On Saturday, December 1st, acequias will convene for the 8th Annual Congreso de las Acequias, the only statewide gathering of acequias.  The gathering will take place at El Museo Cultural (1615 Paseo de Peralta) in Santa Fe from 9:30am - 3:30pm.  Click here to register online!!

The Congreso de las Acequias in the governing body of the New Mexico Acequia Association comprised of regional delegations from 22 different regions throughout New Mexico.  Altogther, over 500 acequias are represented through their respective regional delegations.

The annual Congreso is an opportunity to get critical updates on water and agriculture in New Mexico and to network with acequia leaders from around the state. This year, the meeting agenda will include two panel presentations: Water Rights and Agriculture and Youth. 

The Water Rights panel will include presentations from acequia parciantes on the recent effort of the State Engineer to bring water rights under greater management control of the state through Active Water Resource Management, which includes the appoint of water masters and imposition of water metering.  Many questions remain about how this will affect the historic customs and practices of local acequia self-governance.   The other topic on the water rights panel will be an update on litigation regarding water transfers.  Acequias who exercise their power to regulate water transfers are facing legal challenge.  Attendees will hear first hand of the experience of acequias who are on the forefront of test cases of acequia authority over water transfers.

The Agriculture and Youth panel will begin with an update on the Northern New Mexico Food System Assessment, a grassroots, participatory study about the condition of our food systems (agricultural production, food security for families, native food traditions) in an area of northern New Mexico.  Findings include the need to retain land and water rights as family inheritance, the need for greater support for farmers and ranchers, and the need for investment in agricultural and food processing infrastructure.

The second topic on the panel will be an update on the Sembrando Semillas project where youth will present videos of their work in the past year learning about acequias, growing food, and having fun while working the land.

The Congreso regional delegates will vote on resolutions and to elect the eleven member Concilio.  Some of the resolutions under consideration are posted on our website. 

For more information, contact the NM Acequia Association at 995-9644 or go to our website at www.lasacequias.org.

On Saturday, October 20, 2007, the Sembrando Semillas team gathered in
Chamisal to learn how to make posole from blue corn.  This workshop was led by our mentor Maximiliano Garcia with great support from his family. 

The workshop was attended by Taos' RJ Chavez, Karen Mirabal, as well as Questa's Andrew, Samantha, Jordan, and Lauren Mascareņas.  Penasco Semillas included  Toribio Garcia, Michael Fresquez, Juan Felipe Roybal, Adam & Eric Casados, and Donne, Augustine, & Ignacio Gonzales.

We learned about the entire process of making posole, starting with the planting and harvesting of blue corn last year.  The workshop consisted of desgranando el maiz, aigriando, lavando, and boiling the corn with cal (lime) until it turned orange and the seed shell started coming off. 

It then had to be rinsed several times to remove the cal.  At that point it can be frozen or dried for later use.  Posole, like chicos, is a fundamental food in northern New Mexico culture so having this knowledge is important.

To see more photos and to listen to our radio show about our posole-making experience, click here.

 

 

Nearly 100 acequia parciantes and local officials packed a meeting in Questa where representatives of the Office of the State Engineer presented a plan to breach Cabresto Dam.  Esther Garcia, a commissioner on one of two community acequias that depends on water from Cabresto Dam is determined that the dam be repaired or rebuilt. "Water means everything to us.  If the dam is breached, it will dry up our community." 

Community leaders including Garcia have been pushing for funding to rehabilitate the aging dam and were successful in securing a 2006 legislative appropriation of $2.3 million.  "The State Engineer hasn't moved on this project...and now, they are telling us of plans to breach the dam without any assurances that the dam will be rebuilt," says Garcia. 

Efforts to secure additional funding in the 2007 legislative session were not successful because of concerns by the State Engineer over whether it was technically or economically feasible to rebuild.  The acequias have argued that the dam is essential to continue irrigated agriculture in the area and that it supports the income of many families in the area.  Other local officials, including the Mayor of Questa and County Commissioners have expressed support also citing that the lake is an economic necessity and a recreational treasure for the community.

Questa leaders are mobilizing and meeting with state officials to get stronger committment to rebuild the dam if it is breached.  In a recent meeting, Garcia and others sought to apply pressure to the State Engineer to ensure the engineering firm under contract should do a plan and design that includes the breach and rebuilding so that the cost estimate can be used for pending legislative requests. 

Garcia commented, "We need everyone's help on this.  If this happens to our dam, it could happen to others."

 

Members of the Water and Natural Resources Legislative Interim Committee interrogated State Engineer John D'Antonio with hours of questioning at a recent meeting. The monthly meeting of the committee, held in Taos on August 28th and 29th, had a strong focus on acequias. An estimated 80 acequia and mutual domestic leaders attended the meeting to hear three of New Mexico's top acequia attorneys present a scathing critique of the new Active Water Regulations Management (AWRM) regulations promulgated by the State Engineer and a presentation by the New Mexico Acequia Association on the impacts of water markets to acequias, traditional agriculture, and rural water security. 

The AWRM regulations set forth a management framework that brings the state's water under more direct management control of the State Engineer through water masters and metering. This has raised many questions about the historic role of acequias as local governments that manage water. The regulations purportedly intend to protect senior water rights but in effect actually undermine senior water rights through expedited water markets and top-down, unilateral approval of water sharing arrangements.

"These regulations are very problematic. To distribute water this way, the state has to know who has what water. The courts should determine that, not the State Engineer," said Fred Waltz, attorney for over a hundred acequias in the upper Rio Grande. "In most areas, metering is just not practical. These regulations should be called Active Water Resource Meddling."

The panel of attorneys also called attention to problems with expedited markets. "Expedited markets are a violation of state law. The State Engineer is attempting to circumvent basic constitutional due process and notice requirements and the statutory requirements for water transfers in state law," said David Benavides, attorney for New Mexico Legal Aid. The statutory water transfer process includes consideration if impairment of existing water rights, water conservation and public welfare and it provides for opportunity to protest. Benavides also discussed the significance of local decision-making regarding water sharing. "The State's role is to enforce priority and protect senior water rights. It is up to the communities to decide among themselves how to share water in a matter that is equitable and serves the common good."

The response by the State Engineer and his general counsel, D.L. Sanders, was not clear. D'Antonio explained that expedited markets were needed to provide water to junior users, typically cities, in times of water shortage and priority calls. "If we call priority on a city, we need to make sure they have water. The regular water transfer process takes several months." When asked by Senator Griego whether acequia water rights could be part of expedited markets, D'Antonio responded that they could. When asked whether expedited markets violated due process, D'Antonio avoided a direct answer saying only that markets are "voluntary."

In the following presentation by the New Mexico Acequia Association, Paula Garcia explained the impact of water markets on acequias. "Unprecedented demands for water are threatening the future viability of acequias and small-scale agriculture in New Mexico. State policy that expedites water markets is the wrong direction for New Mexico." In response to earlier statements by the State Engineer and expedited markets, Garcia urged the committee to have more oversight over rulemaking by the State Engineer and to repeal language from a 2003 law the OSE uses as a justification for expedited markets.

 

 

Monticello Community Ditch Association, in Sierra County, attempted to deny a proposed transfer of a huge amount of water rights off the Acequia to the Town of Belen last year. The applicant and his attorney, Tim de Young, got the court to say that the Acequia hadn't adopted an effective transfer bylaw in time. So the transfer application went to the State Engineer and the Acequia protested the application. There are now 42 protestants to the application, including the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC), Sierra Club and many others. The ISC's position is that since the water in the tributary never reaches the Rio Grande, this transfer would not replace the additional water that Belen would take, so Belen will impair downstream users and interstate deliveries. (This is also one of the main arguments the Acequia has made!) George Chandler is the attorney for the Acequia, with assistance from New Mexico Legal Aid. Looks like Mr. De Young will have his hands full!

Agriculture producers who suffered losses caused by natural disasters in 2005-2007 are reminded to sign up for three new ad hoc disaster programs, announced Rick Lopez, State Executive Director for the New Mexico Farm Service Agency (FSA).  Currently, applications are being accepted for the Livestock Compensation Program (LCP), Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) and Crop Disaster Program (CDP).  "Although ending dates for sign-up periods have not yet been announced, it is important for producers to apply for benefits as soon as possible."

Fr more information on applying for FSA disaster assistance and to schedule an appointment, please call your local County FSA Office.  Detailed program information is available on a fact sheet entitled Agricultural Assistance Act of 2007 on New Mexico's FSA website, www.fsa.usda.gov/nm.  Look under Spotlights section.

NMSU and Western SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) will host a workshop on Alternative Crops for New Mexico on December 11, 2007 from 8am-5pm.

Santa Fe County
Extension Office
Santa Fe County Fairgrounds
3229 Rodeo Road
Santa Fe, NM
8:00 am ~ 5:00 pm

For more information, contact Jeanine Castillo, Workshop Coordinator at (575) 202-8728 or rjeanine@nmsu.edu.

This is a monthly half-hour radio show that explores the richness the acequia culture and the challenges facing acequias. The show also chronicles the work of the New Mexico Acequia Association and the activities of the Sembrando Semillas team.

www.lasacequias.org