Let’s remain devoted to watershed
Last fall’s United Nations report was a wake-up call to cities and communities throughout the world about climate change. The argument about whether we have 10 or 12 years until major environmental destruction is almost immaterial unless we get our local house in order.
Water is the Santa Fe Watershed’s climate change concern. Many groups have been working on the Santa Fe River Watershed issues to prevent flooding and erosion, to improve water retention and quality, and to restore native habitats. We’re fortunate that we have such impressive expertise to draw from in Santa Fe as we work together to manage this precious resource. Ensuring a sustainable water supply is an obvious and critical need for our future.
Six years ago, the Santa Fe River Traditional Communities Collaborative was formed to provide stakeholder input to the U.S. Forest Service on a proposed lower Santa Fe River restoration project from La Cieneguilla to La Bajada. The collaborative includes representatives of federal, state, city and county government agencies, artists, members of nonprofits, county commissioners, presidents of the village associations for Agua Fría, La Cienega-La Cieneguilla and La Bajada, established area farmers and ranchers, representatives from the Pueblo de Cochiti, Sen. Tom Udall’s office, Rep. Ben Ray Luján’s office and the executive director of the Santa Fe Watershed Association.
Soon after the collaborative formed, we recognized that we couldn’t plan the proposed 10-mile restoration unless there was a certain consistent flow of water in the river. This isn’t as easy as it sounds, because in this part of the watershed, other than the unpredictable rainfall, the Santa
Fe River is primarily dependent on the output from the city of Santa Fe’s wastewater treatment plant for its flow. This demand competes with existing city water commitments to parks, to the public Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe and the privately owned Santa Fe Country Club golf course. The collaborative established a commitment to work toward ensuring there is a steady, certain and clean flow in the Santa Fe River. A flow that will maintain the river’s riparian health as well as sustaining the communities’ agricultural traditions that go back to the time Pueblo people raised crops along the river.
Over the next several weeks, a series of articles will discuss different aspects of our watershed. There will be a brief history of travel and use along the river; an edited analysis of pharmaceuticals present in the river water; a proposal for a water ethic; a guide to the basic geography of our Santa Fe River Watershed and how it is currently managed; and the watershed’s agricultural traditions. The collaborative believes that this is a moment to help citizens of Santa Fe understand the effects of their water use and help us all prepare for our future water challenges.
We all know by now we cannot overstate the need for wise water use. Thus, we are asking the Santa Fe County Commission, Mayor Alan Webber and the City Council to create
a joint city and county working group that includes members of the community, and give this group the authority to address the longterm health of the entire Santa Fe River Watershed.
To address statewide water concerns, the collaborative is asking our government representatives, our elected officials and our communities to dedicate a “Decade to Water” to focus attention, educational initiatives and resources on our water issues. We look forward to working with the new state engineer, John R. D’Antonio Jr., who has the ability and experience to understand these complex issues. These are essential steps in the most important effort to sustain our state’s waters and our cultural traditions.
Carl Dickens serves as president of the La Cienega Valley Association and co-chairs the Santa Fe River Traditional Communities Collaborative. Felicity Broennan is the former director of the Santa Fe Watershed Association and co-chairs the Santa Fe River Traditional Communities Collaborative.