>> Laura: GREG DYSON, WELCOME TO NEW MEXICO IN FOCUS.

THE BOSQUE ECOSYSTEM MONITORING PROGRAM IS A  20-YEAR OLD PROGRAM.

STUDENTS COLLECT DATA FROM THE RIO  GRANDE, EVERYTHING FROM GROUNDWATER LEVELS TO LEAF  LITTER.

CAN YOU BRIEFLY TELL US A  LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO ARE THESE STUDENTS AND WHO ARE THE  SCIENTISTS WHO RELY UPON THIS DATA?

>> Dyson: HI LAURA.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

THE STUDENTS ARE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, ACTUALLY.

I MEAN THE MAJORITY ARE FROM BERNALILLO COUNTY.

WE DO A LOT WITH ALBUQUERQUE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND WE ARE  BASED AT BOSQUE SCHOOL, PRIVATE SCHOOL RIGHT ALONG THE  RIO GRANDE.

AND, WE TAKE KINDERGARTENERS  THROUGH 12TH GRADERS OUT TO THE BOSQUE AND THEY COLLECT  SCIENTIFIC DATA.

WE TRAIN FROM THE DEPTH OF  GROUND WATER TO LITTER FALL TO THE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS.

AND ALL TYPES OF AGENCIES AND GOVERNMENT BODIES USE THE  DATA.

IT RANGES FROM   U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, U.S. BUREAU OF  RECLAMATION, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, BERNALILLO COUNTY,  CITY OF ALBUQUERQUE, VALENCIA SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION  DISTRICT.

YOU KNOW, THE RIO GRANDE,  MRGCD, MIDDLE RIO GRANDE CONSERVATION DISTRICT.

SO, THAT IS JUST A PARTIAL LIST.

ALL TYPES OF FOLKS USE OUR DATA FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE  MIDDLE RIO GRANDE.

>> Laura: IT LOOKS LIKE YOU  HAVE FUNDING FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SOURCES.

THE BULK OF YOUR FUNDING COMES FROM THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF  ENGINEERS.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT IS  CHANGING.

CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT  ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHY THAT IS HAPPENING?

>> Dyson: YEAH.

WE HAVE HAD A LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP  WITH THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.

THEY HAVE BEEN FUNDING PRETTY GENEROUSLY OVER THE YEARS.

AND IT IS THROUGH -- THERE IS LOTS OF ACRONYMS IN THIS  BUSINESS.

IT IS MRGESCP, MIDDLE RIO  GRANDE ENDANGERS SPECIES COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM.

AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS  FUNDING FOR THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN CUT DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE  THEIR BUDGET WAS BEING CUT DRAMATICALLY.

SO THEY ARE MAKING CUTS ALL OVER THE PLACE AND THIS  COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM IS REALLY FEELING IT AND WE GET  OUR FUNDING THROUGH THE U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS ABOUT  2/3 OF OUR BUDGET.

AND WE ARE IN THE LAST YEAR OF  THAT, SO, THE LAST -- WITH THE NEXT FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR,  OCTOBER 1, WE ARE LOOKING AT A 2/3 CUT IN OUR BUDGETS.

>> Laura: WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WILL THAT HAVE ON STUDENTS,  MONITORING, ON DATA THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO COLLECT?

>> Dyson: WE HAVE LOTS OF FEELERS OUT FOR GETTING  FUNDING BACK FROM OTHER AGENCIES AND FROM GOVERNMENT  BODIES.

I AM HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN MAKE  UP AT LEAST A BIG PART OF THAT, BUT WE ARE ALSO DOING A  WORST CASE SCENARIO PLANNING.

WE HAVE 33 ACTIVE SITES ALONG  THE MIDDLE RIO GRANDE AND WE WOULD GO DOWN TO 10 IN A WORST  CASE SCENARIO.

INSTEAD OF REACHING 10,000  STUDENTS A YEAR, WE WOULD BE MORE LIKE 1000 OR 2,000 AT  MOST.

SO IT IS A PRETTY MAJOR CUT.

WE ARE CURRENTLY NOT REPLACING STAFF THAT LEAVE.

WE ARE KIND OF GEARING UP FOR WORST CASE SCENARIO BUT  HOPEFUL FOR THE BEST.

>> Laura: THIS IS A CRITICAL  TIME, THE LAST YEAR, NOT JUST FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WHO  ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE PANDEMIC AND ALL THE CHANGES  THAT HAS BROUGHT ACROSS THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, BUT ALSO  THE RIO GRANDE.

YOU KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE,  DROUGHT, CHANGES TO THE RIVER AND THE BOSQUE.

WHAT DOES THIS LOSS MEAN FOR A  LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE?

>> Dyson: YEAH.

I MEAN THE SADDEST IMPACT IS WITH THE STUDENTS WHO, YOU  KNOW, WE ARE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK IN THE  FIELD WITH THEM COME THE FALL SEMESTER.

AND, WE WOULD HAVE TO CUT BACK DRAMATICALLY.

THE DATA IS -- IT IS SAD TO LOSE A YEAR OF DATA FOR THOSE  SITES WE HAVE TO DROP.

WE WOULDN'T DROP THEM.

WE WOULD SET THEM ASIDE UNTIL FUNDING CAME BACK UP.

WE WOULDN'T CLOSE THEM PERMANENTLY.

BUT I THINK THE REAL IMPACT IS WITH THE STUDENTS.

IT IS GETTING OUT IN THE FIELD AND LEARNING TO BE A YOUNG  SCIENTIST IS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY.

WE DON'T MERELY DO FIELD TRIPS.

WE TAKE STUDENTS OUT AND SHOW THEM HOW TO COLLECT  SCIENTIFICALLY SOUND DATA AND THE NUMBERS OF EXAMPLES OF  STUDENTS WHO GO ON TO, SAY, YOU KNOW, THE UNM BIOLOGY  PROGRAM, I MEAN, IT IS REALLY JUST EXCITING TO SEE STUDENTS  KIND OF THINK, WOW, I CAN BE A  SCIENTIST.

>> Laura: WE DID A SHOW IN  2017 WHERE WE WENT OUT WITH STUDENTS AND STAFFERS AND HAD  A GREAT TIME AND REALLY SAW THAT FIRST HAND OF THE  STUDENTS' EXCITEMENT BUT ALSO I HAVE HEARD FROM MANY  SCIENTISTS AND RESEARCHERS OVER THE YEARS HOW THEY USE  THE DATE AND CERTAINLY AS THE RIO GRANDE IS CHANGING TO HAVE  THIS DATA SET REALLY SEEMS PRETTY CRITICAL.

SO, WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF WE MISS OUT ON MONITORING SITES,  IF THERE IS TIME GAPS IN SOME OF THIS MONITORING?

HOW DOES THAT AFFECT PEOPLE?

>> Dyson: I MEAN YOU CAN --  ONE OF THE DATA SETS THAT I ENJOY TALKING ABOUT IS OUR  DEPTH TO GROUNDWATER.

SO, EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH  THE COTTONWOODS ALONG THE BOSQUE.

COTTONWOODS GENERALLY WILL ONLY -- THEIR ROOTS GO DOWN  ABOUT THREE METERS IN ORDER TO FIND WATER.

AND HAVING THAT, LOSING A YEAR OF DATA ON WHAT IS HAPPENING  WITH THE GROUNDWATER LEVEL IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE  ABLE TO KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE COTTONWOODS IN THE  BOSQUE.

AND, YOU KNOW, THERE IS  LONG-TERM DATA SETS SO THE SKY IS NOT FALLING IF WE HAVE TO  SET SOME DATA SETS ASIDE FOR A YEAR.

YET THE CONTINUITY -- WE ARE ACTUALLY APPROACHING CLOSER TO  25 YEARS OF DATA WITH A LOT OF THESE DATA SETS AND THE  CONTINUITY IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THESE DATA  SETS SO SPECIAL.

>> Laura: IT SEEMS LIKE BAD  TIMING ALL AROUND GIVEN THE CHALLENGES WE FACE ON THE RIO  GRANDE.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT PEOPLE  CAN DO AT THIS POINT?

>> Dyson: WELL, I THINK ONE OF  THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS WHOLE SITUATION IS REACHING  OUT TO PARTNERS.

WE HAVE INFORMED ALL OF OUR  PARTNERS OF OUR FUNDING SITUATION AND EVERYONE HAS  BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE.

WE HAVE JUST MOVED THAT  SUPPORT TO TURN INTO ACTUAL FUNDING.

OF COURSE, ANYONE CAN DONATE TO THEM ANY TIME.

I THINK IT  IS ALSO GREAT TO LET YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KNOW HOW  MUCH BEMP MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY.

THAT HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT OF ANYTHING.

>> Laura: THANK SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.

I APPRECIATE IT.

>> Dyson: THANK YOU, LAURA.