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New Mexico Pueblo struggles with aging irrigation system

Water is scarce in much of our region. So every spring, one tribe spends days cleaning ditches that are vital to irrigating their farmland. But aging infrastructure and the effects of climate change are making it harder for farmers to get enough water - even after the cleanings.

Broadcast on:
03 Jul 2023
A community corn field at the Jemez Pueblo in north-central New Mexico, seen here on March 17, 2023. The Pueblo, which is largely supported by farming, irrigates its farms with snowmelt from the surrounding mountains.
A community corn field at the Jemez Pueblo in north-central New Mexico, seen here on March 17, 2023. The Pueblo, which is largely supported by farming, irrigates its farms with snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. (Kaleb Roedel / Mountain West News Bureau )

Water is scarce in much of our region. So every spring, one tribe spends days cleaning ditches that are vital to irrigating their farmland.

But aging infrastructure and the effects of climate change are making it harder for farmers to get enough water - even after the cleanings. The Mountain West News Bureau's Kaleb Rondel reports.