The Rio Grande Is Running Dry in Albuquerque

In places where water is usually plentiful, one of the region's most important rivers is running dry. A stretch of the Rio Grande river in Albuquerque, New Mexico is nothing more than a muddy creek bed, something that hasn't happened in decades.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 85% of New Mexico was in some form of severe to exceptional dry weather. The state experienced record high temperatures last week. Roswell, which is 200 miles southeast of Albuquerque, has had 16 consecutive days of temperatures above 100 degrees. The newly dry river is a sign of what is to come as New Mexico struggles to recover from its worst fires on record.

The river doesn't dry with a bang, but with a muddy whimper and the sound of birds waking up.

The Washington Post reports that the upstream reserves that could have helped the river with its flow are already spoken for. A bad snow year, little rain, and hot temperatures have led to low water levels in some of the state's large water storage areas. There is less water available for the New Mexico stretch of the river due to the fact that New Mexico owes Texas water. The dry patch in Albuquerque is bad news for farmers in the area who rely on the river for water, as well as for plants and animals that rely on the river.

The Rio Grande had a discharge rate of just 20.2 feet per second on July 25. This is close to the historic low set in 1974 and far below the mean daily discharge.

The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District is out of water, according to the CEO.

The river starts in the Rockies and goes through the Southwest to reach the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, the river serves as a water source for around 6 million people and supports a wide range of flora and fauna.

The river is suffering from mismanagement and human over use. The majority of the water from the river is used to irrigate crops in the US and Mexico. The river has been used for a long time for irrigation. The politics of the river's use became more complex in the late 1930s and early 1940s as the river's supply was divided between the US and Mexico.

It is not uncommon for parts of the river to go through a few dry years before they get a wet season. The past few years have been rough for the Rio Grande, making it a muddy creek bed through parts of New Mexico where it would normally have water this time of year. In Texas, the river completely dried up in April for the first time on record, and stayed dry for most of May.

The Rio Grande is not the only important waterway in the west that is struggling due to climate change. The Colorado River is reaching a crisis point due to the excessive use of water, as well as the low water levels in some of the river's important sources.