New Mexico is currently facing the worst drought seen in decades which is putting a damper on outdoor activities as summer approaches.
According to KOB 4 News, dry conditions have led to the closing of state forests. Weather analysts are currently predicting that this summer is only going to get hotter and drier than it is already which could exacerbate the ongoing drought.
“We are in the middle of what people are referring to as a 20-year mega-drought,” senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque Andrew Mangham told KOB 4. “Generally all of our rivers, all of our lakes, are running quite low, and that is going to affect our recreational access.”
Many New Mexican residents go to state reservoirs for water recreation, and the severe drought has led to reservoirs drying up making it hard to get out to the water. The falling water levels have also forced fish to become more concentrated and die off as a result of the intense heat.
Weather officials believe it is going to take years of rainy seasons in order to counteract the effects of the drought.
"We need sustained wet patterns, for a few years," Mangham told KOB 4. "To really start to bring our rivers back up, we need to get out of the La Niña pattern for the wintertime, we need big heavy snowpacks. That is a huge player in this state.”