特朗普政府已责令在干旱的新墨西哥州从事边境墙建设的承包商停止钻取新的水井[1]。这一决定源于当地牧民对地下水抽取威胁家畜生存的严重担忧[1]。新墨西哥州工程师办公室调查发现，承包商在未获许可的情况下非法钻取了至少8口井[1]。
根据牧民罗素·约翰逊的说法，一口工业井的抽水能力远超当地农业用水需求，该井每分钟可抽取300加仑，而他自己的12口井每分钟仅能抽取3至7加仑[1]。官员在7月访查的两口井每分钟抽取200加仑[1]。由于严重干旱，约翰逊已将其牛群规模缩减至原来的三分之一[1]。目前，一段半英里长的次级边境墙已在约翰逊的牧场附近竖起[1]。
美国海关和边境保护局表示，"美国海关和边境保护局承诺与当地地主合作，确保施工活动不会对其水资源需求造成不利影响"[1]。政府仍需解决已钻井是否可继续抽水的问题[1]。边境墙工程迄今已获得超过46亿美元的联邦资金[1]。
The Trump administration has directed contractors building the southern border wall to stop drilling new water wells in New Mexico amid severe drought conditions and concerns from local ranchers [1]. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) made the directive after discovering that contractors had illegally drilled at least eight wells without proper authorization, according to New Mexico's state engineer's office [1].
Ranchers in the region have raised alarm over the contractors' water extraction practices, which they say threaten livestock survival. Russell Johnson, a local rancher, noted the disparity between industrial and agricultural water use, stating that a single contractor well could pump approximately 300 gallons per minute, while his twelve wells combined produce only 3 to 7 gallons per minute [1]. Johnson has already reduced his herd size to one-third of its original capacity due to drought conditions [1]. Two wells inspected in July were found to be pumping 200 gallons per minute [1]. A half-mile secondary border wall has already been erected near Johnson's ranch [1].
The border wall construction project has received over $4.6 billion in federal funding [1]. CBP stated that it is "committed to working with local landowners to ensure construction activities do not adversely impact their water resource needs," though questions remain about whether previously drilled wells will be allowed to continue operating [1].