Editing Rio Grande (section)

===Uncertain future===
{{see also|Southwestern North American megadrought}}
For much of the time since water rights were introduced in the 1890s, the Rio Grande flowed through Las Cruces from February to October each year, but this is subject to climate change.<ref name="gu-2021-01-12"/> In 2020, the river flowed only from March to September.<ref name="gu-2021-01-12"/> As of January 2021, the Elephant Butte Irrigation District (Ebid) expected that water shortages would mean the river only flows through Las Cruces from June through July.<ref name="gu-2021-01-12"/> The water shortages are affecting the local ecosystem and endangering species including [[Populus fremontii|cottonwood trees]] and the [[Willow flycatcher#E. t. extimus – Southwestern willow flycatcher|southwestern willow flycatcher]].<ref name="gu-2021-01-12">{{cite news |last = Minardi |first = Di |title = A river used to run through it: how New Mexico handles a dwindling Rio Grande |website = The Guardian |location = London |date = January 12, 2021 |url = http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jan/12/rio-grande-new-mexico-river-water |access-date = January 12, 2021 }}</ref>[[File:Rio Grande Ariel July 2022.png|thumb|left|A 5-mile stretch of the river ran dry in [[Albuquerque]] in 2022]] The water of the Rio Grande is over-appropriated: that is, more users for the water exist than water in the river. Because of both drought and overuse, the section from Las Cruces downstream through Ojinaga frequently runs dry and was recently tagged "The Forgotten River" by those wishing to bring attention to the river's deteriorated condition.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0106/09/smn.08.html |title = Rio Grande Sucked Dry for Irrigation, Industry |work = CNN Saturday Morning News |date = June 9, 2001 |publisher = [[CNN]] }}</ref>

In 2022, due to increasing drought and water use, the water debt owed to Texas increased from 31,000 acre-feet to over 130,000 acre-feet since 2021, despite "very significant efforts that were done on the river this year to keep water flowing downstream."<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Glover |first1 = Hannah |title = Despite efforts, NM's Rio Grande water debt grows |url = https://nmpoliticalreport.com/2022/01/27/despite-efforts-nms-rio-grande-water-debt-grows/ |access-date = May 2, 2022 |date = January 27, 2022 }}</ref> In response, New Mexico increased its program offering to subsidize farmers who fallow their fields rather than planting crops, which uses additional water;<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Davis |first1 = Theresa |title = Emergency program pays farmers to fallow fields |url = https://www.abqjournal.com/2481229/troubled-waters-ex-emergency-program-pays-farmers-to-fallow-fields.html |access-date = May 2, 2022 |work = Albuquerque Journal |date = March 20, 2022 }}</ref> the city of Albuquerque shut off its domestic supply diversion and switched to full groundwater pumping in 2021.<ref>{{cite news |title = Water Authority to stop taking water from Rio Grande due to drought |url = https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/water-authority-to-stop-taking-water-from-rio-grande-due-to-drought/ |access-date = May 2, 2022 |work = KRQE News 13 |location = Albuquerque |publisher = [[KRQE-TV]]  |date = June 18, 2021 }}</ref>

Additionally, in 2022, work began on [[El Vado Dam]], during which it is unavailable for storage, reducing system capacity by about 180,000 acre-feet. MRGCD has requested storage of "native water" downstream at [[Abiquiu Reservoir]], which normally only stores waters imported into the Rio Grande watershed from the [[Colorado River]] watershed via the [[San Juan–Chama Project]].<ref>{{cite web |agency = Associated Press |title = El Vado Dam to undergo extensive repairs to prevent leaks |url = https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/el-vado-dam-to-undergo-extensive-repairs-to-prevent-leaks/ |website = KRQE News 13 |location = Albuquerque |publisher = KRQE-TV |access-date = May 2, 2022 |date = November 23, 2021 }}</ref>

[[Elephant Butte Reservoir]], the main storage reservoir on the Rio Grande, was reported at 13.1% of capacity as of May 1, 2022,<ref name= "Elephant Butt">{{cite web |title = Elephant Butte Reservoir |url = https://waterdatafortexas.org/reservoirs/individual/elephant-butte |website = Water Data for Texas |access-date = May 2, 2022 }}</ref> further decreasing to only 5.9% full by November 2021.<ref name= "Elephant Butt"/> Nearly a year later, in October 2022, the reservoir had made only insignificant rebounds, resting at 6.4% of capacity.<ref name= "Elephant Butt"/>

In late July 2022, due to extreme drought, the Rio Grande ran dry for about 50 miles in the middle [[Rio Grande Valley (New Mexico)|Rio Grande Valley]], including five miles in Albuquerque, the first time it had done so in over 40 years.<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Pratt |first1 = Sarah |title = Rio Grande Runs Dry, Then Wet |url = https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150244/rio-grande-runs-dry-then-wet#:~:text=In%20the%20last%20week%20of,County%20had%20also%20dried%20up. |access-date = April 21, 2023 |publisher = National Aeronautics and Space Administration |date = August 23, 2022 |language = en }}</ref> The following winter, the basin experienced above-average snowfall, leading to very high flows in the river in spring of 2023<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Skonieski |first1 = Alexa |title = Rio Grande seeing high water levels, not expected to run dry this year in ABQ |url = https://www.krqe.com/news/environment/rio-grande-seeing-high-water-levels-not-expected-to-run-dry-this-year-in-abq/ |access-date = April 21, 2023 |location = Albuquerque |publisher = KRQE-TV |date = April 19, 2023 }}</ref> and flooding of some of its tributaries, including the [[Jemez River|Jemez]] and [[Pecos River]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last1 = Wadas |first1 = Natalie |title = San Ysidro, Jemez Springs encountering rising floodwaters |url = https://www.krqe.com/news/new-mexico/san-ysidro-jemez-springs-to-encounter-rising-floodwaters/ |access-date = April 21, 2023 |work = KRQE News 13 |location = Albuquerque |publisher = KRQE-TV |date = April 14, 2023 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1 = Mexican |first1 = New |title = Forest officials warn of spring flooding on Pecos River |url = https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/forest-officials-warn-of-spring-flooding-on-pecos-river/article_a760a872-df13-11ed-bf5d-3f9585de6613.html |access-date = April 21, 2023 |work = Santa Fe New Mexican |date = April 19, 2023 |language = en }}</ref> By that summer, after the spring runoff had concluded and due to a failed [[New Mexico monsoon]] season and record high temperatures, the river went dry in Albuquerque for a second consecutive year.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Valle |first1=Andres |title=Rio Grande in Albuquerque to run dry |url=https://www.koat.com/article/rio-grande-in-albuquerque-to-run-dry/44942161#:~:text=For%20the%20second%20time%20in,it%20will%20improve%20anytime%20soon. |website=KOAT |language=en |date=30 August 2023}}</ref>