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So, without diverting into the what's causing climate change for the sake of not being political, what we do know is that climate has been forever changing, it always has and it always will. Otherwise we'd still be in an ice age, no?
How is the climate in New Mexico changing? Is it getting hotter, drier, colder, rainier? Etc.
Ruidoso current conditions: First snow of the season in town this morning (Mon. 11/28/16). Temp is borderline freezing so not sticking to roads and just a dusting so far otherwise.
It did, in places. To be fair, though, that happens somewhere between Albuquerque and El Paso just about every year, and has for centuries. There are Spanish accounts from the 17th century about stretches near Las Cruces that were regularly dry outside the rainy season.
The real issue is that there are now a lot more users of river water than there used to be, to the extent that almost all the flowing water in the channel is spoken for from a legal perspective. That doesn't allow much margin of error in a dry year (which current climate projections predict will become much more common). NM is obligated to provide a considerable amount of water to Texas via the Rio Grande every year, which makes it very unlikely that the river will ever go permanently dry. However, they're not necessarily under any obligation to move that water via anything that resembles a natural flow.
It's important to understand how the irrigation systems work along the Rio Grande. In long stretches there is substantial diversion into irrigation ditches which deprives the actual river bed of that water. Diversion is accomplished with "weir" dams at various points - in addition to the need to keep the dams that form reservoirs in business for use during the growing season.
It's important to understand how the irrigation systems work along the Rio Grande. In long stretches there is substantial diversion into irrigation ditches which deprives the actual river bed of that water. Diversion is accomplished with "weir" dams at various points - in addition to the need to keep the dams that form reservoirs in business for use during the growing season.
Good ta know - I've wondered about the Rio Grande's flow hitches and glitches. And normal business flows - turns out there is a science working it to the best usage, which is, of course, understandable and good to know. If we don't know this about it, we are forced to think "well, I guess flow is just down too much...and, ya know, this is the desert southwest we're talking about, don'tcha-know?
While the article was published in 1999, the information contained in it is invaluable for understanding how the Mesilla Valley district is managed by the Elephant Butte Irrigation District.
Quote:
...technology holds the key to giving the Rio Grande a chance to continue to give to agriculture and to everyone in the valley for generations to come.
It would be interesting (and perhaps this article contains this information) what crops are produced along the Rio Grande's flow, too. Could be in there I spose.
It did, in places. To be fair, though, that happens somewhere between Albuquerque and El Paso just about every year, and has for centuries. There are Spanish accounts from the 17th century about stretches near Las Cruces that were regularly dry outside the rainy season.
The real issue is that there are now a lot more users of river water than there used to be, to the extent that almost all the flowing water in the channel is spoken for from a legal perspective. That doesn't allow much margin of error in a dry year (which current climate projections predict will become much more common). NM is obligated to provide a considerable amount of water to Texas via the Rio Grande every year, which makes it very unlikely that the river will ever go permanently dry. However, they're not necessarily under any obligation to move that water via anything that resembles a natural flow.
Thank you. This is very interesting and informative. If it has always had a tendency to run dry in certain parts at certain times of year, why all the fuss a few years ago about saving the little minnow or whatever it was, that was some kind of special specie native to the river?
It would be interesting (and perhaps this article contains this information) what crops are produced along the Rio Grande's flow, too. Could be in there I spose.
A safe bet would be: corn, beans, squash. Are you talking about crops in close proximity to the river, or do you mean the region as a whole?
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Elephant Butte Irrigation District, etc....
