What Happens When The Rio Grande Runs Dry?
This week on the New Mexico News Insiders Podcast, Chris and Gabby wade through the complexities with Jason Casuga, Chief Engineer and CEO of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District. He breaks down restrictions surrounding local storage of water supply, the terms of the Rio Grande Compact, and what a dry river means for future infrastructure and livelihoods.
When it comes to the Compact, 'It should not be viewed as Texas taking New Mexico's water, I think it needs to be understood that New Mexico willingly entered into this agreement,' Casuga explains. 'And if we as New Mexico don't faithfully honor that, then it begs the question, should Colorado honor their portion of the compact?'
Casuga also clears up some misconceptions about the current water shortage in New Mexico. 'I've had people tell me, 'Jason, I have this water right, you have to find me the water.' And my answer back to them is, 'Well, a water right is a legal right to use water when it's available, but if the water available is zero, the amount of water you get from that right is zero.''
Listen to the full conversation above to learn more about New Mexico's water management system, and the tough conversations taking place behind the scenes.
Stay informed with the latest news by subscribing to the New Mexico News Insiders podcast wherever you listen. Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Insiders every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Podbean, among others.
You can also watch our podcasts in video form, both on-air and online. Tune in to an abbreviated version of the New Mexico News Insiders podcast on broadcast television every Wednesday at 10:35 p.m. on Fox New Mexico. Full video episodes are posted on KRQE's YouTube page at youtube.com/krqenews13.
Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term 'KRQE' or 'New Mexico News Insiders' (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email your hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Kansas City Current delay matchup vs. Orlando Pride minutes before kickoff due to excessive heat
A high-level matchup between the Kansas City Current and Orlando Pride has been delayed due to excessive heat — just minutes before the game was supposed to take place. Both teams had warmed up on the field in front of a full crowd, before the game went into an unusual heat-based weather delay. The game was set to kick off at 3:12 p.m. local time. The Current announced the weather delay one minute before that kickoff, at 3:11. At the time that kickoff was supposed to take place, it was 95 degrees in Kansas City, with 46% humidity and a heat index of 103 degrees, per the National Weather Service. Kansas City is under a heat advisory throughout the weekend. The outside temperature is not set to cool down until 6 p.m. CT — three hours after kickoff was supposed to take place. Per the CBS broadcast, the temperature on the field has to be 92 degrees in order for the game to be played. As of 3:30 p.m. CT, the thermometer was stuck just above 96 degrees, indicating that it might be a while until the teams can get back onto the field. This story will be updated.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Milwaukee-area restaurant, bar closures due to flooding include Cafe Hollander, Mothership
Torrential rain in the Milwaukee area over the weekend of Aug. 9 and 10 led to flash floods that damaged area homes and businesses. Here are some area restaurants and bars that are closed temporarily as they repair the damage. Cafe Hollander in Wauwatosa closed temporarily due to flooding Cafe Hollander, 7677 W. State St., Wauwatosa, shared on social media on Aug. 11 that the restaurant is closed due to damage incurred from flooding of the Menomonee River, which flows alongside the restaurant. 'Our Cafe Hollander – Wauwatosa is getting an unexpected remodel, so we are temporarily closed,' the restaurant wrote on Facebook. Cafe Hollander's locations in Brookfield, Mequon, Milwaukee's east side and Madison remain open, as well as the Lowlands Group's sister restaurant, Buckatabon, located directly across the street from Hollander in the Tosa Village. Buckatabon was not damaged by the flooding, but its main patio remains closed so the city can monitor the pedestrian bridge and river below, the restaurant said in posts on social media. Its State Street patio is open. 'Our hearts are with the Village and everyone affected by the recent floods,' the Hollander post continued. 'Stay strong, Tosa!' On Aug. 13, Lowlands Group Founder and CEO Eric Wagner said Cafe Hollander would be closed for six weeks as they repaired the damage to the restaurant's lower-level kitchen. The Mothership in Bay View closed temporarily after flooding The Mothership, a corner cocktail bar at 2301 S. Logan Ave. in Milwaukee's Bay View neighborhood, is closed temporarily after incurring excessive water damage to its basement. 'I have no clue what temporary means but the loss we endured at the hands of the flood Saturday is going to put us out of commission for a while,' owner Ricky Ramirez posted on the bar's Instagram account. According to the post, the bar's basement was flooded 'from floor to ceiling,' destroying equipment, its entire stock of merchandise, rare bottles of liquor and more. 'You name it, we lost it,' the post continued. The bar is located near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Bay Street, an area of Bay View that saw significant flooding during the Aug. 10 storm. Ian's Pizza downtown closed for a week Ian's Pizza, 146 E. Juneau Ave., will be closed for about a week due to sewage backup in the basement of the restaurant where all of its storage is. Managing Partner Ryan Donovan said around 1:30 a.m. Aug. 10 employees noticed flooding in the basement as they were preparing to close at 2 a.m., and they immediately closed the restaurant. Donovan said they have since cleaned up what they could, but they are waiting on a professional cleaning service. "We can't open until that's done. Our best bet at the moment is that maybe we'll be open by next week, fingers crossed," Donovan said on Aug. 12. "There's so much damage everywhere. It's really hard to get the help that we need." He said his insurance covers $25,000 for sewage backup, which is about how much he estimated in damages from the flooding. The Newport bar in Bay View is temporarily closed due to water damage Bay View corner bar The Newport, 939 E. Conway St., is closed as it recovers from water damage as a result of the Aug. 9 and 10 storms. Owner Tim Creed said that he optimistically hopes to reopen his bar by Aug. 14 or 15. 'We're still determining what equipment is lost, but it's probably going to be significant,' he said on Aug. 12. That includes over $10,000 in beer and liquor alone, but when factoring in equipment, Creed estimates the bar could be looking at more than $50,000 in losses. 'And that doesn't include loss of income,' he said. Water reached about waist high in the rear space of The Newport's three-level basement, where its office, ice machine and liquor storage are located. The drains in all three areas of the basement failed. 'We were down there as the backup was starting,' Creed said. 'We were pumping and cleared the basement completely, then it came right back, only faster. The pump couldn't keep up, and we just had to walk away.' The bar's ice machine is a total loss, and the bar's compressors and two furnaces may be unsalvageable, as well, Creed said. 'Our biggest concern is getting open so our employees can get back to working,' Creed said, noting that his staff has been working voluntarily to help clean and clear the basement. 'We have the best staff in Milwaukee,' he said. 'We're going to have a much smaller bank account, but hopefully we're going to come back stronger." Milwaukee sports bar and restaurant The Slow Buffalo will be closed for 'an extended period of time' The Slow Buffalo, 3872 S. 92 St., shared on Facebook that its basement flooded during the two-day storm that began the night of Aug. 9. The sports bar and restaurant, which opened on Milwaukee's southwest side in March, shared an image of the business's basement that shows debris floating on water that is near the top of the stairs. 'Currently our basement, like a lot of other homes/businesses, is flooded,' the social media post read. 'We will be closed for an extended period of time. This will not be a quick clean up. We will hopefully know more in the next few days." Owner Jeremy Chounard could not immediately be reached for comment. Chounard and business partner Joseph Vagnini also own The Hale House, 10539 W. Forest Home Ave., Hales Corners, and The Local Bar & Grill, W191S6409 Hillendale Dr., Muskego. Both businesses are open and were not impacted by flooding. This story was updated to add new information. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee-area restaurants closed after flooding include Cafe Hollander
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Milwaukee County urges residents to report damage as part of an effort to seek federal aid
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley is mobilizing efforts to obtain federal aid in the wake of historic flooding in southeastern Wisconsin. On Aug. 12, Crowley conducted a walkthrough of the Milwaukee neighborhood around North 39th Street and West Hope Avenue to assess the damage and offer guidance and support. He urged all residents to report any damage to homes and property through the county's 211 social services hotline. That's because obtaining federal aid through the Federal Emergency Management Agency is only possible if an area documents a certain threshold of damage costs, according to the county's Office of Emergency Management. The OEM's Deputy Director Chris McGowan could not immediately provide what that threshold is for Milwaukee County or how close the county is to meeting it. But McGowan did say the office is "already anticipating we will be over that threshold." The OEM is currently spearheading efforts to assess damage across the county with support from the City of Milwaukee, volunteer groups, the state's Incident Management Team and other county agencies. McGowan said the initiative could take between several weeks and several months. Initial estimates already indicate that 11% of the damage reported to 211 is categorized as "fully destroyed," which rivals a major hurricane, McGowan said. The more people who report damage, the more likely Milwaukee County is to reach that threshold sooner and qualify for federal aid, Crowley said during the walkthrough. The neighborhood Crowley visited to assess damage was hit hard by flooding For blocks, piles and piles of water-damaged items sat near the curbs outside of homes: mattresses, suitcases, printers, moldy clothing items and damaged photos were among the heaps. It's a similar story across the county, damage assessors said. Crowley and other responders stopped at the home of Collette Anderson and her son Da'lin, who said most of the cars on their block aren't working after the street flooded with around 3 feet of water for about 12 hours. Their home also sustained significant damage, the Andersons told Crowley. Da'lin said it meant a lot to see Crowley out in their community, offering guidance and support. Another resident Crowley visited, Tamela Montgomery, said the impact of flooding has been devastating to her neighborhood. "We start from the bottom, trying to get these things for ourselves, and it's all taken away in the blink of an eye," Montgomery said. She was shocked at the speed with which her home filled with water, destroying all the toys and games she'd bought for her five grandchildren. "It was horrific," Montgomery said. "We were swimming." Crowley said, "folks are not only losing their homes but their memories." How close is the county to qualifying for federal aid? Crowley said the county and the state are still gathering information on the total impact of the damage caused by the flooding. Already, the county has received thousands of calls, he said. "Whether or not we reach that threshold, our job is to show up for people while they're going through one of the worst times in their life," Crowley said. Crowley issued a countywide emergency on Aug. 10 Crowley said he has not had any contact with the Trump Administration. How Milwaukee County residents can report flood damage: Residents can report damage to the county by calling 211 or by filling out forms on the county website. Crowley said all county residents seeing damage, especially those without insurance, should report it. FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration also offer applications for individual loans and grants to people in areas with declared disasters. During the walkthrough, Crowley thanked local partners, state agencies and community groups who've been out across the county finding ways to help their neighbors. "The only way we're going to get through this is by continuously working together, leaning on one another," Crowley said. "We've been doing a great job of that. Let's keep going." (This story was updated to change or add a photo or video.) Contact Claudia Levens at clevens@ Follow her on X at @levensc13. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee County urges residents to report flood damage via 211 line Solve the daily Crossword
