arthur keith

Author’s notes: While I have tried to make this complex situation as easy to follow as possible without too many digressions, it will take a few stories to fully address the issue. The next few stories will include a look at “desert cities” and how they got where they are now. Their plans are yet another chapter in this fast-evolving story.

Albuquerque has an east side (the original side) and a west side (the new side), separated by the Rio Grande and a very broad bosque — a forest of cottonwoods and willow trees that grow in the floodplain. That is now somewhat of a misnomer. After dams were completed upstream, the river stopped flooding the bosque. Now, the vegetation is dry, and the trees are showing signs of distress. I had to cross the river twice today.

WATER IN THE WEST The Drought in California May Be Gone, but in New Mexico it Lingers On Is water insecurity limiting our growth? Press enter or click to view image in full size There was not a speck of water in the Rio Grande for about three weeks last summer. The photo was taken 7/19/2025 from the I-40 bridge near downtown Albuquerque. Photo by author. New Mexico is a deep-blue state, which suits me, but economically, we’re not doing so well. We have wins here and there.