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Ana Sofia Rodriguez, Zaaliyah Thomas, and Eduardo Dorado
New Mexico Academy For The Media Arts
Mentor: Dr. Tanya Mueller
The Problem
New Mexico has been facing long-term drought conditions since the year 2000.
Rising temperatures and reduced precipitation are particularly concerning for New
Mexican cities and farmers, who must manage limited water resources and increasingly
extreme weather events. Over the last 3 years, the Rio Grande has completely dried up
4 times. This damages the surrounding ecosystems and permanently alters the
riverbed.
Importance
The Rio Grande is critical for farmers as they irrigate with water from the Rio
Grande. When it dries up, crops die, impacting both the farmers and the local economy.
Additionally, the Rio Grande provides water to the aquifer that provides the majority of
Albuquerque’s drinking water. When the river runs dry, wildlife’s access to drinking water
is disrupted, trees in the Bosque ecosystem are stressed, and the plants that grow in
the dry riverbed affect the river’s flow and shape when water returns.
Plan of action
We will use current and historical weather and river data from New Mexico to
build a model in Python to predict when the river will run dry. Our model will initially be
based on an already existing water availability model that we then hope to revise. This
model could then help local farmers and officials in predicting and preparing for severe
drought conditions.