New Mexico’s 2026 legislative session began on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. In New Mexico, even years like this one are short 30-day sessions that focus primarily on the budget rather than on larger policy issues. This year, we are thrilled that in the draft budget released on January 8, there is a $15 million appropriation for the River Stewardship program, and a $15 million dollar appropriation for the Strategic Water Reserve.  

The River Stewardship program is housed in the New Mexico Environment Department and awards grants to conduct much-needed riparian restoration projects around the state and consistently has far more interest than available funds. This program does receive some funding through the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund but has historically only received a few million dollars per year from the legislature. A $15 million dollar appropriation for this year, on top of the funds it receives from the Legacy Fund, will go farther than ever before towards restoring New Mexico’s riparian ecosystems. 

The Strategic Water Reserve is managed by the Interstate Stream Commission and is authorized to purchase and lease water rights and release the water into rivers for a variety of purposes including endangered species protection, recreational needs, and to achieve compliance with the Rio Grande Compact. Similar to the River Stewardship program, it has historically received much smaller amounts of money and this influx of funds will allow the state to strategically place water in rivers and streams that desperately need it. 

We have worked on bolstering both of these critical programs for many years, and these will be the largest appropriations ever received by both of them. 80% of New Mexico’s at-risk bird species are completely riparian-dependent, so these programs are essential for ensuring those birds and the places they need are intact. We will work hard to keep these funds in the final budget.  

We will be sure to alert you when there are opportunities to engage with legislators to advance our policy priorities. Make sure you are signed up for our Western Water Action Network to stay engaged.  

We will also keep our 2026 New Mexico Bill Tracker updated so you can see where we stand on proposed legislation.