Rep. Rebecca Dow argues New Mexico must restore forests, soils and watersheds so rainfall can soak into the land instead of becoming destructive runoff

Rebecca Dow, New Mexico House of Representatives

Rain is one of New Mexico's most cherished sights, sounds and smells. We pray for it. We celebrate it. After a long drought, watching rain fall from the sky is a gift. But when that rain becomes a catastrophic flash flood, we need to recognize what it can tell us about the health of our land.

A flash flood is not a water victory. It can be a sign that our watershed has lost its ability to hold the water we desperately need. Healthy forests, healthy soils, grasses, roots and wetlands slow water down and allow it to soak into the ground. But when forests become dangerously overgrown, burn at high severity and lose vegetation and functioning soils, rainfall can race downhill instead, taking precious topsoil, ash and debris with it.

This week, families in Northern New Mexico experienced loss of life and families in New Mexico lost their homes. So while some people see a flash flood and say, "Look at all that water," I see water leaving New Mexico before our land can use it. I see a farmer whose well may not be replenished. I see farmland buried in sediment. I see homes and infrastructure destroyed. I see communities downstream paying the price.

And lawmakers know we are not keeping up. New Mexico treated about 74,000 acres in 2025 to restore watersheds and reduce wildfire risk. The state's goal is 300,000 acres every year by 2035. That is the gap we must confront.

This is not about thinning every tree. It is about managing forests intelligently: using thinning where appropriate, prescribed fire, restoration of soils and watersheds, protection of healthy trees and rebuilding the land's capacity to absorb and retain water. We cannot remain in response mode, waiting for forests to burn, then watching the water wash away afterward.

Heal the forest. Heal the soil. Slow the water. Keep the rain on the mountain.

Because in a state running short of water, the goal shouldn't be to survive the next flood. The goal should be to make the land capable of receiving the rain when it comes.

Rebecca Dow, R-Truth or Consequences, represents House District 38 in the New Mexico House of Representatives.