By Julia Goldberg | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, folks. It’s Monday and monsoon season is underway. The National Weather Service is calling for possible heavy rain today, along with flash flooding in the state’s burn scars. We’ll be keeping an eye on that, along with plenty of other news near and far (including some meaty legislative hearings this week). As always, you’ll find enough news to start your day below, with plenty more to come at sourcenm.com. Thanks for being here.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation included the Greater Chaco Cultural Landscape in its 2026 list of the top 11 most endangered historic places, citing the federal threat to reverse a ban on new oil and gas leasing around the site. (Photo by Avi Farber courtesy of The National Trust for Historic Preservation)
NM US Rep. Stansbury, Native leaders vow to fight BLM proposal to undo Chaco Canyon protections
Source senior reporter Joshua Bowling reports U.S. Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) and Pueblo of Acoma Gov. Charles Riley during a Friday news conference said they’ll work together to fight the Trump administration’s proposal to scale back or completely reverse a mining ban around Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
For decades, federal wildlife officials have protected old-growth forests as critical habitat for northern spotted owls. But a new interpretation of the Endangered Species Act issued by the Trump administration removes protections for wildlife habitat. (Photo by Tom Kogut/U.S. Forest Service via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Flickr)
The feds no longer protect endangered species habitat. States say they can’t pick up the slack.
The Trump administration is removing protections from the key places where endangered species live, saying states can keep the areas safe. But experts say states aren’t equipped for the task. In public comments after the rule was initially proposed, wildlife agency leaders from both liberal and conservative states — including New Mexico — said the change would be a blow to their conservation efforts.
Detainees at the Torrance County Detention Facility say tap water is causing skin rashes and other health concerns amid a municipal water shortage, according to an immigrant advocacy lawyer and an immigrant detainee. (Photo by Patrick Lohmann/Source NM)
Torrance County ICE detainees say tap water causing skin problems amid local water emergency
The water shortage afflicting the town of Estancia has coincided with a spike in water quality complaints from immigrant detainees at the nearby Torrance County Detention Facility, according to a immigration lawyer who conducts weekly jail visits.
New Mexico Acequia Association Executive Director Paula Garcia, pictured at the Roundhouse on July 15, 2026, said accessible, recurring funding for acequias is increasingly urgent due to natural disasters that deprive stewards of their livelihoods. (Photo by Danielle Prokop for Source NM)
New Mexico acequia advocates renew effort for disaster funding amid floods, fires and drought
New Mexico acequias won’t survive the new normal of wildfires, floods and prolonged drought without a dedicated, easy-to-access funding stream. That’s the conclusion New Mexico Acequia Association Executive Director Paula Garcia told Source NM’s Patrick Lohmann she reached following a recent series of legislative committee hearings.
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We're reading (and gifting) a story about UNM alum Josh Kerr’s new mile world record, and the training (in Albuquerque) that went into making it happen.
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