New Mexico Water eNews

NMSU Graduate Students Attend Workshop on Securing
a Sustainable Water Future for the Paso Del Norte Region
by Professor Frank Ward, NMSU Ag Economics and Ag Business

Four NMSU Water Science and Management PhD students attended a USDA project planning workshop held at UTEP on Wednesday, March 15. The students were Sarah Sayles, Befekadu Habteyes, Sarah Acquah, and Dina Salman. The workshop’s goal was to coordinate plans on the USDA project “Sustainable water resources for irrigated agriculture in a desert river basin facing climate change and competing demands: From characterization to solutions.” The project’s core question is “How can water be managed so that three sectors: ag, urban, and environment, can secure a sustainable future?” Meeting participants discussed the status and plans for a ‘Bucket Model,’ which is designed to track sources, uses, and economic values of water for irrigation, urban, and environmental protection in the Paso Del Norte region downstream of Elephant Butte Reservoir under future climate scenarios and policy responses.

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NMSU’s College of ACES Dean Flores receives KSU’s Outstanding Alumni Award
by Darrell J. Pehr, NMSU Marketing and Communications

As an engineer and scientist in grain processing, New Mexico State University’s Rolando A. Flores, dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, has been selected to receive the Kansas State University Department of Grain Science and Industry’s Outstanding Alumni Award.

“This award recognizes Grain Science alumni who have made a significant positive impact on or contribution to the field of grain science,” said Gordon Smith, professor and head of Grain Science and Industry at KSU. Smith said the award “represents the values and mission of the department on behalf of our alumni, faculty, staff and students.”

“The faculty, staff and students of the Grain Science and Industry department take great pride in the accomplishments and contributions of our alumni,” Smith said. “Dean Flores’ impact on our industry not only positively reflects, but also extends and enhances the visibility and reputation of our department.”

Flores has been invited to receive the award at the Grain Science and Industry Student and Industry Awards Banquet on April 20 at KSU. The event also will highlight the awards and scholarships received by the department’s students, faculty and staff at the banquet.

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Water Science and Management Graduate Student Organization Hosts Event for Students
by Jesslyn Ratliff, NM WRRI Program Specialist and Water Science & Management Student Program Coordinator

The Water Science and Management (WSM) Graduate Student Organization held a Water Jobs Mini-Symposium on Wednesday, March 29 to allow students to learn about jobs in water in our region, from engineering conservation to water technology and more. Speakers for the event were Erek Fuchs, Groundwater Resources Manager at Elephant Butte Irrigation District; Clayton Bradley, NMSU Attorney for Real Estate and Water Development; Rhonda Diaz, Water Conservation Program Coordinator with the City of Las Cruces; and Filiberto Aguirre, Jr, Line Locator with Las Cruces Water Resources.

The speakers took time to talk about their past experiences in water and gave brief descriptions about their day-to-day job duties related to water. Each speaker was insightful and allowed students to gain a better understanding of how there are many different water job opportunities and what is necessary to obtain these jobs.

Presentation Abstracts for Gold King Mine Spill Conference Posted on Website
by Catherine Ortega Klett, NM WRRI Program Manager

The 2nd Annual Conference on Environmental Conditions of the Animas and San Juan Watersheds with Emphasis on Gold King Mine and Other Mine Waste Issues will take place on June 20-22, 2017 at San Juan College, Farmington, NM. Building on last year’s successful conference, the program will continue to facilitate the exchange of data and research results associated with monitoring efforts related to the August 2015 Gold King Mine spill. Since the spill, quite a bit has happened on the site and this conference will provide an update of the increased understanding of the spill, along with lessons that have been learned.

About 30 oral presentations and a dozen posters will be presented over two days. An optional one-day field trip is scheduled for June 22. The field trip will explore the geology, mining, agriculture, and water resources issues in the Animas River and San Juan watersheds of northern New Mexico and southwestern Colorado.

View the conference abstracts, field trip itinerary, and register for the conference by clicking here.