Haaland pushes conservation, slams Trump at Santa Fe water summit
The Rio Grande has changed, said former secretary of the interior and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland.
"It doesn't run as high," Haaland said at the 2025 Next Generation Water Summit, hosted at the state Capitol. "The water runs slower and in late August, it's a trickle of the river that it once was."
Her keynote speech kicked off the two-day conference, which addresses topics like water conservation in homebuilding, water reuse and smart meters. It's the eighth year the summit has been held.
House Majority Leader Reena Szczepanski, D-Santa Fe, introduced Haaland, lauding the former Cabinet secretary's work to deliver water resources to tribal communities.
"In New Mexico, we do not have the luxury nor the patience to wait for others to decide our future, and we must have the courage to demand that sustainability is a priority and the commitment to see our ideas turn into action," Szczepanski said. "And there is no one who better exemplifies the mix of courage and commitment that this moment requires."
Haaland, who was a congresswoman before serving in former president Joe Biden's cabinet, made the address after hosting a news conference and roundtable on veterans affairs in Santa Fe on Wednesday — signs that her campaign is now in full force.
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham cannot run again due to term limits. In the June 2026 primary, Haaland will face Democratic candidate Sam Bregman, the district attorney for Bernalillo County and Ken Miyagishima, longtime mayor of Las Cruces. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales has said he is considering a run but hasn't declared yet. A few Republicans have also expressed interest in running, including Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull. So far Haaland has by far raised the most money out of all the candidates — $3.7 million as of mid-May, according to her campaign.
At the end of this month Haaland's successor, current Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will visit Santa Fe to speak at the Western Governors' Association Annual Policy Summit. Haaland addressed the association in 2023.
In her Thursday speech, Haaland revisited highlights of her time in the Biden administration, including bringing tribes to the table in Colorado River negotiations and $60 million in drought funding for the Lower Rio Grande Basin provided under the Inflation Reduction Act, the climate change and health care bill Biden signed into law in 2022.
060525 jw haaland water 2.jpg
Former Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland gives the opening address at the Next Generation Water Summit on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at the Roundhouse, touting conservation efforts during her tenure.
Haaland also listed her priorities for the state's water plan, including expanded groundwater management for "long-overdrawn basins," incentives for farmers to implement water-saving measures, stricter water metering and monitoring requirements, and water protections from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.
Haaland urged water conservation as she spoke to the developers, local officials and water professionals gathered for the summit — no more "business as usual," she said.
"These ideas aren't going to fix everything immediately, nor do they encompass the entirety of our water future — and it couldn't be more urgent," Haaland said. "We all know that when precipitation is scarce and temperatures are rising, wildfires become more devastating."
One of three Democrats who have declared their intent to run for governor, Haaland couldn't resist a jab at Republican president Donald Trump.
"The Trump administration is putting our progress at risk — cuts to conservation, cuts to staff, cuts to grants, cuts to tribal communities, cuts, cuts, cuts. That's all they do," Haaland said. "When drought conditions strike, we need these systems to be resilient enough for us to rely on our future."
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