Summer 2006 Key Findings
The 2006 Summer Fellows. Photo by Maria Varela.
The SouthValley Partnership for Environmental Justice (SVPEJ) wanted to know why people used or did not use their water rights. For nearly four centuries residents of the south valley of Albuquerque have held ancestral water rights which supported family and community agriculture. Now, many are in danger of losing their water rights because of non use. Also, Parciantes (water rights owners) often do not know their legal rights. A pilot survey was developed to better understand reasons for non use as well as the concerns of parciantes about water quality and quantity. Lauren Bogard ’07, (Sociology) tested the survey, made revisions and provided SVPEJ with recommendations for improvement of the instrument.
The NM American Friend Service Committee wanted to know about the agricultural practices, attitudes and concerns of small farmers in the middle Rio Grande valley who marketed their products commercially. Katie Rosing ’07 (Sustainable Agriculture) conducted an in-depth survey of more than 30 farm families. Farmers were most concerned about the erosion of agricultural land and uses of water rights from the South Valley because of non use and real estate development. They also were concerned about how governmental support of agriculture was skewed to large corporate farms making it difficult for small farmers to survive.
SouthValley Partnership for Environmental Justice and NM American Friend Service Committee requested that Emma Gamelsky, ’08 who was an art major, create a file of photographs for use in publications, flyers and other educational materials. They also requested that she develop a brochure for water rights owners which provided information on government agencies and private non profits which provided support to parciantes in the protection of their water rights.
The Taos County Economic Development Corporation and the Taos Land Trust wanted to better understand how people were using their water rights and agricultural land and/or what barriers prevented use of land and water rights. TCEDC also wanted to know if livestock growers would use the organization’s Mobile Livestock Slaughtering Unit (MLSU) a certified butchering facility which would enable the marketing of livestock products commercially. Marisela Chavez ’08 (Mathematics) conducted the test survey on Los Cordovas Acequia, interviewing nearly 40 water rights users. The survey indicated a high degree of concern about how residential and second home development was diminishing agricultural land and water rights usage in the TaosValley. Livestock growers did indicate support for the MLSU but primarily for home use.