NMSU Rolls Out $5M Ag Water Program to Combat NM Drought

New Mexico State University's New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NM WRRI) has launched the Agricultural Water Resilience Program (AgWRP), backed by a $5 million appropriation from the 2026 state Legislature. The program, detailed in enabling legislation HB2.5 315, implements Action A2 of New Mexico's 50-Year Water Action Plan to boost agricultural water conservation and ensure food security in a drying climate. Projects must be completed between September 15, 2025, and June 30, 2026, with water impact assessments continuing through June 30, 2027.

NM WRRI administers the funding, awarding grants to eligible applicants who partner directly with farmers and ranchers for on-the-ground projects enhancing water efficiency. Released June 16, 2025, the program focuses on drought-prone areas like southern New Mexico's Rio Grande Basin, where NMSU's longstanding Water Task Force has pioneered irrigation research. Complementary efforts include a 20-hour Water Technician Training short-course teaching soil-water dynamics, evapotranspiration, crop needs, and climate-based scheduling, complete with hands-on weather station installation and FAO software use.

The initiative builds on NMSU's history of extension education, such as efficient irrigation guides for drip systems and mulches tailored to vegetable and herb growers in the Rio Grande Basin. As New Mexico grapples with persistent drought, AgWRP incentivizes resilience for operations from small farms in Doña Ana County to larger ranches statewide, monitoring outcomes to refine future strategies.