A traditional communal irrigation ditch system introduced under Spanish colonial rule, still used to share water in many New Mexico communities and predating state water law.

Why does New Mexico's data centre opposition focus on water rather than power?

The state's arid climate and long-standing acequia water-rights tradition make groundwater and irrigation supply the central concern, unlike states where grid cost and reliability dominate the debate.

When did New Mexico become a US state?

New Mexico was admitted to the Union in 1912.

Background

New Mexico is a US state in the arid Southwest, admitted to the Union in 1912. Its capital and oldest city is Santa Fe, founded in 1610. The state's water culture is built on acequias, communal irrigation ditches introduced under Spanish colonial rule that predate state water law and still govern water-sharing in many rural and mountain communities.

New Mexico has become one of the more distinctive fronts in the US data-centre backlash, framed around water rights rather than the grid-cost complaints common in other states. Santa Fe County's 18-month moratorium, adopted 2 July 2026 at a 1 MW threshold, the lowest recorded nationally, was driven by concern for groundwater, acequia flows and regional water supply during a period of prolonged aridity.