See below for descriptions, data sources, and downloads links (where available) of the layers data displayed on the Explore webmap.
Datasets Available
Environmental Quality
Air Pollution Permits
Facilities permitted by the NMED Air Quality Bureau to emit pollutants into the air. Not all facilities are active nor emitting, but is a potential list of sources of emissions. For more info on Air Quality Permits visit https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/permitting-section-home-page/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Active Mines
Places or areas from which commercial minerals are or were removed by excavation from the Earth. This could include mines used for obtaining cement, common clay and shale, copper, crushed stone, dimension stone, gemstones, gypsum, mica, molybdenum, perlite, potash, pumice, salt, sand and gravel, sulfur, vermiculite, or zeolites. Source: United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Data Source:
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Mining and Minerals Division
Aquifer Sensitivity
New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) mapping of areas where waters of the state may be vulnerable to contamination from septic tank discharges, and where stricter standards may be imposed. For more information please visit the NMED Ground Water Quality Bureau at https://www.env.nm.gov/gwqb/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department, Ground Water Quality Bureau
Brownfields
Brownfields are defined as a former industrial or commercial site where future use is affected by real or perceived environmental contamination. EPA’s Brownfields Program provides grants and technical assistance to communities, states, tribes and others to assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse contaminated properties. For more information on NMEDs Brownfields Program please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/gwqb/brownfields-program/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Clean Water Act Section 303(d) Impaired Waters
Impaired streams and lakes for the 2018 reporting cycle to the EPA under the Clean Water Act Section 303(d). To learn more about the Clean Water Act Section 303(d) list of impaired water please visit https://www.epa.gov/tmdl/overview-listing-impaired-waters-under-cwa-section-303d/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Federal Clean Air Act Nonattainment Areas
Federal Clean Air Act Non-Attainment Areas are areas that do not meet (or that contributes to ambient air quality in a nearby area that does not meet) the national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for a National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). For more info on Federal Clean Air Act Non-Attainment Areas please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/air-quality/permitting-section-home-page/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Ground Water Discharge Permits
Ground Water Discharge Permits from NMED’s Ground Water Pollution Prevention Section (GWPPS) that reviews and approves ground water Discharge Permits for discharges that have the potential to impact ground water quality pursuant to Subparts III and V of the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) regulations (20.6.2 NMAC). Ground water Discharge Permits address a wide variety of discharges including: * Domestic wastewater facilities * Large capacity septic tank leachfields * Reclaimed wastewater reuse * Power generating plants * Commercial laundries (when not served by sanitary sewers) * Commercial land farms for treatment of contaminated soil * Industrial discharges * Ground Water remediation systems. For more information please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/gwqb/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Ground Water Discharge Permits - Dairies
Ground Water Discharge Permits for Dairies. Dairies are considered to be agricultural ground water discharge permits.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Mine Facilities
Mining facilities permitted to discharge water by the New Mexico Environment Department. For more information on mine facility permitting please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/gwqb/permits/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Mining and Minerals Department
NPDES Permit Locations
NPDES Permit Locations - National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System" ("NPDES") can be defined as the national program for issuing, modifying, revoking and reissuing, terminating, monitoring and enforcing permits, and imposing and enforcing pretreatment requirements, under sections 307, 402, 318, and 405 of CWA. For more information on NPDES Permits please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/surface-water-quality/npdes-permits//.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department, Surface Water Quality Bureau
State Cleanup Program
The State Cleanup Program (SCP) administers those portions of the Water Quality Control Commission (WQCC) Regulations, 20.6.2 NMAC, that require the cleanup of contaminated soil and ground water to protect human health and the environment. The regulations require corrective actions to mitigate any damage caused by an unauthorized discharge, and investigation and abatement of subsurface contamination in order to attain ground water standards.
For more information on NMEDs SCP program please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/gwqb/ros-scp/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Superfund Sites
EPA Superfund sites are polluted locations in the United States requiring a long-term response to clean up hazardous material contaminations. They were designated under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980.
For more information on EPA Superfund sites in New Mexico please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/gwqb/sos-nm-sites/ and for a list of active or archived EPA Superfund sites visit https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/srchsites.cfm.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Voluntary Remediation Program
New Mexico’s Voluntary Remediation Program (VRP) provides incentives for the voluntary remediation of contaminated properties and encourages their redevelopment. Participants who successfully complete the program receive site closure documentation from NMED and liability protection for lenders and future purchasers.
For more information on Voluntary Remediation Program's, please visit the New Mexico Environment Department’s webpage on VRPs at https://www.env.nm.gov/gwqb/ros-vrp/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department, Ground Water Quality Bureau
Sensitive Plants and Animals
CHAT Crucial Habitat
The Western Governors Wildlife Council (WGWVC) defined Crucial Habitat as places that are expected to contain the resources necessary for the continued health of fish and wildlife populations or where important ecological communities are expected to provide high value for a diversity of fish and wildlife.
States compiled data encompassing all of the above categories and then ranked areas as "crucial habitat" using a relative, six-level prioritization scheme, where 1 represents areas "most crucial" and 6 representing areas "least crucial". Crucial habitat values are in no way regulatory or imply specific avoidance or mitigation measures for a given area. Crucial habitat values should be interpreted as the relative probability, or risk, that a high-priority species or habitat would be encountered in a given area.
A description of the Crucial Habitat data layer can be found in the metadata section of the NM-CHAT website at http://nmchat.org/data-metadata.html.
Data Source:
Natural Heritage New Mexico
CHAT Species of Concern
Species of Concern (SOC) are defined as species of state and/or national conservation importance where 1 is "Highest Priority" and 6 "Lowest Priority". Hexagons were scored based on observations for the following: federally listed Endangered, Threatened, or Candidate species; New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF) New Mexico listed animal species (Threatened or Endangered); New Mexico State Forestry Division State Endangered Plant Species (Endangered or Threatened ), and Natural Heritage New Mexico Conservation Status rankings (G1/S1 Critically Imperiled globally and within the state, respectively; G2/S2, Imperiled; G3/S3, Vulnerable; G4/S4, Apparently Secure, and G5/S5, Secure). Observations older than 1975 and with a spatial uncertainty greater than 2,500 m were excluded. Area within a designated U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Critical Habitat for Endangered or Threatened species was considered “observation” data.
Priority Level 1
Federal Endangered species, OR Federal Threatened species, OR State Endangered species, OR G1 species observations
Priority Level 2
Federal Candidate species observations, OR State Threatened species observations, OR G2 species observations, OR Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act species observations, OR modeled habitat for >15 SGCN species
Priority Level 3
G3 species observations for species (not state or federally listed), OR modeled habitat for at least one of the following: Federal or State Endangered species, OR 11-15 SGCN species
Priority Level 4
G4 or G5 species observations that are also ranked S1 or S2 (not state or federally listed), OR modeled habitat for at least one of the following: Federal or State Threatened species, OR Federal Candidate species, OR 8-10 SGCN species
Priority Level 5
G4 or G5 species observations that are also ranked S3 (not state or federally listed), OR modeled habitat for at least one of the following: at least one G1, G2 or G3 species, OR G4 or G5 and S1 species (not state or federal listed); >3 G4 or G5 and S2 or S3 species (not state or federally listed)
Priority Level 6
None of the above or no data
A description of the Species of Concern data layer can be found in the metadata section of the NM-CHAT website at http://nmchat.org/data-metadata.html.
Data Source:
Natural Heritage New Mexico
CHAT Terrestrial SERI
Terrestrial Species of Economic and Recreational Importance (SERI) are based on models developed by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and Dr. Samuel Cushman for ‘General' and ‘Priority’ occupied habitat for bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, pronghorn, cougar, and black bear. General habitat includes the general distribution and year-round ranges; priority habitat includes corridors, winter range, and stop-over sites based on data from the USGS series of ungulate migrations publications and other sources. All bighorn sheep habitat is considered ‘Priority.’ Pronghorn, elk, and mule deer had both priority and general habitat designated. Cougar and black bear had only general habitat designated.
A description of the Terrestrial SERI data layer can be found in the metadata section of the NM-CHAT website.
Data Source:
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), Natural Heritage New Mexico (NHNM)
CHAT Aquatic SERI
Aquatic Species of Economic and Recreational Importance (SERI), as defined by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, distributions are mapped based on designated sportfish waters (both streams and lakes). The categorization of hexagons as 1 or 2 was based on the recreational value of the overlapped sportfish waters, otherwise they were categorized as 6 (no data).
A description of the Terrestrial SERI data layer can be found in the metadata section of the NM-CHAT website.
Data Source:
New Mexico Department of Game and Fish (NMDGF), Natural Heritage New Mexico (NHNM)
USFWS Critical Habitat
Critical habitat is the specific areas within the geographic area, occupied by the species at the time it was listed, that contain the physical or biological features that are essential to the conservation of endangered and threatened species and that may need special management or protection. Critical habitat may also include areas that were not occupied by the species at the time of listing but are essential to its conservation.
Please check out the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s IPaC (Information for Planning and Consultation) tool at https://ipac.ecosphere.fws.gov/ to enter a project and get a list of intersected species and critical habitats.
Data Source:
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Important Bird Areas
Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are distinct areas that provide essential habitat for one or more species of birds in breeding, wintering, or migration and are considered the most important places for birds as identified by the National Audubon Society. For more information please visit the Audubon Society’s web page on New Mexico IBAs here.
Data Source:
National Audubon Society
Important Plant Areas
Important Plant Areas (IPAs) are specific places across New Mexico that support either a high diversity of sensitive plant species or are the last remaining locations of New Mexico’s most endangered plants. New Mexico has identified 133 IPAs with IPA-Biodiversity Ranks that can be used to identify high priority areas for management actions. More information on IPAs can be found in the New Mexico Rare Plant Conservation Strategy. (https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/sfd/new-mexico-rare-plant-conservation-strategy/)
Data Source:
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Forestry Division
NM SWAP Conservation Opportunity Areas (COAs)
NMDGF State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) Conservation Opportunity Areas (COAs) are areas in the State considered having superior potential for conserving Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). Like all other components of the State Wildlife Action Plan, COAs provide a non-regulatory tool to help focus and prioritize statewide actions to locations where conservation actions may maximize opportunities to prevent future listings of species, and to promote recovery of species that have already been listed..
For more information on SWAP COAs please visit nmswap.org.
Data Source:
New Mexico Department of Game & Fish
NMDGF Fish Management Plan Waters
Fish data from New Mexico Department of Game and Fish regarding priority fish species and their management per waterbody.
Data Source:
New Mexico Department of Game & Fish
Wetlands, Forests, and Other Ecosystems
Floodplains and Wetlands
Floodplain and wetland areas in New Mexico. Floodplains are areas along rivers and streams that are covered with water when the river or stream flows over its bank. Wetlands are areas that are usually covered with water. Wetland types include riverine – lacustrine – depressional – slope – mineral soil flats – organic soil flats.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Riparian Corridors
Riparian corridors are as areas where on the landscape where land and water meet. These areas comprise less than two percent of New Mexico lands yet they are the most important ecosystem in the state for plants and wildlife.
Please visit the New Mexico Riparian Map (NMRipMap) webpage to explore a comprehensive, fine-scale spatial view of the composition, cover, and structure of riparian and wetland vegetation along New Mexico’s perennial streams and rivers.
Data Source:
Natural Heritage New Mexico
Outstanding Natural Resource Waters
Outstanding National Resource Waters (ONRWs) are streams, lakes and wetlands that receive special protection against degradation under the State of New Mexico’s Standards for Interstate and Intrastate Surface Waters (Water Quality Standards) and the federal Clean Water Act. An ONRW designation is the highest level of protection against degradation that can be afforded for a waterbody under the State of New Mexico’s Water Quality Standards. For more information on Outstanding Natural Resource Waters please visit https://www.env.nm.gov/surface-water-quality/onrws/.
Data Source:
New Mexico Environment Department
Surface Waters
Surface waters of New Mexico from the USGS National Hydrography Dataset (NHD).
Data Source:
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
NM Riparian Habitat Map
The New Mexico Riparian Habitat Map (NMRipMap) Version 2.0 Plus is a comprehensive, fine-scale spatial view of the composition, cover, and structure of riparian and wetland vegetation along New Mexico’s perennial streams and rivers (see User's Guide for details).
NMRipMap is designed to serve wildlife habitat management, wetland and riparian conservation and restoration planning, non-native species management, riparian monitoring design, identification of refugia, and more.
This project was made possible by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish with additional support from Region 3 of the US Forest Service.
Click here for information and to download NMRipMap Products and data.
Data Source:
Natural Heritage New Mexico
Community Health
Child Asthma Rates
Asthma Emergency Department Visits per 10,000, for children ages 0-17 from data collected between 2013 and 2017. Data obtained from New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH).
Data Source:
Layer created by Natural Heritage New Mexico (NHNM) from data obtained from New Mexico Department of Health's Indicator Based Information System (NM-IBIS). To obtain this dataset please email NHNM at nhnm@unm.edu.
Poverty Levels By Census Tract
According to the CDC, economic stability is listed as one of the Social Determinants of Health SDOH are defined as conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes. For more information on economic stability as an SDOH, please visit the New Mexico Department of Health’s webpage on the topic.
Data Source:
US Census Bureau
Cancer Risk
Lifetime cancer risk from inhalation of air toxics, as risk per lifetime per million people. Source: EPA Environmental Justice Mapping and Screening Tool (EJScreen).
Data Source:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Low Income Population
The percent of a block group's population in households where the household income is less than or equal to twice the federal "poverty level." Source: EPA Environmental Justice Mapping and Screening Tool (EJScreen).
Data Source:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Low Life Expectancy
Average life expectancy data developed as a collaboration between NCHS, the National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.. Source: EPA Environmental Justice Mapping and Screening Tool (EJScreen).
Data Source:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
People of Color
The percent of individuals in a block group who list their racial status as a race other than white alone and/or list their ethnicity as Hispanic or Latino. That is, all people other than non-Hispanic white-alone individuals. The word "alone" in this case indicates that the person is of a single race, not multiracial.. Source: EPA Environmental Justice Mapping and Screening Tool (EJScreen).
Data Source:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Oil and Gas Activity
Active Oil and Gas Wells
Active energy production wells (oil, gas, CO2) as well as injection and salt water disposal wells in New Mexico; last updated 3/22/2023.
Data Source:
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department, Oil Conservation Division
Unplugged or Abandoned Wells (Orphan) Wells
“Orphan wells” are a subset of unplugged abandoned wells. They are non-producing wells for which no owner or operator can be found, or the owner or operator cannot or is unwilling to plug the well. This could happen if the owner goes bankrupt or if the well is left unplugged and abandoned prior to the recent plugging standards, and now no legal responsible party can be found for the well.
Data Source:
Environmental Defense Fund (Peltz and McVay), McGill University (Boutot and Kang)
New Mexico Oil and Gas Production Areas
A general outline of NM oil and gas production areas.
Data Source:
Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) Oil Conservation Division (OCD)
Incidents (C-141)
The C-141 Release Notification and Corrective Action form is used by Operators to notify, request approvals, and communicate the progress of unauthorized Oil & Gas releases pursuant to 19.15.29 NMAC.
Data Source:
Energy, Minerals, and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) Oil Conservation Division (OCD)
State Land Office Oil and Gas Leases
Active energy production leases (oil and gas) on New Mexico State Trust Lands. For more information visit the State Land Office's Oil and Gas Division webpage at https://www.nmstatelands.org/divisions/oil-gas-and-minerals/about-oil-and-gas/.
Renewable Energy Development
State Land Office Renewable Energy Leases
Utility Scale Solar and Wind Projects (on state land) - Active renewable energy leases (solar and wind) on New Mexico State Trust Lands. For more information visit EMNRD's Office of Renewable Energy webpage at https://www.nmstatelands.org/divisions/commercial-resources/renewable-energy/about-office-of-renewable-energy/.
Data Source:
New Mexico State Land Office
U.S. Wind Turbine Database
This project provides a publicly available, spatially referenced, national dataset of wind turbine locations and their corresponding facility information and turbine technical specifications. The project compiled wind turbine information from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), and United States Geological Survey (USGS) dataset, as well as online sources.
Data Source:
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database
Over 4,400 large scale commercial solar facilities are in operation in the United States (as of December, 2021), representing over 60 gigawatts of electric power capacity. Of these, over 3,900 are ground-mounted with capacities of 1MW or more, specified as large scale solar photovoltaic (LSPV) facilities. LSPV ground-mounted installations continue to grow, with over 400 projects coming online in 2021 alone. Currently, a comprehensive, publicly available georectified data describing the locations and spatial footprints of these facilities does not exist.Analysts from the U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory collaborated to develop and release the United States Large Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (). This effort built from the expertise gained while developing the regularly updated United States Wind Turbine Database (USWTDB). Starting from Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, locations of LSPV facilities were visually verified using high-resolution aerial imagery; a polygon was drawn around the extent of facility panel arrays, and facility attributes were appended. Quality assurance and control were achieved via team peer review, and comparing the USPVDB to other datasets USPVDB of US PV.
Data Source:
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Reference
Active State Trust Land Leases
This data set delineates New Mexico State Trust Lands at the state level (used for mapping purposes). It is derived from PLSS subdivision-level data (slo_STLStatusCombined) by dissolving on the ownership code (surface ownership only, subsurface ownership only, or both surface and subsurface ownership). Land records from the Land Information Management System (LIMS) were processed against the BLM's PLSS data (CADNSDI Version 2) where it is available or against alternate PLSS sources (PLSS Infill or GCDB).
Data Source:
New Mexico State Land Office
State Parks
For more detailed information visit EMNRD’s New Mexico State Park’s here.
Data Source:
New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department
Electric Transmission Lines
Major electric transmission lines in New Mexico. Transmission Lines are the system of structures, wires, insulators and associated hardware that carry electric energy from one point to another in an electric power system. Lines are operated at relatively high voltages varying from 69 kV up to 765 kV. Source: Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Data Source:
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Watersheds (HUC 8)
HUC 8 subbasins (8-digits)
Data Source:
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Geomorphology
Geomorphology of New Mexico by John W. Hawley, David J. McCraw, David W. Love, Sean D. Connell of (2005).
Data Source:
NM Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
Geology
This map represents the first substantial revision of the geologic map of New Mexico at this scale since the appearance of the State Geologic Map of New Mexico by Carle H. Dane and George O. Bachman, published in two sheets by the U.S. Geological Survey (in cooperation with the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources) in 1965. The present compilation was started in 1985 by G. Robert Osburn, under the directorship of Frank Kottlowski. The bulk of the compilation was accomplished between 1987 and 1998 by Orin J. Anderson and Glen E. Jones. Since 1998 the map has been reviewed and revised by many other workers (listed below). The present map reflects substantial revisions to the Anderson and Jones compilation. Earlier versions of that compilation appeared in 1994 as Open-file Report # 408 of the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, and in 1997 as Open-file Report 97-52 of the U.S. Geological Survey. Work on this project has spanned the administrations of three directors at the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources: Frank Kottlowski, Charles Chapin, and Peter Scholle.
Data Source:
NM Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources
Soils
This dataset was developed by the Conservation Biology Institute using the STATSGO2, 1:250,000-scale US soils database with soil descriptions from the NRCS website (http://ortho.ftw.nrcs.usda.gov/cgi-bin/osd/osdname.cgi). The main soil characteristics described by this dataset are soil order, texture,climate regime and caliche (special diagnostic horizon).
Data Source:
STATSGO, Conservation Biology Institute
Public Land Survey System (PLSS)
This feature class contains the Public Land Survey System Townships which are the primary unit of survey for the PLSS, nominally six miles on a side, usually containing 36 sections. PLSS Townships are numbered from base lines and principal meridians.
Data Source:
FGDC Cadastral Subcommittee, BLM Cadastral Survey
Counties
Counties of New Mexico
Data Source:
US Census Bureau
New Mexico Surface Land Ownership
This data was collected by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in New Mexico at both the New Mexico State Office and at the various field offices. This dataset is meant to depict the surface owner or manager of the land parcels. In the vast majority of land parcels, they will be one and the same. However, there are instances where the owner and manager of the land surface are not the same. When this occurs, the manager of the land is usually indicated. BLM's Master Title Plats are the official land records of the federal government and serve as the primary data source for depiction of all federal lands. Information from State of New Mexico is the primary source for the depiction of all state lands. Auxilliary source are referenced, as well, for the depiction of all lands. Collection of this dataset began in the 1980's using the BLM's ADS software to digitize information at the 1:24,000 scale. In the mid to late 1990's the data was converted from ADS to ArcInfo software and merged into tiles of one degree of longitude by one half degree of latitude. These tiles were regularly updated. The tiles were merged into a statewide coverage. The source geodatabase for this shapefile was created by loading the merged ArcInfo coverage into a personal geodatabase. The geodatabase data were snapped to a more accurate GCDB derived land network, where available. In areas where GCDB was not available the data were snapped to digitized PLSS. In 2006, the personal geodatabase was loaded into an enterprise geodatabase (SDE). This shapefile has been created by exporting the feature class from SDE.
Data Source:
U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)