land based communities rely on will lose protections under the Dirty Water Rule.
From New Mexico’s iconic Rio Grande to smaller waterways like arroyos, all of the state’s waters sustain critical economic activity.
“People do not want to recreate on polluted waters that cannot sustain healthy fish, bird and wildlife populations.” - Rebecca Roose
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Solutions
The Dirty Water Rule impacts New Mexico more severely than most states in the nation. New Mexico is only one of three states that does not have a state program to cover the regulatory gap left by the 2020 Dirty Water Rule.
In NM as well as across tribal lands, it could take years and millions of unavailable, unappropriated dollars to prevent water quality and watershed degradation.
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