ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District is partially responsible for managing the water for the 60,000 acres the Rio Grande irrigates each year.

That includes Chris Lopez’s family farm south of Socorro.

“I love what I do, you know, we depend on Mother Nature. She controls everything,” Lopez said.

Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District CEO Jason Casuga says with the recent rain, this summer is off to a much better start than last. According to the National Weather Service, there wasn’t any water accumulated in the metro this time last year. So far this year, we’ve above normal precipitation levels.

“Last year July was hot, it was dry, so no, I don’t always go into July feeling like this,” Casuga said.

Casuga says the monsoon picked up at the right time – the end of spring runoff.

“We’re blessed with some rain right now, we always celebrate it, but monsoon season can be flashy, it’s unpredictable,” Casuga said.

That isn’t made any easier by lack of infrastructure to store the water. It’s typically stored in the El Vado Dam, but not right now. The dam is closed while it’s being repaired by the federal government. That means no gradual release – and the farmers have to use it as it comes.

“The best advice I can give you is if we have it and we offer it to you, don’t pass it up, because we might not have it next week,” Casuga said. “We hope to get the mositure, you know, when we need it and continue all summer long, that’s what we need it to do is continue all summer long.”

The repairs at the El Vado Dam were expected to be finished up by 2026, but the work has been put on pause. There could be an alternative option though.

Last week, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Water Authority signed a historic deal to store native Rio Grande water in the Abiquiu reservoir. That would allow the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District to lease the water there, helping farmers downstream.

Even though the recent rain is good news – both Lopez and Casuga say it could still be a challenging year, especially if the monsoon doesn’t deliver.