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Heading north there are miles and miles of tightly planted pecan groves to make harvesting (tree shaking) easier. Once we approach Hatch, NM, there are fields of cotton as well as of dried red chile peppers. Hatch is known for its green chiles, so noted on menus and for the Hatch Chile Festival. Dried chiles adorn merchant storefronts of this small town.
Searching for waterfowl, we visit two reservoirs, Percha Dam State Park and Elephant Butte State Park. Both have been reduced to 9-12% of their capacity of thirty years ago. It is truly mind-boggling to try and imagine the volume of water that it would take to replenish these reservoirs. 19 years of drought and the lack of snowpack upcountry combined with agricultural irrigation have left a virtual puddle where once a thriving lakeside recreational community existed. Homes which were once lakeside properties are now 200 feet above water level. We drive on gravel paths that were once under water. The few Western and Clark's Grebes seem to be lone holdouts still frequenting the water that is left.
Tonight is spent in Truth or Consequences, a town that chose to change its name in 1950 to win an old radio show contest. But it's a long name to say or write out on forms, so locals call it "T or C," even on road signs. Lately they hold annual referendums to change the name back to Hot Springs, but so far no luck.
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steve Putnam Picturing the water drawdown is something