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Letters to the Editor (Oct. 16, 2025)
Aquifer depletion is real; let’s protect our aquifer
Editor:
How much sense does it make to remove water from the Rio Grande Basin, the aquifer that supplies our drinking water, and sell it to an out-of-state corporation for profit?
That is what the village councilors of Los Lunas decided to do in 2017, under a lease agreement with Niagara Bottling LLC. Then, in February 2024, the village council approved Niagara to take additional water from the Los Lunas wells. The final decision on whether Niagara will be allowed to take and use that additional groundwater is now up to our N.M. State Engineer.
A citizens’ group, Valencia Water Watchers (VWW), formally protested the application for Niagara to take an additional 500 acre feet per year of groundwater from our aquifer (that’s 162 million gallons plus). The application was filed by Niagara, the village of Los Lunas, and PNM (current owner of the water rights). That water would be taken from the village of Los Lunas wells.
The Pueblo of Isleta and the Valencia Soil and Water Conservation District also protested the application as “contrary to the conservation of water” and “detrimental to the public welfare.” And more than 50 individual letters by local residents protesting the application were also filed.
As VWW states, we live in a desert! And with warming temperatures and limited resources, our water resources in New Mexico are quickly diminishing. Bottling our water for profit is contrary to the principles of good stewardship and contrary to the reality that we must all face the imminent need for regional agreements for water sharing in a time of drastic water shortage.
Our community needs to support regional water planning, not selling our water to out-of-state corporations. Our legislature unanimously passed the Water Security Planning Act in 2023 to create regional water planning councils, so regions of the state can set up their own councils, assess resources, and — with community stakeholder involvement — develop and implement regional water plans.
The N.M. Interstate Stream Commission has started the process of creating rules for the regional councils, but they need additional funding to support the councils and the water planning. In addition, funding is needed for aquifer mapping so that all regions have accurate data about the available water resources in their regions.
For more information about how you can support much-needed good water management for our communities, please reach out to NM Water Advocates (nmwateradvocates.org) and Mainstream NM (mainstreamnm.org — the Interstate Stream Commission’s website on regional water planning).
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We appreciate the ongoing support of the Valencia County community to protect our aquifer.
K.A. McCord
Valencia Water Watchers
Appeal for true patriotism
Editor:
The recent deification and martyrdom of Charlie Kirk is an alarming phenomenon, which has been well-addressed in recent letters to the News-Bulletin.
I concur that the views he espoused are loathsome and divisive. However, his speech (as toxic as it may be) is protected under the U.S. Constitution, as he reportedly did not make threats or incite his adherents to violence. Kirk apparently preferred debate as a means of engagement between parties who disagreed with one another. That is very much to his credit.
All that being said, I have a couple of questions.
First, isn’t it plausible that we, as a nation, would benefit from embracing an ethos of civil discourse and debate? Civility includes hearing one another out, and responding with passion when we disagree, yet without demonizing one another and engaging in ad hominem attacks.
Secondly, can we agree that since Kirk’s speech is protected, speech critical of Kirk is also protected, and that we should honor it from a legal standpoint, even though it may not align with our views? Voltaire said: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
How could any reasonable person take issue with that? This is First Amendment 101.
Practicing civil discourse and protecting free speech will reduce polarization and mutual fear, and ultimately strengthen our democracy.
Isn’t that what true patriotism is all about?
Will Kitts
Bosque Farms
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