*The views expressed in this blog are mine and do not represent those of the organizations discussed*
Geographers on the Rio Chupadero (sort of)
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Dave C and Eric P, debating trans-basin acequia diversions, here near the headwaters of the Rio en Medio, as part of it gets split (background) into the Rio Chupadero for irrigation. Photo courtesy of Eric Shultz.
The Congreso de las Acequias was formally held on Saturday morning, December 5th, out at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds. It spilled a bit through lunch , which was (thankfully) a little less...Midwestern than the Friday banquet (no offense, I was born in Ohio, so I can say that about my people). Although Friday was a far busier day because of workshops , since the Saturday session is largely a closed loop ceremony for elections/resolutions, it was interesting to see some modifications occurring in the "regional" acequia structure. Instead of only representing the larger regional associations that are composed of several acequias, they are adding a "type 2" region that represents areas that are currently not included in the NMAA structure. So, now there are "type 1" regions, like the current Taos Valley assocation, the Rio Jemez association (etc.) but also smaller acequias more interspersed throughout the state (such as the Rio Hondo in southern New Mexic...
It's been too long, far too long. How do I know? Because someone umm...err...let's say "borrowed" the title of my blog and would-be book. So I'm moving on to another 'trope' since a) it's been too long for me to pretend this is an active blog and b) someone moved in on this name of unruly waters. Oh well, live and learn... At least we're having a great El Ni ñ o year now... to more rain. Cheers, see you downstream.
Today I went up to Dixon, via the high road, for a discussion-cum-interview with Stanley Crawford, author of several works relevant to this blog ( Mayordomo , A Garlic Testament , The River in Winter ). As a former mayordomo for his acequia (del Bosque, in first photo), I wanted his take on how governance has changed on the ditch, if at all. While acequia bylaws are now de rigueur if the ditch seeks state and federal funding for projects and repairs, he called them a fallback set of rules. In other words, if you have to use them a lot, the ditch is in trouble. Most people don't bother to read the full set of bylaws. So the good news, if one can call it that, is that governance has changed little over the last 30-40 years in Dixon, at least on his ditch. The typical, but occasional, lawsuit, and dealing with the alphabet suit of state and federal agencies responsible for water managment, were par for this acequia's course. Unlike acequias living on the encroaching suburban ...
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