This story was originally published byGrist.
Mark Garcia can see that theres no shortage of water in the Rio Grande this year.
The river flows past his farm in central New Mexico, about 50 miles south of Albuquerque.
© Sean Pavone - Shutterstock
As the summer continues, the river will diminish, leaving Garcia with a strict ration.
We need some sort of storage, said Garcia.
Its a surprising twist of fate for a region that in recent years emerged as amodelforsustainablewater managementin the West.
Weve been really eking by every year the past few years.
Surface water imports from the El Vado system have generally allowed public officials in Albuquerque to limit groundwater shortages.
It just creates a lot of stress on the system late in the summer.
The loss of El Vado is jeopardizing this achievement.
This renewed reliance on groundwater has halted the recovery of local aquifers.
We have more than enough supply to meet demand, but it does change our equation, she added.
The next-best option is to find somewhere else to store water for farmers.
In the meantime, farmers like Garcia are getting impatient.
This article originally appeared inGristathttps://grist.org/drought/albuquerque-water-el-vado-dam/.
Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.
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