About Main Stream

Promoting a Sustainable Shared Water Future in New Mexico

Main Stream New Mexico is a campaign of the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission Water Planning Program.

New Mexico faces water shortages due to climate change and other factors. These shortages will intensify in the coming decades. The evidence suggests that available water supplies in New Mexico will decline by 25-30% (and possibly more), while demands are expected to grow.

Like many of our neighbors, New Mexico has a challenge ahead. But our desert climate is nothing new. Over our history, we have and will continue finding ways to adapt and sustain in the face of water shortages. Now is the time to put our knowledge into action, reducing use and planning ahead.

Background

Main Stream New Mexico is sponsored by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer (NMOSE) and the Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC), which investigates, protects, conserves, and develops New Mexico’s waters including both interstate and intrastate stream systems.

Main Stream is the public’s guide to revitalized regional water planning under New Mexico’s Water Security Planning Act, passed in 2023. This is a new era in regional water planning in New Mexico that prioritizes the unique needs of local communities, makes use of the best available science and data, and maintains compliance with federal and state laws.

Main Stream is a guide, connecting data, stories, and solutions across the state.

Data & Reports

Water Stories

Key features of the Water Security Planning Act

Robust Public Engagement

As a starting point, we worked together as a community to develop rules and guidelines for the future of New Mexico's water management. Through in-person and online Open Houses, the public's input helped guide New Mexico's plan for water security.

Community Leadership

Designed to support communities as they take the lead in their own regional water planning decisions.

Regional Assistance

Supporting communities through the challenges ahead with technical assistance around legal compliance and funding — including loans and grants — for regional water plan development and implementation across New Mexico.

Tribal Sovereignty

Prioritization of the needs, sovereignty, and rights of tribal communities through an advisory council formed with the Indian Affairs Department and active involvement of pueblos, tribes, and nations in the decision-making process.

Science and Data-Driven Planning

Thoughtful integration of the best available science and data in New Mexico’s regional water resource planning to ensure transparency, objectivity, and professionalism.

Accountability Measures

Required reporting on regional water planning, including approved plans, outcomes, and expenditures on an annual basis.

Rural Support

Increased support for capacity development, infrastructure, and planning in rural areas to address unique water challenges.

Water Planning FAQ

Together with our local communities, NMISC is reexamining New Mexico’s water regions and how they’re delineated, and opening new doors to support communities in taking a lead in their own regional water planning decisions.

Some factors that effect water planning regions include:

Hydrology (Water)

The physical characteristics of our landscapes, including watersheds and groundwater basins. Hydrological data helps regions plan more suitably based on the characteristics of shared water supplies.

Cultural & Social Groups

Communities with similar values, norms, cultural practices and water traditions. Cultural data can help regions may plan more suitably to the shared values and norms of their communities.

Governance

Local legislation and government, organized by city, county, tribal government, irrigation district, etc. Governance structures determine which regions have existing administrative capacities to develop, fund, and implement plans and projects.

After Rulemaking is complete, updated regions will be published here.

Open Houses

April-August 2024

Initial Reports

November 2024

Discussion Draft

Spring and Summer 2025

Rule Promulgation

Fall 2025

Guidelines Adoption

Early 2026

From April through August 2024 we heard from you at statewide and online open houses. 710 New Mexicans attended in-person open houses across New Mexico's 16 existing water planning regions and over 1,600 people shared their voices online.

THANK YOU!

From there, we published the Engagement Report on what we heard, taking us one step closer to New Mexico’s roadmap for our water future.

We are now in the formal Rulemaking process, which proposes the framework for how regional water planning will be carried out, including governance structures, public welfare considerations, and new regional water planning boundaries.

As part of the rulemaking process, NMISC is accepting public comments for the official record from July 17 through September 27, 2025, and a public hearing will begin on October 15. Please visit the official rulemaking page to view the proposed rule, all docketed materials, and make a comment.