The New Mexico Acequia Association celebrated its 20^th anniversary at the annual Congreso de las Acequias on November 13^th at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds. This year's event accommodated over 200 participants, made up of parciantes, comisionados, mayordomos, and acequia supporters including several elected officials - Congressman Ben Ray Lujan, Speaker Ben Lujan, Senator Tom Udall, Senator Carlos Cisneros and Commissioner of Public Lands Ray Powell. Senator Bingaman was also represented by Pablo Sedillo and Congressman Martin Heinrich by Antonio Sandoval.  Click here to see the photo stream. 

The Congreso was opened with the Bendición de las Aguas, in which NMAA delegates brought water from their respective regions for the blessing; followed by a panel discussion highlighting stories of acequia defense and renewal. The panel spotlighted acequia leaders discussing their successes at defending acequia water rights in the adjudication process, obtaining funding for acequia infrastructure improvements, and a story of the revitalization of small-scale acequia agriculture by a family in Chamisal.

The panel was followed by the passing of eight Resolutions, including the Declaration of Core Values (below). Also passed was NMAA's 2010 Policy Platform, which will be submitted to Governor-Elect Susana Martinez. Items in the Policy Platform include budget priorities and governor appointments that are of interest to acequias. The top five policy issues outlines in the platform are 1.) Community-Based Water Management by Acequias, 2.) Effective Regulation of Water Transfers, 3.) Strategic Reinvestment in Acequia Irrigation Infrastructure, 4.) Agricultural Revitalization as Rural Economic Development, and 5.) Fair and Timely Adjudication of Water Rights.

The Congreso luncheon included entertainment by the Moving People Dance Theatre, whose youth performers entertained the crowd with a production of their dance routine about acequia activities, set to a backdrop of vibrant props and live music. The Acequia Awards Ceremony followed the dancers. Palemon Martinez, of Valdez, received the first ever Acequia Lifetime Achievement award, honored for his many years of dedication to acequia issues in northern New Mexico. Also honored was Estevan Griego, of Dixon, who was presented with the Mayordomo of the Year award; Acequia Farmer/Rancher of the Year award went to Jose Manuel Archuleta; Mark Schuetz, of Taos, received the Acequia Advocate of the Year award; and the San Raphael del Guique Acequia was presented with the Community Acequia of the Year award.

After the luncheon, the NMAA held concurrent workshops, with topics that included carrying on acequia traditions, and information on record keeping/financial management by a panel of acequia commissioners. In addition, representatives from USDA agencies conducted two workshops. One was presented by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), which included an overview of their programs for acequia and individual landowners. The other USDA workshop was be presented by Farm Service Agency (FSA), covering information about programs for farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.

The New Mexico Acequia Association is once again pleased with the outcome of the Congreso. Every year, we're drawing in more and more folks who are dedicated to our cause; we value the support. The NMAA hopes to continue building the movement throughout the state, protecting our land and water resources for future generations of acequia farmers and ranchers.

1. We honor the connection between water, land, life, and communities.  We believe that our acequias express the values of our culture and identity as a land-based people. Just as our herencia came from generations before us, we now have the responsibility of passing on our traditions to youth and future generations. 

2. For generations, the well being of our communities has been sustained by sharing for the benefit of the common good, a tradition known as the repartimiento. Through our acequias we have shared scarce water, between our families we have shared food and seed, and through our labor we have helped one another. The acequia cleaning, sacando la acequia, is an example of the shared work inherent to our way of life.

3. We view water as a don divino or divine gift from God and as a common resource that sustains all life.  Making a profit from selling water rights is a form of disrespect to our ancestors, our core values, our way of life, and our children and grandchildren. 

4. Water rights should remain connected to the acequia to nurture agricultural traditions, to replenish aquifers, and to support the green ribbons of life along our rivers. 

5. We respect the traditional knowledge of our elders which guides the day-to-day operation of acequias, the cultivation of ancestral crops, and the care of our animals.

6. The worldview that treats land, water and food as commodities threatens the continued life of our communities.  The pressures to move water out of agriculture threaten to unravel acequias and the fabric of our communities.  

7. We believe that we have the power to grow our own food locally rather than importing most of our food through the industrial food system and that this local food should be available and affordable to all our families not only the wealthy. 

8. We believe that our ability to grow our own food with the water from our acequias, the lands of our families, and the seeds of our ancestors make us a free people.  Our self-determination depends on retaining our ancestral lands and waters under the stewardship that we inherited from our parents and grandparents.

9. We believe that our acequias will remain resilient by remaining rooted in centuries of traditions while also involving new community members who embrace the culture and customs intertwined with our acequias.

10. We seek to strengthen and revitalize our acequias so that we can build vibrant and healthy communities in which we grow more of our own food and we govern and manage our waters for the benefit of our communities. 

Acequia leadership from throughout New Mexico gathered for the annual Congreso de las Acequias on Saturday, November 13^th, in Santa Fe.  One of the action items on the agenda is approval of an Acequia Policy Platform to submit to Governor Elect Susana Martinez.  "Thousands of families depend on acequias to continue their farming and ranching way of life.  Acequias have a stake in New Mexico water policy," said Paula Garcia, Executive Director of the New Mexico Acequia Association.

The Congreso de las Acequias is the governing body of the New Mexico Acequia Association and is formed as a federation of regional delegations from over twenty communities around the state.  Leadership meets once a year for a General Assembly to vote on issues of common concern.  "One of the top priorities for the 2010 Congreso is to forward a policy agenda to the new Governor.  It is imperative that acequias have a seat at the table with regard to water issues," remarked Kenny Salazar of Santa Cruz Irrigation District which supplies irrigation water to some thirty acequias.  Of particular interest to acequias are modest line items that support critical acequia programs for water rights adjudication, community education, and infrastructure funding.  "We want to protect vital acequia funding from budget cuts as much as possible," said Salazar.

Altogether, the regional delegates to the Congreso de las Acequias represent over four hundred acequias throughout the state ranging from Rio Arriba, Lincoln, and Guadalupe counties.  "Almost anywhere there is water flowing in the state, you'll find acequias," remarked Garcia who has worked for the New Mexico Acequia Association for twelve years.

One of the key points of interest in the draft policy platform is promotion of community-based management of water, which is recognition and deference to local acequia officials in the distribution of water. "Our acequias have allocated water for centuries according to local custom and tradition.  Local knowledge and experience is essential to good water management," said Salazar who also manages the Acequia Governance Project of the New Mexico Acequia Association.  Other priorities include investment in agricultural infrastructure, concerns about water transfers, fair and timely adjudication of water rights, and revitalization of the agricultural economy. 

"Because we represent a broad constituency in New Mexico, we are hopeful the new administration will be attentive to our concerns," said Garcia.  Other items on the agenda of the annual Congreso included an awards ceremony, dance performance, and workshops by USDA. 

The New Mexico Acequia Association is happy to announce a new outreach program. The NMAA will be working to increase the number of parciantes, farmers, and ranchers that utilize USDA programs available to them. By taking advantage of these programs, we hope acequia farmers will increase production and resource conservation, strengthen acequia infrastructure, and ensure viability of acequias and agriculture in our communities. 

One of the most valuable and relevant USDA programs for acequia parciantes is the EQIP program (Environmental Quality Incentives Program).  It provides 75% to 90% cost share support to landowners to implement conservation practices for their land and water.  Landowners have used the program for irrigation improvement, rangeland restoration, and erosion control.  It can be a useful program for landowners who are looking at building their soils and improving irrigation efficiency.

NRCS is accepting applications for the current batch of EQIP funds until December 3.  Landowners who are ready to implement specific conservation practices, such as irrigation efficiency, soil building and erosion prevention, or brush removal, may be able to meet the deadline.  Landowners should also have in place documentation of their eligibility for USDA programs in order to meet the deadline. 

We would like to take this opportunity to encourage people to start thinking about the next EQIP deadline and to being to prepare.  After establishing eligibility, the key to a strong EQIP application is developing a conservation plan for their land. Because this is a competitive program, it's more likely that well planned conservation practices will be funded. But if started now, there should be ample time to develop a very solid plan by the time the next deadline rolls around.

To get the ball rolling, the NMAA strongly encourages folks to get in touch with your local NRCS field offices to begin the process. NMAA is also available to connect landowners with USDA programs and staff and to advise on the process of completing an application. For more information on assistance with USDA program applications, please contact Patrick Jaramillo at 505.995.9644 or patrick@lasacequias.org.