Civil Water (non-adjudication) and Water Rights Adjudication
Definitions
In New Mexico, there are two types of water litigation:
- Civil Water (non-adjudication) cases, which are disputes over usage under a previously determined scope of rights. See the Civil Water Law (non-adjudication) Cases section and;
- Water Rights Adjudication cases, which involve a system-wide declaration of water rights in a basin. See the Water Rights Adjudication section.
Civil Water (non-adjudication) Cases
Civil Water (non-adjudication) cases involve disputes between parties over usage under a previously determined scope of rights.
Beginning on October 1, 2025, filing attorneys for water law cases will follow Supreme Court Provisional Order #S-1-AO-2025-00017.
Water Court Structure and Procedure – Rule 1-077.2 NMRA
View More
Specific instructions for Self-Represented Litigants filing a Civil Water (non-adjudication)
View More
Specific instructions for attorneys filing a Civil Water (non-adjudication) case through File & Serve
View More
Supreme Court Provisional Order #S-1-AO-2025-00017
View More
Water Rights Adjudication
No changes have been made to the processing of water adjudication cases.
Water rights adjudications involve a system-wide declaration of water rights in a basin. They determine who owns which water rights and in what amount, and are required by law.
