ABSTRACT
Water policy in New Mexico is strongly conditioned by the unusually complex hydroclimatological setting of the state. This chapter reviews some of the salient features of the climate of New Mexico—both time-mean and variable aspects— that pose challenges for management of surface water resources in the state. The history of human society in this part of the world, in which the empty remains of once-flourishing settlements like Chaco Canyon are still visible for all to see, illustrates how difficult it has been to achieve long-term sustainability here (Diamond, 2005). In addition to the natural challenges of ensuring adequate water supplies that have always faced New Mexico’s residents, climate changes projected to continue in the twenty-first century are expected to both decrease surface water supplies and increase water losses associated with evapotranspiration.
