New Mexico Pueblo struggles with aging irrigation system

By Samantha Wright

Published July 3, 2023 at 2:55 PM MDT

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.

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.

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Samantha Wright

As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.

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