N.M. Admin. Code § 19.25.8.20
A person may protest such an application by filing a protest alleging how the granting of the application will substantially and specifically affect the protestant and that it will impair the protestant's water right and/or be contrary to the conservation of water within the state and/or be detrimental to the public welfare of the state. The state or any of its branches, agencies, departments, boards, instrumentalities or institutions, and all political subdivisions of the state and their agencies, instrumentalities and institutions shall have standing to file a protest. A protest shall be in writing and filed with the state engineer, Post Office Box 25102, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-5102. The protest shall state the name and mailing address of the protestant, identify the grounds for the protest, and contain the signature of the protestant or an authorized representative. The state engineer will provide the applicant with a copy of all filed protests to encourage the parties to reach a resolution. The applicant will provide each protestant with a copy of its pilot/demonstration project permit so that the protestant(s) may develop independent information during the pilot/demonstration project. The applicant will further provide each protestant with a copy of its full-scale project application at the time the application is filed with the state engineer.
N.M. Admin. Code § 19.25.8.20