Lower Rio Grande Groundwater Conservation Program Enrollment Closes Aug. 29
OSE News:
LAS CRUCES —The deadline to enroll in the 2026 Lower Rio Grande Groundwater Conservation Program is Aug. 29.
Participation in the program will help ensure that New Mexico maintains a sustainable groundwater supply in the Lower Rio Grande region for present and future generations of New Mexicans. Applications are available online or can be picked up at the Office of the State Engineer/Interstate Stream Commission District 4 Office.
“We have about 6,200 acres currently enrolled, and we’ve received nearly 50 applications for the new enrollment period,” Ryan Serrano said, ISC Lower Read More
NMED Upgrades City Of Las Vegas’ Drinking Water And Wastewater Systems
NMED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department has worked alongside the City of Las Vegas to upgrade multiple areas of the City’s drinking water and wastewater systems to support recovery from the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire.
These upgrades include new water transmission lines, drinking water filter systems, and drinking water system monitoring technology to improve reliability and safety of the drinking water provided to residents.
“Las Vegas residents are the beneficiaries of the Environment Department’s collaboration with the City of Las Vegas,” Environment Secretary Read More
Daily Postcard: Friendly Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Lands For A Snack
Daily Postcard: Friendly ruby-throated hummingbird lands for a snack. Photo by Marcela Walker Read More
Daily Postcard: Brace For It!
Daily Postcard: A brave boy braces for a major drenching at the splash pad on Sunday in White Rock! ‘Thanks to all at the County for providing this fun play area for our youngsters!’ –Ron Roybal. Photo by Ron Roybal Read More
Solid Waste Bureau Renamed Resource Recovery Bureau
NMED News:
SANTA FE — The New Mexico Environment Department has officially renamed its Solid Waste Bureau the Resource Recovery Bureau, or RRB.
The bureau’s updated name and new logo reflect its evolving role in advancing sustainable materials management and supporting a circular economy. In addition to regulating landfills and solid waste facilities, the Resource Recovery Bureau oversees a broad range of programs focused on waste reduction, recycling, composting, and resource conservation.
“Our new name properly reflects the bureau’s innovative approach to solid waste management Read More
Daily Postcard: Beautiful Sunset On Pajarito Mountain
Daily Postcard: Flowers add to the beauty of a sunset recently on Pajarito Mountain. Photo by Lauren Hughes Read More
Living With Wildlife: What Do Black Bears Do In August?
COUNTY News:
How Bears Beat the Heat
Bears don’t have sweat glands, so they can’t cool off the way people do when it gets hot. They do lose much of the dense underfur that helps keep them warm when temperatures drop. Shedding lets air circulate while still “shading’ their skin from the sun.
Bears will also pant like dogs and dissipate heat through their paws and other areas with little hair. They avoid the hottest parts of the day and often relax in daybeds under a nice shady tree, or sometimes seek shelter from the sun on a shady patio, under decks and porches, or in crawl spaces. They’ve also been known Read More
Posts From The Road: Traversing So. Utah’s Back Roads
Red Canyon: Red Canyon is a small area just a few miles from Bryce Canyon National Park. It is a popular recreation area that offers dramatic red rock formations and terrain for visitors to explore. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Retired: An old wooden windmill sits in a pasture a few miles east of Zion National Park. The windmill caught my eye as the entire structure is made of wood, even the blades that remain. Just minutes before seeing this ranch area where cattle roam, drivers were navigating their way through the spectacular rock formations within Zion National Park. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com Read More
LANL: Energized Watershed Project Could Boost New Mexico Economy And Increase Water Security
LANL’s Sanna Sevanto led this agrivoltaics project in El Rito through the state SBA Program. Courtesy/LANL
LANL News:
The Energized Watershed project was recently announced as a semifinalist in the Regional Innovation Engine competition through the National Science Foundation (NSF). With goals of increasing local water security and creating economic opportunities, the project would bring new vitality to the state of New Mexico, if selected.
“The whole purpose of the NSF Engines program is to build innovation and economic growth ecosystems in the areas that receive funding,” said Sanna Read More
Hummingbirds Wait In Line For Sugar Water On Cochiti Mesa
Daily Postcard: A hummingbird waits in line for sugar water Monday on Cochiti Mesa. Photo by Marcela Walker Read More
Daily Postcard: Pajarito Mountain Trail
Daily Postcard: One of the handmade trails Friday on Pajarito Mountain, maintained by volunteers who rake, clear logs, and more, and keep everything running smoothly with pure stoke. These hand-built trails are something special and are designed to challenge hikers to be better than they were yesterday. #HandbuiltTrails #VolunteerBuilt #PajaritoMTB #MountainBiking. Courtesy/Pajarito Mountain Read More
Hatch Chili Roasting Underway At Smith’s In White Rock
Tony the chili roaster was on the job today, filling the air with that distinctive aroma of Hatch roasted chilis outside Smith’s at 31 Sherwood Blvd. in White Rock. Hatch chilis are special due to their unique flavor and growing conditions in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. The combination of high altitude, rich volcanic soil, and a distinctive climate contributes to their earthy, buttery, and smoky flavor. This flavor profile, combined with the tradition of roasting them, makes Hatch chilis a sought-after ingredient, particularly during their late summer harvest season. Photo by Margaret
Smokey Bear Celebrates 81st Birthday
The original Smokey Bear poster. Fire safety has been the goal all along. Courtesy/USDA Forest Service
USDA News:
At the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, wildfire prevention is a big priority. There’s no better ambassador of that essential message than everyone’s favorite wildfire prevention bear, Smokey.
Aug. 9 was Smokey’s 81st birthday, and as he enters his 9th decade of wildfire prevention activism, take a look back at where it all started.
80 plus years of wildfire messaging
First appearing on a wildfire prevention poster in August of 1944, Smokey Bear quickly became Read More
Daily Postcard: Vibrant Sunrise Captured Wednesday From N.M. 4
Daily Postcard: Vibrant sunrise captured Wednesday from N.M. 4 in White Rock. Photo by Ted Vives Read More
On The Job In Los Alamos: Mountain Valley Produce Stand
On the Job in Los Alamos are Mountain Valley Produce Los Alamos Manager Keegan Bernstein, left, and employee Ben Pederson at the stand Thursday in the Mari Mac parking lot. The stand features Palisade Peaches, Olathe Sweet Corn, tomatoes, melons, roasted chili, among other fresh selections. The stand is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, and will remain open for business this year through Halloween. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com Read More
Santa Fe Community College Accepting Applications For Free 5-Week Environmental Technician Training Program
SFCC News:
SANTA FE — Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) is accepting applications for its free Environmental Technician training program, which provides the training, skills and certifications necessary to enter a wide range of job opportunities in the environmental profession.
Applications will be accepted through Sept. 22, 2025. The free training runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, Sept. 29 through Oct. 31, at the Santa Fe Higher Education Center, 1950 Siringo Road.
This intensive 5-week training program provides certifications and skills for in-demand job positions. Read More
Daily Postcard: Lazuli Bunting Spotted On Los Pueblos
A Lazuli Bunting is spotted perched on a branch Wednesday morning on Los Pueblos. Two male and one female Lazuli Buntings have been seen on Los Pueblos during the last two days. Lazuli Buntings are small, finchlike, stocky songbirds with cone-shaped bills and gently sloping foreheads. The tail is notched or slightly forked. Male Lazuli Buntings perch upright and sing from exposed perches in low trees and shrubs. They forage at various heights, but spend most of their time in the understory, hopping between branches and on the ground while reaching for insects or seeds. Source: www.allaboutbirds.org. Read More
County Update On Power Outage Knocking Out Electricity To 900+ Customers Today In White Rock
The pole that held the cable that was snagged this morning was left leaning after power was restored to White Rock electric customers. Courtesy/LAC
DPU’s Electric Distribution crews followed up on power restoration by straightening the power pole. Courtesy/LAC
COUNTY News:
This morning’s, Aug. 14, power outage in White Rock knocked out electricity for more than 900 customers around 8:30 a.m. and was resolved an hour later.
The outage started when a delivery truck snagged a line on a power pole near Piñon School. While it was initially believed to be a power line that was snagged, Deputy Utility Read More
Preserving History ‘Behind-The-Fence’ … Archaeologist, Historic Buildings Team Restoring Manhattan Project Relics
Battleship Bunker in Pajarito Canyon, where important implosion tests preceded the Trinity Test. Courtesy/LANL
By MARLENE WILDEN
Los Alamos Daily Post
marlene@ladailypost.com
At Los Alamos’s Pajarito Site, also known as Technical Area 18 (TA-18), a quiet but profound restoration effort is unfolding. Led by archaeologists, historians and architects from Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), this work goes beyond stabilizing concrete bunkers and experimental facilities from World War II. It’s part of a deeper mission to honor the full legacy of Manhattan Project National Historical Read More
NMED, NMDOH Study Shows Military ‘Forever Chemicals’ Found In Blood Of Curry County New Mexico Residents
STATE News:
SANTA FE — A first-of-its-kind blood testing study in New Mexico found that 99.7% participants living or working near Cannon Air Force Base had one or more per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” in their blood, with residents near the base’s contamination plume three times more likely to have elevated levels.
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) released the results today from the $1.2 million PFAS blood testing project, funded entirely by NMED, for 628 people in rural Curry County near Cannon Read More
