OPINION: Lawmakers must pass measures safeguarding clean water in NM

As a 12th-generation Nuevo Mexicano from East Pecos, I served three governors as chairman of the New Mexico Acequia Commission. I am a New Mexico water ambassador and the owner of Molino de la Isla Organics, a small organic farm dedicated to growing healthy, acequia-fed food for my community. I also work as the northern New Mexico organizer for New Mexico Wild.

Beyond farming, I’m committed to preserving our acequia culture and the quality of the water that flows through them from the waterways that play a crucial role in sustaining our land, heritage and way of life.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sackett v. EPA overturned decades of clean water protections, putting New Mexico’s rivers, streams and wetlands at serious risk. For nearly 50 years, federal safeguards kept our waters protected from pollution and unchecked development. Now, with those protections stripped away, the future of New Mexico’s most precious resource, our water, is on the line.

This isn’t just an environmental issue. It’s about public health, economic stability, and cultural survival. As a state rooted in agriculture, outdoor recreation and natural resource-based economies, we cannot afford to leave our waters unprotected. Without immediate action, our water quality will decline, and our communities, traditions and livelihoods will suffer.

The Supreme Court ruling eliminated federal protections for most of New Mexico’s waterways, leaving them open to pollution from chemicals, sewage and industrial runoff. Seasonal streams and wetlands — critical to our acequias, farms, and wildlife — are now more vulnerable than ever. Wetlands, which naturally filter water, control floods, and support biodiversity, are at greater risk of destruction.

The loss of these protections doesn’t just harm the environment; it threatens our drinking water, our agricultural economy, and our ability to sustain our way of life.

But there’s hope. In February 2024, New Mexico lawmakers took an important step by securing $7.6 million to develop a state surface water permitting program. Now, we must build on that progress.

In the 2025 legislative session, New Mexico has the chance to pass two critical bills that will restore protections to our waterways and fill the gaps left by the Supreme Court’s decision.

Senate Bill 21 will create a permitting program to safeguard the waters that no longer have federal protection. Senate Bill 22 will allow New Mexico to take over permitting authority from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, making the process more efficient and tailored to our state’s needs.

These measures will ensure that clean water in New Mexico isn’t left to chance. Importantly, both bills include exemptions for traditional farming and ranching activities, recognizing the importance of agriculture in our state.

We are at a turning point. The Supreme Court’s decision exposed the weaknesses in our water protections, but it also gives us an opportunity to take control of our future. By passing these bills, we can secure the health of our waterways, protect our agricultural economy and preserve our cultural heritage.

As a farmer, acequia advocate and New Mexican, I know how much we depend on the water that flows through our state. We must act now to protect it, for ourselves, our communities, and the generations to come. The time to restore protections is now.

Ralph Vigil, of Pecos, is a former chairman of the New Mexico Acequia Commission and owner of Molino de la Isla Organics, a small organic farm that grows healthy, acequia-grown food and helps educate the public about acequia culture and its contribution to the environment.