Magdalena runs out of water due to drought

The village of Magdalena is scrambling now that its sole drinking water well has gone dry. The water table has dropped almost 20 feet since January due to the persistent drought that has plagued nearly all of New Mexico for the last three years. On Wednesday, about 1,000 residents and several businesses were left without water when the level dropped below the well's pump. Matt Holmes with the New Mexico Rural Water Association says the problem is a combination of drought and infrastructure. Magdalena officials have put in a request with the state engineer's office to drill a new well, but that could take a week or two. For now, the community will have to rely on water tenders from Socorro and White Sands Missile Range. Magdalena is not alone. Across the state's eastern plains, livestock wells stand empty and ranchers are selling their cattle. Domestic wells near Santa Fe and Las Vegas have been going dry and reservoirs across the state have reached record lows. Albuquerque, Santa Fe and other cities have imposed watering restrictions in an effort to conserve heading into what is expected to be another hot, dry summer...more