Summer 2007 Key Findings
Research Fellows with SWS Director, Anne Hyde. Photo by Maria Varela.
The Taos County Economic Development Corporation Cañon Acequia and Mutual Domestic Water Associations wanted to understand the practices, attitudes, perceptions and beliefs of parciantes (water rights owners) on the Cañon Acequia. Lauren Frinkman ’08 (Religion) and Ruth Domrzalski ’08 (Physiology) interviewed more than 50 parciantes (out of 150). Key findings included that Anglo water rights owners were more concerned about the loss of agricultural land to development while Hispanic water rights owners were more concerned about the potential loss of water rights. Families on the south end of the acequia had given over agricultural land to their children for housing, resulting in less agricultural activity. More affluent parciantes on the northern end had smaller families (or were retired), had larger agricultural land holdings and were more engaged in farming. Another key finding was the overwhelming opposition (87%) of those surveyed to the town of Taos’ proposal to annex Cañon. There was also significant support to go to the NM legislature for funds to purchase a community owned reservoir to lengthen the irrigation season.
The Taos Land Trust wanted to know the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of land owners in Taos County about conservation easements and other issues related to the protection of agricultural land and water. Byron Hurlbut '09, (Political Science) tested a pilot survey on 35 land owners and made recommendations about revisions to the instrument as well as the number of surveys (367) that would be needed to be representative of all land owners in Taos County.