Dona Ana County in New Mexico Is Pumping Water for Irrigation at an Unsustainable Rate–May 14, 2012
Groundwater pumping has jumped drastically in the past year in the Las Cruces, NM area. Irrigation is the major water use. Irrigation usage jumped from 138,000 to 
279,000 acre feet between 2010 and 2011. (An acre foot equals 326,000 gallons.) A state engineer drew the ire of local officials when he warned that the present usage rate is not sustainable in the long term.
