Water management in New Mexico is guided by several nearly 100-year-old principles in the New Mexico Constitution. The legal department of the Office of the State Engineer and the Interstate Stream Commission play an integral part in helping assure those principles are adhered to and the most prudent actions are taken with regard to supervising the state’s water resources.

The legal department of the Office of the State Engineer consists of the Litigation and Adjudication Department and the Water Rights Hearing Unit. The Interstate Stream Commission has its own general counsel to serve as legal advisor.