Congress must act now to keep the Rio Grande flowing

The Rio Grande Basin is facing a severe water crisis characterized by unsustainable consumption and declining snowmelt, resulting in the loss of 85% of the river's natural flow. To address this, the author advocates for the modernization of the Rio Grande Environmental Management Program (RGEMP) via the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2026 to provide funding from 2026 to 2032 and streamlined access for local partners. Additionally, the document calls for increased funding for the Bureau of Reclamation's WaterSMART programs to support infrastructure upgrades and drought resilience.

• The Rio Grande Basin is in a severe water crisis where 52% of water use is unsustainable, and the river has lost 85% of its natural flow, delivering only 15% of its historic volume to the Gulf.
• Climate-driven water losses are significant: snowmelt has decreased by 17% since 2000 with a projected further decline of 16–28%, and 71% of reservoir storage in New Mexico has disappeared since 2002.
• The Rio Grande Environmental Management Program (RGEMP), authorized in 2007, has been underutilized due to staff limitations and cost share challenges; proposed WRDA 2026 updates seek to provide funding from 2026 to 2032 and modernize tools for state and local partners.
• The WaterSMART programs, managed by the Bureau of Reclamation, are identified as essential for providing funding for water efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, and drought resilience for local water managers.

APA

WWF International (2026). Congress must act now to keep the Rio Grande flowing. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/congress-must-act-now-to-keep-the-rio-grande-flowing/

Chicago

WWF International. Congress must act now to keep the Rio Grande flowing. 2026. https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/congress-must-act-now-to-keep-the-rio-grande-flowing/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=WWF International |title=Congress must act now to keep the Rio Grande flowing |date=21 August 2026 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/congress-must-act-now-to-keep-the-rio-grande-flowing/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{wwfinternational2026congress, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{Congress must act now to keep the Rio Grande flowing}}, publisher = {WWF International}, year = {2026}, month = aug, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/news/perspectives/sustainability-works-hub/sustainability-works-index/congress-must-act-now-to-keep-the-rio-grande-flowing/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }