Via John Fleck is this Santa Fe New Mexican article that puts some great perspective on the state’s peak water woes:
New Mexico’s water math isn’t adding up. Real water plus paper water are supposed to equal water supply, but it doesn’t, especially during drought.
Real water: That’s wet water, the stuff one needs for drinking, washing clothes, growing food, building houses and cooling power plants.
Paper water: The piece of paper that says how much real water someone has the legal right to use.
The problem: New Mexico has more paper water than real water.
The result: Someone is going to go thirsty.
This has to be taken into consideration when entities are divvying up water. This might also be of particular concern for residents in southwest New Mexico in regard to the Arizona Water Settlements Act.
