No Relief In Sight For Sweltering Crops

The Rio Grande is the primary water source for Mesilla Valley farmers, but this year it is particularly shallow and farmers say, not nearly enough.

“A nice gentle sprinkle to start right now and last until tomorrow would be heavenly,” Anna Lyles, who has a family-owned farm west of Las Cruces, said.

Lyles has been praying for a drop of a rain for months. She says the fields are the driest they have looked in nearly two decades. Lyles says she would have never predicted such unfavorable conditions when seeds were planted in September.

“Being a farmer is like going to Vegas and putting it all on red, because you never know – Mother Nature’s in charge,? Lyles said.

Fields of produce, everything from onions to chile, are growing but the dirt is dry and cracked.

?Where we’re used to getting 2-to-4 acre feet of water to irrigate our crops, this year, we’re looking at 3-to-4 acre inches,? Lyles said. ?That’s not enough for anybody.”

Wells are running constantly to help keep plants alive, Lyles said, but it is only a temporary fix, and one that may have everyone from farmers to consumers paying a higher price.

“Couple that with the cost of fuel rising rapidly, it’s going to hit at the grocery stores pretty soon,? Lyles said. ?Prices are going to start inching up, which is bad for everybody.”

New Mexico State Climatologist David DuBouis says La Nina patterns may be to blame for the tough harvesting season and over-abundance of sunshine.

“It’s been very fascinating,? DuBouis said. ?I’ve been looking at statistics comparing this with other years? there’s been very dry periods like in 2008, but we are definitely in one of the driest periods we’ve been through in a long time.”

Lyles says too much rain from a monsoon could over-water plants and do more damage than good at this point.

“I hate it, it’s awful but we’ll survive,? Lyles said.