Poll closing: threats to acequias

OK - somewhat disappointing that only n=6 on the poll that just closed; on "what is the most immediate threat" to acequias, people were evently split on three of the four choices, and the only category that didn't get a single nod was bureaucracy. Water transfers, delinquent parciantes, and urban water demands were balanced in terms of any perception of imminent threat. And these are scaled aspects, one is internal (parciantes), one is slightly less local (transfer), while the last category of urban water is clearly exogenous - an external threat. Obviously, savvy readers can easily tie together the fact that many current or soon-to-be transfer applications are driven by urban water demands, and an ever-increasing demographic pressure on utilities to service those new demands. Witness population growth in the metro Santa Fe area (graph, from SFe Review). And this "urban" demand is usually, sometimes casually disguised as "suburban" demand. Adobe designs are not exactly a sore thumb on the landscape - thus making it harder to appreciate what the impacts really are in particular basins. Don't believe it? Drive between Tesuque and S.Fe and try counting roof-tops.
Thanks to those who took the poll; another will be up shortly. Keep in mind these are for novelty entertainment purposes only; with an n=6 and no systematic random sample, you should not take offense at either the questions, or the results. I'll leave these results up for another day or so, then move on. Saludos!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Congreso, day 2 and wrap-up

Image
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...
Read more

The Unsettled Waters of the American West

Image
Unsettled Waters: Rights, Law, and Identity in the American West is now under contract, and under production at the University of California Press. Release is scheduled for November 2018 and I'm excited that this first, detailed ethnographic study of water rights adjudications in New Mexico will soon see the light of day. I'm delighted that artist Charles (Chuck) Forsman allowed me to use his " Native Land ' painting held in the Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, as part of the cover design. Stay tuned! This blog will have new posts soon as the release date approaches...tentative cover copy design is below.
Read more
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.
Read more