ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The lifeblood for modern society in the desert, New Mexico’s rivers are a critical piece of what kept communities growing through the Land of Enchantment for generations. And no small or simple task managing those water ways, as evidenced by the work earlier this year along the Rio Grande, which has faced drying out in Albuquerque for a second year in a row over the summer.

This week on KRQE’s New Mexico News Podcast, Chris McKee and Gabrielle Burkhart host returning podcast guest, Jason Casuga, from the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District for an extended conversation about water infrastructure. As Gabby revealed in a recent KRQE News 13 Investigation, Central New Mexico faces several different multimillion dollar projects related to water use and water reuse.

Casuga shares some of the history of the Rio Grande, concerns from farmers with looming threats of the river running dry, and planned projects the district is looking at into the future. Some of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District’s existing infrastructure is nearing 100 years old. Why is it important that the agency address it?

If you missed it, we last spoke to Casuga in March 2023 about the future of the Rio Grande. You can check out the episode here at this link, on KRQE.com

Story continues below

Download new episodes of the New Mexico News Podcast every Tuesday, starting around 5:30 a.m., Mountain time. Episodes are available on most podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Podbean among others.

Having trouble finding the show? Try searching your favorite podcast player with the term “KRQE” or “New Mexico News Podcast” (without the quotes). You can also use the links above to find the podcast on each respective service or listen to the audio player at the top of this post.

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion as to who should be interviewed on the podcast, let us know! Email the hosts at chris.mckee@krqe.com or gabrielle.burkhart@krqe.com.