The oil and gas industry in New Mexico is a big deal. It supports the state budget with hundreds of millions of dollars each year. But there are impacts, too – on air quality, water, public health and even cultural sites. In the first installment of KUNM’s new series Drilling Deep , we explore northwestern New Mexico – and the Chacoan landscape. To reach Chaco Culture National Historical Park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you hang a left off highway 550 near Nageezi, New Mexico and head south. At first the road is paved, though you still might see a few skinny horses crossing back and forth looking for something to eat in the desert scrub. Then, after the pavement ends, it’s about another 14 miles to the park. That’s 14 miles of a dirt road considered “suitable” – in good weather – for all vehicles. In bad weather you can watch Escavada Wash take over the road – and in some places be up to your wheel wells in mud. “I get an overwhelming feeling of, I'm coming back to a