A Guide to Water Records of New Mexico, 1897-1983 is a compilation of various types of archival collections, representing a hundred years of water development in New Mexico. The collections include personal papers of individuals and organizations that dealt with the use and study of water in New Mexico. Many areas of the state are represented, including the Isleta Pueblo, Albuquerque, Las Cruces and the Carlsbad region. Thus the water archives represents a broad range of New Mexico’s water history.

The collections, now centrally housed at New Mexico State University Archives, are available for researchers. The collections were organized and arranged according to archival standards. To aid researchers in locating documents, a finding aid is available for each collection.

Together these records form a core to base future additions of water records and papers. Therefore, continuing and expanding the availability of information to researchers. Also, these records complement WRRI Report #190, “A Guide to Elephant Butte Irrigation District Records.”

A Guide to Water Records of New Mexico, 1897-1983 serves two purposes. The first is to preserve the records and papers relating to New Mexico’s water developments. The second is to provide organized and quickly accessible records and papers to researches.