April 20-22, 2026

Inn of the Mountain Gods

By Invitation Only

To receive registration information, please contact waterleadersworkshop@nmt.edu

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Who should attend?

Water leaders include state legislators, federal legislators and staff, state and federal water agency managers, tribal leaders and water division managers, water commissions and board members, and water managers and decision makers.

Draft Agenda

11:00 am – meet at Inn of the Mountain Gods

11:30 am – depart for field trip by bus

11:30 am – 4:30pm – Field Trip

  • Stop 1 – Heart of the Desert
    • History of pistachio farming in the Tularosa Basin – Marinane Schweers 
    • Hydrogeology of the Tularosa Basin & Sacramento Mountains – Dan Koning (NMBGMR)
    • Groundwater level monitoring in the Tularosa Basin – Geoff Rawling (NMBGMR)
    • Water systems in region / challenges – Cathie Eisen (water operator) 
  • Stop 2 – The Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility

Pants and closed toed shoes required!

  • Tour by Malynda Capelle and staff (BGNDRF)
  • Alamogordo Desalination Plant overview – Robert Fowlie (Jacobs)

3:30pm – Return to Ruidoso – Inn of the Mountain Gods

5:30 – 8:30 pm – Social hour and dinner – Downshift Brewing

7:00 – 8:00 am – Breakfast

8:00 – 8:20 am – Welcome & Opening Remarks 

8:20 – 9:20 am – Panel 1: Statewide Perspectives

  • Updates on Water in New Mexico – Elizabeth Anderson (Office of the State Engineer) 
  • Interstate Stream Commission updates – Hannah Riseley-White (Interstate Stream Commission)
  • NMED updates – John Roderick (NM Environment Department)
  • Water and infrastructure update from the Governor’s Office – Rebecca Roose (Office of the Governor)
  • Questions (20 minutes)

9:20 – 10:20 am – Panel 2: State Investments in Water

  • Overview of state funding to water projects and progress on the 50 year Water Action Plan – Tanya Trujillo (Office of the State Engineer)
  • Strategic Water Supply – Jonas Armstrong (NM Environment Department)
  • Reuse water research at NMSU – Zach Stoll (NM State University)
  • Aquifer characterization update – Stacy Timmons (NMBGMR) 
  • Questions (20 minutes)

10:20 – 10:40 am – BREAK

10:40 – 11:40 am – Panel 3: Local Perspectives: Fire & Flooding in the Ruidoso Area

  • Fire & flooding: A scientific and policy perspective – Laura McCarthy (EMNRD)
  • Fire & flooding mitigation practices: Mescalero-Apache approaches – East Padilla (Mescalero Apache)
  • July 2025 Ruidoso flooding: a timeline of events – Eric Queller (Village of Ruidoso)
  • Flooding and Cascading Effects – Ali Rye (DSHEM) invited
  • Questions (20 minutes)

11:40 am – 12:00 pm – get lunch, load buses, and depart

12:00 – 5 pm – Field Trip

  • Stop 1 – Bonito Lake
    • Geology of the Sacramento Mountains – Geoff Rawling (NMBGMR)
    • Drinking Water for Alamogordo and the Little Bear Fire – Robert Fowlie (Jacobs)
    • Reforesting after fires – Jennifer Autcher (New Mexico Reforestation Center)
    • US Forest Service land management –  Jason Freeman (USFS) invited
    • State Forest Management – Nick Smokovich (EMNRD)
  • Stop 2 – Upper Canyon, Rio Ruidoso (Mescalero Apache)
    • Water infrastructure damage due to post-fire flooding – Mark Fischer (Lincoln County Commission) 
    • Constructing healthy, living forests: thinning and restoration projects – East Padilla (Mescalero Apache)
    • Funding for reclamation and rebuilding: NRCS buyout program – Jason Burns (Lincoln County manager) invited
    • Building a comprehensive watershed restoration plan for Ruidoso – Joe Loverich (JE Fuller) 
  • Stop 3 – Ruidoso Downs Racetrack
    • Overview of flood impacts at this location – Lynn Crawford (Mayor of Ruidoso)
    • Economic impacts of fires & flooding – Rick Baugh (Ruidoso Downs Racetrack General Manager) invited
    • Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) program to help contain and stop wildland fires – Arron Greiwahn (Village of Ruidoso) 

5:30 – 6:30 pm – Social Hour at Inn of the Mountain Gods

6:30 – 8:30 pm – Dinner & Keynote presentation by Robert Mace (Texas State University)

7:00 – 8:00 am – Breakfast

8:00 – 9:00 am – Panel 1: Water and its role in Economic Development

  • Economic development in a water scarce state – Mark Roper (NM EDD, retired)
  • Water and economic development: thinking across sectors – Stephanie Kuzio (Sandia National Laboratories)
  • Data centers and water – Ana Pinheiro Privette (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
  • Economic development and water needs in the Albuquerque area – Mark Kelly (ABCWUA)
  • Questions (20 minutes)

9:00 – 9:20 am – BREAK

9:20 – 10:20 am – Panel 2: Securing New Mexico’s Groundwater

  • The New Mexico Groundwater 360 Report – Gretel Follingstad (Environmental Defense Fund)
  • Groundwater challenges in east-central New Mexico – Ladona Clayton (Ogallala Land and Water Conservancy) 
  • Groundwater management in the Pecos Valley – Aron Balok (PVACD) 
  • Groundwater metering successes – Phil King 
  • Questions (20 minutes)

9:20 – 9:40 am – BREAK

10:40 – 11:50 am Panel 3: Planning our Water Future

  • Water Security Planning Act implementation & regional planning – Andrew Erdmann (Interstate Stream Commission) 
  • Water quality challenges with PFAS – Andy Jochems (NM Environment Department) 
  • Water leadership programs and the Water Leadership Institutes -Blanca Surgeon (RCAC)
  • The role of Alternative Water Supplies in New Mexico’s Future – Shannon Spurlock (Pacific Institute)
  • Cloud seeding for snow in New Mexico – Parker Cardwell (Rainmaker)
  • Questions (20 minutes)

12:00 – 3:30pm – Lunch and Field Trip to Fort Stanton Cave