Global Warming News

As the new home of NMPIRG's environmental work, Environment New Mexico can be contacted with any questions regarding this news release.

A new analysis of government data released today by the New Mexico Public Interest Research Group (NMPIRG) and the National Environmental Trust (NET) found for the first time that the West’s major river basins are getting warmer, at exactly the time of year water needs to be stored as snow to meet the region’s water needs. The report finds trends that go beyond occasional or seasonal drought, showing a steadily declining snowpack in the mountains which could mean a shortage of water flowing into rivers and communities.

Despite the past year’s above-average snowpack, the report found that compared to the historical average, the Rio Grande River and Colorado River basins – which provide much of Northern New Mexico’s water – are facing warmer winters and smaller snowpacks. Three-fourths of the water used in the West starts as snow.

“Northern New Mexico depends on the Rio Grande River and the Colorado River for our water supply, and both of these rivers are fed by snow melting in the upper reaches of the River basins,” said Adriana Blake, Marketing Manager, Taos Ski Valley. “Warmer winters and less snow means that we’ll have even less water available. Global warming is affecting us today.”

The new Clear the Air report, entitled “Less Snow, Less Water,” was written by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and is based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). It looked at four major river basins in the West, including the Rio Grande and the Colorado, which provide most of Albuquerque’s and Santa Fe’s water. The study found:

Increased Temperatures — In the Rio Grande River basin and the Colorado River basin the most recent five-year period was the hottest in the past 110 years. In the upper Rio Grande River basin, 2000-2004 was 2.5°F hotter than the historic average while in the upper Colorado River basin, 2000-2004 was 2.1°F hotter than the historic average.

Winter Warming — The warming seen in the Rio Grande River and Colorado River basins has not been random throughout the year. The monthly pattern of increased temperatures between 1995 through 2004 shows that warming has been greatest in January, February, and March – a “fingerprint” of global warming. This is also when warming has the greatest potential to reduce the amount of precipitation that falls as snow.

Reduced Snowpack — Government snowpack-measurement records going back to 1961 indicate that snowpack levels have been below average for 11 of 16 years in the Colorado River basin and for 10 of 16 years in the Rio Grande basin.

“Precipitation in the West is scarcest where and when we need it most,” said State Engineer of New Mexico John D’Antonio. “Mountain snowpacks are our largest reservoirs, dwarfing those people have built. They naturally delay runoff for months, until spring’s warmth releases it as snowmelt. Warmer winters, smaller snowpacks, and earlier run-offs will require us to rethink how we store and manage water in New Mexico, where we already face challenges with increased demand from population growth, economic development, and environmental needs. We have set up a work group to develop the report called for by Governor Richardson’s Executive Order on Climate Change on the impact on the State’s water supply and ability to manage our water resources.”

“Climate change has serious implications for New Mexico, especially to our precious water resources," said Sandra Ely, Environment and Energy Policy Coordinator for the New Mexico Environment Department. "Governor Richardson recognizes this problem and is taking action by setting aggressive greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for all of New Mexico including state government and initiating numerous energy conservation programs."

Contacting Participants:
Adriana Blake, Taos Ski Valley – cell: 741-1524
John D’Antonio, State Engineer – press person, Karin Stangl office: 827-6139
Sandra Ely, New Mexico Environment Department – office: 827-0393
Claudia Borchert, City of Santa Fe – office: 955-4203