The proposed Augustin Plains Ranch water pipeline project, much like the San Juan Chama River Project before it, has tremendous potential to supply New Mexico’s middle Rio Grande Valley with an abundance of water for centuries to come.
The demand for water in our state already surpasses its availability, and the situation is becoming even more dire due to extreme drought. That is why the project’s supporters and sponsors are committed to developing this much-needed resource on behalf of all New Mexicans. This state-of-the-art, eco-friendly project will be unique, producing its own power for operation through hydropower and solar energy. But more importantly, the project will create a new, sustainable and abundant source of water independent of compacts with other states.
This will be accomplished by replenishing a massive, underground aquifer in western New Mexico with rainwater that is currently lost to evaporation. The project will provide water to New Mexicans where it is needed most, and will also improve river habitat and water quality in the Rio Grande. With support from local, state, and federal agencies as well as New Mexico’s local communities, this project can begin delivering this desperately needed water within five years.