Ogallala Land & Water Conservancy

Matt Weiner of Eastern New Mexico News captured the soul of the Cannon AFB REPI Program and Ogallala Land & Water Conservancy Project here in Clovis, NM. What pulled at my heart strings, as usual, was hearing the VOICE of our incredible landowners and some pioneers in groundwater conservation. Thank you, Matt and ENM News for shining a spotlight on some heroes of mine and their pursuit to conserve groundwater for our future. -Ladona

Water summit presents options for landowners The truck door closed with a thud. The engine awoke. And off Ronnie Montague went. His calloused hands clutched the steering wheel of his Chevy while guiding it through uneven terrain before arriving at a water well on his 1,000-acre irrigation farm, located near Cannon Air Force Base. As droughts...

Just a friendly reminder of this upcoming VIRTUAL evening event hosted by the New Mexico Water Advocates, on July 18, from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. This 1.5 hour event shines a spotlight on water challenges the Middle Rio Grande Conservation District and the Elephante Butte Dam (Las Cruces) are facing and how this is a reflection of eastern New Mexico groundwater challenges and water challenges across the state.

Register here! [https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuceiopzktH9BnanFuQmFxqcUgImXk-9tl #/registration](https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYuceiopzktH9BnanFuQmFxqcUgImXk-9tl #/registration)

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN for the Eastern New Mexico Water Conservation Summit! We look forward to seeing you there! Space is limited so sign up soon. Register here: https://www.ogalwc.org/event-details/tackling-the-water-crisis-in-eastern-new-mexico

Don't miss this winning virtual presentation from the Water Advocates! Thursday, June 20, 2024, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Register here: https://bit.ly/4bksXiL

We are so excited to announce the designation of The Eastern New Mexico Sentinel Landscape! Cannon AFB and Melrose Air Force Range are our anchoring installations. We can now work with 26 other partners to expand our water and land conservation efforts to 2,445,412 acres. For more details, please visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gzMb-9KY Thank you to Jackie Alessi for creating this amazing landscape map! You do incredible work!

Looking forward to seeing you at the NE Region Water Planning Open House on Tuesday, April 23, 2024!

Tuesday, April 16, 6:30 p.m., Clovis Community College will host a screening of the documentary Right to Harm, a film that details the impacts of factory farming in three states across the country. After the film, a discussion will be held on factory farming in New Mexico. See the link to sign up for the event!

Clovis, NM: "Right to Harm" Film Screening and Discussion on the Impacts of Factory Farms · Food & Water Action Join us in Clovis for a film screening and discussion of the film _Right to Harm_! Whether you’ve been involved with our water campaign and are ready to take on factory farms or are just starting to learn about the effects of factory farms on our climate, water, animal welfare and small family far...

Outstanding video from Texas Agricultural Land Trust featuring the beautiful Fall Creek Ranch in Granbury, Texas and why the Langdon Family chose to pursue a perpetual conservation easement and protect their family land.

The Value of Land To the rancher, the value of their land has more to do with biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and the years spent stewarding than the dollar amount. For Fall C...

Position Announcement for New Mexico Wetlands Restoration Specialist

Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) is seeking a Wetlands Restoration Specialist to conduct outreach to landowners and managers on the benefits of playas and other wetlands, and to facilitate wetland restoration work in eastern New Mexico. Primary funding will come from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), with additional non-federal funding from private sources. This position focuses on the New Mexico portion of the Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) region.

The position requires coordination among private, local, state, and federal agencies, and as such, the incumbent needs to be a team leader as well as a team participant. Day-to-day work consists of working with landowners, PLJV staff from various disciplines (conservation delivery, GIS, biological science, communications, and social science) and local, state, and regional partners to accomplish bird habitat conservation. The eastern NM Wetlands Restoration Specialist work will be instrumental in developing municipal water and aquifer conservation strategies.

PLJV is a regional partnership of federal and state wildlife agencies, conservation groups and private industry dedicated to conserving bird habitat throughout portions of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The Joint Venture facilitates cooperation among a broad coalition of partners on the national, regional, state and local levels to fund and implement habitat conservation. We provide regional planning, value­-added efficiency and implementation approaches, while our partners provide financial, technical and local expertise to develop conservation projects. In addition, PLJV supports local conservation partnerships, state agencies, and other partners by developing various decision support tools, as well as providing education about how to use the tools to target and deliver the most effective habitat conservation. PLJV also works with a variety of partners to inform landowners about conservation programs and to target conservation efforts in areas that will provide the most benefit.

For more information on this position, including the full job description, major duties and required qualifications, please visit our website at pljv.org/about/jobs.

Playa Lakes Joint Venture is an Equal Opportunity Employer and seeks a diverse applicant pool. Please email your application documents as one complete PDF file to [email protected]. All applications should include a one-page cover letter and a resume. In the cover letter, please include salary requirements and when you are available to start. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Application evaluations will begin on March 22.

Job Opportunities | Playa Lakes Joint Venture Photo by Christopher Rustay Job Opportunities There are currently two job openings at Playa Lakes Joint Venture: Business Administrator New Mexico Wetlands Restoration Specialist   Business Administrator Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) is seeking an experienced Business Administrator to support th...

Strategic Water Reserve Coordinator/Water Resources Professional IV (OSE/ISC # 10116823)

Agency: Office of the State Engineer

Posting End Date: 03/13/2024

Job Posting Type: Continuous Job Opening

Job ID: 141281

Location: Santa Fe

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Regular/Temporary:

Sponsored Term

Salary

$34.50 - $55.20 Hourly

$71,760 - $114,816 Annually

This position is a Pay Band EG

Posting Details

This position will be in the Interstate Stream Commission.

The NMISC Strategic Water Reserve (SWR) Manager will work closely with the NMISC bureau chiefs, financial staff, colleagues at the NM Office of the State Engineer and other state agencies, as needed, to ensure the NMISC's statutory mandate to implement the SWR is successfully achieved.

THIS JOB POSTING WILL BE USED FOR ONGOING RECRUITMENT AND MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME.

An error has occurred.

Don't miss this informative webinar hosted by the NM Water Advocates! Get registered today!

We’re so grateful Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has signed HB177, paving the way for billions in funding for infrastructure and clean energy projects across NM. The New Mexico Match Fund is a monumental step forward for our state's future. A huge thank you to Gov. Lujan Grisham for her visionary leadership and to Legislators for their unanimous support of this vital bill during the 2024 legislative session!

Unbelievable Victory for New Mexico! HB177 has unanimously passed the Senate with a 37-0 vote and is now on its way to Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for her final signature. A massive thank you to everyone who supported and believed in the NM Match Fund. Let's take a moment to thank our legislators for their unwavering support. Together, we're unlocking a brighter future for NM!

Victory for NM! HB177 - NM Match Fund Act passed with a unanimous 6-0 vote! A big thank you to the House Rural Development, Land Grants And Cultural Affairs. Let's show our gratitude to the legislators who supported this pivotal act.

Urgent Call to Action: Support HB177 - NM Match Fund Act!
Join the House Rural Development meeting on Jan. 23 at 9 AM in Room 309 or via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81823001400.
Let's make our voices heard. Contact your legislators today! Find their details here: https://www.nmlegis.gov/Committee/Standing_Committee?CommitteeCode=HRDLC

This week the DOD Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program shared part two of a three-part series titled "Executing REPI Installation Resilience Projects." Cannon AFB and Ogallala Land & Water Conservancy's partnership on the innovative REPI project at Cannon AFB was featured as one of three case studies selected by the DOD to showcase nationally! Many partners play a central role in the project's success, including NMACD, the OSE, NRCS, Central Curry SWCD, Curry County, the City of Clovis, and Texas Agricultural Land Trust, BUT our #1 partner hands down is each generational landowner who voluntarily stepped up to save a rapidly depleting groundwater supply by ceasing irrigation and transitioning to dryland cropping, grasslands, or other ways to work the land. We are grateful!

DOD REPI Program – Official Mail – Executing REPI Installation Resilience Projects DOD REPI Program – Official Mail – Executing REPI Installation Resilience Projects Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program sent this bulletin at 12/06/2023 10:26 AM EST View as a webpage / Share Executing REPI Installation Resilience Projects This month, we're continuin...

PLJV HIRING NEW MEXICO GRASSLANDS RESTORATION PROJECT MANAGER
Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) is seeking an experienced New Mexico Grasslands Restoration Project Manager to support the Restore New Mexico partnership in their mesquite removal and grassland restoration efforts in southeast New Mexico. This position will coordinate and expand a successful, established partnership. Primary duties include maintaining regular communications among PLJV staff and partners in New Mexico working on grasslands conservation, conducting outreach to engage landowners in mesquite removal as well as communicating with landowners already enrolled in programs to remove mesquite on their rangelands, and collecting social science and vegetation data.

Job Opportunities | Playa Lakes Joint Venture Photo by Christopher Rustay Job Opportunities New Mexico Grasslands Restoration Project Coordinator This position will support and guide the growing and successful Restore New Mexico partnership which has been working for over a decade to improve rangeland condition for Lesser Prairie-Chickens and o...

PLJV HIRING NEW MEXICO GRASSLANDS RESTORATION PROJECT MANAGER
Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) is seeking an experienced New Mexico Grasslands Restoration Project Manager to support the Restore New Mexico partnership in their mesquite removal and grassland restoration efforts in southeast New Mexico. This position will coordinate and expand a successful, established partnership. Primary duties include maintaining regular communications among PLJV staff and partners in New Mexico working on grasslands conservation, conducting outreach to engage landowners in mesquite removal as well as communicating with landowners already enrolled in programs to remove mesquite on their rangelands, and collecting social science and vegetation data.

Playa Post: Job Opportunity Playa Lakes Joint Venture (PLJV) is seeking an experienced New Mexico Grasslands Restoration Project Manager to support the Restore New Mexico partnership in their mesquite removal and grassland restoration efforts in southeast New Mexico. This position will coordinate and expand a successful, estab...

Here is a great opportunity to work with Ducks Unlimited as a Regional Biologist!

Playa Post: Job Opportunity Ducks Unlimited (DU) is seeking a motivated, accomplishment driven, self-starter with a passion for playa lake wetlands, waterfowl, and aquatic resources to fill a new position that will be aimed at growing DU’s conservation activities and partnerships in the playa lakes region of Texas, to also i...

Here's a great opportunity to have your voice heard in the development of the Curry County Comprehensive Plan!!

Why humans pump so much groundwater and its negative effects on the Earth (taken from: https://lnkd.in/dpM8zb3N)

Groundwater is used for about 40% of global irrigation and provides almost half of all drinking water.

Extracting it unsustainably may threaten aquatic ecosystems, cause water scarcity, and increase sea levels.

To put it simply, groundwater depletion contributes to sea level rise because water is being transferred from the continents to the oceans.

The recent study found that groundwater depletion caused a 6.24-millimeter rise in global sea level from 1993 to 2010. This is significant because each millimeter rise in sea level is said to make the shoreline retreat an average of 1.5 meters.

Humans have pumped so much groundwater from the Earth that it's actually caused the planet's axis to shift, a new study found We're pumping so much groundwater and transferring it to the oceans that it's shifting a ton of water mass that's affecting Earth's rotational pole.

Highlighting the Voluntary Groundwater Easement Act of 2023 introduced on July 11, 2023, by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colorado), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), and Martin Heinrich (D-New Mexico). I would strongly encourage farmers and ranchers and those organizations serving them to read and support this innovative bill, which holds great promise for protecting groundwater sources!

Bennet, Moran, Heinrich Introduce Bill to Create New Tool for Farmers and Ranchers to Combat Drought Today, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) introduced the Voluntary Groundwater Conservation Act to give family farmers and ranchers the flexibility they need to protect groundwater sources while keeping their agricultural lands in production.

Interesting article from the Texas Tribune highlighting yet again the significant decline of the Ogallala or High Plains Aquifer. The Ogallala Land & Water Conservancy in Clovis, NM, is well aware of this notable threat to our water security, and we continue to conserve and secure groundwater. In one year of aggressive efforts, we have currently saved 3,973,010,400 gallons or 12,193 ac.ft. of groundwater, with conserved water projected to triple over a 3-year period.

Texas farmers are worried one of the state’s most precious water resources is running dry. You should be, too. The Ogallala Aquifer serves farming communities in multiple states. When it runs dry, the agriculture industry in Texas and the nation is in jeopardy.

REMINDER: Our ribbon cutting for the Ogallala Land & Water Conservancy is tomorrow, on Wednesday, May 31, at 3:00 p.m.! We officially opened our doors October 2021, and after a fast-paced 2022, we are settled in and ready to celebrate! The Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce and Chamber Ambassadors will be performing the ribbon cutting ceremony, and we couldn't be more thrilled!

An April 12 article published in the Kansas Farmer is proposing a strategy we have been using since 2022 here in Clovis/Curry County, New Mexico! Great to see other states thinking about paying "farmers to reduce pumping water of the Ogallala Aquifer to enhance the lifetime of the aquifer and conserve water."

Our Aquifer The Ogallala Aquifer, also known as the High Plains Aquifer, is a vital source of water for agricultural purposes in the Great Plains of…

Regional Biologist, Playa Lakes (Texas and New Mexico)

Ducks Unlimited (DU) is seeking an experienced wetland ecologist, agriculturalist, hydrologist, or natural resource professional to identify, plan and implement wetland restoration programs throughout the playa lakes region of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The successful candidate will be working with DU staff and other professionals working with state and local agencies, private landowners, NGO, community, and agricultural partners to identify and develop opportunities to restore and protect playa wetlands and associated habitats, that provide waterfowl benefits and groundwater recharge for the Ogallala Aquifer.

The successful candidate will be expected to be a dynamic team player, capable of integrating, developing, and leading conservation efforts and working with existing partners while developing new conservation partnerships and opportunities. The individual will assist in conservation planning and delivery of on-the-ground wetland habitat programs, as well as forging new programs and innovative partnerships that link the societal benefits of playa lake restoration with waterfowl benefits and groundwater recharge.

The deadline for applications is April 15, 2023.

Recruitment

Thank you to Brett Walton who published a nice piece in the March 9th edition of Circle of Blue that highlighted the path-breaking strategy of groundwater conservation easements in Colorado, while highlighting the work we are doing at the Ogallala Land & Water Conservancy. https://www.circleofblue.org/2023/world/tax-incentives-find-new-purpose-for-conserving-water-in-american-west/

Tax Incentives Find New Purpose for Conserving Water in American West Conservation easements protect the region’s depleted groundwater.

OLWC . . . securing water, securing the future.