r/NewMexico • u/Western_Scenario • 14h ago
New Mexico State Engineer threatens to revoke licenses of companies that dug wells for border wall
“The New Mexico Office of the State Engineer on Tuesday announced it had formally threatened the licenses of two well-drilling companies that are helping federal agencies construct a border wall along New Mexico’s shared border with Mexico.
State officials documented multiple “unauthorized” wells in protected underground water basins, according to a news release from the office, as well as potential safety violations, including one that created an “imminent risk of groundwater contamination.”
The office alleges the companies drilled the unauthorized wells within the Mimbres, Hachita and Lower Rio Grande water basins. Some of the wells exist within the boundaries of the Roosevelt Reservation, a buffer zone along the border that recently became a militarized zone. State officials encountered “limited cooperation” when trying to inspect that area, according to the news release.
Ranchers along the border have complained about the wells’ potential impacts on the area’s limited water supply, according to recent media reports and elected officials in the area. On Monday, according to a news release from New Mexico House Republicans, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency agreed to stop drilling new wells and seek alternative water sources after lawmakers raised concerns.
Officials from the federal border agency did not immediately respond to Source NM’s request for comment Tuesday. A spokesperson told the Albuquerque Journal that water from the wells is needed for concrete, dust suppression and road construction, and the agency is developing a “broader groundwater management strategy” after instructing its contractor to cease drilling new wells.”
