Upcoming water planning efforts will get a boost now that the New Mexico Finance Authority has approved a funding request from the Interstate Steam Commission.
Officials say the funding will go toward updating all 16 regional plans as well as the state water plan.
The commission had requested $400,000 from the Finance Authority's Local Government Planning Fund to match $400,000 in state funds to speed up the effort within two years.
As part of a new approach, State Engineer Scott Verhines says regional water planning groups will identify problems, projects and policies to assure available water supplies meet critical demands.
The commission plans to develop supply and demand projections over 40 years and will work with the regions to develop a summary of legal issues and economic forecasts.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.