Bernalillo County Commission adopted the Atrisco Acequia Madre Master Plan at its Jan. 9 meeting. The plan will develop a two-acre outdoor education site near Central Avenue and the Rio Grande. The location is at the headwaters of the Atrisco Acequia Madre which is considered to be the oldest and most important acequia in the area. The educational center will be built on the north side of the Rio Grande Bosque adjacent to the Atrisco lateral. 

The project will be completed  in three phases with the first phase costing about $920,000 with the county pitching in $890,000 in a one time expenditure. A working collaboration was formed with the public, with Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, city of Albuquerque, the ABQ BioPark and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority with guidance and direction from the South Valley Regional Association of Acequias and the Center for Social Sustainable Systems. 

County Open Space Director Mari Simbana and Technical Planning Manager Richard Meadows said the plans have been in the works for a couple of years. “Not only are these spaces for physical and mental wellness but economic wellness that will contribute to our community development,” Simbana said. She said the overall enhancements in the area could serve to link west of the river to the east and Central Ave. to the South Valley.

Meadows added the master plan will create a celebration of place and of the great history for people to gather and learn about this unique water history in our own backyard. 

Commission Chair Barbara Baca echoed his comments saying this was an important project as it is a celebration of place and culture, where Rt66 and the Rio Grande intersect. “An outdoor space to protect and to bring our youth in to become stewards of our land, to be protectors of our acequias and to understand that it brings water and water is life.”

Sacred Water

Meandering through the North and South Valleys are a series of historic acequias, or hand-dug, gravity fed ditches. These community waterways that branch off the Rio Grande were brought into the region by 17th century Spanish settlers. They took root alongside Native American irrigation systems that were in place. The acequia systems we know today were used to sustain the Spanish missions with water for cooking, personal and agricultural use as the population grew along the Rio Grande. 

Overall, New Mexico has more than 700 acequias stretching all the way to the southern chile fields. Bernalillo County, including Albuquerque and Los Ranchos, which has about 20 acequias flowing from the Rio Grande into the surrounding valleys. These muddy waterways are used by farmers, big and small, and are an integral part of the culture and heritage of not only our metro area, but the state.

Acequias, and its water, are considered sacred waterways. The term acequia, is derived from the Arabic term as-saqiya, meaning “that which gives water”. Up and down the Rio Grande, at the opening of the annual irrigation season, the waters are ceremonially blessed. Acequia waters also have a history of being politically charged. In times of plenty, it was shared freely, then fought over in drier drought times. Author John Nichols wrote the book, “The Milagro Beanfield War,” about a true incident from the late 1960s early 1970s where in Northern New Mexico a community battle ensued to protect the water that flowed into the town peoples’ beanfields from being diverted by politicians and business interests.

Commissioner Eric Olivas, who represents District 5 that sprawls from Uptown into the East Mountains said that even though his district is far from this location he supported it 110%.  He said the entire community should be proud of the project and the Bosque area, it is the crown jewel of open space in the metro area, possibly the whole state. No where else does a large, sprawling, vibrant and wild open space exist in the middle of an urban area. 

Acequias incorporate comprehensive hydrology, ecological, governance and cultural systems. There are agencies involved that govern when the waters can be released. There are the ditch riders who open and close the main gates and generally maintain the waterways. Then there is the “mayordomos”. There are a number of these “ditch bosses” who see to the equitable distribution of the water in a certain section of ditches. Mayordomos handle any issues that come up among water users during the growing season. This can become quite the challenge during times of drought when the farmers are vying for the precious drops and the ditch boss is tasked to make hard decisions.

Commissioner Adriann Barboa said she has a personal connection. “My family on my dad’s side has lived off the acequias. My grandfather, uncles have been mayordomos,” she said “Growing up with that culture I am thankful there are ways for the future generations to have access to that culture, history and honor that past.”

For more information on the Atrisco Acequia Madre log on to www.acequiamadreplan.org/  for more on New Mexico acequias check out  www.mrgcd.com/ and  https://lasacequias.org/