New Mexico
New Mexico DOJ pressures the state to crack down on illegal fencing on public waters
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – It’s been a long-debated topic pinning private landowners against people using New Mexico’s rivers recreationally.
Friday morning, New Mexico’s Department of Justice (DOJ) and two outdoor organizations pressured the state to crack down on illegal fencing on public waters.
“These are extremely dangerous to the public,” said Sherry Barrett with New Mexico Paddlers Coalition.
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Fencing across rivers and streams with hopes of keeping out trespassers on private property interferes with what the state law now deems legal.
“There had been barriers that had been allowed by certain regulation, and the New Mexico Supreme Court said that those regulations were unconstitutional,” said NMDOJ Chief Deputy Attorney General James Grayson.
The NMDOJ, New Mexico Wildlife Federation, and the New Mexico Paddlers Coalition went before legislators during the Water and Natural Resources Committee presenting the status on stream access enforcement.
“The waters belong to the public. The waters of New Mexico, whether they’re perennial or torrential belong to the public, and the public has a right to recreate and to fish on those waters,” said Grayson.
Some legislators asked: how far is too far? At what point do public rights become trespassing on private property?
“This is a balanced approach. The public does have the right to recreate. The public has the right to access those waters, but the public can’t trespass over private land to get to the water, and the public can’t exit the water onto private land,” said Grayson.
The DOJ shared how they reached out to property owners along the popular Pecos and Chama rivers with illegal fencing asking for barriers to be taken down. The next step was to send cease and desist letters.
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“We wanted to work with the landowners to let them know what their rights were and what the public’s rights were. We successfully managed to have a number of barriers removed from the Pecos River,” said Grayson.
In some cases, where owners refused to comply, further legal actions were taken. The state spoke to the severity of the dangers of having fencing along these rivers and streams.
“One of the problems is it’s a barbed wire fence, and these can be very difficult to see on rivers, especially in high flows, and again, these can ensnare people – boaters and anglers – and cause drowning,” said Barrett.
Some legislators wondered how landowners are supposed to exclude or contain livestock from entering or leaving their property without the barriers.
“We have to figure out a way to get these fences, if they’re necessary, to be paddler friendly,” said Barrett.
The discussion went back and forth as legislators fought to clarify what would be “reasonable;” some advocated for private landowners and asked for stricter guidelines on trespassing, and others were in support of the DOJ’s efforts to open the use of waterways to the public.
The New Mexico Paddlers Coalition and other outdoor groups have already volunteered time to install paddler-friendly fencing and hold regular trash cleanups along popular rivers.
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New Mexico
Blizzard warnings and winter storm warnings in effect for parts of New Mexico
Southeastern New Mexico will see some snow while other places will generally see cooler, more winter-like temperatures. See the latest conditions at KOB.com/Weather.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Some notable cities in New Mexico could see multiple inches of snow, along with possible wind and cooler temperatures Sunday into Monday.
There is going to be snow across the southeast. A winter storm advisory is in effect all throughout areas like Ruidoso and out toward the Texas state line. A winter storm warning for Carlsbad and even a blizzard warning for the Guadalupe Mountains. These advisories and warnings indicate it’s going to continue until Monday at 6 p.m.
How much snow might there be? Ruidoso could see a few inches, along with other higher-elevation areas. Carlsbad might even see as much as two inches and Roswell has a very good chance of snow.
Wind gusts ranged from 23 mph for Hobbs and Clovis, 25 in Santa Rosa and similar readings in other places. Temperatures could hit sub-freezing temperatures in places like Ruidoso, Roswell, Carlsbad and Hobbs. Meanwhile, Gallup and Grants could get into the single-digits. Plus, places like Albuquerque and Santa Fe will be in the 20s but the big “winner” is Alamosa, Colorado, with 2 degrees.
Chief Meteorologist Eddie Garcia shares all the details in his full forecast in the video above.
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New Mexico
New Mexico Lottery Powerball, Pick 3 Day results for Dec. 27, 2025
The New Mexico Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 27, 2025, results for each game:
Powerball
05-20-34-39-62, Powerball: 01, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 3
Day: 4-1-4
Evening: 3-8-4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Lotto America
08-10-20-47-50, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Pick 4
Evening: 6-9-5-0
Day: 4-9-4-3
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Roadrunner Cash
03-21-24-33-37
Check Roadrunner Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Powerball Double Play
13-22-33-61-62, Powerball: 20
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Las Cruces Sun-News editor. You can send feedback using this form.
New Mexico
How many positions did Koi Perich play in Minnesota’s Rate Bowl win over New Mexico?
An offensive role for Gophers defensive back Koi Perich was a major storyline before the 2025 season. The experiment was seemingly over until he played more offensive snaps in Minnesota’s Rate Bowl win over New Mexico than the entire regular season combined. Let’s take a deeper look at every position Perich lined up at against the Lobos.
Defense (69 snaps)
Positional breakdown: via Pro Football Focus (PFF)
- FS: 20 snaps
- ILB: 20 snaps
- Slot CB: 16 snaps
- SS: 10 snaps
- OLB: 3 snaps
Defensive production
- 69.7 PFF grade
- 5 total tackles
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Perich’s defensive production took a slight step back in 2025, but his 69.7 PFF grade in the Rate Bowl against New Mexico was his third-highest of the season. It marked only the fourth time this season that he had one missed tackle or fewer.
Offense (22 snaps)
Positional breakdown
- Slot WR: 12 snaps
- Outside WR: 10 snaps
Offensive production
- 4 receptions, 34 yards
- 2 carries, 7 yards
Friday was Perich’s best offensive game of his college career. It might’ve taken five wide receivers to enter the transfer portal and Le’Meke Brockington opting out of the game, but he essentially acted as their No. 3 wide receiver.
His previous career high for offensive snaps came in Week 1 against Buffalo when he saw the field seven times. He also had his most productive game against the Lobos with four receptions for 34 yards, which was the second most on the team. When Minnesota wanted Perich to play offense, you’d have to assume Friday’s game was how they wanted it to look.
Special teams
- One punt return, four yards
Perich played his normal special teams role against New Mexico, as Minnesota’s primary punt returner and kick returner, but he only had one punt return for four yards.
A handful of transfer portal entries and bowl game opt outs opened the window for Minnesota to revisit the Perich experiement on offense, and it was sucesful. It will be an interesting storyline to follow whether or not it was just bowl game theatrics or a look into a true two-way role in 2026.
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