Farmers in Dona Ana County are bringing their irrigation seasons to a close, but water in the Rio Grande is expected to keep flowing for several more weeks.
The Las Cruces Sun-News reports the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, which covers Dona Ana County, shut down its Hatch-area irrigation network and plans to finish irrigating additional farms by the end of next week.
Water in the Rio Grande will still flow as irrigators in El Paso and Mexico continue their water seasons through September.
The riverbed will then stay dry until irrigation districts launch their operations next spring, unless extreme rain storms hit the area.
Both Elephant Butte and El Paso irrigation districts, which benefited from an early summer monsoon season, will have some water left over for next year.
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Information from: Las Cruces Sun-News, http://www.lcsun-news.com
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