SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Cities, water managers and a key irrigation district along the Rio Grande have agreed to sell water they don't immediately need to help boost flows along a stretch of the river in central New Mexico to deal with extremely dry conditions and benefit endangered species.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports the environmental group Audubon New Mexico says it helped to initiate the agreements, which will amount to more than 320 million gallons (1,200 million liters) being released over a nearly two-month period.
Paul Tashjian, of Audubon New Mexico declined to provide details on costs or the source of funds being spent to help deal with this year's drought emergency, but says Belen, Los Lunas and Bernalillo were providing shares of unused water rights "at cost without profit."